Alice Munro: master of the contemporary short story
I was delighted to learn that Canadian Alice Munro, “master of the contemporary short story,” won'the 2013 Nobel Prize for literature. Short fiction has long been obscured by the imposing shadow of the novel. I’ve met people who say they won't read short stories – they will only read novels. When I hear this sentiment expressed, I think of the maddening stubbornness of the character in the Dr. Seuss classic, Green Eggs and Ham – “I do not like green eggs and ham. I do not like them Sam-I-am.”
Yes, I'm proud as a Canadian, and pleased as a woman (surprisingly, the Nobel Prize has only been awarded to a woman 13 times since 1901). And I’m very happy that the Nobel Prize is winning Alice Munro new readers – every Alice Munro book we put on display at North York Central Library was snapped up soon after the announcement of her win!
But mostly, I hope this win will persuade people to read short stories. In an interview with Adam Smith (of Nobelprize.org) Alice Munro expressed the same hope:
[Adam Smith] And the award will bring a great new readership to your work …
[Alice Munro] Well I would hope so, and I hope this would happen not just for me but for the short story in general. Because it's often sort of brushed off, you know, as something that people do before they write their first novel. And I would like it to come to the fore…
On November 5, Lynn Coady won'the Giller Prize for her short story colllection, Hellgoing. In an interview with CBC radio's Jian Ghomeshi the morning after her win Coady said short stories were like "the red headed step child of publishing." She went on to say that "Alice Munro's choice to work exclusively in this form really makes people sit up and notice and realize how legitimate a form it is." With Coady's win, it seems that short stories are coming to the fore, due in part, I think, to Alice Munro.
A few words to those who have never read Alice Munro's work: don’t expect a plot driven machine of a work, in which pieces fit neatly into one another with mechanical precision and a clean cut, unambiguous conclusion is reached.
Torontonians, I implore you not to read her work in transit, your attention fractured by the distracting soundscape of TTC noises –the rattling and clattering, the distorted echoes of undecipherable announcements — Alice Munro's work deserves more.
I suggest a quiet room, a place you won’t be interrupted.
Give her your full attention. Don’t read quickly. Every word counts.
Heartfelt congratulations, Alice Munro.
Related posts: Good things really do come in small packages: in praise of short fiction
One thought on “Alice Munro: master of the contemporary short story”
thank you for the info on reading Alice Monroe I needed it especially re reading on transit-it’s been years since I picked up one of her books our library in Victoria put up a special display of her short stories.