Responding to America's love for short-short stories, editors Robert Shapard and James Thomas searched thousands of books and magazines to select these sixty stories-each under 2,000 words, each with its own element of surprise-whether traditional, experimental, humorous, moving, or magical. In the process they discovered both new talents and a wealth of celebrated writers, among them Lan Samantha Chang, Jorge Luis Arzola, Aimee Bender, Romulus Linney, Yann Martel, Teolinda Gersao, Sam Shepard, and Tobias Wolff. Ha Jin narrates the arrest of two jokers by the Chinese state. Zdravka Evtimova conjures blood drops that can cure any disease. Ian Frazier writes public relations for crows. Juan Jose Millas leads an amnesiac husband to a darkened cathedral for a tryst with his own wife. Chuck Palahniuk tries his luck as a hospice escort. These tales told quickly offer pleasures long past their telling. Book jacket

Includes Other Persons Juan Jose Millas -- A History of Everything, Including You Jenny Hollowell -- The Raft Peter Orner -- The Red Fox Fur Coat Teolinda Gersao -- Loving the Dead Ronald F. Currie Jr. -- Powder Tobias Wolff -- Water Names Lan Samantha Chang -- Berlin Wall Piece Sam Sheppard -- The Rememberer Aimee Bender -- Homage Nadine Gordimer -- Tomorrow's Bird Ian Frazier -- The Palmist Andrew Lam -- Blood Zdravka Evtimova -- Objects in Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear Joyce Carol Gates -- Footnote Romulus Linney -- We Ate the Children Last Yann Martel -- My Lawrence Claudia Smith -- Feeling Good, Feeling Fine George Garrett -- Pompeii Leslie Pietrzyk -- Ma, a Memoir -- Lynn Freed Essential Things Jorge Luis Arzola -- Seven Pieces of Severance Robert Olen Butler -- The Wine Doctor Frederick Adolf Paola -- In Reference to Your Recent Communications Tessa Brown -- Following the Notes Pia Z. Ehrhardt -- The Minimalist Stacey Richter -- I Shot the Sheriff Toure --

Before the Train and After Katherine Nolte -- Rosa Blanca Barry Gifford -- The Puppies Dean Paschal -- Before and Again Larissa Amir -- A Bad Joke Ha Jin -- Consumed Steve Amick -- Why Men Quit: An Intellectual Inquiry Benjamin Alire Saenz -- Delicate Touch Stephanie Waxman -- Country Miles Robert King -- Scroll Roy Kesey -- Swimming for Shore Chrissy Kolaya -- Mud Geoffrey Forsyth -- Feelers John Gould -- The Party Elizabeth Berg -- My Kid's Dog Ron Hansen -- Power Lines John McNally -- Incarnations of Burned Children David Foster Wallace -- Inclusions Elizabeth McBride -- Good, Brother Peter Markus -- Reply All Robin Hemley -- Escort Chuck Palahniuk -- The Gold Lunch Ron Carlson -- Doughnut Shops and Doormen Kimberly Kepa'a Tubania -- A Piece of Sky Ronald Frame -- Stolen Chocolates Ursula Hegi -- Juan the Cell Phone Salesman Deb Olin Unferth -- Nap Time Tom Franklin -- Audio Tour Patricia Marx -- Paper Slippers Leelila Strogov -- Crossroad Kirk Nesset -- Determinants Gerald Locklin -- How I Left Ned Sherrie Flick -- Moscow Steve Almond