A few weeks back, one of my students came to class asking for recommendations of short story collections by a single author. We all threw out favorite titles as we went around and did our goals’ check-in, and I’ve left the list in that order, which is to say somewhat random order. Please post your own favorites in the comments section below!
How to Breathe Underwater Julie Orringer
Emperor of the Air Ethan Canin
Tales of Belkin Alexander Pushkin
The Collected Stories Lydia Davis
Tenth of December George Saunders
Drown Junot Diaz
Drinking Coffee Elsewhere ZZ Packer
Olive Kitteridge Elizabeth Strout
Collected Short Stories Wallace Stegner
That Distant Land: The Collected Stories Wendell Berry
Wyoming Stories Annie Proulx
The Collected Stories William Trevor
Sixty Stories Donald Barthelme
Jesus’ Son Denis Johnson
The Mechanics of Falling Catherine Brady
Enchantment Thaisa Frank
What are your favorite short story collections by one author?
Vampires in the Lemon Grove by Karen Russell…each story has a metaphysical element to it..talk about Kafka-esque…but with a modern feel.
Anything by Alice Munro is worth looking at. I also grab anything by Lorrie Moore, Lynn Freed, Donald Antrim, George Saunders, Antonya Nelson, Ursula Leguin, Robert Stone. Currently I’m reading _The Memory Wall_ by Anthony Doerr and _In Envy Country_ by Joan Frank.
We just bought Swamplandia, Ani. There’s a great interview with Karen Russell on The New York Times Book Review podcast where she talks about where she gets her ideas and how many, many drafts she writes. Check it out! And thanks for the suggestion.
Susan! Wonderful list. I am eager to hear your thoughts of Joan Frank, who lives up here in Sonoma Country and whose Because We Have To I loved. Thanks for the rich suggestions.