Bettering Myself (Electric Literature's Recommended Reading Book 13)

Selected by guest editor, The Paris Review, "Bettering Myself" was the winner of the Plimpton Prize for Fiction.

Jeffrey Eugenides, one of the judges for the prize, writes says, "The narrator of 'Bettering Myself' is a problem drinker and Catholic school math teacher who says to her students, 'Most people have had anal sex. Don’t look so surprised.' There’s a deadpan humor to many of Moshfegh’s utterances. A little Henny Youngman in there, trying to break out. But also something a whole lot sadder."

About Recommended Reading:
Great authors inspire us. But what about the stories that inspire them? Recommended Reading, the latest project from Electric Literature, publishes one story every week, each chosen by a great author or editor. In this age of distraction, we uncover writing that's worth slowing down and spending some time with. And in doing so, we help give great writers, literary magazines, and independent presses the recognition (and readership) they deserve.

Author's Bio:
Ottessa Moshfegh is a fiction writer living in California. Her short stories have appeared in Fence, Noon, Unsaid, VICE, and The Paris Review. She is a recipient of the Plimpton Prize and will be a Wallace Stegner fellow in the fall.

About the Guest Editor:
Founded in 1953, The Paris Review is known for its fiction, poetry, and interviews with writers. In particular, it is known for discovering new writers. Over the years these have included Philip Roth, Jack Kerouac, Adrienne Rich, Donald Barthelme, Mona Simpson, Edward P. Jones, David Foster Wallace, Elizabeth Gilbert, and many others.