Faulkner's short stories have accumulated a long history of discussion in college and university classrooms, where "A Rose for Emily" and "Barn Burning" are among standard texts used to introduce Faulkner and to explore technical aspects of reading and writing short fiction. All of the stories in Knight's Gambit and in the volumes of collected and "uncollected" stories raise a variety of issues for discussion. Topics one can count upon generating interesting and often exciting discussion would include the themes of race, gender, and world view.

Faulkner lived in a deeply racist, segregated culture. He loved that culture and deplored racism. Exploring the complexities of this view as they emerge in stories such as "Dry September" opens questions about racial relations in the United States that continue to be relevant at the turn of the twentyfirst century.

Faulkner's treatment of women in his fiction remains a...