Collects forty short stories published between 1915 and 2015, from writers that include Ernest Hemingway, John Updike, and Alice Munro that exemplify their era and stand the test of time -- Source other than Library of Congress.

Published for the centennial celebration of the annual, Best American short stories.

The gay old dog -- Brothers -- My old man -- Haircut -- Babylon revisited -- The cracked looking-glass -- That will be fine -- Those are as brothers -- The whole world knows -- The enormous radio -- I stand here ironing -- Sonny's blues -- The conversion of the Jews -- Everything that rises must converge -- Pigeon feathers -- Will you please be quiet, please? -- By the river -- The school -- The conventional wisdom -- Friends -- Harmony of the world -- Lawns -- Communist -- Helping -- Displacement -- Friend of my youth -- The girl on the plane -- Xuela -- If you sing like that for me -- Fiesta, 1980 -- The third and final continent -- Brownies -- What you pawn I will redeem -- Old boys, old girls -- Refresh, refresh -- Awaiting orders -- What we talk about when we talk about Anne Frank -- Diem perdidi -- The semplica-girl diaries -- At the round Earth's imagined corners.