A review by gregzimmerman
The Best American Short Stories 2024 by Heidi Pitlor, Lauren Groff

adventurous challenging emotional funny inspiring reflective relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

 
Heidi Pitlor, the retiring series editor, writes in the Foreward that after the first batch of 30 stories she sent this year’s guest editor Lauren Groff, Groff replied that she wanted more stories that took “wild swings, risks, pushing against narrative expectations.” 

You’d expect nothing less from a book with Groff’s name on it. 

Then, in the introduction to the collection, Lauren Groff writes: “What I tried to draw together for you, here, are twenty stories that buzz with their own strange logic.”

Two things: 1) I LOVE Lauren Groff, and 2) Mission accomplished. 

All this is to say that there isn’t too much traditional in this year’s collection. And for that reason, I loved it.