Seven stories listened to in the car on the back and forth to VT this weekend were quite wonderful.  Baby Wilson, by E.L. Doctorow about the outcome of a newborn baby kidnapping (happy ending!); Heaven Lake by Jess Row, a moving story about a young Chinese immigrant student who is mugged while delivering takeout and his much older self trying to raise two teen age daughters; Kavita Through Glass by Emily Ishem Raboteau, a tale about a young Indian couple, a pregnancy, an art class, and misunderstood feelings; Coins, by Mona Simpson, about a Phillipina nanny and her young Ricardo; Every Tongue Shall Confess, by ZZ Packer, about an RN and her church and her attempts to save a jazz musician; Space by Kevin Brockmeier about a father and son shortly after their wife/mother dies; Shamengwa, by Louise Erdrich, about a violin, a young sociopath and the healing power of music and family.  These were all gripping, moving, and beautifully wrought stories reminding me of why I should always have a volume of short stories going.