The other day, my friend, Bill and I were talking about his favorite poets. He asked me what my favorite short stories were and though I didn’t answer at the time, the thought of my favorite works came back to me this weekend. Below is my list of favorites, from short stories to poets. If you haven’t read any of the authors or works listed, check them out. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed! 🙂

Favorite Short Stories

“Ellen’s Book” by Michael Knight

“Drinking Coffee Elsewhere” by ZZ Packer

“Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin

“Teen Sniper” by Adam Johnson

“Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston

Favorite Short Story (connected or not) Collections

Drinking Coffee Elsewhere by ZZ Packer

Goodnight, Nobody by Michael Knight

Kissing in Manhattan by David Schickler

Emporium by Adam Johnson

The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien

Favorite Authors

Bernice McFadden

ZZ Packer

**nerd alert** Shakespeare **nerd alert**

Mary Higgins Clark

Karen Siplin

Favorite Novels

Beloved by Toni Morrison

Sugar by Bernice McFadden

The Hours by Michael Cunningham

More Like Wrestling by Danyel Smith

All around the Town by Mary Higgins Clark

Favorite Poems

“Daddy” by Sylvia Plath

“Lady Lazarus” by Sylvia Plath

“For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf” (choreopoem) by Ntozake Shange

“The Second Coming” by W. B. Yeats

“Ego Tripping” by Nikki Giovanni

Favorite Poets

Sylvia Plath

Anne Sexton

Nikki Giovanni

W. B. Yeats

Ntozake Shange