best short stories on youtube

22 Classic Short Stories on YouTube

My daughter is currently writing her short story for Challenge B and reading classics short stories to inspire her. She's always been my kid that has struggled with reading . The masters wrote these stories, so their short length doesn't exactly make them easy reads. I've rounded up those short stories read on YouTube to give her a little more independence in reading these on her own, and to keep us making progress!

The spring usually challenges me to keep going with homeschool. Typically it's due to the warmer temperatures, the budding trees, and the blooming tulips that call me outside. This year, as we're home bound due to COVID-19, it seems like there's something else going on. The news distracts me and making decisions all around me takes extra time than normal. Keeping up seems nearly impossible.

Here are the videos!

The Teapot by Hans Christian Anderson

The Bet by Anton Chekhov

The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde

Little Girls Wiser Than Men by Leo Tolstoy

RIKKI-TIKKI-TAVI by Rudyard Kipling

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button By F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Mansion by Henry van Dyke

Araby by James Joyce

The Schoolboy's Story by Charles Dickens

The Red-Headed League by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

That Spot by Jack London

The Celestial Railroad by Nathaniel Hawthorne

A White Heron by Sarah One Jewett

The Man and the Snake by Ambrose Bierce

The Cop and the Anthem by O. Henry

The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant

The Hammer of God by G.K.CHESTERTON

The Tell Tale Heart E dgar Allan Poe

The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County by Mark Twain

The Nightingale and the Rose by Oscar Wilde

The Last Lesson by Alphonse Daudet

There are a couple that I could not find on YouTube:

God Lives by Hans Christian Anderson
The Bird on Its Journey by Beatrice Harraden
A King in Disguise by Matteo Bandello
The Startling Painting by Fyodor Dostoevsky

And here is one more that is one of my favorites that is a story worth knowing:

The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry

Some of these stories are scary and disturbing, but middle school and high school kids LOVE them! I hope you enjoy!

Betsy Strauss is an unexpected homeschooler, mother of three, who is in a relationship with a sweet man for life. She loves reading books, drinking coffee, and learning anything with her kids.

Thank you for these audio stories . I am a retired piano teacher & in my “old age” have difficulty sleeping . I discovered your offerings of literature & delighted in hearing each story , most of which I had read in my youth . A number of my students are home schooled & I shared this site to these families . I appreciate your thoughtful work on behalf of so many , young & old, who may enjoy the stories as I have .

Thank you so much for this grouping of audio books!

Short Films to Watch if You Can't Afford to Go to the Movies

Have you been to the movies lately? Even if you’re attending a matinee, you can still end up shelling out about thirty bucks just to watch one movie. If you’re running low on funds but you still want to be entertained, do yourself a favor and watch a few short films online. It’s almost like going to the movies, but without having to park or endure the long lines at the concession stand. Nothing can replace the experience of sitting in a dark theater and watching a great film, but if you don’t feel like spending half your paycheck on a movie that might be just okay, watch a few of these short films that have been especially vetted for you. They’re perfect for an evening when you can’t afford to go to the theater.

Fresh Guacamole

# 265 of 395 on The Best Horror Movies Of All Time
# 42 of 62 on The 60+ Best Supernatural Teen Movies
# 1 of 12 on The Best Paranormal Movies Streaming on Hulu

So You’ve Grown Attached

From the author of Bubba Ho-Tep comes this short film about a bar conversation between a Martian and a grizzled man at a bar. It's low budget sci-fi comedy at its best.

I'm You, Dickhead

Hotel Chevalier

Six Shooter

A Trip to the Moon

# 8 of 86 on The Best Silent Movies of All Time
# 35 of 97 on The Best French Movies That Are Absolute Masterpieces
# 16 of 22 on The Most Important 'Firsts' In Film History

George Lucas in Love

The Last Theft

Gregory Go Boom

The Horribly Slow Murderer with the Extremely Inefficient Weapon

Franz Kafka’s It’s a Wonderful Life

I Feel Stupid

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Watchworthy

Lists for every cinephile and "movie guy" on your virtual trivia team.

Best Short Stories and Collections Everyone Should Read

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Blog – Posted on Sunday, Jun 17

Best short stories and collections everyone should read.

If you are on the lookout for great storytelling but don’t want to commit to a full-length novel, then short story collections are the answer. Whether it’s just before bed, during your commute, or waiting to see your doctor, small chunks of time are perfect for reading short stories.

Here we have gathered thirty-one of the best short stories and collections , from all sorts of backgrounds and sources, to help you grow your “To Be Read” pile.

For your convenience, we've divided this post into two parts: 1. the ten best free short stories to read right now , and 2. best short story collections. Feel free to jump to the section that you prefer!

If you're feeling overwhelmed by the number of great short stories out there, you can also take our 30-second quiz below to narrow it down quickly and get a personalized short story recommendation 😉

Which short story should you read next?

Discover the perfect short story for you. Takes 30 seconds!

Free Short Stories to Read Right Now

These individual short stories are the best of the best — and the even better news is that they're available for free online for you to peruse. From classics published in the 1900s to a short story that exploded in late 2017, here are ten of the greatest free short stories for you to read.

1. “Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl

While not exactly a philosophical or political tale like our first two examples, this twisty short story from Dahl does delve into some shady moral territory. We are introduced to Mary Maloney: a loving wife and dedicated homemaker. In just a few short paragraphs describing how she welcomes her husband home, Dahl makes us sympathize with Mary — before a rash act turns her life upside down and takes the reader with her on a dark journey.

For those who haven’t read it, we won’t spoil the rest. However, it’s safe to say that Dahl serves up a fiendish twist on a platter.

2. “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson

A perennial feature in many a high school syllabus, Shirley Jackson’s best-known short story clinically details an unusual ritual that takes place in a small town. There’s not exactly a lot of plot to spoil in The Lottery — but within a few short pages, Jackson manages to represent the mob mentality that can drive reasonable people to commit heinous acts.

3. “How to Become a Writer” by Lorrie Moore

Told in the second person point of view , this story from Moore’s debut anthology Self-Help takes an honest look at the inner life of a struggling artist. Through the use of an unusual POV, the author manages to turn her reader into a confidante — making it abundantly clear that the ‘you’ the narrator is speaking about is actually herself.

This story is a standout, but the entire collection is well worth a read for its insight, humor, and disregard for literary norms.

4. “Cat Person” by Kristen Roupenian

In the Social Media Age, no short story has gone viral the way this New Yorker contribution from Roupenian has. Arriving at the height of #MeToo, it begins with 20-year-old Margot embarking on the early stages of flirtation with an older man, Robert. As she gets to know more about this man (as well as filling in the gaps with her imagination), the power dynamic in their relationship starts to fluctuate.

Lauded for its portrayal of Margot’s inner life and the fears many modern women face when it comes to dating, it also has its fair share of detractors — many are critical of the central character, some are downright outraged by the story’s success. Still, this story undeniably struck a chord with the reading public, and will likely remain relevant for some time.

5. “Cathedral” by Raymond Carver

First published in The Atlantic Monthly in 1981, “Cathedral” is today known as one of Raymond Carver’s finest works. When it opens, we meet a narrator whose wife is expecting a visit from an old friend, a blind man. Dissatisfied and distrusting of people not like him, our narrator struggles to connect until the blind man asks him to describe a cathedral to him.

“Cathedral” is one of Carver’s own personal favorites, and deservedly so. His characteristic minimalist style is devastating as the story builds up to a shattering moment of emotional truth — an ultimate reminder that no-one else can capture the quiet sadness of working-class people like him.

6. “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor

Innocuously titled, “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” is nevertheless Flannery O’Connor’s bleakest — and most famous — work. It begins unassumingly with a Southern family who’s planning to go on a road trip. Yet the journey is rudely interrupted when their car overturns on an abandoned dirt road — and they are met by an enigmatic group of three men, coming up over the far hill.

This short story inspired some strong reactions from the public upon publication — and the conversation continues today as to its frank depiction of the nature of good and evil. Again, we won’t spoil anything for you, except to say that “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” is well worth your time.

7. “Symbols and Signs” by Vladimir Nabokov

The famous author of Lolita wrote “Signs and Symbols” in 1948. Its premise is seemingly simple: an elderly couple visits their mentally ill son in the sanatorium in America. Yet their background and trials come into sharp focus as the story develops, until an explosive ending disrupts everyone’s peace of mind.

As you might expect, the somber “Symbols and Signs” diverges sharply from Lolita in terms of both tone and subject — but its ending will keep you awake at night thinking about its implications.

8. “Sticks” by George Saunders

Not so much a short story as it is flash fiction, “Sticks” is written from the perspective of a young man whose father has an unusual habit: dressing up a crucifix that’s built of out a metal pole in the yard. One of America’s greatest living short story writers, George Saunders explained: "For two years I'd been driving past a house like the one in the story, imagining the owner as a man more joyful and self-possessed and less self-conscious than myself. Then one day I got sick of him and invented his opposite, and there was the story."

The result is a masterful piece of fiction that builds something out of seemingly nothing — all in the space of only two paragraphs.

9. “The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury

If there’s anyone who you can trust to deliver thought-provoking, terrifying science fiction on the regular, it’s Ray Bradbury. In “The Veldt,” George and Lydia Hadley have bought an automated house that comes with a “nursey,” or a virtual reality room. Worried about the nursery’s effect on the kids, George and Lydia think about turning off the nursey — but the problem is that their children are obsessed with it.

As an ominously prescient prediction of the downside of technology, “The Veldt” is a short and shining example of how Ray Bradbury was an author before his time.

10. “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes

In this classic short story, we are privy to the journals of Charlie Gordon, a cleaner with an IQ of 68. ("I reely wantd to lern I wantid it more even then pepul who are smarter even then me. All my life I wantid to be smart and not dumb.”) Charlie’s luck changes when he is selected for an experiment that purports to turn him into a genius — but everything that goes up must come down in the end.

“Flowers for Algernon” won the Hugo Award in 1960 for its groundbreaking presentation. Heartbreaking and rich with subtle poignance, it is likely to remain a staple for centuries to come.

Best Short Story Collections to Devour

If you'd like many short stories at your fingertips all at once, short story collections are where you should look. Here, we've collected 21 of the best short story collections — along with the standout story in each volume.

11. A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin

Standout Story: “A Manual for Cleaning Women”

12. Blow-up and Other Stories by Julio Cortázar

Standout Story: “House Taken Over”

13. Drifting House by Krys Lee

Standout Story: “Drifting House”

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14. Dubliners by James Joyce

Standout Story: “The Dead”

15. Everything’s Eventual: 14 Dark Tales by Stephen King

Standout Story: “Riding the Bullet”

16. Ficciones by Jorge Luis Borges

Standout Story: “The Garden of Forking Paths”

17. Florida by Lauren Groff

Standout Story: “Above and Below”

18. Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders by Neil Gaiman

Standout Story: “The Flints of Memory Lane”

19. Kiss Kiss by Roald Dahl

Standout Story: “The Pig”

20. Men Without Women by Haruki Murakami

Standout Story: “Samsa in Love”

21. Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger

Standout Story: “For Esme - With Love and Squalor”

22. Rashōmon and Seventeen Other Stories by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa

Standout Story: “In a Bamboo Grove”

23. Runaway by Alice Munro

Standout Story: “Runaway”

24. Strange Pilgrims by Gabriel García Márquez

Standout Story: “The Trail of Your Blood in the Snow”

25. The Collected Stories by Grace Paley

Standout Story: “A Man Told Me the Story of His Life”

26. The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway by Ernest Hemingway

Standout Story: “Hills Like White Elephants”

27. The Complete Stories by Flannery O’Connor

Standout Story: “A Good Man is Hard to Find”

28. The Essential Tales of Chekhov by Anton Chekhov

Standout Story: “The Lady with the Dog”

29. The Refugees by Viet Thanh Nguyen

Standout Story: “I’d Love You to Want Me”

30. The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Standout Story: “The Thing Around Your Neck”

31. The Youngest Doll by Rosario Ferré

Standout Story: “When Women Love Men”

Ready to write your own short story? Check out these short story ideas for all your inspiration needs.

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43 of the Most Iconic Short Stories in the English Language

From washington irving to kristen roupenian.

Last year, I put together this list of the most iconic poems in the English language ; it’s high time to do the same for short stories. But before we go any further, you may be asking: What does “iconic” mean in this context? Can a short story really be iconic in the way of a poem, or a painting, or Elvis?

Well, who knows, but for our purposes, “iconic” means that the story has somehow wormed its way into the general cultural consciousness—a list of the best short stories in the English language would look quite different than the one below. (Also NB that in this case we’re necessarily talking about the American cultural consciousness, weird and wiggly as it is.) When something is iconic, it is a highly recognizable cultural artifact that can be used as a shorthand—which often means it has been referenced in other forms of media. You know, just like Elvis. (So for those of you heading to the comments to complain that these stories are “the usual suspects”—well, exactly.) An iconic short story may be frequently anthologized , which usually means frequently read in classrooms, something that can lead to cultural ubiquity—but interestingly, the correlation isn’t perfect. For instance, Joyce’s “Araby” is anthologized more often, but for my money “The Dead” is more iconic . Film adaptations and catchy, reworkable titles help. But in the end, for better or for worse, you know it when you see it. Which means that, like anything else, it all depends on your point of view—icon status is (like most of the ways we evaluate art) highly subjective.

So, having acknowledged that there’s no real way to make this list, but because this is what we’re all here to do, here are some of the most iconic short stories for American readers in the English language—and a few more that deserve to be more iconic than they are.

Washington Irving, “Rip Van Winkle” (1819) and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” (1820) I agonized over whether I should pick “Rip Van Winkle” or “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” from Irving’s oeuvre. Both have many, many adaptations to their name and are so ubiquitous as to have drifted into the folklore realm. The latter certainly has more memorable recent adaptations, but the former is the only one with a bridge named after it . Ah, screw it, we’ll count them both.

Edgar Allan Poe, “The Tell-Tale Heart” (1843) Poe’s early stream-of-consciousness horror story, unreliable narrator and heart beating under the floorboards and all, is certainly one of the most adapted—and even more often referenced —short stories in popular culture, and which may or may not be the source for all of the hundreds of stories in which a character is tormented by a sound only they can hear. (Still not quite as ubiquitous as Poe himself , though . . .)

Herman Melville, “Bartleby, the Scrivener” (1853) Once, while I was walking in Brooklyn, carrying my Bartleby tote bag , a woman in an SUV pulled over (on Atlantic Avenue, folks) to excitedly wave at me and yell “Melville! That’s Melville!” Which is all you really need to know about that .

Ambrose Bierce, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” (1890) I will leave it to Kurt Vonnegut, who famously wrote , “I consider anybody a twerp who hasn’t read the greatest American short story, which is “Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” by Ambrose Bierce. It isn’t remotely political. It is a flawless example of American genius, like “Sophisticated Lady” by Duke Ellington or the Franklin stove.”

Charlotte Perkins Gilman, “The Yellow Wallpaper” (1892) Odds are this was the first overtly Feminist text you ever read, at least if you’re of a certain age; it’s become a stand-in for the idea of women being driven insane by the patriarchy—and being ignored by doctors, who deem them “hysterical.” This is another one with lots of adaptations to its name, including a memorable episode of The Twilight Zone , which concludes: “Next time you’re alone, look quickly at the wallpaper, and the ceiling, and the cracks on the sidewalk. Look for the patterns and lines and faces on the wall. Look, if you can, for Sharon Miles, visible only out of the corner of your eye or… in the Twilight Zone.”

Henry James, “The Turn of the Screw” (1898) Technically a novella, but discussed enough as a story that I’ll include it here (same goes for a couple of others on this list, including “The Metamorphosis”). It has, as a work of literature, inspired a seemingly endless amount of speculation, criticism, unpacking, and stance-taking. “In comment after comment, article after article, the evidence has been sifted through and judgments delivered,” Brad Leithauser wrote in The New Yorker . Fine, intelligent readers have confirmed the validity of the ghosts (Truman Capote); equally fine and intelligent readers have thunderously established the governess’s madness (Edmund Wilson).” And nothing that inspires so much interpretive interest could escape the many interpretations into other media: films, episodes of television, and much other literature.

Anton Chekhov, “The Lady with the Toy Dog” (1899) Widely acknowledged as one of Chekhov’s best stories, if not the best, and therefore almost no students get through their years at school without reading it. Has been adapted as a film, a ballet, a play, a musical, and most importantly, a Joyce Carol Oates short story.

W. W. Jacobs, “The Monkey’s Paw” (1902) So iconic—be careful what you wish for, is the gist—that you probably didn’t even know it started out as a short story. My favorite version is, of course, the Laurie Anderson song .

O. Henry, “The Gift of the Magi” (1905) According to Wikipedia, there have been 17 different film adaptations of O. Henry’s classic short story about a couple’s thwarted Christmas; the essential format—Della sells her hair to buy Jim a watch chain; Jim sells his watch to buy Della a set of combs—has been referenced and replicated countless times beyond that. I even heard Dax Shepard refer to this story on his podcast the other day, and so I rest my case.

James Joyce, “The Dead” (1914) The last story in Joyce’s collection Dubliners and one of the best short stories ever written; just ask anyone who wanted to have read some Joyce but couldn’t crack Ulysses . (Or anyone who could crack Ulysses too.) And let’s not forget the John Huston movie starring Anjelica Huston as Gretta.

Franz Kafka, “The Metamorphosis” (1915) Everyone has to read this in school, at some point—which is probably the reason why it’s been parodied, referenced, and adapted many times in just about every format . And why not? What could be more universal than the story of the man who wakes up to find himself transformed into an enormous insect?

Richard Connell, “The Most Dangerous Game” aka “The Hounds of Zaroff” (1924) “The most popular short story ever written in English” is obviously the one about aristocrats hunting people. Widely adapted , but one of my favorite versions is the episode of Dollhouse in which a Richard Connell (no relation except the obvious) hunts Echo with a bow.

Ernest Hemingway, “The Killers” (1927) I was tempted to include “Hills Like White Elephants” because of the number of people forced to read it to learn about dialogue (happily, there are other options ), but “The Killers,” while less often anthologized, is more influential overall, and gave us not only two full length film adaptations and a Tarkovsky short but Tobias Wolff’s “Bullet in the Brain,” which I do think is a very good story to learn from, if not for dialogue, then for story-making.

Zora Neale Hurston, “The Gilded Six-Bits” (1933) Hurston is most famous for Their Eyes Were Watching God , but those who know will tell you that this story of love, marriage, betrayal, and love again—which was also made into a 2001 film—is a classic, too.

Shirley Jackson, “The Lottery” (1948) The short story that launched a thousand letters to The New Yorker —or if not a thousand , then at least “a torrent . . . the most mail the magazine had ever received in response to a work of fiction.” Still taught widely in schools, and still chilling.

J. D. Salinger, “A Perfect Day for Bananafish” (1948) The very first story to destroy many a young mind. In a good way, obviously.

Ray Bradbury, “There Will Come Soft Rains” (1950)

Bradbury’s work has thoroughly permeated pop culture; plenty of his stories are widely adapted and referenced, so I could have chosen a few others here (“The Veldt” is my personal favorite). But every year, the image of a smart house going on long after the death of its occupants becomes more chilling and relevant an image; we can’t help but keep going back to it.

Daphne du Maurier, “The Birds” (1952) I know it’s really the Hitchcock film adaptation that’s iconic, but you wouldn’t have the Hitchcock without the du Maurier.

Flannery O’Connor, “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” (1953) Another oft-assigned (and oft-argued-over) story, this one with so many title rip-offs .

Elmore Leonard, “Three-Ten to Yuma” (1953) I know, I know, it’s “Fire in the Hole” that gave us Justified , and we’re all so very glad. But “Three-Ten to Yuma” has more name recognition—after all, it was adapted into two separate and very good films, the former of which (1957) actually created contemporary slang : in Cuba, Americans are called yumas and the United States is La Yuma .

Philip K. Dick, “The Minority Report” (1956) As a whole, Philip K. Dick’s work has had massive influence on literature, film, pop culture, and our cultural attitudes toward technology. Most of his best-known works are novels, but when a short story gets made into a Steven Spielberg/Tom Cruise film, you’re basically assuring iconic status right there. (Or at least that’s how it used to work…)

James Baldwin, “Sonny’s Blues” (1957) Baldwin’s best known short story pops up in plenty of anthologies, and can be thanked for being the gateway drug for many budding Baldwin acolytes.

Alan Sillitoe, “The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner” (1959) Not only is the story itself widely known and read—just ask Rod Blagojevich ( remember him? )—that title has been rewritten and reused thousands of times for varying ends—just ask the reporter who wrote that piece about Blagojevich. Or Adrian Tomine .

John Cheever, “The Swimmer” (1964) Cheever’s most famous story nails something essential about the mid-century American sensibility, and particularly the mid-century American suburbs, which is probably why everyone knows it (it’s also frequently anthologized). Or maybe it’s more about Burt Lancaster’s little shorts ? Either way.

Joyce Carol Oates, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” (1966) Another frequently anthologized and unwaveringly excellent short story; and look, it’s no one’s fault that Laura Dern turns everything she touches iconic.

Toni Cade Bambara, “The Lesson” (1972) Yet another story often assigned in schools (the good ones, anyway), which hopefully means one day we’ll wake up and find out that everyone has read it.

Ursula K. Le Guin, “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” (1973) As others have pointed out before me , Le Guin’s most read and most famous short story is almost always chillingly relevant.

Donald Barthelme, “The School” (1974) This one might only be iconic for writers, but considering it’s one of the best short stories ever written (according to me), I simply couldn’t exclude it.

Jamaica Kincaid, “Girl” (1978) Another staple of a writer’s education, and a reader’s; “are you really going to be the kind of woman who the baker won’t let near the bread?” being a kind of bandied-about shibboleth.

Raymond Carver, “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love” (1981) I struggled choosing a Carver story for this list—”Cathedral” is more important, and probably more read, but “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love” has transcended its own form more completely, at least with its title, which has spawned a host of echoes, including Haruki Murakami’s What I Talk About When I Talk About Running , and Nathan Englander’s What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank , to the point that I think it’s recognizable to just about everyone. A quick Google search will reveal that the framing has been used for almost everything you can think of. There’s—and I kid you not—a What We Talk About When We Talk About Books/War/Sex/God/The Tube/Games/Rape/Money/Creative Writing/Nanoclusters/Hebrew/The Weather/Defunding the Police/Free Speech/Taxes/Holes/Climate/The Moon/Waste/Cancel Culture/Impeachment/Gender/Digital Inclusions/Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease/COVID-19 . You see what I’m getting at here.

Stephen King, “The Body” (1982) Otherwise known, to the general public, as Stand By Me .

Amy Hempel, “In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson is Buried” (1983) Want to feel bad about your writing? This was the first short story Amy Hempel ever wrote.

Lorrie Moore, “How to Be an Other Woman” (1985) A very very good short story that has given rise to so many bad ones.

Mary Gaitskill, “Secretary” (1988) Bad Behavior is iconic as a whole , but probably the story to have most acutely permeated the wider culture is “Secretary,” on account of the film adaptation starring Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Spader—despite the fact that it totally butchers the ending.

Amy Tan, “Rules of the Game” (1989) This story originally appeared in The Joy Luck Club , Tan’s mega-bestseller, so probably almost everyone you know has read it. The film version didn’t hurt either.

Tim O’Brien, “The Things They Carried” (1990) Why, it’s only the most anthologized short story of the last 30(ish) years. That’s why even the people you know who haven’t picked up a book in their adult lives have read it.

Denis Johnson, “Emergency” (1992) When I left New York to go get my MFA, a friend gave me a copy of Jesus’ Son with the inscription “Because everyone in your MFA will talk about it and you don’t want to be the girl who hasn’t read it. (It’s also really good).” He was not wrong.

Annie Proulx, “Brokeback Mountain” (1997) Everybody knows this story—even if they only know it from its (massively successful and influential, not to mention the true Best Picture Winner of 2006) film adaptation—and not for nothing, coming out when it did, it went a long way towards making some Americans more comfortable with homosexuality. Open the floodgates, baby.

Jhumpa Lahiri, “A Temporary Matter” (1998) The story that made Lahiri a household name.

Ted Chiang, “Story of Your Life” (1998) Otherwise known as Arrival . (Also technically a novella.)

Alice Munro, “The Bear Came Over the Mountain” (2001) At this point, almost everyone has read at least some Alice Munro, right? This story is one of the best from one of the greats, and was also adapted into a fantastic but heartbreaking film, Away From Her .

Kristen Roupenian, “Cat Person” (2017) Sure, it’s recent, so it’s not quite as ingrained as some of the others here, but it’s also the story that broke the internet —and quite possibly the only New Yorker story that thousands of people have ever read.

Finally, as is often the case with lists that summarize the mainstream American literary canon of the last 200 years, it is impossible not to recognize that the list above is much too white and male. So for our future and continuing iconography, your friends at Literary Hub suggest reading the following stories, both new and old:

Eudora Welty, “Why I Live at the P.O.” (1941) Clarice Lispector, “The Imitation of the Rose” (1960) Leslie Marmon Silko, “The Man to Send Rain Clouds” (1969) Ralph Ellison, “Cadillac Flambé” (1973) Octavia Butler, “Bloodchild” (1984) Bharati Mukherjee, “The Management of Grief” (1988) John Edgar Wideman, “Fever” (1990) Sandra Cisneros, “Woman Hollering Creek” (1991) Christine Schutt, “To Have and to Hold” (1996) ZZ Packer, “Brownies” (2003) Edward P. Jones, “Marie” (2004) Karen Russell, “Haunting Olivia” (2005) Kelly Link, “Stone Animals” (2005) Edwidge Danticat, “Ghosts” (2008) Yiyun Li, “A Man Like Him” (2008) Claire Vaye Watkins, “Ghosts, Cowboys” (2009) Ottessa Moshfegh, “Bettering Myself” (2013) Amelia Gray, “House Heart” (2013) Zadie Smith, “Meet the President!” (2013) Carmen Maria Machado, “The Husband Stitch” (2014) Diane Cook, “The Way the End of Days Should Be” (2014) Kirstin Valdez Quade, “Five Wounds” (2015) NoViolet Bulawayo, “Shhhh” (2015) Mariana Enriquez, “Spiderweb” (2016) Ken Liu, “State Change” (2016) Helen Oyeyemi, “Sorry Doesn’t Sweeten Her Tea” (2016) Lesley Nneka Arimah, “What Is a Volcano?” (2017) James McBride, “The Christmas Dance” (2017) Viet Thanh Nguyen, “War Years” (2017) Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, “Friday Black” (2018). . .

Honestly, this list could go on forever, but let’s stop and say: more short stories of all kinds in the hands of the general public, please!

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28 of the Best YouTube Channels for Storytellers

Published by justin on october 22, 2017 october 22, 2017.

UPDATE: This was originally a 23 channel list, but since then I’ve added 5 more. You may want to bookmark this page, since I’ll probably keep adding more channels over time.

I have a new binge-watching habit. But it’s not on Netflix.

No, it’s weirder than that: it’s YouTube video essays.

If you haven’t spent much time in this sector of YouTube, here’s how a video essay usually works: an expert (or a superfan) uses a mix of video, animation, infographics, academia, and humor to explain a complicated subject in simple terms. Think of them as mini-lectures, delivered in a bite-sized format you’ll actually want to finish.

While there’s usually just one voice or presenter onscreen, these channels are often made possible by a small team of collaborative researchers, editors, designers, and animators. (And, if they get popular enough, sponsors.) So, in essence, each video essay is a (usually) brief episode in a loosely-related series on a topic, made either by one artist or by a branded team with a shared vision.

I’ll show you some of what I think are the best YouTube channels for storytellers in a moment. But first, let’s tackle one basic question:

What Does It Take to Make a Great Video Essay?

YouTube is full of video essays on every subject imaginable, from history and science to music, writing, video games, film, and more. From the channels I’ve explored over the past year, I’ve identified five traits that help the best video essays reliably rise above the rest:

A clear and well-supported premise in each essay
A consistent voice and tone across all videos
Simple yet effective visuals
EITHER a compelling narrative OR a satisfying setup and payoff
I can easily explain what I just learned to someone else

Each of the following channels excels in at least one of these areas, and often in all five. They’re also fantastic examples of how to structure a headline hook that attracts attention and then holds it throughout the length of the video.

The result?

Not only will these channels teach you something you didn’t know, but they’ll do it in a way you’re more likely to connect with, enjoy, remember, and want to share with others.

With that, let’s take a(n alphabetical) look at…

Austin McConnell

Channel Focus: Half weird pop culture, half media analysis.

Why Do I Dig It? Laid-back delivery, low-key comedy timing, and detailed dives into media I wouldn’t have explored otherwise — like the underground world of China’s bootleg Star Wars comics.

Beyond the Frame

Channel Focus: Explaining the pros and cons of TV and film language.

Why Do I Dig It? Every video feels like a short film school lesson.

Channel Focus: Politics, history, and weird quirks of math and science.

Why Do I Dig It? He’s a poster boy for how to make data interesting.

Coffee Break

Channel Focus: Deconstructing modern life and digital trends.

Why Do I Dig It? Great quick examples of how to frame and support an argument.

Every Frame a Painting

Channel Focus: Deep dives into the styles and trends that shaped the history of film.

Why Do I Dig It? Every video is like a slightly longer film school lesson.

Extra Credits

Channel Focus: It varies. I found them through their fantastic series of historical explainer videos, but they also explore video games, psychology, and more.

Why Do I Dig It? Two reasons. First, they make history lively by structuring their videos as narratives about their subjects’ needs and desires. Second, their innovative use of universally cute icons to represent various historical figures has an unusual effect: it humanizes everyone equally, which allows the audience to invest themselves emotionally in all sides.

Films & Stuff

Channel Focus: Examines what makes a scene, moment, or entire film work… or why it goes wrong.

Why Do I Dig It? Uses popular films to examine the power of specific storytelling tropes.

Half as Interesting

Channel Focus: Weird and obscure trivia about history and geography.

Why Do I Dig It? Quirky content, briefly well-explained.

Hello Future Me

Channel Focus: Analyzes writing and storytelling from a structural perspective: what’s the best way to convey information, and how do cultural tropes affect the way we process stories?

Why Do I Dig It? VERY instructive without being dismissive; uses a wide array of examples from popular culture to show recurring examples of writing techniques and variations. Less of a “one size fits all” guide, and more of a “menu of solutions” approach. (Plus, a solid sense of humor.)

Ideas at Play

Channel Focus: Close looks at the intangible aspects of storytelling, like editing, soundtracks, laugh tracks, and other aesthetic choices that change how we process the onscreen information.

Why Do I Dig It? Clear explanations plus high-quality production values.

In Deep Geek

Channel Focus: Deep deconstructions of Game of Thrones , Westworld , and more.

Why Do I Dig It? Anyone who tells a story will benefit from considering its construction with the same degree of detail that Robert, the host of this channel, applies to the minutiae of what makes stories like Game of Thrones tick. His narrative analysis works more like a scientific inquiry: he’ll ask a question or pose a theory, and then evaluate it from all sides before coming to a conclusion. (Bonus: Robert’s conversational tone and pace are incredibly soothing to listen to.)

Jenna Moreci

Channel Focus: “Tough love” writing advice from a self-published author.

Why Do I Dig It? Jenna’s blunt, sarcastic style is filled with useful advice that aspiring writers need to hear. (Bonus: Check out my quick Q&A with Jenna here .)

Jenny Nicholson

Channel Focus: Deconstructing the downside of your favorite pop culture tropes.

Why Do I Dig It? Jenny’s no-budget aesthetic and disarming delivery is deceptively sharp and consistently dry, and her analysis of why most films are broken is deadly accurate.

Channel Focus: Weird facts and sports trivia, brought to life by (purposely) bad infographics.

Why Do I Dig It? Every video Jon creates is a work of 8-bit art with a nugget about the truth of the human condition buried inside.

Channel Focus: Analyzing films and TV to find out why some stories work and some don’t.

Why Do I Dig It? Channel creator Sage Hyden digs deep into story structure to explain how the format of our media affects the kinds of stories we tell. For example, this video will change the way you think about animated movies.

kaptainkristian

Channel Focus: High-level overviews of huge pop culture topics.

Why Do I Dig It? These are perfect “introduction to ___” videos for anyone who’s always wondered “what’s the deal with ___?”

Karsten Runquist

Channel Focus: Analyzing story structure in film and TV.

Why Do I Dig It? Runquist exposes narrative tricks hiding in plain sight — like during the first few minutes of Stranger Things — in such a way that you suddenly feel like you knew them all along.

Channel Focus: Explaining how life works, both literally and figuratively.

Why Do I Dig It? Possibly the best union of animation and narration on YouTube. Plus, they make super-complex subjects infinitely easier to understand.

Lessons from the Screenplay

Channel Focus: Comparing finished films to their screenplays to find the building blocks that help good scripts become great movies.

Why Do I Dig It? Each video explains a core storytelling technique through visual examples that make what could be dry theories into easily-remembered demonstrations.

Lindsay Ellis

Channel Focus: Cynically exploding the problematic tropes of pop culture.

Why Do I Dig It? Every video is like a dyspeptic film school lesson.

Channel Focus: Explaining how video games work via examples of good and bad game design.

Why Do I Dig It? When you’re playing a video game, you rarely have time to stop and appreciate how it was built. Every video Mark adds to his Game Maker’s Toolkit series helps you appreciate the multiple systems and creators at work behind the interactive experiences we often take for granted.

Movies with Mikey (on Chainsawsuit)

Channel Focus: Irony-drenched movie analysis that’s almost as long as the movies themselves.

Why Do I Dig It? Deep, smart, wry deconstructions that pull no punches.

Patrick (H) Willems

Channel Focus: Functional film analysis, sometimes on a shot-by-shot basis.

Why Do I Dig It? Willems is an aspiring director who treats every essay like it’s his own short film.

The School of Life

Channel Focus: Love, relationships, and identity.

Why Do I Dig It? Blunt advice, delivered by often beautiful and always emotionally evocative animation.

Terrible Writing Advice

Channel Focus: Storytelling flaws, cheap stereotypes, overused ideas, and bad writing habits.

Why Do I Dig It? The writing “advice” is good, but the details embedded in the animations are even better.

Channel Focus: The oddities of science, math, and statistics.

Why Do I Dig It? Simple explanations of scientific laws and theories, often with easy-to-remember examples.

Channel Focus: Vox Media’s subset of videos that focus on the art, science, and business of pop music.

Why Do I Dig It? Part history lesson and part musicology course, host Estelle Caswell explains how musical trends work using anecdotes and visual aids.

Channel Focus: Pop culture meets philosophy.

Why Do I Dig It? In addition to being one of the highest-quality video essay channels on YouTube, every Wisecrack video analyzes a piece of pop culture from multiple angles — artistically, sociologically, philosophically, and more.

Two Quick Caveats About This List

I study a lot of film and media, so my list of the best YouTube channels is obviously biased in that direction. Also, I’m frustrated to note that my list is mostly made up of white guys, which highlights of the apparent lack of diversity in the video essay field. I’d like to expand this list in both directions, and you can help me out.

So, if you (or someone you dig) are doing great video essays on other topics or from other perspectives, I’d love to see what you’re working on. Tweet me or leave a comment below so others can see what you’re up to!

Want More Posts About Storytelling?

Subscribe to my newsletter and catch every new post! (I send an email weekly-ish.)

NunyaBiznuss · February 17, 2022 at 3:48 pm

The list is incomplete without Mrballen

malarkodi · June 14, 2019 at 12:20 pm

Hi, I am eager to become a storyteller in both in Tamil and English languages. Kindly guide me to start working on my passion.

Thank you, Best Regards,

Aishwarya Tiwari · November 27, 2018 at 5:14 am

I think that was a pretty researched and exhaustive list. Just a minor suggestion, you should have mentioned the facf that the list will comprise video essayists that discuss films and related spheres extensively, it’d have been better :) Regardless, thanks for creating this list. Means a lot. Can’t wait to devour the various channels that are now new additions to my subscriptions. Love from India!

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The Best Read-Alouds on YouTube for the Classroom or Home

Save your voice. Let these folks do the reading for you.

Reading out loud to kids is an important way to build a love of books that lasts a lifetime. Read-alouds also demonstrate reading fluency and book skills, like turning pages and reading from left to right. That’s why it’s important to choose quality book videos for kids, so the online experience mimics in-person reading as much as possible. Fortunately, we’ve done the legwork for you and found the best read-alouds on YouTube to share with the kids in your life.

How we chose the best read-alouds on YouTube

YouTube has an enormous selection of read-aloud videos. Some are amazing—and some are not. Though any time kids spend with books has merit, we feel that quality videos should provide the same educational experience that in-person reading does. A good read-aloud:

Has clear sound with an emphasis on the reading (we don’t need music or any extra sounds).
Shows the cover of each book.
Mentions the title, author, and illustrator of the book (with correct pronunciation).
Demonstrates proper concepts of print (the pages turn right to left).
Shows the text of the book while the person is reading.
Demonstrates fluent reading.

With that in mind, here are the read-aloud channels we love. We hope you do too! As always, please preview any video to ensure the content is appropriate for your audience. ( Get tips for using read-aloud videos at home here. )

Let’s Read Stories

Stories for kids—read by a kid! This channel features tons of favorite books, read beautifully by a child who knows how to make the story engaging and fun. Kids will find it easy to connect with a voice that sounds more like their own, encouraging them to try reading aloud on their own more often.

The Story Time Family

Ready for some titles you haven’t seen before? The Story Time Family has a big virtual bookshelf with playlists for animals, social-emotional learning, and more. No commercial characters here, just good-quality selections kids haven’t already heard dozens of times.

Story Time With Bear & Ms. Becky

Ms. Becky has such a comfortable presence onscreen, and she asks viewers questions before and after reading in an incredibly natural way. She has several hundred videos to choose from, with favorite standbys and newer titles too.

Stories With Star

This channel includes a giant selection of books, with titles to interest any child. Page flips are animated, but in general these are good videos with books read in an engaging voice.

Mrs. K’s Book Worm Adventures

Mrs. K often includes interesting facts during the introduction, then gets to the book itself. Her playlists include funny books, informational books, holiday books, and more.

Storytime With Ryan and Craig

Looking for read-alouds with some personality? Check out Ryan and Craig! They’re comedians who read children’s books and comment (in kid-appropriate ways) as they go. They’re fun and entertaining, but the reading is good quality and so are the book choices.

Kid Time Story Time

The puppet voices might seem a bit much for parents, but kids love the high energy of these read-alouds on YouTube. The variety here is exceptional, with whole sections of Hispanic Heritage books, seasonal books, and STEM books.

Literally Cultured

Looking for a selection of books that embraces multiple cultures and identities? This channel has a terrific selection of inclusive books to expand kids’ horizons. We do wish the videos featured the text on each page a little more instead of zooming and panning, but the diverse library of titles makes up for it.

Read Right Now

Read Right Now uses e-books instead of paper books, so the page flipping is a little different. But the reader uses a clear and engaging voice, and their selection of titles is top-notch.

StoryTime at Awnie’s House

https://youtu.be/f41od1y5MN4

If your kids are always begging “Do the voices!” when they listen to read-alouds, they’ll like Awnie. Although these videos don’t show the pages of the book being flipped, they do ensure the text is featured as Awnie reads. We especially like the playlists for School Days and Kindness and Acceptance.

Brightly Storytime

Brightly Storytime is another channel that doesn’t show physical books with flipping pages, but they do have one unique feature: The words are highlighted as they’re read, making it easier for kids to follow the text. The playlist where authors read their own books has some of the best read-alouds on YouTube.

Dramatic StoryTime Theater

If you’re looking for well-read classics, check out this channel. There are two dozen books to watch, all read in a way that’s perfect for little ones to follow along.

Kids Stories 4 You

The basic read-alouds here check all the boxes: clear reading, engaging voices, and a wide selection, including many that older readers will like. This is a super channel for struggling readers to plug into during center time, as there are many high-interest Pete the Cat books and other popular characters from mainstream movies and programs.

The Reading Unicorn

There are lots of commercial-character books here, but the Reading Unicorn does them well. Parents might appreciate these read-alouds on YouTube most; let the playlist run while you catch up on some laundry or check your email.

Bonus Recommendation: Goodnight With Dolly

Dolly Parton is a huge champion of children’s literacy. During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, she put out a series of 10 “bedtime story” videos. Her charm and sweetness shine through on every page of these gems, and though there are only a handful of read-alouds, you’ll want to watch them again and again.

What are your favorite read-alouds on YouTube? Join the conversation and exchange recommendations on the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

Plus, check out the big list of virtual author activities ..

The best read-alouds on YouTube demonstrate reading fluency while keeping kids engaged and entertained. Here are our favorite channels.

Our Favorite Videos for Teaching Shakespeare

Bring the Bard to life with these resources. Continue Reading

10 must-watch short films on YouTube

These short films will make you laugh, cry, and shudder in 25 minutes or less.

Short films are perfect if you don’t have the time to watch full feature films. Recently, it has become commonplace for films to run for two — sometimes even three — hours. But for the average Joe who doesn’t have time for that, short films are the perfect length. And since it’s essential to pack as much drama in as possible within the short timeframe, you’re left with emotionally powerful narratives that incite tears, laughter, and fear.

Since these films have such a short run time as well as a smaller budget than feature-length films, it’s impressive that they’re able to captivate and immerse the audience so well. So instead of spending two and a half hours watching a feature film, be entertained, heart-warmed, or unsettled in less than a quarter of the time with these potent short films.

10. The Crush (15:50)

In this Irish short film, Ardal, an 8-year-old schoolboy, is besotted with his kind teacher, Ms. Purdy. He even gives her a ring to solidify his love for her. But when he meets her uncharitable fiancé, Ardal is heartbroken and knows that the fiancé isn’t suitable for Ms. Purdy. He decides to take matters into his own hands and challenges the fiancé in a duel to the death.

While it starts with a heartwarming story about the feelings of a young boy, toward the end, it gets progressively darker.

9. The Dentist (6:37)

The Dentist is a western short film that the talented Michael Brian Rawlins wrote, directed, and starred in. The story follows a dentist traveling north, searching for a town where he can practice dentistry. But when an ill-mannered cowboy holds him up, the dentist reveals that he is broke and has nothing for the robber to take. All he can do is help the robber with his infected tooth. But what the robber doesn’t know is that the dentist isn’t who he says he is.

The video is impeccably crafted, entertaining, and has superb acting. And with the decadent twist at the end, it will surely capture your attention within its six minutes and 37 seconds.

8. Pink (7:05)

Pink is an LGBTQ romantic short film in which Elody, a young girl, must realize that finding the gift of love is something to be cherished, not feared. After receiving a love letter from Betty stating that she has feelings for her, Elody is ecstatic. But after they grow closer, Elody grows fearful of what people around them will say. This fear causes her to leave Betty, causing them both heartbreak. But rest assured, the film has a happy ending that will leave you teary-eyed and content.

7. Kookie (12:39)

Written, directed, and conceived in just a few weeks by Justin Harding, Kookie is a horror short film about Bree, a dishonest 9-year-old who meets a terrifying visitor after a parenting lesson goes wrong. She has a penchant for eating cookies from the cookie jar, then lying about it. But when her mother replaces their cute porcelain bear cookie jar with a terrifying clown cookie jar to teach her a lesson, Bree finds herself haunted by something dark.

It’s difficult to find quality horror shorts, so the fact that this one is well-presented and directed makes it a fun, spooky time.

6. One-minute Time Machine (5:40)

One-minute Time Machine is as cute as it is short. In just under six minutes, it’s an impactful science fiction/romance short film.

In the short, an endearing man named James attempts to pick up Regina, a beautiful woman who is sitting on a park bench enjoying the sun. But every time he tries to impress her, James gets flustered and messes it up. However, he has a one-minute time machine, and every time he makes a mistake or is rejected, he gets a do-over. But he doesn’t realize the consequences of his actions and receives a big shock when he finds out what using the time machine does.

It’s a well-written refreshing work of art with simple humor that reminds one of the romantic essence of life.

5. Lost and Found (7:38)

This stop-motion short film tugs at the heartstrings. It centers on two characters– a clumsy knitted toy dinosaur and his love, a lovely crocheted fox. When his girl is in peril, the dinosaur must put himself in harm’s way and risk everything to save her.

The film has an innocent charm and is a powerful love story of sacrifice. The stop-motion is incredibly crafted and will leave you impressed at the tenacity of the creators. It does a superb job of engaging in the tragedy of the moment, and it’s simple, dramatic, and not afraid to make your heart hurt.

4. The Gunfighter (8:49)

The Gunfighter is a comedy short film. In the tradition of old classic westerns, a narrator sets up the story of a lone gunslinger who walks into a saloon filled with an assortment of scoundrels who characterize that time. However, the people in the saloon can hear the narrator, and he’s out for blood. The joke is that the husky, masculine voice of the narrator talks through everyone’s inner thoughts as if he was writing them. And by bringing the intentions of the saloon inhabitants to light, he causes mayhem. As the narrator uncovers the bar patrons’ affairs, STDs, and murders, they get increasingly agitated, which results in an all-out gunfight.

It’s a hilarious narrative expertly told and delivered in an engaging way.

3. The Neighbors’ Window (20:37)

Written and directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Marshal Curry, this Oscar-winning short film is a story about a mother who has grown disenchanted with her husband and their daily routine. However, she discovers a new perspective on her monotonous life when she learns that she can see into a couple’s apartment in the building across from them. According to her, the couple is “beautiful, young, and sexy,” everything the mother feels she’s not.

But after she becomes captivated by the young couple and starts to romanticize their life together, she realizes that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side and learns to appreciate what she has.

The short film shows an authentic dynamic between couples who have been together long-term and does a spectacular job portraying the characters and relationships in just 20 minutes. With over 13 million views on YouTube and a heart-wrenching plot, The Neighbors’ Window is one of the best romantic short films on the streaming platform.

2. Hair Love (6:47)

This award-winning animated short is a heartfelt film about the relationship between an African-American father, his daughter Zuri, and the daunting task of doing his daughter’s hair for the first time.

After 7-year-old Zuri she wakes up in the morning with her little bonnet, and identified it as a special day. Maybe picture day? She pictures herself with a lady doing her hair for a minute. Was that a memory? A fantasy? Is her mom no longer with us? Out of town? We find out the truth in the end, and we get even more story as the credits roll.

Hair Love won Best Animated Short Film at the 92nd Academy Awards.

1. Pip (4:05)

Pip is the story of a young dog who dreams of becoming a Southeastern Guide Dog. She attends Canine University and finds that she has a more challenging time acing her classes due to her short stature. However, she hopes to make this up with determination and, in the process, find her confidence. It’s a heartwarming story about being an underdog and is sure to make you tear up with its inspirational ending.

It’s an animated short film presented by Southeastern Guide Dogs, a nonprofit agency that trains service dogs. And with 391 million views on YouTube, you can’t go wrong watching it.

The difference between a feature-length film and a short is that the director has the time and the budget to provide context to the story, and these filmmakers don’t have that luxury. They make it work with less.

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What are the 50+ Best Short Films of All Time on YouTube?

The best short films of all time were hard to find in days past. but now, with youtube, they're only just a click away .

Making a short film can be your ticket into creating a name for yourself in Hollywood. It feels like all content these days are getting shorter and shorter. When you look at streamers like Quibi, they're creating content that's fifteen minutes long, maximum. But this is not a new idea, even Stanley Kubrick saw the future of entertainment as short films.

And even Netflix released Love, Death, and Robots as a series built on short interpretations of the future.

We've covered how to write a short film , so today I want to highlight 50+ of the best short films on YouTube. Watching them can inspire you to be a better filmmaker.

So without further ado...

The 50+ Best Short Films on YouTube

I perused the internet and tried to pick some of the best short films available. If you know of others, please leave them in the comments and I will add them. I sorted them via film genre to make it easier. This is not a ranking, just a list of resources. I'm excited to hear what you think and hope it starts a discussion.

All information for loglines and credits from IMDB .

The Best Drama Short Films

About a girl.

Logline: A girl tells the story of her life and hopes for the future.

Directed by Brian Percival

Written by Julie Rutterford

Logline: An office worker meets the girl of his dreams and uses a fleet of paper airplanes to get her attention.

Directed by Jon Kahrs

Written by Clio Chiang, Kendelle Hoyer

Logline: Dawn is a quiet young teenager who longs for something or someone to free her from her sheltered life.

Directed by Rose McGowan

Written by M.A. Fortin, Joshua John Miller

Logline: A fable about a parking attendant who gives his customers REAL validation -- dispensing both free parking and free compliments.

Directed & Written by Kurt Kuenne

Harvie Krumpet

Logline: The odd biography of a man who has Tourette's Syndrome, chronic bad luck, menial jobs, nudist tendencies, and a book of "fakts" hung around his neck

Directed & Written by Adam Elliot

Tall Enough

Logline: In this day-in-the-life piece, a young, interracial couple explore their relationship on a quiet Saturday in Brooklyn.

Directed & Written by Barry Jenkins

Logline: Zoë is a single mother who lives with her four children in Dartford. She is poor and can't afford to buy food. One day her ex-boyfriend drives by and asks her to go on a date with him. Scared that he doesn't want to go out with her, she lies and tells him that she is just babysitting the kids. This will be her first date in years.

Directed & Written by Andrea Arnold

Logline: Young ten-year-old Daisy hates dresses. She much prefers her brother Jude’s loose-fitting clothing. Her favorite nail polish is a black Sharpie. It’s the Fourth of July and the two have been left alone to watch fireworks on TV while their mother goes on a date. But the older teens Hunter and Ryan lure the siblings out of the house for a night full of pranks, trouble and a moral quandary.

Directed & Written by Erin Sanger

I Feel Stupid

Logline: Welcome to the awkward sexually charged silence of teenage life.

Directed by Milena Pastreich

Written by Ana Lily Amirpour

Logline: After he gets out of the toilets, a man is being chased by a human-sized turd, claiming to be the man's child. "Why have you abandoned me?" is the question the turd keeps on asking. First, the man is embarrassed by the annoying presence of the turd, then he slowly accepts it alongside him...

Directed & Written by Michel Gondry

Thunder Road

Logline: Jimmy Arnaud eulogizes his mother.

Directed & Written by Jim Cummings

Logline: Zsofi is struggling to fit in at her new school – singing in the school’s famous choir is her only consolation, but the choir director may not be the inspirational teacher everyone thinks she is. It will take Zsofi and her new friend Liza to uncover the cruel truth.

Director - Kristof Deák

Screenplay - Kristof Deák, Christian Azzola, Bex Harvey

Small Deaths

Logline: Captures three occurrences in a young girl's life that leave her with a heavy heart.

Directed & Written by Lynne Ramsay

Logline: Life is simple. Why complicate it?

Directed & Written by Vignesh Venugopal

The Life of Death

Logline: Is it right to be treated as a weirdo just because you are Death incarnate? Even Death has feelings, and God forbid, even Death may die.

Directed & Written by Mark Dubiniec

The Best Western Short Films

The gunfighter .

Logline: In the tradition of classic westerns, a narrator sets up the story of a lone gunslinger who walks into a saloon. However, the people in this saloon can hear the narrator and the narrator may just be a little bit bloodthirsty.

Directed by Eric Kissack

Written by Kevin Tenglin

I am John Wayne

Logline: A lyrical portrait of 'Taco', a young urban cowboy struggling with the death of his best friend.

Directed & Written by Christina Choe

The Last Real Cowboys

Logline: Around the classic 1800's Western campfire, Slope and Tar tangle about what's been, what will be, and who may or may not survive the first New Age chat in the Old West.

Directed & Written by Jeff Lester

The Good Time Girls

Logline: A group of women band together as they go to war against a pack of men who have done them wrong at every turn.

Directed & Written by Courtney Hoffman

The New West

Logline: A classic revenge tale begins in a schoolyard and ends at the heart of the modern frontier.

Directed & Written by Peter Edlund

Blood is my Name

Logline: A short film musical narrative in the style of Americana folklore.

Directed by Brandom McCormick

Written by Brandom McCormick, Nicholas Kirk, Charlie Wetzel

Logline: A young mercenary is hired to kill Death.

Directed & Written by Edson Oda

The Best Comedy Short Films

The elevator.

Logline: A short film about riding the elevator.

Directed & Written by Greg Glienna

Logline: In a dusty Texas bar, a chatty stranger insists on striking up a conversation with the man sitting next to him. The more this out-of-towner talks, the more obvious it is he's not from 'round here. Heck, he's not even from this planet! Based on the short story by Joe R. Lansdale.

Directed by Lowell Northrop

Written by Joe R. Lansdale

The Most Beautiful Thing

Logline: A down-on-his-luck boy finds love in the most unexpected way.

Directed & Written by Cameron Covell

Logline: Upon hitting puberty, a high-school boy realizes he is homosexual and faces prejudice from his parents and friends.

Directed by Peggy Rajski

Written by James Lecesne, Bruce Vilanch

Six Shooter

Logline: A black and bloody Irish comedy about a sad train journey where an older man, whose wife has died that morning, encounters a strange and possibly psychotic young oddball....

Directed & Written by Martin McDonough

I'll Wait for the Next One

Logline: A man falls in love while in a subway station.

Directed & Written by Philippe Orreindy

The New Tenants

Logline: A nosy neighbor, a drug dealer, and an angry husband make for a move-in day that two men will never forget.

Directed by Jaochim Back

Written by Anders Thomas Jensen (original screenplay "De Nye Lejere"), David Rakoff (adaptation)

Multi-Facial

Logline: A short film about the problems that accompany an actor as he auditions, due to his multi-ethnic appearance.

Directed & Written by Vin Diesel

Gregory Go Boom

Logline: A paraplegic man leaves home to be on his own.

Directed & Written by Janicza Bravo

Writer's Block

Logline: A vexed screenwriter, an elusive woman and the thin line between fact and fiction.

Directed by Brandon Polanco

Written by Brandon Polanco, Spenser Granese (co-writer)

Logline: A celebrity meets a person at the airport. All is fine until the person finds out that if they return home, they will be arrested.

Directed by Vladimir Shcherban

Written by Nikolai Khalezin, Laura Wade

The Best Science Fiction Short Films

I'm you, dickhead .

Logline: A man travels back in time to force his 10-year-old self to learn guitar so that he can get more action with the ladies in the present day.

Directed by Lucas Testro

Written by Larry Boxshall

Blue Season

Logline: Sarah wakes up to find herself hanging upside down. As she screams for help a phone rings and the person, on the other hand, helps her escape. Is all as it seems to be?

Directed by Georgina Higgins, Lee Jones

Written by Georgina Higgins

Logline: A short futuristic film featuring Augmented reality and Gamification. by Eran May-raz and Daniel Lazo. This is a graduation project from Bezaleal academy of arts.

Directed by Daniel Lazo (co-director), Eran May-Raz (co-director)

Written by Natalie Doten (narration)

Logline: A father's desperate attempt to come to terms with the devastating effects of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.

Directed & Written by Juanita Wilson

Logline: Last night's leftovers are presented with a cold reality. A massive ice block has invaded the refrigerator and is swallowing the food one item at a time. In an epic struggle for their survival, Spaghetti, Ham Sandwich, and Celery embark on a journey to the refrigerator's temperature control knob.

Directed by Dave Green

Written by Daniel Hartley

Logline: A sci-fi film about Africa in the future, 35 years after World War III, the water war.

Directed & Written by Wanuri Kahiu

Logline: A housemaid robot in the near future begins to adapt to the world around it.

Directed & Written by Courtney Marsh

Logline: A young boy living in the near future looks for an escape from a home with arguing parents. As a way to cope with the recent arguments from his parents he receives a robot companion that he ends up abusing.

Directed & Written by Ruairi Robinson

Welcome to Earth

Logline: It’s 2618 and humans are extinct. Four aliens travel to Earth to visit the museum of humanity. There they find the story of the last heroes of humanity, setting out to find help.

Directed & Written by Daan van 't Einde

The Best Horror / Thriller Short Films

Lights out .

Logline: When you are all alone in a small dark room, what do you fear the most? Is it the temporary blindness or is it the uneasy deep feeling that someone, or rather something, is observing your every move?

Directed & Written by David Sandberg

Logline: Alex asks his father to tuck him in, but that's not the only thing he asks for.

Directed by Ignacio F. Rodó

Written by Juan J. Ruiz (based on a story by), Ignacio Rodó (adaptation) (as Ignacio F. Rodó)

Still Life

Logline: A pill-popping, over-caffeinated driver accidentally hits something. Panic-stricken, he searches for help in a strange and desolate town that offers very little in the form of human kindness.

Directed by Jon Knautz

Written by Charles Kohnston

Logline: Stranded in the midst of a zombie apocalypse, a man sets in motion an unlikely plan to protect his infant daughter.

Directed by Ben Howling, Yolanda Ramke

Written by Yolanda Ramke

Lick the Star

Logline: A clique of school girls devises a secret plan that they code-name "Lick the Star".

Directed by Sofia Coppola

Written by Sofia Coppola, Stephanie Hayman

Logline: A bullied schoolboy takes drastic measures against his tormenter, summoning an ancient being in the woods using a spellbound book passed down through the generations of his family.

Directed & Written by Ben Franklin and Anthony Melton

Logline: The purchase of a mystery Jigsaw Puzzle from a strange and unsettling vendor leads a man to an evening of frightening consequences.

Directed & Written by Basil and Rashad Al-Safar

The Best Action Short Films

Paths of hate .

Logline: A short tale about the demons that slumber deep in the human soul and have the power to push people into the abyss of blind hate, fury and rage.

Directed & Written by Dameon Nenow

Pitch Black Heist

Logline: Liam (Liam Cunningham) and Michael (Michael Fassbender) are professional safe crackers who meet on a simple job to relieve an office safe from its contents. The catch is a light activated ... See full summary »

Directed & Written by John MacLean

Castello Cavalcanti

Logline: Italy, September 1955. A Formula One driver crashes his car during a race, leaving him stuck in a small village but good surprises will come his way.

Directed & Written by Wes Anderson

Logline: Police chase an armed criminal in a version of Los Angeles comprised entirely of corporate logos.

Directed by François Alaux & Hervé de Crécy & Ludovic Houplain

Written by François Alaux...(screenplay) & Hervé de Crécy...(screenplay) & Ludovic Houplain...(screenplay) Gregory J. Pruss...(dialogue)

The Big Break

Logline: A struggling actor and director finally crack under the pressures of navigating the entertainment business.

Directed & Written by Gil Freston

Agent 327: Operation Barbershop

Logline: Agent 327 is investigating a clue that leads him to a shady barbershop in Amsterdam. Little does he know that he is being tailed by mercenary Boris Kloris.

Directed by Hjalti Hjalmarsson (co-director), Colin Levy (co-director)

Written by Martin Lodewijk (based on comics by)

God Forgives, We Don't

Logline: A short war movie.

Directed by Kristof Brandl

Written by Shane Patrick

What did we learn from the best short films ever?

I hope you were able to take a ton of inspiration away from this post and list. All these films are worth checking out, and as I mentioned above, please let me know about some other ones you love. I'd love to grow this list to the 100 best short films on YouTube.

Feel free to post links to your own work - I can't wait to see how our community works together to produce more amazing short films!

What's next? Learn how to write short films!

Chances are you’re reading No Film School because you’re not only obsessed with Hollywood, but you want to be a part of it. But breaking in is never easy. That’s why I think writing short films and even making them yourself, has become a viable option for breaking into the business.

Click the link for more!

What Are Set Pieces in Film and TV?

And how do we inject scope and spectacle into our screenplays.

I was sitting in an IMAX theater this weekend, watching fremen summon and ride sandworms across the desert. The scope and scale of the shots, plus the epic fighting scenes reminded me that set pieces are still one of the main reasons audiences go to the movies.

We can to sit in front of the biggest screen possible and see something amazing happen.

So, how do you get these amazing moments into your work?

Today, we're going to go over set pieces in film and television. We'll look at the definition, some examples, and talk about how to get them into your work.

Let's dive in.

What Are Set Pieces?

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

At its core, a set piece is a self-contained scene or sequence that serves as a major story beat, pushing the narrative forward and leaving a lasting impression.

It's a moment where the director, writer, and all the filmmaking departments come together to create a spectacle, be it through action, comedy, suspense, or awe-inspiring visuals.

Think of it as a miniature film within the film, with its own mini-arc, complete with a setup, a thrilling or hilarious middle, and a satisfying conclusion.

The History of Set Pieces

Mission: Impossible

The term "set piece" has its roots in the early days of filmmaking. Back then, studios relied heavily on elaborate, constructed sets. A scene requiring a whole new set to be built became a significant undertaking, and filmmakers ensured these scenes were showstoppers to justify the expense.

This focus on elaborate physical sets gradually evolved into a focus on creating impactful moments, regardless of the physical set itself.

From the comedic like Charlie Chaplin getting stuck on some gears, to the thrilling like the Thief of Bagdad riding on a carpet, people have always gone to the movies to see these kinds of exciting displays.

Tropes and Expectations of Set Pieces

Set pieces often play with genre tropes and audience expectations from genre.

Action films rely on car chases, explosions, and elaborate fight choreography.

Horror movies might feature a character chased through a dark house, a tense stand-off with a monster, or a jump scare that makes you want to hide under the couch.

Comedies might use elaborate Rube Goldberg machines of physical comedy or awkward social situations that build to a hilarious climax.

The point is, identifying the genre you're writing in can help you pull more out of the kinds of set pieces your audience wants.

Set Piece Examples

The best way to learn about set pieces is just to look at some of the best all time. Honestly, when it comes time for me to write something new, I wind up watching a lot of film and TV and make lists of set pieces I think are really interesting or unique, then I try to put my spin on them.

Here's a bunch I go back to over and over.

The Truck Chase - Raiders of the Lost Ark : Indiana Jones scrambling on, under, and even between vehicles in a frantic pursuit is not only thrilling, but showcases Indy's ingenuity and humor under pressure.
The Lobby Shootout - The Matrix : Unforgettable bending of reality, gun-fu action, and slow-motion acrobatics made this a game-changer in action filmmaking.
The House Fight - John Wick : Intense, claustrophobic martial arts within confined spaces. This scene raised the bar for intricately choreographed, visceral combat.
Shower Scene - Psycho : The stabbing frenzy combined with the shrieking score shattered expectations of safety and became a landmark of horror filmmaking.
Chestburster - Alien : The shocking emergence of the creature, the visceral gore, and the genuine terror of the actors create a truly horrifying and iconic moment.
Food Fight - Animal House : A chaotic, hilarious escalation of food-flinging mayhem that embodies the irreverent spirit of the film.
The Mirror Scene - Duck Soup : Harpo and Groucho Marx mirroring each other perfectly in an escalating silly bit of physical comedy.
The Odessa Steps - Battleship Potemkin : This early silent film features a harrowing massacre on a grand staircase. Its editing and powerful imagery cemented it in film history. And there's a great homage to it in The Untouchables .
Crop Duster Chase - North by Northwest : Cary Grant, wrongly accused, flees from a plane in a suspenseful, almost dialogue-free scene. It's a masterclass in tension through visuals and score.
The Bicycle Chase - E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial : The joy and sense of wonder as Elliot and his friends take flight is pure movie magic.

How to Craft a Compelling Set Piece

The Matrix: Reloaded

Warner Bros.

So, how do you write a set piece that leaves a lasting impression? It's not just where and how the set piece takes place, but also injecting stakes into each of them so we understanding what we're rooting for and why.

Here are some other key ingredients:

Clear Goal and Stakes: What are the characters trying to achieve? What are the consequences of failure? Establishing high stakes keeps the audience invested.
Rising Tension : Build anticipation through clever pacing, dialogue, and visuals.
Unique Visuals: Whether it's a mind-blowing stunt or a dazzling display of CGI, a set piece should be visually engaging.
Character Connection : Don't let spectacle overshadow character. Ensure the set piece reveals something new about your characters or propels them forward in the story.

Whether it's a thrilling escape, a side-splitting comedy sequence, or a breathtaking display of visual effects, a well-crafted set piece can elevate a film or TV show to new heights.

So the next time you're watching a movie or show and find yourself glued to the screen, take a moment to appreciate the work that goes into creating these unforgettable set pieces.

And when you sit down to write your own, try to think about what would make someone spend the money or the time to watch what you craft, and start writing from that emotion.

What Are The Best Thriller Movies of All Time?

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Get Free high-resolution PDF of How to Write a Screenplay

Screen Rant

15 must watch short films available on youtube (or other online platforms).

Looking for a way to fill up a few minutes? Check out these incredible short films that are available either on YouTube or other online platforms.

Every famous director has to start somewhere. Short films seem to be the way to go for aspiring filmmakers to kickstart their careers. Many of these films showcase the potential of promising filmmakers who eventually go on to make their big break into feature film work.

RELATED: Top 10 Hollywood Directors And Their Signature Style

Some short films, like Whiplash, serve as proof of concept for later, more recognizable work. Others have found audiences on the web and continue to serve their audiences there. However, not every short film has to be an entryway into a career in feature films. The short film is an art form in itself and requires a completely different set of goals than a feature.

Updated on January 1st, 2021 by Svetlana Sterlin: Short films have become even more accessible in recent years, thanks to YouTube, Vimeo, and countless other platforms. Even Netflix has jumped onto the bandwagon to release short films for viewing. Since viewers are becoming increasingly harder to please, and attention is harder to capture than ever, short films are the ideal viewing market to sell to. Luckily, most of these films are free to watch across platforms ranging from YouTube to Netflix.

The Jog (2019)

The Jog couldn't have become available to view on YouTube at a more timely moment. 2020 has been defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis, and various social justice movements, including the push for racial equality.

In this short film, a man gets a call that he's been accepted into a police academy, which is his dream. He then goes for a morning jog, where he notices a woman in trouble. He follows her and knocks out her assailant - a white man brandishing a gun. When the police arrive, they wrongfully assume that the black man is guilty . The film's ending is impactful and extremely relevant.

Locker Room (2017)

An Australian short film, Locker Room is about a girl's alienation from her male friends. The drama is also specifically about toxic masculinity and locker room culture at elite private schools.

A teenage girl named Carla discovers a secret group chat her male friends have created. She must choose between staying loyal to her friends, or doing what is right and exposing them for their exploitative behavior.

The Disappearance Of Willie Bingham (2015)

A confronting horror, The Disappearance of Willie Bingham is set in a prison where the inmates are used as test subjects for new punishment measures.

One inmate, Willie Bingham, is subjected to some particularly sadistic means of punishment. The film makes viewers question the justice system and how far it should go to serve said justice - in fact, whether justice can ever really be served. Morals become greyed, and the characters themselves are unsure of their stance.

1500 Words (2014)

This bleak comedy is about a man who has only 1500 words left to live. The story calls into question what one would do, knowing that words are a limited resource and that they must be used wisely.

The film gives a whole new meaning to the phrase less is more. For this man, silence really is golden - but how will he use his remaining words, and how will he manage to use them sparingly?

Forget Me Not (2018)

Bipolar disorder - and any mental health condition, for that matter - is often difficult to accurately portray onscreen. Forget Me Not is about two young girls living with a bipolar mother.

The film doesn't glorify her condition and does a good job of portraying how her daughters deal with their lifestyle. They live without any other carers, so the girls must take care of their mom. Mental health doesn't just affect the person with the condition, but those living with them, too.

Pitch Black Heist (2011)

If Christopher McQuarrie ever fell sick on the set of a Mission: Impossible film and needed an affordable stand-in, his man just might be Pitch Black Heist director, John Maclean.

RELATED: The 10 Most Badass Mission: Impossible Characters, Ranked

Mclean's acclaimed, BAFTA-winning short stars Michael Fassbender and Game of Thrones ' Liam Cunningham as world-class safecrackers who embark on executing what they believe is a foolproof plan to combat an office's alarm system. With feature-length suspense packed into this 13-minute thrill-ride, there is no telling what Maclean can accomplish when given an increased run-time and larger budget to work with.

The Big Shave (1967)

A decade before flexing his feel for the psychological impact the Vietnam War had on soldiers returning stateside with Taxi Driver (1976), Martin Scorsese demonstrated just the same in an early short film.

Those who catch The Big Shave will not need the film's 5:11 run-time to deduct that its plot – young man who cuts himself shaving, a lot (according to its logline description on IMDb) – to know it not only laid the groundwork for Travis Bickle's incomparable pathos but also foreshadowed the not-so-coincidental emotional denouement that was Richie Tenenbaum's suicide attempt in Wes Anderson's The Royal Tenenbaums (2001).

Goldman V Silverman (2020)

Fresh of their biggest hit to date, brothers Josh and Benny Safdie had an indisposable collaborative talent in Adam Sandler at their luxury. Thus, after a press tour spent buddy-buddying it up with the comedian who turned in a tour-de-force performance for them in 2019's Uncut Gems , no one was surprised in the slightest when the trio teamed up yet again.

At just under seven minutes, Goldman v. Silverman pits Sandler's Rod Goldman and Benny Safdie's Al Silverman as street performers vying for the same Time Square street corner. Hijinx ensues as each attempt to move the other off their turf without breaking expectedly-mute character.

Anima (2019)

Fifteen minutes' worth of a musically-aided narrative hijacked often by a chaotic dreamscape of visuals should hold viewers over while Paul Thomas Anderson preps his next film .

Available to stream on Netflix, Anderson's collaboration with Thom Yorke of Radiohead is, as recommended, best played loud. One ought to make sure they get a full night's rest before sampling the duo's experimental project, or risk night terrors cut to equally-trippy vibes.

Six Shooter (2004)

Not long before earning three Oscar nominations total for In Bruges and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri – screenplay for both, and Best Picture for the latter – Martin McDonagh actually won big at the Academy Awards prior.

The Irish theater director-turned-filmmaker took home the gold for Best Short Film with 2004's Six Shooter . The short is a bloody-as-it-is-funny, 27-minute black comedy about a strange train ride encounter between a psychopathic "kid" and Donnelly (played by frequent collaborator, Brendan Gleeson).

Zamboni Man (2004)

Set in the chilling quietness of an ice rink's after-hours comes 2004's Zamboni Man . Directed by Seth Hendrikson, the film tackles the unlikely friendship between a soft-spoken, simple-minded Zamboni driver (Michael Shannon) and a graceful young figure skater (Tatiana Totmianina).

Though Hendrikson has not directed much since (save for his feature debut, the 2017 Big Foot-based holiday comedy, Pottersville , also starring Shannon), Zamboni Man moves as much as each of the films' two characters do when they gain the tranquility of utter aloneness their vacant ice rink lends them.

A Trip To The Moon (1902)

Available both in its original, black-and-white form and colorized editions, the film is a staple of every aspiring filmmaker's first "History of Cinema" course.

Directed by George Méliès, the far ahead of its time French film about a group of astronauts and their quest to man an expedition to the Moon later became the earliest representative on Steven Schneider's list of "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die."

What Did Jack Do? (2020)

Announcing his retirement from feature filmmaking does not preclude the one-of-a-kind artist from often dipping his hands into short film waters.

In his new Netflix short, David Lynch – who has teased a season 4 of Twin Peaks in the past, according to CBR – fits in seamlessly as a detective who shares many qualities with his beloved Twin Peaks character, FBI Agent Gordon Cole. He spends the bulk of the noir-sendoff in a game of reverse shot-dependent, back-and-forth wits with a sentient monkey (the titular, Jack), whom he is hellbent on detaining for murder. And to think, What Did Jack Do? is the simplest tale the four-time Oscar nominee has penned since his 1999 Disney film, The Straight Story .

Zion (2018)

Another Netflix Original, the short-form documentary tells the story of a young wrestler born without legs.

RELATED: Coronavirus: 10 Sports Documentaries To Stream Until Live Sports Return

Despite the expected hardship, Zion Clark moves as a real-life hero worthy of seeing his improbable triumph receive the feature-length Hollywood movie treatment someday. If its respectable awards consideration throughout the festival circuit season is any indication, one should prioritize taking the mere 11 minutes out of their day to experience the most inspiring story they have not heard yet.

Sherlock Jr. (1924)

Prior to completing The General (1926), the film many consider the vaudevillian's prevailing work, Buster Keaton dazzled audiences the world over with Sherlock Jr .

From the unprecedented imagery of his film projectionist character walking into a movie screen to the masterful illusions he achieved while inside the meta-beyond-its-years movie-within-in-a-movie, Keaton demonstrated how generations of filmmakers to come would follow his lead. The practical special effect-dependent Sherlock Jr. plays like a Robert Zemeckis or Russo Brothers joint bound to be remade with Robert Downey Jr. or Tom Holland (or both) in due time.

NEXT: 10 Best Pixar Short Films, Ranked

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Bite-sized: 50 great short stories, chosen by Hilary Mantel, George Saunders and more

Quick and easily shared, is the short story the form for our times? Leading authors pick their favourites

“The Tribute” by Jane Gardam (1980)

John McGahern and Annie Proulx are among my favourite authors, but to dispel gloom I choose this story from Jane Gardam’s 1980 collection The Sidmouth Letters . Reading this gleeful story in my expatriate days, I recognised the cast of “diplomatic wives”, trailing inebriate husbands through the ruins of empire. Mostly dialogue, it is a deft, witty tale in which a small kindness – though not by a diplomatic wife – pays off 40 years later. I must have read it a dozen times, to see how its note is sustained and the surprise is sprung; every time it makes me smile with delight. Hilary Mantel

“The Stone Boy” by Gina Berriault (1957)

This great and underrated masterpiece is a meditation on good and evil and especially about the way that people’s expectations and assumptions about us may wear us down and eventually force us into compliance with their view. But it is a much deeper and more biblical story than that and, like any great work of art, resists reduction. Berriault, who died in 1999, is known as a San Francisco writer. A wonderful sampling of her stories is available in Women in Their Beds: New & Selected Stories . George Saunders

“The Love of a Good Woman” by Alice Munro (1998)

Among the handful of short stories closest to my heart, I’ve chosen “The Love of a Good Woman” by Canadian writer Munro, from her 1998 collection of that name. It’s about a murder – probably it’s a murder, because nothing is certain – and a love match that depends on keeping that murder secret. Like so many of Munro’s stories, this one has the scope of a novel yet never feels hurried or crowded. The sociology of a small town in rural Ontario is caught on the wing in the loose weave of her narration; the story takes in whole lifetimes, and yet its pace is also exquisitely slow, carrying us deep inside particular moments. A woman moves among the willows beside a river at night, making up her mind. Tessa Hadley

“The Siren” by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa (1961)

Born in Palermo in 1896, Lampedusa was a learned prince who died before his work was published. In addition to his celebrated novel The Leopard , he left behind some short stories, including “The Siren”, a mysterious masterpiece that jolts and haunts me every time I read it. It contains two narrative planes, two central protagonists, two settings, two tonal registers and two points of view. There are even two titles; though published as “La Sirena”, it was originally called “Lighea”, the name of the siren, portrayed as a 16-year-old girl. Lampedusa’s description renders this fatefully seductive creature specific, vulnerable and real. Jhumpa Lahiri The Penguin Book of Italian Short Stories, edited by Jhumpa Lahiri, will be published on 7 March.

“A Simple Heart” by Gustave Flaubert (1877)

Flaubert wrote this story for his old friend and “fellow troubadour” George Sand. It’s the story of Félicité, an old servant-woman, and the diminishing loves in her life, the final one being a (live – at first) parrot. It has a sombre novelistic density, and is touching and tender, comic and grotesque. Control of tone is central to its effect. It also exemplifies the Flaubertian principle that irony and sympathy are not incompatible. Sand died before she was able to read it. “So it is with all our dreams,” noted Flaubert. Julian Barnes

“Friends” by Grace Paley (1985)

This story tracks three friends as they visit a fourth who is dying. The women then go home on the train. It ends with a brief conversation between the narrator, Faith, and her 18-year-old son. The piece has warm intimacy as well as cold spaces within it. It captures the all-encompassing intrusion of the world and its conditioning of our day-to-day emotions, our children’s colonisation of our hearts and our powerlessness ultimately to protect them. Its understated tone is perfectly pitched: the narrative moves gently, then soars, into either sadness, or joyful contentment – again and again. I am in this story, and so is the world. Ahdaf Soueif

“My Life” by Anton Chekhov (1896)

This is Chekhov’s longest short story and one of the very few he wrote in the first-person singular. It’s the autobiography of a young man in provincial Russia struggling to live up to his lofty ideals and being brought down by life’s random contingencies. I actually adapted “My Life” for a play and know it intimately. If you could only read a single Chekhov story then this is the one: all his gifts and genius – the wry, dark comedy of his voice, his unique angle on the human condition, his refusal to judge – are contained in it. William Boyd

“In the Night” by Jamaica Kincaid (1978)

Part poetic incantation, part eccentric kaleidoscopic vision, this is a story which contorts each time you read it. Born in Antigua, Kincaid invents aesthetics which are wholly unique, transfiguring human form and surroundings, in particular, the Caribbean landscapes. Here, she conveys the multiple textures of smaller islands, creating a literary geography which remains experimental, new and indefinable. Irenosen Okojie

“Music at Annahullion” by Eugene McCabe (2004)

McCabe’s story is set on the border between Monaghan and Fermanagh sometime in the 1950s or 60s. Two brothers and a sister are uneasily sharing a smallholding. The landscape itself and the states of sour feeling are described with sharpness and precision. When the sister announces that she would like a piano that is advertised for sale locally, one of the brothers buys it for her. But it won’t fit into the house and is left to rot outside. The failure to get the piano into the house has an extraordinary power and pathos. Its purchase has stood for all hope, and now there is no hope. The hard-won sense of despair and darkness in the final pages of this small masterpiece is memorable and chilling. Colm Tóibín

“Werner” by Jo Ann Beard (2007)

Only afterwards did I discover that this was in fact a piece of densely textured reportage, but it taught me so much about how to write a short story that I will always see it as one. A young man, Werner Hoeflich, trapped by a fire, escapes by leaping from the window of his New York apartment, across the intervening gap and in through the window of the adjacent building. It has the richness of a novel, the raw and dirty grip of life and was, for me, a revelation. Fine language and a deftly conjured mood are all well and good, but fiction – of whatever length – should thrill. Mark Haddon

“The Window Theatre” by Ilse Aichinger (1953)

Miscommunication, antic disposition, voyeurism, glee – this translation of one of Aichinger’s most famous stories provides windows upon windows upon windows. Simply expressed and made to linger long in the mind, it was my first experience of the prizewinning Austrian writer and her dark, precise prose styling, and the start of an ongoing pursuit on my part to read more of her work. Eley Williams

“The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe (1843)

Poe’s obsessive theme was the terror of losing sanity – never more dramatically evoked than in this masterpiece. In “The Tell-Tale Heart”, one of Poe’s shortest “tales of the grotesque and arabesque”, and the one that seems most contemporary in the hallucinatory intensity of its narration, an unnamed individual commits a brutal, seemingly unprovoked murder of an old man with whom he lives, disposes of the body by dismembering and burying it beneath the floorboards of the residence they share, and succumbs to madness and self-destruction in the aftermath of guilt. Throughout, the narrator insists on his sanity: “True – nervous – very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses – not destroyed – not dulled them.” That the murder is entirely irrational is acknowledged by the murderer: “Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye! yes, it was this! One of his eyes resembled that of a vulture – a pale blue eye, with a film over it.”

Poe is a master of the “unreliable narrator” – a voice that speaks with devastating spontaneity and is utterly convincing – that has come to be a staple of much suspense and horror fiction in the 20th and 21st centuries. Unhampered by the literary pretensions of certain of Poe’s other, longer stories, totally committed to its unrepentant pathology, and its visceral celebration of this pathology, “The Tell-Tale Heart” is the very essence of Poe, as Poe is himself the very essence of the American gothic tradition. Joyce Carol Oates

“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce (1890)

Many readers might come to this from the short film, made rather confusingly in French. But it’s a tale set during the American civil war. Peyton Farquhar is being hanged by Union soldiers on a small bridge in Alabama. To say more might ruin the experience of reading it. When I happened on the story a few years ago, I thought I might be one of only a few intrepid readers. Of course, it is considered to be one of the best stories in American literature. Sebastian Barry

“After Rain” by William Trevor (1996)

William Trevor has influenced me more than any other writer, and it’s impossible for me to name one story by him that is an absolute favourite. I can, however, name 20 to 30 stories that I return to often. One of these is “After Rain”. A woman travels alone to recover from a love that has ended too abruptly, but the wish that solitude could exorcise loneliness is as faulty as the wish that love could exorcise disappointment brought by love. The story to me is like an eye drop for the mind. It doesn’t offer a resolution to life’s muddiness, but it offers a moment of clarity. Yiyun Li

“In the Heart of the Heart of the Country” by William H Gass (1968)

The thing that is most striking about this story, aside from its restrained, grave beauty, is that it should manage to be so moving. On one level it is a dryly detailed and topographically exact portrait of a small town in the American midwest, but on another it is a devastating threnody for lost love. Gass was one of the great prose stylists, and the writing here is typically smooth and pellucid, conjuring its effects by stealth and unflagging control. Simply, and by simple means, a masterpiece. John Banville

“American Express” by James Salter (1988)

The temporal shifts in James Salter’s short fiction are its distinguishing glory. Decades unfold inside the beat of a sentence; a single moment might linger unspoken for many pages. Time seems to concertina, expanding and contracting to open out pockets of aromatic description. In “American Express”, a pair of venal New York lawyers make a shabby killing and embark with their riches on a playboy jaunt through Italy, where one of them takes up with a schoolgirl. The story deals in oxymorons – bitter desire, weak power – and jolts to a conclusion that is harsh, cool, indelible. Kevin Barry

“Paradise” by Edna O’Brien (2014)

Key to a great short story is the tension and torsion created within each sentence. “Paradise” combines remarkable disquiet, poetry and narrative drive. O’Brien is a phenomenal architect of landscape, both physical and human, imbuing her setting with exact detail, lush discomfort, intrigue and counterintuitive fate. The main character, a nurse, has been taken to the overseas villa of her rich lover. Not only must she learn to swim and entertain his companions, she’s interviewing – without any real prospect – for the position of wife. The story is lit with sexual chemistry, but travels a horribly misaligned path. Its true test lies in finding an exit from the female dream. Sarah Hall

“Hands” by Sherwood Anderson (1916)

This is a strange, dark little story. Its charm comes from the eccentricities of its subject, former schoolteacher Wing Biddlebaum, since “the story of Wing Biddlebaum is a story of hands”. Anderson evokes the Ohio town of Winesburg by focusing on the hands of its inhabitants. Wing’s hands are “slender, and forever trying to conceal themselves” and he notices how the hands of those around him are “quieter, inexpressive”. And it’s the wandering hands of Wing Biddlebaum, who has changed his name from Adolph Myers, that leads to the story’s disturbing conclusion. Guy Gunaratne

“Let It Snow” by David Sedaris (2003)

Sedaris is in the fifth grade when heavy snow closes the schools. After a few days, his mother breaks down: “Get the hell out of my house,” she says, “and stay out!”. The little Sedarises go off sledding and return to find the door locked against them. They peer through the window to see their mother watching TV and glugging wine. ‘Open the door,’ they yell, ‘it’s us!’. She closes the drapes on them. “That bitch!” shouts a Sedaris sister. Fun turns to fear, mild sibling savagery follows and then, suddenly, it’s OK again.

A story – more memoir than fiction – that starts with the recognition that the very sight of you drives your mother to drink is attractive to me. But when it ends with that mother wading barelegged through five inches of snow to reach you, it’s everything a story should be. It’s The Sound of Music / Lord of the Flies / Owl Babies in a few short pages. He is a genius. Nina Stibbe . Reasons to Be Cheerful by Nina Stibbe will be published by Viking on 28 March .

“The Distance of the Moon” by Italo Calvino (1963)

This is a gloriously sensual story, narrated by a man who wants another’s wife – but the true star of the show is the moon. Calvino imagines it so close it risks dipping its scales in the sea. Fishermen gather lunar milk as the protagonist writhes in unrequited love. It is a great example of magic realism – full of texture and motion and mischief and longing. Leone Ross Come Let Us Sing Anyway , by Leone Ross, is published by Peepal Tree.

Contemporary and classic tales picked by Chris Power

“civil peace” by chinua achebe (1971).

Achebe didn’t write many short stories (in the preface to his 1972 collection, Girls at War , he notes that “a dozen pieces in twenty years must be accounted a pretty lean harvest by any reckoning”), but his best are deeply memorable. “Civil Peace” takes place in the immediate aftermath of the Biafran war, and gives vivid life to the luck and misfortune experienced by Jonathan Iwegbu – an incorrigible optimist in a devastated society – and the surviving members of his family.

“In a Bamboo Grove” by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa (1921)

Akutagawa’s ingenious riddle of a story takes the form of seven testimonies given to a magistrate in the course of a murder investigation. A samurai has been found dead in a bamboo grove, but the narrative doesn’t end with the confession of the notorious bandit Tajōmaru. Instead, two subsequent testimonies, that of the samurai’s wife and of the samurai himself, via a spirit medium, contradict each other and the bandit’s story, and ask the reader to turn investigator and puzzle out the truth.

“Happy Endings” by Margaret Atwood (1983)

Alice Munro once said: “I want the story to exist somewhere so that in a way it’s still happening … I don’t want it to be shut up in the book and put away – oh well, that’s what happened.” Atwood articulates the same position in this fun, thought-provoking story that begins with a man meeting a woman, then offers variants of what happens next. Any ending that isn’t death, she concludes, is false, and the interesting part of stories isn’t what happens, but how and why.

“Going to Meet the Man” by James Baldwin (1965)

A southern white deputy sheriff tries and fails to have sex with his wife. As she goes to sleep he talks about the vicious beating he gave a black protestor earlier that day, and returns to a deeper and even darker memory from his childhood: the ritual killing of a black man. After the killing, there was a picnic. Baldwin doesn’t deny his character humanity, but as the story’s shocking climax shows, neither does he forgive him.

“The Garden of Forking Paths” by Jorge Luis Borges (1941)

When described in summary, there is a danger of reducing Borges to a collection of tropes: labyrinths, mirrors, invented books (he avoided “the madness of composing vast books” by pretending they exist and writing commentaries on them). But with these elements he explored some of the most thrilling ideas in fiction. Labyrinths and strange books are both present here, as is a theory of existence that anticipates the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics. Extraordinarily, all these elements are enfolded within an account of a wartime espionage mission.

“This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen” by Tadeusz Borowski (1946)

From spring 1943 to summer 1944 the young Polish poet Borowski was a political prisoner in Auschwitz. His stories are some of the darkest documents in world literature. This one describes the narrator’s first shift as a kapo unloading trains packed with Jewish men, women and children. Borowski’s prose alternates between a blunt numbness and image making of extraordinary power.

“The Company of Wolves” by Angela Carter (1979)

In The Bloody Chamber Angela Carter rewrote some of the best known fairytales – “Beauty and the Beast”, “Snow White”, “Bluebeard” – challenging their assumptions about gender, sexual cruelty and morality. In “The Company of Wolves” Red Riding Hood is no longer the meek victim of the wolf, but a woman of agency and courage who uses her sexuality to tame him.

“Why Don’t You Dance?” by Raymond Carver (1981)

The best Carver stories don’t require the conventional techniques of exposition or backstory but create an extraordinary immediacy. Here we witness a man who has taken his furnishings and arranged them on his lawn: bed, couch, desk, turntable, lamp. It’s all for sale, and as the man gets drunk with a young couple looking to furnish their apartment, we can guess how he has got here. But a hangnail of the unknowable remains, and stays long in the memory.

“The Country Husband” by John Cheever (1954)

Cheever is known as a chronicler of the suburbs, but in this story the leafy neighbourhood of Shady Hill, a recurring location in his fiction, blends the domestic with something much stranger, almost magical. The story is comic (its title mirrors William Wycherley’s 1675 comedy of manners The Country-Wife ), but darker currents work beneath its surface and it builds to a stunning finale that is one of the most rapturous passages Cheever ever wrote.

“An Outpost of Progress” by Joseph Conrad (1897)

Kayerts and Carlier, agents for the Great Trading Company, are “two perfectly insignificant and incapable individuals” left in charge of a remote trading station. Conrad mines a deep vein of irony as he describes their work “serving the cause of progress”. As the story unfolds, and the men are shown to be idiotic cogs in the engine of colonialism, Conrad exposes the gap between the high-flown language of such projects (“progress”, “civilisation”, “virtue”) and their brutal reality.

“Twilight of the Superheroes” by Deborah Eisenberg (2006)

Eisenberg’s story is high on the list of great literature about 9/11. Since the 1990s she has examined the effects of American power on the world and asked the question one of her characters asks here: “How far away does something have to be before you have the right to not really know about it?” The attack on New York, that “terrible day”, although it seemed to come from nowhere, “had been prepared for a long, long time, though it had been prepared behind a curtain”.

“In the Tunnel” by Mavis Gallant (1971)

Sarah’s father sends her from Canada to Grenoble as a way of ending her relationship with a married professor, but she ends up on the French Riviera. There she meets Roy, an ex-prison inspector, and rashly moves in with him. The story’s charge arises from a combination of wit, the awfulness of the relationship’s collapse, and Gallant’s profound grasp of the psychology of love affairs. She talks about her characters in a way that makes you feel your own perceptiveness is being worked like a muscle.

“The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1892)

During her lifetime Gilman was best known for her nonfiction, and she was forgotten after her suicide. Her fiction, in particular “The Yellow Wallpaper”, was rediscovered in the 1970s by feminist academics. This chilling story takes the “madwoman” figure of gothic fiction, memorably used by Charlotte Brontë in Jane Eyre , and describes her experience from the inside looking out. Having been told to avoid mental stimulation by her doctor following an episode of depression, Gilman wrote the story to “convince him of the error of his ways”.

“The Overcoat” by Nikolai Gogol (1842)

It is uncertain whether it was Turgenev or Dostoevsky who said, “We all came out from under Gogol’s ‘Overcoat’”, but his influence on those writers – as well as on Tolstoy, Kafka, Nabokov, Borges and many more – is profound. The main character of this bleakly hilarious story, the downtrodden government clerk Akaky Akakievich, is arguably the first antihero in modern literature, and his doomed pursuit of a new overcoat one of the most memorably absurd quests in fiction.

“Six Feet of the Country” by Nadine Gordimer (1953)

The reality of apartheid, and later the effects of its aftermath, dominates Gordimer’s fiction. Here her narrator, who has escaped the tension of Johannesburg to play at farming in a rural suburb, becomes enraged when, following the death and autopsy of one of his workers’ brothers, the authorities return the wrong body for burial. Despite his efforts to achieve justice, the story’s final, bitterly ironic lines reveal that he is blind to his own racism.

“Big Two-Hearted River” by Ernest Hemingway (1925)

Hemingway’s distinctive style – which John Updike described as “gleaming economy and aggressive minimalism” – is stunningly showcased here. Nick Adams’s journey into the Michigan backwoods is also a journey into his own war-damaged psyche, and his unwillingness to fish the deep water of the swamp a resonant evocation of trauma.

“A Village After Dark” by Kazuo Ishiguro (2001)

The tension in this uncanny piece is stoked by Ishiguro’s refusal to provide more than tantalising fragments of backstory. At nightfall an old man, Fletcher, arrives at a village where he once held great influence, but is now resented (“I was mistaken about a lot of things,” he admits). This might be an alternative Britain, or a future one. The dilapidated buildings and Fletcher’s tramp-like appearance give the story a Beckettian feel, while its allegorical quality carries over to Ishiguro’s novel The Buried Giant .

“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson (1948)

Asked to describe her writing, Jackson once noted its fascination with “the uncontrolled, unobserved wickedness of human behaviour”. “The Lottery”, in which a crowd gathers for a ceremony in the main square of a New England village on a sunny June morning, ends with one of the nastiest surprises in fiction. When the New Yorker printed the story it became the “ Cat Person ” of its era as letters flooded in expressing admiration, disgust, and – unbelievably – concern that the gruesome story was true.

“Emergency” by Denis Johnson (1991)

Johnson’s story begins in a hospital emergency room. It’s the night shift, and Fuckhead (his nickname is the only name for him we get) and Georgie are taking care of hospital business while swallowing every pharmaceutical they can get their hands on. When their shift finishes, they drive into the countryside and reality unravels completely. Johnson rides a line between the sacred and the profane, between hilarity and sadness., and writes prose that will take your breath away

“Araby” by James Joyce (1914)

The stories in Dubliners divide into the four stages of life, and “Araby” encapsulates the turbulence and humiliation of adolescence in a boy’s lonely night-time journey across Dublin to buy a gift for the girl he loves.

“A Bright Green Field” by Anna Kavan (1958)

If you love JG Ballard, you should read Anna Kavan. Few novelists, Ballard said, “could match the intensity of her vision”, and that same intensity fuels her stories. The narrator of “A Bright Green Field” claims to encounter the same, unnaturally vivid field of grass wherever she goes. It’s an unlikely candidate for a bete noire, but Kavan’s descriptions of a mountain town in the gathering gloom, loomed over by “the sheer emerald wall that was the meadow”, create an atmosphere of powerful unease.

“Extra” by Yiyun Li (2003)

Granny Lin is 51, and doesn’t know when everyone started calling her granny. Working as a maid at a boarding school in the Beijing suburbs she develops feelings for six-year-old Kang, a rich man’s illegitimate son, an unwanted “extra” who “has to be got rid of”. Granny Lin’s love is complicated; is it maternal, or is it perhaps the great romance she missed out on in her youth? Li has a Chekhovian ability to disappear from the text, allowing a remarkable intensity to develop between reader and story.

“The Husband Stitch” by Carmen Maria Machado (2014)

Machado takes a grisly campfire tale (“The Green Ribbon”), combines it with the purported medical practice of suturing a woman’s perineum with an extra stitch or two after childbirth to increase her husband’s pleasure, and creates a powerful modern fable about misogyny and motherhood. Before her wedding day, as Machado expertly builds the atmosphere of foreboding, the narrator notes that, “Brides never fare well in stories. Stories can sense happiness and snuff it out like a candle”.

“Madame Tellier’s House” by Guy de Maupassant (1881)

Maupassant, probably the only short-story writer as influential as Chekhov, wrote in two modes: short, impressively constructed but one-dimensional stories with trick endings (“The Necklace” is the most famous of these), and longer, more interesting work. He wrote “Madame Tellier’s House” after a friend reported passing a brothel in Rouen with a sign on its door saying, “Closed because of First Communion”. His expansion on this irresistible detail resulted in one of his greatest stories.

“A Horse and Two Goats” by RK Narayan (1970)

Narayan, who wrote more than 200 short stories, called them “concentrated miniatures of human experience in all its opulence”. The opulence of the clay horse at the centre of this story has faded beneath the Indian sun, but the conversation it triggers between an American tourist who speaks no Tamil and Muni, a poor peasant who speaks no English, is not only very funny, but also telling about the degree to which misunderstanding is an unavoidable part of human interaction.

“Minutes of Glory” by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o (1976)

This story by Kenya’s most prominent writer follows the struggles of barmaid Beatrice as she works in a succession of increasingly seedy establishments. Men prey on her, buying her body as if it were “a bag of potatoes or a sack of cabbages”, and her hopes of living the high life in Nairobi become more unlikely by the day. “She fought life with dreams,” Ngũgĩ writes, and through a reckless action Beatrice’s fantasies briefly become reality before the story reaches its sorrowful conclusion.

“A Good Man Is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor (1953)

This story is a vicious and darkly funny account of a family’s encounter with a criminal gang led by the psychotic Misfit. Its closing lines, and the apparent act of grace they describe, are as memorable as they are ambiguous.

“We Didn’t Like Him” by Akhil Sharma (2013)

Two boys grow up together on a lane in Delhi. One, the narrator, becomes a lawyer. The other, Manshu, becomes pandit of the local temple. The narrator’s burgeoning dislike for Manshu, the way the events of life bring them back into contact with one another, the Hindu burial process and the mechanics of “putting someone in the Ganges”: these elements are so absorbingly animated that the story’s emotional impact, when it arrives, feels like an ambush.

“Heads of the Colored People: Four Fancy Sketches, Two Chalk Outlines, and No Apology” by Nafissa Thompson-Spires (2015)

Police shoot two black men outside a comic-book convention in LA, while halfway across the country an artist buys his daughter a cupcake at a vegan bakery. Thompson-Spires’s self-reflexive story is “angry, like a big black fist”, but it’s also breathtaking in the way it loops back and forth in time and constantly second-guesses the reader’s assumptions.

“Smote (or When I Find I Cannot Kiss You in Front of a Print by Bridget Riley)” by Eley Williams (2015)

“To kiss you,” this story begins, “should not involve such fear of precision.” Williams’s story is less a stream of consciousness than a barrelling wave, as a woman debates whether or not to kiss her girlfriend in an art gallery, and all the doubt, thrill, uncertainty, hilarity and panic of love is compressed into a few seconds of indecision.

Short stories
Anton Chekhov

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15 rising stars on YouTube Shorts

By The YouTube Team

Dec 26, 2022 – minute read

As 2022 comes to a close, we're sending you off with 15 Shorts creators you need to check out.

2022 marked an amazing year of growth for many creators on YouTube Shorts. Through our YouTube Shorts Creator Community , we brought together creators across North America to connect, collaborate and learn from each other across a variety of virtual and in-person programming. We created a platform for creators to tell their stories through our Twitter Spaces Conversation series , hosted creator collab days to come together on fun trends , fostered connection among creators from the community across 10 US cities and led 30-day sprints on Shorts including our current December challenge #Shortsmas.

We can’t wait for what 2023 holds and are so proud of all our creators accomplished on YouTube Shorts! Without further ado, we’re excited to highlight 15 breakout creators on YouTube Shorts:

MEET my Production team!!| THANK YOU FOR 1 MILLION SUBS🥹❤️ #shorts

Marie Stella

Ontario, Canada

Marie Stella is a 24-year-old comedy skit content creator based in Toronto, Canada. She uses content creation as a way to tell a story creatively, while still keeping things comedic and relatable. She's mostly known for playing all the different characters, all through her props, wigs, her green screen and camera gear. These skits often display a variety of film and television tropes many of us have grown up with on screen.

Through her "One-Woman Production", she showcases her talents in acting, script writing, editing and sometimes even singing. With a comedic approach, her goal is to bring smiles and a little light into the world.

When Your Homie Mumbles On The Beat

Woodbridge, New Jersey

Is0kenny is a 23-year-old full time musician and content creator who has been passionate about music since he was a child but started creating content seriously in 2018 after graduating high school. He started out with comedy skits and then used the traction he gained there to merge music into his content creation starting last year.

Kenny recently went viral for his song " Speak Up " which started out as a skit but he has now released a full music video for it on YouTube. "Speak Up" has been used in over 400K short-form videos across all platforms with major celebrities even joining in on the fun!

MY NEW OBSESSION? #shorts

Katrina Buno

Woodland Hills, California

Kat is a 21-year-old creator who posts a variety of relatable entertainment content on YouTube including reaction videos, shorts, challenges and more! She has amassed over 900 million views and 3.3 million followers on her channel since March 2022! She loves collecting stuffed animals, eating food and wearing makeup — all of which are things she likes to incorporate into both her long- and short-form content. She also includes her boyfriend Zhong and sometimes family members in her videos!

When you hit 100k subs… 🎉

Tampa, Florida

Timmy is a SpeedCuber from Tampa, Florida who gained 1 million subscribers in under a year on YouTube. He is a Rubik’s cube artist who uses thousands of cubes and likes to solve interesting puzzles. Timmy has been speedcubing for six years, and has been doing it on social media for almost three years.

Mom’s glowup transformation

My Pawfect Family

Salt Lake City, Utah

Sahana (also known as My Pawfect Family) is a full-time college student who creates hair and beauty content. As a huge animal lover, she started creating content on rabbit care, which quickly evolved into beauty content. She is open about her insecurities and shares quick, easy and affordable beauty hacks, many of which originate from India.

Having grown up seeing little representation of women who looked like her in the media, she uses her channel to highlight common South Asian beauty issues like hyperpigmentation, frizzy hair and dark spots.

Calling this the Devil’s ring 👺💍

Los Angeles, California

From homeless youth to social media star, Rami Zein is a multifaceted creator who always had a love for entertainment. Rami started his social media journey in 2019 while pursuing a BFA in acting for Film and TV and a BA in Marketing at Pace University in New York City. Leveraging his free time during the pandemic, he rose to social media fame by sharing comedic stories of his childhood and cooking some of the world’s spiciest dishes.

Through his hilarious reactions and creative recipes, Rami has been able to cultivate a global audience who share his love for heat. Taking what he learned from working with some of the top companies in the world, Rami was able to successfully launch his own hot sauce company — Spice of Ra — and is now partnering with Resort World Las Vegas to bring the heat to life by introducing the “Rami Roll,” a 21M+ Scoville unit sushi roll that is now featured on the KazuNori menu!

letting tik tok filters figure out what color to dye my hair 🤠🌈

Wendy is a Los Angeles-based Gen Z beauty and skincare content creator with a unique perspective. Ranging from bleaching her eyebrows to dyeing her hair blue, Wendy takes her audience along for an exciting ride. She also shares her exhilarating life and travels around the world with her subscribers in a way that inspires and keeps them on their toes for her next Short!

SHHH our secret! 🤫🩰😂 | Triple Charm #shorts

Triple Charm

Orlando, Florida

Triple Charm is made up of three incredible sisters: Amalia, Rayna, Gabriella. Together, they join hands to make family friendly content. The sisters, whose ages range from 13 to 18, are talented in not only singing but also dancing, comedy and challenges. Doing what they love as a family has been a success for them, as their channel now boasts nearly 3 million subscribers.

voice actor does impressions of all disney princesses at once #shorts

Shelby Young

Shelby Young is a Los Angeles-based actor with an extensive background in voice over, voice-matching, motion capture and on-camera. She's taken those VO skills and brought them to the world of social media, where she makes fun and unique YouTube Shorts showcasing her talents. Whether it's her viral "Disney Characters Morphing into Different Disney Characters" series, where Shelby transitions between multiple voices while explaining to the viewer how to sound like their favorite Disney heroine, her impressive and comedic "Siri" videos, or Shorts where Shelby takes viral sounds and turns them into impression showcases, Shelby always finds ways to entertain and get her subscribers excited about the world of voice over!

Posed vs unposed

Spencer Barbosa

Toronto, Canada

Imagine you posted every thought that came to mind, used the internet as your digital diary and looked to story times were your therapy. That's Spencer’s account in a nutshell. She posts her raw, authentic self and speaks to her audience as if you're talking to your bestie. Spencer discusses everything from body image to boy problems to friendships and fashion. She has spent the last two years online building a community or what she would call “friend group” of more than 10 million followers across all platforms.

Making an Iconic Halloween Costume for my Bestie and Me #shorts

Kiana Bonollo

Raleigh, North Carolina

Kiana Bonollo is a full-time fashion and sewing content creator. Although she didn’t start creating content until 2020, she quickly gained a following because of her love for sharing her sewing knowledge and experience. Since then, she has expanded her content to fashion styling, diy nails, and beauty. One of her favorite types of videos to create are “get ready with me” styling videos! She is a graduate of North Carolina State University where she earned a B.S. in Fashion and Textile Design and a minor in Entrepreneurship. Kiana also sells digital sewing patterns for many of her fashion designs on Etsy (KianaBonolloDesigns) so her followers can create her designs, as well.

“Coconut” มะพร้าวอ่อน #thailand #ศิลปะ #ผลไ้ม้

Fritz Proctor

Boston, Massachusetts

Fritz Proctor is a 25 -year-old American painter. Fritz is best known for his “color-matching” videos, where he takes color swatches and everyday objects and attempts to recreate the color he sees using paint. His videos entertain, inspire and educate millions of people around the world on the possibilities of art.

WHEN THE BATHROOMS ARE “EMPLOYEES ONLY!!” PART 2 😤😭 SHORTS

Evelyn Gonzalez

Evelyn is a Los Angeles-based actress of Mexican descent whose mission to spread laughs and smiles. She makes fun relatable comedy sketches that are able to bring joy to her audience of over 600K subscribers. She is also known for her viral "Sweat Series" where teaches various characters a lesson in a comedic manner.

When Another Short Person Comes Over🤯

Peet Montzingo

Peet Montingo is best known for his comedy videos, often involving his mom and much of it has centered around what it is like to grow up in a family of little people. Peet has a mix of short and long form content on his channel and switches between comedy, challenges, pranks, storytelling and covering songs and creating music!

Peet is an active member of our Shorts Community attending multiple events and premieres and is loved by the creator community for his outgoing personality. His Mom has also attended events with him as she is the star in a majority of Peet’s content. Most recently, Peet released his first children's book , which contains embedded YouTube videos throughout so readers can see their story come to life!

ARABIAN EYELINER TUTORIAL 😍

Young Couture

Young Couture, also known as Marjan, is a creator of many talents. Beauty, skincare, hair — you name it, she creates it. She has been passionate about YouTube and teaching people new ways to do their makeup and encouraging them to try new makeup challenges. That is why she is the go to creator for tips, tricks, hacks and anything that helps her audience’s lives easier!

Hobby , Knowledge , Lifestyle

6 best storytelling youtube channels.

Are you looking to take your YouTube career to the next level? There is no better way to get ahead than by finding the best YouTube channels to follow. Whether you are interested in story-telling, education, filmmaking, movies, video, entrepreneurship, cinematography, digital marketing, or business, we have compiled a list of the top YouTube channels that have something for everyone. Keep reading to find out which YouTube channels are the best for you!

Future of StoryTelling

The Future of StoryTelling YouTube channel is a great resource for anyone interested in learning more about storytelling and entertainment. Through creative and interactive content, the channel provides viewers with knowledge, advice, and insight on the changing world of storytelling within the digital age.

TED is an educational YouTube channel that provides engaging and informative content. It focuses on storytelling through its diverse range of Ted Talks which cover a variety of topics such as climate change, social issues, current events, creativity, art, and innovation. The topics are presented in the form of engaging stories, interviews, lectures, and videos from professional speakers at Ted Conferences. These talks are thought-provoking and inspiring. They aim to inform viewers by providing interesting and groundbreaking ideas that can help shape the world. Hop on and get inspired!

Brand Master Academy

Brand Master Academy YouTube channel, hosted by Stephen Houraghan, covers a range of topics related to strategic branding solutions. It provides detailed information on brand strategy, branding techniques, brand design, and strategic design, as well as valuable branding tips. Through insightful storytelling, viewers can learn the essentials of effective brand strategy and implement strategic branding solutions.

Tape A Tale

Tape A Tale is a YouTube channel featuring unique storytelling from India. Each story immerses viewers in the culture and customs of Kahaaniya, a unique storytelling style from India. Through the use of creative visuals and captivating stories, Tape A Tale takes viewers on a journey of exploration and adventure. With videos exploring myths, folk tales, and personal stories, Tape A Tale is sure to enchant and educate.

relax for a while

Relax for a while is a YouTube channel dedicated to helping grown-ups relax and sleep better. It provides storytelling in the form of bedtime stories, as well as sleep stories, sleep hypnosis, and ASMR sleep hypnosis. The stories are narrated by a soft-spoken female voice, perfect for listening to before falling asleep. If you're looking for a way to relax and drift away, this is the perfect destination!

Lessons from the Screenplay

Lessons from the Screenplay is a YouTube channel that offers storytelling, screenwriting tips, and how tos, so filmmakers can learn how to write a screenplay and discover screenplay research. The channel is targeted at aspiring screenwriters and filmmakers who want to understand the lens of a script and explore the art of writing a screenplay.

Exploring Different Types of Storytelling

Storytelling has been around since the dawn of time, with each generation passing down stories to the new ones. However, the way these stories have been told has changed with the passing of time, from traditionally spoken tales, to theatre and film. We’re going to explore the different types of storytelling and discover how these formats have evolved over time.

The earliest form of storytelling was traditionally spoken tales, passed down from generation to generation. Initially these stories relied on oral transmission from one person to another, but with the development of writing, stories could be written down and shared with masses of people. This enabled stories to be told to a far wider audience, and soon the first ever plays were being held.
Towards the end of the 19th century, the world of storytelling was further revolutionised with the introduction of the film camera. This allowed film makers to tell stories in an even more impressive and engaging manner, with the ability to create visuals that could draw people in and captivate their attention. In the present day, this type of storytelling has become very popular and is used to tell stories in exciting and emotional ways.

As we can see, the way we tell stories has come a long way since traditional oral storytelling. Over time, the different methods of storytelling have adapted, changed and fused together to create a very engaging medium. In this blog we have explored the different types of storytelling and observed how these types have changed and evolved over time.

How to Use Storytelling Effectively to Communicate

Storytelling is a powerful tool for effectively communicating ideas and messages. It is a powerful way to bring people together and involves using vivid imagery, plot points and characters to create an emotional connection and engage the audience. By using storytelling, the message becomes much more relatable and can be used to great effect in order to help emphasize an underlying point.

There are several key elements that should be taken into account when using storytelling in order to effectively communicate.

Firstly, the story should have characters that the audience can relate to in some way, thus helping them to empathize with the plot.
Secondly, the plot should include explicit linkages to the point or message you are trying to convey, this will make the story more powerful and easier to understand.
Thirdly, stories should include vivid imagery and detailed descriptions in order to captivate the audience and draw them into the plot.
Finally, it is important to ensure the story conveys a moral or lesson that is aligned to the message that you are trying to communicate. This will be a powerful way to emphasize the point in a way that the audience can relate to and remember.

By keeping these tips in mind, storytelling can be used as a powerful tool to communicate and engage with the audience. It will help to create an emotional connection between the speaker and the audience and ensure the message is heard and understood.

How Storytelling Increases Engagement

Storytelling is a powerful tool for engaging audiences, whether it’s employees, partners, customers, or prospects. Storytelling allows us to share the values and experiences that form the foundation of our relationships. It also creates an emotional connection that helps people to feel connected and part of something larger.

Storytelling can be used in a variety of ways; it can be used to reinforce an organization’s mission and values, explain products and services, or support a new initiative. In each case, it is not just the narrative that’s important. A well-told story captures the audience’s interest, reinforces a powerful message, and can play a huge role in the success of any business or organization.
Investing the time and resources in crafting an effective storytelling strategy can help organizations break through the noise and engage people in a more meaningful way. By sharing stories with employees and customers, organizations can develop trust and loyalty, strengthen relationships, and increase engagement. Plus, when done well, storytelling can help to enhance customer experiences and increase customer loyalty.

Building meaningful connections through storytelling is a valuable asset to any organization, making it a powerful tool to help drive business success.

Margaret Patel

Hi, my name is Margaret and I'm an aspiring author, entertainer, and lifestyle blogger. I have a passion for music, hobbies, and the entertainment industry. I'm still learning the ropes, but I'm excited to continue to pursue my passion and share my experiences through my writing.

34+ Storytime Ideas for YouTube (Best Topics for YouTubers)

Looking for some storytime ideas for YouTube? If so, look no further than this post.

Storytime videos are some of the most-watched videos on YouTube. They are entertaining and also educational, and they are easy to watch. However, for a storytime video to be good, the featured story needs to be worth making a video about.

In this article, you will learn:

Storytime Ideas for YouTube

Read on and get access to a large number of storytime video ideas that you can use to create content for your YouTube channel.

Finding a story to cover in a story time video might seem like a simple task, but it can be quite difficult. After all, the story that gets featured must be one worth telling, and it can be hard to present stories in a way that makes them engaging.

Luckily enough, there are some ideas that storytime YouTubers have used in the past that audiences have been proven to respond positively to.

Here are some video ideas for storytime YouTube video creators:

Terrible Dates
Embarrassing Childhood Stories
Moving Away From Home
Meeting a Celebrity
Living With Somebody Crazy
Times You Got in Trouble at School
Breaking up With an Ex
Best/Worst Year of Your Life
Spring Break Experience
Solo Travelling
Weirdest Uber Rides
Embarrassing Party Stories
Best Friend Stories
Getting Scammed
Being Catfished
Meeting an Online Friend in Real Life
College Experiences
First Time Abroad
Getting Grounded
Fake Friend
Valentine's Day
Time in the Hospital
Getting Robbed
Getting Arrested
Getting Hacked
Meeting Your Significant Other
Quitting a Job
Lying to a Parent
Confrontation With a Teacher
Embarrassing Yourself Playing Sports
Holiday Catastrophe

Let's go over these ideas in more detail.

1. Terrible Dates

Have you ever gone on a terrible or awkward date before? If so, there are plenty of people who would like to hear about it! These types of videos always interest people because of their variety and unique nature!

2. Embarrassing Childhood Stories

Every single person who has ever been born has some embarrassing childhood stories to share. Luckily enough, these embarrassing stories almost always have an innocent spin to them, making them even more enjoyable to listen to.

3. Moving Away From Home

Moving away from home is a big moment in every person's life. If you've moved away from home, chances are there are a lot of lessons that you've learned and things that have occurred in your time away from home.

4. Meeting a Celebrity

A lot of people are interested in how celebrities act off-screen, and for good reason. Meeting a celebrity is an experience not a lot of people will get to have. Since this is the case, your story of meeting a celebrity might be one they want to hear.

5. Living With Somebody Crazy

Many people have the unfortunate experience of living with somebody crazy. However, experiences like this often lead to great stories. So, if you've ever had to go through this experience, chances are there are some stories worth sharing on YouTube.

6. Times You Got in Trouble at School

Has there ever been a student that hasn't gotten in trouble at school? Probably not. Since this is the case, there's a good chance that you've had issues at school- maybe you've even been sent to the principal's office?

7. Breaking up With an Ex

Breaking up with someone can be hard to do. However, breaking up with an ex can make for an entertaining or educational story. Not all stories need to be funny- they can help a lot of people avoid mistakes in their life as well.

8. Best/Worst Year of Your Life

Is there a year in your life that stands out as being the best or worst year of your life? If so, people would like to hear about it! What made the year so good or so bad? Did any specific events happen?

9. Spring Break Experience

Many American students have a Spring break experience worth talking about. Let's face it- things can get pretty crazy. Heck, even if nothing crazy happened during your experience, walking people through the experience in a video can still provide entertainment.

10. Solo Travelling

Traveling with other people is one thing, but traveling alone? That opens the door up to many interesting stories and experiences. If you've ever traveled solo before, you'll have some stories and information worth sharing with the world.

11. Weirdest Uber Rides

It's not unusual for people to have a weird experience while getting a ride in an Uber. Just having an awkward or crazy driver is enough to make for a good story. Don't be afraid to share your experiences in some videos!

12. Embarrassing Party Stories

Parties are supposed to be fun, but they often end up presenting some embarrassing situations. The great thing about party stories is that the embarrassing situations don't need to happen to you- you just need to be present to see them!

13. Best Friend Stories

Having a best friend is awesome. Not only is this because you get along great together or you like the same things, but because you often end up in situations with each other that make for great stories worth sharing.

14. Getting Scammed

Getting scammed sucks, but the experience can make for a good story that either entertains or educates viewers. At least your unfortunate experience will help other people have a laugh or become a more secure internet user!

15. Being Catfished

Is there anything more awkward (and sometimes frustrating) than being catfished? Oddly enough, this is an experience that many people can relate to nowadays, which makes talking about being catfished much easier!

16. Meeting an Online Friend in Real Life

Nowadays, many people make friends online through social media or communities. If you've ever met an online friend in real life, this can make for a great story to share with your YouTube viewers.

17. College Experiences

Ask anyone about their college experience and they'll have stories to tell. Chances are, this is the same with you. Was there a wild night that you took part in? Maybe you stayed up all night to study, just to find out the test wasn't until the next week? Let's hear about it!

18. First Time Abroad

Going abroad for the first time is an exciting experience, but it can be a nerve-wracking experience as well. What things do you experience during your first time abroad? Is there anything you'd do differently?

19. First Job

First jobs are rarely the best work experience, but they teach us a lot of lessons and sometimes lead to some interesting events. Did anything interesting happen to you during your first job, like a night shift incident or an awkward job interview?

20. Getting Grounded

Let's face it- getting grounded is a part of life. Many people can relate to getting sent to their room and losing access to the internet for a day or two. What makes stories of getting grounded interesting, however, are the things that led to someone getting grounded.

21. Fake Friend

Aren't fake friends the worst? Don't you wish everyone could avoid having to deal with a fake friend? If so, why not share your experience of dealing with a fake friend so other people can avoid the same fate?

22. Pregnancy

Pregnancy is something all grandparents, parents, siblings, and friends can relate to and are interested in. Consider going over your pregnancy experience or the experience of another individual and sharing an insightful and entertaining story with your viewers.

23. Valentine's Day

Depending on who you are, Valentine's Day might be one of your favorite or least favorite days of the year. Have you ever had a Valentine's Day that went wrong? It could be an interesting story to share!

24. Time in the Hospital

A lot of people have been sick or gotten hurt before, but few people have ever needed to visit the hospital in these instances. While they are a well-known place, few people know what it's like being in a hospital, getting treated, etc.

25. Getting Robbed

Getting robbed is no joke. Hopefully, many people do not have to experience this. If you have been robbed before, however, you have a story that is worth sharing with viewers on YouTube.

26. Getting Arrested

Not many people have ever experienced getting arrested before. Many people would be curious to know- what's it like to get arrested? Consider telling your story of getting arrested and presenting it entertainingly and educationally.

27. Getting Hacked

The internet has brought a lot of great things to the world. A bad thing the internet has brought to the world, however, is the potential of getting hacked. If you've ever been hacked, you could help a lot of people out by telling your story and going over your mistakes.

28. Meeting Your Significant Other

One of the most significant parts of your life can be meeting your significant other. Since this is the case, it's only natural to assume that it might be worth telling the story of how you and your partner met each other in a video.

29. Quitting a Job

Something a lot of people can relate to is having a job. However, something not a lot of people will be able to relate to is quitting a job. What happens when you quit a job- do you yell at your boss? Leave a note? What did you do when you quit yours?

30. Lying to a Parent

It's difficult to find someone who hasn't lied to a parent at one point or another. Some lies are more extreme than others, but they can all make for an entertaining and sometimes educational story.

31. Confrontation With a Teacher

Some teachers are, let's just say, not the best. It's not unusual to have confrontations with teachers such as this. Being as this is something many people will be able to relate to, consider making a video talking about your biggest confrontation with a teacher.

32. Best Gift

Is there a gift that you've ever received that means a lot to you? Maybe it was something you've always wanted or it came from somebody who means a lot to you? It could be worth making a video about!

33. Embarrassing Yourself Playing Sports

A lot of sports are harder than they look. Since this is the case, embarrassing moments can often happen when trying to play a certain sport for the first time. Why not talk about your embarrassing sports experiences- many people will be able to relate to them!

34. Holiday Catastrophe

Holidays can be awesome! But, they can also be stressful, and stress often leads to catastrophe. Maybe you've had a Christmas or Thanksgiving catastrophe at your house- why not let your misfortunate experience become a source of entertainment for other people?

You now have a large list of storytime video ideas for YouTube! Remember, some of these ideas can be used more than once. So, if you have multiple stories related to the same incident or occurrence, don't be afraid to make videos about them as well!

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See how the Key Bridge collapse will disrupt the supply of cars, coal and tofu

The port of baltimore is the top port in the nation for automobile shipments.

The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on Tuesday cut off access to much of the city’s port — causing a suspension of vessel traffic that will disrupt a key trade lane and threaten to further tangle already-stressed supply chains.

The Port of Baltimore was the 17th largest in the nation by total tons in 2021 and an important artery for the movement of autos, construction machinery and coal. It handled 52.3 million tons of foreign cargo worth nearly $81 billion in 2023, according to Maryland data, and creates more than 15,000 jobs.

Top 10 imports and exports to the Port

of Baltimore in 2023

2023 total: $59B

electronics

commodities

2023 total: $22B

Iron, steel

Seeds, grains,

fruits, plants

Air and space

craft, parts

Coal, oil and

natural gas

Note: not seasonally adjusted. Vehicles excluding railways

and tramways. Nickel, aluminium, paper and wood include

derivatives of those commodities.

Source: Census Bureau

Top 10 imports and exports to the Port of Baltimore in 2023

Electronic machinery

and electronics

farmwork and

construction

Iron and steel

spacecraft, parts

Note: not seasonally adjusted. Vehicles excluding railways and tramways. Nickel, aluminium,

paper and wood include derivatives of those commodities.

spacecraft,

bedding, lights

Note: not seasonally adjusted. Vehicles excluding railways and tramways. Nickel, aluminium, paper and wood include.

On Tuesday, the Port of Baltimore said that vessel traffic would be suspended in and out of the port until further notice, but trucks would still be processed in its terminals.

“Baltimore’s not one of the biggest ports in the United States, but it’s a good moderate-sized port,” said Campbell University maritime historian Sal Mercogliano. It has five public and 12 private terminals to handle port traffic.

North Locust

Point Marine

Ports and terminals

Baltimore Port

Truck Plaza

Seagirt Marine

Dundalk Marine

Shipping channels

CSX Coal Pier

Francis Scott

Hawkins Point

Marine Terminal

“It does cars, it does bulk carriers, it does containers, it does passengers,” said Mercogliano. “So this is going to be a big impact.”

Baltimore’s the top port in the nation for automobile shipments, having imported and exported more than 750,000 vehicles in 2022, according to the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, an industry group.

About three-quarters of the autos that travel through the port are imports, dominated by big-name brands, including Mazda and Mercedes-Benz. Most of the top companies have enough inventory sitting on U.S. dealer lots that any immediate impact on supply is unlikely, said Ambrose Conroy, chief executive of the consulting firm Seraph.

“It’s too early to say what impact this incident will have on the auto business, but there will certainly be a disruption,” said John Bozzella, president of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation.

The port ranked second in the country for exporting coal last year, according to the state of Maryland. But it’s not a huge global supplier of thermal coal, and the disruption can likely be made up by replacements from Australia or Indonesia if needed, said Alexis Ellender, lead analyst at global trade intelligence company Kpler.

Baltimore is also a niche port for the soybean trade, focusing mostly on high-value soy used in tofu, miso, tempeh and organic products, according to Mike Steenhoek, executive director of the Soy Transportation Coalition. Most of those exports are destined for Asia, but Steenhoek doesn’t expect a big spike in tofu prices because several other U.S. ports also ship this sort of soy, including Norfolk, Va., Savannah, Ga. and Charleston, S.C.

All East Coast ports have become more important in recent years as the United States attempts to boost its trade with friendly nations and reduce geopolitical risks related to trade with China, which generally happens via West Coast ports, said Tinglong Dai, a Johns Hopkins Carey Business School professor and expert on global supply chains.

Baltimore port’s suspension is “one more disruption in an already-stressed system” for the global supply chain, said Abe Eshkenazi, chief executive of the Association for Supply Chain Management. Cargo will now have to be rerouted to other ports, which means figuring out where there is enough capacity to move things.

East Coast ports and shipping density

Ship traffic

Philadelphia

of Baltimore

5th-largest port

on the East Coast

for foreign trade

Newport News

Morehead City

East Coast ports

and shipping density

PENNSYLVANIA

The Port of Baltimore

5th-largest port on the

East Coast for foreign trade

Coal shipments will need to be rerouted to other ports, Kpler’s Ellender said. And Ryan Petersen, chief executive of the logistics company Flexport, posted on X that the company currently has 800 containers on a slew of ships heading for the port that will need to be rerouted, likely to Philadelphia or Norfolk.

The biggest problem Steenhoek sees from Baltimore’s shuttering is the knock-on effect to other ports. Many ships stuck in the port were destined to make stops at other U.S. ports to load and unload goods before heading overseas, a complicated logistical dance now scrambled by the bridge collapse.

“It just shows how you throw a wrench in the supply chain and the impact is not just confined to that one port,” Steenhoek said.

Tim Meko, Justine McDaniel and David J. Lynch contributed to this report. Editing by Kate Rabinowitz and Karly Domb Sadof.

Baltimore bridge collapse

How it happened: Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after being hit by a cargo ship . The container ship lost power shortly before hitting the bridge, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) said. Video shows the bridge collapse in under 40 seconds.

Victims: Divers have recovered the bodies of two construction workers , officials said. They were fathers, husbands and hard workers . A mayday call from the ship prompted first responders to shut down traffic on the four-lane bridge, saving lives.

Economic impact: The collapse of the bridge severed ocean links to the Port of Baltimore, which provides about 20,000 jobs to the area . See how the collapse will disrupt the supply of cars, coal and other goods .

Rebuilding: The bridge, built in the 1970s , will probably take years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars to rebuild , experts said.

Baltimore bridge collapse: Crane arrives at crash site to aid cleanup March 29, 2024 Baltimore bridge collapse: Crane arrives at crash site to aid cleanup March 29, 2024
Wes Moore envisioned economic revival. Then the Key Bridge collapsed. April 1, 2024 Wes Moore envisioned economic revival. Then the Key Bridge collapsed. April 1, 2024
Officials studied Baltimore bridge risks but didn’t prepare for ship strike March 29, 2024 Officials studied Baltimore bridge risks but didn’t prepare for ship strike March 29, 2024

IMAGES

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VIDEO

short videos YouTube story
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गर्भवती बहुएँ
The Curious Caterpillar 🐛🦋#shorts #viral
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COMMENTS

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The Jog couldn't have become available to view on YouTube at a more timely moment. 2020 has been defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis, and various social justice movements, including the push for racial equality. In this short film, a man gets a call that he's been accepted into a police academy, which is his dream. He then goes for a morning jog, where he notices a woman in ...
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34+ Storytime Ideas for YouTube (Best Topics for YouTubers)
Here are some video ideas for storytime YouTube video creators: Terrible Dates. Embarrassing Childhood Stories. Moving Away From Home. Meeting a Celebrity. Living With Somebody Crazy. Times You Got in Trouble at School. Breaking up With an Ex. Best/Worst Year of Your Life.
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22 Classic Short Stories on YouTube

The Teapot by Hans Christian Anderson

The Bet by Anton Chekhov

The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde

Little Girls Wiser Than Men by Leo Tolstoy

RIKKI-TIKKI-TAVI by Rudyard Kipling

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button By F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Mansion by Henry van Dyke

Araby by James Joyce

The Schoolboy's Story by Charles Dickens

The Red-Headed League by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

That Spot by Jack London

The Celestial Railroad by Nathaniel Hawthorne

A White Heron by Sarah One Jewett

The Man and the Snake by Ambrose Bierce

The Cop and the Anthem by O. Henry

The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant

The Hammer of God by G.K.CHESTERTON

The Tell Tale Heart E dgar Allan Poe

The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County by Mark Twain

The Nightingale and the Rose by Oscar Wilde

The Last Lesson by Alphonse Daudet

The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry

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Short Films to Watch if You Can't Afford to Go to the Movies

Fresh Guacamole

So You’ve Grown Attached

I'm You, Dickhead

Hotel Chevalier

Six Shooter

A Trip to the Moon

George Lucas in Love

The Last Theft

Gregory Go Boom

The Horribly Slow Murderer with the Extremely Inefficient Weapon

Franz Kafka’s It’s a Wonderful Life

I Feel Stupid

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Blog – Posted on Sunday, Jun 17

Which short story should you read next?

Free Short Stories to Read Right Now

1. “Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl

2. “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson

3. “How to Become a Writer” by Lorrie Moore

4. “Cat Person” by Kristen Roupenian

5. “Cathedral” by Raymond Carver

6. “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor

7. “Symbols and Signs” by Vladimir Nabokov

8. “Sticks” by George Saunders

9. “The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury

10. “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes

Best Short Story Collections to Devour

11. A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin

12. Blow-up and Other Stories by Julio Cortázar

13. Drifting House by Krys Lee

Looking for something new to read?

14. Dubliners by James Joyce

15. Everything’s Eventual: 14 Dark Tales by Stephen King

16. Ficciones by Jorge Luis Borges

17. Florida by Lauren Groff

18. Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders by Neil Gaiman

19. Kiss Kiss by Roald Dahl

20. Men Without Women by Haruki Murakami

21. Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger

22. Rashōmon and Seventeen Other Stories by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa

23. Runaway by Alice Munro

24. Strange Pilgrims by Gabriel García Márquez

25. The Collected Stories by Grace Paley

26. The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway by Ernest Hemingway

27. The Complete Stories by Flannery O’Connor

28. The Essential Tales of Chekhov by Anton Chekhov

29. The Refugees by Viet Thanh Nguyen

30. The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

31. The Youngest Doll by Rosario Ferré

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