New Yorker Superstars

The New Yorker superstars who’ve rocked my world: Colson Whitehead, Junot Díaz, Jennifer Egan, Tessa Hadley, Ben Marcus, Michael Ondaatje, Said Sayrafiezadeh, and Ron Rash.

In my continuing quest to get rid of everything I own, I’ve been reading dozens of old New Yorkers (the short stories, mainly) and tossing them afterward. No room at the inn.

I’ve been surprised by how many of these stories didn’t move me. Didn’t grab me. Bored me, even.

Here are eight New Yorker superstars whose stories rocked my world:

1. Junot Díaz, “Wildwood,” June 11 & 16, 2007, AND “Alma,” December 24 & 31, 2007
2. Jennifer Egan, “Ask Me If I Care,” March 8, 2010
3. Tessa Hadley, “The Trojan Prince,” November 15, 2010 AND “The Stain,” November 7, 2011
4. Ben Marcus, “Rollingwood,” March 21, 2011, AND “What Have You Done,” August 8, 2011
5. Michael Ondaatje, “The Cat’s Table,” May 16, 2011
6. Ron Rash, “The Trusty,” May 18, 2011
7. Said Sayrafiezadeh, “Appetite,” March 1, 2010, AND “Paranoia,” February 28, 2011
8. Colson Whitehead, “The Gangsters,” December 22 & 29, 2008

These eight writers made such an impact on me that I’m keeping the stories referenced above. At this point, I own approximately fourteen things in the entire world, so my decision to retain these stories for future rereading is a big damn deal. Just take my word for it.

Dominican-American writer Junot Díaz won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for The Brief, Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. American Jennifer Egan wrote A Visit From the Goon Squad, which won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize. Welsh writer Tessa Hadley authored The Master Bedroom and The London Train. Ben Marcus wrote the much-talked-about book The Flame Alphabet.

Canadian Michael Ondaatje, author of The English Patient, expanded the story “Cat’s Table” into a novel of the same name. American Ron Rash is the author of One Foot in Eden, Serena, Saints at the River, and The Cove. American Said Sayrafiezadeh wrote the memoir When Skateboards Will Be Free. American Colson Whitehead (pictured above) authored seven books, including John Henry Days, The Colossus of New York, Sag Harbor, and Zone One.

Read their stories. Buy their books. Borrow their books from friends. Check their books out from your local public library. Track down old New Yorkers and give their stories a whirl. Just read these authors, okay?

Okay.