Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Guide to Being Born | 2013 | Ramona Ausubel | Buy |
| 2 | Awayland | 2018 | Ramona Ausubel | Buy |
Ramona Ausubel’s two short story collections show the same qualities as her novels, but the shorter form lets the surrealism breathe in different ways. A Guide to Being Born (2013) was named a New York Times Notable Book and gathers stories that circle around themes of birth, bodies, and domestic life in unexpected ways.
Awayland followed in 2018, five years later, and reflects a writer with a more settled voice and a broader range of settings and concerns. Both collections feature stories that have appeared in The New Yorker, Tin House, and other prominent literary journals. For readers new to Ausubel, either collection is a good way to sample her writing before committing to the longer novels.