Class began, I was all geared up to open my mouth (which I never did in this class) and launch into academia-speak for "Dudes! This fuckin' rocks!" and the guy who'd brought it in said, "So, this story was certainly my single greatest creative influence as a teenager and was such a huge part of why I wanted to become a writer. But now I look at it and I'm amazed that it ever had such power over me. It's juvenile and obvious and I really feel a sense of relief, looking back and seeing how much I've grown past this."
Heh. On the one hand, I've been in that position so. many. times. I love something, think it's brilliant, and either praise it or am about to...and someone comes up with one of those remarks to the effect that anyone who sees any merit in this MUST lack taste or be shallow and juvenile or whatever.
OTOH, I've also on many occasions tried something as an adult that moved me 10 or 20 years ago, and been all, "Really, YoungerSusan? That?! Why?!" And I still haven't figured out if there's a polite way to say that Book X used to move me but I must've outgrown it or something that doesn't insult all the grown-ups who still love it.
I love "The Dead" by Joyce. I'm so predictable.
I'm so predictable.
But it's so,
so
good.
(Yes, folks, that's many years of expensive training in criticism you see up there.)
Also, this whole discussion is reminding me of how much I love the short story, and yet I so seldom read them any more. Hmm.
Also, this whole discussion is reminding me of how much I love the short story, and yet I so seldom read them any more. Hmm.
Oh, short story collections are my favorite way to find new authors.
Also, this whole discussion is reminding me of how much I love the short story, and yet I so seldom read them any more. Hmm.
I was thinking the same thing. Also I'm annoyed at myself because I have read plenty of recent short stories and yet none are coming to mind right now.
I'm annoyed at myself because I have read plenty of recent short stories and yet none are coming to mind right now.
This is me. I need to be in front of my books to give good rec.
Utterly creepy, man.
Isn't it?!? What blew my mind when I read it for my feminist lit class (all SF/Fantasy stuff written by women--introduced me to Tiptree, too), and still does today, is that it was written in the 1930s and yet reads like it came out a generation later.
So many wonderful short stories have already been mentioned! So many of these are wonderful favorites.
Might I add:
A Pair of Silk Stockings by Kate Chopin
Hop Frog by Poe (actually any Edgar Alan Poe makes my list)
The Veldt by Bradbury (any Bradbury makes my list, too!)
The Bet by Chekhov
Leiningen versus the Ants by Carl Stephenson
Why I Live At the PO by Eudora Welty
In political news, Al Franken has his first two TV ads up. I like that his tagline is "I'm Al Franken, and I'm serious...about [whatever the ads' topic is]."
