This Is Where We Live: Short Stories by 25 Contemporary North Carolina Writers

by Michael McFee

As readers across America know by now, North Carolina has produced a remarkable number of talented fiction writers in recent years. This anthology collects twenty-five short stories, all published within the past decade and a half, by some of the best of those writers.

This Is Where We Live showcases a rising generation of North Carolina authors whose work reflects the fast-changing realities of the state's landscape, culture, and people. Their roots may be southern, but their words will resonate with anyone anywhere who appreciates first-rate fiction.

A broad and balanced collection, This Is Where We Live offers something for everyone. Though the stories range widely in setting, character, tone, and even form--from "short shorts" to novellas--they are united by the skill with which they are written. In short, the book offers powerful confirmation that North Carolina's literary culture continues to flourish.

The contributors are Ellyn Bache, Sarah Dessen, Tony Earley, Candace Flynt, Philip Gerard, Marianne Gingher, Tom Hawkins, John Holman, John Kessel, Peter Makuck, Melissa Malouf, Heather Ross Miller, Ruth Moose, Lawrence Naumoff, Jennifer Offill, Michael Parker, P. B. Parris, Dale Ray Phillips, Joe Ashby Porter, Ron Rash, June Spence, Peter Turchi, Daniel Wallace, Luke Whisnant, and Marly Youmans. Their work has appeared regularly in such publications as the Atlantic Monthly , Harper's , and the Oxford American .

294 pages, Paperback

First published October 2, 2000

Reviews

[Olivia Conway · Rating 4 out of 5]

these were so lovely. i’ve been really into regional literature lately—always searching for a sense of place. my favorite was the prophet from jupiter

[Piedmont_Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a short review since I didn’t finish the book.. North Carolina is blessed with a lot of good writers; at least that is stated in the introduction. Maybe I’m not much of a short story reader, as most of these tales didn’t really sink their hooks into me. I should go ahead and confess that I tend strongly toward more interest in non-fiction – especially History and Public Affairs – than fiction, and just don’t have time to read a lot of contemporary fiction (I have enjoyed James Thurber, Jack London, and O. Henry’s short stories). In this collection, the following stories do stand out: Tony Earley’s The Prophet From Jupiter, hyperactively jumping back and forth between several storylines similar to Pulp Fiction; Phillip Gerard’s Death By Reputation, a tight little crime saga, and Peter Macuck’s Piecework, a meditation about going through the motions of everyday life while preparing for a death in the family.

[anna b · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a nice little collection. Honestly, there isn't anything life-changing in here, and the voices are oddly repetitive. There isn't a lot of variety, but maybe that's the point?

Some highlights include:

The Prophet from Jupiter
Missing Women
The Deer
The Woods at the Back of Our Houses
Piecework (my personal favorite)

[Doris Powell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am not a great short story reader. Some of these stories were okay. Some of them I wondered what they were all about. I read them mostly because they were written by southern authors, many living and teaching in North Carolina.

[courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yay for authors from North Carolina!