Author Archives: Fred Bubbers

Shackles, Chains, and Canon

Posted on April 12, 2024 by Fred Bubbers

In his essay, “In Praise of Dead White Men,” Lindsay Johns argues that efforts to make education more “relevant” to black people can be both patronizing and harmful, and that western literary canon should be taught to everyone. While I … Continue reading →

Posted in General | Tagged albany, fiction, history, literature, novel, novella, science, teaching, The Art of the Novella | Leave a comment

Writing Assignment: How to write a précis

Posted on March 8, 2024 by Fred Bubbers

This is a high school writing assignment given to help students prepare for writing college-level academic critical essays. You are a lowly intern in the script department of a major movie studio. Every week, hundreds of short story manuscripts flood … Continue reading →

Posted in General | Tagged craft essays, short stories, teachers, teaching, writing | Leave a comment

The Wedding Guest

Posted on February 4, 2024 by Fred Bubbers

Originally published in Ginosko Literary Journal(2020). In the sixties, when I was still in elementary school, retail businesses in the city stayed open later than they do now. Most stores closed at about 7:30 or 8:00. Drug stores, however, stayed … Continue reading →