Tin House Magazine, Volume 15, Issue 4, Summer 2014: #60 Summer Reading

Tin House #60

by Win McCormack (Editor), Holly MacArthur (Editor), Rob Spillman (Editor)

Tin House's Summer Reading brings you all the things you've come to expect from the acclaimed literary journal. Packed with thrilling fiction, introspective essays, and artful poetry, this issue is guaranteed to keep you in your seat for hours at a time--perfect for those long summer days on the porch.

Genres: Poetry, Fiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2014

About the author

Win McCormack is an American publisher and editor from Oregon.

He is editor-in-chief of Tin House magazine and Tin House Books, the former publisher of Oregon Magazine, and founder and treasurer of MediAmerica, Inc. He serves on the board of directors of the journal New Perspectives Quarterly. His political and social writings have appeared in Oregon Humanities, Tin House, The Nation, The Oregonian, and Oregon Magazine. McCormack's investigative coverage of the Rajneeshee movement was awarded a William Allen White Commendation from the University of Kansas and the City and Regional Magazine Association. His latest book, You Don’t Know Me: A Citizen's Guide to Republican Family Values, examines the sex scandals of Republican politicians who espouse "moral values."

As a political activist, McCormack served as Chair of the Oregon Steering Committee for Gary Hart's 1984 presidential campaign. He is chair of the Democratic Party of Oregon's President's Council and a member of the Obama for President Oregon Finance Committee. McCormack was also chosen as Alternate Delegate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention. He currently serves on the Oregon Council for the Humanities and the Oregon Tourism Commission. Additionally, McCormack sits on the Board of Overseers for Emerson College, and is a co-founder of the Los Angeles-based Liberty Hill Foundation

Reviews

[A-ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Issues of Tin House seem to disappear too quickly. Though none of the stories were bad, this issue took a while to warm up for me. "When we realize we are broke" was heartbreakingly honest and beautifully written. "Before the bombing" had an excellent voice and I'd like to check out more by Jonathan Lee. The two stories that deal with destructive sexuality, "Primal Scenes" and "Dark Meadow" were both great, especially the latter, a story of a pedophile trying to make amends for his admittedly evil desires. It is tough work to tackle such a controversial subject without going too far, without judgment, with a relateably human protagonist, but Adam Johnson pulls it off in this excellent story.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I would've written comments on this right after reading it, with the host of short stories I've gone through in the last weeks I'm having a hard time recalling details without a copy of this in front of me. The stories that stand out the most in memory are both about flawed people trying to do better, with various success. "When We Realize We Are Broke" by Manuel Gonzalez was the highlight story of the issue for me, a simple story of a family's struggles and inability to maintain personal control or responsibility. "Dark Meadow" by Adam Johnson is an example of a powerful story that shows immense artistry in telling a powerful story featuring disturbing issues and a monstrous character. Beyond these two standouts, I enjoyed "Bedtime Story" by Jamie Quatro and "About My Aunt" by Joan Silber. I did attempt to read the poetry in the issue, but anything remarkable or touching in this form of art continues to elude me.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another superb submission by Tin House. The fiction here is quite good; Quatro has a nice neurotic effect; Silber's About My Aunt is an incisive tale of two lives diverging in mutual antipathy; Dark Meadow is a simple, understated tale of revulsion; Tabucci echoes Bolano. Reichart's dissertation on daube packs an unexpected bouquet of emotion. Savory stuff.

[Julie Ehlers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first time ever reading a literary journal from cover to cover. The verdict: The poetry was OK, the essays were pretty terrible, but the short stories were uniformly fantastic. I'll be seeking out more work by Joan Silber, Jonathan Lee, and Adam Johnson in particular.

[Zack Quaintance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Favorite Stories:

>>"Bedtime Story" by Jamie Quatro

>>"About My Aunt" by Joan Silber

>>"Primal Scenes" by Kenneth Calhoun

[Jennifer Hanford · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars for the issue, 5 stars for the Adam Johnson story.

[Zach · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Gonzales and Johnson stories are the standouts. Especially the Gonzales