Synopses & Reviews
This big, beautiful anthology of short fiction is for readers, writers, and anyone curious about the mysterious processes of literary minds. All contributors have been recent faculty members of the prestigious Warren Wilson Low Residency Program, including such literary favorites as Margot Livesey, Charles Baxter, Robert Boswell, Jim Shepard, Antonya Nelson, David Shields, and the editors themselves. Each writer was asked to submit an original story, accompanied by an essay describing the challenges of the story and how they were met. Since writers resist herding, the editors were happily surprised by the wide range of essays--"fiction writers, when given the space, think about their work very differently." We learn about the genesis of a story, how story evolves, what was eventually relinquished and why, and how a story--surprisingly--might "insist" on changing. Arranged alphabetically by author, and beginning with Richard Russo's cogent introduction, this volume is a treasure throughout.
Synopsis
In a splendid display of show-and-tell, 26 writers tell a story and lift the curtain to reveal how they did it.
About the Author
Andrea Barrett is the author of The Air We Breathe, Servants of the Map (finalist for the Pulitzer Prize), The Voyage of the Narwhal, Ship Fever (winner of the National Book Award), and other books. She teaches at Williams College and lives in northwestern Massachusetts.Peter Turchi, director of the Warren Wilson M.F.A. Program, lives in Asheville, North Carolina.
Exclusive Essay
Read an exclusive essay by Peter Turchi