Introduction

When I thought about this, I wanted to mention lots more stories I had encountered; like the Turgenev’s peasant stories I had found on a shelf at home. And then Carver. But he’s everywhere and his (or Gordon Lish’s) influence is everywhere. These stories are a few of those which mean something to me, either along my writing path or just along the way and which I would urge anyone to read. To read variously is the key. There are gaps here but there always would be. Claire Keegan. Chekhov. Lorrie Moore. William Trevor. Kevin Barry. Tim Winton. And so on.