On the surface, "Atria" by Ramona Ausubel, could be seen as a young teenage girl's experience with unwanted pregnancy; however, the story also explores perception and community. The immediate community…
"Rollingwood" by Ben Marcus is a study in the passive narrator/character. It's behind The New Yorker's pay wall, but the abstract says it all, "short story about a man trying…
"Going for a Beer" by Robert Coover is a short, surreal journey of moments that bleed into one another and skip years. It reminds me of Jonathan Safran Foer's piece…
In the posthumously published excerpt from The Pale King entitled "Backbone" by David Foster Wallace, the reader follows a young boy with a goal: to be able to kiss every inch…
"Paranoia" by Said Sayrafiezadeh is a mix of humor and friendship set to the beat of the buildup for war and the slurring words of the news-cycle. The characters are in their…
"The Other Place" by Mary Gaitskill is a dark story about parenthood and growing up. To write is to have courage. Courage to explore. Courage to expose. Courage to be…
"Axis" by Alice Munro is a story that breaks off into multiple narratives, which like her story "Corrie," span across decades. The story revolves around three characters: Grace, Avie, and…
When reading short stories, I find it helpful to approach the reading on two levels. First, as a form of entertainment. I enjoy reading and find short stories to be…
Amos Oz's story, "The King of Norway" provides a good lesson on point of view. The story begins:On our kibbutz, Kibbutz Yekhat, there lived a man, Zvis Provizor, a short…
It's easy to appreciate George Saunders creativity. The stories that I've read by him are always somewhat fantastic and otherworldly. Usually, he has a point to make as well. In…