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Lori Ostlund's avatar

Such big news, Heidi! You will be so missed by all of us who love short stories, readers and writers alike. Thank you for these 18 years!

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Heidi Pitlor's avatar

Thank you, Lori! So glad you'll be in my final volume.

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Lori Ostlund's avatar

I am so delighted to be in there!

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Jessica shattuck's avatar

Love what you've written here (and that Checkov list!). What a mark you have made on the landscape of short fiction in America! Excited to see your next chapter unfold.

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Heidi Pitlor's avatar

Thank you, Jess! (And for anyone reading this, Jessica has a stunning new novel coming out in May called LAST HOUSE. Keep an eye out!)

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John Farrell's avatar

Will miss you being at the helm of Best American Short Stories. But I'm so glad for your future engagements and of course HPE.

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Heidi Pitlor's avatar

Thank you, John!

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Karen Carlson's avatar

You've been my guide through Contemporary Literary Short Stories since I started reading/blogging BASS in earnest back in 2010. Every year, I look forward, not only to the stories, the Contributor Notes, and the guest editor's Introduction, but to your Foreword, and every year I learn something new about reading. Thank you!

And of course I wish you great happiness and success in your new ventures.

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Heidi Pitlor's avatar

Many thanks, Karen! You've been such a thoughtful chronicler of the series. I'll miss reading your take each year, but hope you keep reading and blogging!

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Veronica's avatar

Congrats to you, Heidi, on your 18+ year contribution to and shaping of an absolutely wonderful series that has highlighted so many wonderful short stories and their writers. The series continues to shape me as both a reader and a writer (and I have kept the copies I have encountered over the past two decades for that reason). I’ll be sure to pick up a copy of this final round with you at the helm and I wish your successor, Nicole, much continued success as well.

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Heidi Pitlor's avatar

Thanks so much, Veronica!

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Jacob R Weber's avatar

I'm late to the party on this, as I am to most things. Karen let me know. I'll be looking forward to reading your final effort in a few months. Picking (or overseeing picking) 20 "best" stories every year, even when you constantly caveat the meaning of "best," is as close to an impossible job as there is. I think you did it as well as it could be done.

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Mar 10, 2024
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Heidi Pitlor's avatar

Christine, I'm touched. You deserve all the good things.

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