Jeremy’s Reviews > The Best American Short Stories 2025 > Status Update

"Time of the Preacher" by Bret Anthony Johnston - A man helps his ex-wife with a snake during Covid. Rad ending. 4.5/5

"Gray, Cotton, White Lace Edges" by Isabelle Fang.

5/5 - This story was great. The combination of a quriky, awkward premise (selling used panties) and superb emotional payoff is really smooth. It's also a cool examination of self over the passage of time (among other things).

"Carmen and Maritza" - Good little story about memory, parenthood, love, selfhood, etc. The ending is ambiguous in a way that didn't really work for me.

"Abject Naturalism" - "The plausible was described plausibly, credible things occurred in credible order." I don't know if this sentence describes this story, but I like it (both the sentence and the story). It's about a telescope, kind of.

"What Would I Do for You? What Would You Do for Me?" - Great, very traditional story about a trans guy in a bar in rural Wisconsin.

Story 2, "Take Me to Kirkland" - Funny. Weird. Dark. Awesome.

Story #1 - "Dominion" by Lauren Acampora - Very George Saunders-esque. That's a compliment.