The best short stories of 1915, and the yearbook of the American short story

In Short

This volume brings together representative American short fiction from 1915 alongside comprehensive magazine indexes and critical listings. Through its selections, the book portrays people caught in dramatic turning points: lovers trapped in destructive dynamics, immigrants abandoning rural life for new horizons, working women facing illness, and artists confronting forgotten legacies. It preserves a snapshot of early twentieth-century literary craft, charting the shift toward psychological realism and modern urban anxieties. Its enduring value lies in documenting how American writers captured the tensions of a rapidly evolving society.

The Story

The volume moves through varied American scenes, beginning in the isolated desert of Arizona. A traveler named Hardy arrives at a remote mining camp populated by engineers, Mexican laborers, and a tyrannical manager named Jim Whitney. Observing the quiet misery of Whitney's wife, Hardy chooses to stay in the cabin of a generous, moody Irish foreman who openly threatens violence against the abusive husband. The narrative establishes a pervasive sense of impending catastrophe, where isolated individuals remain locked in emotional web-like traps they cannot escape.

Elsewhere, the heavy burden of tragedy descends upon Michael James and his companions inside a dimly lit room. Outside the window, young men and women banter and laugh, yet inside, a deadly confrontation brews. Michael James reflects on the nature of love, realizing how easily romantic devotion can twist into a crushing force. Kennedy enters not as a hopeful suitor, but as an avenger bent on violence, while Murray aggressively demands action, shattering the peaceful summer night with quiet malice.

The scene shifts to a small European village where Big Ivan of the Bridge feels the sudden pull of spring. Intoxicated by the warming breeze and the song of the Beresina river, Ivan decides to abandon his hard labor. He and his wife, Anna, spill their small savings onto a wooden table, counting the coins until they have just enough to leave. Ignoring the jeers of their neighbors, Ivan shoulders a heavy trunk, and hand in hand, the couple sets out on the road toward Bobruisk to pursue their long-cherished dream.

In the humid city, Sara Juke works tirelessly while hiding a severe, racking cough. Her friend Hattie Krakow warns her that her neglected cold and late-night dancing will lead directly to tuberculosis. Sara tries to brush off the threat, distracted by the quickstep music played by Charley Chubb in the basement. Later, at a dimly lit restaurant table, Sara confesses to Charley that a clinic doctor has ordered three months of quiet living and fresh air. Furious at the thought of being abandoned or upstaged, Charley threatens her cold-heartedly, refusing to let her quit their nighttime routine.

Violence erupts in another household as Hastings confronts a woman and a male stranger in a darkened room. The woman pleads for her unborn child, begging for forgiveness, but the stranger denounces her and attacks, wrapping a gray chiffon scarf tightly around her throat. Hastings wrestles the attacker to the floor, but the room plunges into darkness and the woman vanishes. Bleeding and dazed, Hastings wanders down the stairs into a bright dining room, waving his bloody hand and shouting his confession to the horrified occupants.

Meanwhile, an observer sits late into the night at Pigalle's, a cozy basement eatery in New York frequented by Italian and French artists. As the snow falls outside and the patrons play poker, the narrator reflects on the fleeting nature of performance arts compared to enduring literature. The ringing doorbell signals the arrival of a mysterious, ragtag visitor who brings a sudden shift in perspective.

In the countryside, a boy named Frank works the fields, harboring deep resentment toward a laborer named Bill. Bill brags about breaking a young colt while callously hurling clods of earth at the terrified animal. When Bill announces he is leaving for Dakota to escape the grueling routine of farm work, Frank snaps, calling him a thick-headed fool. Bill rides off in anger, leaving Frank alone with his burning jealousy and bitter isolation.

In a tranquil garden, composer Mark Faraday examines a childhood ambrotype of Miss Allison Clyde alongside his aging Aunt Lucretia. Though surrounded by memories of past heartbreaks, Mark feels a deep artistic alignment with Allison, eventually dedicating his latest musical manuscript to her enduring youth of heart.

Finally, the wealthy James Thorold rides through the crowded streets of Chicago, feeling intense revolt toward the sprawling, diverse metropolis. As his motor car is halted by crowds waiting for a fallen soldier's funeral cortège, Thorold reflects bitterly on the loss of the older, simpler city of his youth, before being escorted into the massive train station. The book closes with exhaustive indices detailing the magazine publications and rankings of the year's short fiction.

How It Unfolds

The desert trap Hardy arrives at an isolated Arizona mining camp and discovers the troubled marriage of Jim Whitney and his wife. He decides to stay with an irascible Irish foreman who openly contemplates murdering the abusive husband.

The shadow of vengeance Inside a candlelit room, Michael James contemplates the dark complexity of human relationships while watching young people laugh outside. Kennedy arrives seeking blood rather than love, plunging the household into tense anticipation.

The call of spring Big Ivan feels the sudden arrival of spring while mending a fence and decides to give in to his wanderlust. He and Anna count their meager coins, sell their furniture, and march out of their village toward a new life.

The warning signs Hattie Krakow scolds Sara Juke for ignoring her failing health and continuous late-night outings. Sara tries to laugh off the mention of tuberculosis, fixating instead on her affection for the basement pianist, Charley Chubb.

The confrontation at the table Over a sparse meal, Sara confesses to Charley that a doctor has ordered her to rest and stop dancing for three months to save her lungs. Charley reacts with cold hostility, accusing her of trying to quit him.

A desperate struggle Hastings watches in horror as a frantic conflict unfolds over a woman's honor and an unborn child. A stranger strangles the woman with a chiffon scarf, leading to a brutal struggle on the floor before Hastings stumbles out into the light.

The basement sanctuary A reader lingers at Pigalle's basement restaurant while snow falls outside, watching Italian sculptors and musicians play cards. The narrator ponders the transient nature of art just as a new visitor rings the doorbell.

Resentment on the farm Young Frank watches Bill torment a young colt while bragging about moving away to Dakota. Angered by the cruelty and envious of Bill's freedom, Frank insults him and watches him ride away over the hill.

Music in the garden Mark Faraday revisits his aunt's quiet estate and discovers an old photograph of Miss Allison Clyde. Inspired by her quiet grace, he dedicates his new musical manuscript to the enduring spirit of her youth.

The changing city James Thorold rides through Chicago, disgusted by the noisy, diverse crowds filling the modern streets. He passes through the police barricades at La Salle Street to reach the train-shed, surrounded by a city he no longer recognizes.

The People

• Hardy: A steady, observant traveler who pauses his journey in an Arizona mining town. He becomes drawn into a local marital tragedy despite his initial desire to leave.
• The Irish Foreman: A generous, quick-tempered man ten years out from Dublin. He harbors deep hatred for Jim Whitney and threatens to strike him down with a pick.
• Michael James: A contemplative farmer caught in a grim standoff inside his home. He meditates deeply on how love can twist into a destructive force while waiting for violence to unfold.
• Big Ivan: A physically powerful laborer from a small river village. Moved by the sudden arrival of spring, he gathers his savings and leaves his home behind to pursue a vagabond dream.
• Anna: Ivan's devoted wife who quietly assists in selling their household belongings. She walks hand-in-hand with him toward Bobruisk without hesitation.
• Sara Juke: A young urban working woman suffering from a severe chest cough. She struggles to balance her desire for fun and dancing with the harsh reality of a tuberculosis diagnosis.
• Hattie Krakow: A blunt, sensible saleswoman with salt-and-pepper hair. She fruitlessly tries to warn Sara about the dangers of her reckless lifestyle and poor health.
• Charley Chubb: A shallow basement pianist with a square face and slicked hair. He responds to Sara's illness with possessive anger, refusing to let her end their nocturnal lifestyle.
• Hastings: A distraught man involved in a violent domestic tragedy. He struggles with a mysterious assailant in the dark before rushing out to confess a murder.
• Frank: A bitter farm boy tied to relentless daily labor. He harbors intense resentment toward his companion Bill for having the freedom to travel westward.
• Mark Faraday: A sensitive musical composer who returns to his aunt's quiet home. He finds artistic inspiration in the peaceful garden and the memory of a graceful woman.
• James Thorold: An elderly, wealthy resident of Chicago who feels alienated by the modern city. He holds deep prejudice against new immigrant populations and longs for the past.

In Its Own Voice

"You know how it is, you drop into a place where nothing in the world seems likely to happen, and all of a sudden you realize that something is going to happen, and for the life of you you can't go away."

Hardy explains to his companions why he remained at the isolated Arizona mining camp despite the obvious danger.

"It puzzled him how a thing of indefinable grace, of soft words on June nights, of vague stirrings under moonlight... might become, as it had become in the case of himself, Kennedy, and what was behind him, a thing of blind, malevolent force..."

Michael James reflects on the terrifying transformation of love as he waits in the shadowed room.

"The coin outlasts Tiberius. Paint, chisel, then, or write if you wish your work to endure."

The narrator at Pigalle's reflects on the fleeting nature of performance art while watching local musicians and sculptors.

What It's Really About

At its heart, this collection examines the friction between human longing and rigid circumstances. The stories repeatedly pit individuals against forces that threaten to consume them, whether it is the suffocating routine of rural labor, the deadly advance of disease, or the violent entanglements of romantic devotion. Beneath the varied plots lies a persistent inquiry into how people react when their expectations collide with harsh realities. The book explores the quiet choices individuals make when trapped—some choose escape, like Ivan taking to the open road, while others, like Sara Juke or Michael James, remain caught in webs of their own making or the demands of those around them.

Why Read It Today

This volume offers a compelling glimpse into early twentieth-century American literature at a moment of significant transition. Readers who enjoy character-driven drama, vivid regional settings, and historical broadsheets will find much to admire. The prose ranges from the sparse, dusty atmosphere of Western outposts to the rapid, rhythmic slang of urban shop girls and basement parlors.

Reading the collection requires some patience with period conventions. Modern readers will encounter stark depictions of social prejudice, sharp class divisions, and unvarnished dialect that reflect the historical era in which these works were written. The inclusion of extensive magazine statistics and bibliographic indexes at the end shifts the book's focus from pure narrative to historical archive. Yet, these structural shifts provide an authentic look at the commercial landscape that shaped American short fiction. It remains a rich, rewarding document for anyone curious about the evolving craft of the short story.