Jump to content

June 22. 2019: A Horseman in the Sky by Ambrose Bierce


Smiley

Recommended Posts

Please join us for our next chat in  #readers_corner at 8:30 P.M. (EST) June 22nd, 2019 -- 00:30  A.M. (GMT) June 23rd -- for a discussion of "A  Horseman in the Sky" by Ambrose Bierce.

Bierce (June 1842 to approximately 1914) was a soldier in the Union Army during the American civil war.  He enlisted as a private but was quickly promoted through the ranks and eventual commissioned rising to the grade of Major.  After the war he turned to writing, having several collections of stories published.  He became a columnist at the San Francisco "Wasp" where he became known as for his acerbic, often cruel, critiques; see this interesting example http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist5/bierce.html (you might find it interesting).  Bierce continued his literary career until the second decade of the 20th century when, after the death of both of his sons --alcoholism and suicide-- he decided to travel to Mexico to observe what was happening during the Mexican revolution.  He died during that trip, exact date unknown.

This week's story concerns a West Virginian lad, who despite his father's loyalty to the State of Virginia, enlists in the Union Army.  During a union campaign into West Virginia, he is posted as a picket for the Union element camped during a movement not far from where his family lives.  The story looks at the moral dilemma that the soldier makes.  Of interest to anyone not familiar with the American Civil War, the western counties of Virginia refused to join the State in seceding from the Union, and became a separate, independent state after the war.

I think you will enjoy reading the story and I know we will have lots of fun discussing it.

The story is available from eastofthe web.com, one of our familiar sources of short literature:  http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/HorSky.shtm

Meeting Place:  #Readers_Corner 

     Webchat: http://koach.com/chatlogin.php?chan=readers_corner

     mIRC Users:  /server -m chat3.koach.com:6667 -j #readers_corner

I hope to see you all at our chat.  Don't forget to bring a friend.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...