The War Rooms: An Analysis and Collection of Short-Short Stories

The shortest form of fiction goes by many names, including short-short stories, flash fiction, and sudden fiction. These stories, short as they may be, fearlessly plunge readers directly into the lives of their characters, providing the reader with an immersive story experience in which every word carries great importance. While some of the first short-short stories by authors such as Chekhov and Tolstoy center on moral integrity, modern short-short stories by authors such as Jayne Anne Phillips and Lydia Davis are grounded in emotional integrity. These modern short-shorts, upon which I compile my own work, provide a more encompassing view of the human experience. I have composed a manuscript of short-short stories, in addition to several longer stories, in an effort to further explore themes such as grief, family, new beginnings, a sense of belonging, and Italian-American culture