Featured Stories

The Voice of Death

The Voice of Death: Romanian folktale from Andrew LangIn this Romanian folktale, a rich man thinks how terrible it would be to die and have to leave all of his money behind. He sets out to find a land where people do not die. Finally, he comes across a country where the word death is unknown. Instead of dying, people simply follow a strange voice and never return. The rich man is sure that he is strong enough to resist the voice. He moves there with his wife and family, only to learn the truth of the English idiom: Nothing is certain in life but death and taxes.

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The First Seven Years

The First Seven Years: Short story by Bernard MalamudThe major theme of this story from Bernard Malamud, with its allusion to the biblical tale of Jacob and Rebecca, is materialism vs. spiritualism. An aging, ailing shoemaker is excited to identify a potential suitor with good financial prospects for his nineteen-year-old daughter. His dreams are shattered when the girl, an avid reader of the classics, rejects the man as being a materialist with “no soul”. He later experiences an epiphany upon learning that she already shares a romantic interest… with his equally sensitive but poorly educated, much older workshop assistant. Other themes: insensitivity, independence, self-learning, worldliness vs. love.

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Saint Manuel Bueno, Martyr

Saint Manuel Bueno, Martyr: Short story by Miguel de UnamunoThis Miguel de Unamuno story (aka Saint Emmanuel the Good, Martyr) is a memoir by a Spanish woman reflecting on her close connection with a Catholic priest about to be beatified. The outwardly pious man, who was credited with several miracles and spent his life ministering to the people of her remote mountain village, harbored an astonishing secret… he did not believe in God! His life had been a charade for the supposed good of the villagers. Themes include existentialism, self-sacrifice, community, the nature and role of religion, New vs. Old World values, identity, truth vs. ignorance and bliss.

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The Price of Eggs in China

The Price of Eggs in China: Short story by Don LeeMajor themes of this story by Don Lee are love, art and rivalry. Set in California, a Japanese-American furniture artisan is caught-up in rivalry between his girlfriend and a female customer. Both women are poets. Although once good friends, they fell-out after their first books got very different reviews. The girlfriend, whose work was rated poorly, believes the other woman is trying to ruin her life. Things take a dark turn when she reports receiving threatening phone calls. Readers are left wondering whether these are real, or contrived to destroy her rival. Other themes include self-image, insecurity, paranoia, and sacrifice.

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Love in the Cornhusks

Love in the Cornhusks: Short story by Aida Rivera-FordOn the surface, this story from Aida Rivera-Ford is about young love leading to an illegitimate child, a “disappearing” boyfriend, an unhappy marriage of convenience, affirmation of the boyfriend’s love, and taking responsibility for one’s actions. On a deeper level, questions arise as to whether the couple’s lovemaking was consensual or forced (She resisted but his arms were strong.). We also see elements of ethnic and class discrimination in the descriptions of Tinang’s Bagobo husband and her sense of superiority over the “darker-skinned” girls and other workers in the fields. Themes: prejudice, love, choices and consequences, regret, facing reality/moving on.

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Bible

Bible: Short story by Tobias WolffTobias Wolff’s Bible starts with schoolteacher Maureen facing one of a woman’s worst fears. A man comes up behind her in a parking lot, demands her keys, and forces her into her car. Superficially, the story is about justice. The man’s son is about to be expelled from her school for cheating. On a deeper level, it is an account of the failed relationships in Maureen’s life. The man wants Maureen to swear on a white bible he got from Goodwill. White is a symbol of innocence and purity; throwing it in a goodwill bin suggests casting off these values.

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Eleonora

Eleonora: Short story by Edgar Allan PoeIn this atypical Edgar Allan Poe story there is madness, but not the destructive kind; death, but not the gruesome kind; and a spirit, but not a frightening one. Also unusual is Poe’s extensive use of poetic prose. His description of the idyllic valley may be an allusion to the Garden of Eden, leaving readers to wonder if the couple’s incestuous lovemaking beneath the serpent-like trees was the “apple” that destroyed their paradise. Themes: the beauty of nature, innocence, passion, love, death, moving on. Poe’s message: true love endures; despite the loss of a loved one, life must go on.

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Farewell to a Ghost

Farewell to a Ghost: Short story by Manoj DasAlthough one of the main characters is a ghost, this story by Manoj Das is not a horror story. An unfortunate ghost in a deserted villa has become an integral part of life in an Indian village. The government plans to demolish the villa to pay its taxes, and the villagers must try to relocate the ghost so that it doesn’t try to resettle in someone’s house. Themes include coming of age, the important role of superstition in traditional village culture, and the impact of modern ideas in changing traditional values and beliefs.

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