βIn twenty-nine separate but ingenious ways, these stories seek permanent residence within a reader. They strive to become an emotional or intellectual cargo that might accompany us wherever, or however, we go. . . . If we are made by what we read, if language truly builds people into what they are, how they think, the depth with which they feel, then these stories are, to me, premium material for that construction project. You could build a civilization with them.β βBen Marcus, from the Introduction
Award-winning author ofNotable American WomenBen Marcus brings us this engaging and comprehensive collection of short stories that explore the stylistic variety of the medium in America today.
Sea Oakby George Saunders
Everything Ravaged, Everything Burnedby Wells Tower
Do Not Disturbby A.M. Homes
The Girl in the Flammable Skirtby Aimee Bender
The Caretakerby Anthony Doerr
The Old Dictionaryby Lydia Davis
The Fatherβs Blessingby Mary Caponegro
The Life and Work of Alphonse Kaudersby Aleksandar Hemon
People Shouldnβt Have to be the Ones to Tell Youby Gary Lutz
Histories of the Undeadby Kate Braverman
When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dineby Jhumpa Lahiri
Down the Roadby Stephen Dixon
X Number of Possibilitiesby Joanna Scott
Tiny, Smiling Daddyby Mary Gaitskill
Brief Interviews with Hideous Menby David Foster Wallace
The Sound Gunby Matthew Derby
Short Talksby Anne Carson
Field Eventsby Rick Bass
Scarliotti and the Sinkholeby Padgett Powell
From the Trade Paperback edition.