During his lifetime, Richard Yates was read and respected by other writers to a much greater degree than he was read by the general public. His 1961 novel, Revolutionary Road, sold well, and over the years, it continued to be widely known, mostly due to its being assigned in literature classes. But from 1961 until Yates died in 1992, his literary career was a long slide into oblivion.

In 2001, though, The Collected Stories of Richard Yates was published, sparking admiration from all corners of the literary world. “The Canal” first appeared in print in this book, though many of the other stories from the collection had been previously published. Esquire magazine named the collection one of the “Best Books of 2001,” noting, “It's simply criminal that [these stories] were out of print so long.” Christine DeZelar-Tiedman, writing in the Library Journal, warns readers that Yates's worldview can be bleak but...