In Defense of Short Stories

I am a bona-fide, passionate fan of the short story. I love writing them, I love reading them, and I love recommending them to people. However, many people, when hearing the term "short story," may think of the boring ones they read in middle or high school. A lot of people have been burned by short stories, and I get it - I really do. Short stories might seem heavy or dull or like the author is trying to do too much in just a few short pages.

What makes short stories magical to me, though, is that there is so much done in those few pages. A good short story is as though a poem and a novel were fused together - there is the gorgeous language and mood of a poem coupled with the narrative and characters of a novel. To write a good short story requires the brevity of a poet but the plotting of a novelist. To read a good short story requires an open mind - you are not necessarily going to be reading a logical, linear piece of writing. Instead, a short story might artfully and successfully capture a mood or a feeling. It could change your day or outlook or even your life.

For me, that book was Birds of America, a collection of short stories by the author Lorrie Moore. I hope that perhaps the books below might be one of those books for you - if not life-changing, then at least mind-broadening or even just a pleasant or needed read.

If you want more short stories (or you're an aspiring writer of short stories), be sure to check out some more resources available with your Richland Library card:

• - Short Edition

• - Pressbooks

• - Indie Author Project

And be sure to check out our new online hub for writers and local authors!