PEN America Best Debut Short Stories 2017

How strange it is to be able to say so much when you have nothing to say, and then, when you finally have something to say, to be unable to say it.

Best” is a funny label to put on any piece of art; it requires contesting.

every story is a confession if you listen closely enough

Popo taught me to pickle memories when I was thirteen. It’s just like cucumbers, radishes, cabbage. I learned to cut them into even squares. Memories cut like apples; the knife slides through their protective skin with a crisp snap. I packed them in jars filled with salt, sugar, vinegar, and water. No herbs and spices because they can distort the memories, make them seem too sweet or too bitter