Comments on: Help Me Write: Short Stories

By: Maya

Maya — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +0000

I know this has been said but I’ll repeat it anyway.

“Hills Like White Elephants”-Hemmingway

Brilliant. Just completely brilliant.

By: SHARON

SHARON — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 22:23:16 +0000

without a doubt,

‘WINTER DREAMS’
F.SCOTT FITZGERALD

By: gunter

gunter — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 06:00:03 +0000

“The Chain,” Tobias Wolff.

By: Guy

Guy — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:46:40 +0000

As a long time reader of short stories, I’ll throw my hat in my nomination of short stories that I’ve adored:

Lorrie Moore: “You’re Ugly, Too”

Flannery O’Connor: “The Life You Save May Be Your Own”

James Baldwin: “Sunny’s Blues”

Mary Gaitskill: “A Romantic Weekend”

Junot Diaz: “Negocios”

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 05:41:23 +0000

My nominations:

The Telltale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe
The Willows by Ambrose Bierce
Bartleby the Scrivener by Herman Melville
The Lottery by Shirley Jackson

And my number one, all-time favorite, perfect example of economy and elegance:

Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to share!

Take care,

Dave

By: bdr

bdr — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 16:09:50 +0000

Elkins “I Look Out for Ed Wolfe.”

By: Roundup: Short and Sweet « Mark Athitakis’ American Fiction Notes

Roundup: Short and Sweet « Mark Athitakis’ American Fiction Notes — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 10:58:53 +0000

[...] 12, 2008 · No Comments This time, Kevin J. Hayes is looking for recommendations of great American short stories, particularly ones of 21st-century vintage. Nobody in the comments has gotten around to mentioning [...]

By: J.D.

J.D. — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:19:01 +0000

Wow, this is a difficult question! There are several writers of short stories who I think rank among the masters but don’t have a single story that rates in the top five–Rick Bass and Barry Hannah are two of my favorites.

In no particular order, let’s go with “Cathedral” by Raymond Carver; “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien; “Good Country People” by Flannery O’Connor; “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce; and “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe.

If this list were expanded to ten, my next five would include “The Minister’s Black Veil” by Nathanial Hawthorne; “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson; “To Build a Fire” by Jack London; and “All Summer in a Day” by Ray Bradbury.

By: Cassie

Cassie — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 19:11:54 +0000

I’m actually not a big short story fan, which will probably get me crucified by the literary hordes. Oh well. That said, I love “Benito Cereno” and would definitely consider one of the greatest short stories written. I would also nominate “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson.

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:38:12 +0000

I would nominate:
People Like That Are the Only People Here/ Loorie Moore

Love is Not a Pie/ Amy Bloom

Not Quite Final/ Richard Bausch

A Rose For Emily/William Faulkner

The Waltz/ Dorothy Parker

The Magic Barrel/ Bernard Malamud

I’d nominate Alice Munro- but she’s Canadian.