The Penguin Book of the Modern American Short Story

Description

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 Story celebrates 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 of Granta and 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. Cover Title Page Copyright Contents Introduction: John Freeman The Lesson: Toni Cade Bambara (1972) A Conversation with My Father: Grace Paley (1972) The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas: Ursula K. Le Guin (1973) Bicycles, Muscles, Cigarettes: Raymond Carver (1973) The Flowers: Alice Walker (1973) Girl: Jamaica Kincaid (1978) The Red Convertible: Louise Erdrich (1981) The Reencounter: Isaac Bashevis Singer (1982) Taking Care: Joy Williams (1982) Story: Lydia Davis (1983) China: Charles Johnson (1984) Pet Milk: Stuart Dybek (1984) The Way We Live Now: Susan Sontag (1986) Salvador Late or Early: Sandra Cisneros (1986) The Things They Carried: Tim O’brien (1986) River of Names: Dorothy Allison (1988) Emergency: Denis Johnson (1991) Sticks: George Saunders (1994) Fiesta, 1980: Junot Díaz (1996) Silence: Lucia Berlin (1998) The Twenty-Seventh Man: Nathan Englander (1998) Bullet in the Brain: Tobias Wolff (1998) The Hermit’s Story: Rick Bass (1998) A Temporary Matter: Jhumpa Lahiri (1998) The Penthouse: Andrew Holleran (1999) The Fix: Percival Everett (1999) Water Child: Edwidge Danticat (2000) The American Embassy: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2003) The Conductor: Aleksandar Hemon (2005) St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves: Karen Russell (2007) The Last Thing We Need: Claire Vaye Watkins (2010) The Paper Menagerie: Ken Liu (2011) The Dune: Stephen King (2011) Diem Perdidi: Julie Otsuka (2011) The Great Silence: Ted Chiang (2015) The Midnight Zone: Lauren Groff (2016) Anyone Can Do It: Manuel Muñoz (2019) About the Contributors Credits