A professor in New Orleans loses his job and resorts to a new line of work – mugging tourists in the French Quarter. 

“Ghetto University” is a short story by Maurice Carlos Ruffin, featured in his 2021 collection, The Ones Who Don’t Say They Love You.

Listen to the story here, and read along at ursastory.com/ghetto-university 

Then come back next week for Ruffin’s in-depth conversation with Ursa Short Fiction co-hosts Deesha Philyaw and Dawnie Walton. 

About the Author 

Maurice Carlos Ruffin is the author of The Ones Who Don’t Say They Love You, a New York Times Editor’s Choice that was also longlisted for the Story Prize. His first book, We Cast a Shadow, was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and the PEN America Open Book Prize. Ruffin is the winner of several literary prizes, including the Iowa Review Award in fiction. A New Orleans native, Ruffin is a professor of Creative Writing at Louisiana State University, and the 2020-2021 John and Renee Grisham Writer-in-Residence at the University of Mississippi.

Episode Links and Reading List: 

“Ghetto University” (Ursa) 

The Ones Who Don’t Say They Love You (One World, 2021)

Maurice Carlos Ruffin’s newsletter 

Story Credits

“Ghetto University”

Written by Maurice Carlos Ruffin

Performed by Allan Thomas

Directed by Adetola Abdulkadir

Sound Design and Mixing by Alicia Qian

Illustrations by Anthony Santagati

Music: “Zizu de Calp,” Blue Dot Studios

Executive Producers: Dawnie Walton & Mark Armstrong

 

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