New Stories from the South
New Stories from the South is an annual compilation of short stories published by Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill between 1986 and 2010 and billed as the year's best stories written by Southern writers or about the Southern United States. The stories are collected from more than 100 literary magazines, including The Atlantic, Harper's Magazine, The New Yorker, the Oxford American, The Paris Review, Ploughshares, and The Southern Review. Shannon Ravenel, then the editor of the annual Best American Short Stories anthology, launched the New Stories from the South series in 1986 and compiled and edited every volume until 2006. To mark the third decade of the series, Algonquin invited author and John Simon Guggenheim Fellow Allan Gurganus to be guest editor.[1]
New Stories from the South has collected the work of many prominent modern American writers, including Steve Almond, Russell Banks, John Barth, Madison Smartt Bell, Wendell Berry, Roy Blount Jr., Larry Brown, James Lee Burke, Robert Olen Butler, Andre Dubus, William Faulkner (a newly discovered story), Barry Hannah, Nanci Kincaid, Aaron Gwyn, Barbara Kingsolver, Bobbie Ann Mason, Reynolds Price, Keith Lee Morris, John Sayles, Lucy Corin, Lee Smith, and Peter Taylor.
List of Compilations and Stories[]
New Stories from the South: The Year's Best, 1986. Edited by Shannon Ravenel. ISBN 9780912697406.
- Bridging by Max Apple
- Triptych by Madison Smartt Bell
- Tongues of Flame by Mary Ward Brown
- Communion by
- The Convict by James Lee Burke
- Air by Ron Carlson
- Says Velma by
- Martha Jean by
- The World Record Holder by
- Something Good for Ginnie by Mary Hood
- Summer of the Magic Show by David Huddle
- Holding on by
- Umpire by
- Delivery by
- Something to Lose by
- Wallwork by Luke Whisnant
- Chicken Simon by Sylvia Wilkinson
New Stories from the South: The Year's Best, 1987. Edited by Shannon Ravenel. ISBN 9780912697666.
- Across from the Motoheads by Luke Whisnant
- Lady of Spain by
- Heart by
- Life on the moon by Lee Smith
- Where Pelham fell by Bob Shacochis
- The Pure in heart by Peggy Payne
- Sugar, the eunuchs / and Big G.B. by Lewis Nordan
- Vincristine by
- After Moore by Mary Hood
- Dressed like Summer Leaves by Andre Dubus
- Magnolia by
- Heroic Measures / Vital Signs by John William Corrington
- Peter the Rock by
- Edward and Jill by Robert Boswell
- Dependents by
New Stories from the South: The Year's Best, 1988. Edited by Shannon Ravenel. ISBN 9780912697901.
- Happiness of the Garden Variety by Mark Richard
- Game Farm by John Rolfe Gardiner
- Half Measures by
- The Man who Knew Belle Starr by Richard Bausch
- First Union Blues by Jill McCorkle
- Voice by Eve Shelnutt
- Limited Access by
- The Watch by Rick Bass
- George Bailey Fishing by Ellen Akins
- Rose-Johnny by Barbara Kingsolver
- Gas by
- Facing the Music by Larry Brown
- The Crumb by Sunny Rogers
- Belonging by Pam Durban
- Like the Old Wolf in all those Wolf Stories by Nanci Kincaid
- Metropolitan by
New Stories from the South: The Year's Best, 1989. Edited by Shannon Ravenel. ISBN 9780945575276.
- Preface by Shannon Ravenel
- A Hank of Hair, a Piece of Bone by Lewis Nordan
- Six White Horses by
- Samaritans by Larry Brown
- Wish by Bobbie Ann Mason
- Customs of the Country by Madison Smartt Bell
- Playing by David Huddle
- Coupon for Blood by
- Hot Springs by Paula Sharp
- Wild Horses by Rick Bass
- Where She Was by Kelly Cherry
- Strays by Mark Richard
- Pacific Theater by
- The Rain of Terror by Frank Manley
- Homes by
- It Wasn't All Dancing by Mary Ward Brown
New Stories from the South: The Year's Best, 1990. Edited by Shannon Ravenel. ISBN 9780945575528.
- Spittin' Image of a Baptist boy by Nanci Kincaid
- The Cellar of Runt Conroy by Lewis Nordan
- Family by Lance Olsen
- Feast of the Earth, Ransom of the Clay by Mark Richard
- Just Outside the B.T. by Moira Crone
- The Kind of Light that shines on Texas by Reginald McKnight
- Letter to the lady of the house by Richard Bausch
- The Boarder by
- Crow Man by
- Changing Names by Clyde Edgerton
- Les Femme Creoles by Bob Shacochis
- Zoe by
- Where we land by
- Sleep by Larry Brown
- Fishbone by
- The History of Rodney by Rick Bass
New Stories from the South: The Year's Best, 1991. Edited by Shannon Ravenel. ISBN 9780945575825.
- Cousin Aubrey by Peter Taylor
- The Arabesque by Barbara Hudson
- Intensive Care by Lee Smith
- The Screened Porch by
- Relic by Robert Olen Butler
- With Jazz by Bobbie Ann Mason
- A Life or Death Matter by
- Big Bad Love by Larry Brown
- South of Kittatinny by
- The Birds for Christmas by Mark Richard
- Poinsett's Bridge by Robert Morgan
- Waiting for Hard Times to End by Jill McCorkle
- Black Cat Bone by
- In the Loyal Mountains by Rick Bass
- This is not the Picture Show by Nanci Kincaid
- His Final Mother by Reynolds Price
New Stories from the South: The Year's Best, 1992. Edited by Shannon Ravenel. ISBN 9781565120112.
- The Bubba Stories by Lee Smith
- Lilacs by Abraham Verghese
- A New Life by Mary Ward Brown
- A Sturdy Pair of Shoes that Fit Good by Nanci Kincaid
- Death Crown by Robert Morgan
- Clearwater and Latissimus by Alison Baker
- The Winnowing of Mrs. Schuping by Padgett Powell
- Texas City, 1947 by James Lee Burke
- Quitting Smoking by Reginald McKnight
- Explaining Death to the Dog by
- A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain by Robert Olen Butler
- The Witch of Owl Mountain Springs: An Account of Her Remarkable Powers by Peter Taylor
- Economics by
- Like Hands on a Cave Wall by
- A Roadside Resurrection by Larry Brown
- You have Chosen Cake by
- After Memphis by
New Stories from the South: The Year's Best, 1993. Edited by Shannon Ravenel. ISBN 9781565120532.
- Marie by Edward Jones
- Charlotte by Tony Earley
- Selling Whiskers by Barbara Hudson
- Spinach by
- Evening by Richard Bausch
- Man Watcher by Jill McCorkle
- Trouble at the Home Office by David Huddle
- Family Planning by
- Helens and Roses by
- The Waiting Room by Peter Taylor
- Rescuing Ed by
- A Jonquil for Mary Penn by Wendell Berry
- Bounty by Pinckney Benedict
- Name Me this River by
- White Boys and River Girls by
- Prisoners by Wayne Karlin
- Preparation by Robert Olen Butler
- Major Six Pockets by
New Stories from the South: The Year's Best, 1994. Edited by Shannon Ravenel. ISBN 9781565120884.
- Nicodemus Bluff by Barry Hannah
- My Other Life by Melanie Sumner
- My Mother's Shoes by Robert Love Taylor
- Outlaw Head & Tail by George Singleton
- Pretending the Bed was a Raft by Nanci Kincaid
- Retreat by Frederick Barthelme
- Dark Corner by Robert Morgan
- Landscape and Dream by
- The Palace Thief by Ethan Canin
- The Heart Must from its Breaking by Leon Rooke
- Deeds of Light by Reynolds Price
- Luxury by
- Peeling by John Sayles
- Aren't You Happy for Me? by Richard Bausch
- Sweet Tooth by
- The Prophet from Jupiter by Tony Earley
New Stories from the South: The Year's Best, 1995. Edited by Shannon Ravenel. ISBN 9781565121232.
- Water people by James Lee Burke
- Gravity by
- Bases by Scott Gould
- In the distance by
- Teams by
- The runaways by Elizabeth Spencer
- The bug man by Tim Gautreaux
- Fixing Lu by
- The Stucco house by Ellen Gilchrist
- Ladies of the marble hearth by
- Riding with the doctor by
- Boy born with tattoo of Elvis by Robert Olen Butler
- Everything quiet like church by
- Paying attention by
- I am the bear by Wendy Brenner
- Drummer down by Barry Hannah
- Gravity by Jesse Lee Kercheval
New Stories from the South: The Year's Best, 1996. Edited by Shannon Ravenel. ISBN 9781565121553.
- Rose of Lebanon by William Faulkner
- Gauguin by Moira Crone
- Paradise by Jill McCorkle
- The host by
- Jealous husband returns in form of parrot by Robert Olen Butler
- Some say the world by
- Goose girl by
- The happy memories club by Lee Smith
- A happy, safe thing by
- The Balm of Gilead tree by Robert Morgan
- Died and gone to Vegas by Tim Gautreaux
- Cool moss by David Gilbert
- General Markman's last stand by Tom Paine
- Mood music by
- Grant by Ellen Douglas
Best of the South: From Ten Years of New Stories from the South. 1997. Selected and introduced by Anne Tyler. ISBN 9781565121287.
- Martha Jean by
- After moore by Mary Hood
- Where pelham fell by Bob Shacochis
- Heart by
- Watch by Rick Bass
- Customs of the country by Madison Smartt Bell
- Rain of terror by Frank Manley
- Hank of hair, a piece of bone by Lewis Nordan
- Letter to the lady of the house by Richard Bausch
- Kind of light that shines on Texas by Reginald McKnight
- This is not the picture show by Nanci Kincaid
- Birds for Christmas by Mark Richard
- Intensive care by Lee Smith
- After Memphis by
- Winnowing of Mrs. Schuping by Padgett Powell
- Charlotte by Tony Earley
- Marie by Edward P. Jones
- Nicodemus bluff by Barry Hannah
- My other life by Melanie Sumner
- Water people by James Lee Burke
New Stories from the South: The Year's Best, 1997. Edited by Shannon Ravenel with a preface by Robert Olen Butler. ISBN 9781565121751.
- Corporal Love by
- Ramone by Judy Troy
- Help me fine my spaceman lover by Robert Olen Butler
- The taxi ride by
- Little frogs in a ditch by Tim Gautreaux
- After the opera by
- The Green Suit by
- Gravity by Pam Durban
- Native daughter by Lee Smith
- Along a wider river by
- Ashes north by Edward Allen
- Julia and Nellie by Ellen Douglas
- The finest wife by Elizabeth Gilbert
- Simpler components by
- Marrying Aunt Sadie by
- Mojo farmer by Brad Vice
- The half-pint by
- Every building wants to fall by
- Pavane for a dead princess by
New Stories from the South: The Year's Best, 1998. Edited by Shannon Ravenel with a preface by Padgett Powell. ISBN 9781565122192.
- Yellow Jack by
- Rita's mystery by John Holman
- Memorial Day by Mark Richard
- The baker's wife by
- The lesson by Frederick Barthelme
- Aliens of affection by Padgett Powell
- Where words go by
- In the Little Hunky River by
- Girls like you by
- The poet by Stephen Dixon
- Nipple by Wendy Brenner
- Sorry blood by Tim Gautreaux
- The other mother by Enid Shomer
- The only way to ride by
- Bridge by Tony Earley
- The order of things by Nancy Richard
- These people are us by George Singleton
- Naked as Tanya by
- Talk radio by
New Stories from the South: The Year's Best, 1999. Edited by Shannon Ravenel with a preface by Tony Earley. ISBN 9781565122475.
- Birdland by Michael Knight
- Fla. boys by
- Lunch at the Piccadilly by Clyde Edgerton
- Those deep elm Brown's ferry blues by William Gay
- Missy by Richard Bausch
- Caulk by George Singleton
- Borrowed hearts by Rick DeMarinis
- The human side of instrumental transcommunication by Wendy Brenner
- Pagan babies by
- Leaving Venice, Florida by
- Storytelling by Mary Gordon
- Krista had a treble clef rose by Mary Clyde
- Booker T's coming home by
- Beyond the point by Michael Erard
- Miracle boy by Pinckney Benedict
- Neighborhood by
- Little bitty pretty one by
- Name of love by
- Quill by Tony Earley
- Poachers by Tom Franklin
New Stories from the South: The Year's Best, 2000. Edited by Shannon Ravenel with a preface by Ellen Douglas. ISBN 9781565122956.
- A Note to Biographers Regarding Famous Author Flannery O'Connor by Mary Helen Stefaniak
- Sheep by
- In the Doorway of Rhee's Jazz Joint by
- Dancing with the One-Armed Gal by Tim Gautreaux
- Box by A. Manette Ansay
- The Best Friend by Chris Offutt
- Heavy Metal by Robert Olen Butler
- My Hand is Just Fine Where it is by William Gay
- Mr. Puniverse by Wendy Brenner
- The Thing with Willie by
- Good-hearted Woman by Melanie Sumner
- The Widow by Romulus Linney
- He's at the Office by Allan Gurganus
- Wave by John Holman
- Debra's Flap and Snap by Clyde Edgerton
- The Circus House by Cathy Day
- Just Married by Tony Earley
- Rhonda and her Children by
- Forgetting the End of the World by R.H.W. Dillard
- How to Tell a Story by
New Stories from the South: The Year's Best, 2001. Edited by Shannon Ravenel with a preface by Lee Smith. ISBN 9781565123113.
- Where what gets into people comes from by Moira Crone
- The Saturday morning car wash club by
- The hero of loneliness by
- Make a wish by
- Jolie-Gray by
- Inappropriate babies by
- I am not like Nuñez by
- Public relations by George Singleton
- The paperhanger by William Gay
- Pink miracle in East Tennessee by Robert Love Taylor
- Jesus is sending you this message by Jim Grimsley
- In between things by
- The whimsied world by
- Two lives by Madison Smartt Bell
- Father judge run by Carrie Brown
- Skin deep by Edith Pearlman
- Shoes by
- Hunting country by
- The rest of your life by John Barth
New Stories from the South: The Year's Best, 2002. Edited by Shannon Ravenel with a preface by Larry Brown. ISBN 9781565123755.
- Tennessee by Romulus Linney
- End of the steam age by
- Charting the territories of the red by William Gay
- The unripe heart by
- Of falling by Aaron Gwyn
- The rat spoon by
- Anthropology by Andrea Lee
- Aboveground by Doris Betts
- I have lost my right by R. T. Smith
- Beneath the deep, slow motion by Brad Barkley
- The more they stay the same by
- Maximum sunlight by Kate Small
- Show-and-tell by George Singleton
- Pilgrims by Julie Orringer
- Big bend by
- The Outer Banks by Russell Banks
- The growth and death of Buddy Gardner by Corey Mesler
- The bone divers by David Koon
- Faith healer by Lucia Nevai
New Stories from the South: The Year's Best, 2003. Edited by Shannon Ravenel with a preface by Roy Blount, Jr. ISBN 9781565123953.
- For those of us who need such things by
- Nirvana by
- Cool wedding by
- Dying light by
- Inside out by Chris Offutt
- Johnny too bad by John Dufresne
- Rich people by Lucy Corin
- Report from Junction by Brad Vice
- The ballad of Rappy Valcour by
- The soul molecule by Steve Almond
- The faithful by
- Ellen's book by Michael Knight
- Every tongue shall confess by ZZ Packer
- Corpus by
- Keegan's load by Mark Winegardner
- Off Island by Michael Parker
- Compassion by Dorothy Allison
- Unheard music by Peter Meinke
New Stories from the South: The Year's Best, 2004. Edited by Shannon Ravenel with a preface by Tim Gautreaux. ISBN 9781565124325.
- A rich man by Edward P. Jones
- A family of breast feeders by [[Starkey Flythe, Jr.
- Second hand by Chris Offutt
- Valor by
- Best cousin by Tayari Jones
- Raise children here by George Singleton
- Pagans by Rick Bass
- The judgement of Paris by
- The Lolita School by
- Coal smoke by Silas House
- Dog song by Ann Pancake
- Love is gnats today by
- Feeling lucky by Michael Knight
- Saturday afternoon in the Holocaust Museum by
- One summer by
- Intervention by Jill McCorkle
- The widow by Bret Anthony Johnston
- Docent by R.T. Smith
New Stories from the South: The Year's Best, 2005. Edited by Shannon Ravenel with a preface by Jill McCorkle. ISBN 9781565124691.
- Hidden meanings : treatment of time, supreme irony, and life experiences in the song "Ain't gonna bump no more no big fat woman" by Michael Parker
- The boucherie by
- Until Gwen by Dennis Lehane
- The kindest cut by Judy Budnitz
- The burning of the flag by James Lee Burke
- Mr. Sender by Moira Crone
- Severance by Robert Olen Butler
- Jane's hat by Cary Holladay
- The dream lover by
- Nap time by Tom Franklin
- Anything that floats by Bret Anthony Johnston
- Clairvoyant by
- The charm of the highway median by
- The pantyhose man by
- My heart is a snake farm by Allan Gurganus
- Good witch, bad witch by
- The choir director affair (the baby's teeth) by Kevin Wilson
- The boy in the tree by Elizabeth Spencer
- Dumdum by
Best of the South: From the Second Decade of New Stories from the South. 2005. Edited by Shannon Ravenel; selected and introduced by Anne Tyler. ISBN 9781565124707.
- The host by
- The Happy Memories Club by Lee Smith
- Ramone by Judy Troy
- Gravity by Pam Durban
- Memorial Day by Mark Richard
- Talk radio by
- Birdland by Michael Knight
- Fla. boys by
- Those Deep Elm Brown's Ferry blues by William Gay
- Sheep by
- Debra's flap and snap by Clyde Edgerton
- Jesus is sending you this message by Jim Grimsley
- Hunting country by
- The unripe heart by
- Faith healer by Lucia Nevai
- The faithful by
- Second hand by Chris Offutt
- Intervention by Jill McCorkle
- Good witch, bad witch by
- The boucherie by
- Appendix: New Stories from the South, 1986-2005.
New Stories from the South: The Year's Best, 2006. Edited by and with a preface by . ISBN 9781565125315.
- Yard art by Tony Earley
- The burning by Cary Holladay
- Mike by Wendell Berry
- Tunneling to the center of the earth by Kevin Wilson
- Amanuensis by J.D. Chapman
- Money whipped by William Harrison
- Grove by
- Director's cut by George Singleton
- Kids make their own houses by
- Tired Heart by Keith Lee Morris
- The music you never hear by
- Blue knights bounced from CVD tourney by Chris Bachelder
- You love that dog by Mary Helen Stefaniak
- Justice by Daniel Wallace
- Fill in the blank by Enid Shomer
- How to build a house by Luke Whisnant
- The currency of love by Nanci Kincaid
- Tastes like chicken by R.T. Smith
- Brief encounters with Che Guevara by Ben Fountain
- Jubilation, Florida by N.M. Kelby
New Stories from the South: The Year's Best, 2007. Edited by Edward P. Jones. ISBN 9781565125568.
- Goats by Rick Bass
- A season of regret by James Lee Burke
- The ice garden by Moira Crone
- Ghost town choir by Joshua Ferris
- The safe by Tim Gautreaux
- Fourteen feet of water in my house by Allan Gurganus
- Hollyhocks by Cary Holladay
- At the Powwow Hotel by
- Life expectancy by Holly Goddard Jones
- Beauty and virtue by
- Dogs with human faces by
- One day this will all be yours by Philipp Meyer
- Jakob Loomis by
- Which rocks we choose by George Singleton
- Story by R.T. Smith
- Bela Lugosi's dead by
- A terrible thing by Daniel Wallace
- Unassigned territory by Stephanie Powell Watts
New Stories from the South 2008: The Year's Best. Edited by ZZ Packer and with an introduction by ZZ Packer. ISBN 9781565126121.
- Theory of realty by Holly Goddard Jones
- Bridge of Sighs by Pinckney Benedict
- The ease of living by Amina Gautier
- First marriage by
- The unnecessary man by
- So this is permanence by
- The great speckled bird by Clyde Edgerton
- Back of beyond by Ron Rash
- Suck it by Merritt Tierce
- Wretch like me by R.T. Smith
- Candidate by
- Lizard man by
- The girls by
- First husband, first wife by Jim Tomlinson
- Republican by Bret Anthony Johnston
- Leak by Mary Miller
- Albemarle by Charlie Smith
- Child of God by
- Lucky seven & Dalloway by Stephanie Dickinson
- Andrea is changing her name by Kevin Brockmeier
New Stories from the South 2009: The Year's Best. Edited by Madison Smartt Bell and with an introduction by with an introduction by Madison Smartt Bell. ISBN 9781565126749.
- Muscle memory by
- Banger finds out by Kelly Cherry
- Touch touch me by
- Family museum of the ancient postcards by Stephanie Powell Watts
- Child of God by
- Coast by
- No joke, this is going to be painful by Kevin Wilson
- The camera obscura by
- Magic words by Jill McCorkle
- Some thing blue by Tayari Jones
- Love city by Stephanie Dickinson
- Grand old party by Michael Knight
- Quarantine by Rahul Mehta
- Sightings by Elizabeth Spencer
- Between wrecks by George Singleton
- The world, the flesh, and the devil by Pinckney Benedict
- Night glow by
- Bird dog by
- Horse people by Cary Holladay
- Fly away, breath by Wendell Berry
- The elderberries by
New Stories from the South: The Year's Best, 2010. Edited by Amy Hempel and with an introduction by Amy Hempel. ISBN 9781565129863.
- New Year's Weekend on the Hand Surgery Ward, Old Pilgrims' Hospital, Naples, Italy by
- Fish story by Rick Bass
- Noon by Brad Watson
- Someone ought to tell her there's nowhere to go by Danielle Evans
- The ascent by Ron Rash
- Small and heavy world by
- A burden by Wendell Berry
- The cow that milked herself by Megan Mayhew Bergman
- Columbarium by George Singleton
- Caiman by Bret Anthony Johnston
- Eraser by
- Housewarming by Kevin Wilson
- Jason who will be famous by Dorothy Allison
- Arsonists by Ann Pancake
- Drive by Aaron Gwyn
- The green belt by
- The coldest night of the twentieth century by
- Cry for help from France by Padgett Powell
- Nightblooming by
- Discovered America by
- Return trip by Elizabeth Spencer
- Idols by Tim Gautreaux
- This trembling earth by
- Visitation by Brad Watson
- Retreat by Wells Tower
Resource[]
- Shannon Ravenel (editor), New Stories from the South, (Chapel Hill: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2005).
- 2005 books
- Algonquin Books books