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American Short Fiction
American Short Fiction #68- Volume 22 Issue 68 Spring 2019. Includes stories by Ariel Berry, Marie-Helene Bertino, Jamie Figueroa, Elin Hawkinson, Mark Labowskie, Rebecca Makkai, Michael Martone, Alejandro Puyana, and Amanda Rea.
132 pages, Paperback
Published April 1, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 29, 2019
"Webster's Last Stand" was definitely my favorite story in this collection, not least for the thin veil of a name - "Bigly" - given to the story's omnipresent yet invisible tyrant. The story has an obvious 1984 vibe, exploring the importance of language and communication by envisioning a world in which the English language is being actively dismantled. The story is interesting not just for the questions it poses - if a word is erased from all print and digital sources, how can we know it actually existed? what happens when an increasing number of our thoughts and feelings can no longer be expressed? - but also for its relevance, since it's set in a time that doesn't seem too far from the present.
I also enjoyed "Crab Theory", and "The Moths Came" is a decent horror story written in an impressively short 3 pages. "The Old Woman at the Edge of the Cliff" was interesting and terribly sad, and the imagery at the end of the story was striking.
I suppose I missed the point of the rest of the stories. The characters were uninteresting and flat, aside from Jack in the final story; Labowskie did well with the descriptions of the kid's awkward entrance into puberty, although there were a few too many florid descriptions of masturbation for my liking. (Call it personal preference.) The other stories in the collection were a bit of a chore to get through, and none are really worth mentioning individually.
I also enjoyed "Crab Theory", and "The Moths Came" is a decent horror story written in an impressively short 3 pages. "The Old Woman at the Edge of the Cliff" was interesting and terribly sad, and the imagery at the end of the story was striking.
I suppose I missed the point of the rest of the stories. The characters were uninteresting and flat, aside from Jack in the final story; Labowskie did well with the descriptions of the kid's awkward entrance into puberty, although there were a few too many florid descriptions of masturbation for my liking. (Call it personal preference.) The other stories in the collection were a bit of a chore to get through, and none are really worth mentioning individually.
May 25, 2019
Very disappointing issue of a rather great literary journal.
The only two good stories found within these pages are the first two, one by Rebecca Makkai that imagines a world where a Donald Trump-like president has started banning certain words and the dictionary is outlawed, and the second one by Amanda Rea that explores the time between adulthood and 'the golden years,' focusing on a couple in their fifties and the mid-life crises both seem to be having.
It goes dramatically downhill after that, each story becoming worse than the prior story, and the very last story in this issue contains plot points and choices that are abhorrent and honestly don't belong in a well-established magazine like this (it's basically a glorified account of a childhood sexual abuse case, with graphic details contained within). It's bad enough to make one wonder where the author got the ideas contained within the story from and why he felt compelled to write a story where they were contained within it.
Odd, weird issue, and I hope the next one is much better and returns to the standards that the last few issues of this literary journal have set.
The only two good stories found within these pages are the first two, one by Rebecca Makkai that imagines a world where a Donald Trump-like president has started banning certain words and the dictionary is outlawed, and the second one by Amanda Rea that explores the time between adulthood and 'the golden years,' focusing on a couple in their fifties and the mid-life crises both seem to be having.
It goes dramatically downhill after that, each story becoming worse than the prior story, and the very last story in this issue contains plot points and choices that are abhorrent and honestly don't belong in a well-established magazine like this (it's basically a glorified account of a childhood sexual abuse case, with graphic details contained within). It's bad enough to make one wonder where the author got the ideas contained within the story from and why he felt compelled to write a story where they were contained within it.
Odd, weird issue, and I hope the next one is much better and returns to the standards that the last few issues of this literary journal have set.
June 3, 2019
I recently picked up this issue at Volumes Bookstore in Chicago. In general, I need to read more of this awesome litmag.
I liked this issue, though I can understand where the first reviewer is coming from. Things definitely start on the strongest note with Rebecca Makkai's Webster's Last Stand. Other favorites include The Hands of Dirty Children by Alejandro Puyana and In the Basement of Saint John Divine by Marie-Helene Bertino.
I liked this issue, though I can understand where the first reviewer is coming from. Things definitely start on the strongest note with Rebecca Makkai's Webster's Last Stand. Other favorites include The Hands of Dirty Children by Alejandro Puyana and In the Basement of Saint John Divine by Marie-Helene Bertino.
June 12, 2019
Top 4 stories:
Webster's Last Stand by Rebecca Makkai
Lizard Skin by Mark Labowskie
In the Basement of St. John Divine by Marie-Helene Bertino
The Crab Theory by Amanda Rea
It's a pretty dark collection overall.
Webster's Last Stand by Rebecca Makkai
Lizard Skin by Mark Labowskie
In the Basement of St. John Divine by Marie-Helene Bertino
The Crab Theory by Amanda Rea
It's a pretty dark collection overall.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews