The Resume

(May 25, 1938-August 2, 1988)
Raised in Yakima, Washington
Known for his short stories
Wrote ‘Put Yourself in My Shoes (1974),’ ‘Will You Be Quiet, Please? (1976)’ and ‘What We Talk About When We Talk About Love (1981)’

Why he might be annoying:

He was a drunk.
He had to go to detox four times after near-fatal drinking binges.
He went to study writing with John Cheever, but all they did was drink together.
At eighteen, he got his sixteen-year-old girlfriend pregnant.
He was a heavy smoker who died of lung cancer at 50.
He is sometimes confused with the hard-boiled detective story writer Raymond Chandler.

Why he might not be annoying:

He finally stopped drinking at 40.
His stories are short, accessible and clearly written.
In fact, you could say they are perfect examples of ‘less is more’ in writing.
He said he tried to use five words where other writers would use fifteen.
He has been compared to Ernest Hemingway and Anton Chekhov.
Robert Altman made a well-reviewed movie, ‘Short Cuts,’ out of his writings.

Credit: Wieland Kalligaro

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• Alleged Kid Lovers
• Elizabeth Gilbert's Top 10 New Classic Short Stories for Entertainment Weekly [1983-2008] (Ranked: 3)
• Entertainment Weekly's 100 Best Books [1983-2008] (Ranked: 75)
• Huge Eye Wear
• I Attended Alcohol Anonymous
• I Died in 1988 (Ranked: 50)
• More Chins than are in a Chinese Phone Book
• Profiles 15501-15750 (Ranked: 15609)
• Teachers
• UK Guardian's Alison McLeod's Top 10 Short Stories [2007] (Ranked: 5)
• Vehicle Names
• Wieland Kalligaro's Profiles [Series 6]

Year In Review:

For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
In 2023, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 9 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 2 Votes: 100% Annoying
In 2019, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2018, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
In 2017, Out of 13 Votes: 53.85% Annoying
In 2016, Out of 7 Votes: 57.14% Annoying
In 2015, Out of 10 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2014, Out of 11 Votes: 54.55% Annoying
In 2013, Out of 9 Votes: 55.56% Annoying
In 2012, Out of 8 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
In 2011, Out of 12 Votes: 41.67% Annoying
In 2010, Out of 62 Votes: 59.68% Annoying
In 2009, Out of 28 Votes: 60.71% Annoying
In 2008, Out of 32 Votes: 59.38% Annoying
In 2007, Out of 56 Votes: 66.07% Annoying
In 2006, Out of 120 Votes: 61.67% Annoying
In 2005, Out of 66 Votes: 45.45% Annoying