This anthology of 21 short stories is intended for Spanish-speaking students of Spanish, other students in intermediate and advanced Spanish-language courses, and students commencing study of the Hispanic literature of the United States. Twelve of the 15 authors are, by birth or descent, of Mexican, Cuban, or Puerto Rican origin. Eight were born and raised in the United States, and their stories--about childhood, school, the neighborhood, experiences of migrant farmworkers--offer characters, experiences, and language familiar to many Hispanic students. Other stories provide perspectives on the experiences of Hispanic immigrants and exiles in the United States. The stories are arranged in order of increasing complexity of language, style, or theme. Profiles of the authors include their comments about their lives, their work, the significance to them of continuing to write in Spanish, and the place of Hispanic literature and culture in the national culture. The editor provides an introduction to the analysis of short fiction, illustrating the elements of fiction and literary techniques with examples taken from the stories anthologized. Each story contains a glossary, questions, and themes for discussion and written composition. The authors are Angela McEwan-Alvarado, Lydia Velez-Roman, Rosaura Sanchez, Juan Armando Epple, Alfredo Villanueva-Collado, Tomas Rivera, Luis F. Gonzalez-Cruz, Andres Berger, Rolando Hinojosa, Roberto Fernandez, Sabine R. Ulibarri, Roberta Fernandez, Pablo La Rosa, Rima de Vallbona, and Elias Miguel Munoz. (SV)