365 Short Stories (Endings)—Week Twenty-nine

A juicy ending!

Authors Mark Poirier and Amber Dermont lectured at the Iowa Summer Writers Festivallast week on Happy Endings. Satisfying endings recall the beginning and add a new insight; leave us with a feeling; surprise us without implausibility; shock us without artifice. This week, I’m paying attention to endings.

“Reunion,” by John Cheever

In our Short Story workshop, Andrew Porter asked us to watch for revealing details in this story. “The last time I saw my father…” are the first and la...