from an interview in The New Yorker, 6/30/24

I do not “turn to” other writers or stories in the way you suggest. I read a great deal—short stories as well as everything else. For myself, I personally find the short story to be the finest expression of serious writing. Many would argue that poetry claims that place, and for them it does. For me, the entangling strands that make up a coherent short story take skill to construct and skill to read. As for a list of writers and/or stories that I appreciate and admire, I do not have the hours—days—to make such a list. I read for pleasure as well as instruction—if that is what you are getting at.

Annie Proulx