The first edition of Mays Short Story Theories 1976 opened with an essay entitled The Short Story An Underrated Art. Almost two decades later the short story suffers no such slight. Publishers and critics have become increasingly interested in the form which has enjoyed a renaissance led by such writers as Raymond Carver Tobias Wolff Ann Beattie Bobbie Ann Mason and Mary Robison. An important part of this revival of interest Short Story Theories has continued to attract a strong and loyal audience among students and teachers. The New Short Story Theories includes a few basic pieces from the earlier volumePoes Hawthorne review Brander Matthews extension and formalization of Poes theories and essays by Randall Jarrell Elizabeth Bowen and Nadine Gordimerbut most of the essays are new to the collection. Addressing problems of definition historical considerations issues of technique and cognitive approaches essays include The Tale as Genre in Short Story Fiction by W. S. Penn O. Henry and the Theory of the Short Story by Suzanne C. Ferguson On Writing by Raymond Carver From Tale to Short Story by Robert F. Marler A Cognitive Approach to Storyness by Susan Lohafer Mays new collection will continue to highlight the short story to provoke debate and to enrich our experience of a demanding and rewarding literary form.