New Stories from the South 1998: The Year's Best - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1565122194 ISBN 13: 9781565122192

Publisher: Algonquin Books, 1998

Synopsis

THE ONLY ANNUAL ANTHOLOGY SHOWCASING THE BEST SHORT FICTION WRITTEN IN AND ABOUT THE SOUTH. With a preface by Padgett Powell. The thirteenth edition of NEW STORIES FROM THE SOUTH proves that literature from and about the South continues to evolve. Whether it's a surreal meditation by a man on night watch in contact with everything from space aliens to a charming Southern belle, or how life looks to two stock boys in a grocery store, or the stories hidden within the covert language of an art book, or the intricate jealousies that both cement and divide two couples, this newest collection of nineteen stories is proof positive that the literature of the South refuses to be pigeonholed. This year's contributors include well-established writers such as Mark Richard, Stephen Dixon, and Tim Gautreaux, in addition to original new voices carving out their own niches in ways that bode well for the future of Southern literature. Padgett Powell's preface answers, on its own terms, the question "What Southern Literature Is." And each selection includes the story behind the story, giving readers a window into the mind of the writer. We continue to include an updated list of magazines consulted by the editor, along with a complete list of all the stories selected each year since the inception of the series in 1986. The 1998 edition features the following standout writers: Josh Russell, Wendy Brenner, John Holman, Tim Gautreaux, Mark Richard, Enid Shomer, Sara Powers, Molly Best Tinsley, Frederick Barthelme, Tony Earley, Padgett Powell, Nancy Richard, Michael Gills, George Singleton, Annette Sanford, Stephen Marion, Jennifer Moses, Scott Ely, Stephen Dixon. "Ravenel has shown a canny ability to spot emerging talent . . . and time and again has included stories by writers before their novels widened their fame."--The Anniston Star; "For readers who love short stories, finding one really good one is a pleasure. NEW STORIES is full of them."--St. Petersburg Times.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

The literature of the South is full of people running around admitting or denying their whippedness.

Whether you buy his explanation or not, Padgett Powell is here in full force to explain Southern literature. And just as his preface will make you rethink what that term means, so will the nineteen stories forming the collection this year. Culled from journals and magazines across the country, Shannoln Ravenel's choices illustrate the ongoing evolution of literature from and about the South. Whether it's a surreal mediation by a man on night watch in contact with everything from space aliens to a charming Southern bellle, or how life looks to two stock boys in a grocery store, or the stories hidden within captions in a book of daguerreotypes, this newest collection is proof positive that the literature of the South refuses to be pigeonholed.

About the Author:

Shannon Ravenel has edited New Stories from the South since 1986. Formerly editorial director of Algonquin Books, she now directs her Algonquin imprint, Shannon Ravenel Books. She lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

About this edition

• Publisher: Algonquin Books
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 1565122194
• ISBN 13: 9781565122192
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 299
• Editor: Ravenel Shannon