I’ve announced the May Short Story Read-along, To Do by Jennifer Egan. We’d love your participation. Head on over, read the story, and then see if you can write a story in “list” format. The best way to share your story is to post it on your own blog, tumblr, or in a Google Doc, and put the link in the comments of the read-along post. If your story is very short, you can post it in the comments, but be aware that much of the formatting will be lost.

We’ve made it easy for you to ask us all of your burning questions. We loved doing the live podcast Q&As at recent Booktopia events, so we’d love to make it a more regular feature. If you have a question for either or both of us, we’ll try to answer it on the podcast. Ask about our jobs, the podcast, request a book recommendation, or ask us about anything you like. If we can answer, we will. Depending on the volume of questions, we’ll either do a Q&A episode or integrate the answers into regular episodes. Thanks to Book Fight for giving us the idea (I’m a huge fan of their “Writers Ask” episodes).

To ask your question, just click on the BOTNS Q&A form: http://bit.ly/BOTNSQA

Looking for Friends (in all the wrong places):

Claire Messud was recently interviewed by Publishers Weekly about her novel, The Woman Upstairs. In the article, the interviewer asked Messud, “I wouldn’t want to be friends with Nora, would you? Her outlook is almost unbearably grim.” Messud’s answer is terrific, and started a conversation on blog posts and social media about “unlikeable characters.” Michael and I share our thoughts about these complicated characters. Some of the other books that we mention during this conversation: The Corrections, Gone Girl, Finn, Lolita (audio read by Jeremy Irons), Tampa, The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving We’d love to hear your thoughts, too.

Two Books One book we can’t wait for you to read

Michael talks about Anthony Marra’s A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, a novel about a man who saves the daughter of his neighbor from abduction by Chechen authorities. Beuatifully written and emotionally compelling, it spans the whole of 2 Chechen civil wars. Michael has coined a new term for this type of book: “clutch-worthy” — the kind of book that after you finish, you clutch the book to your chest.

In the meantime, I’ve decided to postpone my segment 3 recommendation because I do feel strongly that this book is important and you should think about reading it. Anthony Marra is touring (he’ll be in Corte Madeiera and Santa Cruz in June), and many bookstores have signed copies. Check with your local bookstore. It is also the May pick for Powell’s Indiespensible — I know many of you are members, but even if you’re not, as of now it appears to still be available to order.

There was no theme to my reading this week, and I chose my stories more or less on a whim. Aside from my classmate’s story that I had to critique, this is what I read:

The week began with “Born of Man and Woman,” an incredibly disturbing story by Richard Matheson. This book was recommended by our friend Eric Kibler. Coincidentally, I read this the day after the three missing Cleveland women were found. There are just enough similarities in setting that an indelible line formed in my mind between the story and the news. I wasn’t able to find the story online at a site that was reliably authorized to reprint, so you’ll need to find this on your own.

“Meat, My Husband” by Lydia Davis from Almost No Memory – An odd little story about a marriage. The story begins with the narrator telling us how she learned that her husband’s favorite food was corned beef.

“Jack of Coins” by Christopher Rowe at Tor.com – This was recommended to me by Gwenda Bond, author of Blackwood. (She fully disclosed that Christopher Rowe is her husband). Set in a dystopian world, a stranger appears dressed in a band-leader costume. Who is he? Where are we? This story is full of wonderful imagery, and it made me want to learn more.

“A Good Man is Hard to Find,” Flannery O’Connor. I read this one again for a class assignment, this time focusing on how O’Connor uses dialogue in such a masterful way.

“Regeneration at Mukti,” Julia Elliott. In The Pushcart Prize XXXVII (2013 edition), edited by Bill Henderson – There is so much here to admire. We meet our main character at a spa where they administer very unusual skin treatments to those who want to regain their youthful appearance. I came away believing that this place could actually exist. Maybe it does.

“Punchline,” by Erin McGraw, also from The Pushcart Prize XXXVII (2013 edition)- A priest has an existential crisis as a result of loss. Not my favorite story, but well crafted.

I know this is short and somewhat disjointed, but please know that I am still keeping up on my daily story. Some days it’s all I can do to take in the final words before my eyes close, but short stories have become my nightcap. I can’t imagine most nights without one.

Before I talk about the stories I read this week, a few items to note:

1. The May Short Story Read-along has been posted. I suspect I may have been a bit too subtle in my post: I want you to read the story and then write one in a similar vein. Yes, that’s correct: I want you to write a short story, in honor of National Short Story month. It’s just for fun, and I think it might give some of you a chance to flex those muscles that haven’t been used since high school. You can post your stories in the comments on the post, or post a link to the story. If you’ve written a story but are too shy to post it, leave a comment telling us what the process was like. I don’t want to have to beg, but I will. Please write a story.

2. I was interviewed by Scott Porch at The Huffington Post about Project Short Story. Check it out! Thanks, Scott!

3. Michael and I had a brief discussion about Short Story Month on the latest BOTNS podcast (episode #229). Michael is reading a story a day for the month of May, and he talks about his plan.

OK, now on to this week’s reading:

For my writing class, I both read and listened to Denis Johnson’s “Emergency.” I had listened to this once before, and it was very helpful to dissect the story in a class setting. I can certainly appreciate that there is brilliance in this story, and I admire it greatly, but it’s not my favorite story. It seems a silly thing, but I can’t seem to get past the fact that my favorite scene, which involves a drive-in, will be almost impossible for my children to comprehend if they read this story in a few years. This was driven home even more strongly when my 11 year-old, poking around in an antique shop, had no idea how one dialed a rotary telephone. A little bit of Googling tells me that this story confounds more than a few – the blog “Reading the Short Story” attempted to answer the question of why “Emergency” is so popular back in 2011.

“Jazz” by Dylan Landis was assigned reading for my writing class, and we used this story as an illustration of the concept of Point of View. Landis’ collection Normal People Don’t Live Like This may be difficult to track down, but it’s on my list of books to seek out. “Jazz” is the first story in the volume, and features a teenage narrator who finds herself in a dangerous situation that she thinks is both exciting and disturbing.

“The History You’ve Been Trying to Write,” was an in-class story that we read and discussed, again in the context of Point of View. The story is very short — just one single sentence — and very powerful. It appears that the story may have originally been published under the title “All This” in the book Microfiction: An Anthology of Fifty Really Short Stories. The story is contained in this interview with author Joanne Avallon at FlashFiction.net. There are some formatting oddities in that post, but don’t let that deter you.

I also read a classmate’s story that we then discussed in class. It’s very difficult to critique a classmate’s story, especially in an open discussion forum. It’s been helpful to my reading, though, to focus on a more critical reading of the stories I choose.

“55 Miles to the Gas Pump” by Annie Proulx is another very short piece. This was recommended by reader Grace, and I loved it, disturbing thought it may be. It even more disturbing to have read this on the day the three kidnapped women were found alive in Cleveland.

“A Taste of Dust” by Lynne Sharon Schwartz, in Best American Short Stories 2005. I’ve been trying to track down old volumes of Best American Short Stories (because I want to own them all!). This is a story about a woman who has dinner at her ex-husband’s home along with his second wife, and is both funny and tense at the same time, just as that dinner must have been.

“Unseasonable March” by Birdie Rose, published at the Press 53 blog. This was a winner of a 53-word flash fiction contest, and was brought to my attention in a posting by Jodi Paloni at 365 Short Stories. Jodi posts one online story each day. I don’t always follow her links, but this one intrigued me.  Jodi’s note said that the story “…has conflict, character, place, mystery and tragedy, all in 53 words.” And here is where I struggle with flash fiction. Some of it, I just don’t really get. Unlike “The History You’ve Been Trying to Write,” I didn’t see a story here. It is a lovely scene, and beautifully written. But I’m not sure if it’s a story. I’d love to hear your thoughts … please leave them in the comments below. If you are getting this post via email, you can comment at http://booksonthenightstand.com/2013/05/my-week-in-short-stories-18.html)

May is Short Story Month

Ann’s been reading a short story a day, all year. That was too much for me to commit to, so I’m just doing it for the month of May, which is Short Story Month. I’ve collected all of the books I’m pulling the stories from onto one shelf in Goodreads, though of course, I’ll read other things that catch my eye, including the May Short Story Read-Along.

One of the books I talk about, I Don’t Know the Author or the Title, But It’s Red and It Has Three Zombie Stories In It by Kelly Link, is only available through Harvard Book Store, as far as I can tell. Ann recently read Flying Lessons by Kelly Link recently in her writing class at Grub Street in Boston, and now wants to read everything Kelly has ever written. Ann also recommends the New Yorker Fiction podcast  as a great way to hear stories, followed by a discussion of the work.

Follow @annkingman on Twitter for short story recommendations throughout the month. Follow my month of reading on the Books on the Nightstand Facebook page.

Books Into Movies, Movies on to Books (11:10)

The movie adaptation of The Great Gatsby (in theaters May 10) is getting people talking, especially about the movie-tie-in edition of the book, which has star Leonardo DiCaprio on the cover. Many people dislike movie-tie-in covers in general (and some stores won’t even carry them), but we think that anything that gets people to read a book is worthwhile.

Other book/movie news:

• The first trailer for Mister Pip has been released and it looks like they’ve really translated the feel of the book onto the screen.
• World War Z, the movie, comes out June 21. While it looks like a heck of a lot of fun, I’m not sure it will accurately capture the tone of Max Brooks’ novel. However, a new edition of the audiobook has just been released, and now features narrators like Martin Scorcese, Mark Hamill, Alfred Molina, Henry Rollins and Nathan Fillion, to name just a few. You can see the full cast list at the end of the description on the audio’s Goodreads’ page.

And Two Books We Can’t Wait For You to Read (25:49)

Ann calls The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud “one of the best novels she’s read in 2013.” It’s the story of Nora, an elementary school teacher who forms an intense attachment to the family of one of her students.

I recommend David Sedaris’ new book Let’s Explore Diabetes With Owls, especially on audio. It’s a wonderful collection, hilarious, yes, but also incredibly moving at times.

1. Remember that May is Short Story month
2. Find out who decided that May is Short Story month
3. Think of a cool way to celebrate Short Story month with readers
4. Find excellent Jennifer Egan story at The Guardian
5. Marvel over Jennifer Egan’s cleverness
6. Make “To Do” by Jennifer Egan the BOTNS Short Story Read-along for May
7. Encourage everyone to read “To Do” by Jennifer Egan
8. Wonder if you could write a short story like Jennifer Egan
9. Wonder if Michael Kindness could write a short story like Jennifer Egan
10. Invite BOTNS readers to write their own version of “To Do,” or any kind of story told in the form of a list
11. Determine ways that readers can post their own stories in list form
    • In the comments at Books on the Nightstand (if it’s not too long)
    • On their own blogs, then post a link in the comments at BOTNS
    • In a Google Doc, which is free and will give a link that can be posted in the comments at BOTNS
    • any other way they can think of to post a story and provide the link in the comments
12. Remind readers that these stories are only for fun and not a competitive sport
13. Remind people that this is a fun way to stretch writing muscles which may not have been used for awhile
14. Sit back and wait for the stories to roll in
15. Remind readers from time to time about the stories (gently, don’t scare them!)
16. Celebrate the intelligence, cleverness and bravery of BOTNS readers (of course you knew it all along)
17. In a few years, discover that someone was inspired to become a writer because of this fun little exercise

There is a strong tradition of short stories in the mystery and crime fiction genre, due largely (I think) to the proliferation of mystery magazines. The Strand, which began in 1891 and ran until 1950, published (among others) Graham Green, Agatha Christie, and all of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes short stories. (The Strand has since been revived, beginning its new chapter in 1998. As a kid, I spent many happy hours with Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine and Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery magazine.

But so far, most of my reading for Project Short Story has been literary fiction. This week started out no differently. First, I read one of my classmates’ stories, which we were instructed to critique so that we could discuss it in class. I’m very thankful for my past four months of story reading, as I felt far better equipped to talk about specific strengths and weaknesses in the story than I would have been earlier.  Then I read “The Swimmer” by John Cheever. It’s a classic, and I had read it before, but it was no less wonderful on the re-read.

So it was with glee that I spent the remainder of the week reading the five short stories that were nominated for The 2013 Edgar Award. I read the last story the evening before the Edgars were awarded, so I went into all the stories without knowing which would win.

“Iphigenia in Aulis” - by Mike Carey  in the anthology An Apple for the Creature edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni P. Kellner -This story, set in an unspecified future, was both compelling and disturbing. Some might consider it to be more at home in the category of speculative fiction than mystery. Regardless of how you categorize it, it’s a very strong short story, and I want to read more from Mike Carey. I can’t really tell you what it’s about, because Carey does an excellent job of revealing only what we need to know, doling out the revelations in little bits.

“Hot Sugar Blues”by Steve Liskow - from Mystery Writers of America Presents: Vengeance edited by Lee Child. A story about blues musicians, business ethics, and karma. Though I figured out early on “whodunit,” there was still a satisfying twist at the end.

“The Void it Often Brings With It” by Tom Piccirilli - published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine - If crime fiction can be fun (and why not?) this one is, though there is also darkness. It’s an interesting tale of student and professor, and while the main character is not particularly likeable, I was rooting for him all along.

“The Unremarkable Heart” by Karin Slaughter, from Mystery Writers of America Presents: Vengeance edited by Lee Child – I an seldom truly disturbed when reading fiction. It is probably a fault, but violence and gore don’t often bother me. This story, though not graphic, gave me an almost visceral reaction. I attribute that to the skill of the author. If you’ve read Karin Slaughter before, you know that she does not shy away from brutal truths. This may not be for everyone, and I can’t say I enjoyed reading it. I do, however, admire Slaughter’s ability to tell a story and achieve a reaction.

“Still Life No. 41″ by Teresa Solana, published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine - A short tale set in the art world. I saw the ending coming from the beginning, but enjoyed imagining the scenes playing out nonetheless.

It was not difficult to choose my favorite of the five stories. On the evening of the Edgars, I was rooting for “Iphigenia in Aulis.” However, I was not disappointed with the winner, “The Unremarkable Heart” by Karin Slaughter. It is an incredibly accomplished story and deserving of the award.

If you want to learn more about the Edgar Award and the Mystery Writers of America, please listen to the most recent episode of the Books on the Nightstand podcast (#228). I interviewed Daniel J. Hale, Executive Vice President of the MWA, and we had a great conversation about the Edgars and its sponsoring organization.

Daniel J. Hale is the Executive Vice President of the Mystery Writers of America, the premier organization for authors and fans of mystery and crime fiction. I spoke with Dan about the history of the Edgars, what they represent, and what they mean to the winners. I had a great time talking with Dan, and I hope you enjoy the interview. If you receive this by email, the link to listen is at the bottom of the email.

The complete list of Edgar nominees is here: http://www.theedgars.com/nominees.html. You’ll recognize several of the nominees, I think, including Booktopia Vermont 2013 author Chris Pavone’s The Expats. It’s no secret that Michael and I are rooting for him.

As I mentioned, I will be reading and blogging all five of the Short Story nominees. That blog post will go live on Friday, May 3rd, and you can access it by clicking the “Project Short Story” tab at the top of this page.

As always, we ask our guests to recommend two books that they can’t wait for us to read. Dan’s suggestions: The Charm School by Nelson DeMille and Watchers by Dan Koontz. Both great choices, and Watchers is a personal favorite of mine as well.

Michael and I will be back next week with a regular episode. Happy reading!

It has been a crazy few weeks between travel, world events, and some personal things, and while I have been reading, I confess that I have not kept up with the true spirit of my resolution to read one short story per day. Some days I read none. Other days, I read more (well, listened more, usually) to catch up. I have no idea if I’ve read enough stories to make up for lost days, but I’m not going to stress too much about that.

These last weeks have given me an added appreciation for The New Yorker Fiction Podcast. It was often easier to listen to a story while I was driving somewhere, or on a plane, than it was to read. I also really love the discussion about the stories that the host and guest author have on the podcast. It feels like the best kind of literature class.

Speaking of classes, I’m taking one at Grub Street, an amazing writing center in Boston. I can honestly say that this is a direct result of Project Short Story. Reading these stories has made me read differently, and I want to understand how, in many cases, the writers do what they do so effectively. So while this is a writing class, because it focuses on short fiction, it is also a reading class. The assigned stories and discussion about the craft of writing will help me to be a better reader. It also means that some of the short stories I read will be fellow students’ stories. I will not list the title or author’s name, and those stories won’t be indexed. I am, however, still going to count them as a story for that particular day.

Here’s what I’ve been reading. Please share with me in the comments any stories you’ve been reading, or stories you recommend. And a special note to Callie, who has been valiantly indexing all of the stories — no rush on getting these all in!

More Steve Yarbrough stories, specifically “Bohemia” and “Sleet” from Veneer. Steve is so good — I love his novels (especially his forthcoming The Realm of Last Chances, which will be published in August) and I am very much enjoying his early shorter work. For my writing class, I read a flash fiction piece called “Brushing Death’s Hair” by Angela Rydell (published in the Indiana Review) that I know I will think about from time to time from now forward. I read a story written by one of my classmates, and an unpublished story written by an author friend.

You may recall our guest post conversation about short stories between author J. Robert Lennon and Lori Hettler of The Next Best Book Club blog. I was thrilled to that the new One Teen Story issue is  J. Robert Lennon’s “If You are Watching This I am Dead.” I dove right in.

From The New Yorker Fiction Podcast:

• “The Indian Uprising” by Donald Barthelme, read by Chris Adrian – I did not understand this story at all. It was completely incomprehensible to me. I’m not sure if reading it (instead of listening) would make it more clear. Something to go back to later…
• “Roy Spivey” by Miranda July, read by David Sedaris – Funny, quirky, sweet and sad.
• “I Bought a Little City” by Donald Barthleme, read by Donald Antrim – now this Barthlme I loved! The language is so great, and one of my favorite things in short stories is when humor turns to darkness.
• “Bullet in the Brain,” by Tobias Wolf, read by TC Boyle – This was assigned in my writing class as a great example of characterization.
• “Dance in America” by Lorrie Moore, read by Louise Erdrich
• “Somewhere Else,” by Grace Paley, read by Barbara Rosenblatt and discussed with Nell Freudenberger
• “A Day,” by William Trevor, read by Jhumpa Lahiri
• “Last Night” by James Salter, read by Thomas McGuane – This is a fantastic story that I had read before, but was happy to revisit. I’m just about to start Salter’s new novel, All That Is.
• “Where is the Voice Coming From” by Eudora Welty, read by Joyce Carol Oates – A fascinating discussion between Oates and podcast host Deborah Treisman about the writing of this story made this a doubly-great episode.
• “Emergency” by Denis Johnson, read by Tobias Wolff – a classic that I had never read.
• “Adams,” by George Saunders, read by Joshua Ferris – Ferris does an amazing reading of this story, and there is also an interesting discussion with Treisman here about what the story might mean.
• “The Dinner Party” by Joshua Ferris, read by Monica Ali – I hadn’t read Ferris’ short fiction before, but I very much enjoyed this story of a dinner party gone awry.

I think I’m back on a “normal” schedule of one story per day now, and my reading this week is themed. More on that next week …

Have a great reading week, and don’t forget to tell me what you’ve been reading!

Ann and I are always bemoaning all of the books we want to read, books that are piled on our nightstands or bookshelves. If we had unlimited reading time, these are the books we would pick up right now. We thought it would be fun to give you a quick overview of all of those. You’ll likely hear more about some of these as we get to them in the upcoming weeks and months.

On Michael’s Nightstand

• A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin
• The Demonologist by Andrew Pyper
• The Unchangeable Spots of Leopards by Kristopher Jansma
• The Massive, Vol. 1: Black Pacific by Brian Wood
• Doctor Who: Shroud of Sorrow by Tommy Donbavand
• A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra
• Nebula Awards Showcase 2013 edited by Catherine Asaro
• Brick by Brick by David C. Robertson

On Ann’s Nightstand

• The House of Special Purpose by John Boyne
• The Man From Primrose Lane by James Renner
• All That Is by James Salter
• Life After Life by Jill McCorkle
• Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
• The Good House by Ann Leary
• After Visiting Friends by Michael Hainey
• Rapture Practice by Aaron Hartzler
• Walking with Jack by Don J. Snyder
• Tampa by Alissa Nutting

We hope you’ve enjoyed this peek into our TBR lists!