"A remarkable collection of North American literature written since 1970" " ... stories chosen according to the results of a survey of more than two hundred literature professors, award-winning writers, and the directors of prestigious writing workshops. The result is a landmark anthology that showcases an unusual variety of different cultural, gender, ethnic, and racial viewpoints. With stories encompassing both the contemporary-realist and postmodern traditions, it brings together the best works by established authors like Raymond Carver and Amy Tan and new frontiers like Lorrie Moore and Junot Diaz"--Jacket.