A young soldier loses his arm and his self-respect during the First World War. A chess player from a small Siberian town travels to a forbidding Cold War Leningrad to compete. Shortly after Kristallnacht, a teenager desperately tries to get a job, in his desire to fight the Nazis. A boy from a rural American town has an astonishing talent his parents can’t understand. After her husband’s death, a woman finally surrenders to her grief. Whether the writers showcased here depict a world close to home or far beyond our experience, each presents characters at depth, taking you into the heart of a wonderfully original story. Don’t rush. Savor each one.
If you would like to send a story for consideration as a Story of the Week, please see our guidelines. Each September the Top Five Stories are selected for special notice.
Congratulations to the winners. Each receives a $400 award.
Jennifer duBois
A Partial History of Lost Causes
2013 Northern California Book Award for Best Fiction
Martha Weinman Lear
The Comfort Zone
After my husband died, we kept in touch.
Nathan Poole
Silas
2013 winner of the Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction
Mary Swan
Burning Boy—1916
Robbie felt his missing fist clench.
Spencer Wise
Work
I only ever laid down with a girl last week.