Best New American Voices 2007 [Paperback]

John Kulka (Editor), Natalie Danford (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Best New American Voices | Publication Date: October 2, 2006

Bestselling novelist and acclaimed teacher Sue Miller continues the tradition of identifying the best young writers on the cusp of their careers in this year’s volume of Best New American Voices. Here are stories culled from hundreds of writing programs like the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and Johns Hopkins and from summer confer- ences like Sewanee and Bread Loaf—as well as a complete list of contact information for these programs. This collection showcases tomorrow’s literary stars: Julie Orringer, Adam Johnson, William Gay, David Benioff, Rattawut Lapcharoensap, Maile Meloy, Amanda Davis, Jennifer Vanderbes, and John Murray are just some of the acclaimed authors whose early work has appeared in this series since its launch in 2000. The best new American voices are heard here first.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Guest editor Miller presents the cream of the nation's writing workshops, and though none is stylistically or structurally groundbreaking, the stories' strengths lie in their collective polish and their varied and assured voices. Yiyun Li's "Persimmons" is rooted in folklore, while M.O. Walsh's "The Freddies" bears the fractured echoes of a post-modern sensibility. "Syra," by Fatima Rashid, follows an illegal Middle Eastern immigrant separated from his family, while "Whatever Happened to Sébastien Grosjean?" is interested in the self-fashioned drama of over-privileged Duke graduates. Perhaps the best story in the batch is the final selection, "Winter Never Quits," by T. Geronimo Johnson, about a Ph.D. student who attempts to kick his cocaine habit while preparing his dissertation defense. Every story won't work for everyone, but there's something in here for most tastes.
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From Booklist

In her introduction to the latest volume in this vibrant annual short story collection, best-selling novelist Sue Miller states that the American story "has become multifarious, stranger, richer." It has been argued that academic workshops make for processed stories, but Miller, herself a seasoned writing teacher, offers irrefutable evidence to the contrary. The 15 stories she has selected are robust, nervy, and distinctive. Lydia Peelle, still in her twenties, writes convincingly from the point of view of a stroke survivor in his sixties watching the wildlife-lush Tennessee land he loves disappear under the assault of developers. Fatima Rashid writes of a Pakistani man who years ago fled to America after the death of his sister, and who now, married with children, is being deported. Keya Mitra writes of a divorced mother in Houston learning of her mother's death in Calcutta. Caimeen Garrett creates an unusual historical tale out of letters exchanged about a missing boy in 1876. Polished yet spirited, inventive and entrancing, these vital tales are bright spots on the literary front. Donna Seaman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Mariner Books (October 2, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0156031558
• ISBN-13: 978-0156031554
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #823,011 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

0 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Book in excellent condition. Fast delivery, June 8, 2007

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Manuecastel (Paris, France) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Best New American Voices 2007 (Paperback)

The book I ordered was delivered promptly, in a suitable package, and in excellent condition, i.e. new.