Quick Read by Catherine Lim. A Singapore English teacher frustrated by the lack of progress in one of his students misses vital clues that may indicate problems at home. The self-absorbed teacher then heartlessly gives her a failing grade, destroying her dreams and possibly leading to her suicide
Short Story by Saki. A sickly ten-year-old boy masks his hatred for the “Woman”, a controlling guardian who thwarts his every pleasure in his life. To cope, he acts out fantasies in a disused tool-shed. When she tries to clear it out, a caged polecat-ferret named Sredni Vashtar takes revenge.
Short Story by Joyce Carol Oates. Two college girls encounter a woman they believe to be a heavily disguised Marilyn Monroe browsing in a used bookstore. For the girls, coming to grips with their sexuality and mutual attraction, the shared experience triggers a first kiss.
Short Story by Ellis Parker Butler. A customer argues with a freight agent who claims that two guinea pigs he has been sent should be charged as common pigs rather than pets. By the time the matter is settled, the dispute has almost brought the freight company to its knees
Novelette by Philip Roth. A Jewish-American army sergeant returning from the battlefields of World War 2 is assigned to a training unit in which there is an entitled Jewish recruit. The recruit exploits their common heritage, scheming, lying and manipulating the sergeant to receive special treatment.