Here twenty-one interviews (eighteen with contemporary writers and three with scholars of the short story) reveal the demanding and exhilarating requirements the short story imposes upon its practitioners. Although amateurs delight in writing stories, form proves to demand a master touch, like that of the interviewees.

'Rich. . . eclectic. . . a feast' Telegraph This landmark collection brings together forty writers that reflect over a hundred years of Italy's vibrant and diverse short story tradition, from the birth of the modern nation to the end of the twentieth century. Poets, journalists, visual artists, musicians, editors, critics, teachers, scientists, politicians, translators: the writers that inhabit these pages represent a dynamic cross section of Italian society, their powerful voices resonating through regional landscapes, private passions and dramatic political events. This wide-ranging selection curated by Jhumpa Lahiri includes well known authors such as Italo Calvino, Elsa Morante and Luigi Pirandello alongside many captivating new discoveries. More than a third of the stories featured in this volume have been translated into English for the first time, several of them by Lahiri herself.

Speaking with the Angel is a collection of short stories, edited by Nick Hornby Hear the Prime Minister explain to the House why he did a runner from Greenford Park service station and hitched a lift with a fifteen-year-old girl, as imagined by Robert Harris. Listen to someone who has a small hostile creature in his room, as told by Roddy Doyle. Twelve voices, twelve completely new stories, narrated by twelve different characters. And all written by twelve of the most exciting and popular writers around: Robert Harris, Melissa Bank, Giles Smith, Patrick Marber, Colin Frith, Zadie Smith, Dave Eggers, Helen Fielding, Roddy Doyle, Irvine Welsh, John O'Farrell and Nick Hornby himself. This sparkling collection has been put together by bestselling novelist Nick Hornby, who also contributes an Introduction about TreeHouse, an organisation that offers a unique and pioneering approach to the education of children with autism. £1 will go to TreeHouse with every copy sold of Speaking with the Angel.

This volume offers a survey of American short fiction in 59 tales that combine classic works with 'different, unexpected gems', which invite readers to explore a wealth of important pieces by women and minority writers. Authors include: Amy Tan, Alice Adams, David Leavitt and Tim O'Brien.

Marvelously original, Speaking Up for Each Other has 25 short stories by young writers that are sure to entertain the readers of all ages and genres. These stories will have a very specific appeal to preteens who generally don't find short story books that are fitting for their age. The twenty five stories included in this book have a rich variety of themes and situations ranging from a helpless girl living in fear of her own family to a robot contemplating what's best for its employer.

The bestselling, award-winning modern classic Speak is now a stunning graphic novel—adapted by Laurie Halse Anderson herself and brought to life visually by Eisner Award winner Emily Carroll. "Speak up for yourself—we want to know what you have to say." From the first moment of her freshman year at Merryweather High, Melinda knows this is a big lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is friendless, an outcast, because she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops. Now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her. As time passes, Melinda becomes increasingly isolated and practically stops talking altogether. Only her art class offers any solace, and it is through her work on an art project that she is finally able to face what really happened at that terrible party: she was raped by an upperclassman, a guy who still attends Merryweather and is still a threat to her. Her healing process has just begun when she has another violent encounter with him. But this time Melinda fights back—and refuses to be silent. The groundbreaking National Book Award Finalist and Michael L. Printz Honor Book about consent, healing, and finding your voice comes alive for new audiences and fans of the original novel in Speak: The Graphic Novel.

Though culture wars may rage, one truth remains clear, and it arises from this collection of interviews with multicultural writers: The short story form is a favorite genre, and the writers included in this book express their passionate regard for it. The short story links them, and in speaking of this select and disciplining narrative form, they find their views to be remarkably similar, although generations and cultures may separate them. The interviews show that the world of each story has its own constructs, syntax, style, and voice, and regardless of differences, every story spirals back upon itself. Although amateur writers delight in writing short stories, the form demands a master touch, like that of the interviewees. In this collection twenty interviews (seventeen from writers and three from scholars of the short story) reveal the demanding and exhilarating requirements that the short story imposes upon its practitioners. One surmises that if Poe himself were among these, he too would underline the commentaries of these present day short story writers. As they speak, they comment not only upon story writing but also upon the publishing market, the social context for writing and dissemination of short fiction, the pedagogy of short fiction instruction, and the politics that affect both the themes and the structure of the story. Those interviewed include Isabel Allende, Rudolfo A. Anaya, Arturo Arias, Ray A. Young Bear, Clark Blaise, Judith Ortiz Cofer, Moira Crone, Ellen Douglas, Richard Ford, Robert Franklin Gish, Wilson Harris, Shirley Geok-Lin Lim, Susan Lohafer, Charles May, Bharati Mukherjee, Simon Ortiz, Mary Rohrberger, Minoli Salgado, Sonia Sanchez, and Leslie Marmon Silko. Farhat Iftekharuddin is a professor of English at the University of Texas at Brownsville. Mary Rohrberger is a professor of English at the University of Northern Iowa.