Do you sometimes feel like everything's moving way too fast these days, including you? When can we ever find time to read that novel that's been glancing mournfully from the bedside?
Think short stories — those perfect miniatures of literature, so often overlooked in the wake of their boistrous big sister– the novel. Women often find themselves long on interests and short on time. Story collections are a completely satisfying and sophisticated way to deal with that.
Finding Dulcinea, "The Librarian of The Internet" is giving us reason to think short this week. In "Fall Reading Essentials," a digest of some of the best of this season's short fiction offerings, Rachel Balik also shows us the way to free samples of exquisite short fiction available on the Web. And if you've been wondering what all that fuss was about Alice Munro, 77 (above) and Anne Enright, 46 (right), they're two of the form's master craftswomen: Balik makes sure to provide links to their work, along with many others.
In "Holding Silvan," Monica Wesolowska explores with honesty the kind of questions most of us don't want to think about — the kind of choices people make for their loved ones when they're about to die.
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Laura,
Thank you for giving a plug to an art form that doesn’t get nearly the attention it deserves. They are ideal for business travel. Winding down with a story or two before bed, without getting caught up in a bigger plot, is like savoring that perfect portion of dessert. Alice Munro is truly the master and I would also recommend Ron Carlson, Amy Bloom, Pam Houston, Lorrie Moore, Richard Bausch and TM McNally (and those are just the ones I can see from my desk).