The Pushcart Prize XXIII: Best of the Small Presses 1999 Book

Now in its twenty-third year, The Pushcart Prize is one of the grand monuments of the American literary scene, yet it never fails to surprise, provoke, and delight readers. The short stories, essays, and poems are selected from literary magazines and small presses across the country, and represent the most exciting and innovative writing in America today. In the best Pushcart tradition, this fascinating volume combines the work of today's luminaries with a host of new talents, creating a wholly original amalgam of diverse voices --"an anthology of literature to nourish the human spirit" (Milwaukee Journal). The most honored literary series in America, The Pushcart Prize has won the Carey-Thomas Award, has been selected several times as a notable book of the year by the New York Times Book Review, and has been chosen for many Book-of-the-Month Club and QPB selections. Recently, Pushcart Press and its Prize were named among "the most influential in the development of the American book business over the past 125 years" by Publishers Weekly. Over 200 outstanding contributing editors helped make the more than 60 selections reprinted from over 50 presses in Pushcart Prize XXIII.

Publishers Weekly

This generous collection of 69 pieces gathers quality writing from small presses and literary journals. Several of the best stories, poems and essays focus on child-parent relationships. Francine Prose's essay, "The Old Morgue," lovingly recalls a fascinating, if occasionally ghoulish, childhood spent in the company of her father, a pathologist. In Meg Wolitzer's short story, "Tea at the House," the daughter of a psychiatrist at an asylum struggles to distinguish between madness and normal adolescent confusion. Jeffrey Eugenides poignantly captures the natural erosion of aging in "Timeshare," examining a grown son's tentative bond with his father, a haplessly optimistic entrepreneur. Stuart Dybek's story, "Blowing Shades," finds sensual, image-driven grace in a mother's not-quite-secret affair with a younger man. Kimiko Hahn's gorgeous and compelling poem, "Sewing Without Mother: A Zuihitsu," considers loss and the nature of grieving. On a different tack, Patricia Hampl's "The Bill Collector's Vacation" unveils a world of complexity in the bland microcosm of two strangers waiting for their credit union to open one morning. Hemingway's classic short story "In Another Country" is the subject of Andre Dubus's essay, in which he chronicles his 30-year relationship with that particular story and pays eloquent tribute to the transformative power of literature. Philip Levine's "Two Journeys" could be a companion piece, with its incisive and very personal exploration of what it means to be a writer. Martin Espada's poem, "Thanksgiving," brings fresh, sardonic perspective to bear on American tradition. There are also poems of note by Marilyn Hacker, William Matthews, Laura Kasischke, Pattiann Rogers and Carol Muske. In his introduction, Henderson describes the anthology as "our annual celebration." There is indeed much to celebrate here, not the least of which is the vitality and creativity displayed by smaller presses nationwide. (Nov.)