Course Tools
Catalogue
Lecture
Reading
Study Guide
Quiz

LitCourse 3

Powder
Tobias Wolff (1945-)

In Brief
A terrific story, packed with superb character development in a mere 2-1/2 book-length pages. The story centers on a boy and his father, who get in one last ski before returning home in time for Christmas Eve dinner. But the road on the way home is closed, and the father has to improvise. The boy isn't happy about the risks his father takes. Read the selection.

About the Author
Considered one of America's finest writers and a master of the short story form, Wolff is most widely known for his memoir, This Boy's Life, which became a 1993 movie with the young Leonard DiCaprio, Ellen Barkin, and Robert De Niro. He has also published six story collections, novels and a memoir about his experiences in Vietnam. He teaches creative writing at Stanford University.