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Overview
The first edition of May's Short Story Theories (1976) opened with an essay entitled, "The Short Story: An Underrated Art." Almost two decades later, the short story suffers no such slight. Publishers and critics have become increasingly interested in the form, which has enjoyed a renaissance led by such writers as Raymond Carver, Tobias Wolff, Ann Beattie, Bobbie Ann Mason, and Mary Robison. An important part of this revival of interest, Short Story Theories has continued to attract a strong and loyal audience among students and teachers. The New Short Story Theories includes a few basic pieces from the earlier volume - Poe's Hawthorne review, Brander Matthew's extension and formalization of Poe's theories, and essays by Randall Jarrell, Elizabeth Bowen, and Nadine Gordimer - but most of the essays are new to the collection.Synopsis
The first edition of May's Short Story Theories (1976) opened with an essay entitled, "The Short Story: An Underrated Art." Almost two decades later, the short story suffers no such slight. Publishers and critics have become increasingly interested in the form, which has enjoyed a renaissance led by such writers as Raymond Carver, Tobias Wolff, Ann Beattie, Bobbie Ann Mason, and Mary Robison. An important part of this revival of interest, Short Story Theories has continued to attract a strong and loyal audience among students and teachers. The New Short Story Theories includes a few basic pieces from the earlier volume - Poe's Hawthorne review, Brander Matthew's extension and formalization of Poe's theories, and essays by Randall Jarrell, Elizabeth Bowen, and Nadine Gordimer - but most of the essays are new to the collection.
Booknews
**** A collection of essays that comprises a sourcebook for the study of the short story, originally published in 1976 as Short Story Theories (and cited in BCL3). The present edition reflects the renaissance in the short story, retaining a few key pieces from the earlier volume, but mostly bringing together more recent essays that address problems of definition, historical considerations, issues of technique, and cognitive approaches. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)