Which author has appeared most in this heralded series?
In today’s news, discover the latest nonfiction, the inspiration behind Colum McCann’s work, and which short fiction writers have made the most appearances in The Best American Short Stories (hint: it’s exactly who you’d think). Details below…
- With “Best Books of 2009″ lists popping up everywhere, NPR offers a welcome shift with this week’s “What We’re Reading Now.” The piece focuses on 4 new nonfiction books, including Supreme Court Justice Scalia’s biography and Mary Karr’s latest memoir, Lit. Along with a brief description of each book, the article includes reviews from NPR contributors, perfect for guiding nonfiction fans to their next great read.
- Statistics and literary short fiction don’t usually go together, but one enterprising follower of the Millions has read his way through the last 30 volumes of Best American Short Stories and made a corresponding spreadsheet. According to his data, Alice Munro has appeared in the series the most (18 times), followed by Joyce Carol Oates and John Updike (tied with 9 stories each). About 48% of the Best American stories from 1978-2008 came from writers with only one story in the collection, and there was a fairly even split between men and women. Not exactly useful knowledge, but interesting nonetheless.
- Author Colum McCann talked with Jacket Copy about what went into making his National Book Award-nominated novel, Let the Great World Spin. Although the novel takes place in 1974 New York, it confronts the effects of 9/11 through allegory and Philippe Petit’s famous tightrope walk between the twin towers. When asked if he feels novelists have a duty to address major social issues, McCann replied, “I would never say that it’s the writer’s responsibility to confront social issues, necessarily. But I would say it is this writer’s responsibility, yes, to confront things that I want to sort out in my head and in my heart.” McCann also discusses his inspiration for the novel, the research it required, and his reaction to the popular documentary Man on Wire.
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