Clyde Edgerton

I read a great short story last night called, "Send Me to the Electric Chair" in the anthology BEST AMERICAN SHORT STORIES 1997 ed. Annie Proulx, a Deering High graduate. Edgerton made the short story into a novel called WHERE TROUBLE SLEEPS. It is certainly a novel I'm am going to read in the near future.

Best American Short Stories 1990

There were some absolute gems in this collection that I'm sure I will read again. Of course, there were others that didn't impress me, but that number was quite small. I think it was 3, 4 at the most, out of twenty.

I really loved THE FIREMAN'S WIFE by Richard Bausch, which was basically about a woman who has grown disinterested in her marriage. She even has a bag packed to leave when her husband is brought home with both of his hands severely burnt. At the end of the story, she is doing EVERYTHING for him because it's hard to wipe your own ass without hands, but the reader is left only to assume, she'll eventually leave him.

Richard Bausch has another story in the collection, which is rare for an author to have two stories, but he and Alice Munro do. Richard Ford said he didn't want to penalize a writer for having written more than one good story, which makes sense. If you're looking for the twenty best stories what does it matter two came from the same writer.

THE WIZARD by C.S. GodShalk is another really good one about a boy who sells drugs in a horrible neighborhood, but is a genius. It sounds like he has a photographic memory. He wins a scholarship to a well-respected private school, but the reader is left wondering if he'll be able to attend everyday with all the drama in his life.

Lorrie Moore has one of the strongest stories called YOU'RE UGLY TOO, about a woman is past the age at which most women have been married and sort of gets jealous when her sister announces her wedding date. At the end of the story, the reader finds out, along with the sister, that the main character has a doctor's appointment in which she is probably going to receive some bad news.

PROWLER is awesome, written by Elizabeth Tallent. Another strained husband and wife relationship, who have divorced, but are now fighting over their son. The former husband actually breaks into the ex-wife's appartment. It was so well-written my heart was actually pounding as he was walking around in the empty apartment.

Good, good stuff in this book. A true treasure that I'm happy to say, I own.

Review- The Best American Short Stories 2001

It took me a while to finish, but I read through the whole thing. Twenty stories that Barbara Kingslover thought were the best of 2001, and I didn't disagree with her. The highlight for me was Roy Parvin's BETTY HUTTON. The opening line is "He was a big man who looked like trouble."

Parvin grabbed my attention with that. The story is basically about a man known as Gibbs who has spent much of his life in prison, but when he gets out wants to change his life. To do this he tries to actually make two wrongs turn into a right. He steals money and a car from his girlfriend in order to make a new life for himself in Montana. I don't want to spoil the story for those of you who may want to read this.

Some other short stories that were awesome are: "Servants of the Map" by Andrea Barrett, "Labors of the Heart" by Claire Davis, "After Cowboy Chicken Came to Town" by Ha Jin, "Rug Weaver" by Barbara Klein Moss, and "My Mother's Garden" by Katherine Shonk.

I only didn't care for two stories in this collection.

Back from Alabama

The family and I were in Alabama for about two weeks visiting family. We had a great time, but it was such a busy two weeks that I didn't get to read too much. I did finish a rather lengthy book, THE BEST AMERICAN SHORT STORIES 2001 edited by Barbara Kingslover. I really enjoyed this collection, so many quality short stories. There were only two that I didn't care for, which out of twenty wasn't too bad. I'm thinking I should read a couple short novels if I'm going to get my twenty books in. It ain't looking good to be honest. I might have to settle for 15.

Short Stories

I am all over these short stories featured in the Best American Short Stories Series. I am reading through the 2001 edition right now. I've read portions of the 2007, 2005, and 2003 editions and have been introduced to some incredible authors that are not right at the front of all the bookstores. In my opinion, the authors at the front of the stores, James Patterson, Nora Roberts, and Stephen King, do not write as well as some of the authors I've read in these collections like E.L. Doctorow, Andrea Barrett, and Rick Bass. I'll be raving about these stories all summer, but I just wanted to give props to these writers that really should be the bestselling authors, which some are, but are not appreciated by the book-buying public like they should. If you haven't read any of these yet, I encourage you to do so. You might want to start with the 2007 edition edited by Stephen King. King picked out some truly memorable reads.

Book Five-THE BEST AMERICAN SHORT STORIES 2001

I got a book I ordered in the mail today. I'll probably start reading that a little at a time. Since I have massive reading ADD, I figured reading short stories every once in a while might help. Besides some of the best writers in the world write in that publication. I might be able to get some tips. I'll, of course, keep you posted.