The first time I read “Paris Stories,” a collection of Mavis Gallant’s short stories released by NYRB, I was instantly bowled over. Quickly, Gallant became one of my favorite short story writers, up there with O’Connor, Crane, Akutagawa, Mishima, and Borges. Her sad characters, that live and breathe with deep personalities, and dry sense of humor made “The Ice Wagon Going Down The Street,” “In Transit,” “Speck’s Idea,” and “Grippes and Poche” instant favorites. These stories had a major influence on my writing, including many of the tales included in The Love Book. Sadly , Gallant is still something of an unknown here in the states, despite having that same impact on a slew of well-respected modern writers. So it was nice to see Granta Magazine post this new video of Mavis Gallant reading her short story, “In Transit,” at the Village Voice Bookshop. It is a great example of Gallant’s talent for telling a simple, perfect story.

Mavis Gallant reads from her fiction from Granta magazine on Vimeo.