Best American Short Stories 2006

　　"While a single short story may have a difficult time raisingenough noise on its own to be heard over the din of civilization,short stories in bulk can have the effect of swarming bees,blocking out sound and sun and becoming the only thing you canthink about," writes Ann Patchett in her introduction to The BestAmerican Short Stories 2006. This vibrant, varied sampler of theAmerican literary scene revels in life's little absurdities,captures timely personal and cultural challenges, and ultimatelyshares subtle insight and compassion. In "The View from CastleRock," the short story master Alice Munro imagines a fictionalaccount of her Scottish ancestors' emigration to Canada in 1818.Nathan Englander's cast of young characters in "How We Avenged theBlums" confronts a bully dubbed "The Anti-Semite" to both comic andtragic ends. In "Refresh, Refresh," Benjamin Percy gives aforceful, heart-wrenching look at a young man's choices when hisfather -- along with most of the men in his small town -- isdeployed to Iraq. Yiyun Li's "After a Life" reveals secrets, hiddenshame, and cultural change in modern China. And in "Tatooizm,"Kevin Moffett weaves a story full of humor and humanity about ayoung couple's relationship that has run its course. Ann Patchett"brought unprecedented enthusiasm and judiciousness to The BestAmerican Short Stories 2006]," writes Katrina Kenison in herforeword, "and she is, surely, every story writer's ideal reader,eager to love, slow to fault, exquisitely attentive to the text andall that lies beneath it."