Wide Open Fiction. Week 47: The American Short Story

With only five weeks left in this year-long journey, I can feel the end approaching—less like a high-wire act and more like gathering momentum toward something unknown. Week 47 of Ted Gioia’s Immersive Humanities course explores twentieth-century American fiction through short stories and novel excerpts, revealing a distinctly American voice: sharp dialogue, vivid settings, and an experimental edge.

1. O. Henry, “The Gift of the Magi” (1906): A charming story of love and sacrifice.
2. F. Scott Fitzgerald, “A Diamond as Big as the Ritz” (1922): Wealth, excess, and a surprising twist.
3. Ernest Hemingway, “The Killers” (1927): Sparse, tension-filled dialogue.
4. William Faulkner, The Sound and the Fury (1929, excerpt): Challenging, with shifting time and perspective.
5. Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man (1947, excerpt): A powerful sense of invisibility and identity.
6. Shirley Jackson, “The Lottery” (1948): Disturbing and unforgettable.
7. Flannery O’Connor, “A Good Man is Hard to Find” (1955): A Southern Gothic tale with shocking turns.

Together, these works feel spacious, restless, and distinctly American—and they remind me how much more willing I am now to embrace difficult, even strange, books.

This is a year-long challenge! Join me next week for a little Magical Realism.

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