Suitable for a variety of courses, the compact edition of Ann Charters' bestselling The Story and Its Writer (now in print or e-book formats) offers about half the stories and commentaries of the full edition, with all of its highly- praised editorial features. No one has a better sense than Ann Charters of which stories work most effectively in the classroom and instructors look forward to every new edition of her anthology to see what her constant search for new fiction and neglected classics will turn up. Further, Charters knows that writers, not editors, have the most interesting and useful things to say about the making and the meaning of fiction, so to complement the stories, she offers her signature innovation: an array of the writers' own commentaries on the craft and traditions of storytelling. For in-depth, illustrated studies of particular writers or genres, her Casebooks provide unparalleled opportunities for discussion and writing. The new ninth edition features many very recent stories and commentaries by up-and-coming writers, a new Casebook on the important genre of Magical Realism, and expanded coverage of close reading.