by Sue Miller
First published 2002
Sue Miller, acclaimed author of While I Was Gone and The World Below, selects twenty outstanding works that capture the range of contemporary American short fiction. The collection features established masters like Arthur Miller and E. L. Doctorow alongside vital newer voices including Edwidge Danticat, Jill McCorkle, and Akhil Sharma. Each story stands as a complete world, yet together they form a portrait of modern American life in all its complexity. Miller's editorial eye identifies the current movements and emerging talents that shape today's literary landscape. These stories explore the intimate moments where ordinary lives intersect with larger forces, revealing the emotional truths that connect us across different backgrounds and experiences. The anthology serves as both entertainment and literary survey, offering readers access to the year's most accomplished short fiction in one volume.
Genres: anthologies, american-fiction, 20th-century, american, contemporary, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family
Period: 2002
400 pages · Hardcover · Houghton Mifflin Harcourt