The Pushcart Prize XLIII: Best of the Small Presses 2019 Edition

by Bill Henderson

This 43rd edition of the annual Pushcart Prize - the most celebrated literary series in America - is further proof that these days the heat and heart of contemporary writing is often found in small presses scattered around the country and the world, far from the pressures of commercial centers. As the variety of selections in PUSHCARTPRIZE XLIII indicates, it is a diverse community constantly infused by new stories, essays and poetry from small press authors with a vision of what is honest and vital. Over 70 authors are included from more than 50 presses.Winner of the Ivan Sandrof Lifetime Achievement award from the National Book Critics Circle, the Poets & Writers/Barnes & Nobel Writers For Writers recognition, and named with Pushcart Press as one of the most influential publications in the development of America publishing over the past century by Publishers Weekly, the Pushcart Prize presents over 600 pages of literary brilliance from both new and established authors.

Genres: Short Stories, Poetry, Fiction

620 pages, Paperback

Published November 6, 2018

About the author

Bill Henderson (born April 5, 1941) is an American author, editor and publisher best known for his memoirs and the Pushcart Prize series.

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorites this year:
#1: No Time Like the Present, Gabriel Brownstein
#2: A Suburban Weekend, Lisa Taddeo, which reminded me of My Year of Rest and Relaxation

I also liked:
*Bloody Mary! Bloody Mary! Bloody Mary! , Andrew Mitchell
*Guerilla Marketing, Sanjay Agnihotri
*Transition: The Renaming of Hope, Molly Cooney
*Brace Yourself, Leslie Jill Patterson

As for poems, I liked One Definition of Time, Albert Goldbarth, and I can’t get Quarry by Melissa Stein out of my head.

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I choose to focus primarily on the fiction in this collection. For those seeking this out for the same reason, here are the stories I enjoyed the most (out of 24 options):

The Tell-Tale Heart - Anthony Marra ****/*****
Spectral Evidence - Victor Lavalle ****/*****
No Time Like The Present - Gabriel Brownstein ****/*****
Bloody Mary! Bloody Mary! Bloody Mary! - Andrew Mitchell ****/*****
I Figure - Kim Chinquee ****/*****
A Suburban Weekend - Lisa Taddeo *****/*****
Do I Look Sick To You? - C.J. Hribal ****/*****
Brace Yourself - Leslie Jill Patterson *****/*****

Some great poetry here as well as a powerful piece of autofiction from Claire Vaye Watkins.

Worth price of admission to immerse yourself into the world of today’s writing. A little inconsistent for my tastes, but powerful writing emerges throughout.

[Lorelei Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best collections I've read.

[Sidik Fofana · Rating 5 out of 5]

SIX WORD REVIEW: Charleston, Taube, Resnick, LaValle, Watkins, Moody


...Houston, Taddeo.

[Karen Carlson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my ninth consecutive Pushcart read; it's always been a highlight of my reading year. I like the variety, and while poetry is not my strong suit, it's always helpful to try again. But this year, I wasn't as enthralled. Not that it's bad - and there were some standouts - but I didn't come across a lot of pieces I wanted everyone to read immediately. Not sure if it's my mood, or the anthology.

My reactions to each of the the stories/essays/poems can be found at my blog, A Just Recompense.

[Matthew R. Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty good collection of many different essays, poems, and stories. I really enjoyed many of the things I found in this book. Usually I read mainly horror fiction, but it was nice to step outside of that genre for a little bit and enjoy some different stuff. There were some things I found to be boring. But mainly, I enjoyed the poems I found here, many of the short stories, and quite a few of the essays. I would recommend this book to anyone, especially the opening essay, which brought me to tears.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a little underwhelmed, overall, perhaps because the opening essay was so strong. These were the pieces that resonated with me the most:

What Has Irony Done For Us Lately by Pam Houston (Nonfic)
The Tornado Auction by Karen Russell (Fiction)
Yilan by Kristin Chang (Poetry)
A Flock, A Siege, A Murmuration by Su-Yee Lin (Nonfic)
Bloody Mary! Bloody Mary! Bloody Mary! by Andrew Mitchell (Fiction)
UDFJ-39546284 by Rick Barot (Poetry)
The Hunter by Gabriel Daniel Solis (Nonfic)
I Keep Getting Books About Birds by Catherine Pierce (Poetry)
Brace Yourself by Leslie Jill Patterson (Fiction)

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Only got about halfway through because it was due back at the library, but I loved the pieces I did get to read, and hopefully I can complete the others eventually. So good to read contemporary work!