"Lovers of the short story, rejoice! There's something for everyone in this anniversary collection . . . The collection makes the argument that time and again, it is stories that save us." -Booklist
Thirty-five literary luminaries come together in this stunning collection of all-new works.
A must-have for any lover of literature, Small Odysseys sweeps the reader into the landscape of the contemporary short story, featuring never-before-published works by many of our most preeminent authors as well as up-and-coming superstars.
On their journey through the book, readers will encounter long-ago movie stars, a town full of dandelions, and math lessons from Siri. They will attend karaoke night, hear a twenty-something slacker's breathless report of his failed recruiting by the FBI, and travel with a father and son as they channel grief into running a neighborhood bakery truck. They will watch the Greek goddess Persephone encounter the end of the world, and witness another apocalypse through a series of advertisements for a touchless bidet. And finally, they will meet an aging loner who finds courage and resilience hidden in the most unexpected of places-the next generation.
Published in partnership with beloved literary radio program and live show Selected Shorts in honor of its thirty-fifth anniversary, this collection of thirty-five stories captures its spirit in print for the first time.
FEATURING
Rabih Alameddine * Jenny Allen * Lesley Nneka Arimah * Aimee Bender * Marie-Helene Bertino * Jai Chakrabarti * Patrick Cottrell * Elizabeth Crane * Michael Cunningham * Patrick Dacey * Edwidge Danticat * Dave Eggers * Omar El Akkad * Lauren Groff * Jacob Guajardo * A.M. Homes * Mira Jacob * Jac Jemc * Etgar Keret * Lisa Ko * Victor LaValle * J. Robert Lennon * Ben Loory * Carmen Maria Machado * Juan Martinez * Maile Meloy * Joe Meno * Susan Perabo * Helen Phillips * Namwali Serpell * Rivers Solomon * Elizabeth Strout * Luis Alberto Urrea * Jess Walter * Weike Wang Hannah Tinti is the author of the bestselling novel The Good Thief, which won rhe Center for Fiction's first novel prize, and the story collection Animal Crackers, a runner-up for the PEN/Hemingway Award. Her latest novel, The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley, is a national bestseller and has been optioned for television. She teaches creative writing at New York University's MFA program and co-founded the Sirenland Writers Conference. Tinti is also the co-founder and executive editor of One Story magazine, which won the AWP Small Press Publisher Award, CLMP's Firecracker Award, and the PEN/Magid Award for Excellence in Editing.
"Lovers of the short story, rejoice! There's something for everyone in this anniversary collection . . . Author notes following each story add depth and understanding to these equally delightful and devastating literary 'snacks' . . . Overall, the collection makes the argument that time and again, it is stories that save us."
-Booklist
"In her introduction, editor Hannah Tinti recalls the magic of listening to Selected Shorts on the radio in her early twenties . . . With Small Odysseys, she affords readers similar access to the transcendency of a story well-told."
-Poets Writers
"Tinti delivers a dynamic anthology drawn from the Selected Shorts public radio program . . . Short story fans will enjoy the abundance of talent on offer."
-Publishers Weekly
"A wide-ranging anthology of original stories from some of today's top authors . . . Well-curated, eclectic, and thoughtful."
-Kirkus Reviews
