Best Stories of the American West, Volume I

by Marc Jaffe

Here is the first in a series of collections of the best contemporary writing to come from the American West---short stories by a diverse group of writers---young and old, male and female, well-known and not-so-known. And for the first time there appears, side-by-side with these, the work of so-called “traditional” Western writers, such as Max Evans and Elmer Kelton, and the “literary” contingent, represented by William Kittredge and Valerie Miner. Best Stories of the American West reflects the extraordinary diversity of the culture and lifestyles of the American West. Stories by Sherman Alexie, Melanie Rae Thon, and Lannan Award winner Luis Alberto Urrea center on the world of Indian Country, a world unknown to most Americans but crucial to an understanding of American society as a whole. Elmore Leonard deals with violence and justice; Richard Cass and Steven Patterson offer dramatic stories of women engaged in perilous worlds of work and sex. Max Evans describes a cowboy life that is, in a curious way, the other side of the coin of Brokeback Mountain. There is an all-pervading, tragic sense of history in John Graves’s "The Last Running." Well-known film director and author John Sayles offers a unique view of the working man’s Hollywood, and Geronimo Tagatac, of Filipino heritage, takes the reader through an immigrant experience typical of the West. In Drum Hadley’s “Southwest Stories,” poetry and prose merge into the tradition of mythic storytelling going back to Mark Twain and Bret Harte and returning to the present day of Gary Snyder and others. Idaho-born and -bred John Rember uses metaphor and humor to tell a story of sadness, growth, and love in “Sudden Death, Over Time,” which appears in print here for the first time. Taken together, these twenty stories, five appearing for the first time in print, create an unparalleled picture of an enormously complex region on the map as well as a gallery of memorable characters and human conflicts.

Genres: Westerns, Fiction, Short Stories

320 pages, Hardcover

First published April 17, 2007

Reviews

[Tori · Rating 2 out of 5]

Supposedly these are “Best Stories of the American West”, and each story advises us of the many awards it’s author has won for writing prowess. Almost without variation, these stories tell of failed lives and horrible ends. Also, if books had ratings as movies do, this one would at least be an “R”. Most of these stories are not about the old west, either, but more about the death of that way of life. The quality of the writing here and there deserved the 2 stars I’m giving it, but overall, I’ll be glad to send it to a reseller.

[Z.A. · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are a couple of good stories in here, but I can make avoiding the bad ones easy for you. There’s a little bio about each author before each story. If it mentions that the writer received an MFA in creative writing, skip that story. Unless bland prose and zero originality or creativity is something you enjoy. You’ll end up skipping most of the stories in this volume (optimistically called vol. 1), which is probably why volume 2 never happened.

[Theleem · Rating 3 out of 5]

The surprisingly misleading cover artwork might lead you to believe that these stories are "capital W" Westerns, but it would appear that the word is generally meant to distinguish the author's birthplace, not the literary genre. Which isn't to say that the stories are bad, but you'll be disappointed if you're expecting traditional Western stories, which account for probably less than 1/3 of the stories here. As always, Urrea, Alexie, and Leonard are highlights.

[Stuart Shiffman · Rating 3 out of 5]

An excellent collection of western themed short stories. It introduced me to some new writers and themes.

[Ed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Got tired of it about half way through. A couple of good stories. Also a couple that made me glad I am not a cowboy!

[R. David · Rating 1 out of 5]

On a scale of 1 to 10... 1, but only because it is a scale beginning with 1. Certainly not as advertised.

[Jedimelinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the whole, this was a good compilation of stories rooted in the West. Not necessarily the Old West (although the era was represented) so if you're looking for stories straight out of Louis L'Amour's West, you won't find them. (Interestingly enough, the prolific writer was not included in this first compilation of stories from the West -- considering he also wrote short stories.) As with any book that contains a myriad of authors' writings, I found some of the short stories more to my liking than others. In my opinion, the two best were the first and the last ... but there were enough stories I found to be good reads (for the most part) sandwiched in between the two to read the book cover to cover.
I'm usually not a big fan of short stories -- although I appreciate the effort authors go to in order to put together a tale that does not span at least a couple of hundred pages. I picked up this book (not written by Jaffe, by the way) at our local library. I was looking for a bit of different reading fare. I'm glad I gave it a try.
Happy Reading! :-)

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, but I felt a little deceived by the title. I expected classic Westerns, after all Elmer Kelton and Elmore Leonard are listed on the cover. There's a cowboy on a horse for crying out loud. What I got was stories that were all over the place. Probably 85% were set in this century, many in the last couple of decades. To make matters worse, some of them were set in urban locations. So, if you're looking for what I consider Western's, you'll be disappointed. The saving grace is that the stories really are very good. Very clever,well-written,and enjoyable. It could of been a 5 if they'd been more straightforward about the contents!!

[Red Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good collection of stories.

One I liked was "Sudden Death, Over Time." Story about a man and wife putting in postholes together, but mostly about the man and his memory, and his peace at his life and how his choices have worked out. "One of the problems with leaving the academy and moving back to the place you were raised is that your self slides back to a time before it had tenure." And the ending is nice, "It's probably good - for the sake of my birthday celebration - that Angel's staked out a small space and time in this world where I can sit untroubled by my past and my future, my birth and my death."

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like any book of short stories (especially those by multiple authors), there are definite highs and lows here. The best stories were by Sherman Alexie, Elmer Kelton, John Rember, Johnny D. Boggs, and Pete Fromm. Not quite what I was expecting (most stories are set in the present), but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

[Fin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read excerpts from this compilation for a class on literature and the American West in fall 2008, eventually writing a paper on John Sayles's short story "Dillinger in Hollywood." The stories in this book are freaking amazing. I came to tears several times. If you want to know what the western has become, look no further.

[Keith Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some very strong short stories from multiple viewpoints that is that multicultural caldron, the American West. My favorite was Confession for Raymond Good Bird by Melanie Rae Thon. I couldn't get through the Elmer Leonard, yea, I know, he's a great story-teller, but I never have been able to get into his work.

[David Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

Best Stories of the American West Volume I by Marc Jaffe (Tom Doherty Associates 2007)(Fiction - Western) is a book of twenty selected Western stories of which about five are really well written. "Snow Cave" by Pete Fromm is especially moving. My rating: 6/10, finished 10/6/12.

[William Adams · Rating 2 out of 5]

These twenty stories are “about” the American west, meaning they are set in the western U.S. and usually involve horses, cows, and Indians. The writers include some big names, such as Sherman Alexie and Elmore Leonard, some well-known traditional western writers, such as Max Evans and Elmer Kelton, and plenty of unknowns.

I was skeptical, but now I think there is something characteristically unique about stories of the west, and it’s not just the scenery and the cowboys. In fact, the stories that emphasized the stereotypical 1880’s mythology were weakest, in my opinion. The lenses and filters of Hollywood are far too heavy for most authors to get past John Wayne and Marlboro Man. Instead, what’s (relatively) unique about western stories is the depiction of strong-willed characters making their way in a rough-edged society and a hostile Nature. It’s about a postulated “western character.”

Another virtue of the collection is to highlight authors who live and work in the western U.S. The writing and publishing world does seem to define an “eastern clique,” with writers in the west much less well-known, for no literary reason, so this is a corrective.

My favorite story from the collection is “Snow Cave” by Peter Fromm, about a man and his son on a winter hunting trip somewhere cold, northern Montana, perhaps. They are snow-blinded, lost, and dig an ice cave to survive the night. The father keeps up a banter of light-hearted optimism for the child, but the reader can tell the situation is extremely dire. That separation of tone and mood makes the story great, besides being very well-written with highly sensory descriptions reminiscent of Jack London.

I wish I could say all the stories were that good, but most were stereotypical or pointless or sentimental slices of life. Only a few presented memorable characters, innovative writing, or insightful observations. That’s a problem with story collections in general, not just “western” ones.