William h. Gass has written of Donald Barthelme that?he has permanently enlarged our perception of the possibilities open to short fiction? In Forty Stories, the companion volume to, we encounter a dazzling array of subj...William h. Gass has written of Donald Barthelme that?he has permanently enlarged our perception of the possibilities open to short fiction? In Forty Stories, the companion volume to, we encounter a dazzling array of subjects: paul klee, goethe, modern courtship, marriage and divorce, armadillos, and other unique barthelmean flights of fancy.