About This Volume Michael Cocchiarale and Scott D. Emmert )/$6+²OLNHDOLJKWQLQJEROWDYHU\VKRUWVWRU\FDQÀDUHLQWHQVHO\ and linger in the mind’s eye, stunning the senses and imprinting itself upon the memory. Although very short stories have a long KLVWRU\DQGKDYHDSSHDUHGXQGHUDQXPEHURIODEHOVÀDVK¿FWLRQLV now the preferred term, one that describes an established genre that FRQWLQXHVWRJURZLQSRSXODULW\7RGDWHKRZHYHUUHODWLYHO\OLWWOH VFKRODUVKLSKDVEHHQSXEOLVKHGRQLW7KHSUHVHQWYROXPHVHHNVWR DGGUHVVWKDWGH¿FLHQF\ZKLOHLQWURGXFLQJVWXGHQWVDQGWHDFKHUVWR the JHQUHDQGWRDQXPEHURILWV¿QHVWSUDFWLWLRQHUV $IWHU RXU LQWURGXFWRU\ HVVD\ ³2Q )ODVK )LFWLRQ´ ZKLFK VHWV out some of the JHQUH¶VKLVWRU\DQGGHYHORSPHQWWKHYROXPHR൵HUV four Critical Contexts chapters to deepen this background. Pamelyn Casto provides an extensive recounting of the major anthologies of ÀDVK¿FWLRQIURPWKHVWRWKHSUHVHQW$ORQJWKHZD\VKHDOVR LQWURGXFHVUHDGHUVWRDQXPEHURIUHFHQWPXVLFLDQVDQG¿OPPDNHUV ZKRKDYHDGDSWHGÀDVK¿FWLRQSLHFHVIRUDQHYHUH[SDQGLQJDXGLHQFH 7KHVFKRODUO\UHVSRQVHWRÀDVKLVWKHQWDNHQXSLQ5DQGDOO%URZQ¶V essay, which delineates how writers and theorists have grappled ZLWKWKHZRUNLQJVRIYHU\VKRUWVWRULHVWRGH¿QHÀDVKDVGLVWLQFWLYH IURPORQJHU¿FWLRQZKRVHQDUUDWLYHFRQYHQWLRQVGRQRWDOZD\VDSSO\ WRÀDVKVWRULHV.ULVWHQ)LJJLQVWKHQH[DPLQHVFRQWHPSRUDU\ÀDVK ¿FWLRQWKURXJKWKHFULWLFDOOHQVRIWKHIDEOHZKLFKR൵HUVQDUUDWLYH FRQYHQWLRQVVLPLODUWRWKRVHIRXQGLQÀDVK¿FWLRQ)LJJLQVDUJXHV FRQYLQFLQJO\ WKDW ZULWHUV RI ÀDVK KDYH ERUURZHG IURP IDEOHV D QXPEHURIVWRU\WHOOLQJWHFKQLTXHVWR³TXLFNO\DQGH൶FLHQWO\D൵HFW WKHUHDGHU´0HJDQ*LGGLQJVFRQWLQXHVWKHGLVFXVVLRQRIQDUUDWLYH WHFKQLTXHLQÀDVKE\FRPSDULQJDÀDVKSLHFHE\Donald Barthelme, DFDQRQLFDOÀDVKZULWHUDQGAmelia Gray, a talented contemporary DXWKRU *LGGLQJV GLVFXVVHV KRZ ¿UVW SHUVRQ point of view and tense help each writer to compress narrative time while amplifying suggested meanings. vii Following the context chapters, the volume turns to ten essays WKDWWDNHXSLQGLYLGXDOÀDVK¿FWLRQDXWKRUV7KHVH&ULWLFDO5HDGLQJV FKDSWHUV UHYHDO QRW RQO\ ÀDVK ¿FWLRQ¶V H[WUDRUGLQDU\ UDQJH examining a remarkable array of authors with diverse themes and styles, but also its long history as an international phenomenon. In WKH¿UVWRIWKHVHHVVD\V5REHUW&(YDQVGLVFXVVHVKate Chopin, ZKRVHYHU\VKRUWVWRULHVVXFKDV³7KH6WRU\RIDQ+RXU´DQG³5LSH )LJV´ DUH RIWHQ DVVLJQHG LQ KLJK VFKRRO DQG FROOHJH OLWHUDWXUH courses. However, the careful structure of Chopin’s very short stories may be less well studied. Evans grounds his insights on &KRSLQ¶VIRUPDOPDVWHU\LQÀDVK¿FWLRQWKHRU\DQGXSRQGHIWFORVH readings of selected stories to demonstrate fully their “impressive moral and artistic FRPSOH[LW\´ 7KHQH[WWKUHHFKDSWHUVIRFXVRQVLJQL¿FDQWLQWHUQDWLRQDOZULWHUV RIÀDVK¿FWLRQ,Q³$JDLQVW6KRUW$WWHQWLRQ6SDQVµ)UDJPHQWDU\¶ )LFWLRQIRUµ)UDJPHQWDU\¶/LYHV´6DQWLQR3ULQ]LGLVFXVVHVWKHÀDVK ¿FWLRQ RI WZR :HVWHUQ (XURSHDQ ZULWHUV²)UDQ] .DIND DQG KLV early twentieth-century contemporary 5REHUW:DOVHU²WRFKDOOHQJH the dismissive criticism that very short stories appeal to very short DWWHQWLRQVSDQV2QWKHFRQWUDU\3ULQ]LDUJXHVIURPWKHH[DPSOHVRI .DINDDQG:DOVHUWKDWÀDVKVWRULHVHQJDJHUHDGHUVLQDSDUWLFXODUZD\ one that “complements, rather than diminishes, our contemporary OLIHVW\OHV´ 1H[W (ULF 6WHUOLQJ VWXGLHV YHU\ VKRUW VWRULHV E\Isaac Babel, who employed a minimalist style to represent the oppression RI-HZVLQ5XVVLDERWKEHIRUHDQGDIWHUWKHFRPPXQLVWUHYROXWLRQ RI ,QWHQVH DQG RSHQHQGHG %DEHO¶V ÀDVK ¿FWLRQ UDLVHG D voice against anti-Semitism in Russia, but as Sterling’s moving essay shows, these subtly brief stories were still too loud for the Russian authorities, who murdered Babel to silence him. In the next HVVD\/DXUD+DWU\FRQWLQXHVWKHIRFXVRQLQWHUQDWLRQDOÀDVK¿FWLRQ VKLQLQJFRQVLGHUDEOHOLJKWRQÀDVKE\WKH$UJHQWLQLDQZULWHUV-XOLR &RUWi]DUDQG/XLVD9DOHQ]XHOD+DWU\GHWDLOVKRZWKHVHLQQRYDWLYH ZULWHUVKDYHFUHDWHGPHPRUDEOHÀDVKVWRULHVE\GHSOR\LQJDEVXUGLVW humor and witty wordplay and, in the process, pushed the entire genre in new, delightful directions. viii Critical Insights 7KH¿QDOVL[FKDSWHUVGHOLJKWLQWKHDUWLVWU\RIVRPHRIÀDVK ¿FWLRQ¶VPRVWDXGDFLRXVFRQWHPSRUDU\SUDFWLWLRQHUV3HUKDSVPRVW prominent among these is Lydia Davis, the subject of a searching HVVD\E\-XOLH7DQQHU7DQQHUWUDFHV'DYLV¶VGHYHORSPHQWDVDÀDVK ¿FWLRQ ZULWHU ZKR ¿QGV WKHPDWLF DQG HPRWLRQDO OLEHUDWLRQ LQ WKLV shortest form, one that rewards her considerable linguistic skill. ,Q WKH HVVD\ WKDW IROORZV /DXUD 7DQVOH\ SURYLGHV HTXDOO\ DVWXWH REVHUYDWLRQVDERXWWKHZRUNRIÀDVKZULWHU$P\+HPSHO7DQVOH\ GHPRQVWUDWHVKRZWKHEUHYLW\RI+HPSHO¶VÀDVKVWRULHVGHHSHQVRXU understanding of human motivations and character by focusing on the inner lives of female characters and the suggestive possibilities RIZKDWWKH\GRQRWRUFDQQRWWKLQN7KHLOOXPLQDWLRQRIFKDUDFWHU LVDOVRWKHIRFXVRI0DWWKHZ'X൵XV¶VHVVD\RQWKHPDVWHUIXOÀDVK writer 'LDQH:LOOLDPV'X൵XVH[SODLQVKRZ:LOOLDPV¶VÀDVKVWRULHV “elicit emotional responses from readers at the same time that they refuse to provide easy solutions to the problems [her characters] HQFRXQWHU´ In the next essay, Randall Brown revels in the artistry of LQÀXHQWLDOÀDVK¿FWLRQZULWHU.DWK\)LVK:LWKFRQVLGHUDEOHLQVLJKW Brown demonstrates how Fish employs and refashions traditional QDUUDWLYHVWUDWHJLHVWRFUHDWHFRQGHQVHGVWRULHVZLWKLQWHQVHFRQÀLFWV high stakes, and deep meanings. In the essay that follows this, 'DYLG6ZDQQH[SOLFDWHVWKHFRPSOH[ÀDVK¿FWLRQRIMary Robison, D ZULWHU ZKR GD]]OHV ZLWK ³SURVH >WKDW@ KDV EHHQ GLVWLOOHG WR LWV HVVHQFH´6ZDQQH[SODLQVKRZ5RELVRQFUHDWHVGUDPDE\UHVLVWLQJ hero-worshipping plots to better value characters that are “damaged DQGYXOQHUDEOH´,QWKH¿QDOHVVD\RIWKHYROXPH-DUUHOO':ULJKW H[SORUHVWKHOLPLWVRIÀDVK¿FWLRQE\LPDJLQLQJDSRLQWDWZKLFKD VWRU\PD\EHWRRFRQGHQVHGWREHFRQVLGHUHGOLWHUDWXUH:ULJKWWKHQ demonstrates how /RX%HDFKLQKLV³QDQR¿FWLRQV´FDQÀLUWZLWKWKLV limit and still convey psychological complexity. 7KLV YROXPH WKHQ SURYLGHV DQ LQIRUPHG LQWURGXFWLRQ WR DQ exciting and vibrant literary genre, and it covers a number of the PRVW LPSRUWDQW ÀDVK ¿FWLRQ ZULWHUV 7HDFKHUV DQG VWXGHQWV ZLOO DOVREHQH¿WIURPDQH[WHQVLYHOLVWRIÀDVKZULWHUVFROOHFWLRQVDQG anthologies, literary journals, and writing guides that concludes the About This Volume ix YROXPH$VWHDFKHUVDQGUHDGHUVRIÀDVK¿FWLRQZHKRSHWKHSUHVHQW volume is both illuminating and memorable, encouraging greater readership and inspiring further study. :HWKDQN5DQGDOO%URZQDQG$VKOH\&KDQWOHUIRUWKHLUKHOS ZLWKWKHELEOLRJUDSK\DQG7DUD0DVLKIRUKHUDGYLFHDQGLGHDVDWWKH early stage of this project. x Critical Insights Kate Chopin’s Flash Fiction and Flash Fiction Theory Robert C. Evans Kate Chopin is arguably one of the most important American writers RIÀDVK¿FWLRQ RIWHQGH¿QHGDVWH[WVRIURXJKO\DWKRXVDQGZRUGV or less). It is hard to think of another important American author (until, perhaps, very recently) who wrote more very short-short stories than she did. At least two examples of stories by Chopin WKDWFRXOGQRZEHFDOOHGÀDVK¿FWLRQ²³7KH6WRU\RIDQ+RXU´DQG ³5LSH)LJV´²DUHIUHTXHQWO\DQWKRORJL]HGDQGURXWLQHO\WDXJKW+HU HDUOLHVW VXUYLYLQJ SLHFH RI ¿FWLRQ ³(PDQFLSDWLRQ$ /LIH )DEOH´ ZDVDOVRRQHRIKHUVKRUWHVWDQGVKHFRQWLQXHGWRZULWHÀDVK¿FWLRQ throughout her career. My purposes here are several. First, I will examine how &KRSLQ¶V ÀDVK ¿FWLRQ KHOSV LOOXPLQDWH²DQG FDQ EH LOOXPLQDWHG E\²FHUWDLQLGHDVDERXWÀDVK¿FWLRQSURSRVHGE\YDULRXVDXWKRUV and literary theorists. My essay is as much an introduction to (and VXUYH\RI ÀDVK¿FWLRQWKHRU\DVLWLVDGLVFXVVLRQRI&KRSLQ¶VRZQ brief tales. Secondly, the essay examines several Chopin stories PRUHVSHFL¿FDOO\IRFXVLQJSDUWLFXODUO\RQWKHWUDLWVWKDWPDNHVRPH H൵HFWLYHDQGVRPHOHVVH൵HFWLYH)LQDOO\WKHHVVD\H[SORUHVYDULRXV WKHPHVDQGPHWKRGVWKDWUXQWKURXJKRXW&KRSLQ¶VFDUHHUDVDÀDVK ¿FWLRQZULWHU$VWKLVH[SORUDWLRQZLOOUHYHDO&KRSLQ¶VYHU\VKRUW stories are among her most artistically and morally complex works RI¿FWLRQ $ FRQVHUYDWLYH OLVWLQJ RI &KRSLQ¶V ÀDVK ¿FWLRQ ZLWK ZRUG FRXQWVLQSDUHQWKHVHV ZRXOGLQFOXGH³$5HÀHFWLRQ´ ³5LSH )LJV´ ³7KH1LJKW&DPH6ORZO\´ ³2OG$XQW3HJJ\´ ³(PDQFLSDWLRQ $ /LIH )DEOH´ ³$Q ,GOH )HOORZ´ ³'RFWRU &KHYDOLHU¶V /LH´ ³$ /LWWOH )UHH0XODWWR´ ³$+DUELQJHU´ ³%RXO{WDQG%RXORWWH´ ³&URTXH 0LWDLQH´ ³$9HU\)LQH )LGGOH´ ³7ZR6XPPHUV DQG 7ZR6RXOV´ ³$7XUNH\+XQW´ ³7KH%rQLWRXV¶6ODYH´ Kate Chopin’s Flash Fiction 69 ³9DJDERQGV´ ³7KH %OLQG 0DQ´ ³-XDQLWD´ ³&DOLQH´ ³7KH:KLWH(DJOH´ ³7KH6WRU\RIDQ +RXU´ ³7KH.LVV´ DQG³)HGRUD´ ,QDGGLWLRQ &KRSLQZURWHPDQ\RWKHUVWRULHVWKDWPLJKWEHFRQVLGHUHG³ÀDVK´ RUSHUKDSV³VXGGHQ´ ¿FWLRQLIWKHUHTXLVLWHZRUGFRXQWLVOLPLWHGWR roughly 2000 words or less. Such stories include “Madame Celestin’s 'LYRUFH´ ³7KH 5HFRYHU\´ ³$9LVLW WR$YR\HOOHV´ ³$5HVSHFWDEOH:RPDQ´ ³/D%HOOH=RUDLGH´ ³5HJUHW´ ³2GDOLH0LVVHV0DVV´ ³7KH/LOLHV´ ³$3DLURI6LON6WRFNLQJV´ DQG³'HVLUHH¶V%DE\´ WR mention just a few. However, although Chopin was often invested in the idea of writing short stories that were truly short, this aspect of her writing has not been much explored. Chopin’s Flash Fiction and Flash Fiction Theory 'HVSLWHWKHUHFHQWLQWHUHVWLQÀDVK¿FWLRQDQGLQORQJHUZRUNVRIWHQ FDOOHGVXGGHQ¿FWLRQVXUSULVLQJO\OLWWOHFULWLFLVPKDVEHHQSXEOLVKHG DERXWLW2QH¿QHEXWEULHIJXLGHWRWKHgenre appears in various ³$IWHUZRUGV´SXEOLVKHGLQSudden Fiction: American Short-Short Stories, edited by Robert Shapard and -DPHV7KRPDV 7KLV ERRNDQHDUO\DQGLQÀXHQWLDODQWKRORJ\¿UVWDSSHDUHGLQ,Q the thirty years since then, no comparable survey of commentary has EHHQLVVXHG)ODVK¿FWLRQLWVHOIKDVEHHQSXEOLVKHGLQDEXQGDQFH but no one has yet succeeded in collecting comments on the form DVZHOODV6KDSDUGDQG7KRPDVGLG KHUHDIWHUDEEUHYLDWHG³6 7´ 1 Many comments they collected (usually only a paragraph long) FDQSURYLGHKHOSIXOLQVLJKWVLQWRWKHQDWXUHDQGH൵HFWLYHQHVVRIKate &KRSLQ¶VÀDVK¿FWLRQ7KHZULWHU)UHG&KDSSHOOIRULQVWDQFHDUJXHV