The best short stories of 1920, and the yearbook of the American short story

This anthology gathers a vivid cross‑section of American short fiction from the early 1920s, presenting works that first appeared in the nation’s leading magazines. Readers will encounter a range of voices—from Sherwood Anderson’s quietly unsettling domestic scenes to the sharply comic twists of Rupert Hughes—each capturing the hopes, anxieties, and everyday moments of a rapidly changing society. The collection also includes contributions by emerging women writers such as Edna Clare Bryer and Grace Sartwell Mason, whose stories blend wit with keen social observation.

Beyond the stories themselves, the volume offers a concise yearbook of the short‑story market, with indexes of publications, critical summaries, and notes on the most influential periodicals of the period. This companion material provides listeners with a sense of the literary landscape that shaped these works, making the anthology both a rewarding listening experience and a useful guide to the era’s short‑form storytelling.