Laura Furman Books

The memoir delves into the profound impact of loss and the complexities of family dynamics following the author's mother's death from ovarian cancer. Laura Furman reflects on her childhood joy contrasted with the numbness during her mother's illness, detailing her journey through grief, self-discovery, and recovery. The narrative highlights the emotional void left by her mother's absence and the challenges posed by her father's limitations. Written in beautiful prose, it celebrates the healing power of motherhood and the resilience required to reclaim a sense of ordinary paradise in family life.

"The O. Henry Prize Stories 2015 gathers twenty of the best short stories of the year, selected from thousands published in literary magazines. The winning stories span the globe - from the glamorous Riviera to an Eastern European shtetl, from a Native American reservation to a tiny village in Thailand. But their characters are universally recognizable and utterly compelling, whether they are ex-pats in Africa, migrant workers crossing the Mexican border, Armenian immigrants on the rough streets of East Hollywood, or pioneers in nineteenth-century Idaho. Accompanying the stories are the editor's introduction, essays from the eminent jurors on their favorite stories, observations from the winning writers on what inspired them, and an extensive resource list of magazines"--

The PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories 2011 contains twenty unforgettable stories selected from hundreds of literary magazines. The winning tales take place in such far-flung locales as Madagascar, Nantucket, a Midwestern meth lab, Antarctica, and a post-apocalyptic England, and feature a fascinating array of characters: aging jazzmen, avalanche researchers, a South African wild child, and a mute actor in silent films. Also included are essays from the eminent jurors on their favorite stories, observations from the winners on what inspired them, and an extensive resource list of magazines. Your Fate Hurtles Down at You Jim Shepard Diary of an Interesting Year Helen Simpson Melinda Judy Doenges Nightblooming Kenneth Calhoun The Restoration of the Villa Where Tibor Kálmán Once Lived Tamas Dobozy Ice Lily Tuck How to Leave Hialeah Jennine Capó Crucet The Junction David Means Pole, Pole Susan Minot Alamo Plaza Brad Watson The Black Square Chris Adrian Nothing of Consequence Jane Delury The Rules Are the Rules Adam Foulds The Vanishing American Leslie Parry Crossing Mark Slouka Bed Death Lori Ostlund Windeye Brian Evenson Sunshine Lynn Freed Never Come Back Elizabeth Tallent Something You Can’t Live Without Matthew Neill Null For author interviews, photos, and more, go to www.ohenryprizestories.com A portion of the proceeds from this book will go to support the PEN Readers & Writers Literary Outreach Program.

The PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories 2012 gathers twenty of the best short stories of the year, selected from thousands published in literary magazines. These remarkable stories explore the boundaries of the imagination in settings as various as an army training camp in China, the salt mines of Detroit, a divided Balkan town, and the eye of a hurricane. Also included are essays from the eminent jurors on their favorite stories, observations from the winners on what inspired them, and an extensive resource list of magazines.

A collection of the twenty best contemporary short stories selected by series editor Laura Furman from hundreds of literary magazines, The PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories 2010 brings to life a dazzling array of subjects: a street orphan in Malaysia, a cowboy and his teenage bride, a Russian nanny in Manhattan, a nineteenth-century Nigerian widow, and political prisoners on a Greek island. Also included are essays from the eminent jurors on their favorite stories, observations from the winners on what inspired them, and an extensive resource list of magazines. Them Old Cowboy Songs Annie Proulx Clothed, Female Figure Kirstin Allio The Headstrong Historian Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Stand By Me Wendell Berry Sheep May Safely Graze Jess Row Birch Memorial Preeta Samarasan Visitation Brad Watson The Woman of the House William Trevor The Bridge Daniel AlarcOn A Spoiled Man Daniyal Mueenuddin Oh, Death James Lasdun Fresco, Byzantine Natalie Bakopoulos The End of My Life in New York Peter Cameron Obit Ted Sanders The Lover Damon Galgut An East Egg Update George Bradley Into the Gorge Ron Rash Microstories John Edgar Wideman Some Women Alice Munro Making Good Lore Segal For author interviews, photos, and more, go to www.ohenryprizestories.com A portion of the proceeds from this book will go to support the PEN Readers & Writers Literary Outreach Program.

The O. Henry Prize Stories 2014 gathers twenty of the best short stories of the year, from thousands published in literary magazines. The winning stories roam the world, from Nigeria to Venice, from an erupting volcano in Iceland to a brothel in the old Wild West. They feature a dazzling array of characters: a young American falling in love in Japan, a girl raised by snake-handling fundamentalists, an old man mourning his late wife, a fierce guard dog with a talent for escape. Accompanying the stories are the editor's introduction, essays from the eminent jurors on their favorite stories, observations from the winning writers on what inspired them, and an extensive resource list.

The collection features nine intricately woven stories that explore the complexities of domestic life through the experiences of mothers and aspiring mothers across multiple generations. Each narrative delves into themes of motherhood, identity, and the nuanced relationships within families, offering a rich tapestry of emotional depth and insight into the challenges and joys of nurturing.

The O. Henry Prize Stories 2013 gathers twenty of the best short stories of the year, selected from thousands published in literary magazines. The winning stories take place in such far-flung locales as a gorgeous sailboat in Hong Kong, a Cuban sugar plantation, the Kenai River in Alaska, a mansion in New Delhi, a ship torpedoed by a German U-boat, and the ghost-haunted rubble of a Turkish girls’ school. Also included are the editor’s introduction, essays from the jurors (Lauren Groff, Edith Pearlman, and Jim Shepard) on their favorite stories, observations from the winners on what inspired them, and an extensive resource list of magazines.

Introduction by Laura Furman, Series Editor Too Good To Be True, Michelle Huneven Something for a Young Woman, Genevieve Plunkett The Buddhist, Alan Rossi Garments, Tahmima Anam Protection, Paola Peroni Night Garden, Shruti Swamy A Cruelty, Kevin Barry Floating Garden, Mary La Chapelle The Trusted Traveler, Joseph O'Neill Blue Dot, Keith Eisner Lion, Wil Weitzel Paddle to Canada, Heather Monley A Small Sacrifice for an Enormous Happiness, Jai Chakrabarti The Bride and the Street Party, Kate Cayley Secret Lives of the Detainees, Amit Majmudar Glory, Lesley Nneka Arimah Mercedes Benz, Martha Cooley The Reason Is Because, Manuel Muñoz The Family Whistle, Gerard Woodward Buttony, Fiona McFarlane Reading The O. Henry Prize Stories 2017: The Jurors on Their Favorites David Bradley on Too Good To Be True by Michelle Huneven Elizabeth McCracken on Secret Lives of the Detainees by Amit Majmudar Brad Watson on Buttony by Fiona McFarlane Writing The O. Henry Prize Stories 2017: The Writers on Their Work Publications Submitted