Featuring fiction, nonfiction, and poetry from established writers and new voices, Issue 69 will try hard to keep it exciting and fresh, even after all these years.
Win McCormack is an American publisher and editor from Oregon.
He is editor-in-chief of Tin House magazine and Tin House Books, the former publisher of Oregon Magazine, and founder and treasurer of MediAmerica, Inc. He serves on the board of directors of the journal New Perspectives Quarterly. His political and social writings have appeared in Oregon Humanities, Tin House, The Nation, The Oregonian, and Oregon Magazine. McCormack's investigative coverage of the Rajneeshee movement was awarded a William Allen White Commendation from the University of Kansas and the City and Regional Magazine Association. His latest book, You Don’t Know Me: A Citizen's Guide to Republican Family Values, examines the sex scandals of Republican politicians who espouse "moral values."
As a political activist, McCormack served as Chair of the Oregon Steering Committee for Gary Hart's 1984 presidential campaign. He is chair of the Democratic Party of Oregon's President's Council and a member of the Obama for President Oregon Finance Committee. McCormack was also chosen as Alternate Delegate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention. He currently serves on the Oregon Council for the Humanities and the Oregon Tourism Commission. Additionally, McCormack sits on the Board of Overseers for Emerson College, and is a co-founder of the Los Angeles-based Liberty Hill Foundation
Though not my favorite issue in recent memory, there was still some pretty good stuff in this one. A few were really good, but still a pretty good issue overall. Perhaps a little less variation on the theme than normal.
Leave it to Tin House to make reading about sex a slog. You know its a sad state of affairs when the octopi and other animals seem to be the only ones having fun. Not much to recommend here, although the issue did - as sex does - pick up at the end.
I can unreservedly recommend only four items here: the retelling of the Adam and Eve parable, which was slyly done; Susie Bright's bagatelle - always a pleasure to hear from her, although I was left craving more; Octopus Valentine; and Like a Scarf, two sublime pages comprising the hidden gem of the issue.
If you are looking for a challenging read - in content, not style - go ahead and tackle _A Spare Life_.
Perhaps it was the subject matter, but this issue was one of the better ones I've read in a while. For those who have never read a Tin House it's a collection of stories, poetry and reviews based on a common theme.
For about the first quarter of this one, I thought I was just going to actively dislike it... but I was pleasantly surprised! The essay on the father, the story about Adam & Eve, and some of the other "awkward position" pieces were all really strong and an interesting read!
The Postcard by Wells Tower - 3.5 Famous Actor by Jess Walter - 5.0 Herme's Wings by Jan Wolkers - 2.0 A Spare Life by Lidija Dimkovska - 4.0 Hospitality by Alicia Oltuski - 3.0 The Helpmeet by Seth Fried - abandoned Remote and Available by Amy Gail - 4.5
This is probably my favorite Tin House volume in the last year. Several of the stories are real standouts and the kind of stories that I would like to re-read in the future. The poetry is generally very good as well. All in all, a great volume.