SUSAN SONTAG. The Way We Live Now 1
JOHN UPDIKE. The Afterlife 20
CARIG NOVA. The Prince 34
ELIZABETH TALLENT. Favor 47
MAVIS GALLANT. Kingdom Come 58
SUE MILLER. The Lover of Women 66
MADISON SMARTT BELL. The Lie Detector 94
ALICE MUNRO. Circle of Prayer 118
LEE K. ABBOTT. Dreams of Distant Lives 138
RALPH LOMBREGLIA. Men under Water 144
RAYMOND CARVER. Boxes 165
BHARATI MUKHERJEE. The Tenant 178
JOY WILLIAMS. The Blue Men 193
KENT HARUF. Private Debts/Public Holdings 204
CHARLES BAXTER. How I Found My Brother 218
TOBIAS WOLFF. The Other Miller 233
ROBERT TAYLOR, JR. Lady of Spain 247
DANIEL STERN. The Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud: A Story 267
RON CARLSON. Milk 275
TIM O'BRIEN. The Things They Carried 287
Contributors' Notes 306
100 Other Distinguished Short Stories of the Year 1986 320
Editorial Addresses of American and Canadian Magazines Publishing Short Stories 324