Ten Favorite Karen Russell Stories
(Years ago the novelist Adam Ross called Karen Russell “the closest writer we have to Calvino,” and I thought damnit. I wanted to be Calvino.* Anyway, here are my ten favorite stories from Karen’s first three collections, in order of preference.)
Reeling for the Empire
The New Veterans
The Ghost Birds
Black Corfu
The Prospectors
The Gondoliers
Vampires in the Lemon Grove
The Seagull Army Descends on Strong Beach, 1979
St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves
Ava Wrestles the Alligator
* Maybe we can split him?
— October 30, 2021