Best New American Voices 2009

Critically acclaimed novelist and short-story writer Mary Gaitskill continues the tradition of identifying the best young writers on the cusp of their careers in this year’s volume of Best New American Voices. Here are stories culled from hundreds of nominations submitted by writing programs such as the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and Johns Hopkins and from summer conferences such as Sewanee and Bread Loaf. Joshua Ferris, Julie Orringer, Adam Johnson, William Gay, Lauren Groff, Rattawut Lapcharoensap, Maile Meloy, Amanda Davis, and John Murray are just some of the acclaimed authors whose early work has appeared in this series since its launch in 2000. Discover for yourself the dazzling variety of great fiction being produced in the top writers' workships—with a complete list of contact information included—and hear the best new American voices here first.

Critically acclaimed novelist and short-story writer Mary Gaitskill continues the tradition of identifying the best young writers on the cusp of their careers in this year’s volume of Best New American Voices. Here are stories culled from hundreds of nominations submitted by writing programs such as the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and Johns Hopkins and from summer conferences such as Sewanee and Bread Loaf. Joshua Ferris, Julie Orringer, Adam Johnson, William Gay, Lauren Groff, Rattawut Lapcharoensap, Maile Meloy, Amanda Davis, and John Murray are just some of the acclaimed authors whose early work has appeared in this series since its launch in 2000. Discover for yourself the dazzling variety of great fiction being produced in the top writers' workships—with a complete list of contact information included—and hear the best new American voices here first.

Library Journal

Some of the most critically acclaimed young writers today-including Joshua Ferris, Maile Meloy, Julie Orringer, and David Benioff-have had stories featured in this anthology, which publishes the best of the stories coming out of writing programs. Gaitskill, author of the National Book Award nominee Veronica , curates a powerful collection of stories concerning everything from monkeys to bowling to Dorothy Parker. Several pieces-most notably Baird Harper's "Yellowstone," Will Boast's "Weather Enough," and Lydia Peelle's "The Still Point"-deal with the aftermath of deaths, while Mehdi Tavana Okasi's "Salvation Army" handles the guilt felt by a mother who fled Iran with her two sons. Two coming-of-age stories set on foreign soil (Anastasia Kolendo's "Wintering" and Kevin A. GonzAlez's "Statehood") will especially resonate with readers. Theodore Wheeler's "Welcome Home," which chronicles a difficult transition for a veteran returning from Iraq, is sure to spawn discussion. Although some of these stories involve thorny matters, they are beautifully written by talented authors who no doubt are rising stars. Recommended for all fiction collections.-Alicia Korenman, Florida State Univ., Tallahassee

From short stories like the S&M-tinged "Secretary" (the inspiration for the indie film of the same name) to her 2005 National Book Award-nominated novel, Veronica, Mary Gaitskill's words are often etched on a dark canvas -- but still manage to illuminate. "Gaitskill is an unforgiving writer, harsh, caustic and raw," reads the National Book Award judges' citation. "All that masks the enormous accomplishment of her work, the ability to use the dark to cast light."