The O. Henry Prize Stories 2015

The O. Henry Prize Stories 2015 gathers twenty of the best short stories of the year, selected from thousands published in literary magazines. The winning stories span the globe—from the glamorous Riviera to an Eastern European shtetl, from a Native American reservation to a tiny village in Thailand. But their characters are universally recognizable and utterly compelling, whether they are ex-pats in Africa, migrant workers crossing the Mexican border, Armenian immigrants on the rough streets of East Hollywood, or pioneers in nineteenth-century Idaho. Accompanying the stories are the editor’s introduction, essays from the eminent jurors on their favorite stories, observations from the winning writers on what inspired them, and an extensive resource list of magazines.   Finding Billy White Feather PERCIVAL EVERETT   The Seals LYDIA DAVIS   Kilifi Creek LIONEL SHRIVER   The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA MANUEL MUÑOZ   A Permanent Member of the Family RUSSELL BANKS   A Ride out of Phrao DINA NAYERI   Owl EMILY RUSKOVICH             The Upside-Down World BECKY HAGENSTON   The Way Things Are Going LYNN FREED   The History of Happiness BRENDA PEYNADO   The Kingsley Drive Chorus NAIRA KUZMICH   Word of Mouth EMMA TÖRZS   Cabins CHRISTOPHER MERKNER   My Grandmother Tells Me This Story MOLLY ANTOPOL   The Golden Rule LYNNE SHARON SCHWARTZ   About My Aunt JOAN SILBER   Ba Baboon THOMAS PIERCE   Snow Blind ELIZABETH STROUT   I, Buffalo VAUHINI VARA   Birdsong from the Radio ELIZABETH MCCRACKEN   For author interviews, photos, and more, go to www.ohenryprizestories.com