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Reaching Inside: 50 Acclaimed Authors on 100 Unforgettable Short Stories
A moving and inspiring anthology of masterful essays on stories that touch the hearts and minds of readers.
“A writer,” Nobel Prize winner Saul Bellow once said, “is a reader who is moved to emulation.” New York Times bestselling novelist and memoirist Andre Dubus III took that idea and invited acclaimed authors to write about short stories that altered their view of life and their place in it—short stories that, ultimately, made them want to write something substantial themselves.
Here is Richard Russo on Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery,” Joyce Carol Oates on John Updike’s “A&P,” Tobias Wolff on Hawthorne’s “Wakefield,” Michael Cunningham on James Joyce’s “The Dead.” Readers will gain new insight into these masterfully written stories but also on the contributors’ own lives and work.
The fifty contributors are T.C. Boyle, Russell Banks, Richard Bausch, Robert Boswell, Charles Baxter, Ann Beattie, Madison Smartt Bell, Ron Carlson, Lan Samantha Chang, Michael Cunningham, Junot Diaz, Anthony Doerr, Emma Donoghue, Stuart Dybek, Dagoberto Gilb, Julia Glass, Mary Gordon, Lauren Groff, Jennifer Haigh, Jane Hamilton, Ron Hansen, Paul Harding, Ann Hood, Pam Houston, Gish Jen, Charles Johnson, Phil Klay, Dennis Lehane, Lois Lowry, Colum McCann, Sue Miller, Rick Moody, Antonya Nelson, Bich Nguyen, Joyce Carol Oates, Stewart O’Nan, Peter Orner, ZZ Packer, Ann Patchett, Edith Pearlman, Jayne Ann Phillips, Kirstin Valdez Quade, Anna Quindlen, Ron Rash, Richard Russo, Dani Shapiro, Mona Simpson, Jess Walter, Tobias Wolff, and Meg Wolitzer.
Reaching Inside will remind you why you fell in love with reading.
“A writer,” Nobel Prize winner Saul Bellow once said, “is a reader who is moved to emulation.” New York Times bestselling novelist and memoirist Andre Dubus III took that idea and invited acclaimed authors to write about short stories that altered their view of life and their place in it—short stories that, ultimately, made them want to write something substantial themselves.
Here is Richard Russo on Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery,” Joyce Carol Oates on John Updike’s “A&P,” Tobias Wolff on Hawthorne’s “Wakefield,” Michael Cunningham on James Joyce’s “The Dead.” Readers will gain new insight into these masterfully written stories but also on the contributors’ own lives and work.
The fifty contributors are T.C. Boyle, Russell Banks, Richard Bausch, Robert Boswell, Charles Baxter, Ann Beattie, Madison Smartt Bell, Ron Carlson, Lan Samantha Chang, Michael Cunningham, Junot Diaz, Anthony Doerr, Emma Donoghue, Stuart Dybek, Dagoberto Gilb, Julia Glass, Mary Gordon, Lauren Groff, Jennifer Haigh, Jane Hamilton, Ron Hansen, Paul Harding, Ann Hood, Pam Houston, Gish Jen, Charles Johnson, Phil Klay, Dennis Lehane, Lois Lowry, Colum McCann, Sue Miller, Rick Moody, Antonya Nelson, Bich Nguyen, Joyce Carol Oates, Stewart O’Nan, Peter Orner, ZZ Packer, Ann Patchett, Edith Pearlman, Jayne Ann Phillips, Kirstin Valdez Quade, Anna Quindlen, Ron Rash, Richard Russo, Dani Shapiro, Mona Simpson, Jess Walter, Tobias Wolff, and Meg Wolitzer.
Reaching Inside will remind you why you fell in love with reading.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published April 25, 2023
12 people are currently reading
92 people want to read
About the author
Andre Dubus III
39 books1,127 followersAndre Dubus III is the author of The Garden of Last Days, House of Sand and Fog (a #1 New York Times bestseller, Oprah’s Book Club pick, and finalist for the National Book Award) and Townie, winner of an American Academy of Arts and Letters Award in Literature. His writing has received many honors, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, a National Magazine Award, and two Pushcart Prizes. He lives with his family north of Boston.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 4, 2024
WHAT RICHES! “Reaching Inside: 50 Acclaimed Authors
On 100 Unforgettable Short Stories” — edited and
introduced by writer André Dubus III. A promising premise for the launch of his ambitious project, published in April 2023:
• Asking 50 Living Writers to choose 2 Short Stories:
– One Short Story chosen by each author is part of
generally-accepted literary established canon;
– 2nd is from lesser-known, excellent Short Story.
• Each of 50 authors wrote a short, illuminating essay
on both stories they chose, so we may read stories
from a fresh lens & appreciate them even more.
Goal: to find Short Stories that succeed in accomplishing what 2 words in book’s title say: “Reaching Inside” us.
If you love Short Stories as I do, you’ll reconnect with exceptional old friends, & enjoy an intro to many new faves as well. They run the gamut: all 100 stories & their essays are treasures.
Telling you which essays I loved most might be a spoiler
— plus all reading is unique & subjective. As it should be.
So do your imagination, creativity, & humanity a favor: get this book. Every page is a reminder of why you fell in love with reading.
Note: 100 essays [by 50 authors] list top 100 Short Stories chosen, but stories’ TEXTS are NOT included in this book. Focus is on essays that illuminate each story. Including 100 stories? Too BIG & wacky copyright issues.
I highly recommend buying this memorable book, ideally from an independent bookstore; publisher Godin; OR online at indie site: bookshop.com.
Also be great to ask your local library to get newly-published, unique anthology (2023). They should. Yet you need to own a copy, because you’ll need to revisit each essay over time if you’re an avid reader. Each is a treasure. Also, if you’re like me, you’ll want to scribble in margins, underline fave phrases, & dog-ear the best of the best. We all digest books our own way.
All Short Stories are readily found, & these essays give you an incentive to find & read them. Or reread them. Example? Chekhov’s story “The Lady With A Dog” will feel quite new — if you last read it more than a year ago. Enjoy the smorgasbord!
#ReachingInside50AcclaimedAuthorsOn100UnforgettableShortStories
#andredubusIII #shortstories #goodreads #godin #bookshop
On 100 Unforgettable Short Stories” — edited and
introduced by writer André Dubus III. A promising premise for the launch of his ambitious project, published in April 2023:
• Asking 50 Living Writers to choose 2 Short Stories:
– One Short Story chosen by each author is part of
generally-accepted literary established canon;
– 2nd is from lesser-known, excellent Short Story.
• Each of 50 authors wrote a short, illuminating essay
on both stories they chose, so we may read stories
from a fresh lens & appreciate them even more.
Goal: to find Short Stories that succeed in accomplishing what 2 words in book’s title say: “Reaching Inside” us.
If you love Short Stories as I do, you’ll reconnect with exceptional old friends, & enjoy an intro to many new faves as well. They run the gamut: all 100 stories & their essays are treasures.
Telling you which essays I loved most might be a spoiler
— plus all reading is unique & subjective. As it should be.
So do your imagination, creativity, & humanity a favor: get this book. Every page is a reminder of why you fell in love with reading.
Note: 100 essays [by 50 authors] list top 100 Short Stories chosen, but stories’ TEXTS are NOT included in this book. Focus is on essays that illuminate each story. Including 100 stories? Too BIG & wacky copyright issues.
I highly recommend buying this memorable book, ideally from an independent bookstore; publisher Godin; OR online at indie site: bookshop.com.
Also be great to ask your local library to get newly-published, unique anthology (2023). They should. Yet you need to own a copy, because you’ll need to revisit each essay over time if you’re an avid reader. Each is a treasure. Also, if you’re like me, you’ll want to scribble in margins, underline fave phrases, & dog-ear the best of the best. We all digest books our own way.
All Short Stories are readily found, & these essays give you an incentive to find & read them. Or reread them. Example? Chekhov’s story “The Lady With A Dog” will feel quite new — if you last read it more than a year ago. Enjoy the smorgasbord!
#ReachingInside50AcclaimedAuthorsOn100UnforgettableShortStories
#andredubusIII #shortstories #goodreads #godin #bookshop
July 2, 2023
Andre Dubus III has compiled a stunning collection of essays by some of the most successful writers in the game, discussing the brilliance of their favorite works of short fiction. Each essay puts two short stories into conversation with one another giving the entire volume a sense of unity and purpose beyond what I’ve seen in other commentary volumes.
March 16, 2023
probably a licensing nightmare but including the stories themselves would have been nice - as often with such collections I return to those stories I have read or am inspired to find the others I have not - a decent good launching point and a set of nice discussions of craft
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews