A very nice piece on the art of the short story if you have a bit of time. She makes some good points-especially how nice it is that you can carry the entirety of a short story in your head.
I read and write short stories for the love of words, for enlightenment and insight into a character or situation, because I can finish reading it in one sitting and thus mull it over when it is fresh in my mind. I don't read them to be entertained really. I am happy when that occurs but I don't really expect it. I don't think many crime short stories work well because the plot is so important in a crime story. My favorite crime short is, of course, "A Good Man is Hard to Find" by Flannery O'Connor.
Although ones about a crime's affect on a victim or villain can be powerful.
Why do you read short stories? Can you choose a favorite?