Ethan Canin

Whether his characters are struggling to save trees in their yards, their marriages, or themselves, Cannin renders their moments of revelation with rich observation, energy, humor, and grace.

In the early 1970s, Corey Sifter, the son of working-class parents, becomes a yard boy on the grand estate of the powerful Metarey family. Soon, through the family’s generosity, he is a student at a private boarding school and an aide to the great New York senator Henry Bonwiller, who is running for president. Before long, Corey finds himself involved with one of the Metarey daughters as well, and he begins to leave behind the world of his upbringing....

Gone to Texas: The true-life story of Sam Houston, the frontier hero and statesman whose bravery and vision led to the creation of the Republic of Texas. The wife of a brutal sheriff falls for a condemned prisoner. She helps him escape. Together they do their best to elude the sheriff who has vowed to get his wife back and to take vengeance on the outlaw. Blue River: In the small Wisconsin town of Blue River, secrets run deep. And for Henry Howland,...

When a new student starts in Professor Hundert's class, little does the professor know that this student will change his life forever. They start out butting heads and end up forming a friendship that will shake the controlled world of the professor. The lessons learned will last a lifetime.

"Twenty contemporary authors introduce twenty sterling examples of the short story from the pages of The Paris Review"--Cover.