by Dan Cafaro | May 31, 2012 | Of Literary Interest, Writing
You don’t need an English degree, nor a deep understanding of the global literary canon, to have had your mind blown at least one time by a meticulously told short story. To become part of our collective conscience, a story must first eradicate preconceived...
by John Oliver Hodges | May 29, 2012 | Of Literary Interest, Writing
Short stories are essential to any meaningful way of life; without them we are doomed—so I hope you tell and receive stories at the office, on the job site, with strangers by the pool or on the subway. The stories you tell out loud are likely anecdotal and voicey and...
by Michael Wayne Hampton | May 24, 2012 | Of Literary Interest, Writing
My friend Christina told me a great story yesterday. She’s had the same gynecologist since she was in high school. He’s an absent-minded old man with the demeanor of a country doctor. Each year she goes in, gets in the stirrups, and talks about school while her...
by Matt Mullins | May 23, 2012 | Of Literary Interest, Writing
There would be no National Short Story Month without Edgar Allan Poe, the man at the fountainhead of genre. In his criticism and his stories themselves, Poe essentially defined what the short story should do: become a bomb in the reader’s hand that explodes with...
by Susan Rukeyser | May 22, 2012 | Of Literary Interest, Writing
The short story is a sit-down dinner. It opens with an amuse-bouche to stimulate the salivary glands. Then comes a parade of flavors and textures, each adding a layer of understanding: the bitter crunch of melancholy, velvety arousal, tough and chewy survival, sharp...
