Pigeon Feathers

short fiction by Updike

Also known as: “Pigeon Feathers and Other Stories”

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In full:: Pigeon Feathers and Other Stories

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Pigeon Feathers, collection of short fiction by John Updike, published in 1962 and comprising the stories “Pigeon Feathers,” “Flight,” and “Friends from Philadelphia.” In these early stories Updike attempted to capture overlooked or unexpected beauty inherent in the small details of life and in the unexpected gifts that humans are occasionally granted. The title story, one of his best known, concerns 14-year-old David Kern’s religious doubts, his fear of death, and his triumphant return to faith, the “unexpected gift” that he is granted while shooting pigeons in a barn.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.