Best of the Web 2009

by Lee K. Abbott (Editor), Nathan Leslie (Editor)

Praise for the Best of the Web “Such a development could not have come at a better time for online literary publishing.”— NewPages “The book is heartily significant, featuring work that is sometimes surprising . . . and sometimes exhilarating—not unlike the Web itself.”— Los Angeles Times “The book, which canvasses both fiction and poetry, really cooks . . . in the melding of the two genres. . . . The Internet is built for this short and weird, just what one’s attention span wants when clicking through. And Almond and Leslie wisely pick up on that, making the book worth paging through, as well.”— Time Out Chicago “Though publishing online provides us the opportunity to present fiction free from economic imperative, permitting us, our authors, and our readers to relish in the experiment of expression, one of our great regrets is forgoing the sensation of binding it, printing it, holding the work we proudly select in our hands. Then along comes Dzanc Books, and this gift of a book, Best of the Web, that feels, to us, like the presentation of an award.”— Aaron Petrovich and Alex Rose , editors, Hotel St. George Press This Best of the Web anthology is the first comprehensive print anthology to represent the vast array of contemporary online literature on an annual basis, bringing the world of web journals to a greater audience. In Best of the Web 2009 : Waqar Ahmed, Arlene Ang , Michael Baker, Marcelo Ballve, Marge Barrett ,
Carmelinda Blagg , Benjamin Buchholz, Blake Butler, Jimmy Chen, Amy L .
Clark, Amber Cook, Bill Cook, Michael Czyzniejewski, Darlin’ Neal, Matthew
Derby, Ryan Dilbert , Stephen Dixon, Alex Dumont , Claudia Emerson, D.A.
Feinfeld, Marcela Fuentes, M. Thomas Gammarino, Cassandra Garbus, Molly
Gaudr y, Anne Germanacos, Matt Getty, Todd Hasak-Lowy, Karen Heuler, Ash
Hibbert , Philip Holden, Roy Kesey, Hari Bhajan Khalsa, Tricia Louvar, Peter
Markus, Michael Martone, Heather Killelea McEntarfer, Lindsay Merbaum,
Corey Mesler, Laura Mullen, Joseph Olschner, Jeff Parker, Elise Paschen,
Elizabeth Penrose, Kate Petersen, Glen Pourciau, Sam Rasnake, Jonathan
Rice, Tom Sheehan, Claudia Smith, Lynn Strongin, Terese Svoboda, Jon
Thompson, Davide Trame, Donna D. Vitucci, Helen Wickes, Kathrine Leone
Wright , Jordan Zinovich, as well as introductions from series editor Nathan
Leslie and edition editor Lee K. Abbot , and interviews with select authors.

Genres: Short Stories

335 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2009

Reviews

[Peymann Suhrkamp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Went to live reading at Booksmith on Haight last night -- a great bookstore -- of select writers published in this anthology. Highly recommmended: Anne Germanacos' work. Next year, 2010, a collection of her short stories will be published bi BOA editions. I'm hoping she will read in LA Goodreads events and at Skylight, Book Soup, Tongue and Groove LA, Beyond Baroque, etc. Great other work to be found in the Dzanc Best of the Web 2009. Guest Editor, Lee K. Abbott, and Series Editor, Nathan Leslie, www.dzancbooks.org should be applauded for having the foresight and wisdom to make the best of the web writers available to readers who want to hold a warm paperback in their hands and mull over the pages, and abuse the book with pencil marks and bent corners.

[Yvette Ward-Horner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed about 70% of the pieces in this book. There were a few things that I couldn't even finish reading, but I'm still going to give the book four stars because overall it was a great experience. I enjoyed being exposed to things that I might not have read otherwise. And the stories that I did like were amazing - Cannibal Love, by Lindsay Merbaum, Mandible, by Donna D. Vitucci, and many more. I love the whole idea behind this book and I will definitely be watching for the new version to come out each year.

One suggestion to the editors, if they should happen to read this review -- it would be very nice if each piece was clearly marked Fiction or Essay. There were a couple of first-person pieces that I was confused about and it did detract from the experience.

[Corey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely first class production, beautiful cover, and inside: literary dynamite!

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love it. Never had any idea what was coming next.