Why I love short stories.

You find a novel and you start reading it; and before you know it, you are married to it. It sinks it's claws into you and grabs you; and before you know it, you are committed to this 400 page book. Not with short stories. You can come home from a long day at school or work, open up your favorite book of short stories (or maybe even your copy of The Ratty Reader) sit down and read for fifteen minutes. You turn your mind on and get your imagination going and in just a short time everything melts away. My good friend Kurt put it best when he says that short stories are a form of "Buddhist catnaps". Just try to read a good short story by any of the great writers and see if you do not feel better afterwards.

This is my applause [applause] to the masters of the short story. Good for you Flannery! Yeah Kurt! Keep it up Mr. Twain!

Next time you head to the bookstore for some new reads, check out these titles:

The Complete Stories -- Flannery O'Connor
Welcome to the Monkey House -- Kurt Vonnegut
The Best Short Stories of Mark Twain