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27+ Works 189 Members 1 Review

About the Author

Jackson R. Bryer is a professor of English at the University of Maryland, where he has primarily taught courses in twentieth-century American fiction, American drama, and modern drama, at the undergraduate and graduate levels, for four decades. Among the several books he has authored, edited, or show more co-edited are French Connections: Hemingway and Fitzgerald Abroad, Approaches to Teaching Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, Dear Scott/Dear Max: The Fitzgerald-Perkins Correspondence, and Dear Scott, Dearest Zelda: The Love Letters of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. For eight years he contributed the chapter on Fitzgerald and Hemingway to American Literary Scholarship: An Annual. He served on the Board of Directors of the Ernest Hemingway Society/Foundation from 1992-94 and from 1997-2005. He currently serves on the Board of Advisors for the edition of Hemingway's complete correspondence. (Bowker Author Biography) show less

Works by Jackson R. Bryer

F. Scott Fitzgerald in his own time: A miscellany (1971) — Editor — 33 copies
Why I Like This Story (2019) 11 copies

Associated Works

The Basil and Josephine Stories (1973) — Editor, some editions — 285 copies
The Heath Anthology of American Literature, Volume 1 (1990) — Contributor, some editions; Editor, some editions — 255 copies
Dear Scott Dear Max the Fitzgerald Perki (1971) — Editor — 42 copies
Selected Letters of Eugene O`Neill (1988) — Editor — 22 copies

Tagged

Common Knowledge

Birthdate
1937-09-11
Gender
male
Nationality
USA
Education
University of Wisconsin (PhD | 1965)
Occupations
English professor
Organizations
University of Maryland
Short biography
Jackson R. Bryer was a professor in the English Department at the University of Maryland from 1964 to 2005

Members

Reviews

Why I like This Story, edited by Jackson R. Bryer, is an extensive and eclectic collection of essays written by current authors about their favorite American short stories. The essayists have eclectic tastes, ranging from the most recognizable classic writers such as Cheever, James, and Melville to more obscure or contemporaries. Five of them unknowingly picked another contributor as their inspiration, and many seemed to know and reference each other. Bryer prefaces the book with the assumption that writers are the best judges of each other’s work. Due to their unique appreciation for how difficult writing short-form fiction can be, their perspective and insight can be particularly valuable. Since the essays are penned by accomplished authors, they are also of a higher quality than most reviews and more interesting in their approaches than the typical jargon-laden or pretentious analyses. Bryer points out that many of the essays reveal as much about the essayist as they do about the stories discussed. The 48 entries in Why I Like This Story vary in terms of their tone, length, style and readability. While some essays are very personal and reflective, others border more closely on high-brow literary-assessment. Bryer’s collection invites browsing and entices the reader to search out some stories and authors that may be unfamiliar. He helpfully provides introductions to each selection that point out where the original tales can most easily be found. Why I Like This Story would be a good choice for aspiring writers (and appreciators) of American short fiction- both traditional and new.

Thanks to Edelweiss and Camden House (Boydell & Brewer, Inc.) for an ARC of this book in exchange for an objective review.
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jnmegan | May 13, 2019 |

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Statistics

Works
27
Also by
5
Members
189
Popularity
#115,306
Rating
3.9
Reviews
1
ISBNs
48
Languages
2

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