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ⓘ About Robert Olen Butler
Robert Olen Butler is an American author that is best known for his collection of short stories from 1993 that won him the Pulitzer Prize. The author’s educational objectives initially kept him out of the war. But once he got his Master’s Degree, he lost his student deferment. So he was deployed to Vietnam in 1969, working primarily with the counter-intelligence department. His contribution to the war effort, not only as a translator but also the work he did once he was promoted to Sergeant, saw Robert Olen Butler earn a Tu Do Chinh Kien prize (Vietnam Veterans of America). Butler’s comments about Vietnam were always positive. He described the people as being warm and welcoming.
All Book Series by Robert Olen Butler
Jealous Husband Returns in the Form of a Parrot
Series opener · book 1 of 2 · published 1996
A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain
Series opener · book 1 of 5 · published 1992
From Where You Dream: The Process of Writing Fiction
Single-title series · published 2005
Listening for God Reader, Vol. 1
Series opener · book 1 of 4 · published 1994 Anthology · Flannery O'Connor,Raymond Carver,Alice Walker,Garrison Keillor,Annie Dillard,Richard Rodríguez,Patricia Hampl,Peter Hawkins,Frederick Buechner,Paula J. Carlson,Peter S. Hawkins
Listening for God, Vol. 2
Book 2 of 4 · published 1996 Anthology · Anne Tyler,John Updike,Tobias Wolff,Gail Godwin,Henry Louis Gates Jr.,Kathleen Norris,Paula J. Carlson,Peter S. Hawkins,Carol Bly,Andrew Dubus
Listening for God, Vol. 3
Book 3 of 4 · published 2000 Anthology · Tillie Olsen,Wendell Berry,John Cheever,Louise Erdrich,Mary Gordon,Tess Gallagher,Reynolds Price,Oscar Hijuelos,Paula J. Carlson,Peter S. Hawkins
Listening For God, Vol. 4
Latest in the series · book 4 of 4 · published 2002 Co-authored · Allegra Goodman,James Baldwin,Kent Haruf,SueMiller,Doris Betts,Paula J. Carlson,Peter S. Hawkins,MichaelMalone,Alice Elliot Dark
The Book of Virtue
Series opener · book 1 of 40 · published 2012 Anthology · Ken Bruen
Pronghorns of the Third Reich
Book 2 of 40 · published 2012 Anthology · C.J. Box
An Acceptable Sacrifice
Book 5 of 40 · published 2012 Anthology · Jeffery Deaver
The Long Sonata of the Dead
Book 9 of 40 · published 2013 Anthology · Andrew Taylor
The Book of Ghosts
Book 10 of 40 · published 2013 Anthology · Reed Farrel Coleman
The Compendium of Srem
Book 11 of 40 · published 2014 Anthology · F. Paul Wilson
The Nature of My Inheritance
Book 17 of 40 · published 2014 Anthology · Bradford Morrow
It's in the Book
Book 18 of 40 · published 2014 Anthology · Max Allan Collins,Mickey Spillane
Reconciliation Day
Book 28 of 40 · published 2016 Anthology · Christopher Fowler
The Last Honest Horse Thief
Book 35 of 40 · published 2018 Anthology · Michael Koryta
The Caxton Private Lending Library & Book Depository
Book 36 of 40 · published 2018 Anthology · John Connolly
The Girl Who Did Say No
Book 37 of 40 · published 2020 Anthology · David Handler
The Honeymoon Trap
Latest in the series · book 40 of 40 · published 2022 Anthology · Peter Swanson
New Stories from the South
Series opener · book 1 of 20 · published 1988 Anthology · Shannon Ravenel
New Stories from the South 1992
Book 2 of 20 · published 1992 Anthology · Shannon Ravenel
New Stories from the South 1993
Book 3 of 20 · published 1993 Anthology · Shannon Ravenel
New Stories from the South 1994
Book 4 of 20 · published 1994 Anthology · Shannon Ravenel
New Stories from the South 1995
Book 5 of 20 · published 1995 Anthology · Shannon Ravenel
New Stories from the South 1996
Book 6 of 20 · published 1996 Anthology · Shannon Ravenel
New Stories from the South 1998
Book 8 of 20 · published 1998 Anthology · Padgett Powell
New Stories from the South 1999
Book 9 of 20 · published 1999 Anthology · Tony Earley
New Stories from the South 2000
Book 10 of 20 · published 2000 Anthology · Ellen Douglas
New Stories from the South 2001
Book 11 of 20 · published 2001 Anthology · Lee Smith
New Stories from the South 2003
Book 12 of 20 · published 2003 Anthology · Shannon Ravenel
New Stories from the South 2004
Book 13 of 20 · published 2004 Anthology · Allan Gurganus
New Stories from the South, 2005
Book 14 of 20 · published 2005 Anthology · Jill McCorkle
Best of the South: From the Second Decade of New Stories from the South
Book 15 of 20 · published 2005 Anthology · Shannon Ravenel
New Stories from the South 2006
Book 16 of 20 · published 2006 Anthology · Allan Gurganus,Kathy Pories
New Stories from the South 2007
Book 17 of 20 · published 2007 Anthology · Allan Gurganus
New Stories from the South 2008
Book 18 of 20 · published 2008 Anthology · Z.Z. Packer
New Stories from the South 2009
Book 19 of 20 · published 2009 Anthology · Madison Smartt Bell
New Stories from the South 2010
Latest in the series · book 20 of 20 · published 2010 Anthology · Amy Hempel
The Best American Short Stories 1991
Series opener · book 1 of 21 · published 1991
Year's Best Fantasy & Horror: Tenth Annual Collection
Book 3 of 21 · published 1996
The Scribner Anthology of Contemporary Short Fiction
Book 5 of 21 · published 1999
A Very Southern Christmas: Holiday Stories from the South's Best Writers
Book 9 of 21 · published 2003
The Eloquent Short Story: An Anthology of Narrative Styles
Book 10 of 21 · published 2004
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Robert Olen Butler?
Robert Olen Butler is an American author that is best known for his collection of short stories from 1993 that won him the Pulitzer Prize. The author’s educational objectives initially kept him out of the war. But once he got his Master’s Degree, he lost his student deferment.
Which Robert Olen Butler series should I start with?
The best place to start is the New Stories From The South series, the earliest of Robert Olen Butler's multi-book series: it opens with New Stories from the South (1988) and runs to 20 books across 1988–2010, ending with New Stories from the South 2010 (2010). Robert Olen Butler's other series stand alone, so they can be read in any order.
How many books has Robert Olen Butler written?
Robert Olen Butler has 112 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1981 and 2022. 69 of them belong to 5 named series — the largest being the New Stories From The South series with 20 books — and 43 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should Robert Olen Butler's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Robert Olen Butler's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are New Stories From The South (1988–2010, 20 books), Christopher Marlowe Cobb (2012–2018, 4 books) and Best Small Fictions (2015, 1 book).
How are Robert Olen Butler's books organised into series?
This guide splits Robert Olen Butler's 112 books into 5 named series and 43 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: New Stories From The South (20 books, 1988–2010); Christopher Marlowe Cobb (4 books, 2012–2018); Best Small Fictions (1 book, 2015); Bibliomysteries (40 books, 2012–2022); Contemporary Literature and the Life of Faith (4 books, 1994–2002).