Raymond Carver – What We Talk About When We Talk About Love
Carver is, to my mind, the greatest short story writer the U.S. has produced. This collection is my bible.
James Wright – Above the River
Reading Wright was the first time I read poetry that was masculine, like I believed I needed to be, but also vulnerable and scared, like I actually felt.
Isabel Allende – The Stories of Eva Luna
I try to be an attentive student of short fiction, my preferred medium. And Allende’s Eva Luna collection is a master class in using the form to tell a larger, overarching story.
John Steinbeck – In Dubious Battle
In Dubious Battle is a sort of companion to The Grapes of Wrath, with more anger and purpose. What if Tom Joad got organized?
Rachel Kushner – The Flamethrowers
Flamethrowers is just such a goddamn good story, so interestingly told. Remarkable. Every page.
Travis Cravey is a mechanic in Southeastern Pennsylvania. He misses his home in Texas every day. He tries to write good stories, as best he can. He’ll show them to you, if you ask.