Compare Chekhov's short stories to Carver's, especially those included in Carver's collection Where I'm Calling From. Write an essay exploring the similarities in style and subject matter between Chekhov and Carver.

Compare the similarities and differences in how Carver represents Chekhov's death and how Henri Troyat represents the writer's death in his biography, Chekhov. What, if anything, marks Carver's account as fictional?

Carver was battling cancer at the time he wrote "Errand" and had only a short time to live. Discuss how Carver's own situation influences his choice to write a story about the death of a well-known writer like Chekhov.

Write an imaginative rendering of the circumstances surrounding your own death. What does such a story tell you about your values, desires, and beliefs?

How do you think Chekhov would have written about his own death?

Unlike many of Carver's characters...