Short stories are somehow gatekept in the literary world and overlooked by the masses. Novels remain overwhelmingly the most popular way to consume prose—but I don’t see why it has to stay that way. Short stories give us everything that makes novels great—compelling characters, realistic dialogue, and vivid imagery—but in a tidier format. The most memorable short stories offer a glimpse of a life every bit as real, gritty, daring as our own. They reflect the best and worst parts of ourselves back to us, allowing us to understand ourselves and the world around us more clearly and with a greater sense of compassion – and never is that more true than in Latinx short stories.
How beautiful it is that there are stories about everyday Latinx people, living, striving, and existing? That they are portrayed with respect and care, not consumed by stereotypes. Latinx short stories can show us the beauty in the lives of people who, for most of history, didn’t get to be the protagonists of their own narratives. Now, they do.
“Woman Hollering Creek” by Sandra Cisneros from Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories
Let’s start with a classic. Sandra Cisneros is a legend for a reason, and the titular story of her collection Woman Hollering Creek is a perfect introduction to her work and showcase of her talent. Cleofilas, our protagonist, travels across the Texas border from México to marry her new husband, but her future isn’t what she expected. It’s a story about borders, names, resilience, and what it means to forget.
“Sugar Babies” by Kali Fajardo-Anstine from Sabrina and Corina
Kali Fajardo-Anstine is incredible. This story is the first selection in Sabrina and Corina, her acclaimed short story collection. It’s about Sierra, a middle schooler coming to terms with her mom abandoning her. It deals with themes of history and identity.
“Salt” by Alberto Reyes Morgan from PEN America Best Debut Short Stories 2021
This story blew me away. It’s a debut story from new author Alberto Reyes Morgan with an insane gift for painting characters and scenes that felt real, immediate, and needed. It follows young Latinx men, growing up in a California border town. The protagonist’s world is brutal, honest, and captivating. And in the end, “Salt” is about how even in the harshest of conditions hope and desire find their way into the sun.
Incidentally, Kali Fajardo-Anstine served as one of the judges of this collection.
“The Little Widow from the Capital” by Yohanca Delgado, from The Best American Short Stories 2022
Yohanca Delgado’s prose is lush and has a captivating, addicting rhythm to it, that doesn’t let up till the end – and trust me, you’re going to want to read to the end. The story is about, as the title suggests, a little widow that arrives in the big city and is told from the perspectives of her neighbors. It’s a story about rumors, deceit, heartbreak, and magic.
“Tell Him About Brother John” by Manuel Muñoz from The Faith Healer of Olive Avenue
This brilliant writer has published many short story collections, including The Consequences in 2022, which I’m eager to read as well. But “Tell Him About Brother John” is this slice-of-life story about a man who returns to his hometown and it made me fall in love with Manuel Muñoz’s writing. It tackles themes of queerness, shame, and below that, a deep desire to be understood.
