The Third Edition includes selections by 52 authors representing the most widely taught genres--narrative poetry, lyric verse, the short story, and selections from drama and novels. Eight new selections introduce students to contemporary writing and give increased attention to important women writers. While selections have not been simplified, they are brief enough to be read in a single assignment. Author introductions, full annotations, and a thorough Spanish-English end-vocabulary help students understand each reading; Preguntas, Temas, new Debates and Comparaciones, as well as new appendixes of literary terms and literary periods, encourage a deeper consideration of the literature.