Foreword p. ix
Introduction Michael Chabon p. xiii
The Smile on Happy Chang's Face: from Post Road Tom Perrotta p. 1
Until Gwen: from The Atlantic Monthly Dennis Lehane p. 19
A Taste of Dust: from Ninth Letter Lynne Sharon Schwartz p. 35
Old Friends: from The New Yorker Thomas McGuane p. 43
Eight Pieces for the Left Hand: from Granta J. Robert Lennon p. 58
Stone Animals: from Conjunctions Kelly Link p. 67
First Four Measures: from The Paris Review Nathaniel Bellows p. 109
The Scheme of Things: from The New Yorker Charles d'Ambrosio p. 125
Silence: from The New Yorker Alice Munro p. 149
Death Defier: from Virginia Quarterly Review Tom Bissell p. 174
The Girls: from Idaho Review Joy Williams p. 212
Anda's Game: from Salon.com Cory Doctorow p. 223
Simple Exercises for the Beginning Student: from Swink Alix Ohlin p. 251
Old Boys, Old Girls: from The New Yorker Edward P. Jones p. 265
The Secret Goldfish: from The New Yorker David Means p. 288
The Cousins: from Harper's Magazine Joyce Carol Oates p. 298
Natasha: from Harper's Magazine David Bezmozgis p. 318
Hart and Boot: from Polyphony Tim Pratt p. 339
Justice Shiva Ram Murthy: from Harvard Review Rishi Reddi p. 356
Bohemians: from The New Yorker George Saunders p. 374
Contributors' Notes p. 383
100 Other Distinguished Stories of 2004 p. 394