We’re not in Camelot but it is the “lusty Month of May.” May plays host to Jewish American Heritage Month, Short Story Month, Children’s Book Week and a plethora of other special celebrations.

To mark the confluence of Jewish American Heritage Month and Short Story Month, I am featuring some of the short story collections, of which there are many.

Don’t ever think that short stories are lesser bits of literature than novels. In a short story, as in a children’s picture book, every word counts although the picture book has the advantage of illustration to expand the text. There is no room for rambling or for elaborate descriptions in a short story. The writer must choose the right word- not words- or that short story will no longer be short.

Short stories can contain every emotion that a longer work does and can elicit the same reactions; it just does it with fewer words. Short stories can be easily read in one sitting, but a good collection will entice the reader onto the next story and the next.

Here is a small sample of some of the both recent and also classic short stories in our library. They are all listed as fiction and are shelved alphabetically by author and occasionally by title.

America and I: short stories of American Jewish women writers. There are twenty-three stories written in the 20th century by some of the best writers of American fiction.

Because God Loves Stories: an anthology of Jewish storytelling. This anthology collects stories from many times and places but includes some American stories.

Oxford Book of Jewish Stories. There are 52 stories from around the world with a noteworthy selection by American authors.

Englander, Nathan.  What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank. These stories from the noted novelist have been called “bizarre, surreal, hilarious.”

Gold, Nora, Editor. 18:  Jewish stories translated from 18 languages. While not American stories, this collection shows the wide range of short stories from many different countries.

Grynberg, Mikoceaj. I’d Like  to  Say I’m Sorry, but There’s No One to Say Sorry To. These darkly funny stories set in contemporary Poland are translated from Polish. This book was a finalist for the National Jewish Book Awards.

Howe, Irving. A Treasury of Yiddish Stories. “Fifty-two Yiddish short stories describe life in the shetl and other aspects of the Jewish experience, and include works produced by Jewish writers during the last two centuries.” Some stories are set in the United States. A classic collection

Keret, Etgar. Fly Already. Etgar is a laudatory story writer whose work transcends nationality.

Moses, Jennifer. The Man Who Loved his Wife. A collection of stories with a modern sensibility.

Tsabari, Ayelet.  The Best Place on Earth. Winner of the Sami Rohr Prize. While these stories don’t take place in the U.S. (some are set in Canada), Tsabari is one of the best contemporary writers and is well worth reading.

jewishfiction.net is a website that features short stories from around the world. Some are available gratis but there is a charge to have full access to the site. But if you love short stories, it may be worth it.