Phantoms by Ivan Turgenev, 1864 Continue reading
Author: bcw56
‘Work, Death, And Sickness’ by Leo Tolstoy
Work, Death, And Sickness by Leo Tolstoy, 1903 Continue reading
‘Aspic’ by Tatyana Tolstaya
Aspic by Tatyana Tolstaya, 2016 Continue reading
‘A Room Forever’ by Breece D’J Pancake
A Room Forever by Breece D’J Pancake, 1983 Continue reading
2020 favorites
2020 Favorites
Seven years in and going strong on the SSMT website.
It was a difficult 2020 all around. And as life got infinitely more stressful, the notion of having time to sit back and read a short story seemed comical.
But, I would argue, taking time to read a short story (at least every so often) becomes even more important during times of adversity. Art can lift us out of our own anxiety, away from our own grief, and give us someone else’s perspective. Getting out of your own head, even only temporarily, was essential self-care in 2020.
So in keeping with SSMT tradition, here is the annual list ranking the stories highlighted this year on the site, sorted in order of my own enjoyment.
And look for a new spin on things in 2021 here. Every week, we’ll be highlighting stories from a different country. After leaning overwhelmingly American for seven years, it seemed like it was well past time to expand my reading horizons. Can’t hurt to change things up for 2021.
So look forward to that, and have a happy new year! Continue reading
December 2020 favorites
December 2020
The December stories ordered solely on my personal tastes.
- ‘Mirrorball’ by Mary Gaitskill
- ‘Accident Brief’ by Karen Russell
- ‘The Unknown Masterpiece’ by Honoré de Balzac
- ‘Drinking Coffee Elsewhere’ by ZZ Packer
- ‘The Half-Husky’ by Margaret Laurence
- ‘Home For Christmas’ by Carson McCullers
- ‘Seven’ by Edwidge Danticat
- ‘A Room Forever’ by Breece D’J Pancake
- ‘The Weirdos’ by Ottessa Moshfegh
- ‘Irina’ by Mavis Gallant
- ‘The Lily-White Boys’ by William Maxwell
- ‘The Pocketbook Game’ by Alice Childress
- ‘The Dancer’ by Patricia Highsmith
- ‘The Yo-Yo’ by P.D. James
- ‘Temptation’ by Clarice Lispector
- ‘Ordinary Nudes’ by Stuart Dybek
- ‘Neighbors’ by Anthony Tognazzini
- ‘The Canebrake’ by Mohammed Mrabet
- ‘Odd Behavior’ by Lydia Davis
- ‘The Warmth Of Things’ by Nélida Piñón
- ‘Times’ by Ann Beattie
As always, join the conversation in the comments section below, on SSMT Facebook or on Twitter @ShortStoryMT.
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‘Home For Christmas’ by Carson McCullers
Home For Christmas by Carson McCullers, 1949 Continue reading
‘The Lily-White Boys’ by William Maxwell
The Lily-White Boys by William Maxwell, 1986 Continue reading
‘The Yo-Yo’ by P.D. James
The Yo-Yo by P.D. James, 2006 Continue reading
‘Times’ by Ann Beattie
Times by Ann Beattie, 1983 Continue reading