Kelly is an instructor of creative writing and English literature. In the following essay, he argues that Salter has built “Last Night” out of four distinct shorter stories.

James Salter has long been considered a master storyteller, a writer’s writer. Salter is widely respected for his gift of compression: he is able to convey a whole character, a whole scene, or a whole life in just a few words or in one sentence. This talent enables a writer to keep readers engrossed and likely to find new meaning each time they reread the story. Of course, such a gift of compression may be a mixed blessing. Most short stories, even the short shorts of one page or so, need to immerse readers in something that feels like a setting. If Salter or someone like him really could give the whole story in just...