Description
Book SynopsisThe Best American Catholic Short Stories captures twenty of the best short stories from thirteen American Catholic writers over the past seventy-five years. Spanning most of the twentieth century, the stories in this collection deal with many of the issues brought into the spotlight with Vatican II. One ongoing area of controversy, of course, is in the very notion of Catholic fiction. What constitutes a work as "Catholic"? This new collection, with its rich variety of themes, styles, and tones, takes an important step in answering this question. Pat Schnapp and Dan McVeigh have assembled an extraordinary sampling that is unique in its subject and scope. Major contributors include Mary Gordon, Flannery O'Connor, Ron Hansen, T. Coraghessan Boyle, and Richard Russo.
Trade ReviewAn inspired collection of short stories from prolific Catholic writers over the past 75 years, this compilation is highlighted by Richard Russo's memoir, 'The Whore's Child;' Andre Dubus's complex family tale, 'A Father's Story;' Philip F. Deaver's provocative story of a man looking for inner peace, 'Silent Retreats;' and classics from Flannery O'Connor ('The Displaced Person') and Mary Gordon ('Mrs. Cassidy's Last Year'). * Library Journal *
A must-read for anyone who likes a good story. ...Stories of this kind with their layers of meaning cry out to be discussed. * St. Anthony Messenger, March 2009 *
... this book is intended to introduce a major group of Catholic authors worth considering. It provides a need in anthologies that has not yet been addressed.... I would buy this text if I were looking for some challenging reading and I would recommend it as a text on a course about Catholic authors. * Xavier Review *
Table of ContentsChapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 "Old Red" Chapter 3 "The Presence" Chapter 4 "The Peach Stone" Chapter 5 "Lions, Harts, Leaping Does" Chapter 6 "The Devil in the Desert" Chapter 7 "Emmanuele, Emmanuele" Chapter 8 "The Displaced Person" Chapter 9 "Dawn" Chapter 10 "Silent Retreats" Chapter 11 "Keepsakes" Chapter 12 "Resident Priest" Chapter 13 "Geneseo" Chapter 14 "Playland" Chapter 15 "The Devil and Irv Chernische" Chapter 16 "The Rich Brother" Chapter 17 "Mrs. Cassidy's Last Year" Chapter 18 "The Whore's Child" Chapter 19 "Died and Gone to Vegas" Chapter 20 "Good for the Soul" Chapter 21 "A Father's Story" Chapter 22 Notes on Authors Chapter 23 Selected Bibliography
