Introduction / Richard Russo -- Donkey greedy, donkey gets punched / Steve Almond -- Into silence / Marlin Barton -- The cousins / Charles Baxter -- Safari / Jennifer Egan -- Someone ought to tell her there's nowhere to go / Danielle Evans -- The valetudinarian / Joshua Ferris -- Delicate edible birds / Lauren Groff -- Least resistance / Wayne Harrison -- The hollow / James Lasdun -- Painted ocean, painted ship / Rebecca Makkai -- My last attempt to explain to you what happened with the lion tamer / Brendan Mathews -- PS / Jill McCorkle -- Further interpretaions of real-life events / Kevin Moffett -- The laugh / Téa Obreht -- All boy / Lori Ostlund -- The ascent / Ron Rash -- The Seagull Army descends on Strong Beach / Karen Russell -- The Netherlands lives with water / Jim Shepard -- The cowboy tango / Maggie Shipstead -- Raw water / Wells Tower.