{"title":"Coolest Stories Press","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"coolest-american-stories-2022","title":"Coolest American Stories 2022","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAmerica's most talented storytellers share their most courageous, compelling, unputdownable work in a collection made for story lovers.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePraised early on by \u003cem\u003eBilly Lynn's Long Halftime Walk \u003c\/em\u003eauthor Ben Fountain and \u003cem\u003eThe Weight of Blood\u003c\/em\u003e author Laura McHugh, \u003cem\u003eCOOLEST AMERICAN STORIES\u003c\/em\u003e is a new annual short story anthology whose guiding philosophy is that a collection of \u003cem\u003einteresting\u003c\/em\u003e \"full meal\" short stories could, as one @JustCoolStories Twitter follower put it, \"make America cool again.\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eToward this end, \u003cem\u003eCOOLEST AMERICAN STORIES 2022\u003c\/em\u003e features a previously unpublished story by the multi-major-book-award-winning author of \u003cem\u003eBlacktop Wasteland\u003c\/em\u003e S. A. Cosby; the timeless, previously unpublished short story that led Tina Brown to sign Frances Park's \u003cem\u003eWhen My Sister Was Cleopatra Moon\u003c\/em\u003e; and Pulitzer Prize finalist Lee Martin's heartfelt rendering of married life that apparently was too startling for the editors of several university-affiliated literary magazines.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd since interesting storytelling—rather than a list of publishing credits—matters most to story-hungry readers, COOLEST AMERICAN STORIES 2022 also includes a page-turner about dating in Hollywood written by MFA student Megan Ritchie; Brooklyn native D.Z. Stone's very first published fiction, a hilarious love story that celebrates the power of women; a heartbreaking account of adult siblinghood authored by David Ebenbach—among others in this treasure trove of unputdownable, sharply written stories loaded with twists and turns.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCOOLEST AMERICAN STORIES founding editor\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMark Wish\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, who has seen more than 125 of his short stories published in print venues such as\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eBest American Short Stories\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and the\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003ePushcart Prize\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e anthology, now spends his time editing the short stories and novels of others and writing fiction of his own. Editor\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eElizabeth Coffey\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is VP of Interior Design at Random House, and, besides editing and designing COOLEST AMERICAN STORIES, is working on her first novel.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"Coolest American Stories 2022 is a helluva lot of fun. These stories bump and brim with rambunctious energy and show that the American short story is alive and well. Many thanks to Mark Wish and Elizabeth Coffey for this breath—or let's call it a gale—of fresh literary air.\" - \u003cstrong\u003eBen Fountain\u003c\/strong\u003e, winner of the PEN\/Hemingway Award and the National Book Critics’ Circle Award, author of \u003cem\u003eBilly Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Extraordinarily rich storytelling from fresh, vibrant voices—Coolest American Stories promises to be an annual force.\" - \u003cstrong\u003eLaura McHugh\u003c\/strong\u003e, internationally bestselling author of \u003cem\u003eThe Weight of Blood\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eWhat’s Done in Darkness\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Love short stories? This collection is for you. Not yet sure how to feel about short stories? This collection is definitely for you. Whoever you are, wherever you are: read these stories!\" - \u003cstrong\u003eLori Ostlund\u003c\/strong\u003e, Flannery O’Connor Award winner and author of \u003cem\u003eAfter the Parade\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Bigness of the World\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Coolest Stories Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41321718546582,"sku":"9781737573906","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0477\/8731\/1254\/products\/img_proxy_9935c483-4207-4778-8cc7-c20fb19a2b03.jpg?v=1642163713"},{"product_id":"coolest-american-stories-2023","title":"Coolest American Stories 2023","description":"\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003ePraised early on by numerous award-winning and bestselling authors, COOLEST AMERICAN STORIES 2023 is the second volume of the annual short story anthology whose guiding philosophy is that a collection of widely appealing short stories can make for common ground that could unite rather than divide Americans.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToward this end, COOLEST AMERICAN STORIES 2023 features a previously uncollected heartbreaking story by Morgan Talty, author of the widely acclaimed \u003cem\u003eNight of the Living Rez\u003c\/em\u003e; a witty story about growing up fast by widely published crime writer Nikki Dolson; and a candid tale about motherhood in the wake of tragedy by T. E. Wilderson.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd since \u003cem\u003einteresting\u003c\/em\u003e storytelling―rather than a bunch of publishing credits―matters most to story-hungry readers, COOLEST AMERICAN STORIES 2023 also includes a page-turner about celebrity stalking written by brand new author Georgia Smith; a previously unpublished and sensual story about love versus the American Dream by up-and-coming author Patricia García Luján; and R. C. Goodwin's striking tale about a dying parent's wish―among others in this treasure trove of unputdownable, sharply written, sometimes comic, sometimes frightening, always suspenseful stories loaded with twists and turns.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe various authors of the \"full meal\" short stories in COOLEST AMERICAN STORIES 2023 include copiously praised Morgan Talty, widely published authors Nikki Dolson and Gerald Elias, as well as a diverse host of other writers whose aim in creating these stories was to keep readers interested with their best, most riveting storytelling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“An unforgettable, diverse, and lively collection of tales that go \u003cstrong\u003eabove and beyond cool\u003c\/strong\u003e. \u003cstrong\u003eOnce I cracked this open, I was hooked.\u003c\/strong\u003e”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e—Alex Segura, bestselling author of \u003cem\u003eSecret Identity\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e “\u003cem\u003eCoolest American Stories 2023 \u003c\/em\u003ewill remind you why you fell in love with the short story in the first place: \u003cstrong\u003eunforgettable characters, memorable plots, and crackling prose. The tension hums on every page\u003c\/strong\u003e. This is a collection you won’t want to miss.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e—PEN\/Hemingway Award Finalist Rebecca Johns, author of \u003cem\u003eThe Countess \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e “Quirky, surprising—and yes, cool—these stories mirror the heartaches (and occasional joys) of the human experience with humor, poignancy, and grace. The anthology is \u003cstrong\u003ea showcase of the latest and greatest talent writing in the short form today\u003c\/strong\u003e.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e—Tara Laskowski, winner of Agatha and Anthony Awards, author of \u003cem\u003eThe Mother Next Door\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eOne Night Gone\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e “Read these \u003cstrong\u003eedgy and exceptional stories \u003c\/strong\u003efor inspiration, entertainment, and to take in the drumbeat of the zeitgeist. \u003cem\u003eCoolest American Stories 2023 \u003c\/em\u003eis a rewarding and panoramic selection.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e—Elizabeth McKenzie, author of \u003cem\u003eThe Portable Veblen\u003c\/em\u003e, longlisted for the National Book Award\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Nothing short of a miracle\u003c\/strong\u003e, really, that despite the despair of Covid, such a wonderful anthology could emerge.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e—Anne Serling, author of \u003cem\u003eAs I Knew Him: My Dad, Rod Serling\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“The stories in this volume are exemplars of \u003cstrong\u003ethe finest short story craft in contemporary literature.”\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e —\u003cem\u003eCalifornia Review of Books\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“The best current fiction anthology on the market.”\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e—Martin Ott, author of \u003cem\u003eThe Interrogator's Notebook\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Coolest Stories Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42240476184726,"sku":"9781737573920","price":20.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0477\/8731\/1254\/products\/9781737573920ita.jpg?v=1666296000"}],"url":"https:\/\/itascabooks.com\/collections\/coolest-stories-press.oembed","provider":"Itasca Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}