By Melanie Yarbrough
Shane and I are getting amped about the event coming up at Harvard Bookstore on November 3rd: a discussion on the Best American Short Stories 2010. I’ve been collecting these anthologies since I lived in Georgia because I appreciate the range of stories each year’s collection contains; the main common thread is that they’re the best. The bookshelf above my bed is lined with them. I’ve bought copies at Harvard Bookstore, Barnes & Noble, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson airport, Salvation Army. Something about their covers, all of my defenses and better judgment go out the window. So you can imagine the willpower it took to wait for my next paycheck to finally get my copy of this year’s regal-looking black and gold collection. And you can imagine my giddy delight when I saw that Steve Almond was not only the first story in the book, but also one of the two contributors scheduled to discuss the collection next month. It’s no secret: We love Steve Almond.
For those of you not as excited, I’m here to give you a little help, review-style. That’s right, now you’re excited.
Continue reading →