Art and life. Each the mirror of the other. This then is the classic definition of what 'Realism' as a writing form really is. Some might call it a fancy term for the mundane day to day pursuits but in the hands of an author it comes alive. We are drawn into characters and landscapes that we can empathize with, we can, metaphorically speaking, help shoulder their burden, be on the long trail with them whatever the landscapes, the hurdles, incidents and other people may place in their literary way. In this volume such luminaries as Jack London, Kate Chopin, O Henry, Bret Harte and many others bring their talents to this remarkable volume.1 - Short Stories - American Realism - An Introduction2 - The Gift of the Magi by O Henry3 - Desiree's Baby by Kate Chopin4 - To Build a Fire by Jack London5 - The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman6 - The Luck of Roaring Camp by Bret Harte7 - An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce8 - A Pair of Silk Stockings by Kate Chopin9 - The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky by Stephen Crane10 - A White Heron by Sarah Orne Jewett11 - The Story of An Hour by Kate Chopin12 - The Furnished Room by O Henry13 - The Outcasts of Poker Flat by Bret Harte14 - A New England Nun by Mary E Wilkins Freeman15 - The Ransom of Red Chief by O Henry