[.ca] The Anchor Book of New American Short Stories (ISBN 1400034825)

Not the dead art form many claim:
The poor short story has, over the last few years, suffered greatly. From being neglected by not only popular magazines that used to promote and publish some of this country's great writers, to a general lack of interest by the public, this truly American art form has seen better days. Or so it would seem. Enter THE ANCHOR BOOK OF NEW AMERICAN SHORT STORIES. This is only one of a handful of collections that are truly worthy of praise. The other two that come to mind are the O. HENRY PRIZE STORIES 2003 and THE CHILDREN'S CORNER by Jackson McCrae. All of these are excellent, but what makes the ANCHOR stand out is the incredible individuality of each story and yet the even-handedness in the way the collection is paced. Some of the writing in this anthology is gorgeous and these little gems are worth the price of admission. The authors and their work represent a wide variety of styles and traditions, from surrealism to conversationalism, and the emotional territory covered in this collection is staggering. Also recommended: O. HENRY PRIZE STORES 2003 and THE CHILDREN'S CORNER by Jackson McCrae.