Seventeen stories or novel excerpts, chosen by guest editor Prose
from, presumably, the most talented among the nation's university
writing programs. The best of the new voices here address life a
far distance from academia and with distinctive language. Rattawut
Lapcharoensap's "Farangs" is told from the perspective of a Thai
resort owner's son: "June: the Germans come to the island . . .
speaking like spitting July: the Italians, the French, the British,
the Americans . . . . Americans are the fattest, the stingiest of
the bunch. They may pretend to like pad thai or grilled prawns or
the occasional curry, but twice a week they need their . . .
hamburgers and their pizzas. They're also the worst drunks." In
Frances Hwang's poignant "Garden City," a Chinese couple invest in
an unrentable apartment in Queens, attracted by its gardens, and
play out the tensions connected with the death of their son from
cancer at 15 through the trials of renting to a woman who loses her
job and then, perhaps, her mind. (This is Hwang's second appearance
in a Best New American Voices anthology.) There are also more
predictable stories of thwarted romance. Joshua Ferris's narrator
in "More Abandon" stays at the office all night, becoming
increasingly reckless. He leaves Genevieve, a female coworker, five
long confessional messages, switches one woman's pig office decor
for a guy's pictures of a girl, taking much too long to reach its
conclusion that "Maybe he wants to be fired. The only cure to
loving Genevieve." In "Dog Children," by Tamara Guirado, Maggie
tries to save her relationship with Avashai (formerly Donny, her
Irish/Cherokee lover) by watching porn with him in her barn
apartment near Seattle: " . . . they could hear the soft nickering
of the neighbor's horses while on the television screen, a small
blond woman in a red neckerchief straddled the supine body of Long
Dong Silver." And Rebecca Barry, in "Snow Fever," superbly captures
a barroom's pseudo intimacy. As promised, promising voices. (Kirkus
Reviews)
Julie Orringer, Adam Johnson, William Gay, David Benioff, Ana
Menendez, Maile Meloy, Amanda Davis, Jennifer Vanderbes, Alix
Ohlin, and John Murray: These are just some of the acclaimed
writers whose early work has appeared in Best New American Voices
since its launch in 2000. The 2005 edition features a new crop of
promising stories selected by novelist Francine Prose, who
continues the tradition of identifying the best young writers on
the cusp of their careers. With pieces culled from hundreds of
prestigious writing programs, such as the Iowa Writers' Workshop
and Johns Hopkins, and from summer conferences including Sewanee
and Bread Loaf-and with a complete list of contact information for
these programs-this rich collection showcases tomorrow's literary
stars. A Harvest Original
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