Description

In The Oxford Book of American Short Stories, Joyce Carol Oates presents an expansive collection that offers nearly sixty exceptional examples of American short fiction. Carefully curated, it combines celebrated classics with lesser-known yet compelling stories, emphasizing a diverse range of voices, including notable contributions by women and minority authors. Oates readily acknowledges that some works are so outstanding as to remain incomparable, including timeless classics like Washington Irving’s “Rip Van Winkle” and Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart.” Nonetheless, she ensures readers encounter seldom-anthologized pieces as well, like Mark Twain’s “Cannibalism in the Cars,” a tale that showcases an unexpectedly dark side of the author’s humor. The anthology also features Herman Melville’s paired narratives, “The Paradise of Bachelors and the Tartarus of Maids,” stories Oates describes as uniquely Melvillean in their ability to transform real-life events into haunting, allegorical fiction.

Readers will appreciate the wide selection of featured authors, from traditional literary figures such as Kate Chopin, Sarah Orne Jewett, and William Carlos Williams, to distinctive voices ranging from Charles W. Chesnutt and Jean Toomer, to Langston Hughes, Ray Bradbury, H.P. Lovecraft, and Stephen King. With the publication of this second edition, Oates has expanded the anthology to reflect contemporary American literature, adding selections such as Lorrie Moore’s “How to Become a Writer,” Junot Diaz’s “Edison, New Jersey,” Richard Ford’s “Under the Radar,” Amy Hempel’s “Today Will Be a Quiet Day,” Philip Roth’s “Defender of the Faith,” and David Foster Wallace’s “Good People.”

Maintaining the insightful and informative traditions of the first edition, Oates provides engaging introductions to each author, blending biographical details with sharp literary analysis. Additionally, this revised edition features a thoughtful new preface exploring the evolving landscape of American literary culture, as well as an updated introductory essay in which Oates reflects extensively on the short story as a genre—an art form in which she herself excels.