Prize Stories 1987

The O'Henry Awards

Look inside
Paperback
$19.00 US
On sale Aug 18, 1987 | 336 Pages | 9780385235952

Established in 1918 as a memorial to the master of the short story genre, O. Henry, Prize Stories has long been recognized as the premier forum for the contemporary story. The 1987 volume carries forth the time-honored literary tradition in 20 selections as original and varied as the current trends in short fiction. The top prize for 1987 is jointly awarded to Louise Erdrich for “Fleur” and Joyce Johnson for “The Children’s Wing.”

Other stories include:
Robert Boswell “The Darkness of Love”
Alice Adams “Tide Pools”
Stuart Dybek “Blight”
James Lott “The Janeites”
Donald Barthelme “Basil from Her Garden”
Gina Berriault “The Island of Ven”
Jim Pitzen “The Village”
Richard Bausch “What Feels Like the World”
Millicient Dillon “Monitor”
Norman Lavers “Big Dog”
Robert Taylor, Jr. “Lady of Spain”
Helen Norris “The Singing Well”
Grace Paley “Midrash on Happiness”
Lewis Horne “Taking Care”
Warren Wallace “Up Home”
Joyce Carol Oates “Ancient Airs, Voices”
Daniel Stern “The Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud: A Story”
Mary Robison “I Get By”
Born in 1919, William Abrahams published four successful novels and a number of poems before finding his true calling as an editor. He presided over the O. Henry Awards for more than 30 years starting in 1965. Abrahams also worked as the west coast editor of Atlantic Monthly Press and collaborated on nonfiction books with his partner, Peter Stansky. He passed away in 1998. View titles by William Abrahams

About

Established in 1918 as a memorial to the master of the short story genre, O. Henry, Prize Stories has long been recognized as the premier forum for the contemporary story. The 1987 volume carries forth the time-honored literary tradition in 20 selections as original and varied as the current trends in short fiction. The top prize for 1987 is jointly awarded to Louise Erdrich for “Fleur” and Joyce Johnson for “The Children’s Wing.”

Other stories include:
Robert Boswell “The Darkness of Love”
Alice Adams “Tide Pools”
Stuart Dybek “Blight”
James Lott “The Janeites”
Donald Barthelme “Basil from Her Garden”
Gina Berriault “The Island of Ven”
Jim Pitzen “The Village”
Richard Bausch “What Feels Like the World”
Millicient Dillon “Monitor”
Norman Lavers “Big Dog”
Robert Taylor, Jr. “Lady of Spain”
Helen Norris “The Singing Well”
Grace Paley “Midrash on Happiness”
Lewis Horne “Taking Care”
Warren Wallace “Up Home”
Joyce Carol Oates “Ancient Airs, Voices”
Daniel Stern “The Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud: A Story”
Mary Robison “I Get By”

Author

Born in 1919, William Abrahams published four successful novels and a number of poems before finding his true calling as an editor. He presided over the O. Henry Awards for more than 30 years starting in 1965. Abrahams also worked as the west coast editor of Atlantic Monthly Press and collaborated on nonfiction books with his partner, Peter Stansky. He passed away in 1998. View titles by William Abrahams

Three Penguin Random House Authors Win Pulitzer Prizes

On Monday, May 5, three Penguin Random House authors were honored with a Pulitzer Prize. Established in 1917, the Pulitzer Prizes are the most prestigious awards in American letters. To date, PRH has 143 Pulitzer Prize winners, including William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Josh Steinbeck, Ron Chernow, Anne Applebaum, Colson Whitehead, and many more. Take a look at our 2025 Pulitzer Prize

Read more

Books for LGBTQIA+ Pride Month

In June we celebrate Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual + (LGBTQIA+) Pride Month, which honors the 1969 Stonewall riots in Manhattan. Pride Month is a time to both celebrate the accomplishments of those in the LGBTQ+ community and recognize the ongoing struggles faced by many across the world who wish to live

Read more