A collection of ninety-one short-shorts, a form of short-storytelling. Presenting diverse voices and perspectives by writers, the stories are culled from newspapers, magazines, literary journals, and personal collections.

Foreword, by Bei DaoIntroductionI. GroomingA Lover’s Ear, by Yuan QiongqiongMothballs, by Chen KehuaA Shaved Head, by Wang MengLover, by Chen KehuaLosing the Feet, by Zhong JufangFad, by Zhang ZhengII. ChangeWrong Number, by Liu YichangLearning to Talk, by Wang MengA Seat, by Liu GuofangSelf-Murder, by Cai NanLast Stop, Mongkok, by Che ZhengxuanParting, by Wang KuishanThe Beat, by Liu XinwuIII. Choices“Left” with No Chance, by Chang GangSunday Morning, by Xi XiJailbreak, by Ku LingA Cup of Tea, by Yu YingmaoIn the Haystack, by Cao NaiqianReturning Home on a Stormy Night, by He WeipingTied Together by Fate, by Chen HuiyingIV. GovernanceThe Busy Secretary, by Zhan JingCloth Shoes, by Ah ChengPromotion Report, by Chen HengchuPurchase Request for a Kettle, by Xu ShijieA Capable Man Can’t Handle a Small Case, by Liu JingEars, by Sun XueminV. GamesWhat’s Up, Lao Cao? , by Chen ShixuGeneral, by Liu JianchaoNumber Eight, by Wu YiminObserve, by Ah ChengConfinement, by Yuan BingfaHere’s How the Flu Spreads, by Qin YongThe Upholder of Unity, by Wang MengVI. ControversyA Tail, by Wang ZengqiBlack Hen, White Hen, by Ji DongliangMy One Comment Too Many, by Yi MingGan Xiaocao’s Bamboo Pole, by Deng HongweiRight to the Heart of the Matter, by Wang MengSexual Harassment, by Lin Li-chunVII. AnticipationsBed-Wetting, by Zhang JishuThe Principle of Rebound, by Xu HaiweiAccidental Confidante, by Bai XiaoyiMatching Sets, by Wei JinshuHome, by Xiu XiangmingRendez-vous, by Si LiVIII. CreaturesCat, by Yuan QiongqiongPets, by Ah ChengSea Turtle, by Zhang KangkangFlies, by Yuan QiongqiongThe Crow and the Fox, by Liang DazhiWaiting for a Windfall, by Wang YanyanLittle Stray Cat, by Zhong LingIX. SharingDivision, by Zhou RuiPostcards, by Ye SiThe Cycle, by Ah ChengBlack Umbrella, by Yi RuofenSmall-Hands Chen, by Wang ZengqiIt Was the Pumpkin That Brought Me Here, by Luo FengIn-Law, by Cao NaiqianX. (In)FidelitiesElope, by Fu AimaoFrenchie, by Ai YaHickey, by Ku LingHorse Talk, by Mo YanA Family Catastrophe, by Ku LingHatred, by Ah ChengConfession of a Photographer, by Ku LingXI. NourishmentGood Wine, by Chen HuiChimney Smoke, by Ah Cheng0 Café, by Ku LingThe Bus Stop and Haws-sicles, by Zhou RuiGranny Drunkard, by Feng JicaiTea Scum, by Ling DingnianXII. WeirdnessDisputatiasis, by Wang MengThe Features-Column Editor’s Daydream, by Liu YichangDeath Dream, by Ku LingEmpty Seat, by Yuan QiongqiongLittle, Little, Little, Little, Little . . . , by Wang MengStrange Encounter, by Mo YanXIII. ?An Explosion in the Living Room, by Bai XiaoyiGoing Home, by Ai YaIt Looks as If . . . , by Teng GangNot Seen, by Yuan QiongqiongMy Wife Finally Goes Camping, by Lin JiContemplating Water, by Zhong LingXIV. ElegyFather, by Yuan QiongqiongA Knock at the Door, by Lin JinlanGrandpa Pothook, by Cao NaiqianKiller Well, by Zhong LingLooking Back at Life at the Moment of Death, by Cai NanAn Encounter with General Zhou, by Chi ZijianXV. Looking Backward and Looking AheadThe Look, by Li ZuchenNotesAbout the Authors

"If sparrows are but a metaphor, every writer faces the challenge of reality, which is to say, how one catches this sparrow." So writes Bei Dao in his preface to Loud Sparrows, a spirited collection of ninety-one short-shorts, an exciting new form of extreme short-storytelling that has swept the creative consciousness of mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. The artistic and aesthetic freedoms of short-shorts enable writers to capture the tone, texture, and chaos of their rapidly changing societies in infinitely inventive ways. Written by Chinese authors over the past three decades, the stories in this anthology are culled from newspapers, magazines, literary journals, and personal collections, and their subjects range from humanist ideals and traditional virtues to the material benefits of a commercialized society.