The Best American Short Stories 2007

by King, Stephen

• ISBN13: 9780618713479
• ISBN10: 0618713476
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-10-10
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Summary

In his introduction to this volume, Stephen King writes, "Talent does more than come out; it bursts out, again and again, doing exuberant cartwheels while the band plays 'Stars and Stripes Forever' . . . Talent can't help itself; it roars along in fair weather or foul, not sparing the fireworks. It gets emotional. It struts its stuff. In fact, that's its job." Wonderfully eclectic, The Best American Short Stories 2007 collects stories by writers of undeniable talent, both newcomers and favorites. These stories examine the turning points in life when we, as children or parents, lovers or friends or colleagues, must break certain rules in order to remain true to ourselves. In T. C. Boyle's heartbreaking "Balto," a thirteen-year-old girl provides devastating courtroom testimony in her father's trial. Aryn Kyle's charming story "Allegiance" shows a young girl caught between her despairing British mother and motherly American father. In "The Bris," Eileen Pollack brilliantly writes of a son struggling to fulfill his filial obligations, even when they require a breach of morality and religion. Kate Walbert's stunning "Do Something" portrays one mother's impassioned and revolutionary refusal to accept her son's death. And in Richard Russo's graceful "Horseman," an English professor comes to understand that plagiarism reveals more about a student than original work can. New series editor Heidi Pitlor writes, "[Stephen King's] dedication, unflagging hard work, and enthusiasm for excellent writing shone through on nearly a daily basis this past year . . . We agreed, disagreed, and in the end very much concurred on the merit of the twenty stories chosen." The result is a vibrant assortment of stories and voices brimming with attitude, deep wisdom, and rare compassion.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. ix
Introduction	p. xiii
Louis Auchincloss. Pa's Darling	p. 1
from The Yale Review John Barth. Toga Party	p. 14
from Fiction Ann Beattie. Solid Wood	p. 41
from Boulevard T. C. Boyle. Balto	p. 55
from The Paris Review Randy Devita. Riding the Doghouse	p. 75
from West Branch Joseph Epstein. My Brother Eli	p. 85
from The Hudson Review William Gay. Where Will You Go When Your Skin Cannot Contain You?	p. 113
from Tin House Mary Gordon. Eleanor's Music	p. 127
from Ploughshares Lauren Groff. L. DeBard and Aliette: A Love Story	p. 143
from The Atlantic Monthly Beverly Jensen. Wake	p. 166
from New England Review Roy Kesey. Wait	p. 194
from The Kenyon Review Stellar Kim. Findings & Impressions	p. 208
from The Iowa Review Aryn Kyle. Allegiance	p. 228
from Ploughshares Bruce McAllister. The Boy in Zaquitos	p. 248
from Fantasy and Science Fiction Alice Munro. Dimension	p. 268
from The New Yorker Eileen Pollack. The Bris	p. 293
from Subtropics Karen Russell. St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves	p. 325
from Granta Richard Russo. Horseman	p. 341
from The Atlantic Monthly Jim Shepard. Sans Farine	p. 365
from Harper's Magazine Kate Walbert. Do Something	p. 388
from Ploughshares Contributors' Notes	p. 399
100 Other Distinguished Stories of 2006	p. 412
Editorial Addresses of American and Canadian Magazines Publishing Short Stories	p. 416
Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

Introduction The American short story is alive and well. Do you like the sound of that? Me too. I only wish it were actually true. The art form is still alive that I can testify to; I read hundreds of stories between December 2005 (when the first issues of 06 periodicals came out) and January 2007, and a great many of them were good stories. Some were very good. And some you will find them in this book seemed to touch greatness. Or so I felt, and in most cases Heidi Pitlor, my excellent coeditor, felt so too. But well? Thats a different story. I came by my hundreds which now overflow several cardboard boxes known collectively as THE STASH in a number of different ways. A few were recommended by writers and personal friends. A few more I downloaded from the Internet. Large batches were sent to me on a regular basis by the excellent Ms. Pitlor, probably the only person in America who read more short stories than I did in 2006 (in addition to reading all those stories, The Amazing Heidi also published a novel and gave birth to twins: a productive year by anyones standards). But Ive never been content to stay on the reservation, and so I also read a great many stories in magazines I bought myself, at bookstores and newsstands in Florida and Maine, the two places where I spend most of the year. I want to begin by telling you about a typical short-story-hunting expedition at my favorite Sarasota mega-bookstore. Bear with me; theres a point to this. I go in because its just about time for the new issues of Tin House and Zoetrope: All-Story, two Best American mainstays over the years. I dont expect a new Glimmer Train, but it wouldnt surprise me to find one. There will certainly be a new issue of The New Yorker thats the fabled automatic and perhaps Harpers Magazine. No need to check out Atlantic Monthly; its editors now settle for publishing their own selections of fiction once a year and criticizing everyone elses the rest of the time. Jokes about eunuchs in the bordello come to mind, but I will suppress them. (And besides, the one fiction issue that Atlantic does publish is richly represented here.) So into the bookstore I go, and what do I see first? A table filled with best-selling hardcover fiction at prices ranging from 20 to 40 percent off. James Patterson is represented, as is Danielle Steel, as is your faithful correspondent. Most of this stuff is disposable, but its right up front, where it hits you in the eye as soon as you come in, and why? Because money talks and bullshit walks. These are the moneymakers and rent payers; these are the glamour ponies. Bullshit in this case that would be me walks past the bestsellers, past trade paperbacks with titles like Who Stole My Chicken?, The Get-Rich Secret, and Be a Big Cheese Now, past the mysteries, past the auto repair manuals, past the remaindered coffee-table books (looking sad and thumbed-through with their red discount priced stickers). I arrive at the Wall of Magazines, which

---

Excerpted from The Best American Short Stories
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.