Special episode: The Racial Uncanny in "The Dance"

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While we're editing our next episode (out before the end of the month!), we're very excited to share this adaptation of Fitzgerald's "The Dance," which first appeared in Red Book exactly 100 years ago. Although not widely known, "The Dance" is important for two reasons: it's Fitzgerald's most overt attempt at a murder mystery and his most direct confrontation of race, including the lynching crisis of the era. In this episode, students at the Bentley School in California under the direction of their English and history teachers, Dr. Richard Gabri and Dr. Destiney Linker, dramatize the story while calling attention to the composition process that conceals a major clue to the meaning. We saw this presentation at the American Literature Association in May 2026 and absolutely loved this approach to creative pedagogy. Congratulations to the students: Jude Marietta, Niko Schenk, Cookie McManus, Evelyn Van Huysse, Evan Sobel, Ezra Graham, Olivia Bussey, and Isaac Lloyd, who recorded this version of their presentation especially for us. And congrats to Dr. Gabri and Dr. Linker for the opportunity to witness these talents in action.