Riding the Line—Comedy and Tragedy

In this one-day course, we'll examine two stories that masterfully balance their tone between comedy and tragedy: "Heartache" by Anton Chekhov and "A Shocking Accident" by Graham Greene. We'll examine how the writers pull off this high-wire act and seek lessons for our own work in moving the reader to tears and to laughter—and possibly both at once. Class will consist of lecture, discussion, and a writing exercise to help you implement these concepts in your own work.