July 25, 2010
To pick just one
Last week, I offered up the chance to win my spare copy of CNQ to anyone who’d just tell me their favourite short story. Short stories, of course, being a most underappreciated form, but then what of the responses I received? Which were lists of short stories, because many couldn’t bear to pick just one. And magazines too, aren’t they supposed to be obsolete? But then everybody wants a copy of this one, perhaps for the keepsake inside, or its gorgeous redesign, or the wonderful articles and stories from cover to shining cover. One person emailed me the following a few days after entering: “Take me out of the CNQ draw. I bought the issue today. Couldn’t help myself. I’m hauling 100 lbs of books and magazines across the country, but I still needed to have this issue.”
The bad news: if you’re reading this and haven’t heard from me, you didn’t win.
The good news: CNQ is on sale at your local independent bookshop (and probably elsewhere too…). You won’t be sorry.
Also, favourite short stories include:
- Alice Munro’s “Red Dress”
- (can’t remember title but) from Hilary Sharper’s collection Dream Dresses
- L.M. Montgomery’s “The Quarantine”
- entirety of Olive Kitterage by Elizabeth Strout
- “My Husband’s Jump” by Jessica Grant
- “Coyote Columbus Story” by Thomas King
- Munro’s “Jack Randa Hotel”
- William Trevor’s “Three People”
- Michael Chabon’s “A Model World”
Loved it. Loved it, loved it, loved it. Found some of the arguments in favour of the short story redundant, but still loved it.