The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2012

by Dave Eggers

The Best American Series®
First, Best, and Best-Selling

The Best American series is the premier annual showcase for the country’s finest short fiction and nonfiction. Each volume’s series editor selects notable works from hundreds of magazines, journals, and websites. A special guest editor, a leading writer in the field, then chooses the best twenty or so pieces to publish. This unique system has made the Best American series the most respected — and most popular — of its kind.

The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2012 includes

Kevin Brockmeier, Judy Budnitz, Junot Díaz, Louise Erdrich,
Nora Krug, Julie Otsuka, Eric Puchner, George Saunders,
Adrian Tomine, Jess Walter, and others

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Essays, Anthologies, Humor, Ebooks, Comics

432 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Dave Eggers is an American writer, editor, and publisher. He is best known for his 2000 memoir, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, which became a bestseller and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction. Eggers is also the founder of several notable literary and philanthropic ventures, including the literary journal Timothy McSweeney's Quarterly Concern, the literacy project 826 Valencia, and the human rights nonprofit Voice of Witness. Additionally, he founded ScholarMatch, a program that connects donors with students needing funds for college tuition. His writing has appeared in numerous prestigious publications, including The New Yorker, Esquire, and The New York Times Magazine.

Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection didn't seem as light-hearted as previous NR's that I read. The "Front Section" bits are usually more light-hearted, in my opinion, and in this collection many of them are about the Occupy Movement (manifestos, minutes, essays) or have an undercurrent of exasperation underneath them (Alexie, Diaz, Ragsdale).

The short-story/essay section is amazing. Just amazing. Short fiction from Louise Erdrich, Julie Otsuka (wow, just wow), and Jess Walter. Essays from Olivia Hamilton/Robin Levi/Ayelet Waldman (makes me mad), Jon Ronson (who knew there were actual people dressed up as superheroes), John Jeremiah Sullivan, and Wesley Yang.

I got a little sniffy over the transcription of a eulogy given at Steve Jobs's funeral by his sister, Mona. And I'm not a Jobs acolyte, so she said beautiful things.

I hope Jose Antonio Vargas gains his citizenship. If you need evidence why the Dream Act should be passed then you need to read this article.

[Jennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. What an awesome collection of writing. I loved this one from beginning to end. Not only did they pick pieces from excellent writers, they picked writing on a diverse variety of topics that really captured the 2012 zeitgeist. I am sometimes dismissive of anthologies because they're so hit or miss, but this really proved me wrong. These stories are strong, emotional, passionate, clever, intelligent, illuminating and heartbreaking. It's a great snapshot of where we were culturally this year and I think anyone could find something in the book that resonates. The only ones that left me scratching my head were the long palindrome - I found it gimmicky, annoying and unreadable (but I also can see why they wanted to include it)....the letters from Stephen Elliot and others, he is certainly a nation treasure, but I couldn't get into those rambling reflections....and the comic about Hortisculpture. That last one in particular was terrible and so antiquated in its humor, I really really didn't get it. But those are small complaints about a real gem of literary excellence.

These were my favorites:

The Money by Junot Diaz - He can do no wrong in my eyes.

The Years of My Birth by Louise Erdrich - I loved this one so much that I believed it! She did such an awesome job describing the process of meeting her mother for the first time. I didn't realize it was fiction until I looked it up.

Notes from a Bystander by Said Sayrafiezadeh - observations on the Occupy protest. Pitch perfect.

Redeployment by Phil Klay - Painfully good.

An Oral History of Olivia Hamilton - an appalling case of prison abuse considered "standard practice."

Tenth of December - This one was my overall favorite, something about it really disarmed me. I went back and reread it as soon as I finished.

Steve Jobs eulogy - a powerful account of his life and death by his sister.

Peyton's Place by John Jeremiah Sulivan - an incredibly weird story about a rather typical American family in a bizarre situation. I love the Twilight Zone quality of it, and the mashup of pop culture entertainment and suburban family life.

Outlaw by Jose Antonia Vargas - Might be the most important piece in here. I wish it were required reading for all Americans. There has never been a better case for immigration reform than the soul crushing story of what this talented, inspiring man has been through.

Paper Tigers by Wesley Yang- a great closing piece regarding the Bamboo Ceiling and other aspects of Asian American life. Whether you agree with his observations or not, I found it fascinating. Living in Tokyo has made me aware of a lot of these social differences and I can appreciate his observations. Also there's something about his cantankerous rage, his insight and self awareness, that I love. Consider this passage:

"In lieu of loving the world twice as hard, I care, in the end, about expressing my obdurate singularity at any cost. I love this hard and unyielding part of myself more than any other reward the world has to offer a newly brightened and ingratiating demeanor, and I will bear any costs associated with it."

So listen, just go read this, you won't regret it.

[Tuck · Rating 3 out of 5]

first let us praise a bunch of damn kids who have anthologized an exciting and entertaining "best of 2011" corpus (take note viacom/houghton mifflin/penguin/randomhouse/.....) , then let us acknowledge that 826 valencia and www.826national.org is a working, grassroots way for people passionate about art and writing volunteer with kids to keep this spirit alive. really, this is the antithesis of "hunger games" or james patterson, this is where future dalkey archive, national book award, two dollar radio, graywolf authors are coming from (NOT nicolodian (sp?)). let us say that the 2012 iteration of nonrequired reading is the best edited, and best chosen, of this series that started in i think 2002.
then point out that ray bradbury, on his death bed practically, wrote a fantastic introduction and bittersweet epitaph to reading and writing.
then also point out alexie's cutting sonnet of indians and popculture.
then broad, somewhat coherent (if also bittersweet, as it is as dead as bradbury?), overviews of occupy wall st movement.
then short fiction and nonfiction by all the usual suspects and some new ones, junot diaz, budnitz, erdrich, otsuka, michale poore, eric puchner, ryan rivas, jon ronson, jess walter, john jeremiah sullivan, wesley yang, mona simpson, and more.
so for your nonrequired reading, read this.
ps: to editors, more music next time, come on.

[Preethi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book turned out to be a very pleasant surprise. Short stories or essays is not a genre I enjoy, but I know I miss out on gems published in online magazines , written by authors I love. Books like this are perfect in such cases.

I discovered short gems by Junot Diaz, Anthony Marra and Julie Otsuka. There were a few articles I had read and shared earlier in this book, reading them again was another pleasant surprise (Jose Antonia Vargas' essay on how finally decided to expose his immigration status in Outlaw and Mona Simpson's almost tearful eulogy for her brother Steve Jobs). And discovering new writers with heartening stories like The Years of my birth by Louise Erdrich, Eric Puchner's dystopian story beautiful Monsters, Mark Robert Rapacz's Bellwether, Jess Walter's dystopian sci-fi Don't eat cat and Wesley Yang's essay on Bamboo ceiling Paper Tigers.

Am going to look out for more latest versions of this series, in the hope of unearthing more such gems.

[Naomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This took me much longer to read than it should have – I found myself procrastinating picking it back up – and even still, there were many stories I skipped. I initially got this from the library to read Eric Puchner’s story, and it was worth it for that alone.

Many of these stories made no sense to me. There was one about incest that was highly disturbing but also seemed pointless. I don’t know what the author was getting at, or why it was included in this collection, but I wish I had not read it.

[Ashish Kumar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this anthology. My favourite stories in here are : A Fable For The Living by Kevin Brockmeier, The Children by Julie Otsuka and The Street Of The House Of The Sun by Michael Poore.

[meyamashi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eclectic is the word for this kind of collection of magazine and journal writing compiled as a volunteer project by high school students in the Bay Area (California) and Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti (Michigan). This edition of the popular series is edited by Dave Eggers and has a unique introduction by Ray Bradbury that was dictated just weeks before his death at 91. His wit and insight are definitely as enlivening as any of his celebrated science fiction classics. The cover illustration is by Brian Selznik. Both were chosen by the students. Dave Eggers does get in his two cents in a very short story in the Editor's Note.

This volume has the usual "Front Section," described as the place to put items not easily classifiable and some that naturally belong there. Sherman Alexie's always trenchant "Sonnet, with vengeance" begins this section. For those not familiar with his work, I'll let you discover it here. Junot Diaz then offers up a very short memoire that had first appeared in the New Yorker. Several submissions related to the Occupy Wall Street Movement, including the Declaration of the Occupation of New York City and Minutes from the General Assembly of Occupy Wall Street, followed by Best American Observations at a Modern Protest Movement by Said Sayrafiezadeh and its companion pieces, Best American Reflection of Historic Protest Movements by Adam Hochschild and Best American Reflection on a Modern Protest Movement by Robert Hass, originally printed in the New York Times. An unusual idea for writers, Best American Letters in the Mail represent offerings by 4 writers mailed on a monthly basis to subscribers of The Rumpus. Then, The Best American Palindrome, from The Believer, all 407 words of which can be read front-to-back and vice versa. It's even topical (a celebration of the Cambridge eco-boutique Greenward), including a lexicon of acronyms, references, and abbreviations. The Best American Tweets Responding to the Death of Osama bin Laden needs no explanation. My favorite: @whitegirlproblem: "Osama's been dead to me for a long time #whitegirlproblems." And bless their hearts, they didn't forget to include The Best American Lonely Guy, either.

Section II presents longer pieces of fiction (Kevin Brockmeier, Judy Budnitz, Louise Erdrich, Phil Klay, Anthony Marra, Julie Otsuka, Michael Poore, Eric Puchner, Mark Robert Rapacz, Chaz Reetz Laiolo, George Saunders, Jess Walter), nonfiction (Olivia Hamilton, Robin Levi, and Ayelet Waldman; Wesley Yang), graphic novella/comics (Nora Krug, Jon Ronson, Adrian Tomine) and a eulogy (Mona Simpson, for her brother). Sometimes without knowing more information about a piece it isn't always obvious what is fiction and what isn't.

The densest section of the volume consists of Endnotes: Contributors Notes, The Best American Nonrequired Reading Committee (with photos!), Notable Nonrequired Reading of 2011, About 826 National (the youth literacy project that receives the proceeds from the book, with satellite locations --more photos!--and Scholar Match.

A thoroughly enjoyable read from first page to last. And free from a library near you. I'd recommend purchasing this one, though. It's that good.

[Avid Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compiling a composition of the "best" is a daunting task especially as it pertains to the written word. Readers are a very opinionated bunch so you'd better be spot on and bring it.

Luckily for me this years reader did just that! Was blown away by the wide array of perspectives, ingenuity and magical stuff all in one place!

I've committed to picking 3 such pieces (not an easy task, my original list had 8) and giving my two cents on each. Wanna hear it? Here it goes....

History of Olivia Hamilton
from Inside This Place, Not of it: Narratives from Women's Prisons

Here I'm a little biased, I've read the book that this true account came from and am still haunted by it. Additionally one of the editor's, Ayelet Waldman is one of my favorite people and that makes me a bit impartial (plus did you know she's married to Michael Chabon?) I digress.....

This is a moving first person account of a young pregnant woman from the south who was sentenced to prison and the vile, inhumane and possibly illegal way her and subsequently her child were treated.

I really don't want to add any quotes or give too much away here because it is better served in its full form. I highly suggest that you also pick up the book in its entirety. Eye opening!

Beautiful Monsters
Eric Puchner

This is a crazy crafty short about a time where traditional human beings are almost extinct and have been purposely replaced by immortal adult like children called Perennials. The few mortal humans left (who are like giants to this new race) are the only ones remaining who procreate and exist in our current traditional family unit. The mortals do this in fear and exile from the Perennial children.

This story is all about two Perennials who harbor one mortal and all of the conflicting emotions that ensue as a result of having something, albeit briefly, that they've only heard of in folklore.

This story is thought provoking and beautiful. I teared up (admittedly I'm a sucker and cry at Disney movies) but it was well worth the read.

The Amazing Adventures of Phoenix Jones
Jon Ronson

Wowzers!!!!!! LOVED this. I'd never heard about this story (guess it got a lot of press at one point) but don't watch much TV and am new to Twitter so my pop culture exposure tends to be limited.

This is a story of a real life super hero from Seattle. It comes complete with some of the best pictures I've ever seen attached to an article.

Basically there is an actual band of real life superheros scattered throught the US. This article focuses on one in particular: Phoenix Jones (not his real name). I ended up both falling in love with this dude and being supremely concerned for his mental well being.

The best part is this tense stand off between Jones and his "team" confronting some drug dealers all with the poor reporter (Jon Ronson) in tow. One of the things I appreciated most about the writing was the author's candor and witty observations. This is a must read!

*****

I'm interested in hearing which pieces stuck out to others.

Happy Reading

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's incredibly difficult to ever talk about collections like this because by their very nature they are incredibly uneven. This was my first time reading one of these sorts of collections after spending years picking them up in various libraries and bookstores, and I guess I had hoped this would be more consistently good than it turned out to be. From the highest of highs (Tenth of December, Beautiful Monsters, The Palace of the People, Tin Man, Redeployment, The Love Act, The Years of my Birth) to the inexplicably terrible (South Beach) to the simply average (Don't Eat Cat, The Street of the House of the Sun) the short stories just felt too all over the place to really fall into. The nonfiction was notably better (The Amazing Adventures of Phoenix Jones and Paper Tigers stand out) but there was too much focus here on the Occupy movement. Was Occupy an incredibly important cultural event from the year 2012? I guess so, but I think one of the pieces on it would have sufficed (I nominate Best American Minutes from the General Assembly of Occupy Wall Street).

It's just disappointing when there was so much GOOD in here. The Tenth of December, which tells the story of two narrators, one a boy and one a terminally ill man, was brilliant in getting both narrators' voices to perfectly harmonize. The Palace of the People transported me to post-communist Russia with its hopelessness married with modernity completely seamlessly. I don't understand how you can put such works alongside South Beach. I just don't. It makes me somewhat hesitant to try out the short stories edition of this series, but I know with Jennifer Haigh, Alice Munro, and Nathan Englander, I'm not going to be able to help myself.

[Theo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading this book was painful. I’m shocked to see I’ve only been reading it for a month; it feels like at least a year. I’ve read these collections before and liked them but wow did this one miss the mark in all kinds of ways.

First, lots of stuff on Occupy Wall Street made it so dated. It seems obvious to me that the editor should have realized that this stuff would not age well. So many things can be read out of their time and still be relevant. This was just boring and sad.

Second, it seemed to be almost entirely non-fiction. I haven’t read any of the newer ones, so is this the way they are now? I really dislike it, and I’ve always disliked this postmodernist thing of not labeling what is fiction and what isn’t. Context matters. But as a rule, it’s always been the fiction I’ve read in these collections that I’ve enjoyed. The non-fiction is just okay, for the most part.

Third, so many of the essays included were just not good. Most were not bad, I guess, but only one or two were at all interesting and not self-indulgent. Speaking of, the last essay in the book was a lot. Shocker, racism exists. I understand that some people don’t believe that, but if not, this essay is not going to convince them. And was the part about endorsing “The Game” for Asians ironic? It didn’t seem ironic.

I enjoyed “A Fable For Living”, “Tin Man”, and “Tenth of December” (though I’d read that last one before). The essay about Phoenix Jones was kind of interesting. Maybe there were a couple other things that got lost in the muck of intense boredom. For those three stories I bumped up the rating, but I was seriously considering going one star, and if anything I usually rate books rather generously.

[Jessica]

This is my first time reading one of the "Nonrequired Reading" series, and it's worth getting just because of its editorial apparatus (Dave Eggers helping high school students become super involved in a big-time literary project). This particular edition is also worth getting just for Wesley Yang's "Paper Tigers." I've read that essay three times now and every time I'm blown away by the writer's voice, courage, courage, and did I mention courage. Reading that essay is a visceral experience - watch on the edge of your seat as a writer puts everything in his life on the line for the sole purpose of being to write the essay itself. It's unforgettable. And much appreciated. Wesley Yang, if you ever read this, thank you for all of your sacrifices for that essay, for not being afraid to give a raw, non-simplified account of why you chose to be an artist when American culture, and especially Asian-American culture, begs us to take a safer, more regimented path. I think so many writers out there - of all races - will be braver in their work because of this essay.
Speaking of sacrifices, Phil Klay's "Redeployment" is another work of hair-on-end genius. And the "Best American Manifesto" - a transcript of the meetings held during Occupy Wallstreet - is a true treasure of American culture - the good, the bad, the ridiculous drumming.

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

“I pondered all of these things because of books, I asked big questions because of books. I dreamed because of books.
…I imagine that each young person who has poured his or her heart int this edition has been changed as a result.
The caterpillar sprouts wings.
And I know that, as with reading any book, you, dear reader, will change too.
Now go off and fly.”
Ray Bradbury

I really like the Best American Series. I have read volumes of the best American essays, short stories, science and nature writing. I have never picked up any of the unrequired reading collections before. I plan to find some more since I enjoyed the 2012 edition.

There are over thirty different pieces of writing in this collection. There are essays, short stories, letters and a comic – all of which were interesting reading. I especially enjoyed “Paper Tigers”, “The Love Act” and “Tin Man.” There were very few pieces that I found difficult or boring.

The most amazing thing about this collection is that it is collated by high school students from California and Michigan. I am stunned by their long distance collaboration and their abilities to come to consensus. I don’t think that 29 adults could do a better job than these 29 students. I wish them a great deal of success as they go on to college.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't tell if I'm getting tired of this series, which I've been buying since the beginning, or if it's just in a slump. The last few have felt lackluster, and this one in particular. Or maybe lackluster isn't the word. Somber. High school kids are supposed to be picking these stories! I feel very bad for them if they feel their work needs to be this serious to be good. Usually at least the first section is funny, and then the second section is a mix of short stories and non-fiction pieces and comics, and I can't tell which is which (except for the comics, of course.)
But yeah, somber. The first section was mostly about the Occupy movement, and a good portion of the second section was made up of war stories and hospital stories. There was an excellent piece about the experiences of a woman who gave birth in prison, and a compelling piece about a soldier's return from war that I am pretty sure (but not positive) was fiction. And I liked the Louise Erdrich story. But other than that, I found myself skimming a lot. There were pieces in the "recommended reading" also-ran section at the end that I think would have made this a more varied experience. But, y'know, I'll probably buy the next one when it comes out.

[Chris Kargel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I eagerly search out this series every year (about the time January looms its head and the obsessions with year round-ups reminds me that the books exist). But once I remember it, I'm excited to dive into works I otherwise wouldn't have encountered (except for usually one piece, which this year was the article on real-life superheroes, in case it's pertinent). Of course, this collection remains enjoyable, if filled with a little less whimsy, especially in the front section then prior editions. I'm always a little jealous regarding the experience these high schoolers have culled in putting this together, but I'm grateful to them for doing it.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this anthology every year, usually over the holidays. It is hands-down some of the best prose I read all year, especially since I am so bad at keeping up with publications. Many thanks to the intrepid group of high school students that put together such a kick-a** book, making it so convenient for me to access this essential, relevant literature, journalism, graphic arts, and so forth. As far as I'm concerned, this is required reading.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I tried, but I don't know if I'm going to make it through this one. I can only read so many short pieces of depressing, self-indulgent high literature and commentaries on the Occupy Wallstreet movement. I mean, the writing is technically good and all, but I'm just not finding most of this to be enjoyable enough to be worth the effort. Call me a philistine if you must, but then I'll just assume you're one of those weirdos who thinks Brideshead Revisited is just as enjoyable as Downton Abby.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every year a group of students gather weekly with Dave Eggers as their leader and mentor. They comb through journals, magazines and websites to find he best writing of the year. The end result is this book. It is always fabulous, this year is no exception. I look forward to this book every year.. There is no other compilation of diverse, humorous, tragic, and relevant reading to be found in one bound edition. If you want to give yourself a great gift, buy this book.

[Ben Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

More filler than killer.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent compilation. Loved the entire first part which is rare. Interesting and varied essays on the Occupy Wall Street movement. There were only two pieces that I skimmed, but the rest was great. Just ordered my Best Nonrequired 2017 which arrives tomorrow. Perfect timing. My favorite was “The Years of my Birth” by Louise Erdrich.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favorite pieces from this collection:

+Junot Díaz - Best American Very Short Memoir
+Kevin Brockmeier - A Fable For The Living
+Julie Otsuka - The Children
+Eric Puchner - Beautiful Monsters
+George Saunders - Tenth of December
+Jose Antonio Vargas - Outlaw
+Jess Walter - Don’t Eat Cat

[Jacqueline Nyathi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Enjoyed a few pieces very much: Julie Otsuka, Phil Klay, Louise Erdrich, Olivia Hamilton et al. Those of John Jeremiah Sullivan, Eric Puchner and Jose Antonio Vargas were also quite interesting. Strong warning for triggers (rape, suicide, etc) in some of the content.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a little worried the magic of these anthologies was mostly due to the impressionable young age at which they came into my life but my gods it's all still there <3

[Audrey Friedman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredible selection put together by TEENAGERS! I love it! Can't wait to read the rest! This was a good year to begin on, I hope the others are just as interesting to read.

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 really. A few good ones in here and a few that I just had to skip. It was interesting to read the occupy ones a decade later.

[Grant Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Section I

This is usually my favorite section of the series, always filled with extremely brief pieces including a lot of lists and typically almost exclusively humorous. This years edition included a good amount of pieces about protests, particularly occupy wall street. As in McSweeneys I tend to enjoy the less political issues. That being said they were all good pieces, I especially enjoyed the very short memoir by Junot Diaz and the best American letters in the mail.

Section II
Kevin Brockmeier. A FABLE FOR THE LIVING
Brilliant story. One of my favorite short stories I've read in a long time. It's about a country where people write notes to their lost love ones and leave them for them through cracks in the ground.

Judy Budnitz. TIN MAN
2 for 2, this story is fantastic and about a man being asked to give up his heart for his sick mom.

Louise Erdrich. THE YEARS OF MY BIRTH
I'd say 3 for 3 but let's just say the trend continues. I've been wanting to read Louise Erdrich for a little while and she has definitely earned her reputation as a great writer if this story is an example.

Olivia Hamilton, Robin Levi, and Ayelet Waldman. AN ORAL HISTORY OF OLIVIA HAMILTON
This is the story of Olivia who was giving a ridiculously long sentence for a minor crime and was treated horribly while in prison. Despite my innate dislike of heavy handed political stories I liked this one. Completely unacceptable how she was treated.

Phil Klay. REDEPLOYMENT
This one's really sad. I think it's non fiction but honestly I'm not sure. Either way it's sad and showcases the very real issues soldiers coming back from the war in Afghanistan are dealing with.

Nora Krug. KAMIKAZE
Cool comic about the Japanese kamikaze pilots in WWII. I have no idea how they were so brave. Glad there's no animosity between the countries left over from those dark days.

Anthony Marra. THE PALACE OF THE PEOPLE
This story has taken a much more surreal and sad feel after the marathon bombings as it deals with kids looking to get into trouble to avoid military service in Chechnya.

Julie Otsuka. THE CHILDREN
Good little story about 1st generation Asian immigrants dealing with their children growing up Americanized and embarrassed of their Chinese routs.

Michael Poore. THE STREET OF THE HOUSE OF THE SUN
One of my favorite stories in the issue. It's about descendants of ancient enemies having competing restaurants across the street from one another.

Eric Puchner. BEAUTIFUL MONSTERS
Amazing story about a brother and sister who take in a grown man into their society of children. Loved it.

Mark Robert Rapacz. BELLWETHER
Good god was this a sad story. Fantastic but sad. It's about a family of fathers including a drunk father, daughter who's sick of beatings & a son who has to grow up fast and come to terms with things that shouldn't be at all. This is one of those stories that deal with issues that are hard to tackle, love the courage of the author to write it.

Chaz Reetz-Laiolo. THE LOVE ACT
Another great story, it's a little hard for me to sum up as it follows a man from childhood to middle age. Well written and poignant.

Ryan Rivas. SOUTH BEACH
Fantastic flash fiction peace about god creating South Beach.

Jon Ronson. THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF PHOENIX JONES
An interesting non fiction piece about regular citizens dressing up in super hero outfits patrolling the streets of America.

George Saunders. TENTH OF DECEMBER
Great story by Saunders and the title of his new collection of short stories. Worthy of all the praise it gets and proof of his genius.

Mona Simpson. TRANSCRIPTION OF A EULOGY
This is the eulogy that she gave for her brother Steve Jobs funeral. Funny and a touching insight into Mr. Jobs.

John Jeremiah Sullivan. PEYTON'S PLACE
A quirky piece of non fiction about a homeowner renting out his home for the shooting of the TV show One Tree Hill.

Adrian Tomine. A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ART FORM KNOWN AS "HORTISCULPTURE"
I wasn't all that impressed with this comic but it did a good job capturing the spirit of a man striving to make something out of his his otherwise ordinary life and his families dealing with it's failure.

Jose Antonio Vargas. OUTLAW
An essay about Mr. Vargas dealing with being an illegal immigrant. I understand his position that because he's contributing to society he should be able to be in the country legally but then again he never went through legal process to get here so I'm not overly sympathetic. Mainly because I don't think it's fair to all the other people going through the correct channels to get into the country legally.

Jess Walter. DON'T EAT CAT
Loved this story. Filled with dark humor but also tackling some pretty tough social issues. It's about a man trying to find his ex girlfriend who purposely took a party drug with the full knowledge that she may permanently impair her.

Wesley Yang. PAPER TIGERS
This essay is about dealing with stereotypes of being an Asian American. Well written and insightful

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's probably unusual to read a Best Of book ten years after the fact. I read it for the Read Harder 2022 challenge and this was available on the shelf at my library. But I thought it would be interesting to read what was important 10 years ago anyway.

The first section was on the Occupy movement (okay, 10 years ago, wow!) and then various short stories and essays, fairly diverse, a few by folks who have now been canceled (so 2020s). Some stood out more than others. Some felt dated, most felt like they could have been written anytime in recent memory.

Mostly this was a good reminder to revisit this entire series, which includes food writing to nature and science writing, science fiction and the ever popular short stories.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dave Eggers edited this collection of Best American Non Required Reading in the 2012 series. As with all collections there were hits and misses. What might be perhaps the most interesting part of this book series is that the guest editors, the choosers of the stories to be published from the large amount Eggers submits to them, are high school students from Michigan and California. With this in mind the eclectic nature of the chosen stories should come as no surprise.

The first story to catch my attention in this book was " The Lonely Guy." This was a collection of a small portion of the thousands of responses a man named Jeff, a self proclaimed lonely guy named Jeff, received from his ads placed on telephone polls around New York City stating his loneliness and that if anyone wanted to call and talk he would welcome it. The depth of the loneliness in many people that responded to him and the sincere caring in most of those same responses speaks well for the human condition.

Two selections from the New Yorker are to be well received. Louise Erdrich's story The Years of My Birth tells the story of a twin baby put up for adoption due to perceived deformities while her brother goes home as an accepted member of the family. When her birth mother shows up years later proclaiming sorrow for her decision Tuffy, the young girl later adopted by Native Americans has many choices to make. From George Saunders well received collection of short stories we read the title story The Tenth of December, a story that might well be one of the most original and interesting stories I have ever read. It is truly a story that is unforgettable.

A sociological story entitled An Oral History of Olivia Hamilton visits the cold story of a young woman who is forced to give birth to her child behind bars. One might suspect that your take on this story will tell as much about you as it does about Olivia Hamilton. Redeployment visits a soldier coming home from a tour in Afghanistan who has seen too much to have much emotion left, the pending death of his beloved dog becomes a challenge to overcome. In The Palace of the People we see young men in Russia with their pending military induction inducing them to consider committing crimes to keep them from the war in Chechnya.

In this collection we also read the speech at the funeral service for Steve Jobs given by his sister. It is not what you might expect but it is moving. John Jeremiah Sullivan, one of the best article writers going today contributes his piece from GQ about living in the home used for the filming of a television show and how the odd combination of fantasy and reality can become more disconcerting than the money gained from the process is useful.

Outlaw is an article by Jose Antonio Vargas published in The New York Times Magazine, in this story the author outs himself as an illegal alien as it were. As a gifted nationally known writer Vargas decided to speak out to try to put a public face to The Dream Act. It is a well thought out article and the case is well made that children brought here illegally, who grow up in the states, go to school in the states, indeed consider themselves American should be given an opportunity to become so. To do otherwise would be to punish them through an act not of their own, in many cases sending them back to cultures in which they would not be familiar or welcome.

The last story called Paper Tigers visits the issue of being an Asian American. Not undocumented but an American citizen of Asian origin and the challenges beyond finishing first in your class. An experience known as The Bamboo Ceiling is well known and documented, it is not one I was familiar with so it makes for an interesting article.

Overall this is a very interesting collection, one in which almost anyone can find something of interest.

[Lenks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came across this book in a little bookshop not far from the White House. I’d heard of the different collections before -- The Best American Short Stories, The Best American Essays -- but I’d never read any of them, so I figured this was my chance to change all that. That, and the book is edited by David Eggers and includes an introduction by Ray Bradbury, so yeah, I knew it would be pretty damned good.

I’m glad I bought the book. Although not all of the stories, essays, and other forms of writing contained in this collection are my cup of tea, this book introduced me to a lot of great work and a lot of new authors. My favorites included Saïd Sayrafiezadeh’s "Notes from a Bystander":

“But if my presence at protests embarrasses me, then my absence makes me feel guilty. This is also an unfortunate consequence of my childhood. Between these two realms there is neither compromise nor escape. As Occupy Wall Street stretched on, and as I followed it closely from the comfort of my couch, I tried to delude myself into thinking that my personal and private support was somehow a contribution to the cause. But absence, I know full well, contributes nothing to no one.”

Stephen Elliott’s letter:

“I have a suspicion that I will learn to live with the dizziness and because of this the dizziness will pass. We learn to live with all sorts of things. Like, ten years ago, following a sinus infection, I got tinnitus. My ears were always ringing and I wasn’t sure I could live with it. But it turned out I could live with it, and then I barely noticed anymore. Or sleeping in a youth shelter in a room with thirty other children. Or losing our mothers at an early age. Or, like the other day, I saw a girl I hadn’t seen in years. She was wearing a blue dress and her legs were naked and I swear I fell head over heels in love. It passed quickly, but you won’t convince me it wasn’t love just because it didn’t stick around.”

Eric Puchner’s "Beautiful Monsters":

“What do you think about when you’re old? the boy asks.
The man laughs. Home, I guess.
Do you mean the woods?
Childhood, he says, as if it were a place.”

Chaz Reetz-Laiolo’s "The Love Act":

“Our own sleep was mainly cold, a draft of unfinished arguments as we tossed under the blankets, our shins bumping and retreating from each other.”

and Wesley Yang’s "Paper Tigers":

“Often I think my defiance is just delusional, self-glorifying bullshit that artists have always told themselves to compensate for their poverty and powerlessness. But sometimes I think it’s the only thing that has preserved me intact, and that what has been preserved is not just haughty caprice but in fact the meaning of my life.”

I also loved Kevin Brockmeier’s "A Fable for the Living," Julie Otsuka’s "The Children," and of course George Saunder’s "Tenth of December." Even if you have no intention to buy or read this book, I’d recommend trying to find these fine pieces of writing online.

[Bill Breedlove · Rating 4 out of 5]

I try and read THE BEST AMERICAN NON-REQUIRED READING every year, and I was able to get the 2012 edition out of the way fairly early into calendar year 2013.

As usual, this is a very eclectic and interesting collection of various "found writing" and other neato stuff that caught the eye of some very precocious high schoolers, and their overall editor, Dave Eggers.

Like any project of this type, it is perfect for poking around in and jumping around and reading here and there and savoring small pieces at a time. In particular, I really enjoyed the long comic? graphic novel? illustrated story? "Hortisculpture" which I at first began leafing through (no pun intended), and then fell headlong into the story.

The nonfiction was very interesting as well, although to be fair, there was a great deal involving the "Occupy" movement, so if you are either uninterested or opposed to that group's activities, then much of the early section of the book will be not your cup of tea. A standout--after reading it a couple of times and reexamining my assessment over and over again--was an exceptionally personal letter (an actual letter) written by Stephen Elliot. Also hilarious--and strangely compelling--were the replies to the "lonely guy" who was a brief Internet sensation.

My favorite nonfiction piece--by far--was the one originally published in GQ, "The Amazing Adventures of Phoenix Jones," by Jon Ronsom. This piece is about the titular Mr. Jones, who uses that moniker as his "secret superhero identity" as a real-life crime-fighitng "superhero." In addition to an in-depth look at Mr. Jones, the piece also visits with some of his "colleagues" (and some catty competitors, hilariously) and also some conventions where fictionalized superheros and RLSH (real life super heroes) co-exist uncomfortably. Some riveting writing, a great story, and a very compelling subject in Mr. Jones make this a wonderful read.

THe fiction section is typically my favorite, and this time was no exception. As someone else mentioned, many of the stories selected are extremely dark, so if looking for some light, feel good material, readers may want to search elsewhere than the 2012 BANRR. But, if one is looking for some engrossing, well-written and wrenching fiction, there is plenty to be found here.

These annual books are a yearly treasure, and this year's edition is one of the most enjoyable yet.