Funny Short Stories
Short stories first grew out of the oral tradition, and include such forms as the anecdote, the fable, the folk tale, and the fairy tale. One could even argue that a long joke is as much a short story as one of Saki's tales with a twisted ending. In modern fiction, Raymond Carver, Grace Paley, Lorrie Moore, Annie Proulx and Sherman Alexie have helped bring the short story back into mainstream publishing after a marked absence. Though short stories can certainly be somber and even tragic (see Annie Proulx's "Brokeback Mountain" or Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery"), the form lends itself to a lighter touch. Since the constraints of length set limits on the complexity of plot and character, tone and style come to the fore. A hip, urban voice, as is found in Candace Bushnell's Sex and the City, can find the irony and humor in situations others might find sad. Stories from South Beach, by Sunday Lee, has that urban voice. Set in the Art Deco world of Miami, Lee's stories touch on the archetypal issues of love and loss, but with a light tone. Much of the humor stems from the contrast between South Beach as the playground of the rich and as the setting for the vicissitudes of daily life as experienced by the rest of us. In the tradition of All Things Bright and Beautiful and All Things Great and Small, True Animal Stories by Stedman H. Carr presents stories both poignant and hilarious, taken by the author from his 47 years as a veterinarian. If you're searching for a gift for the animal lover in your life, books by veterinarians are a wonderful choice. Both of these collections are now available here at Bouncing Ball Books. You can also visit us at the state veterinary convention in Orlando, Florida in September of 2006, where we'll be showcasing both of Dr. Carr's books.
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