Critically acclaimed novelist and short story writer Richard Bausch continues the tradition of identifying the best young writers on the cusp of th...
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reviews
Nov 05, 2007
Shauna
rated it: 
OK, I revised upward to 3 stars. A few of the stories are brilliant, and one should be so lucky in any anthology. But I'm getting the overriding feeling that those that sort pop out at the beginning, and then plod on in a very careful, capable way, are going to make the coordinates for the book's median. I feel like shouting into the book, hey, book! Short stories don't have to be longer than five pages! It's better in fact for many stories to pack a punch! They're not supposed to be mini-
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Jan 08, 2008
Kate
rated it: 
There were 2 short stories involving bicycles. Super. I want to read more stories about bicycles.
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Jul 29, 2011
Vanessa
rated it:
By the end of the third story in this collection, which deals with the long term emotional impact of being sexually molested by an uncle, I was exhausted.
I skipped the fourth story because I didn't understand the first three paragraphs and came to the fifth story, Quiet Men by Leslie Jamison.
It begins:
“HE was a poet who worked with intricate forms—villanelles and pantoums—but during our month together he spoke quite simply.”
My bookmark got stuck th More...
I skipped the fourth story because I didn't understand the first three paragraphs and came to the fifth story, Quiet Men by Leslie Jamison.
It begins:
“HE was a poet who worked with intricate forms—villanelles and pantoums—but during our month together he spoke quite simply.”
My bookmark got stuck th More...
Nov 02, 2007
Sommer Ann
rated it:
Surprisingly, my mother picked out this book for me. I'm a huge creative writer, and she felt I could learn a lot from this collection of stories. So far I've read two and found them both amazing. This is a compliation of 17 short stories that have been written in the top writing programs across the U.S. They range in ideas, style, and pretty much everything. I'll have to read them all to form an official opinion but so far it is awesome! I love writers!!
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Nov 20, 2008
Amanda
rated it: 
I'll be honest, I didn't get through all the stories. I skipped three. Two I started and couldn't get through and the other I just never got around to.
This is a collection of stories culled from the finest our country's graduate programs have to offer. That being said, I was woefully unengaged by these stories. They were all well-written. There's nothing I can find to be critical of in the craft.
Perhaps it is merely my inability to be drawn into short stories. B More...
This is a collection of stories culled from the finest our country's graduate programs have to offer. That being said, I was woefully unengaged by these stories. They were all well-written. There's nothing I can find to be critical of in the craft.
Perhaps it is merely my inability to be drawn into short stories. B More...
Jun 27, 2009
Dan
rated it:
So, as the title might suggest, this is a compilation of stories written by up and coming authors. Everyone is associated with some sort of graduate program, so you know they're legit. It was a generally good read, and it was actually in ways a bit nicer to read completely disparate authors rather than a collection of short stories by the same authors. Still, these are up and coming authors, so they tend to fall into the same pitfalls that you would expect. Still, it's definitely worth it.
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Jan 24, 2009
Jenny
rated it:
Let's just say I am much less disappointed about not getting into an MFA program after reading these stories. They are quintessentially modern--everyone is living in a kind of semi-permanent state of "post-Apocalyptic suburban ennui," and no one likes each other very much. Lots of animals die in very symbolic ways, and people say things that make no sense, but are meant to be quite meaningful. Overall, I found the collection exhausting.
May 09, 2008
Alison
rated it:
I enjoyed reading these stories, which were all over the map -- some deeply strange, and some more based in reality. It's always interesting to me to read short fiction by previously unpublished authors, and especially in this case, where the stories are coming straight out of MFA programs and writing workshops. Given my own tendency to write thinly-disguised fiction about myself when I was writing in college, I couldn't help but wonder with some of these stories if there weren't some seeds of a
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Jul 29, 2010
Charles Martin
rated it:
An interesting compendium with a few authors that I found legitimately intriguing, but there is a tendency towards ideological and moralistic ennui here, a resignation of hungry souls to a fate of starvation. I particularly enjoyed "Quiet Men" by Leslie Jamison, "Surfacing" by Lauren Groff and "Venn Diagram" by David James Poissant.
Nov 05, 2009
Michael
rated it:
I enjoyed many of the stories but thought a few weren't that good. This is fiction from top writing programs across the country. We will be seeing some of these authors again!
Mar 17, 2011
Alice, Inheritance, Uncle, The Man Who Ate Michael Rockefeller, Quiet Men, Early Humans, Horizon, Surfacing, Headlock, Mouse, Alms, Men More Than Mortal.
Mar 19, 2009
Jb
rated it:
There's a few worth reading, ones I liked best Jedediah Berry, Lauren Groff, Tucker Capps.
Aug 04, 2010
But only because it was a library book from Washington. I'll read it someday. "Quiet Men" by Leslie Jamison was awesome.
Jan 22, 2008
Justin
rated it:
Some of the stories in here were really good. Most, however, left me muttering something along the lines of "How the hell did this person get into Iowa?" If you want to read good contemporary fiction, you're better off skipping these "Best American" collections and buying a couple of copies of Zyzzyva and Ploughshares.
Nov 23, 2007
Marjanne
rated it:
This was an interesting collection of short stories. I can see why these stories were selected. Each story seemed distinctly different from the one(s) prior, and focused on a variety of topics. I am not sure I will be seeking out some of the authors in the future, but I did enjoy reading this collection.
Sep 27, 2008
brinson leigh
rated it: 
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! Many of the stories have really stuck with me and creep into my thoughts at random times, gaining impact and my respect... and then of course, a little jealousy... damn you talented writers (who are also motivated)!!!!!
Feb 20, 2008
Marc
rated it:
2 carry-overs from the "Best American series" and oddly enough they were back-to-back in this series. Some decent stuff and some odd stuff. Not as strong as "Best American"
May 05, 2008
Kathy
rated it:
Short stories are not usually my genre of choice, but I was impressed by the majority of the stories in this collection.
Oct 23, 2008
jt
rated it:
I enjoyed almost every short story in this collection, which is rare for an anthology.
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