Collection of 20 American short stories by such noted authors as Alice Munro and Tobias Wolff; includes contributors' notes and a list of 100 additional stories.

Once the shore / Paul Yoon -- Awaiting orders / Tobias Wolff -- The ambush / Donna Tartt -- Secret / Maxine Swann -- Dominion / Mark Slouka -- So much for Artemis / Patrick Ryan -- Refresh, refresh / Benjamin Percy -- Self-reliance / Edith Pearlman -- The view from Castle Rock / Alice Munro -- tattooism / Kevin Moffett -- Cowboy / Thomas McGuane -- The dog / Jack Livings -- After a life / Yiyun Li -- The conductor / Aleksandar Hemon -- Today I'm yours / Mary Gaitskill -- How we avenged the Blums / Nathan Englander -- Grandmother's nose / Robert Coover -- A new gravestone for an old grave / David BVezmozgis -- The casual car pool / Katherine Bell -- Mr. Nobody at All / Ann Beattie with Harry Mathews.