Schoolyard Treasures #2

This is a new feature I thought of in class, when I was supposed to be doing something that was not thinking of blog posts. Basically, since school started back up, I know I won't be doing much reading for pleasure, but, as an English major, I will be doing a ton of reading. I wanted to share with you all some of the new authors/stories/etc. I've read for a class and really enjoyed. I love that this gives me a space to talk about classic literature and short stories, which I usually don't talk about.

I'm only two weeks into this semester and I've already discovered two short stories I absolutely adored! 

THE PAPER MENAGERIE BY KEN LIU 

This is my new favorite short story! I've never felt this emotionally invested in such a short piece of fiction. I sobbed almost the entire time I was reading this. I'm looking forward to reading more stories by this author. 

L. DEBARD AND ALIETTE BY LAUREN GROFF

This story really sucked me in. It has a unique writing style and reads very quickly. In my fictin class we're going to be reading from her anthology, too, so I'm excited to get better acquainted with both of these authors. 

Schoolyard Treasures #1

This is a new feature I thought of in class, when I was supposed to be doing something that was not thinking of blog posts. Basically, since school started back up, I know I won't be doing much reading for pleasure, but, as an English major, I will be doing a ton of reading. I wanted to share with you all some of the new authors/stories/etc. I've read for a class and really enjoyed. I love that this gives me a space to talk about classic literature and short stories, which I usually don't talk about. 

Anyway. 

The first schoolyard treasure I've found is a new author...

KATE CHOPIN 

I read a few of her short stories for my modern (1800-present day) American literature class, and thought they were wonderful! I'm not easily impressed by classic literature, but I really enjoyed reading Chopin's work, and I'm definitely going to be seeking out more of her writing. 

What I read: 

- "The Story of an Hour"

- "The Storm"

- "Desiree's Baby"

What I liked:

These short stories are fairly short, quick reads, but they are packed with so many important details. In all of these stories, there is a twist at the end that I never see coming, but when I go back and re-read the stories, I see that all the clues are there! And while she writes about the oppression of women in her time, she does so differently than many other authors. She does not make the men out to be monsters or even ill-intentioned. Also, her work was often considered controversial. In some stories, she actually portrayed sex for women as a liberating and pleasant event. 

Then I found a short story that I loved! 

THE YELLOW WALL-PAPER BY CHARLOTTE PERKINS GILMAN

This story is so freaking creepy and it gave me the chills. It's the first classic story I've read that examines mental health so explicitly. I'm gonna probably re-read this in October, and make my roommate read it too, because it's so interesting and well-written. 

HAVE YOU READ THIS AUTHOR OR SHORT STORY? WHAT DID YOU THINK? ALSO, DO YOU HAVE ANY MORE CREEPY STORY RECOMMENDATIONS BECAUSE I'M FEELING THE HALLOWEEN SPIRIT.