Anna March’s Reading Mixtape #28: Linked Stories/Novels in Stories

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I recently finished revisions to a novel I’ve been working on for years and have embarked on writing a new novel, in stories, Hazel Conquers the World. I’ve always loved the form and these are some favorites and masterful examples of the very specific craft of making each story stand alone and in service to the whole.Reading Mixtape Header

  1. A Taste of Honey: Stories by Jabari Asim
    Sometimes I think everything I need to know about writing can be found by reading and re-reading Jabari’s books.
  2. Rhoda by Ellen Gilchrist
    A perfect character study.
  3. Blueprints for Building Better Girls by Elissa Schappell
    No one writes girls better.
  4. Monkeys by Susan Minot
    The best example of a novel in stories I know.
  5. Our Kind by Kate Walbert
    Delicious.
  6. Once the Shore by Paul Yoon
    Beautiful.
  7. Circus in Winter by Cathy Day
    Cathy’s attention to small details make this a big book.
  8. Mother of Sorrows by Richard McCann
    Perfect.
  9. Normal People Don’t Live Like This by Dylan Landis
    Generous and open—like it’s author.
  10. Cities I’ve Never Lived In by Sara Majka
    Smart.
  11. Shout Her Lovely Name by Natalie Serber
    A triumph of story and taut writing.
  12. The Dew Breaker by Edwidge Danticat
    Glorious.
  13. Girl Trouble by Holly Goddard Jones
    I can’t stop thinking about this book—long after reading.
  14. Local Souls by Allan Gurganus
    An immediate classic of the form.
  15. The State We’re In: Maine Stories by Ann Beattie
    A short-story writer’s writer—she is one of the reasons I’m a writer.
  16. Barefoot Dogs: Stories by Antonio Ruiz-Camacho
    Fresh, exciting, inventive.

 

linked stories

 

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Original logo art by Esme Blegvad.

Anna March’s writing appears regularly in Salon and here at the Rumpus and her work has been widely published including in The New York Times' Modern Love Column, New York Magazine, VQR, Hip Mama and Tin House. Her essay collection, Feminist Killjoy, and novel, The Diary of Suzanne Frank, are both forthcoming and she is at work on two new books. She teaches writing workshops, mentors writers, is active in promoting literary community and is the co-founder of LITFOLKS in LA and DC. She lives in Rehoboth Beach and Los Angeles. Sometimes she has pink hair. Follow her on Twitter @ANNAMARCH or learn more about her at ANNAMARCH.COM. More from this author →