John Updike

No doubt The New Yorker said it most succinctly, and best:

We have always been grateful for his unerring ability to limn the fissures of ordinary American life, and for the seemingly effortless lyricism of his prose.

With an emphasis on the last phrase. Here’s the way to more. And a few of Updike's most recent stories: "Elsie by Starlight," "The Roads of Home," "My Father's Tears," "Outage," and "The Full Glass." If you haven’t, read “The Full Glass,” his last; it’s terrific. Or read it again, just because.