31 Days of Stories 2020, Day 21: “For Smokers Only” by Julio Ramón Ribeyro; Katherine Silver, trans.
Peruvian writer Julio Ramón Ribeyro’s semi-autobiographical story investigates the metaphysical pleasures a smoker finds in cigarettes.
31 Days of Stories 2020, Day 20: “Mani Pedi” by Souvankham Thammavongsa
Souvankham Thammavongsa’s story is a multi-layered tale of a former boxer who takes a job at his sister’s nail salon.
31 Days of Stories 2020, Day 19: “Long Term Care” by Kate Cayley
Kate Cayley’s emotionally shattering story is about the struggles of adult children managing a parent’s end-of-life care.
31 Days of Stories 2020, Day 18: “Brutto” by Helen DeWitt
Helen DeWitt’s story is about the fraught tension between artistic integrity and fame.
31 Days of Stories 2020, Day 17: “The Piazza” by Herman Melville
Herman Melville’s tale is a story of disillusionment and thwarted idealism.
31 Days of Stories 2020, Day 16: Seventy-two Canadian stories, curated by Kevin Hardcastle
The Canadian novelist and short story writer has put together a list that provides a robust cross-section of Canadian short fiction in the 21st century.
31 Days of Stories 2020, Day 15: “The Swan Suit” by Katherine Fawcett
In “The Swan Suit,” Katherine Fawcett updates the tropes of classical folk tales, lending them a feminist spin.
31 Days of Stories 2020, Day 14: “Mr. Molt” by Anosh Irani
Anosh Irani’s story is about a grieving mother who is convinced her dead son has been reincarnated as a penguin at the local zoo.
31 Days of Stories 2020, Day 13: “The Pugilist at Rest” by Thom Jones
Thom Jones’s most famous story is about one U.S. Marine before, during, and after deployment to Vietnam.
31 Days of Stories 2020, Day 12: “Slumming” by Ottessa Moshfegh
Ottessa Moshfegh uses humour to drive home a deadly serious point.