Widely acknowledged as one of the major writers of the first half of the twentieth century, indeed as a member with James Joyce and Marcel Proust of the trinity of great modernist writers, Franz Kafka's innovative works have exercised enormous influence on writers from across the world. In addition to studying key works by the Czech author, such as The Metamorphosis, "The Chinese Wall," and The Trial, this course looks at works that acknowledge Kafka's inprint from throughout the Americas and beyond. In addition to Kafka,the authors that may be studied include Jorge Luis Borges, Philip Roth, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Roberto Bolaño, Moacyr Scliar, and Achmat Dangor.