The Eloquent Short Story: An Anthology of Narrative Styles

by Lucy Rosenthal

Overview

A concise anthology of short fiction exemplifying today's rich diversity of narrative styles.

This gathering of twenty-four short stories shows the richness and vitality of the form. Each engaging, accessible story represents one of the many modes of storytelling now in our literature. Here are short stories in the guise of memoir or confession; written as a letter, a fable, a report; or accomplishing what we usually expect of a novel, an essay, a character study, a poem. A uniquely contemporary collection, yet with an eye on tradition, it includes long-revered as well as more recently heralded masters. Among them are Margaret Atwood, Ann Beattie, Robert Olen Butler, Truman Capote, Raymond Carver, Junot Diaz, Louise Erdrich, Ian Frazier, Randall Kenan, Jhumpa Lahiri, Rick Moody, Lorrie Moore, Alice Munro, Tim O'Brien, ZZ Packer, Alice Walker, Eudora Welty, Joy Williams, and Richard Yates. An introduction provides historical background and elaborates on the idea that although there may be a limited number of stories to tell, there are countless ways to tell them. Illuminating notes on the author's life and work precede each story.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780892552924
Publisher:	Persea Books
Publication date:	06/17/2004
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	864,020
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.00(d)

Table of Contents

	Introduction	xii
I.	The Story as Memoir or Confession
	Sweet Town	3
	The Water Faucet Vision	8
	Demonology	19
	Escapes	32
II.	The Story as Compressed Novel
	Playing with Dynamite	47
	Pendergast's Daughter	57
III.	The Story as Prose Poem
	Snow	61
	The Grave	64
IV.	The Story as Essay or Commentary
	Nilda	75
	Laws concerning food and drink; household principles; lamentations of the father	86
	On the Rainy River	91
	How to Become a Writer	110
V.	The Story as Character Study
	About Boston	121
	Mrs. Sen's	153
	The Secret Life of Walter Mitty	175
VI.	The Story as Reported Experience
	Car Crash While Hitchhiking	183
	Brownies	190
VII.	The Story as Letters
	The Rise and Fall of Mortimer Scrivens	217
	Address Unknown	232
VIII.	The Story as Fantasy or Fable
	Jealous Husband Returns in Form of Parrot	259
	Miriam	267
	The Shawl	281
	Spunk	289
	Biographical Notes on the Authors	296