Kate Braverman

Foreword What is the secret of a good short story? When I took on the job of series editor of The Best American Short Stories, I expected that a year of reading would result in some answers to that age-old question. Now, nearly two thousand sto- ries later, I am beginning to suspect that it...

INTRODUCTION When I think of life with my mother, I remember flying. As children, my younger sister and I spent a lot of time on planes and in airports with either one or both of my parents. But it's flying that reminds me of my mother. On Swissair one year, my sister and I, no more than six...