I'm being a glutton about short stories recently and have just received the anthology of the Bridport prize and am part way through the Asham prize one also. A perfect short story is a delightful thing - a bit like eating just one chocolate out of the box and savouring it. I'm writing a couple at the moment and think it was in the mid nineties when I last wrote one. I'd forgotten what a craft it is and am really enjoying the discipline of saying a lot with a few words - well at last that's what I hope I'm doing! I am aiming to be brave enough to enter a few comps this year.
My favourite short story writer of all time is Raymond Carver - his command of brevity is staggering. Every time I reread one of his I am blown away by the beauty of the stories even when the subject is bleak.
Any recommendations on the short story front from fellow readers/writers?
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Frangipanis
About Me
I'm an Australian writer living in the UK. I have completed one unpublished novel and am about to start a second one. I have been writing for many years as a journalist and playwright. This blog is about my writing process, surviving cancer and anything else that pops into my thoughts with enough force to warrant an appearance here.
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5 comments:
Have you read any Alice Munro? She's very good. Joyce Carol Oates is supposed to be very good but I confess I haven't read any. I really liked a Laurie Moore collection I bought (not all the stories but it's always the case). And um, how about Yiyun Lee "A Thousand Years of Good Prayer" - she's won awards for her short story collection. Oh, and if you want to find out what kinds of stories win the literary prizes you could do worse than buy "Words from a Glass Bubble" by Vanessa Gebbie. She was second in Bridport and first at Fish as well as lots of other literary comp placings.
Oh yes (god I'm going on aren't I!) Nathan England is also very good and Saul Bellow is 'the daddy' of short stories with 'A Silver Dish' being the story everyone raves about(though I have to confess it wasn't really my cup of tea, but I could be murdered for admitting that aloud!).
One more recommendation and I'm done. Go and buy BASS (Best American Short Stories) which feature the creme de la creme of contemporary American short story writers.
My favourite short stories of all time are "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson and "The Shawl" by Cynthia Ozick.
Right, that's it. I've overwhelmed you with recommendations and now I'm off!
Calsitro - thank you - wow enough here to kep me busy for a long time. Intersting that you mentioedn Vanessa Gebbie - I read her Bridport entry and really enjoyed it and am going to buy her new collection.
I haven't read Alice Munro but shall look out for her. I'm going to prin off your list here and keep them for ref. I'm defnitely going to find your two all time favourites and consume.
Thanks for taking the time for such a detailed response - I really appreciate it!
My pleasure!
Hello! I wandered in from somewhere and like it in here :)
I finished 'Drinking Coffee Elsewhere' by ZZ Packer recently and loved it. It's a book of short stories and they are great. I also have and love Tumble Home by Amy Hempel.
I will be back :)
Welcome B - good of you to drop by!
Thanks for your SS recommendations - I love the title 'Drinking coffee elsewhere' - I'll investigate your suggestions. Thanks!
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