Pigeon Feathers is an early collection of short stories

Short story

A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...

 by John Updike

John Updike

John Hoyer Updike was an American novelist, poet, short story writer, art critic, and literary critic....

, published in 1962. It includes the stories Wife

Wife

A wife is a female partner in a marriage. The rights and obligations of the wife regarding her spouse and others, and her status in the community and in law, varies between cultures and has varied over time.-Origin and etymology:...

-Wooing

Courtship

Courtship is the period in a couple's relationship which precedes their engagement and marriage, or establishment of an agreed relationship of a more enduring kind. In courtship, a couple get to know each other and decide if there will be an engagement or other such agreement...

 and A&P

A&P (story)

"A & P" is an ironic short story written by John Updike in 1961 in which the hero and first person narrator takes a stand for what is right and therefore has hope for a better future. M...

, which have both been anthologized.

List of stories

• "Walter Briggs"
• "The Persistence of Desire"
• "Still Life"
• "Flight"
• "Should Wizard Hit Mommy?"
• "A Sense of Shelter"
• "Dear Alexandros"
• "Wife-Wooing"
• "Pigeon Feathers"
• "Home"
• "Archangel"
• "You’ll Never Know, Dear, How Much I Love You"
• "The Astronomer"
• "A&P
  A&P (story)
  "A & P" is an ironic short story written by John Updike in 1961 in which the hero and first person narrator takes a stand for what is right and therefore has hope for a better future. M...
  
  "
• "The Doctor’s Wife"
• "Lifeguard"
• "The Crow in the Woods"
• "The Blessed Man of Boston, My Grandmother’s Thimble, and Fanning Island"
• "Packed Dirt, Churchgoing, A Dying Cat, A Traded Car"

Film

The short story "Pigeon Feathers" was adapted into film and presented in 1987 on the Public Broadcasting "American Playhouse" series. It was directed by Sharron Miller

Sharron Miller

Sharron Miller is an American television and film director, producer, and screenwriter. She has also worked as a sound editor and film editor. Miller was the first woman ever to win the coveted Directors Guild of America Award for directing drama....

 and starred Christopher Collet

Christopher Collet

Christopher Collet is an American actor who is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Jake Livingston in the 1984 movie Firstborn, and for his lead role in the 1986 film The Manhattan Project....

, Caroline McWilliams

Caroline McWilliams

Caroline Margaret McWilliams was an American actress best known for her portrayal of Marcy Hill on the television series Benson and Sally on the television series Soap...

, Jeffrey DeMunn

Jeffrey DeMunn

Jeffrey DeMunn is an American theatre, film and television actor.-Life and career:DeMunn was born in Buffalo, New York, the son of Violet and James DeMunn. Stepson of noted actress Betty Lutes DeMunn...

, Lenka Peterson

Lenka Peterson

Lenka Peterson is an actress of stage, film and television.On Broadway, Peterson's roles included Ella in Sundown Beach , Maude in The Grass Harp , Kitty in The Time of Your Life , Sally and Mary in All the Way Home , Rose in Nuts , and Sarah in Quilters ,...

, and Boyd Gaines

Boyd Gaines

Boyd Payne Gaines is an American stage, film, and television actor.Gaines was born in Atlanta, Georgia, to Ida and James Gaines. He has appeared in a number of films and television shows, including Fame, L.A...

.