  For x-ray spot sizes of a few tens of microns or smaller, a mm-sized flat
analyzer crystal placed ~ 1 cm from the sample will exhibit high energy
resolution while subtending a collection solid angle comparable to that of a
typical spherically bent crystal analyzer (SBCA) at much larger working
distances. Based on this observation and a non-focusing geometry for the
analyzer optic, we have constructed and tested a short working distance (SWD)
multicrystal x-ray spectrometer. This prototype instrument has a maximum
effective collection solid angle of 0.14 sr, comparable to that of 17 SBCA at 1
meter working distance. We find good agreement with prior work for measurements
of the Mn K_beta x-ray emission and resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS)
for MnO and also for measurements of the x-ray absorption near-edge structure
for Dy metal using Lalpha2 partial-fluorescence yield detection. We discuss
future applications at third- and fourth-generation light sources. For
concentrated samples, the extremely large collection angle of SWD spectrometers
will permit collection of high-resolution x-ray emission spectra with a single
pulse of the Linac Coherent Light Source.
