Dark City Lights edited by Lawrence Block

 

This anthology is a collection of stories that all happen in New York City.  Some are crime stories, some are not but all are excellent.  Some of the authors most readers know are Parnell Hall, Jonathan Santlofer, Jane Dentinger, S.J. Rozen and Lawrence Block, who also edited the collection.  Other authors who may be less familiar include Ed Park, Thomas Pluck, Warren Moore, Jerrold Mundis, Jim Fusilli, Robert Silverberg, Elaine Kagan, David Levien, Jill D. Block, Erin Mitchell, Peter Carlafter, Tom Callahan, Eve Kagan, Bill Bernico, Kat Georges, Annette Meyers, Brian Koppelman and Peter Hochstein.

Some of the stories resonated with me.  Jim Fusilli's The Safest Form Of Conveyence is about being stuck in an elevator and the fear that can bring.  Erin Mitchell's Old Hands is about a former nurse who gave up her profession after a huge mistake.  But my favorite story was Jonathan Santlofer's The Garmento And The Movie Star which is a lovely story about a teenage boy who meets Marilyn Monroe when she comes to his father's garment factory to be fitted for dresses.  It is lovely and nostalgic and very typical New York.  This book is recommended to short story fans.