Craig A. Warren

As an undergraduate embarking on a senior thesis about Donald Barthelme, this book became a constant companion. Many years later, Forty Stories is still a valued friend. Many readers dismiss Barthelme as too ironic, cold, and mysterious to take seriously. (One of my mentors described his work as "unwholesome.") I disagree. This talented writer produced stories whose brevity, wit, and honesty can leave one staggered with feeling. And they often do.