The Best American Series First, Best, and Best-Selling The Best American series is the premier annual showcase for the countrys finest short fiction and nonfiction. For each volume, the very best pieces are selected by a leading writer in the field, making the Best American series the most respectedand most popularof its kind. The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2011 includes Daniel Alarcn, Clare Beams, Sloane Crosley, Anthony Doerr, Neil Gaiman, Mohammed Hanif, Mac McClelland, Michael Paterniti, Olivier Schrauwen, Gary Shteyngart, and others