About the Book
A selection of the best and most representative contemporary American short fiction from 1970 to 2020, including such authors as Ursula K. LeGuin, Toni Cade Bambara, Jhumpa Lahiri, Sandra Cisneros, and Ted Chiang, hand-selected by celebrated editor and anthologist John Freeman.
A selection of the best and most representative contemporary American short fiction from 1970 to 2020, including such authors as Ursula K. LeGuin, Toni Cade Bambara, Jhumpa Lahiri, Sandra Cisneros, and Ted Chiang, hand-selected by celebrated editor and anthologist John Freeman
In the past fifty years, the American short story has changed dramatically. New voices, forms, and mixtures of styles have brought this unique genre a thrilling burst of energy.The Penguin Book of the Modern American Short Storycelebrates this avalanche of talent.
This rich anthology begins in 1970 and brings together a half century of powerful American short stories from all genres, including-for the first time in a collection of this scale-science fiction, horror, and fantasy, placing writers such as Ursula K. Le Guin, Ken Liu, and Stephen King next to some beloved greats of the literary form- Raymond Carver, Grace Paley, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and Denis Johnson. Culling widely, John Freeman, the former editor ofGrantaand now editor of his own literary annual, brings forward some astonishing work to be regarded in a new light. Often overlooked tales by Dorothy Allison, Percival Everett, and Charles Johnson will recast the shape and texture of today's enlarging atmosphere of literary dialogue. Stories by Lauren Groff and Ted Chiang raise the specter of engagement in ecocidal times. Short tales by Tobias Wolff, George Saunders, and Lydia Davis rub shoulders with near novellas by Susan Sontag and Andrew Holleran. This book will be a treasure trove for readers, writers, and teachers alike.
Table of Contents:
CONTENTS
Introduction by John Freeman ix
THE LESSON • Toni Cade Bambara, 1972 1
A CONVERSATION WITH MY FATHER • Grace Paley, 1972 10
THE ONES WHO WALK AWAY FROM OMELAS • Ursula K. Le Guin, 1973 17
BICYCLES, MUSCLES, CIGARETTES • Raymond Carver, 1973 25
THE FLOWERS • Alice Walker, 1973 36
GIRL • Jamaica Kincaid, 1978 38
THE RED CONVERTIBLE • Louise Erdrich, 1981 40
THE REENCOUNTER • Isaac Bashevis Singer, 1982 51
TAKING CARE • Joy Williams, 1982 58
STORY • Lydia Davis, 1983 69
CHINA • Charles Johnson, 1984 73
PET MILK • Stuart Dybek, 1984 96
THE WAY WE LIVE NOW • Susan Sontag, 1986 102
SALVADOR LATE OR EARLY • Sandra Cisneros, 1986 123
THE THINGS THEY CARRIED • Tim O’Brien, 1986 125
RIVER OF NAMES • Dorothy Allison, 1988 146
EMERGENCY • Denis Johnson, 1991 157
STICKS • George Saunders, 1994 170
FIESTA, 1980 • Junot Díaz, 1996 172
SILENCE • Lucia Berlin, 1998 188
THE TWENTY- SEVENTH MAN • Nathan Englander, 1998 201
BULLET IN THE BRAIN • Tobias Wolff, 1998 221
THE HERMIT’S STORY • Rick Bass, 1998 227
A TEMPORARY MATTER • Jhumpa Lahiri, 1998 242
THE PENTHOUSE • Andrew Holleran, 1999 262
THE FIX • Percival Everett, 1999 292
WATER CHILD • Edwidge Danticat, 2000 310
THE AMERICAN EMBASSY • Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, 2003 322
THE CONDUCTOR • Aleksandar Hemon, 2005 334
ST. LUCY’S HOME FOR GIRLS RAISED BY WOLVES • Karen Russell, 2007 354
THE LAST THING WE NEED • Claire Vaye Watkins, 2010 373
THE PAPER MENAGERIE • Ken Liu, 2011 389
THE DUNE • Stephen King, 2011 405
DIEM PERDIDI • Julie Otsuka, 2011 419
THE GREAT SILENCE • Ted Chiang, 2015 432
THE MIDNIGHT ZONE • Lauren Groff, 2016 437
ANYONE CAN DO IT • Manuel Muñoz, 2019 449
About the Contributors 467
Credits 477
About the Author :
John Freeman is an award-winning writer and book critic who has written for numerous
publications, including the New York Times Book Review, Los Angeles Times, Guardian andWall Street Journal. He is the former editor of Granta and the author of Shrinking the World and a collection of author interviews How to Read a Novelist. He lives in New York City
Review :
“Freeman’s excellent introduction to this new anthology of modern short stories will be useful to readers who are unfamiliar with the format; for students of the short story, it’s a refreshing overview . . . a short story for any mood. . . . This anthology sets itself apart by providing an inclusive starting point for readers interested in discovering the power of the short story; it is golden for those who already recognize that power.” —Library Journal (starred)
“A well-selected anthology of short fiction, ranging from long to flash, representing the last half-century . . . A fresh gathering that highlights the work of mostly well-known story writers through their lesser-known works.” —Kirkus
