Literary anthologist Ben Forkner has led a successful life, driven in many ways by his love for the South and his appreciation for literature. Forkner spent his educational career studying in Southern universities, where he could learn about the history and culture of the South. He then went on to edit multiple books in which he compiled the works of famous authors from around the world. However, most of his works focus on authors from the South. After graduating from Stetson University in Florida, Forkner received his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is currently the director of the English department at the University of Angers in France, where he teaches American and Irish literature. Throughout his life, Forkner has enjoyed presenting and reading from the works of many famous authors of the twentieth century, including William Faulkner and Anthony Burgess. His thoughts on and descriptions of these authors are quoted in multiple publications. In Louisiana Stories, published by Pelican, Forkner compiles stories from an array of the most prestigious Southern writers to demonstrate how Louisianans have particularly influenced the development of the short story. Lewis Simpson, editor of the Southern Review.