In teaching my students, one of the books of short stories I am using is Sherwood Anderson’s Winesburg, Ohio. In my estimation, it is a masterful collection for several reasons. First, Anderson’s exploration of character. He noticed the details, the turns of phrase his people spoke, their ticks and patterns. Masterful. Second, the stories are pithy. No extra, clumsy, unnecessary words. Some stories, like “Paper Pills,” for example, are only two-to-three pages long. But they are packed with brilliance. Third, there’s an ache of familiarity in these stories that makes you go, “Ah, yes; I know that experience” that great literature elicits.

Salute, Mr. Anderson. I see why Hemingway lauded you before he was later regretfully so unkind to you.