Short Story by Lars Gustafsson. A celebration of how a severely retarded man, cut off from society and without love or human companionship, uses childhood memories to connect to the world through an imaginary private universe in which, as the creator, he holds a place of greatness.
Short Story by Ursula Le Guin. A wife is so blinded by her love for her husband that she fails to notice subtle hints that indicate potential problems in his character. It almost costs the lives of their children and results in the poor man suffering a gruesome death.
Novelette by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. An Indian-American woman struggles to come to terms with the failure of her arranged marriage and her teenage son’s increasing withdrawal. An unexpected visit from her closest childhood friend and rival, now a highly successful single businesswoman, teaches her that no life is perfect.
Grade 5-6 Story by Gary Soto. A sixth-grader is scared of forgetting his only line (“Nothing’s wrong. I can see,”) in his school play. In addition to worrying about being laughed at, another student has threatened to “bury his face in the ground” if he messes up.
Quick Read by Heinrich Böll. An aspiring actor finds that his only talent is laughing convincingly and, where required, infectiously on demand. Although much sought after and a financial success, he detests the work because laughter is not in line with his usually sombre character.