Today's class was rather amusing. I am still not entirely certain I agree that a single letter can be a novel...I recognize that it can tell a complex tale but language is fluid enough that there are other 'genre' definitions that will suit "William Tell: A Novel." We have so many definitions for the various forms of written expression because there is a certain formal quality expected of each type, which does have quite a bit of leeway now but is still generally recognized by a specific set of rules. For example, a novel brings to mind a work of a certain length just as a short story does or a flash fiction. Poetry generally brings to mind lyric verse of varying length; sometimes blank verse. Essay brings to mind a (usually) shorter written work that is trying to convey a point (and has the potential to be very dry).
Of course, these are my thoughts on the formal conventions of writing and are certainly not set in stone. Not that any interpretation can be set in stone in this day and age with so many new ideas arising. Experimental writing is far more accepted and practiced now than in the past and will continue to change the various definitions given to genres.
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