A Brief Detour for Short Stories

Nearly every day, the drama critic Terry Teachout makes a point of experiencing some art or literature and posting about it on his blog in the entries he calls "consumables."

Terry sets a fine example. What if you want to follow it, but don't have the time?

Consider short stories. If you're interested, you'll find some good reading suggestions in TPB's post, "On Extended Forecast and Short Fiction." Two of TPB's favorite short story writers are also two of mine: John Cheever and Raymond Carver. (TPB also mentions Flannery O'Connor, but says he hasn't read her, a deficiency he regards as a "monstrous black mark on [his] soul.")

Most of the stories TPB suggests can be found in a library or a bookstore. But don't overlook the web as a source for short fiction. In a previous post, also featuring TPB, I questioned the role that blogs might play in challenging the traditional avenues to publication of short fiction. Another source for short fiction is online literary journals. If you'd like to learn about some good ones, read the post "Literary Magazines and the Web" from The Reading Experience. (The comments to the post also contain some good information.)

Soon, just like Terry Teachout, you too will be a busy art-loving cicada, chomping down art with abandon.

Related posts and links:

1. Remember to Get Your Daily Fix of Arts Blogging

2. A (Short) List of (Long) Book Lists

3. 21 Grams of Flannery O'Connor = At Least Four Good Stories

4. Novelist Richard Ford on Lawyers

5. My short story "Artwork," published in the literary magazine Artful Dodge and now available online

Comments

[TPB, Esq.]

I have a soul? Well, this would be news to the firm's masters....