"Twelve esteemed authors candidly discuss the crafting of their own remarkable short stories, selected by the editor not only for overall fineness and appeal, but also for the exemplary uses to which each work puts one of the following elements of fiction writing: character, plot, point of view/voice, setting, structure, and theme."--BOOK JACKET.

"A Karen and Michael Braziller book."

I.Character -- hoaxer / Walter Kirn -- Prowler / Elizabeth Tallent -- II. Plot -- story of my life / Kim Edwards -- record as long as your arm / George Garrett -- III. Point of view/voice -- China / Charles Johnson -- Condolences to every one of us / Allan Gurganus -- IV. Setting -- Sur / Ursula K. Le Guin -- third and final continent / Jhumpa Lahiri -- V. Structure -- Dream children / Gail Godwin -- Smorgasbord / Tobias Wolff -- VI. Theme -- Rich / Ellen Gilchrist -- Never marry a Mexican / Sandra Cisneros.