Brad Hooper, on the staff of the Booklist magazine, brings the reader his insight on short story writers he holds esteem. The brief, biographical essays, usually no longer than a well-developed paragraph, focus on over 100 contemporary writers and masters of the past. The accomplished writers highlighted here are from various ethnic groups, of both genders, and are of interest to a diverse audience. The succinct entry for each author describes writing style, subject matter, settings, common themes, and critical opinion on the author's work. Citations are given to one or two examples of the...