Starting Rumors: America's Next Generation of Writers

by Randy Phillis, Allen Learst

Even in the most contemporary of anthologies it seems we've begun to see the same names over and over. This is only natural as Baby Boomers mature and their writing is at the forefront of the literary scene. There is, however, a new generation of writers emerging, the so-called Generation X, born between 1965 and 1976. These writers are also publishing books and appearing in anthologies. What separates this group is their concerns and views of the world. The goal of STARTING RUMORS is to give this group a voice that can be accessed in a single volume of poetry, short stories, and essays. Formally, the works contained in this anthology is sometimes traditional, sometimes innovative; but the perspectives are always authentic. Matt Clark's story "What I Know About Ham Ratchetslaw, Trombonist. . ." depicts love and lust, passion and religion from a beer-drinking goat's point of view. Brian Evenson describes a father's grief in "The Father, Unblinking." Paisley Rekdal's poem takes us to Tahiti, where Captain Cook discovered tattooing; Joe Clark's poem "Candy" offers up the sadness and the sweetness of a custodian's life. Some of the work is hilarious; some of it sad, but the response to it is always the the words on these pages are true.

135 pages, Paperback

Published July 1, 1999