Spring 2026 OLLI Digital Catalog – under construction 

THE ART OF READING SHORT FICTION (H353)

H – Literature

Required text: A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life, George Saunders, ISBN 1-98-485603-0. This class is a book study of A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life by George Saunders (author of Lincoln in the Bardo and many short stories). The book is based on a class taught at Syracuse University and includes seven stories by Chekhov, Turgenev, Tolstoy and Gogol. We will read the stories and analysis, and discuss how these classic stories can inform our experience of reading short fiction.

This offering meets for a total of 13 session(s).

INSTRUCTOR: Diane Senerth

SENERTH, DIANE — Background in education and nonprofit management. Has been facilitating community conversations for years (at OLLI since 2019). Believes that sharing our personal experiences and wisdom enables growth and the betterment of the community. (H353)

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