The story and its writer: an introduction to short fiction - The latest ebook is available, download

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STUDENTANDINSTRUCTORRESOURCESFORTHESTORYANDITSWRITER

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BRIEFCONTENTS

Preface

Introduction:TheStoryandItsWriter

PartOne:Stories

Onehundredandtwelvestorieswithaccompanyingbiographicalheadnotesforeachauthor

PartTwo:Commentaries

Fiftycommentariesbywritersontheirownworkandtheworksofothers

PartThree:Casebooks

Sixcasebookscompiledoftwenty-ninecommentaries,images,andcontextualdocuments,affordingin-depthstudyofimportant authorsandworks

PartFour:Appendices

Sixhelpfulappendicesfocusedonreading,thinkingcritically,andwritingaboutshortstories

Acknowledgments

IndexofAuthorsandTitlesofStoriesandCommentaries

CONTENTS

Preface

BriefContents

Contents

ChronologicalListingofAuthorsandStories

ThematicIndextotheStoriesandGuidetotheCommentaries

Introduction:WhyReadLiterature?

PartOne:Stories

ShermanAlexie,TheLoneRangerandTontoFistfightinHeaven SherwoodAnderson,Hands

RELATEDCOMMENTARY:SherwoodAnderson,Form,NotPlot,intheShortStory MargaretAtwood,HappyEndings

RELATEDCOMMENTARY:MargaretAtwood,ReadingBlind

MaryAustin,TheReturnofMr.Wills

RELATEDSTORY:WashingtonIrving,RipVanWinkle

IsaacBabel,GuydeMaupassant

RELATEDSTORY:GuydeMaupassant,TheNecklace

JamesBaldwin,Sonny’sBlues

RELATEDSTORY:ZadieSmith,CrazyTheyCallMe RELATEDCASEBOOK:JamesBaldwin,AutobiographicalNotes

KeithEByerman,WordsandMusic:NarrativeAmbiguityin“Sonny’sBlues” KennethAMcClane,“Sonny’sBlues”SavedMyLife ToniCadeBambara,TheLesson RELATEDSTORIES:DonaldBarthelme,TheSchool ZZPacker,Brownies

LyndaBarry,TwoQuestions[graphicstory]

DonaldBarthelme,TheSchool

RELATEDSTORY:ToniCadeBambara,TheLesson RELATEDCOMMENTARY:GeorgeSaunders,ThePerfectGerbil:ReadingBarthelme’s“TheSchool” AlisonBechdel,TheFellowship[graphicstory]

LuciaBerlin,MyJockey

RELATEDSTORY:FranzKafka,TheWishtobecomeanAmericanIndian RELATEDCASEBOOK:ShortShortsorFlashFiction

AmbroseBierce,AnOccurrenceatOwlCreekBridge

RobertoBolaño,TheInsufferableGaucho

RELATEDSTORY:JorgeLuisBorges,TheSouth

JorgeLuisBorges,TheSouth RELATEDSTORY:RobertoBolaño,TheInsufferableGaucho RELATEDCOMMENTARIES:JorgeLuisBorges,BorgesandI LuisLeal,MagicalRealisminSpanishAmericanLiterature MarioVargasLlosa,TheProseStyleofJorgeLuisBorgesandGabrielGarcíaMárquez RayBradbury,August2026:ThereWillComeSoftRains RELATEDSTORY:WalterVanTilsburgClark,ThePortablePhonograph FrederickBusch,RalphtheDuck AlejoCarpentier,JourneytotheSeed RELATEDCOMMENTARY:LuisLeal,MagicalRealisminSpanishAmericanLiterature AngelaCarter,TheCompanyofWolves RELATEDCOMMENTARY:JoanAcocella,HowAngelaCarterBecameFeminism’sGreatMythologist RaymondCarver,Cathedral RaymondCarver,PopularMechanics RELATEDSTORY:TheJudgmentofSolomon RELATEDCASEBOOK:ShortShortsorFlashFiction RaymondCarver,WhatWeTalkAboutWhenWeTalkAboutLove RELATEDCASEBOOK:RaymondCarver,CreativeWriting101 TomJenks,TheOriginof“Cathedral” ArthurMSaltzman,AReadingof“WhatWeTalkAboutWhenWeTalkAboutLove” AOScott,LookingforRaymondCarver WillaCather,Paul’sCase RELATEDSTORY:AnthonyDoerr,TheDeep JohnCheever,TheSwimmer

RELATEDCOMMENTARY:JohnCheever,WhyIWriteShortStories AntonChekhov,TheDarling RELATEDCOMMENTARY:LeoTolstoy,Chekhov’sIntentin“TheDarling” AntonChekhov,TheLadywiththeDog RELATEDSTORY:JoyceCarolOates,TheLadywiththePetDog RELATEDCOMMENTARIES:AntonChekhov,TechniqueinWritingtheShortStory MatthewC Brennan,PlottingagainstChekhov:JoyceCarolOatesand“TheLadywiththePetDog” VladimirNabokov,AReadingofChekhov’s“TheLadywiththeLittleDog”

D HLawrence,On“TheFalloftheHouseofUsher”and“TheCaskofAmontillado” CleanthBrooksandRobertPennWarren,ANewCriticalReadingof“TheFalloftheHouseofUsher” WilliamSydneyPorter(OHenry),TheGiftoftheMagi

AnnieProulx,TheBloodBay

PhilipRoth,TheConversionoftheJews

JoeSacco,FromPalestine:“Refugeeland”[graphicstory]

RELATEDCOMMENTARY:JoeSacco,SomeReflectionsonPalestine MarjaneSatrapi,FromPersepolis:“TheVeil”[graphicstory]

RELATEDCOMMENTARY:SydneyPlum,Reading“TheVeil”byMarjaneSatrapi GeorgeSaunders,Puppy

RELATEDSTORY:KatherineMansfield,TheGarden-Party

RELATEDCOMMENTARY:GeorgeSaunders,ThePerfectGerbil:ReadingBarthelme’s“TheSchool” SaïdSayrafiezadeh,ABriefEncounterwiththeEnemy

RELATEDSTORY:TimO’Brien,TheThingsTheyCarried LeslieMarmonSilko,YellowWoman

RELATEDCOMMENTARIES:LeslieMarmonSilko,LanguageandLiteraturefromaPuebloIndianPerspective PaulaGunnAllen,WhirlwindManStealsYellowWoman ZadieSmith,CrazyTheyCallMe

RELATEDSTORY:JamesBaldwin,Sonny’sBlues

ArtSpiegelman,PrisonerontheHellPlanet:ACaseHistory[graphicstory] JohnSteinbeck,TheChrysanthemums

RELATEDSTORY:D HLawrence,“OdourofChrysanthemums”

RELATEDCOMMENTARY:JayParini,Lawrence’sandSteinbeck’s“Chrysanthemums” TatyanaTolstaya,Aspic

LeoTolstoy,TheDeathofIvanIlych

RELATEDCOMMENTARIES:LeoTolstoy,Chekhov’sIntentin“TheDarling” LeoTolstoy,TheWorksofGuydeMaupassant JohnUpdike,A&P

RELATEDSTORY:JamesJoyce,Araby

LuisaValenzuela,VisionOutoftheCornerofOneEye

RELATEDCASEBOOK:OnShortShortsorFlashFiction

HelenaMaríaViramontes,TheMoths

KurtVonnegutJr.,HarrisonBergeron

AliceWalker,EverydayUse

RELATEDCOMMENTARY:AliceWalker,ZoraNealeHurston:ACautionaryTaleandaPartisanView

DavidFosterWallace,EverythingIsGreen

EudoraWelty,AWornPath

RELATEDCOMMENTARY:EudoraWelty,IsPhoenixJackson’sGrandsonReallyDead?

WilliamCarlosWilliams,TheUseofForce

TobiasWolff,SayYes

VirginiaWoolf,KewGardens

RELATEDCOMMENTARY:KatherineMansfield,ReviewofWoolf’s“KewGardens”

RichardWright,TheManWhoWasAlmostaMan PartTwo:Commentaries

JoanAcocella,HowAngelaCarterBecameFeminism’sGreatMythologist PaulaGunnAllen,WhirlwindManStealsYellowWoman SherwoodAnderson,Form,NotPlot,intheShortStory

MargaretAtwood,ReadingBlind JorgeLuisBorges,BorgesandI

MatthewC.Brennan,PlottingagainstChekhov:JoyceCarolOatesand“TheLadywiththeDog” CleanthBrooksandRobertPennWarren,ANewCriticalReadingof“TheFalloftheHouseofUsher” AnnCharters,TranslatingKafka

JohnCheever,WhyIWriteShortStories

AntonChekhov,TechniqueinWritingtheShortStory

KateChopin,HowIStumbleduponMaupassant

StephenCrane,TheSinkingoftheCommodore

AnthonyDoerr,OnReadingTheStoryandItsWriter

TerryEagleton,HowtoReadLiterature

RalphEllison,TheInfluenceofFolkloreon“BattleRoyal”

RichardEllmann,ABiographicalPerspectiveonJoyce’s“TheDead” WilliamFaulkner,TheMeaningof“ARoseforEmily”

JaniceHHarris,LevelsofMeaninginLawrence’s“TheRocking-HorseWinner” ZoraNealeHurston,HowItFeelstoBeColoredMe

ShirleyJackson,TheMorningofJune28,1948and“TheLottery” GustavJanouch,Kafka’sViewof“TheMetamorphosis”

SarahOrneJewett,LookingBackonGirlhood

JackKerouac,TheEssentialsofSpontaneousProse

JamaicaKincaid,On“Girl”

D.H.Lawrence,On“TheFalloftheHouseofUsher”and“TheCaskofAmontillado”

UrsulaKLeGuin,TheScapegoatinOmelas

LuisLeal,MagicalRealisminSpanishAmericanLiterature

SimonLewis,Lahiri’s“InterpreterofMaladies”

MarioVargasLlosa,TheProseStyleofJorgeLuisBorgeandGabrielGarcíaMárquez

JackLondon,LettertotheEditoron“ToBuildaFire”

KatherineMansfield,ReviewofWoolf’s“KewGardens” GuydeMaupassant,TheWriter’sGoal

HermanMelville,BlacknessinHawthorne’s“YoungGoodmanBrown” J.HillisMiller,ADeconstructiveReadingofMelville’s“Bartleby,theScrivener” AliceMunro,HowIWriteShortStories

VladimirNabokov,AReadingofChekhov’s“TheLadywiththeLittleDog” J.C.C.Nachtigal,PeterKlaustheGoatherd

TimO’Brien,AlphaCompany

GracePaley,AConversationwithAnnCharters

JayParini,Lawrence’sandSteinbeck’s“Chrysanthemums” SydneyPlum,Reading“TheVeil”byMarjaneSatrapi

EdgarAllanPoe,TheImportanceoftheSingleEffectinaProseTale

JoeSacco,SomeReflectionsonPalestine

GeorgeSaunders,ThePerfectGerbil:ReadingBarthelme’s“TheSchool” LeslieMarmonSilko,LanguageandLiteraturefromaPuebloIndianPerspective MattSteinglass,ReadingTimO’BrieninHanoi

LeoTolstoy,Chekhov’sIntentin“TheDarling” LeoTolstoy,TheWorksofGuydeMaupassant

AliceWalker,ZoraNealeHurston:ACautionaryTaleandaPartisanView

EudoraWelty,IsPhoenixJackson’sGrandsonReallyDead?

PartThree:Casebooks

CASEBOOKONE:ShortShortsorFlashFiction

Aesop,TheFoxandtheGrapes FélixFénéon,ToDieLikeJoanofArc! FélixFénéon,DischargedTuesday FranzKafka,TheWishtobecomeanAmericanIndian JohnBarth,AFewWordsAboutMinimalism CharlesBaxter,OntheVeryShortStory JoyceCarolOates,OnVeryShortFictions LydiaDavis,ReadingShortStories

CASEBOOKTWO:JamesBaldwin’s“Sonny’sBlues” JamesBaldwin,AutobiographicalNotes

KeithE.Byerman,WordsandMusic:NarrativeAmbiguityin“Sonny’sBlues” KennethAMcClane,“Sonny’sBlues”SavedMyLife CASEBOOKTHREE:RaymondCarver RaymondCarver,CreativeWriting101 TomJenks,TheOriginof“Cathedral” ArthurMSaltzman,AReadingof“WhatWeTalkAboutWhenWeTalkAboutLove” A.O.Scott,LookingforRaymondCarver CASEBOOKFOUR:CharlottePerkinsGilman’s“TheYellowWallpaper” CharlottePerkinsGilman,WhyIWrote“TheYellowWallpaper” CharlottePerkinsGilman,UndergoingtheCureforNervousProstration SandraM.GilbertandSusanGubar,AFeministReadingofGilman’s“TheYellowWallpaper” SWeirMitchell,From“TheEvolutionoftheRestTreatment” ElaineShowalter,On“TheYellowWallpaper” CASEBOOKFIVE:FlanneryO’Connor FlanneryO’Connor,FromLetters,1954–55 FlanneryO’Connor,WritingShortStories FlanneryO’Connor,AReasonableUseoftheUnreasonable JoyceCarolOates,TheParablesofFlanneryO’Connor WayneCBooth,ARhetoricalReadingofO’Connor’s“EverythingThatRisesMustConverge” DorothyTuckMcFarland,On“GoodCountryPeople” CASEBOOKSIX:JoyceCarolOates’s“WhereAreYouGoing,WhereHaveYouBeen?” JoyceCarolOates,StoriesThatDefineMe:TheMakingofaWriter JoyceCarolOates,SmoothTalk:ShortStoryintoFilm DonMoser,ThePiedPiperofTucson:HeCruisedinaGoldenCar,LookingfortheAction PartFour:Appendices 1ReadingShortStories GracePaley,Samuel CloseReadingShortFiction GuidelinesforCloseReadingShortFiction SampleCloseReading:GracePaley,Samuel,1968 CriticalThinkingAboutShortFiction

2TheElementsofFiction Plot

CHRONOLOGICALLISTINGOFAUTHORSANDSTORIES

WashingtonIrving(1783–1859)

RipVanWinkle(1819–20)

NathanielHawthorne(1804–1864)

YoungGoodmanBrown(1835)

EdgarAllanPoe(1809–1849)

TheFalloftheHouseofUsher(1839)

TheCaskofAmontillado(1846)

HermanMelville(1819–1891)

Bartleby,theScrivener(1853)

LeoTolstoy(1828–1910)

TheDeathofIvanIlych(1886)

AmbroseBierce(1842–1914?)

AnOccurrenceatOwlCreekBridge(1891)

SarahOrneJewett(1849–1909)

AWhiteHeron(1886)

GuydeMaupassant(1850–1893)

TheNecklace(1884)

KateChopin(1851–1904)

Désirée’sBaby(1892)

TheStoryofanHour(1894)

AntonChekhov(1860–1904)

TheDarling(1899)

TheLadywiththeDog(1899)

CharlottePerkinsGilman(1860–1935)

TheYellowWallpaper(1892)

WilliamSydneyPorter(OHenry)(1862–1910)

TheGiftoftheMagi(1906)

MaryAustin(1868–1934)

TheReturnofMrWills(1907)

StephenCrane(1871–1900)

TheOpenBoat(1897)

WillaCather(1873–1947)

Paul’sCase(1905)

SherwoodAnderson(1876–1941)

Hands(1919)

JackLondon(1876–1916)

ToBuildaFire(1908)

JamesJoyce(1882–1941)

Araby(1914)

TheDead(1914)

VirginiaWoolf(1882–1941)

KewGardens(1919)

FranzKafka(1883–1924)

TheMetamorphosis(1915)

TheWishtobecomeanAmericanIndian(1919)

AHungerArtist(1924)

WilliamCarlosWilliams(1883–1963)

TheUseofForce(1938)

D.H.Lawrence(1885–1930)

OdourofChrysanthemums(1909)

TheRocking-HorseWinner(1926)

KatherineMansfield(1888–1923)

TheGarden-Party(1921)

ZoraNealeHurston(1891–1960)

Sweat(1926)

IsaacBabel(1894–1940)

GuydeMaupassant(1932)

WilliamFaulkner(1897–1962)

ARoseforEmily(1931)

ThatEveningSun(1931)

YasunariKawabata(1899–1972)

TheGrasshopperandtheBellCricket(1924)

JorgeLuisBorges(1899–1986)

TheSouth(1944)

ErnestHemingway(1899–1961)

HillsLikeWhiteElephants(1927)

JohnSteinbeck(1902–1968)

TheChrysanthemums(1938)

AlejoCarpentier(1904–1980)

JourneytotheSeed(1954)

TobiasWolff(b1945)

SayYes(1985)

TimO’Brien(b1946)

TheThingsTheyCarried(1986)

LydiaDavis(b1947)

TheMother(2010)

TheFuneral(2014)

Pouchet’sWife(2014)

LeslieMarmonSilko(b1948)

YellowWoman(1974)

ArtSpiegelman(b1948)

PrisonerontheHellPlanet:ACaseHistory(1972)

JamaicaKincaid(b1949)

Girl(1978)

CarolynForché(b1950)

TheColonel(1981)

TatyanaTolstaya(b1951)

Aspic(2016)

RobertoBolaño(1953–2003)

TheInsufferableGaucho(2003)

SandraCisneros(b1954)

Barbie-Q(1991)

LouiseErdrich(b1954)

TheRedConvertible(1984)

HelenaMaríaViramontes(b1954)

TheMoths(1985)

LyndaBarry(b1956)

TwoQuestions(2008)

LorrieMoore(b1957)

HowtoBecomeaWriter(1985)

GeorgeSaunders(b1958)

Puppy(2007)

AlisonBechdel(b1960)

TheFellowship(2016)

JoeSacco(b1960)

FromPalestine:“Refugeeland”(1995)

DavidFosterWallace(1962–2008)

EverythingIsGreen(1989)

ShermanAlexie(b1966)

TheLoneRangerandTontoFistfightinHeaven(1993)

JhumpaLahiri(b1967)

InterpreterofMaladies(1999)

JunotDíaz(b1968)

HowtoDateaBrowngirl,Blackgirl, Whitegirl,orHalfie(1996)

SaïdSayrafiezadeh(b1968)

BriefEncounterwiththeEnemy(2012)

MarjaneSatrapi(b1969)

FromPersepolis:“TheVeil”(2013)

ZZPacker(b1973)

Brownies(1999)

AnthonyDoerr(b1973)

TheDeep(2011)

MirandaJuly(b1974)

TheSwimTeam(2007)

ZadieSmith(b1975)

CrazyTheyCallMe(2017)

RELATEDSTORIES

Austin,TheReturnofMr WillsandIrving,RipVanWinkle

Babel,GuydeMaupassant,andGuydeMaupassant,TheNecklace

Baldwin,Sonny’sBluesandSmith,CrazyTheyCallMe

Bambara,TheLessonandPacker,Brownies

Bambara,TheLessonandBarthelme,TheSchool

Berlin,MyJockeyandKafka,TheWishtobecomeanAmericanIndian Bradbury,August2026andClark,ThePortablePhonograph

CarverPopularMechanicsandTheJudgmentofSolomon Cather,Paul’sCaseandDoerr,TheDeep Chekhov,TheLadywiththeDogandOates,TheLadywiththePetDog Davis,TheMotherandKincaid,Girl Irving,RipVanWinkleandNachtigal,PeterKlaustheGoatherd

Joyce,ArabyandUpdike,A&P Kafka,TheMetamorphosisandKafka,TheWishtobecomeanAmericanIndian Lawrence,OdourofChrysanthemumsandSteinbeck,TheChrysanthemums Mansfield,TheGarden-PartyandSaunders,Puppy O’Brien,TheThingsTheyCarriedandSayrafiezadeh,ABriefEncounterwiththeEnemy Paley,AConversationwithMyFatherandPaley,Samuel

EXPERIMENTALFICTION

Atwood,HappyEndings

Babel,GuydeMaupassant Barthelme,TheSchool Carpentier,JourneytotheSeed Joyce,TheDead July,TheSwimTeam Kerouac,OctoberintheRailroadEarth Moore,HowtoBecomeaWriter Paley,AConversationwithMyFather Saunders,Puppy VonnegutJr.,HarrisonBergeron Woolf,KewGardens

FANTASYANDTHESUPERNATURAL

Borges,TheSouth Bradbury,August2026:ThereWillComeSoftRains Carpentier,JourneytotheSeed Carter,TheCompanyofWolves Cheever,TheSwimmer Clark,ThePortablePhonograph Cortazar,AContinuityofParks GarcíaMárquez,AVeryOldManwithEnormousWings Gilman,TheYellowWallpaper Hawthorne,YoungGoodmanBrown Irving,RipVanWinkle Jackson,TheLottery Kafka,AHungerArtist Kafka,TheMetamorphosis

Lawrence,TheRocking-HorseWinner LeGuin,TheOnesWhoWalkAwayfromOmelas Lispector,TheSmallestWomanintheWorld Poe,TheFalloftheHouseofUsher Silko,YellowWoman

VonnegutJr.,HarrisonBergeron

CHILDHOOD

Bambara,TheLesson Barry,TwoQuestions

Barthelme,TheSchool

Carpentier,JourneytotheSeed

Cisneros,Barbie-Q

Doerr,TheDeep

Faulkner,ThatEveningSun

Jewett,AWhiteHeron

Kawabata,TheGrasshopperandtheBellCricket

Lawrence,TheRocking-HorseWinner

Packer,Brownies

Satrapi,FromPersepolis:“TheVeil”

Williams,TheUseofForce

ADOLESCENCEANDINITIATION

Anderson,Hands

Cather,Paul’sCase

Díaz,HowtoDateaBrowngirl,Blackgirl

Doerr,TheDeep

Ellison,BattleRoyal

Erdrich,TheRedConvertible

Joyce,Araby

Kincaid,Girl

Oates,WhereAreYouGoing,WhereHaveYouBeen?

Roth,TheConversionoftheJews

Spiegelman,PrisonerontheHellPlanet

Updike,A&P

Wright,TheManWhoWasAlmostaMan

IDENTITYANDRENEWAL

Alexie,TheLoneRangerandTontoFistfightinHeaven

Baldwin,Sonny’sBlues

Bechdel,TheFellowship

Carpentier,JourneytotheSeed

Carver,WhatWeTalkAboutWhenWeTalkAboutLove

Cather,Paul’sCase

Cheever,TheSwimmer

Chopin,Désirée’sBaby

Chopin,TheStoryofanHour

GarcíaMárquez,AVeryOldManwithEnormousWings

Hawthorne,YoungGoodmanBrown

Jewett,AWhiteHeron

Kafka,TheMetamorphosis

Kincaid,Girl

Maupassant,TheNecklace

Nakazawa,FromBarefootGen

Oates,WhereAreYouGoing,WhereHaveYouBeen?

O’Brien,TheThingsTheyCarried

FlanneryO’Connor,EverythingThatRisesMustConverge

FlanneryO’Connor,GoodCountryPeople

FlanneryO’Connor,AGoodManIsHardtoFind

Roth,TheConversionoftheJews

Silko,YellowWoman

Smith,CrazyTheyCallMe

Wright,TheManWhoWasAlmostaMan

LOVE,MARRIAGE,ANDINFIDELITY

Alexie,TheLoneRangerandTontoFistfightinHeaven

Atwood,HappyEndings

Austin,TheReturnofMr.Wills

Busch,RalphtheDuck

Carver,PopularMechanics

Carver,WhatWeTalkAboutWhenWeTalkAboutLove

Chekhov,TheDarling

Chekhov,TheLadywiththeDog

Chopin,Désirée’sBaby

Chopin,TheStoryofanHour

Faulkner,ARoseforEmily

Gilman,TheYellowWallpaper

Hawthorne,YoungGoodmanBrown

Hemingway,HillsLikeWhiteElephants

Hurston,Sweat

Joyce,TheDead

Lahiri,InterpreterofMaladies

Lawrence,OdourofChrysanthemums

Maupassant,TheNecklace Munro,Dimensions

Oates,TheLadywiththePetDog Porter(O.Henry),TheGiftoftheMagi

Silko,YellowWoman

Steinbeck,TheChrysanthemums

Wallace,EverythingIsGreen

PARENTSANDCHILDREN

Carver,PopularMechanics

Cather,Paul’sCase

Cisneros,Barbie-Q Davis,TheMother

Doerr,TheDeep

Faulkner,ThatEveningSun

Kafka,TheMetamorphosis

Kincaid,Girl

Lawrence,TheRocking-HorseWinner

FlanneryO’Connor,EverythingThatRisesMustConverge

Olsen,IStandHereIroning

Ozick,TheShawl

Paley,AConversationwithMyFather

Roth,TheConversionoftheJews

Saunders,Puppy

Spiegelman,PrisonerontheHellPlanet:ACaseHistory

Vonnegut,HarrisonBergeron

Walker,EverydayUse Wright,TheManWhoWasAlmostaMan

WORK

Anderson,Hands

Baldwin,Sonny’sBlues

Barry,TwoQuestions

Berlin,MyJockey

Bolaño,TheInsufferableGaucho

Busch,RalphtheDuck

Carver,WhatWeTalkAboutWhenWeTalkAboutLove

Crane,TheOpenBoat

Ellison,BattleRoyal

Faulkner,ThatEveningSun

Hurston,Sweat

Irving,RipVanWinkle Jewett,AWhiteHeron

July,TheSwimTeam Kafka,AHungerArtist

Kerouac,OctoberintheRailroadEarth Lahiri,InterpreterofMaladies

Lawrence,OdourofChrysanthemums

Melville,Bartleby,theScrivener O’Brien,TheThingsTheyCarried

FlanneryO’Connor,GoodCountryPeople

Olsen,IStandHereIroning

Sayrafiezadeh,ABriefEncounterwiththeEnemy

Tolstoy,TheDeathofIvanIlych

Updike,A&P

Williams,TheUseofForce Wright,TheManWhoWasAlmostaMan

GilbertandGubar,AFeministReadingofGilman’s“TheYellowWallpaper” Harris,LevelsofMeaninginLawrence’s“TheRocking-HorseWinner” Janouch,Kafka’sViewof“TheMetamorphosis” Lewis,Lahiri’s“InterpreterofMaladies” McClane,“Sonny’sBlues”SavedMyLife McFarland,On“GoodCountryPeople” Miller,ADeconstructiveReadingof“Bartleby,theScrivener” Parini,Lawrence’sandSteinbeck’s“Chrysanthemums” Plum,Reading“TheVeil”byMarjaneSatrapi Saltzman,AReadingof“WhatWeTalkAboutWhenWeTalkAboutLove” Scott,LookingforRaymondCarver Showalter,On“TheYellowWallpaper”

PARTONESTORIES

ShermanAlexie

ShermanAlexie(b1966)wasborninSpokane,WashingtonAregisteredmemberoftheSpokanetribethroughhismother,heattended grammarschoolontheSpokanereservationinWellpinit,WashingtonAtWashingtonStateUniversity,hewasinspiredtowritepoetrybyan anthologyofIndianpoetrydiscoveredinhisfirstliteratureclass,andfoundthatwomenwerepayingmoreattentiontohim“AlltheseyearsI thoughtbasketballwoulddoit,”hesayshumorously.“Ishouldhavebeenwritingpoemsallalong.”AfterAlexietookacreativewritingcoursewith AlexKuo,hebegantopublishinmagazinessuchasTheBeloitPoetryJournal,TheJournalofEthnicStudies,NewYorkQuarterly, Ploughshares,andZyzzyva In1991hewasawardedapoetryfellowshipfromtheWashingtonStateArtsCommission;thefollowingyearhe receivedapoetryfellowshipfromtheNationalEndowmentfortheArts

In1992Alexiepublishedhisfirsttwobooks,IWouldStealHorsesandTheBusinessofFancydancing:StoriesandPoems.Severalmoretitles followedinrapidorder,includingTheLoneRangerandTontoFistfightinHeaven(1993),whichreceivedaPEN/HemingwayAwardforbestfirst bookoffictionAlexiealsowontheAmericanBookAwardforhisnovelReservationBlues(1995),inwhichheimaginedwhatwouldhappenifthe legendarybluesmanRobertJohnsonwereresurrectedontheSpokaneIndianReservation.HisfilmSmokeSignalswonprizesattheSundance FilmFestival.In2007hewasawardedtheWesternLiteratureAssociation’sDistinguishedAchievementAward.

Alexiehasstated,“IamaSpokane/Coeurd’AleneIndianfromWellpinit,Washington,whereIliveontheSpokaneIndianReservation.EverythingI donow,writingandotherwise,hasitsorigininthat.”Hisshortfiction,like“TheLoneRangerandTontoFistfightinHeaven,”reflectshisuseofthe iconsofpopularculture radioandtelevisionprograms,7-Elevenstores,theneonpromiseofadvertising tofacilitatearapidcrossover betweenthestorytellerandthereaderAsthecriticSusanBBrillhasnoticed,“LittleeverchangesinthelivesofAlexie’scharactersCommodity food,alcoholism,anddesperationareconstantsinthestories”TenLittleIndians(2003),WarDances(2009),andBlasphemy:Newand SelectedStories(2012)areotherstorycollections

TheLoneRangerandTontoFistfightinHeaven

TOOHOTTOSLEEPsoIwalkeddowntotheThirdAvenue7-11foraCreamsicleandthecompanyofagraveyard-shiftcashierIknowthatgameI workedgraveyardforaSeattle7-11andgotrobbedoncetoooftenThelasttimethebastardlockedmeinthecoolerHeeventookmymoney andbasketballshoes

Thegraveyard-shiftworkerintheThirdAvenue7-11lookedliketheyalldoAcnescarsandabadhaircut,workpantsthatshowedoffhiswhite socks,andthosecheapblackshoesthathavenosupportMyarchesstillachefrommyyearattheSeattle7-11

“Hello,”heaskedwhenIwalkedintohisstore“Howyoudoing?”

Igavehimahalf-waveasIheadedbacktothefreezerHelookedmeoversohecoulddescribemetothepolicelaterIknewthelookOneofmy oldgirlfriendssaidIstartedtolookatherthatway,tooSheleftmenotlongafterthatNo,Ileftheranddon’tblameherforanythingThat’showit happenedWhenonepersonstartstolookatanotherlikeacriminal,thentheloveisoverIt’slogical

“Idon’ttrustyou,”shesaidtome“Yougettooangry”

ShewaswhiteandIlivedwithherinSeattleSomenightswefoughtsobadthatIwouldjustgetinmycaranddriveallnight,onlystoptofillupon gasInfact,IworkedthegraveyardshifttospendasmuchtimeawayfromheraspossibleButIlearnedallaboutSeattlethatway,drivingitsback waysanddirtyalleys

Sometimes,though,IwouldforgetwhereIwasandgetlostI’ddriveforhours,searchingforsomethingfamiliarSeemslikeI’dspentmywholelife thatway,lookingforanythingIrecognizedOnce,Iendedupinaniceresidentialneighborhoodandsomebodymusthavebeenworriedbecause thepoliceshowedupandpulledmeover.

“Whatareyoudoingouthere?”thepoliceofficeraskedmeashelookedovermylicenseandregistration.

“I’mlost”

“Well,whereareyousupposedtobe?”heaskedme,andIknewtherewereplentyofplacesIwantedtobe,butnonewhereIwassupposedtobe “Igotinafightwithmygirlfriend,”Isaid“Iwasjustdrivingaround,blowingoffsteam,youknow?”

“Well,youshouldbemorecarefulwhereyoudrive,”theofficersaid“You’remakingpeoplenervousYoudon’tfittheprofileoftheneighborhood” IwantedtotellhimthatIdidn’treallyfittheprofileofthecountrybutIknewitwouldjustgetmeintotrouble

“CanIhelpyou?”the7-11clerkaskedmeloudly,searchingforsomeresponsethatwouldreassurehimthatIwasn’tanarmedrobberHeknew thisdarkskinandlong,blackhairofminewasdangerousIhadpotential

“JustgettingaCreamsicle,”IsaidafteralongintervalItwasasicktwisttopullontheguy,butitwaslateandIwasboredIgrabbedmy Creamsicleandwalkedbacktothecounterslowly,scannedtheaislesforeffectIwantedtowhistlelowandmenacinglybutIneverlearnedto whistle

“Prettyhotouttonight?”heasked,thatoldrhetoricalweatherbullshitquestiondesignedtoputusbothatease

“Hotenoughtomakeyougocrazy,”IsaidandsmiledHeswallowedhardlikeawhitemandoesinthosesituationsIlookedhimoverSameold green,red,andwhite7-11jacketandthickglassesButhewasn’tugly,justmisplacedandmarkedbylonelinessIfhewasn’tworkingtherethat night,he’dbeathomealone,flippingthroughchannelsandwishinghecouldaffordHBOorShowtime

“Willthisbeall?”heaskedme,inthatcompanyefforttomakemedosomeimpulseshoppingLikeaddingaclauseontoatreaty We’lltake

SherwoodAnderson

SherwoodAnderson(1876–1941)wasbornthesonofajack-of-all-tradesfatherinCamden,OhioHedidnotpublishhisfirstbookuntilhewas overfortyyearsold,afterworkingformanyyearsasanewsboy,farmlaborer,stableboy,factoryhand,andadvertisingcopywriterDissatisfied withthecommercialspiritoftheadvertisingbusiness,AndersonmadefriendswithwritersinChicagoandbegantopublishhisownpoetryand fictionThepoetCarlSandburgencouragedhim,butAnderson’sliterarystylewasmostinfluencedbyThreeLives(1909),anexperimentalbook ofstoriesbytheexpatriateAmericanwriterGertrudeStein,whichhefeltrevolutionizedthelanguageofnarrative In1916Andersonpublishedhisfirstnovel,WindyMcPherson’sSon Hefolloweditwithanothernovelandavolumeofpoetry,buthedidnot receivewiderecognitionuntil1919,withthebookWinesburg,Ohio.Thiswasacollectionofrelatedstories,including“Hands,”aboutlifeina smalltownthatexploredthedevastatingconsequencesoftherepressiveconventionsofaprovincialsociety.Itwasfollowedbyotherimportant collectionsofstories:TheTriumphoftheEgg(1921),HorsesandMen(1923),andDeathintheWoodsandOtherStories(1933)Inhistime AndersonwasastronginfluenceonErnestHemingway,WilliamFaulkner,RichardWright,andJohnSteinbeckIn1941theeditorMarthaFoley describedthisinfluence:

SherwoodAndersonsetoutonnewpathsatatimewhentheAmericanshortstoryseemeddoomedtoaformula-ridden,conventionalized,mechanized,and commercializedconcept WhenWinesburg,Ohioappearedin1919itwasintenselyinfluentialonwriterswhoeitherhadlostheartorhadnotyetfoundtheir way Hisvisionwashisown;hischaracterswerepeopleintowhoseheartsandmindsheseemedintuitivelytopeer;hisprosewassimple,deceptivelysimple, sensuous,rich,andevocative

Asliterarycriticshaveobserved,thecharacteristictoneofAnderson’sshortfictionismelancholyreminiscenceAnderson’simportanceinour literatureissuggestedbyRichardWright’sacknowledgmentthatAnderson’sstoriesmadehimthinkthatthroughthepowersoffiction,“America couldbeshapednearertotheheartsofthosewholivedinit”

RELATEDCOMMENTARY

SherwoodAnderson,“Form,NotPlot,intheShortStory”

Hands

UPONTHEHALFDECAYEDVERANDAofasmallframehousethatstoodneartheedgeofaravinenearthetownofWinesburg,Ohio,afatlittleold manwalkednervouslyupanddownAcrossalongfieldthathadbeenseededforcloverbutthathadproducedonlyadensecropofyellow mustardweeds,hecouldseethepublichighwayalongwhichwentawagonfilledwithberrypickersreturningfromthefieldsTheberrypickers, youthsandmaidens,laughedandshoutedboisterouslyAboycladinablueshirtleapedfromthewagonandattemptedtodragafterhimoneof themaidenswhoscreamedandprotestedshrilly.Thefeetoftheboyintheroadkickedupacloudofdustthatfloatedacrossthefaceofthe departingsun.Overthelongfieldcameathingirlishvoice.“Oh,youWingBiddlebaum,combyourhair,it’sfallingintoyoureyes,”commandedthe voicetotheman,whowasbaldandwhosenervouslittlehandsfiddledaboutthebarewhiteforeheadasthougharrangingamassoftangled locks.

WingBiddlebaum,foreverfrightenedandbesetbyaghostlybandofdoubts,didnotthinkofhimselfasinanywayapartofthelifeofthetown wherehehadlivedfortwentyyearsAmongallthepeopleofWinesburgbutonehadcomeclosetohimWithGeorgeWillard,sonofTomWillard, theproprietorofthenewWillardHouse,hehadformedsomethinglikeafriendshipGeorgeWillardwasthereporterontheWinesburgEagleand sometimesintheeveningshewalkedoutalongthehighwaytoWingBiddlebaum’shouseNowastheoldmanwalkedupanddownonthe veranda,hishandsmovingnervouslyabout,hewashopingthatGeorgeWillardwouldcomeandspendtheeveningwithhimAfterthewagon containingtheberrypickershadpassed,hewentacrossthefieldthroughthetallmustardweedsandclimbingarailfencepeeredanxiouslyalong theroadtothetownForamomenthestoodthus,rubbinghishandstogetherandlookingupanddowntheroad,andthen,fearovercominghim, ranbacktowalkagainupontheporchofhisownhouse

InthepresenceofGeorgeWillard,WingBiddlebaum,whofortwentyyearshadbeenthetownmystery,lostsomethingofhistimidity,andhis shadowypersonality,submergedinaseaofdoubts,cameforthtolookattheworldWiththeyoungreporterathisside,heventuredinthelightof dayintoMainStreetorstrodeupanddownonthericketyfrontporchofhisownhouse,talkingexcitedlyThevoicethathadbeenlowand tremblingbecameshrillandloudThebentfigurestraightenedWithakindofwriggle,likeafishreturnedtothebrookbythefisherman, Biddlebaumthesilentbegantotalk,strivingtoputintowordstheideasthathadbeenaccumulatedbyhismindduringlongyearsofsilence WingBiddlebaumtalkedmuchwithhishandsTheslenderexpressivefingers,foreveractive,foreverstrivingtoconcealthemselvesinhispockets orbehindhisback,cameforthandbecamethepistonrodsofhismachineryofexpression

ThestoryofWingBiddlebaumisastoryofhandsTheirrestlessactivity,likeuntothebeatingofthewingsofanimprisonedbird,hadgivenhim hisnameSomeobscurepoetofthetownhadthoughtofitThehandsalarmedtheirownerHewantedtokeepthemhiddenawayandlooked withamazementatthequietinexpressivehandsofothermenwhoworkedbesidehiminthefields,orpassed,drivingsleepyteamsoncountry roads

WhenhetalkedtoGeorgeWillard,WingBiddlebaumclosedhisfistsandbeatwiththemuponatableoronthewallsofhishouseTheaction madehimmorecomfortableIfthedesiretotalkcametohimwhenthetwowerewalkinginthefields,hesoughtoutastumporthetopboardofa fenceandwithhishandspoundingbusilytalkedwithrenewedease

ThestoryofWingBiddlebaum’shandsisworthabookitselfSympatheticallysetforthitwouldtapmanystrange,beautifulqualitiesinobscure menItisajobforapoetInWinesburgthehandshadattractedattentionmerelybecauseoftheiractivityWiththemWingBiddlebaumhad pickedashighasahundredandfortyquartsofstrawberriesinadayTheybecamehisdistinguishingfeature,thesourceofhisfameAlsothey mademoregrotesqueanalreadygrotesqueandelusiveindividualityWinesburgwasproudofthehandsofWingBiddlebauminthesamespirit inwhichitwasproudofBankerWhite’snewstonehouseandWesleyMoyer’sbaystallion,TonyTip,thathadwonthetwo-fifteentrotatthefall racesinCleveland

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