BASS 2026: Louise Erdrich, “Love of My Days” from The New Yorker, June 2, 2025

Being a sheriff has always been a dangerous job and several were killed in my hometown’s history. Once I began “Love of My Days” with the killing of Sheriff Flower, there was so much to explain. I had to write about working an entire life with nothing to show for it, about the way a man loves the horses he has trained, and tracks in the snow. Around the middle of the story, when Karlet says she knows how the wayfarer in her kitchen likes his eggs cooked, I saw it all – the murderer’s marked hand, weasel slaughtered chickens, the grief of a horse, self-righteous violence, and the solace of a lost love returned. Louise Erdrich, Conributor Note, Best American Short Stories 2026 At first, I hated this story. I had no idea what was going on, who was who. Several reads later – complete with lists and notes and checking vocabulary – I finally had the plot. And while I’m very willing to work to ‘get’ a story, I resented how much work I had to do to get the basics. Why would Erdrich, a highly…

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