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Roman Roads Classics
Irving to Faulkner · 1820–1930 · Short stories
A Familiar Wilderness
13 Classic American Short Stories
Edited with an introduction by Nathan Miller
Thirteen classic American short stories, from “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” to “A Rose for Emily,” chosen to delight and to edify.
A slightly dinged copy is available for $14.56“By reading this book, you are engaging in a battle for American culture.”
About the book
Welcome to the literary frontier
More than any other country in history, the landscape of American literature has been shaped by short stories. While Austen and Dickens were mastering the novel, the relatively new art form was being explored by the likes of Washington Irving and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Presented with the constraints of the short story, American authors became explorers, inventing new genres, like Edgar Allan Poe did, or new modes and techniques of writing, such as Mark Twain’s local “color” and regionalism.
From the sleepy, post-revolution setting of Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” to the dazzling, roaring 20s setting of “Bernice Bobs Her Hair” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, this volume presents the major authors and movements of the American short story. By calling this a collection of classic American short stories, Nathan Miller identifies an American ideal as his rubric; these stories have not only literary merit, but are ethically and spiritually valuable, and are therefore worth preserving as representatives of American literature.
Before each story come a portrait of its author, a short life of the author (faith included) and a note on the story: when it appeared, and what to watch for. The notes leave the analysis to you, so you meet each story fresh.
Look inside
A portrait, a life, a note, then the story
The full contents13 stories · 304 pages
- Introduction, Nathan Millervii
- American Romanticism
- 1“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” Washington Irving, 18203
- 2“The Fall of the House of Usher,” Edgar Allan Poe, 183935
- 3“Bartleby, the Scrivener,” Herman Melville, 185357
- Realism and Naturalism
- 4“The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” Mark Twain, 186599
- 5“The Luck of Roaring Camp,” Bret Harte, 1868109
- 6“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” Ambrose Bierce, 1890123
- 7“The Blue Hotel,” Stephen Crane, 1898137
- 8“To Build a Fire,” Jack London, 1908171
- Modernism
- 9“The Gift of the Magi,” O. Henry, 1905193
- 10“Paul’s Case,” Willa Cather, 1905203
- 11“Bernice Bobs Her Hair,” F. Scott Fitzgerald, 1920227
- 12“Hills Like White Elephants,” Ernest Hemingway, 1927257
- 13“A Rose for Emily,” William Faulkner, 1930265
- Bibliography279
Questions
Before you buy
Who is it for?
Students and families, and anyone who wants a tour of the American short story. Nathan Miller writes for students (“Maybe you’ve been assigned to read the first half of this book by tomorrow”) and urges families to read it together: “Short stories were often read aloud and discussed by families.” He suggests reading each story in one sitting, and each one twice.
Are any of the stories dark?
Some are, by the editor’s own account: “The Fall of the House of Usher,” “Paul’s Case,” “To Build a Fire,” “A Rose for Emily,” and “Hills Like White Elephants,” whose subject is an abortion. Miller’s rule is that a story which truthfully depicts vice is not an endorsement; it is often a diagnosis. Parents may want to read those first.
After Hours · May 26, 2026 · 1 h 17 minCuration of the American Dream: The Battle over American Short Stories
Nathan Miller gives a lecture on the need for defending classic American literature in this Roman Roads After Hours lecture. He is the editor of a collection of American short stories: A Familiar Wilderness: 13 Classic American Short Stories, which can be purchased here: https://romanroadspress.com/store/a-familiar-wilderness/
Publishing information
- Editor
- Nathan Miller, with an introduction
- Authors
- Irving, Poe, Melville, Twain, Harte, Bierce, Crane, London, O. Henry, Cather, Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Faulkner
- Cover
- Thomas Moran, Cliffs of Green River (1874)
- Format
- Paperback, 5.5 × 8.5 in · 304 pages
- Edition
- 2026
- Series
- Roman Roads Classics
- ISBN
- 978-1-963505-25-2
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