Flash Fiction Forward Pa

by Shapard,Robert

• ISBN13: 9780393328028
• ISBN10: 0393328023
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-08-17
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Summary

The eagerly anticipated anthology from the editors who coined the term "Flash," with stories by today's best fiction writers. After publication of the first Flash Fiction anthology over a decade ago, "flash" became part of the creative writing lexicon for readers, writers, students, and teachers. In this follow-up collection, the editors once again tackle the question: "How short can a story be and truly be a story?" Determined to find the best flashes from America in the twenty-first century, James Thomas and Robert Shapard searched everywhere for stories that were not merely good but memorable. Moving, and certainly unforgettable, this collection includes stories from the best and most popular fiction writers of our time, including Ron Carlson, Robert Coover, Steve Almond, Amy Hempel, A. M. Homes, Grace Paley, and Paul Theroux. In addition, Rick Moody properly defines armoire, Lydia Davis delves into a world of cats, and Dave Eggers explores narrow escapes. Over and over, these stories prove that often less is more.

Table of Contents

Stories	9	(2)
John Edgar Wideman
Editors' Note	11	(6)
Jumper Down	17	(3)
Don Shea
The Memory Priest of the Creech People	20	(2)
Paul Theroux
Sashimi Cashmere	22	(2)
Carolyn Forde
The Barbie Birthday	24	(2)
Alison Townsend
Sweet Sixteen	26	(2)
Gary D. Wilson
Before the Bath	28	(3)
Ismail Kadare
Baker's Helper	31	(3)
Cynthia Anderson
Rumors of Myself	34	(2)
Steve Almond
Mandela Was Late	36	(4)
Peter Mehlman
Sleeping	40	(2)
Katharine Weber
Traditional Style Indian Garage	42	(4)
Chrystos
How to Set a House on Fire	46	(2)
Stace Budzko
The Jalapeno Contest	48	(3)
Ray Gonzalez
Currents	51	(2)
Hannah Bottomy
1951	53	(3)
Richard Bausch
Bullet	56	(3)
Kim Church
Consuming the View	59	(3)
Luigi Malerba
The Great Open Mouth Anti-Sadness	62	(2)
Ron Carlson
Things You Should Know	64	(4)
A. M. Homes
Rose	68	(3)
John Biguenet
Tiffany	71	(3)
Stacey Richter
The Fallguy's Faith	74	(2)
Robert Coover
The Cats in the Prison Recreation Hall	76	(3)
Lydia Davis
Level	79	(3)
Keith Scribner
Blind Fish	82	(3)
Melanie Rae Thon
The Voices in My Head	85	(3)
Jack Handey
The Old Truth in Costa Rica	88	(2)
Lon Otto
Why You Shouldn't Have Gone in the First Place	90	(3)
Samantha Schoech
Mythologies	93	(3)
R. L. Futrell
Reviving Pater	96	(3)
John Goulet
Bullhead	99	(2)
Leigh Allison Wilson
Accident	101	(2)
Dave Eggers
All Girl Band	103	(2)
Utahna Faith
I Never Looked	105	(4)
Donald Hall
My Date with Neanderthal Woman	109	(3)
David Galef
Fab 4	112	(3)
Jenny Hall
The Peterson Fire	115	(3)
Barry Gifford
Words	118	(3)
John A. McCaffrey
The Black City	121	(3)
Leonardo Alishan
Justice --- A Beginning	124	(3)
Grace Paley
That Could Have Been You	127	(3)
Jim Heynen
The Wallet	130	(3)
Andrew McCuaig
How to End Up	133	(2)
Jennifer A. Howard
The Orange	135	(2)
Benjamin Rosenbaum
21	137	(2)
Jim Crace
Geometry Can Fail Us	139	(2)
Barbara Jacksha
To Reduce Your Likelihood of Murder	141	(2)
Ander Monson
Oliver's Evolution	143	(3)
John Updike
The Doctor	146	(3)
Ann Hood
Crazy Glue	149	(3)
Etgar Keret
Pledge Drive	152	(3)
Patricia Marx
The Handbag	155	(2)
Michael Augustin
A Patriotic Angel	157	(2)
Mark Budman
What Were the White Things?	159	(3)
Amy Hempel
Map of the Lost World	162	(2)
James Tate
Bill	164	(2)
Dan Kaplan
The Kettle	166	(2)
Eva Marie Ginsburg
Quill	168	(3)
Tony Earley
Nicaragua	171	(2)
Kirk Nesset
Parrot Talk	173	(3)
Kit Coyne Irwin
I Didn't Do That	176	(2)
Tom Hazuka
What I Know of Your Country	178	(3)
John Leary
The Paperboy	181	(3)
Sherrie Flick
Birth	184	(3)
Robert Earle
Guidebook	187	(2)
Christopher Merrill
Test	189	(5)
G. A. Ingersoll
Drawer	194	(3)
Rick Moody
00:02:36:58	197	(3)
Bayard Godsave
The Good Life	200	(2)
David Ryan
Fruit Series	202	(3)
Opal Palmer Adisa
Initials Etched on a Dining-Room Table, Lockeport, Nova Scotia	205	(3)
Peter Orner
Mr. Nikos Nikou	208	(2)
Ersi Sotiropoulos
Three Soldiers	210	(2)
Bruce Holland Rogers
The Mesmerist	212	(4)
Michael Knight
Toasters	216	(2)
Pamela Painter
Diagnostic Drift	218	(3)
Michael Martone
You Don't Know Anything	221	(3)
Kathleen Wheaton
Traveling Alone	224	(2)
Rob Carney
The Death of the Short Story	226	(3)
J. David Stevens
Credits	229