The Pushcart Prize XXXIII: Best of the Small Presses 2009 Edition

by Bill Henderson (Editor), Katie Chase (Contributor)

The winner of honors from the National Book Critics Circle, Publishers Weekly, Poets & Writers, and others, and acclaimed by readers and reviewers nationwide, the Pushcart Prize series continues to be a testament to the flourishing of American fiction, essays, memoirs, and poetry in our small presses.

Genres: Poetry, Short Stories, Anthologies, Essays

618 pages, Paperback

First published December 14, 2008

About the author

Bill Henderson (born April 5, 1941) is an American author, editor and publisher best known for his memoirs and the Pushcart Prize series.

Reviews

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the poems of course and a prose piece called "Juice". It's sort of a travel piece and sort of a memoir but primarily an assessment of poetry from Zimbabwe since 1980. The thing I remember most is the idea that appreciation for poetry happens in a social/political context. It seemed a bit of a rationalization to me at first, but after thinking about it I see that it makes sense when there is no standard for appreciating poetry from any place that was written at any time.

[Steven Blaisdell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars, even though there are one or two in here that aren't. This is the second of my Pushcart re-reads where I'm struck at the quality of almost every entry. (Full disclosure: I don't read the poetry. There are perhaps a few in this volume that are actually very good, but very little of what is published as poetry in the country is worth the appellation or trouble of reading it.) I think one reason these volumes are so consistently good, even great is the intent behind the editing, the mission of the project. That and the writing. Every serious writer has at least one moment of genius in them, right? Maybe that's the other reason for the remarkable level of almost spiritually achieved writing and storytelling in these volumes. But there's also a continuity, a thematics that tie everything together. Bottom line is these collections are very hard to beat, and some exposure is mandatory for anyone who considers themselves of a literary mind and inclination.

[Ala · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like a fun Forest Gump box of chocolates, filled with surprising little stories and poems that can cheer up any grumpy stooge.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is like a great mix tape. Could there be any higher praise? Here are my favorites from this edition:

1. North of, by Marie Bertino
2. Shadow Boxing, by Jeremy Collins: about Sylvester Stallone and grief
3. Progressive Dinner, by John Barth: a skewering of suburbia
4. Window of Impossibility, by Anthony Doerr: contemplating space
5. Uncle, by Suzanne Rivecca
6. Eleven Ways to Consider Air, by Brandon Schrand
7. Mormons in Heat, by Don Waters
8. Essay on What is Want, by John D'Agata: Las Vegas over-development; includes a contingency plan for the World's Largest Group Hug
9. Bang Bang in a Boy Voice, by Akhim Yuseff Cabey: winner of most empathetic essay
10. Zanzibar, by Beena Kamlani
11. The Voice of the Past, by Floyd Skloot: about the communal nature of memory
12. Cultivation, by Shannon Cain: Weeds-style parenting
13. My Accidental Jihad, by Krista Bremer

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far, so good. Enjoying reading articles, poems and stories I have definitely missed. My small press exposure is woefully lacking, and I have no one to blame but myself.

10/5 This was a hefty read, but well worth the time invested. The range of subjects and styles across all three genres was amazing, and the quality of the writing was consistently high. I'm not sure I have a favorite piece, because there were stories, poems, and essays to appeal to all facets of my imagination and interests.

I may need to find previous editions, because this one has reminded me of how much I like a good anthology.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

My man managed to snag a Pushcart Prize Special Mention in this thing, so now we own another fat book with his name written in tiny print in a list at the back. But hey, Joyce Carol Oates is there in tiny print at the book's rumpus too, so all in all, not so bad.
On to the stories! The first story was amazing- started out strong and then started swirling Shirley Jackson-esque quickly. Brilliant all the way through the story. When I finish reading the whole fat thing I will review more.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun anthology that I'm discovering for the first time thanks to a gift from Courtney. I really enjoyed most of the non-fiction selections, and I also liked much of the fiction. The book is massive, so there was a good variety and I got to read lots of different kinds of stories written in lots of different voices. I was less enamored of the poetry selections, on the whole, though I'm definitely glad I read through this book.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really, really like the begining of this collection and I am suprised b/c often I find the Pushcart not a true representation of the writing which was published during the year but this seems very well put together.

I do wish the poetry was a bit stronger. I always wish the poetry was stronger:)

Okay now the middle is really, really boring.

[Kate Baldwin]

I love short stories, and these are definitely some of the best I've ever come across.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

So excited to get this book from Watermark Books, a lovely independent bookstore in Anacortes, Washington. I read it slowly, dipping into over two years, always enjoyed it.

[Taya V]

I love looking at this publication and seeing the new and the old thrown together and a look see at what the new and the old writers are up to.

[Yvette Ward-Horner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even better than I was expecting. Nearly all of the stories are wonderful and I enjoyed several of the essays, though I'm not really an essay person.

[Lubovedsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is really a nice collection of stories,poems and essays

[Sandra Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite collections of short stories. Highly recommend it.