For the past year or so, I have been reading a short story or two per week. This summer, I am taking a short story online writing class at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis and writing my own short stories, which is really fun. I just handed in my first 10 page short story and I'm excited to see what my classmates think of it.
I want to share with you some of the really good short story collections I have read so far this year. I have read 3 collections so far in 2014
Open Secrets by Alice Munro
I just finished Open Secrets by Alice Munro and today is Alice's birthday. Open Secrets contains eight short stories. Alice Munro is a master storyteller. I've had this book sitting on my shelf for far to long and I picked it up because I having been invested in reading short stories this year and I'm so glad I did. Munro's stories are like looking in the window of someone's house as you drive by and listening to their conversations at the dinner table. Munro lets you eavesdrop on the lives of others and it is a great experience. Her stories mainly focus on Canadian women and their experiences. Many of the stories are quite memorable.
Incendiary Girls by Kodi Scheer
Incendiary Girls is a collection of short stories that are unforgettable and non-traditional. Many of the stories have the thread of medicine running through them as well as some magical or fantastical elements. Sometimes the stories are disturbing yet for every story I was intrigued and wanted to find out where the author was leading me and how the story would end. Scheer does an excellent job juxtaposing reality with fantasy and having her patients (I mean stories) exhibit fundamental psychological symptoms of the creative variety. She is a great storyteller. Loved it.
Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa LahiriWinner of the Pulitzer Prize in 2000. This collection of short stories is powerful and many stories explore the immigrant experience as well as feature people with Indian heritage as the main characters. Here you learn what it is like to be a stranger in a new land or a traveler to your own country. I read this one awhile ago but I still remember most of the stories because they were vivid and memorable. Very powerful exploration of human relationships.
What short stories are you reading?
