THE BEST AMERICAN SHORT STORIES 2003

Six gems and one sleeper are packaged into a fine collection befitting the title. Each writer's work is read with clarity and feeling, turning each short story into a masterpiece. Seasoned narrator Oliver Wyman reads E.L Doctorow's "Baby Wilson" with such wry credibility that the listener can actually suspend disbelief with the character and accept that kidnapping wasn't such a bad crime. Lonnie Farmer creates a mystical aura as he reads master storyteller Louise Erdrich's "Shamengwa," a fitting close to a great selection of works. As Mosley explains in his introduction, each piece, while short, is a work of art, and the performances only build on their artistry. H.L.S. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/ JUL 04]