Great Short Stories
A short story is the perfect bite of food, the heart of the watermelon. Read on for my favorites and fun facts about writers and writing. --Darcy Alvey
Excited to announce that my story "Parade Day" is posted on The Saturday Evening Post website.
Also: Writing Workshops wrote a wonderful alumni blog post
about the story and my workshop experience. writingworkshops.com/
To learn when a new story is added, subscribe for free:
Darcy Alvey:
Parade Day
Here is one of my stories: Yolanda, a homemaker by profession, ties her personal identity to an annual extravagant Fourth of July party, children's parade and all. On the morning of the event she learns her husband has had an affair, exploding her dream of a perfect marriage. She must somehow get through the day.
Annie Proulx:
Bedrock
As the story unfolds, Perley, a middle-aged widower, remarries, only to realize his new wife ...
Etgar Keret:
Crazy Glue
Crazy Glue has me laughing out loud every time I read it. Out loud. ...
Kevin Moffett:
Bears Among the Living
It’s like Moffett’s sitting next to us on the couch, sharing whatever comes to mind, ...
Shirley Jackson:
The Lottery
Is Jackson taking a jab at “small town America” or is it, according to one literary critic, “a chilling tale of conformity gone mad?”
Pam Houston:
Selway
Danger warnings are everywhere as the story unfolds. Night is coming on. The water keeps rising until it’s off-the-charts high.
Deborah Eisenberg:
Some Other, Better Otto
There’s a better Otto possible and he knows it. Still, much as he’d like, he can’t bring himself to be that person.
Mona Simpson: Lawns
Dealing with a new boyfriend, problematic parents, father especially, and a part-time job with unexpected benefits. ...
Free websites that celebrate the short story:
NarrativeMagazine.com
LibraryofShortStories.com
The New Yorker
Electric Literature
Wattpad
Granta
Tor.com
Lightspeed Magazine
American Short Fiction
Quotes:
“Children, everybody, here's what to do during war: In a time of destruction, create something. A poem. A parade. A community. A school. A vow. A moral principle. One peaceful moment.”
― Maxine Hong Kingston, professor emerita at the University of California, Berkeley, where she graduated with a B.A. in English in 1962. Kingston has written three novels and several works of non-fiction about the experiences of Chinese Americans.
Fun Facts:
It has been widely reported that Gertrude Stein's final words to Toklas were, "What is the answer?" With no reply forthcoming, Stein followed with, "In that case, what is the question?"