Short List

An incomplete, short list of short stories I can’t live without:

“The Hermit’s Story” by Rick Bass (from The Hermit’s Story)

“Fell This Girl” by Aimee Bender (from The Girl in the Flammable Skirt)

“Boys” by Rick Moody (from Best American Short Stories 2001)

“Wanting Only to Be Heard” by Jack Driscoll (from Wanting Only to Be Heard)

“Squalls” by Jack Driscoll (1st chapter of his self-proclaimed shnovel How Like an Angel)

“We Didn’t” by Stuart Dybek (from I Sailed with Magellan)

“ ‘Hidden Meanings, Treatment of Time, Supreme Irony, and Life Experiences in the Song Ain’t Gonna Bump No More No Big Fat Woman’ ” by Michael Parker (from Don’t Make Me Stop Now)

“Geek Player, Love Slayer” and “My Life in Heavy Metal” by Steve Almond (from My Life in Heavy Metal)

“Near-Extinct Birds of the Central Cordillera” by Benjamin Fountain (from Brief Encounters with Che Guevara – FYI, that’s a misleading title)

“Ghostless” and “Jolo” by Ann Pancake from Given Ground