Overview: For this journal task, due in Module One, reflect on this article by Lev Grossman: Literary Revolution in the Supermarket Aisle: Genre Fiction Is
Disruptive Technology. This article is a response piece to Arthur Krystal’s New Yorker article “Easy Writers,” in which Krystal argues that genre fiction is poorly
written and not worth reading. Grossman defends genre fiction and stresses that if it is well written, it has merit. This article will help you consider the genre
fiction versus literary fiction debate. For this journal task you will also reflect on Benjamin Percy’s short story, “Refresh, Refresh.” This story focuses on a
teenager’s life in a small town in Oregon after all of the men, including the boy’s father, have been deployed to Iraq. Percy’s writing is considered literary fiction,
but the author uses other genre conventions as well.
Prompt: In your journal submission, be sure to address the following critical elements:
 Evaluate how Benjamin Percy’s short story, “Refresh, Refresh,” seems to blend elements of genre and literary fiction. What sections of the text feel like
they could be included in a “supermarket paperback?” What sections feel like they belong in a literary short story (e.g., is there a moment where
character drives the plot in some way)? Remember to be specific, citing passages in the text to support your points.
 Explain what your long-term goals are with writing. For example, do you wish to write short stories that can be published in literary magazines, or do
you wish to write science fiction or Harlequin romances? Emphasize how this literary fiction course will ultimately help you with your goals.
Note: You will revisit this journal entry when you reflect on the course as a whole in the reflective essay due in Module Eight, one that will summarize the
process you underwent throughout the course in writing and revising your short story.