Pets: An Anthology

by Jordan Castro (Editor), Ann Beattie (Contributor), Tao Lin (Contributor)

This anthology collects original writing and art by novelists, poets, and academics about their pets, including a killer chihuahua, a catatonic toy poodle, a contraband cat, a backyard full of endangered desert tortoises, five forgotten parakeets, and a skinny ex-racehorse named Joe. From legends like Ann Beattie and Christine Schutt to cult figures like Scott McClanahan and Tao Lin, this anthology collects writing from some of today’s best literary talent. Edited by Jordan Castro with contributions by Ryunosuke Akutagawa, Ann Beattie, Raegan Bird, Blake Butler, Ryan C. K. Choi, Michael W. Clune, Patty Yumi Cottrell, Annie DeWitt, Chelsea Hodson, Yuka Igarashi, Kristen Iskandrian, Mark Leidner, Tao Lin, Scott McClanahan, Sarah Manguso, David Nutt, Precious Okoyomon, Sam Pink, Nicolette Polek, Kathryn Scanlan, Christine Schutt, and Mallory Whitten.

The measure of love / Michael W. Clune --
Franny / Patty Yumi Cottrell --
Dudu (2007- ) / Tao Lin --
The great bird search / Nicolette Polek --
Little violences on the farm / Christine Schutt --
The parrot : notes on the great earthquake / Ryūnosuke Akutagawa --
Hat and Bonnie / Chelsea Hodson --
Frankie / Kristen Iskandrian --
Magellan / David Nutt --
Rainbow / Precious Okoyomon --
Midget / Scott McClanahan --
Pet etymologies / Mark Leidner --
Shells / Raegan Bird --
Chickens are real / Blake Butler --
Assignments / Yuka Igarashi --
Love / Sarah Manguso --
Domani / Ann Beattie --
Grace Haikus / Mallory Whitten --
Me and Duchene / Sam Pink --
Shh / Kathryn Scanlan --
Training for Rio / Annie DeWitt

Genres: Short Stories, Anthologies, Fiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2020

Reviews

[Bob Comparda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michael W. Clune - The Measure of Love ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Patty Yumi Cottrell - Franny ⭐⭐⭐
Tao Lin - Dudu (2007-) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Nicolette Polek - The Great Bird Search ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Christine Schutt - Little Violences on the Farm ⭐⭐⭐
Ryūnosuke Akutagawa - The Parrot: Notes on the Great Earthquake ⭐⭐⭐
Chelsea Hodson - Hat and Bonnie ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Kristen Iskandrian - Frankie ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
David Nutt - Magellan ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Precious Okoyomon - Rainbow ⭐⭐
Scott McClanahan - Midget ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Mark Leidner - Pet Etymologies ⭐⭐⭐
Raegan Bird - Shells ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Blake Butler - Chickens are Real ⭐⭐⭐
Yuka Igarashi - Assignments ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Sarah Manguso - Love ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ann Beattie - Domani ⭐⭐⭐
Mallory Whitten - Grace Haikus ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Sam Pink - Me and Duchene ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Kathryn Scanlan - Shh ⭐⭐⭐
Annie DeWitt - Training for Rio ⭐⭐⭐

[Alex Dalton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this while riding a greyhound which, forgive me, is on a basic level somewhat ironic. I was drinking a little, something Danish but not a marque I can recall, and began a conversation with the man opposite, his name was Kreese and he was from, I believe, Olathe KS. Well, in truth we didn’t have much in common beyond an interest in NBA, kettlebell gains, and red setters. I showed him my copy of Pets and said he should get a copy. He said he would, but a vague non-committal kind of yeah yeah sure sure I will but let me tell you about how Lebron is the goat. His argument was patchy, how could it be anything other, and soon I came to regret talking to him in the first place. Kid, I’ll buy that damn book if you admit my argument has traction, statistically at the very least, Kreese said, not angry as such but not nothing either. I said sure, I guess so, I really mean, no, but sure, sure, I guess, tell me about your first red setter again.

[David Catney · Rating 5 out of 5]

lots of good stories in this book.

[Kadyn Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

Some of these are incredible and others are forgettable.

“What would a chicken do if it had hands? What language is there in their chirping, clucking; in how they bunch together, side by side? What might they know that we will never? It’s an animals greatest gift, perhaps that we can’t ask. Then what else might we demand of them?

Still the meat of bird fills our plates. We’ve been taught to love with murder so many other ways why sacrifice convenience after all? …… how else could we survive our own egos?

[AutomaticSlim · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were some good ones.

But mostly shit like,

ohhhh here's my first cat

ohhhh my dog died

ohhhh my parents didn't let me have pets

then in steps Sam pink

sam fuckin pink

and he brings his pistol

loaded with bullets like Phillips head screwdrivers

man's got a job to do--

fuckin save some shit

defend, overcome

and he fuckin kills

reliable, steady hands

a new grip

fuckin kills

saves pets

Sam Pink 5/5

book as a whole, barely 3 stars

[Josh Sherman · Rating 5 out of 5]

v good collection. also a nice sampler of some of the best writers tyrant put out during its too-short run.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the concept.

Some of the stories weren’t interesting to me.

But Sam Pink blew me away.

His story was like if Tarantino wrote poetry.

[Tao · Rating 5 out of 5]

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