The Swimmer, by John Cheever

For May 28th, we'll be reading The Swimmer, by John Cheever, a classic of midcentury American fiction. As a bonus, we can also read a short and interesting essay by the author, aptly titled "Why I Write Short Stories."

Here's Michael Chabon's description of his experience reading The Swimmer:

"I read 'The Swimmer' for the first time on my bed in the Maryland suburbs, one winter afternoon when I was sixteen or seventeen. I'd been skimming through a battered paperback anthology my grandfather had passed along to me -- "100 Stories Ruined by English Teachers," I think it was called -- starting one after another worn-out old chestnut, quickly moving on, when I reached the famous, classic, puzzling first paragraph that begins, "It was one of those midsummer Sundays when everyone sits around saying, 'I drank too much last night.'" I knew nothing of such midsummer Sundays, in fact; but I read on, and soon found myself lost in the weird, lovely dreamland of John Cheever's greatest story."

As always, the only rule is that you can print the story (and essay) out or simply discuss them from memory, but let's keep the meetup screen-free please!