The Best American Short Stories 2003

by Walter Mosley, Katrina Kenison

Best-selling author Walter Mosley has selected the year's top fiction from voices well-known and new. Here several authors bring their stories to vivid life for a banner audio edition.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Anthologies, Collections, Literature, Audiobook, Literary Fiction

384 pages, Paperback

First published October 10, 2003

About the author

Walter Mosley (b. 1952) is the author of the bestselling mystery series featuring Easy Rawlins, as well as numerous other works, from literary fiction and science fiction to a young adult novel and political monographs. His short fiction has been widely published, and his nonfiction has appeared in the New York Times Magazine and the Nation, among other publications. Mosley is the winner of numerous awards, including an O. Henry Award, the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, a Grammy, and PEN America’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He lives in New York City.

Reviews

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short stories to me pack a lot of punch in a short investment of time. When I read a good story, I usually have to sit back for a bit and catch my breath before going on to the next.
I'm a big fan of this series of anthologies and am working my way from the first one I bought from 1989 to the present. This edition of the series guest editor is Walter Mosley. I have never read anything by this author. What I’ve read about him is that he is a prolific crime fiction writer best known for a detective series.
It did not start off well because the first nine stories just didn't wow me. But then, maybe because of the situation we are currently living with, Future Emergencies by Nicole Krauss hit the mark. A couple living their daily lives and she's becoming unsatisfied and resentful. But things change when there is something sinister happening in the world and they are told they must wear masks and seal up their apartment. We can relate, how our daily lives have changed. A favorite excerpt: A week earlier the clocks had been turned back and I still hadn’t gotten used to the dark coming in so early. I always feel a little pang of hurt that first day when darkness falls without warning. It’s the slight, sickening feeling of being reminded of the reckless authority of time, of losing your bearings in a world whose dimensions you thought you’d learned to live with.

Why The Sky Turns Red When the Sun Goes Down by Ryan Harty: Oh what a sad si-fi story. I’m not much into si-fi but this was more about the characters and emotions.
Shamengwa by Louise Erdrich: A story by Louise never disappoints.
Johnny Hamburger by Rand Richards Cooper: In the background is the Tracy Chapman song Fast Car which he supposedly hates. This one was excellent. Down to earth characters with excellent atmosphere.
The Bees by Dan Chaon: Great story but pretty disturbing.
Compassion by Dorothy Allison: A family at the bedside of their dying mother. She is in a morphine haze to help deal with cancer in her body. They all seem to dislike each other yet they are there for each other. I appreciated this one because I could relate due to personal experience.

[Lisa Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rarely read short story collections but read this as it was a book club choice. I believe I will get this title each year it is printed. I enjoyed the short reading time each night as well as enjoying the diversity of the stories. The book discussion was good because we all had differing opinions about each story. Almost every story was either "weird" or "bizarre" but in a good and entertaining way.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book because Walter Mosley was the guest editor and I love him. I’m also partial to short stories and there were some authors that I really like included. All in all a solid collection.

[Jerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

It seemed to me that a lot more of these stories were not up my alley; but then I got to Dean Paschal’s Moriya, a very New Orleans story about a teen-age boy who discovers dolls. Or, one doll in particular. It’s a fantasy of the kind that I especially like: a little bit of fantasy dropped into the real world, and the characters react to it somewhat realistically.

After that, things picked up. There was a strong element of fantasy in the latter half of the book, Future Emergencies, Why the Sky Turns Red When the Sun Goes Down, Shamengwa, and The Bees especially. The latter has several interpretations, all eerie.

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Best American Short Stories 2003 deserves its 5 star rating. Here are three stories that reason why.

WHY THE SKY TURNS RED WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN

Set in the future when androids, which are robots that have an entirely human appearance, can be bought, sold, and upgraded at the hospital, a husband is caught in a dilemma that concerns his son, and must make a life changing choice.
The conflict between characters is dynamic; no character remains static. The setting is beautiful, “…the ground opens up to uncultivated fields and cacti… I catch a glimpse of a coyote between the clumps of sage, golden brown and moving quickly…” This setting is juxtaposed by the anxiety and stress and sadness the characters are feeling. Harty uses clever paragraph structuring that I am going to keep in mind when writing. He ends many paragraphs that then denote a change of scene or time by leaving a character displaced. For instance, at the break on page 165 the narrator has some afflicting thoughts on his mind and ends up choosing to head downstairs alone, rather than lie in bed with his wife. This way of ending a scene occurs several times throughout the story, and each alludes to how the story itself might end, with someone estranged.

BABY WILSON

Baby Wilson follows a strange, borderline insane couple on the run after the female half, what usually is the better half, but in this case the completely insane half, kidnaps a baby from the hospital and claims it as her own.
The way the author begins the story by describing the appearance of the narrator’s girlfriend, and then introducing dialogue instead of the setting brought this image to my mind of the world swirling around the characters and only halting into existence when the character interacts with it. This ignoring of the setting they are in coincided well with the character’s delusional characteristics.
The story began to lull about halfway through for a few pages, but began to pick up quickly thereafter when the theme, and my favorite passage, is exclaimed by the narrator. “They are happy to violate such delicate confidences. They are proud to be good reporters! So the evil is going out in all directions, Karen, like radio waves from an antenna… [Karen’s response:] He* doesn’t have this baby… I have this baby…”
The characters caringly nurture the baby they’ve stolen. They seem like the real parents as the story progresses, more so than the actual parents, even though they are obviously crazy. Their dialogue and the narrator’s thoughts are the most compelling aspect of the story to the very end.

(*He refers to the person who has lied and acted as the kidnapper of the baby in order to try get a ransom from the victim’s family.)

THE BEES

The Bees is an ominous tale. Disturbing in the least. Chaon’s description of the narrator’s son DJ creates an unsettling atmosphere.

“Gene can remember how sometimes he would be sitting on the couch, watching TV, and he’d get a funny feeling. He’d turn his head and DJ would be at the edge of the room, with his bony spine hunched and his long neck craned, staring with those strangely oversized eyes… Other times… DJ would suddenly slide into the room, creeping up to Mandy and resting his head on her chest…”

Chaon excellently weaves Gene’s, the narrator, past, present, and dreams into a cacophony of horror and dismay. Gene has dreams and thoughts and memories that are conjoined with his current life and family, they compress as the story unfolds, forcing me to flip the pages frantically to know what happens, and an explosion of realization occurs at the climax. I was left awestruck at the conclusion. I was left with goose bumps, in horror.
Chaon uses dialogue in conjunction with character body language well, showing how upset or concerned character’s are about the weird happenings of the story.
Chaon weaves the story and seemingly unconnected characters together, while abstractly alluding to the ending with clever dreams and flashbacks all the way up to a definitive, jaw-dropping climax, and does so in only a few pages, making this my favorite story of the lot.

[Lacey Louwagie · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, seeing as these are "the best" American short stories of 2003, I don't really feel right about dissing any of them. Because even the ones that I didn't like, I could trust the compilers of this collection enough to know they were still quality stories. I liked the diversity of voices, although it felt a little token-ish (here's a story about a Native American, here's a story about a Chinese-American, here's a story about an African American . . .). A few of my thoughts on specific stories:

Coins - This is a story about a Philipino nanny and her charge. I liked the writing style and the details included and the glimpse into two different lives--her own, and the family she worked for. The ending felt so abrupt that I had to listen to it twice to make sure I didn't miss anything.

Baby Wilson - This was one of my favorite stories, about a man's "crazy" girlfriend who kidnaps a baby and tries to pretend it's their love child

Kavita Through Glass - A story about a Muslim man who feels his Hindu wife growing distant from him as her pregnancy progresses. This is the story that sticks with me the most.

Space - I'm sure this story was well written, but I had such a hard time paying attention to it. I still don't remember what the point of it was.

The rest of the stories didn't make a big impression on me one way or the other. I think this was an abridged version of the book, but since every short story was self contained and I knew that whole stories were probably cut out rather than chunks of one story, I waived my "no abridged audiobooks" rule. Also, I liked that in the intro, the editor said that there was "no difference" between novels and short stories. (Well, except maybe length). That gave me inspiration to continue wrestling with producing short stories myself. :)

[Holly Interlandi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dean Paschal's 'Moriya' saved this sucker from one star. Such a gem in such a sea of... crud.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a nice change to read some short stories.

Introduction, p. xiii-xiv, "...I understand the mountain and the novel to be impossible in everyday human terms. Both emerge from a distance that can be approached only by faith. And when you get there, all you find is yourself. The beauty or terror you experience is your understanding of how far you've come, your being stretched further than is humanly possible...I cannot climb the mountain that sits in the sea, but from where I stand it comes to me in detritus and dreams."

"Coins" by Mona Simpson - Page 30, "My employer works and she has the American problem of being guilty. But you should not be guilty to your children. It is for them that you are working. I am here for my own, to pay for their professional education."

I found "Kavita Through Glass" by Emily Ishem Raboteau flowed seamlessly. I just fell into and unconsciously re-read two pages now. Page 52, "...the color white. She had decorated their apartment sparely. The little furniture there was was white. So were the appliances, the dishes, the bedspread, the towels, and the sheets. Hassan was made to keep his library in a closet fitted with shelves so as not to break up the whiteness of the walls with the colored spines of his books." Page 53, "Once in a while he would find arabesque strands of his wife's black hair shed on the white furniture or the white bathroom tiles and he would read them like calligraphy. Today she wants me to pay the electric bill, he would figure, or today she wants me to bring home a cantaloupe. Almost always he was right."

"Marie-Ange's Ginen" by Marilene Phipps, page 88, "We are the people who can live how no people should, suffer what no people can spell out, the sacrificial lambs never comfortable on earth - home is not on earth. This is the meaning we bring. That is the mission."

"The Shell Collector" by Anthony Doerr, page 193, "...to find a shell, to feel it, to understand only on some unspeakable level why it bothered to be so lovely. What joy he found in that, what utter mystery.
Every six hours the tides plowed shelves of beauty onto the beaches of the world, and here he was, able to walk out into it, thrust his hands into it, spin a piece of it between his fingers. To gather up seashells - each one an amazement - to know their names, to drop them into a bucket: this was what filled his life, what overfilled it.
Some mornings, moving through the lagoon, Tumaini splashing comfortably ahead, he felt a nearly irresistible urge to bow down."

"Johnny Hamburger" by Rand Richards Cooper, page 203, "He was good at being Johnny Hamburger. But what's the use of being good at something worthless? It's like digging your own grave."

"The Bees", Dan Chaon, page 273, "Gene couldn't go anything right, it seemed, and when Mandy yelled at him it made his stomach clench with shame and inarticulate rage. I was trying, he would think, I was trying, damn it, and it was as if no matter what he did, it wouldn't turn out right. That feeling would sit heavily in his chest..."

In Contributors' Notes, Kevin Brockmeier wrote, "There is little other autobiography in the story. I was interested while I was writing it in memory and the failures of memory, in the contest between natural and artificial light, and in the difficulty people of deep feeling often have in communicating with each other, and I wanted the narrator's voice to have a sort of cradling effect on the reader." (page 329)

[Natalie]

E L Doctorow's "Baby Wilson" is my favorite of the collection. It is amusing and absurd. Karen and the narrator are a regular Bonnie and Clyde, but family-style.



Mona Simpson's "Coins" is an engaging view of wealthy Beverly Hills from the perspective of a Filipino babysitter.



Jess Row's "Heaven Lake" is a saddening story from the perspective of a Chinese immigrant living in the frightening New York of the early 1990s.



"Shamengwa" is a Native American story that takes place in the realm of magic realism. The strength of the community within the reservation is inspiring, and the music of the story seems to continue to play in your head after you've read it.



ZZ Packer's "Every Tongue Shall Confess" is the story of a nurse and her troubles in her church and at work. I had trouble connecting to the main character of this short story. I did find it amusing at times, though.



Kevin Brockmeier's "Space" was my least favorite story in this collection. I had trouble getting attached to the characters, and it was not for lack of deep, emotional content. The characters were static, and the abstract metaphors and similes seemed cliche.

[Vincent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Several great stories in this edition, but two mysteriously took me in, both a nod to science fiction. The first was about a hundred year old mechanical doll and a maturing adolescent boy in New Orleans, let's just say the doll does more than moves her head. The other - a futuristic domestic tale about a married couple's struggling relationship and how to best deal with their failing android son. Should they upgrade the chip in their son's model and sacrifice his personality? Other stories I was attracted to involved father/son stories (on supportive and the other destructive) and a very reserved English sibling relationship which cuts off any advancement outside of their cocooned existence.

[Krystl Louwagie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I almost feel like you had to be an older women to be interested in these stories. All but 2 were about kids and babies, blech. Most of them were slow moving and boring and too real life. Which I'm living, I don't need to read (listen) about it.
I think the only story I found remotely interesting was one about a reservation and a fiddle that traveled through it and the stories it was involved in. Other than that, I found almost all of them to either be annoying or completely boring (most of them were both). My mind wandered a lot, and I didn't care.
These short stories, not for me. Moving on...

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ten years down the road, this edition of "Best American Short Stories" turns out to be an especially good collection, full of stories that reach toward the fantastical and the unfamiliar without sacrificing their humanity. The book includes Anthony Doerr's virtuosic story "The Shell Collector," along with Louise Erdrich's "Shamengwa" and Kevin Brockmeier's "Space" -- now one of my all-time favorite stories.

[CV Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent collection - one of the best of the series. Several of the stories really stood out:

Baby Wilson by E.L. Doctorow
Shamengwa by Louise Erdrich
Space by Kevin Brockmeier
Heaven Lake by Jess Row
Coins by Mona Simpson

These are some of the best short stories around. The collection is noted for its clear, unique voices, simple ideas, and well-crafted narratives.

[Sterlingcindysu · Rating 2 out of 5]

I could tell that this selection had been edited by a man. True, there are women writers, but the voice as a whole is violent, aggressive and depressing. 2002 must have been a sad year if these were the "best" short stories. The subject matter of most weren't my cup of tea either. Perhaps the wrong book to read in the summer.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some pretty good stories in here, but not one of the better collections I've read. I liked (no particular order) "Kavita Through Glass" by Emily Ishem Raboteau, "Moriya" by Dean Paschal, "Future Emergencies" by Nicole Krauss, "Why the Sky Turns Red When the Sun Goes Down" by Ryan Harty, and "The Bees" by Dan Chaon best.

[Julie Rand · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable audiobook containing seven of the best American short stories chosen by editor Walter Mosley. My favorites were Baby Wilson by E.L. Doctorow, Kavita Through Glass by Emily Raboteau, and Shamengawa by Louise Erdrich. The last was especially moving and memorable, and left a beautiful and melancholy ache in my heart when the story ended.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed a couple pieces in this work, but most stories were dull and/or seemed unfinished. Most of the stories had the same feeling -- masculine and melancholic in tone. I prefer more variety in compilations like this and it personally felt redundant and aggressive almost. Not my favorite read for sure.

[Benjamin Inks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the Best "Best American Short Stories" I've yet to come across. If you're a student of writing or just like short stories-- I highly recommend you seek this one out. Walter Mosley sure can pick 'em!

Favorites include:

-"Mines"
-"Heaven Lake"
-"Kavita Through Glass"
-"Ghost Knife"
-"Every Tongue Shall Confess"
-"Why the Sky Turns Red When the Sun Goes Down" (my #1 choice)

[Cecilia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve never been one for short stories, but I thoroughly enjoyed this collection. I kind of like the way that these stories are snapshots into the lives of characters I might not otherwise see. The writing was superb and all the tales were engaging.

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

The latest of this annual series (published since 1915) provides an annual collection of carefully selected recently-published short fiction and nonfiction stories. This year's volume was a great read. (lj)

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adam picked this up at a used book sale at the library. They are the perfect length to read a story on my commute. So I always enjoy them. Some stories in this one are a little creepy, but overall pretty good.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this volume. All of the stories were compelling and kept me reading to the end. There was a lot of variety in the stories...among different cultures and races. Probably one of the best volumes of the series.

[Sharla Cruz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too many of these short stories had abrupt endings. I could also tell that the editor was a man without even looking--most of the stories were masculine in some way or another. My favorite was The Bees by Dan Chaon but it the only horror story in the collection.

[Mayra Flores · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series...great, quick reads.

[Titah]

What is the criteria for "The Best" short stories?
The O.Henry winner stories were much more interesting and they still not claim as the best.

[Nan · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an amazing range of short stories. Fiction is where it's at. And Mosley picked some of the best.

[Lanora Mueller]

The Best American Short Stories 2003 (The Best American Series) by Walter Mosley (2003)

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

read with Book group on a wonderful weekend get-a-way....we all read some stories in common...hung out...read...ate...talked..fun. But I don't remember any single story!

[David Rosen · Rating 3 out of 5]

not nearly as strong as some of the other years- 2001 for example (containing the ever-memorable "Secrets of Bats" by Jess Row

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

The only story worth reading in this anthology is THE SHELL COLLECTOR by Anthony Doerr.