A collection of the year’s best short stories, selected by National Book Award finalist Min Jin Lee and series editor Heidi Pitlor.

“Without stories, we cannot live well,” shares guest editor Min Jin Lee, describing how storytelling affects and nurtures readers. The Best American Short Stories 2023 features twenty pieces of contemporary fiction that reflect a world full of fractured relationships, but also wondrous hope. A lifelong friendship may become a casualty of the Russia-Ukraine war. Rejected by his lover, a man seeks to reconcile with his family. Twitter users miraculously muster enough empathy to help a lost cat find a forever home. Enlightening, poignant, and undeniably human, the stories in this literary anthology bravely confront societal darkness and offer, in Lee’s words, “our emotional truths, restoring our sanity and providing comfort for the days ahead.”

The Best American Short Stories 2023 includes Cherline Bazile • Maya Binyam • Tom Bissell • Taryn Bowe • Da-Lin • Benjamin Ehrlich• Sara Freeman • Lauren Groff • Nathan Harris • Jared Jackson • Sana Krasikov • Danica Li • Ling Ma • Manuel Muñoz • Joanna Pearson • Souvankham Thammavongsa • Kosiso Ugwueze • Corinna Vallianatos • Azareen Van Der Vliet Oloomi • Esther Yi

Guest editor Min Jin Lee curates an unforgettable collection exploring:

Fractured Relationships: From a lifelong friendship tested by the Russia-Ukraine war to a man seeking reconciliation with his family after being rejected by a lover.
Unexpected Hope: Discover moments of wondrous hope, where the empathy of strangers on Twitter can bring a lost cat to a forever home.
Award-Winning Curation: Selected by a National Book Award finalist and the esteemed series editor, this anthology represents the pinnacle of the short story form.
A Diverse Range of Voices: Twenty of the year’s best pieces of short fiction introduce a wide spectrum of literary talents, from established masters to rising stars.