Prize Stories 1996: The O. Henry Awards (The O. Henry Prize Collection)

For the past three decades William Abrahams has  selected the O. Henry Award winners. Building on  a tradition that spans over three quarters of a  century The O. Henry Awards has been widely  regarded as the nations most prestigious awards  for short fiction (The Atlantic  Monthly). Every year Abrahams has chosen a  diverse group of stories and writers to creat a  collection that includes perennial favorites as well  as an increasing number of lesser known writers  many of whom have gone on to become seminal voices  in current American fiction. Prize  Stories 1996 is both William Abrahamss  thirtieth anniversary as Editor of this landmark  collection and his last which gives this collection a  special resonance. The twenty or more stories  selected for this honor each yhear are culled from a  broad range of American magazines both large and  small offering the reader the full sweep and variety  of todays fiction. As in previous years  Prize Stories 1996 concludes with a  contributors notes section including comments by the  writers on the inspirations behind their stories  providing readers with a unique entrÚe into the  writers creative processes. Representing the  excellence of contemporary fiction writing these stories  demonstrate the continuing strenghth and vitality  of the American short story.