Anthology of the American Short Story offers a diverse collection of stories that reflects not only an expansive range of fictional approaches, but also the breadth of multicultural writers who have contributed to the development of the short-story genre.

With a balance between frequently anthologized and newly discovered works, this collection captures the artistic development of the short story, presenting works of exceptional literary quality from 1747 to 2005. Thorough introductions provide a context for each selection by covering the historical and social events as well as major developments in literature associated with the story.

• The editor presents the early short story--those works published between 1747 and 1819--as a significant element in American literary history. Although not always an aesthetic success, these stories demonstrate the evolving methodology of storytelling.
• A historical organization of works--from nascent forms of the story to its status as the quintessential genre of American Literature--highlights how American writers have continued to innovate, revise, and develop the short-story genre.
• This comprehensive anthology combines classics with many rarely anthologized short stories, such as Ruth Suckow's "A Start in Life" and Benjamin Franklin's "The Speech of Miss Polly Baker."
• The contents include many never-before anthologized selections, including nine newly discovered, anonymously-published works. The editor's research into early and experimental forms of short fiction is not duplicated in any other American anthology on the market.
• The anthology includes an emphasis on stories written by women and other minorities to help illustrate their contributions to the history of American fiction. These selections include "Mrs. Spring Fragrance," by Sui Sin Far, and "The Lynching of Jube Benson," by Paul Laurence Dunbar.