July: Short Stories

“Short stories are tiny windows into other worlds and other minds and other dreams. They are journeys you can make to the far side of the universe and still be back in time for dinner.” - Neil Gaiman 

There are hundreds of unread short stories in my house. 

I have a tendency to buy short story collections, but I often don't pick them up and read them. Short stories are a powerful literary form and, as the writer Elizabeth Day points out, they are the perfect literary solution in today's fast-paced world. Over the last few years, short stories have seen a resurgence in popularity, moving beyond school reading lists to New York Times bestseller lists. 

For the month of July, I am committed to reading some of the amazing fiction hidden in the depths of my bookshelves. I am a fast reader - especially when it comes to fiction - so part of the practice for me is to linger on each story before rushing to read the next one. I'm only allowed to read one story a day, so I find myself spending more time contemplating the plot, the characters and their decisions, and the form of the story. 

For the first 12 days of this month, I read stories by the Australian writer Ryan O'Neill in his collection, "The Weight of a Human Heart". His stories are captivating and I greatly appreciate his experimentation with form (like in "Seventeen Rules for Writing a Short Story"), but reading stories about the Rwandan genocide right before bedtime has started to negatively affect my dreams. 

Last night, I read "Vampires in the Lemon Grove", by Karen Russell. I enjoyed hearing her speak at Malaprop's (Asheville's local bookstore) at the end of February, so decided to give her writing another try after reading (and profusely disliking) Swamplandia. The story was enjoyable, but to be honest, I didn't quite get it! I might have to re-read this story later in the month...

I have 17 days of short stories left. I'm planning to mix it up and read a short story by a different author every day including: 

• A short story published the year I was born 
• A story by a writer I have never heard of 
• Re-read a favorite short story from high school
• Re-read a favorite short story from the last seven years 
• Find out and read David's favorite short story (if he has one) 
• Suggestions from friends and family 

I chose to focus on reading short stories this month because I wanted something fun and manageable that I could do every day. I was pleasantly surprised that within the first week of July, bits and pieces of a short story started coming to me while I was walking the dog. When I got home, I grabbed a notebook and hurried to scribble the ideas down. This is the first time I have started writing a short story in over three years! So, to make things interesting, I am going write and finish a short story by the end of the month. The story may never see the light of day (we will see if I am feeling bold enough to post it here), but I will know that it's been created, crafted, and finished. And as I awaken my inner Artist that's all that matters.