Paley started out as a poet, and it shows. Behind all these stories is the vision of a serious literary artist, dealing with universal notions of alienation, dislocation and abandonment. In the end I chose the collection that my own teachers chose piecemeal for me. And who does the world need more these days than Grace Paley? Easier said of course, much easier said, than done.
The 10 best short story collections
It shows how great stories are always born of small details and grow thanks to a power of invocation that is reinforced word by word, as a vital spell, which can only be built by walking hand in hand with the reader. The fact that it is a sci-fi autobiographical book shows how we have to tell any story any which way we want. The ability to expose that one-of-a-kind feeling of a human experience calls for a vivid cocktail of sincerity and imagination and Vonnegut has both big time. Behind the Short Story: It is a thoughtfully put together book, designed as a craft book with writing prompts after each story.
Must-Read Contemporary Short Story Collections | Book Riot
But the best parts are the essays accompanying each story, written by the author, commenting on the inspiration and the challenges to writing that story, and in the process demystifying the process of writing. The essays are so informal, speaking directly and honestly to the aspiring writer. George Saunders, Mary Gaitskill, etc. And do take note of her characterization and story structure, too!
Explaining the East-West Culture Gap. This makes me tremendously happy. A man wakes up without his nose and chases it around town trying to talk it back onto his face. The anthology is an overwhelming display of substance and skill, with dazzling variations in style and voice.
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I read it when I first started writing and reading as a writer and it has been one of my best investments. I also credit it with introducing me to the work of Anita Desai and Jean Rhys, who over the years became favorite, influential writers. A one-size-fits-all story collection does not exist, of course—sometimes a writer needs some Borges and sometimes she needs some Lydia Davis.
He is brilliant at evoking social nuance and has an unfailing eye for the tiniest detail that will shine light on the whole.
This deliciously fat collection gives the reader the chance to dip in and out of one of the best observers of human behaviour. Moore is notable for her arch tone and her sharp humour.
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- Zona retrocessione (Italian Edition)!
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But what makes her special is the way she can shift so smoothly to gut-wrenching poignancy. She writes about terminal illness, family dynamics and infidelity with equal fluency. Some of the best short stories contain unexpected moments of felicity on which the plot pivots. And so it was that, just as I was compiling this list, I received a giant package containing this doorstep of a book. It might be the most comprehensive collection of short stories… ever, featuring an all-star cast including Angela Carter, Charles Dickens, Roald Dahl and more, selected by David Miller, a literary agent and author.
- A Collection of Short Stories.
- The Boys Book of Spycraft: How to be the Best Secret Agent Ever (Buster Books).
- Content-Area Conversations: How to Plan Discussion-Based Lessons for Diverse Language Learners.
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