Margaret Atwood’s “Two Scorched Men” (#MARM Week Three)

2023-11-14T13:51:00-05:00

The premise of this second story in Margaret Atwood’s new collection Old Babes in the Wood is that Nell is telling a story about two friends, John and François. “They’re dead now. A thing that happens increasingly: people die. This radiator incident took place in the early 1990s, when

Margaret Atwood’s “Two Scorched Men” (#MARM Week Three)2023-11-14T13:51:00-05:00

Mavis Gallant’s “A State of Affairs”

2020-06-01T20:09:43-04:00

If Forain was reading this story, the one which follows the story about him, in Mavis Gallant’s ninth collection, he would be so disappointed to hear that M. Wroblewski can’t find a thing to read in Paris. “There are no books worth reading—nothing but pornography and translated Western trash.”

Mavis Gallant’s “A State of Affairs”2020-06-01T20:09:43-04:00

Mavis Gallant’s “Vacances Pax” (1966)

2020-01-13T15:42:46-05:00

Dedicated short story writers make choices with every sentence. Short stories aren’t novels that ended too soon. They’re not short because there’s a paper shortage or a deadline. Short fiction is short on purpose. So, when a writer like Mavis Gallant chooses her words, it’s a deliberate process. Last

Mavis Gallant’s “Vacances Pax” (1966)2020-01-13T15:42:46-05:00

Mavis Gallant’s “Better Times”

2019-11-22T18:54:03-05:00

In the collection, In Transit, this story’s placement, next to “When We Were Nearly Young” is brilliant. Two experiences of impoverishment: with different settings, life stages, and stakes. But rather than focus on a series of single people, “Better Times” concentrates on a married couple: Susan and Guy. It's

Mavis Gallant’s “Better Times”2019-11-22T18:54:03-05:00

Quarterly Stories: Autumn 2019

2019-09-24T12:56:16-04:00

Kaplan, McKay, Puntí, Rosenfarb and Shapton Short Stories in July, August, and September Whether in a dedicated collection or a magazine, these stories capture a variety of reading moods. This quarter, I returned to two favourite writers and also explored three new-to-me story writers.

Quarterly Stories: Autumn 20192019-09-24T12:56:16-04:00
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