a city reader

Make No Mistake
Alice Munro is the best

Last issue, in talking about Nathan Englander’s spectacular new collection of stories, What We Talk About When We talk About Anne Frank, I mentioned my all-time favorite short story writers. There were maybe ten I listed. Big names. No surprise I picked them as my favorites. They’d be on everyone’s list.

But my list was incomplete. I left off Alice Munro. It was a mistake. I think I know why it happened. The ones who easily made the list were so predictable and excellent, they all seem to belong there together. Alice Munro is different from them. She’s not famous in the way they are. She doesn’t represent an era, or a style. To me she shines in her own kind of light. She‘s the best ever. Those who read her know that. If you haven’t read her, I envy you your discovery.