Designed for introduction to fiction and fiction-writing courses, 30/30 is part of Longman’s Penguin Academics series of portable, value-priced texts. This anthology offers an array of fiction that not only teaches craft, but also provides a context in which to study formal and thematic trends of the past 30 years. The stories are represented by a mix of well-established authors and newer voices, offering a stylistic range, from the traditional narrative to experimental forms, and thematic range as well, with stories that address issues including family and culture, love and loss, ethnicity and gender.

Preface.

Introduction.

Why Short Stories?

The Elements of Fiction.

Stories:

1. Sherman Alexie, “What You Pawn I Will Redeem”.

2. Dorothy Allison, “River of Names”.

3. Donald Barthelme, “The School”.

4. Charles Baxter, “Snow”.

5. Ann Beattie, “Snow”.

6. T.C. Boyle, “Greasy Lake”.

7. Ron Carlson, “Milk”.

8. Raymond Carver, “Cathedral”.

9. Sandra Cisneros, “The House on Mango Street”.

10. Lydia Davis, “Story”.

11. Junot Díaz, “Fiesta, 1980”.

12. Stuart Dybek, “We Didn’t”.

13. Louise Erdrich, “Saint Marie”.

14. Percival Everett, “The Fix”.

15. Mary Gaitskill, “Tiny, Smiling Daddy”.

16. Aleksandar Hemon, “A Coin”.

17. Gish Jen, “Who’s Irish?”.

18. Jamaica Kincaid, “Girl”.

19. David Leavitt, “Gravity”.

20. Ursula K. Le Guin, “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas”.

21. Jhumpa Lahiri, “Interpreter of Maladies”.

22. David Wong Louie, “Cold-Hearted”.

23. Reginald McKnight, “The Kind of Light that Shines on Texas”.

24. Rick Moody, “Boys”.

25. Lorrie Moore, “How to Talk to Your Mother (Notes)”.

26. Tim O’Brien, “The Things They Carried”.

27. Cynthia Ozick, “The Shawl”.

28. Z.Z. Packer, “Every Tongue Shall Confess”.

29. Annie Proulx, “Job History”.

30. June Spence, “Missing Women”.

Appendix I: A Brief History of the Short Story.

Appendix II: Writing Prompts.