Want to be breathless? Get Marisa Silver’s “Alone With You”
For the past several months, I’ve been carrying on a love affair with the short story. I’m generally predisposed toward novels but these days, given the chaos of modern life, it may be a day or two (or, admittedly, longer) before I have time to settle in again. At which point, I’m out of sync with the pacing and often need a good memory jog to keep moving forward. Then there’s the battle to stay awake for more than 20 pages. The short story is a fine alternative. It’s compatible with my bedtime reading, but also with the all-too-brief minutes of free time throughout the day. Really, it’s a perfect and immediate literary fix when done well.