The boy shepherd's simile / David Bottoms -- From Lake Wobegon days / Garrison Keillor -- A privileged character / Louise Shivers -- An American surprise / Julia Alvarez -- A Carolina Christmas carol / Charlie Daniels -- Blue Bethlehem / Tom Turner -- New acquaintances / Margery Finn Brown -- A Christmas story / Stephen Dixon -- Going ahead / Joan Williams -- The carol sing / John Updike -- I am dreaming of a white Christmas : the natural history of a vision / Robert Penn Warren -- Partridges, 1950 / Eve Shelnutt -- From The broken door : an autobiographical fiction / Mark Steadman -- Christmas snow / Donald Hall -- Solace / Linda Grace Hoyer -- The trail of Ernestine / Will Stanton -- Feast days : Christmas / Annie Dillard -- Epiphany / C. Terry Cline, Jr. -- Dream-vision / Tillie Olsen -- The Christmas wife / Helen Norris -- Drawing names / Bobbie Ann Mason -- The winter heart / Don Russ.