This short course in literary interpretation is a basic exercise in analyzing a work of short fiction in order to get the most out of it — plus a big difference: instead of just guessing what was in the author’s mind, you can ask! The instructor wrote the book! This course requires participants to read one short story (Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery), for which in-class time will be allotted in Session 1, and a novella, After & Before, by Brian Alm, which must be read before the Session 2 class a week later. Both texts will be provided at no extra charge. The instructor is a former university English teacher.