- Short Story Review: “Safety” by Joan Silber(The short story “Safety” by Joan Silber appeared in the December 8th, 2025 issue of The New Yorker.) Illustration by Chris W. Kim You know, every “time” is a “historic time” but some are more historic than others. I will agree that we are in the middle of one of those historic times, and if… Read more: Short Story Review: “Safety” by Joan Silber
- Short Story Review: “Mother of Men” by Lauren Groff(The short story “Mother of Men” by Lauren Groff appeared in the November 10th, 2025 issue of The New Yorker.) Photograph by Bryan Schutmaat “Mother of Men” by Lauren Groff is a good story, except for one thing. And I’ll get to that. But before I get to that, this story made me think about… Read more: Short Story Review: “Mother of Men” by Lauren Groff
- Prose Poetry Review: “Guns, Sex, Phones” by Katherine Schmidt(The prose poetry piece “Guns, Sex, Phones” by Katherine Schmidt appeared at Rejection Letters on October 16, 2025.) Image by Aaron Burch It’s been awhile since a work popped me on the nose, making me wake up and pay attention. “Guns, Sex, Phones” by Katherine Schmidt isn’t an angry or an aggressive poem, but it… Read more: Prose Poetry Review: “Guns, Sex, Phones” by Katherine Schmidt
- Short Story Review: “Door in the Woods” by Chris Scott(The flash fiction story “Door in the Woods” by Chris Scott was presented at Okay Donkey on October 3rd, 2025.) The “Door in the Woods” by Chris Scott pulls off my favorite story telling trick; It leaves me with more questions than answers, but not in the frustrating “jerk you around” kind’a way. This is… Read more: Short Story Review: “Door in the Woods” by Chris Scott
- Short Story Review: “Intimacy” by Ayşegül Savaş.(The short story “Intimacy” by Ayşegül Savaş appeared in the October 20th, 2025 issue of The New Yorker.) Photograph by Elinor Carucci “Intimacy” by Ayşegül Savaş has been sitting with me for a couple of days now. I’ve read it three times, and I am still mulling over the construction of it, the theme, the use… Read more: Short Story Review: “Intimacy” by Ayşegül Savaş.
- Short Story Review: “13.1 Septillion Pounds” by Emily Rinkema
(The short story “13.1 Septillion Pounds” by Emily Rinkema appeared on September 19th, 2025 at Okay Donkey.) Image from Okay Donkey I like being a dad. Fatherhood has been more rewarding than I imagined. And I will also say that parenting is harder than I thought possible because unforeseen changes seem to happen every three… Read more: Short Story Review: “13.1 Septillion Pounds” by Emily Rinkema - Short Non-Fiction Review: “They Only Come Out at Night” by Kara Melissa(The short non-fiction piece “They Only Come Out at Night” by Kara Melissa was presented by Rejection Letters on September 10th, 2025.) Image by Janvi Bhardwaj I had the hardest time coming up with a solid opening paragraph for this review of Kara Melissa’s non-fiction piece “They Only Come Out at Night.” I like to… Read more: Short Non-Fiction Review: “They Only Come Out at Night” by Kara Melissa
- Short Story Review: “Unreasonable” by Rivka Galchen(The short story “Unreasonable” by Rivka Galchen appeared in the September 29th, 2025 issue of The New Yorker.) Photo illustration by Stephen Doyle A couple of years ago, my daughter got invited to a classmate’s birthday party, and as good parents, we attended with her. As the wife and I mingled with the other parents… Read more: Short Story Review: “Unreasonable” by Rivka Galchen
- Short Story Review: “The Pool” by T. Coraghessan Boyle(The short story “The Pool” by T. Coraghessan Boyle appeared in the September 22nd, 2025 issue of The New Yorker.) Illustration by Leanne Shapton Here’s an old saying that will live forever; Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. And when I hear this line, I contemplate if other words can also show sincere flattery,… Read more: Short Story Review: “The Pool” by T. Coraghessan Boyle
- My Review of Gabe Montesanti’s “The Signs” in Split Lip MagazineToday, Split Lip Magazine published my review of Gabe Montesanti’s prose poetry piece “The Signs.” If you have a moment, please check out my review, but if you REALLY have a moment, please read Gabe Montesanti’s very unique poem, which Okay Donkey published back in April of this year. Also, I would like to thank… Read more: My Review of Gabe Montesanti’s “The Signs” in Split Lip Magazine
- Prose Poetry Review: “Plum Mother” by Michael Nickels-Wisdom(The prose poetry piece “Plum Mother” by Michael Nickels-Wisdom was published August 27th, 2025 on Lost Balloon.) I don’t know if there is officially a genre of poetry that is about pets, but there should be. Most of these pieces are melancholic in nature and conclude with the pet passing on. What these pieces remind… Read more: Prose Poetry Review: “Plum Mother” by Michael Nickels-Wisdom
- Short Story Review: “Project” by Rachel Cusk(The short story “Project” by Rachel Cusk appeared in the September 1st & 8th, 2025 issue of The New Yorker.) Photo illustration by Stephen Doyle I am a big fan of Rachel Cusk; have been for some time now. There are a great number of reasons why I enjoy her work, and when I read… Read more: Short Story Review: “Project” by Rachel Cusk
- Short Story Review: “Something Has Come to Light” by Miriam Toews(The short story “Something Has Come to Light” by Miriam Toews appeared in the August 25th, 2025 issue of The New Yorker.) Photograph by Marcus Schaefer for The New Yorker I had a humanities teacher in high school who explained existentialism to my class this way; “We are all free to make choices in our… Read more: Short Story Review: “Something Has Come to Light” by Miriam Toews
- Short Story Review: “The Queen of Bad Influences” by Jim Shepard(The short story “The Queen of Bad Influences” by Jim Shepard appeared in the June 16th, 2025 issue of The New Yorker.) Illustration by Naï Zakharia Reviewing stuff is fun. Clearly, because I do it often. Who doesn’t like sharing their opinion and acting like an expert? It’s all fun and games until you hit… Read more: Short Story Review: “The Queen of Bad Influences” by Jim Shepard
- Short Story Review: “Nocturnal Creatures” by Saïd Sayrafiezadeh(The short story “Nocturnal Creatures” by Saïd Sayrafiezadeh appeared in the May 5 th, 2025 issue of The New Yorker.) Illustration by Anuj Shrestha I like this story a lot, so I’m not gun’na fart around with some cute opening here. “Nocturnal Creatures” by Saïd Sayrafiezadeh is a very good story and you should read… Read more: Short Story Review: “Nocturnal Creatures” by Saïd Sayrafiezadeh
- Short Story Review: “Slow Leak” by Lavina Blossom(The piece “Slow Leak” by Lavina Blossom was first published in Okay Donkey on March 7th, 2025.) I had an acting professor in college tell me that the easiest way to learn about a character was through their simplest actions. Such as, how does your character pick up a glass of water? How do they… Read more: Short Story Review: “Slow Leak” by Lavina Blossom
- A Question for the People Who Read My Short Story ReviewsFor those of you who read my short story reviews, and I guess anybody else out there for that matter, are there any short stories that came out in the last six months from either big or small publications, that you would recommend? Please leave your suggestions in the comments so we can all enjoy… Read more: A Question for the People Who Read My Short Story Reviews
- Short Story Review: “Marseille” by Ayşegül Savaş(The short story “Marseille” by Ayşegül Savaş appeared in the April 7th, 2025 issue of The New Yorker.) Illustration by Virginie Morgand Old friends are the best friends you can have! There, I said it, and I am willing to die on this completely uncontroversial hill! See, I know that my old friends, some that… Read more: Short Story Review: “Marseille” by Ayşegül Savaş
- Short Story Review: “Hatagaya Lore” by Bryan Washington(The short story “Hatagaya Lore” by Bryan Washington appeared in the March 31st, 2025 issue of The New Yorker.) Illustration by Kotori Mamata When I moved to New York City, a place I always wanted to live in, it took years before it felt like my home. It took even longer for the guy who… Read more: Short Story Review: “Hatagaya Lore” by Bryan Washington
- Short Story Review: “Something Out of a Horror Movie” by Mario Aliberto III(The short story “Something Out of a Horror Movie,” by Mario Aliberto III appeared on February 27th, 2025 in Milk Candy Review.) (Image from Milk Candy Review) When I was a teenager, and well into my twenties and beyond, I spent hours debating with my friends about the mechanics, tropes, and clichés of horror movies.… Read more: Short Story Review: “Something Out of a Horror Movie” by Mario Aliberto III
- Short Story Review – “Good Girls” by Martha Keller(The flash fiction story “Good Girls” by Martha Keller was first published in Milk Candy Review on September 19th, 2024.) One of the many things that I love about flash fiction, as a form of storytelling, is that it lends itself quite well to writers willing to play with the structure and the form that… Read more: Short Story Review – “Good Girls” by Martha Keller
- Short Story Review: “Five Bridges” by Colm Tóibín(The short story “Five Bridges” by Colm Tóibín appeared in the March 10th, 2025 issue of The New Yorker.) Photograph by Todd Hido for The New Yorker Sometimes when I start reading a short story, in the back of my mind, I start rooting for it. You know, cheering it on, hoping that the story… Read more: Short Story Review: “Five Bridges” by Colm Tóibín
- Short Story Review: “Keuka Lake” by Joseph O’Neill(The short story “Keuka Lake” by Joseph O’Neill appeared in the March 3rd, 2025 issue of The New Yorker.) Photograph by Annie Collinge for The New Yorker I don’t know if you know this, but grief is a really popular theme for short stories. (That and bad relationships with parents, but that’s a story for… Read more: Short Story Review: “Keuka Lake” by Joseph O’Neill
- Short Story Review – “Séance at the Dinner Party” by Tori Palmore(The flash piece “Séance at the Dinner Party” by Tori Palmore first appeared at Rejection Letters on November 27th, 2024.) Families can suck, and in literature, this is fertile ground for inspiration which has been plowed many times over, and will forever produce material that will be harvested for our consumption. As I get older,… Read more: Short Story Review – “Séance at the Dinner Party” by Tori Palmore
- Short Story Review: Two Micros by Jeffrey Hermann(The piece “Two Micros by Jeffrey Hermann” appeared at Okay Donkey on November 29th, 2024.) And these are two truly micro pieces that Jeffrey Hermann created, each under 250 words. The first is titled, “The Voice of God Gives Up the Act,” and the second is, “If it’s Not One Thing it’s a Million Things.”… Read more: Short Story Review: Two Micros by Jeffrey Hermann
- Best of 2024: Best Post of the Year – Short Story Review: “That Girl” by Addie Citchens(“That Girl” was the best story I read all of 2024; Hands down, no question. I am putting it up here, not for my feeble attempt at writing a review over it, but because I still think it’s an amazing story and you should read it.) (The short story “That Girl” by Addie Citchens appeared… Read more: Best of 2024: Best Post of the Year – Short Story Review: “That Girl” by Addie Citchens
- Best of 2024: Most Viewed Post Written in 2024 – Short Story Review: “Neighbors” by Zach Williams(I’m a big fan of Zach Williams, and clearly, many people are as well. This was written back in March of 2024.) (The short story “Neighbors” by Zach Williams appeared in the March 25th, 2024 issue of The New Yorker.) Photograph by Devin Oktar Yalkin A movie I love, just deeply admire, is Picnic on Hanging Rock by… Read more: Best of 2024: Most Viewed Post Written in 2024 – Short Story Review: “Neighbors” by Zach Williams
- BEST of 2024: Most Read Post over 2024 – Short Story Review: “The Face in the Mirror” by Mohsin Hamid( This post was written back in May of 2022, but for some reason, and I am not complaining, Mohsin Hamid’s short story review had the highest view count for 2024. It’s a very good story so I understand why people are still talking about it.) Short Story Review: “The Face in the Mirror” by… Read more: BEST of 2024: Most Read Post over 2024 – Short Story Review: “The Face in the Mirror” by Mohsin Hamid
- Short Story Review: “Between the Shadow and the Soul” by Lauren Groff(The short story “Between the Shadow and the Soul” by Lauren Groff appeared in the December 16th, 2024 issue of The New Yorker.) Photograph by Xuebing Du for The New Yorker Sometimes when I read a short story, in my mind I can hear the gears of the story’s mechanics grinding away, snapping into place,… Read more: Short Story Review: “Between the Shadow and the Soul” by Lauren Groff
- Short Story Review: “Minimum Payment Due” by Saïd Sayrafiezadeh(The short story “Minimum Payment Due” by Saïd Sayrafiezadeh appeared in the November 25th, 2024 issue of The New Yorker.) Illustration by Hannah K. Lee If there is one issue that no one talks about, but is shaping the future of America in profound ways; it is debt. Student loans, medical bills, car loans, mortgages,… Read more: Short Story Review: “Minimum Payment Due” by Saïd Sayrafiezadeh
- Short Story Review: “The Honest Island” by Greg Jackson(The short story “The Honest Island” by Greg Jackson appeared in the November 11th, 2024 issue of The New Yorker.) Photograph by Yosigo “The Honest Island” by Greg Jackson revolves around, and functions off of, the idea that the protagonist, Craint, finds himself on an island, but he can’t remember how he got there, or… Read more: Short Story Review: “The Honest Island” by Greg Jackson
- Short Story Review: “From the Wilderness” by Yukio Mishima (Translated from the Japanese by John Nathan.)(The short story “From the Wilderness” by Yukio Mishima appeared in the November 4th, 2024 issue of The New Yorker.) Illustration by Joanna Blémont How does the phrase go; “The unexamined life is not worth living.” At least, that’s the philosophical dictum that has been credited to Socrates. Some days, I think that is the… Read more: Short Story Review: “From the Wilderness” by Yukio Mishima (Translated from the Japanese by John Nathan.)
- Short Story Review: “War Dogs” by Paul Yoon(The short story “War Dogs” by Paul Yoon appeared in the October 28th, 2024 issue of The New Yorker.) Illustration by Wesley Allsbrook I had no idea that airports have animal centers. I feel like I should have known this before, I mean, with all the time I have spent at airports and seeing all… Read more: Short Story Review: “War Dogs” by Paul Yoon
- Short Story Review: “My Camp” by Joshua Cohen(The short story “My Camp” by Joshua Cohen appeared in the October 21st, 2024 issue of The New Yorker.) Photograph by Naila Ruechel for The New Yorker So… What to make of “My Camp?” I guess I could say that Joshua Cohen wrote a story that I had no idea where it was going. That… Read more: Short Story Review: “My Camp” by Joshua Cohen
- Short Story Review: “Hi Daddy” by Matthew Klam(The short story “Hi Daddy” by Matthew Klam appeared in the October 14th, 2024 issue of The New Yorker.) Photograph by Ryan Lowry for The New Yorker As I get older, I have this dualistic thought in my head when I think of my parents; How much I am like them, and how much I… Read more: Short Story Review: “Hi Daddy” by Matthew Klam
- Short Story Review: “Stories About Us” by Lore Segal(The short story “Stories About Us” by Lore Segal appeared in the October 7th, 2024 issue of The New Yorker.) Illustration by Marta Monteiro I love Lore Segal’s writing. And when I say that, I fully admit that I am referring to her short stories that I have read in The New Yorker. (I really… Read more: Short Story Review: “Stories About Us” by Lore Segal
- Short Story Review: “Ambrose” by Allegra Goodman(The short story “Ambrose” by Allegra Goodman appeared in the September 30th, 2024 issue of The New Yorker.) Photograph by Annie Collinge for The New Yorker I’m paraphrasing this, but John Lennon said the best way to become a good song writer, is that you first have to write a lot of bad songs. I… Read more: Short Story Review: “Ambrose” by Allegra Goodman
- Short Story Review: “Autobahn” by Hugo Hamilton(The short story “Autobahn” by Hugo Hamilton appeared in the September 23rd, 2024 issue of The New Yorker.) Illustration by Christoph Niemann Funny how a situation, a moment that you are experiencing, can unlock a memory that even sometimes has nothing to do with what you are doing. Walking into my kid’s school the other… Read more: Short Story Review: “Autobahn” by Hugo Hamilton
- Short Story Review: “Last Coffeehouse on Travis” by Bryan Washington(The short story “Last Coffeehouse on Travis” by Bryan Washington appeared in the September 16th, 2024 issue of The New Yorker.) Photograph by Delaney Allen for The New Yorker The only constant in life is change – nothing stays the same forever. The older I get, the more I think about this. There are things… Read more: Short Story Review: “Last Coffeehouse on Travis” by Bryan Washington
- Short Story Review: “The Narayans” by Akhil Sharma(The short story “The Narayans” by Akhil Sharma appeared in the August 26th, 2024 issue of The New Yorker.) Illustration by Sargam Gupta Gossipy neighbors; We all have them. They seem to live on the edges of most stories, novels, and sitcoms. Sometimes it’s not the neighbors, but the community as a whole that is… Read more: Short Story Review: “The Narayans” by Akhil Sharma
- Short Story Review: “Smoke” by Nicola Winstanley(The short story “Smoke” is part of Nicola Winstanley’s short story collection, which is entitled SMOKE.) I took a writing class, long time ago, and the professor pronounced to us on day one, that “Your characters are your babies. And if you want to be a good writer, you have to make your babies suffer.”… Read more: Short Story Review: “Smoke” by Nicola Winstanley
- Short Story Review: “Beyond Imagining” by Lore Segal(The short story “Beyond Imagining” by Lore Segal appeared in the June 10th, 2024 issue of The New Yorker.) Illustration by Bénédicte Muller A few years before my mother passed away, we got into a conversation about getting older. She was around 70 years old at this time, and happily enjoying her life in retirement,… Read more: Short Story Review: “Beyond Imagining” by Lore Segal
- Short Story Review: “Consolation” by Andre Alexis(The short story “Consolation” by Andre Alexis appeared in the May 20th, 2024 issue of The New Yorker.) Illustration by André Derainne If you have read any of my reviews, then you know that I am a sucker for a story about death, especially if it’s a story dealing with the death of a parent.… Read more: Short Story Review: “Consolation” by Andre Alexis
- Short Story Review: “We’re Not So Different, You and I” by Simon Rich(The short story “We’re Not So Different, You and I” by Simon Rich appeared in the May 13th, 2024 issue of The New Yorker.) Illustration by Tim Lahan You know, it’s hard to make friends the older you get. Especially for men. When you’re a kid, if someone lived on the same street as you,… Read more: Short Story Review: “We’re Not So Different, You and I” by Simon Rich
- Personal Review: “First Love” by Gwendoline RileyFor the life of me, I don’t remember who or what recommended First Love to me. It was on a list of books that I should read, and when I found a copy of it at the Strand, I picked it up without a second thought, nor having any idea what I was about to… Read more: Personal Review: “First Love” by Gwendoline Riley
- Short Story Review: “Poetry Is Not About the Price of Gasoline” by Amorak Huey(The flash fiction story “Poetry Is Not About the Price of Gasoline” by Amorak Huey appeared in Okay Donkey.) I am aware that I should know this, but sometimes I just am not sure what the difference is between absurdist literature and postmodern literature. Some of my favorite writers fall into one, or the other,… Read more: Short Story Review: “Poetry Is Not About the Price of Gasoline” by Amorak Huey
- Short Story Review: “Why I didn’t Immediately Load the Car When My Husband Texted that the Fire Was Getting Closer” by Claudia Monpere(The flash piece “Why I didn’t Immediately Load the Car When My Husband Texted that the Fire Was Getting Closer” by Claudia Monpere, appeared in Milk Candy Review.) I like flash fiction; it is my preferred form of storytelling now. It’s a very malleable form as well. It can be a straight forward very short… Read more: Short Story Review: “Why I didn’t Immediately Load the Car When My Husband Texted that the Fire Was Getting Closer” by Claudia Monpere
- Goodnight Springton! There Will Be No Reviews!Yeah, I tried my best, but this week just had it out for me. There will be no reviews this week. Which is annoying as I had several pieces in the hopper that I just haven’t read yet. Such as: When She Falls by Louise McGuinness, from Milk Candy Review Mr. Mollusk by Didi Wood,… Read more: Goodnight Springton! There Will Be No Reviews!
- Short Story Review: “This is a Dog” by Joanna Theiss(The story “This is a Dog” by Joanna Theiss appeared in Milk Candy Review.) It is hard to pack an emotional pay off in under 1,000 words. Not impossible, just hard. Joanna Theiss does this rather masterfully in her flash piece “This is a Dog,” which is one of the best examples of a story… Read more: Short Story Review: “This is a Dog” by Joanna Theiss
- Short Story Review: “Neighbors” by Zach Williams(The short story “Neighbors” by Zach Williams appeared in the March 25th, 2024 issue of The New Yorker.) Photograph by Devin Oktar Yalkin A movie I love, just deeply admire, is Picnic on Hanging Rock by Peter Weir. For a movie that was a hit, and enormously influential, I have met very few people who… Read more: Short Story Review: “Neighbors” by Zach Williams
- Personal Review: Road House; Both of Them (1989, 2024)(It’s my way, or the highway.) So, I’m a huge MST3k fan, and as such, I join in that show’s admiration of the Patrick Swayze epic that is Road House from 1989. It is a movie that was made specifically for pre-teen and teenage boys, and I happened to be that in the late 80’s.… Read more: Personal Review: Road House; Both of Them (1989, 2024)
- Short Story Review: “The Spit of Him” by Thomas Korsgaaed (Translated from the Danish by Martin Aitken.)(The short story “The Spit of Him” by Thomas Korsgaaed appeared in the March 4th, 2024 issue of The New Yorker.) Illustration by Henning Wagenbreth “The Spit of Him” by Thomas Korsgaaed is a competent story. I believe that it accomplishes what is was created to do – fulfills its purpose of being – puts… Read more: Short Story Review: “The Spit of Him” by Thomas Korsgaaed (Translated from the Danish by Martin Aitken.)
- Short Story Review: “That Girl” by Addie Citchens(The short story “That Girl” by Addie Citchens appeared in the February 12th and 19th, 2024 issue of The New Yorker.) Illustration by Derek Abella Oh, it’s so much fun reading something that reminds you how powerful a short story can be. In a very deft, strong, subtle and powerful voice, Addie Citchens presents a… Read more: Short Story Review: “That Girl” by Addie Citchens
- Short Story Review: “Life with Spider” by Patrick Langley(The short story “Life with Spider” by Patrick Langley appeared in the February 5th, 2024 issue of The New Yorker.) Photo illustration by Hana Mendel for The New Yorker First of all, when I read a story that has to do with a grown man and a large insect, I can’t help but think of… Read more: Short Story Review: “Life with Spider” by Patrick Langley
- Short Story Review: “Poor Houdini” by Anne Carson(The short story “Poor Houdini” by Anne Carson appeared in the January 29th, 2024 issue of The New Yorker.) Illustration by Lauren Peters-Collaer Well, yeah! “Poor Houdini” by Anne Carson is the type of short story I love falling into. Why beat around the bush here; This is a fabulous story that happily reminded me… Read more: Short Story Review: “Poor Houdini” by Anne Carson
- Short Story Review: “Chance the Cat” by David Means(The short story “Chance the Cat” by David Means appeared in the January 22nd, 2024 issue of The New Yorker.) Photograph by Bobby Beasley for The New Yorker (Edited and Updated on 2/5/24) I’m guessing here, but I’ve written close to 100 reviews for my blog. And when I write one, I try to come… Read more: Short Story Review: “Chance the Cat” by David Means
- Short Story Review: “The Beach House” by Joy Williams(The short story “The Beach House” by Joy Williams appeared in the January 15, 2024 issue of The New Yorker.) (I will SPOIL this story.) Illustration by Mia Bergeron Of all the storytelling tricks that are out there, the “MacGuffin” is my favorite. If you don’t know, a MacGuffin in a story is any object,… Read more: Short Story Review: “The Beach House” by Joy Williams
- Best of 2023 – Short Story Review: “Long Island” by Nicole Krauss(The short story “Long Island” by Nicole Krauss appeared in the May 22nd, 2023 issue of The New Yorker.) (I’m gun’na try not to, but beware of SPOILERS!) Illustration by Javi Aznarez There are no rules to writing. None. Whoever told you that you had to write in a certain way was lying to you.… Read more: Best of 2023 – Short Story Review: “Long Island” by Nicole Krauss
- Best of 2023 – Short Story Review: “The Soccer Balls of Mr. Kurz” by Michele Mari (Translated, from the Italian, by Brian Robert Moore.)(The short story “The Soccer Balls of Mr. Kurz” by Michele Mari appeared in the May 29th, 2023 issue of The New Yorker.) (This story will be SPOILED, so beware!) Illustration by Guido Scarabottolo The old “losing your ball over the fence” story. It’s nice to know that boys in other countries have this issue… Read more: Best of 2023 – Short Story Review: “The Soccer Balls of Mr. Kurz” by Michele Mari (Translated, from the Italian, by Brian Robert Moore.)
- Best of 2023 – Short Story Review: “Colorin Colorado” by Camille Bordas(The short story “Colorin Colorado” by Camille Bordas appeared in the July 10 & 17, 2023 issue of The New Yorker.) (SPOILERS AHEAD!) Photograph by Ryan Frigillana for The New Yorker I loved it. It was much better than The Lottery. I going to read it, again and again.
- Best of 2023 – Short Story Review: “Valley of the Moon” by Paul Yoon(The short story “Valley of the Moon” by Paul Yoon appeared in the July 3rd, 2023 issue of The New Yorker.) (SPOILERS should just be expected.) Illustration by Dadu Shin “Valley of the Moon” is an exquisite short story by Paul Yoon. Writing a good short story is hard enough, but writing a short story… Read more: Best of 2023 – Short Story Review: “Valley of the Moon” by Paul Yoon
- Best of 2023 – Short Story Review: “Different People” by Clare Sestanovich(The short story “Different People” by Clare Sestanovich appeared in the January 30th, 2023 issue of The New Yorker.) (SPOILERS ahead!) Illustration by Jillian Tamaki I have been trying for some time to come up with a good introduction for this piece, but I have decided that the best way to open this is to… Read more: Best of 2023 – Short Story Review: “Different People” by Clare Sestanovich
- Short Story Review: “Let Me Try to Make It Interesting” by Francesca Leader(The short story “Let Me Try to Make It Interesting” by Francesca Leader appeared on December 7th, 2023 in Milk Candy Review.) And then I read something that just floors me. Like, pulls at me in a way, like my breath is being evacuated from my body. That a piece of writing can use words… Read more: Short Story Review: “Let Me Try to Make It Interesting” by Francesca Leader
- Short Story Review: “Self-Portrait in Assignments” by Max Kruger-Dull(The short story “Self-Portrait in Assignments” by Max Kruger-Dull appeared on November 30th, 2023 in Milk Candy Review.) I am a strong proponent for flash fiction to not behave like a short story. That’s not to say that a writer cannot craft a well written short story in under a thousand words which exhibits all… Read more: Short Story Review: “Self-Portrait in Assignments” by Max Kruger-Dull
- Short Story Review: “According to Alice” by Sheila Heti(The short story “According to Alice” by Sheila Heti appeared in the November 20th, 2023 issue of The New Yorker.) Illustration by Janet Hansen At the very end of “According to Alice” by Sheila Heti, there is an addendum which states: This story was written in collaboration with a customizable chatbot on the Chai AI… Read more: Short Story Review: “According to Alice” by Sheila Heti
- Short Story Review: “Our Time is Up” by Clare Sestanovich(The short story “Our Time is Up” by Clare Sestanovich appeared in the November 13th, 2023 issue of The New Yorker.) Illustration by James Lee Chiahan You know, and I’m not stepping out on a ledge here, but there should be more stories about mothers and daughters. For centuries, the literary cannon is filled with… Read more: Short Story Review: “Our Time is Up” by Clare Sestanovich
- Short Story Review: “The Ghosts of Gloria Lara” by Junot Diaz(The short story “The Ghosts of Gloria Lara” by Junot Diaz appeared in the November 6th, 2023 issue of The New Yorker.) Photograph by Paul Thulin-Jimenez for The New Yorker I had a professor in college who taught a playwrighting class, who likened writers to jazz musicians. This professor believed, and taught, that both types… Read more: Short Story Review: “The Ghosts of Gloria Lara” by Junot Diaz
- Short Story Review: “Upstate” by Emma Cline(The short story “Upstate” by Emma Cline appeared in the October 30th, 2023 issue of The New Yorker.) (Yes, my dear, there will be SPOILERS.) Illustration by Dennis Eriksson “If God didn’t exist, it would be necessary to invent him,” was the first quote that came to my mind when I read this story. Maybe… Read more: Short Story Review: “Upstate” by Emma Cline
- Short Story Review: “I Am Pizza Rat” by Han Ong(The short story “I Am Pizza Rat” by Han Ong appeared in the October 23rd, 2023 issue of The New Yorker.) (There are SPOILERS!) Photograph by Melissa Schriek for The New Yorker As a kid who grew up in the 90’s, I am a sucker for slacker lit. You know, meandering stories, aloof narrators, whacky… Read more: Short Story Review: “I Am Pizza Rat” by Han Ong
- Short Story Review: “The Choc-Ice Woman” by Mary Costello(The short story “The Choc-Ice Woman” by Mary Costello appeared in the October 16th, 2023 issue of The New Yorker.) Illustration by Anna Morrison I love short stories, just in case you weren’t aware. It’s an art form that has an endless well-spring of inspiration and creativity due to the uniqueness of each and every… Read more: Short Story Review: “The Choc-Ice Woman” by Mary Costello
- Short Story Review: “Heart” by Shuang Xuetao (Translated from the Chinese, by Jeremy Tiang.)(The short story “Heart” by Shuang Xuetao appeared in the October 9th, 2023 issue of The New Yorker.) Illustration by Sally Deng If you write a story about a parent/child relationship, and then throw in a dying parent, you pretty much are half way to claiming a small place in my heart. My logically analytical… Read more: Short Story Review: “Heart” by Shuang Xuetao (Translated from the Chinese, by Jeremy Tiang.)
- Short Story Review: “ProCess” by Abigail E. Myers(The short story “ProCess” by Abigail E. Myers appeared on September 26th, 2023 in Rejection Letters.) image: MM Kaufman I remember how when I was a kid, I was told in school that technology, someday, would solve all our problems, thus making the world a better and perfect place. My dad, when he was a… Read more: Short Story Review: “ProCess” by Abigail E. Myers
- Short Story Review: “The Narrow Way” by Liliana Colanzi (Translated from Spanish by Chris Andrews.)(The short story “The Narrow Way” by Liliana Colanzi appeared in the September 25th, 2023 issue of The New Yorker.) (Do I even need to say SPOILERS?) Photograph by William Mebane for The New Yorker Liliana Colanzi pretty much nails it in the first four paragraphs of her story “The Narrow Way.” We come to… Read more: Short Story Review: “The Narrow Way” by Liliana Colanzi (Translated from Spanish by Chris Andrews.)
- Short Story Review: “On the Agenda” by Lore Segal(The short story “On the Agenda” by Lore Segal appeared in the September 18th, 2023 issue of The New Yorker.) Illustration by Riccardo Vecchio “On the Agenda” by Lore Segal is an interesting exercise. I read it twice, enjoyed it both times, but I’m still wondering about the ending. Each time I read it, and… Read more: Short Story Review: “On the Agenda” by Lore Segal
- Short Story Review: “Hobbies” by Robbie Herbst(The short story “Hobbies” by Robbie Herbst appeared in X-R-A-Y on August 30th.) (SPOILERS, people! SPOILERS!) Art by Bri Chapman There sure are a great number of short stories and novels that cover the subject matter of the male midlife crisis. Or, as a friend calls them, “Sorry your penis stopped working, stories.” In one… Read more: Short Story Review: “Hobbies” by Robbie Herbst
- Personal Review: The Great British Bake-OffI did it – Well, the wife and I did it – We watched all 13 seasons of The Great British Bake-Off, or Show, depending on where you are. That was a lot of baking, and a lot of British culture. We watched the show together on our lunch breaks, so we only got about… Read more: Personal Review: The Great British Bake-Off
- Short Story Review: “The Autopsy” by Lyudmila Ulitskaya (Translated, from the Russian, by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky.)(The short story “The Autopsy” by Lyudmila Ulitskaya appeared in the August 28th, 2023 issue of The New Yorker.) (You know there are SPOILERS, right?) Photograph by Tereza Zelenková for The New Yorker First of all, I do want to give credit and say thank you to the Fiction Editor at The New Yorker, for… Read more: Short Story Review: “The Autopsy” by Lyudmila Ulitskaya (Translated, from the Russian, by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky.)
- Short Story Review: “The True Margaret” by Karan Mahajan(The short story “The True Margaret” by Karan Mahajan appeared in the August 14th, 2023 issue of The New Yorker.) Photograph by Eliza Bourner for The New Yorker “The True Margaret” by Karan Mahajan, is an interesting short story, which ultimately is a well-crafted piece of fiction, yet I never found myself engrossed by it.… Read more: Short Story Review: “The True Margaret” by Karan Mahajan
- Short Story Review: “Yogurt Days” by Jamie Quatro(The short story “Yogurt Days” by Jamie Quatro appeared in the August 7th, 2023 issue of The New Yorker.) (SPOILERS! Though I think you know that, and I should stop announcing it now…) Illustration by Alex Merto; Source photograph by Bonnie Taylor Barry / Shutterstock Ah… religion and faith, and rules and guidelines, and patriarchy… Read more: Short Story Review: “Yogurt Days” by Jamie Quatro
- Short Story Review: “A French Doll” By Cynthia Ozick(The short story “A French Doll” By Cynthia Ozick appeared in the July 31st, 2023 issue of The New Yorker.) (SPOILERS! There will always be SPOILERS!) Photo illustration by Joan Wong; Source photographs from Getty; NYPL And then sometimes, The New Yorker just publishes a good story. Why beat around the bush here; “A French… Read more: Short Story Review: “A French Doll” By Cynthia Ozick
- Short Story Review: “Colorin Colorado” by Camille Bordas(The short story “Colorin Colorado” by Camille Bordas appeared in the July 10 & 17, 2023 issue of The New Yorker.) (SPOLIERS AHEAD!) Photograph by Ryan Frigillana for The New Yorker I loved it. It was much better than The Lottery. I going to read it, again and again.
- Short Story Review: “Valley of the Moon” by Paul Yoon(The short story “Valley of the Moon” by Paul Yoon appeared in the July 3rd, 2023 issue of The New Yorker.) (SPOILERS should just be expected.) Illustration by Dadu Shin “Valley of the Moon” is an exquisite short story by Paul Yoon. Writing a good short story is hard enough, but writing a short story… Read more: Short Story Review: “Valley of the Moon” by Paul Yoon
- Short Story Review: “Status in Flux” by Weike Wang(The short story “Status in Flux” by Weike Wang appeared in the June 26th, 2023 issue of The New Yorker.) (As in life, there will be SPOILERS!) Illustration by Jiayue Li First, we had stories about Covid arriving. Then there were the stories about living with Covid. Now we have arrived in age of stories… Read more: Short Story Review: “Status in Flux” by Weike Wang
- Personal Review: KUDOS by Rachel Cusk(SPOLIERS, but I don’t think you can spoil this novel…) I’m a big fan of Rachel Cusk. Ever since I read a piece on her in The New Yorker a while ago, and I think the article was about the OUTLINE Trilogy, I have found her to be a huge inspiration and a fascinating author.… Read more: Personal Review: KUDOS by Rachel Cusk
- Personal Review: Ted Lasso Season 3 and The Whole Thing(SPOILERS! You shouldn’t have to ask…) I finished it. Over the weekend, I finally got around to watching the final episode of the 3rd season of Ted Lasso. I had a complicated relationship with the 3rd season. I was watching in three-episode chunks over a two-week period, and then I would get off the wagon… Read more: Personal Review: Ted Lasso Season 3 and The Whole Thing
- Short Story Review: “Civil Disturbance” by Said Sayrafiezadeh(The short story “Civil Disturbance” by Said Sayrafiezadeh appeared in the June 19th, 2023 issue of The New Yorker.) Photograph by Holly Andres for The New Yorker This week’s short story from The New Yorker is “Civil Disturbance” by Said Sayrafiezadeh, an author I never have read before until today. It’s a competent short story… Read more: Short Story Review: “Civil Disturbance” by Said Sayrafiezadeh
- Short Story Review: “The Soccer Balls of Mr. Kurz” by Michele Mari (Translated, from the Italian, by Brian Robert Moore.)(The short story “The Soccer Balls of Mr. Kurz” by Michele Mari appeared in the May 29th, 2023 issue of The New Yorker.) (This story will be SPOILED, so beware!) Illustration by Guido Scarabottolo The old “losing your ball over the fence” story. It’s nice to know that boys in other countries have this issue… Read more: Short Story Review: “The Soccer Balls of Mr. Kurz” by Michele Mari (Translated, from the Italian, by Brian Robert Moore.)
- Short Story Review: “Long Island” by Nicole Krauss(The short story “Long Island” by Nicole Krauss appeared in the May 22nd, 2023 issue of The New Yorker.) (I’m gun’na try not to, but beware of SPOILERS!) Illustration by Javi Aznarez There are no rules to writing. None. Whoever told you that you had write something in a certain way was lying to you.… Read more: Short Story Review: “Long Island” by Nicole Krauss
- Personal Review: Let Me Think by J. Robert LennonI am embarrassed to say that I have no idea how Let Me Think by J Robert Lennon made it on my reading list. And my reading list is actually a wish list on my Amazon account. This was the book that was next up. I knew it was a collection of short stories, but… Read more: Personal Review: Let Me Think by J. Robert Lennon
- Short Story Review: “The Plaza” by Rebecca Makkai(The short story “The Plaza” by Rebecca Makkai appeared in the May 8th, 2023 issue of The New Yorker.) (SPOLIERS should be expected, but not intended.) Sometimes I just want to read a good old-fashioned short story, like from that Post WWII/1950’s period when writers could make a living publishing stories in magazines. These are… Read more: Short Story Review: “The Plaza” by Rebecca Makkai
- Short Story Review: “Bowling Shoes” by Noel Streatfeild (Alison L. Fraser)[The short story “Bowling Shoes” by Noel Streatfeild (Alison L. Fraser) appeared in Rejection Letters on April 17th, 2023.] (It’s a flash fiction piece, so I will SPOIL it) I do miss going out and drinking on a weeknight. I don’t miss the hangover that followed the next day. Reading “Bowling Shoes” reminded me of… Read more: Short Story Review: “Bowling Shoes” by Noel Streatfeild (Alison L. Fraser)
- Short Story Review: “Alisa” by Lyudmila Ulitskaya (Translated from the Russian, by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky.)(The short story “Alisa” by Lyudmila Ulitskaya appeared in the April 3rd, 2023 issue of The New Yorker.) (Yes, I will SPOIL this story.) Illustration by Golden Cosmos The story “Alisa” by Lyudmila Ulitskaya is translated from the Russian, by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky. But I’m pretty sure you knew that from the title… Read more: Short Story Review: “Alisa” by Lyudmila Ulitskaya (Translated from the Russian, by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky.)
- Short Story Review: “THE NIGHT THE STARS FELL” by Dustin M. Hoffman(The short story “THE NIGHT THE STARS FELL” by Dustin M. Hoffman appeared in One Story, issue 289.) (Yeah, I will SPOIL it.) I’m really late to the party on this story. “THE NIGHT THE STARS FELL” by Dustin M. Hoffman was published May of 2022 in One Story, and I got around to reading… Read more: Short Story Review: “THE NIGHT THE STARS FELL” by Dustin M. Hoffman
- Short Story Review: “Snowy Day” by Lee Chang-Dong (Translated from the Korean, by Heinz Insu Fenkl and Yoosup Chang.)(The short story “Snowy Day” by Lee Chang-Dong appeared in the March 6th, 2023 issue of The New Yorker.) (Yes, there will be SPOILERS!) Illustration by Anuj Shrestha “Snowy Day” is an okay story. Not awful, not amazing either, and in the end, I do recommend that you should read it. It was written by… Read more: Short Story Review: “Snowy Day” by Lee Chang-Dong (Translated from the Korean, by Heinz Insu Fenkl and Yoosup Chang.)
- Short Story Review: “The Last Grownup” by Allegra Goodman(The short story “The Last Grownup” by Allegra Goodman appeared in the February 27th, 2023 issue of The New Yorker.) (I will SPOIL the story.) Illustration by Geoff McFetridge Being a grownup sucks, and being a divorced grownup sucks even more. This is the basic idea behind the short story “The Last Grownup,” by Allegra… Read more: Short Story Review: “The Last Grownup” by Allegra Goodman
- Short Story Review: “My Sad Dead” by Mariana Enriquez(The short story “My Sad Dead” by Mariana Enriquez appeared in the February 13th & 20th, 2023 issue of The New Yorker.) (Translated, from the Spanish, by Megan McDowell.) (It goes without saying, but just saying, SPOLIERS!) Photo illustration by Silvia Grav for The New Yorker “My Sad Dead” is a finely written story by… Read more: Short Story Review: “My Sad Dead” by Mariana Enriquez
- Short Story Review: “Different People” by Clare Sestanovich(The short story “Different People” by Clare Sestanovich appeared in the January 30th, 2023 issue of The New Yorker.) (SPOILERS ahead!) Illustration by Jillian Tamaki I have been trying for some time to come up with a good introduction for this piece, but I have decided that the best way to open this is to… Read more: Short Story Review: “Different People” by Clare Sestanovich
- Short Story Review: “Wednesday’s Child” by Yiyun Li(The short story “Wednesday’s Child” by Yiyun Li appeared in the January 23rd, 2023 issue of The New Yorker.) (I will SPOIL this story.) Illustration by Camille Deschiens I sometimes need to be reminded that grief is an individual experience. Not only does each person grieve differently, but the grief one feels is also specific… Read more: Short Story Review: “Wednesday’s Child” by Yiyun Li
- ODDS and ENDS: China Visitors, North London Derby, and Fantasy Football(Crystal Pepsi wasn’t that bad…) I am very thankful and grateful for the people who look at this blog; There are my friends from high school, college, and my life in New York.; And there are the other writers and bloggers on this platform. I appreciate the time you spend on the posts, and the… Read more: ODDS and ENDS: China Visitors, North London Derby, and Fantasy Football
