A tribute to the art of the short story and an anthology of some of today's most exciting writers, this thirtieth anniversary volume brings together stories from the second fifteen years of the Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction (1998–2012).

The Flannery O'Connor Award was established to encourage gifted young writers by bringing their work to the attention of readers and reviewers. The first volume in the series was published in 1983 to critical acclaim, and the award has since become an important proving ground for new writers.

This anthology is a showcase for the talent and promise that have brought about a resurgence in the short story, as well as testimony to the vitality of the genre.


Featured Stories:

Frank Soos  • Nickerson's Luck 

Mary Clyde • Howard Johnson's House 

Hester Kaplan • From Where We've Fallen

Darrell Spencer • There's Too Much News

Robert Anderson • The Pyramid

Bill Roorback • A Job at Little Henry's

Dana Johnson • Melvin in the 6th Grade

Gina Ochsner • Unfinished Business

Kellie Wells • Compression Scars

Eric Shade • Eyesores Linda

Catherine Brady • The Loss of Green

Ed Allen • River of Toys

Gary Finke • History of Staying Awake

Barbara Sutton • Tenants

David Crouse • Kopy Kats

Randy F. Nelson • Cutters

Greg Downs • Ain't I a King, Too?

Peter LaSalle • French Sleeping Pills

Anne Panning • All U-Can-Eat

Margot Singer • Lila's Story

Andrew Porter • Coyotes

Peter Selgin • Driving Picasso

Geoffrey Becker • Black Elvis

Lori Ostlund • The Bigness of the World

LeGarde Grover • The Dance Boots

Jessica Treadway • Testimony

Amina Gautier • The Ease of Living

Melinda Moustakis • The Mannequin in Soldotna

E. J. Levy • Theory of Dramatic Action

Hugh Sheehy • The Invisibles