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 Alarcón
 
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.