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Ploughshares Spring 2023 Guest-edited by Alice Hoffman
The Spring 2023 Issue. Ploughshares is an award-winning journal of new writing. Since 1971, Ploughshares has discovered and cultivated the freshest voices in contemporary American literature, and now provides readers with thoughtful and entertaining literature in a variety of formats. Find out why the New York Times named Ploughshares “the Triton among minnows.”
The Spring 2023 Issue, guest-edited by Alice Hoffman, features poetry and prose by Danusha Lameris, Jennifer Haigh, Victor LaValle, Mary Gordon, Diane Ackerman, Lavanya Vasudevan, and Jai Chakrabarti, among others.
The Spring 2023 Issue, guest-edited by Alice Hoffman, features poetry and prose by Danusha Lameris, Jennifer Haigh, Victor LaValle, Mary Gordon, Diane Ackerman, Lavanya Vasudevan, and Jai Chakrabarti, among others.
- GenresPoetry
225 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 9, 2023
About the author
Alice Hoffman
122 books27.1k followersAlice Hoffman is the author of more than thirty works of fiction, including The World That We Knew; The Marriage of Opposites; The Red Garden; The Museum of Extraordinary Things; The Dovekeepers; Here on Earth, an Oprah’s Book Club selection; and the Practical Magic series, including Practical
Magic; Magic Lessons; The Rules of Magic, a selection of Reese’s Book Club; and The Book of Magic. She lives near Boston.
Magic; Magic Lessons; The Rules of Magic, a selection of Reese’s Book Club; and The Book of Magic. She lives near Boston.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
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June 18, 2023A very good collection of short stories nonfiction and poetry. Ploughshares has been around for many years and consistently provides quality content, this edition being no different.
the guest editor Alice Hoffman has chosen stories that for the most part contain a dark undercurrent. I enjoyed all of them but highlights for me were Puddle by Victor LaValle and Tango by Mary Gordon.
I have every intention of rereading the works over the next few months.
the guest editor Alice Hoffman has chosen stories that for the most part contain a dark undercurrent. I enjoyed all of them but highlights for me were Puddle by Victor LaValle and Tango by Mary Gordon.
I have every intention of rereading the works over the next few months.
January 21, 2024
The best story in here was the one about Medea. I love Greek stuff
April 18, 2026
"Ploughshares", a literary magazine out of Emerson College, has reminded me why I love collected works of short stories by different authors. And here there is the bonus of poems.
The authors are consistently excellent in both style and voice. Furthermore, much to my delight, most stories take unusual and unexpected plot turns. There is little that bores me more than a predictable plot. Ho-hum!
I'm giving Julietta's best poems awards to...
1) "On Desire" by Amanda Moore. Awarded for 5 senses writing and clever enjambment.
2) "Just to Be Here Under the Sun" by Diane Ackerman. Awarded because it's a paeon to Nature and I'm a hiker!
Now onward to the short story awards...
1)"Tango Argentina" by Mary Gordon. Awarded for a remarkable and unexpectedly twist. I won't give away the surprise ending. I'll just share a wonderful communication analogy and the beginnings of the plot turn.
About language communication problems: there would be holes down which they would fall, like parachutists whose ripcords had failed at the same moment, hurtling into the darkness, hand in hand.
At the milonga venue Rosemarie, the protagonist, is approached by a non-descript stranger who begins to speak directly into her soul about philosophy and other matters of utmost import to her. She, a lonely woman of a certain age, is very drawn to him and then.... I won't tell you what happens, but I can guarantee you, it's not whatever you think it might be.
2) "Shelter in Place" by Jennifer Haigh awarded for the married couple who remind me of Justine and Duncan in "Searching for Caleb", one of my faves by Anne Tyler. In both places I found a husband who is initially enthused by new ventures, but quickly becomes disenamored. Not the kind of steady rock that any marriage would need to survive.
He often has a new job directing some worthy nonprofit; a small scrappy organization working to end racist policing or housing instability or the pollution of streams.
So funny, but AAAH if only I could go back to the days when such ventures were merely quirky, and not a matter of terrestrial survival!
3) "Corinthians" by Lavanya Vasudevan is awarded third place for many reasons and I will name just one of them. This story is written in the first person plural or "we" point of view which creates a feeling of intimacy as well omniscience. Here the Greek Chorus of women who tell the story of Medea who arrives to their village are literally Greek!
Once we were blameless, we women of Corinth. We watched over our children within our mudbrick walls, teaching the boys to play and the girls to please. What a great opening, filled with foreshadowing.
Then came Medea. And the change ensued. The terrible happened. And "we" the women would never be the same!
I hope I'll be able to get my paws on a few more of these journals because, if they're anything like this one, they'll be my cup of tea. I DO love tea!
The authors are consistently excellent in both style and voice. Furthermore, much to my delight, most stories take unusual and unexpected plot turns. There is little that bores me more than a predictable plot. Ho-hum!
I'm giving Julietta's best poems awards to...
1) "On Desire" by Amanda Moore. Awarded for 5 senses writing and clever enjambment.
2) "Just to Be Here Under the Sun" by Diane Ackerman. Awarded because it's a paeon to Nature and I'm a hiker!
Now onward to the short story awards...
1)"Tango Argentina" by Mary Gordon. Awarded for a remarkable and unexpectedly twist. I won't give away the surprise ending. I'll just share a wonderful communication analogy and the beginnings of the plot turn.
About language communication problems: there would be holes down which they would fall, like parachutists whose ripcords had failed at the same moment, hurtling into the darkness, hand in hand.
At the milonga venue Rosemarie, the protagonist, is approached by a non-descript stranger who begins to speak directly into her soul about philosophy and other matters of utmost import to her. She, a lonely woman of a certain age, is very drawn to him and then.... I won't tell you what happens, but I can guarantee you, it's not whatever you think it might be.
2) "Shelter in Place" by Jennifer Haigh awarded for the married couple who remind me of Justine and Duncan in "Searching for Caleb", one of my faves by Anne Tyler. In both places I found a husband who is initially enthused by new ventures, but quickly becomes disenamored. Not the kind of steady rock that any marriage would need to survive.
He often has a new job directing some worthy nonprofit; a small scrappy organization working to end racist policing or housing instability or the pollution of streams.
So funny, but AAAH if only I could go back to the days when such ventures were merely quirky, and not a matter of terrestrial survival!
3) "Corinthians" by Lavanya Vasudevan is awarded third place for many reasons and I will name just one of them. This story is written in the first person plural or "we" point of view which creates a feeling of intimacy as well omniscience. Here the Greek Chorus of women who tell the story of Medea who arrives to their village are literally Greek!
Once we were blameless, we women of Corinth. We watched over our children within our mudbrick walls, teaching the boys to play and the girls to please. What a great opening, filled with foreshadowing.
Then came Medea. And the change ensued. The terrible happened. And "we" the women would never be the same!
I hope I'll be able to get my paws on a few more of these journals because, if they're anything like this one, they'll be my cup of tea. I DO love tea!
April 18, 2023
A fine anthology edited by Alice Hoffman, full of stories, poetry and two non-fiction pieces. I always look forward to Ploughshares appearing in the mailbox.
I especially liked Mary Gordon's "Tango in Argentina," Miles Harvey's "The Man Who Slept With Eudora Welty," Candice May's "The Ghost Skaters," and Lavanya Vasudevan's "Corinthians."
For poetry? Tess Gallagher's "Call Me Baby Am," Elizabeth Hodges' "Lillian Hellman," Amanda Moore's "On Desire," and Karina van Berkum's "Solstice, Baby."
Both Ann Hood's "Gourd Season" and Mihaela Moscaliuc's "Extractions" were remarkable.
The Introduction gives good guidance as to how Hoffman chose pieces for this issue.
Well worth reading!
I especially liked Mary Gordon's "Tango in Argentina," Miles Harvey's "The Man Who Slept With Eudora Welty," Candice May's "The Ghost Skaters," and Lavanya Vasudevan's "Corinthians."
For poetry? Tess Gallagher's "Call Me Baby Am," Elizabeth Hodges' "Lillian Hellman," Amanda Moore's "On Desire," and Karina van Berkum's "Solstice, Baby."
Both Ann Hood's "Gourd Season" and Mihaela Moscaliuc's "Extractions" were remarkable.
The Introduction gives good guidance as to how Hoffman chose pieces for this issue.
Well worth reading!
May 18, 2024
Well, I was gonna give this collection four stars as I found the stories refreshing with their positivity. Then the last three stories ruined it. Oh well. On to the next issue. Maybe it will finish better.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews