Flash Fiction America: 73 Very Short Stories

by John Dufresne (Editor), James Thomas (Editor), Sherrie Flick (Editor)

A spectacular new anthology of the best short-short fiction from across the United States.


It has been more than thirty years since the term “flash fiction” was first coined, perfectly describing the power in the brevity of these stories, each under 1,000 words. Since then, the form has taken hold in the American imagination. For this latest installment in the popular Flash Fiction series, James Thomas, Sherrie Flick, and John Dufresne have searched far and wide for the most distinctive American voices in short-short fiction. The 73 stories collected here speak to the diversity of the American experience and range from the experimental to the narrative, from the whimsical to the gritty. Featuring fiction from writers both established and new, including Aimee Bender, K-Ming Chang, Bonnie Jo Campbell, Bryan Washington, Robert Scotellaro, and Luis Alberto Urrea, Flash Fiction America is a brilliant collection, radiating creativity and bringing together some of the most compelling and exciting contemporary writers in the United States.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Anthologies, Poetry

296 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 14, 2023

About the author

John Dufresne teaches in the Master of Fine Arts Creative Writing program at Florida International University. He is a French-Canadian born in America.

Reviews

[Alan]

Rec. by: MCL
Rec. for: People whose attention spans need some attention

Flash Fiction America comes laden with a Foreword, a Preface, and an Introduction. Maybe this was intended to provide ballast, to weigh down these 73 very short short stories, all (or almost all) under 1,000 words. To justify. But—brevity does not equal insignificance. The stories enfolded within these covers, however brief, need no external justification for their existence.

I was tempted to try to read these stories as fragments, or chapters from a longer tale—but despite a certain elusive similarity of tone (don't ask me to describe it!), these stories are very different in every other way, and I ended up approaching and appreciating each as an individual effort.

You may have heard the common comment about the weather—"just wait awhile and it'll change"—and this is true of Flash Fiction America as well. If you do not really like one, don't worry: it'll be over soon, and you can go on to the next entry with a clear conscience.

Myself, I did like (or at the very least respect) every one of these stories. There are no clunkers here. The authors' names in Flash Fiction America were new to me, too, although I did recognize Luis Alberto Urrea (from my wife's reading, though, not mine).

I've even written several such short-shorts myself, a few flash fictions, mostly following an even stricter format—the 100-word story, sometimes also called a "drabble." I've found writing to such a constraint both interesting and fulfilling.

*

I'm not even going to try to review every single story, this time... but I do have some comments and callouts on a few that stood out to me, for one reason or another:

"I'm on the Side of the Wildebeest," by Amy Stuber (p.57) is badass, and about climate change to boot.

The most majestic title in the book came on p.98, with Gwen E. Kirby's story "Shit Cassandra Saw That She Didn't Tell the Trojans Because at That Point Fuck Them Anyway." The story itself is pretty good too.

Sometimes I felt like Madge's friend in "Gray" (by Bergita Bugarija, p.118)—staring at the canvas and angrily, aggressively, not getting it.

One of the most powerful stories in this anthology was "Dear Nnamdi" (p.147)—in which Tyrese L. Coleman personifies her anger at being seen as a type rather than a person.

I think one of the more representative passages in Flash Fiction America comes from "Varieties of Disturbance," by Lydia Davis:

My mother hurt my brother's feelings while protecting certain particular feelings of my father's by claiming certain other feelings of her own, and while it was hard for me to deny my father's particular feelings, which are well known to me, it was also hard for me not to think there was not a way to do things differently so that my brother's offer of help would not be declined and he would not be hurt.
—p.186

If that sentence speaks to you too, then Flash Fiction America is definitely a book you'll want to read.

I also adored this much shorter sentence:

Sometimes I touch my wrists to remember the pulse.
—"High on the Divide," by Chauna Craig, p.189

And I will admit that "Theo & Annie," by Randall Brown (p.205), made me weep... but then, tears come more easily to me, these days.

*

The Afterword (more ballast!) asserts that the term "flash fiction"

was occasioned by a freak winter lightning storm in Ohio, over three decades ago.
—p.257

I am not at all sure that's really flash fiction's origin story, although I do recall that short-short stories were originally just called by that name, and I do remember the newer term coming into vogue during my own lifetime.

Maybe it really happened just the way James Thomas says. Or (heh) maybe it was in reaction to the fashion trend from the 1970s (the "What Were We Thinking?" decade), when short-shorts were just a provocative style of apparel.

In short, though—and all jokes aside—Flash Fiction America delivers.

[Marc]

Only made it through 100 pgs and 30 stories. Too many books checked out of the library right now and this one wasn't rising to the top of the pile. Fave stories of the ones I read:
- "A Notion I Took" by Joy Castro
- "My X" by Molly Giles
- "Something Falls in the Night" by Desiree Cooper
- "When Chase Prays Chocolate" by Christopher Allen
- "The Gospel of Guy No-Horse" by Natalie Diaz

[Sheldon Drake]

This was an interesting read. I enjoyed it.

[Emma Keiser]

4.5 stars
my favorites: A Sailor, All Your Fragile History, David Hasselhoff is From Baltimore, Sketches of the School Staff in Winesburg Indiana

[Finn]

This was so fun

[Tessa]

I loved this anthology...and not JUST because I'm in it! It was a pleasure to see writers whose work I've come to know and love in other forms showing off their talents in the short-short story, as well as encountering so many authors new to me. A great diversity of styles and approaches are on display here. There's a story that reimagines the disappearance of Amelia Earhart (Aubrey Hirsch), a story told in the form of mathematical word problems (Amber Sparks), a story told exclusively through summarized dialogue between a woman who's had an affair and her annoyingly indifferent husband (Randa Jarrar), a one-sentence meditation on doggy DNA tests and multiracial identity (Jasmine Sawers), a story told from the POV of Cassandra of Troy that's so brilliant my head basically explodes every time I read it (Gwen E. Kirby)...Funny, tender, bold, scary, inventive, fantastic—many executing spectacular last-minute twists that will have you wanting to reread immediately. If you love flash fiction or want to learn more about the kind of narrative experiments that can be pulled off in 1,000 words or less, this collection is a must-have!

[Tobey Patton]

There were some good pieces in here but overall I thought it was frustrating and overly horny. I don’t know if I’m a flash fan or at least I can’t read 50 in a row. Eventually not having a narrative to cling to drives me a little crazy, especially when so many of the stories themselves aren’t linear plots. So much sex too these editors have to calm down so many of them weren’t even particularly good.

[Kelli]

Flash Fiction America is a vibrant anthology that celebrates the art of brevity and the depth that can exist within constraint. Edited by James Thomas, Sherrie Flick, and John Dufresne all established voices in the flash fiction movement this collection curates a powerful cross-section of the American experience through stories that are concise, yet emotionally expansive.

Each of the seventy-three pieces, all under 1,000 words, showcases the sheer versatility of flash fiction from experimental prose and lyrical vignettes to grounded narratives that cut to the heart of human experience. Featuring both emerging and acclaimed writers such as Aimee Bender, Bryan Washington, and Luis Alberto Urrea, the anthology becomes not just a collection, but a celebration of creative voices defining contemporary American storytelling.

What stands out most is how these stories challenge the reader’s expectations proving that length does not dictate impact. In its economy of words, Flash Fiction America captures a full spectrum of tone, emotion, and imagination. It’s an anthology that reflects the pulse of modern American literature: diverse, daring, and deeply human.

[Luis Cuesta]

I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway. I like a lot the fact that the forward, preface, introduction, and afterword are all useful in giving readers concise history of the genre, along with more philosophical questions about the nature of storytelling and place. The stories come and go quick, as is the way with flash, but they also linger, creating one more mysterious, satisfying paradox for readers to hold. My favoritse are Rion Amilcar Scott’s “Boxing Day"in which we see a father who straddles a line between Willy Loman and Troy Maxson, holed up in a basement, channeling Mike Tyson and “Origin Lessons” by Aimee Bender that depicts a teacher grappling with how to impart Darwin’s concept of evolution to young students. Throughout, the authors craft distinctive glimpses of their characters’ worlds within the span of a page or two. This showcases a multitude of talent.

[Jiapei Chen]

This one pleasantly surprised me. With anthologies, it’s always a toss up in quality among the stories, but I find this collection overall very consistent. Although the stories are short and sometimes my brain had to work hard to switch from one narrative to another, they captured a wide variety of unique and memorable voices. Some of the highlights here include (only listing author names here): Bryan Washington, Christopher Allen, Luis Alberto Urrea, Sejal Shah, Bergita Bugarija, Jasmine Sawers, and Michael Martone.

[Riley Wolfram]

a solid collection. took me a while to get through. a fun challenge would be reading a flash fiction piece a day—almost felt like there were too many because there’s so much to unpack in each one!

edit: the book could have benefitted from some organization i think. a little bit more organizing of stories around common themes, genres, etc. i think that’s why i got fatigued — because i didn’t know how to split up the reading of the stories.

[Evelyn Lee]

These were enjoyable and quick to read as they were very short and well written. However, the style of the stories seemed all the same, and a little too "poetic" in the prose to be useful for a verbal storyteller. I was hoping to learn a few techniques to help me hold an audience's attention. All the stories did a great job expressing the character's needs, but a little too much internal thoughts and metaphors when I wanted a linear action packed story. I'll keep looking.

[Anne]

It's perfect to keep in your bag/backpack/car to pull out when you have a few minutes. Best digested in small bites as the stories are quite different and so short that you can easily read one on the bus or subway, in the pick-up line, or any other time you find yourself with a few minutes to spare.

[Connor Graham]

I like that all the stories are 3-4 pages each, it makes it easy to read whenever you get a few minutes. Like before bed, on the bus/subway, whenever you’re bored. And a lot of the stories are really cool and it’s impressive to see what people can do within 1,000 words. I’m interested to read some of workers from the authors I liked!

[Pj Gaumond]

A very interesting collection of very short stories. Some were really good, some were very twisted, and a few just had me shaking my head. I would read another book of this sort of very short story though.

[Valentine]

What a feast! These voice-driven stories are a delight to lose oneself in, if only for a few pages. A dizzing array of stories, there is something for everyone; especially for those who are new to the power of flash fiction.

[Kate]

This was fun. I really enjoy flash fiction. I really loved a few of these, most notably, Monsters by Sadia Quraeshi Shepherd, High on the Divide by Chauna Craig, All Your Fragile History by Jasmine Sawers, and David Hasselhoff is from Baltimore by Kara Vernor.

[Peejay(Pamela)]

3.5 stars rounded up for this mixed collection of flash. Some really good, some just okay. Two of my favorites were “When Chase Prays Chocolate” by Christopher Allen and “Some Hard, Hot Places” by Kathy Fish.

[Louella Lester]

Excellent collection of flash fiction!

[Caro]

A collection of short stories, I loved some, others not as much. Overall, enjoyed reading them.

[Jack]

Some of these were fantastic and some not-so-much, but that’s the beauty of a format where the stories are only a couple pages long.

[Christa Van]

Something for everyone...and if you don't like the one you are reading just turn the page. I LOVE flash fiction.

[Robert Morgan Fisher]

I really like this series and think the editors do a decent job.

[Melissa]

I didn't love all of these, but I always love how much can be packed into flash stories.

[Amorak Huey]

taught this one in ENG 2090

Joy Castro's "A Notion I Took" is probably my favorite story in here

[Grace Appler]

Liked three of them:

Origin Lesson by Aimee Bender
My X by Molly Giles
The Weatherman’s Heart by Tessa Yang

[Kari]

Most of the stories were great. Like with any anthology, not every story was a hit for me. But I liked many more than I didn’t like.

[Jane Nash]

Some really lovey flash fiction is contained in this book. As a flash fiction writer I found it inspiring. Well curated.

[James Passaro]

In this collection, I found about 15 stories I really enjoyed. There is a lot of ground that can be covered in Flash.

[Till Raether]

3.5
We're just normal short stories. Just innocent short stories.