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McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern #70
McSweeney's Issue 70
This April, three-time National Magazine Award-winning McSweeney's Quarterly returns with its 70th edition, a paperback with a special die-cut cover design with French flaps.
Inside you'll find brilliant fiction--and two essays--from places near and far, including Patrick Cottrell 's story about a surprisingly indelible Denver bar experience; poignant, previously untranslated fiction from beloved Danish writer Tove Ditlevsen ; Argentine writer Olivia Gallo 's English language debut about rampaging urban clowns; the rise and fall of an unusual family of undocumented workers in rural California by Francisco González ; and Indian writer Amit Chaudhuri 's sojourn to the childhood home of Brooklyn native Neil Diamond.
Readers will be sure to delight in Guggenheim recipient Edward Gauvin 's novella-length memoir-of-sorts in the form of contributors' notes, absorbing short stories about a celebrated pianist ( Lisa Hsiao Chen ) and a reclusive science-fiction novelist ( Eugene Lim ), flash fiction by Véronique Darwin and Kevin Hyde , and a suite of thirty-six very short stories by the outsider poet Sparrow .
Plus letters from Seoul, Buenos Aires, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, and Lake Zurich, Illinois, by E. Tammy Kim , Drew Millard , and more. Compiled by deputy editor James Yeh , McSweeney's Issue 70 , like all editions of the quarterly, features the very best in new literary fiction, in a unique and beautifully designed format, that will occupy a cherished spot on your bookshelves for years to come.
Inside you'll find brilliant fiction--and two essays--from places near and far, including Patrick Cottrell 's story about a surprisingly indelible Denver bar experience; poignant, previously untranslated fiction from beloved Danish writer Tove Ditlevsen ; Argentine writer Olivia Gallo 's English language debut about rampaging urban clowns; the rise and fall of an unusual family of undocumented workers in rural California by Francisco González ; and Indian writer Amit Chaudhuri 's sojourn to the childhood home of Brooklyn native Neil Diamond.
Readers will be sure to delight in Guggenheim recipient Edward Gauvin 's novella-length memoir-of-sorts in the form of contributors' notes, absorbing short stories about a celebrated pianist ( Lisa Hsiao Chen ) and a reclusive science-fiction novelist ( Eugene Lim ), flash fiction by Véronique Darwin and Kevin Hyde , and a suite of thirty-six very short stories by the outsider poet Sparrow .
Plus letters from Seoul, Buenos Aires, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, and Lake Zurich, Illinois, by E. Tammy Kim , Drew Millard , and more. Compiled by deputy editor James Yeh , McSweeney's Issue 70 , like all editions of the quarterly, features the very best in new literary fiction, in a unique and beautifully designed format, that will occupy a cherished spot on your bookshelves for years to come.
- GenresShort StoriesFiction
100 pages, Paperback
Published May 18, 2023
7 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 22, 2023
WARNING: I have decided to collect and read all of the issues of Timothy McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern. This means that you will be stuck seeing all of the reviews. I advise you to bail now if you aren’t a fan of what I have done so far. The odds of it getting better are not in your favor.
Out of all of these I have read up to this point, this one ranks the lowest (that is a whopping five books read for those keeping track at home). Not even the letters (what I usually love the most) could pull me out of the “feeling more disappointed than I should” slump.
What went wrong:
The content did not engage me. There were above average points, but most were lower than average. I need substance to keep my reading belly full and this one did not offer up the usual buffet.
What I liked the most:
“The Science Fiction Writer” - “Unloved, unfunny.”
The things we experience that haunt us, especially when we put ourselves out there and the return is nothing.
(Second place goes to “Please Forgive Me, Pele”.)
What I liked the least:
“Conspirators' Notes” - “...is a nom de plume.”
Under all of the layers that comprised this short story the author did share interesting fragments that I wanted to know more about. The layers themselves were the exact opposite. The length of the story and the location within the issue did not help either.
Two stars to an issue that did not bring it.
Out of all of these I have read up to this point, this one ranks the lowest (that is a whopping five books read for those keeping track at home). Not even the letters (what I usually love the most) could pull me out of the “feeling more disappointed than I should” slump.
What went wrong:
The content did not engage me. There were above average points, but most were lower than average. I need substance to keep my reading belly full and this one did not offer up the usual buffet.
What I liked the most:
“The Science Fiction Writer” - “Unloved, unfunny.”
The things we experience that haunt us, especially when we put ourselves out there and the return is nothing.
(Second place goes to “Please Forgive Me, Pele”.)
What I liked the least:
“Conspirators' Notes” - “...is a nom de plume.”
Under all of the layers that comprised this short story the author did share interesting fragments that I wanted to know more about. The layers themselves were the exact opposite. The length of the story and the location within the issue did not help either.
Two stars to an issue that did not bring it.
August 4, 2023
Nothing I absolutely hated here plus a couple I really liked.
Good stuff: Serranos by Francisco Gonzalez + Consiprators' Notes by Edward Gauvin
Honourable mention for Morteza Khakshoor's arresting studies of dead or sleeping figures collectively titled Martyrs
In the minus side I could have done without the pages occupied by pictures of bottles of sand and volcanic rocks purloined by tourists from Hawai'i and now returned with covering notes
Good stuff: Serranos by Francisco Gonzalez + Consiprators' Notes by Edward Gauvin
Honourable mention for Morteza Khakshoor's arresting studies of dead or sleeping figures collectively titled Martyrs
In the minus side I could have done without the pages occupied by pictures of bottles of sand and volcanic rocks purloined by tourists from Hawai'i and now returned with covering notes
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August 17, 2024my introduction to McSweeney’s!!! i have a great appreciation for these people and their works none of them i didn’t enjoy
August 16, 2023
Those who follow my reviews will know that I am a McSweeney's subscriber, and have been since the second issue. For many years I was too busy with teaching to read full issues, and many of them I've still not taken out of their wrappers. Lately I've taken to reading one issue a month, alternating between recent issues and older ones. At this writing, this issue is the most recent.
Many McSweeney's volumes have an announced theme, but this seems not to be one of those. It feels, however, like a deliberately diverse collection, favoring I-wasn't-born-in-the-States (of the 14 main pieces we have a Dane, an Argentine, a Canadian, an Iranian, a Taiwanese, and one from India) or Outsider (a person of Vietnamese heritage who mostly works in Europe, a González, a Wang, a Lim, and someone who goes by Sparrow).
One thing that was very consistent in this volume is the Literary tendency toward non-endings. While I write such things myself, a steady diet of them is draining, and then annoying. Since I was also reading a Danielle Evans collection (5 of 7 pieces not having an actual ending) at the same time, the affectation of that choice to bail out before the author would have to take responsibility for the outcome got to feeling just stupid. Hence this issue not getting the usual five stars from this reader.
I admired the Letters section, but didn't make any notes this time. Indeed, only two of the pieces stood out enough for me to make a remark, and one of them is the plus/minus note about Tove Ditlevsen's "An Eggnog". I called it an "excellent moment" but decried the sloppy headhopping POV. The other piece was "The Insteadman" by Kevin Hyde, which is a flash fiction that is all "told" but with enough specific details that it doesn't pall. It would be a good teaching example of narrative that isn't just narrative (i.e. that shows while seeming to tell).
Good edition, not great.
Many McSweeney's volumes have an announced theme, but this seems not to be one of those. It feels, however, like a deliberately diverse collection, favoring I-wasn't-born-in-the-States (of the 14 main pieces we have a Dane, an Argentine, a Canadian, an Iranian, a Taiwanese, and one from India) or Outsider (a person of Vietnamese heritage who mostly works in Europe, a González, a Wang, a Lim, and someone who goes by Sparrow).
One thing that was very consistent in this volume is the Literary tendency toward non-endings. While I write such things myself, a steady diet of them is draining, and then annoying. Since I was also reading a Danielle Evans collection (5 of 7 pieces not having an actual ending) at the same time, the affectation of that choice to bail out before the author would have to take responsibility for the outcome got to feeling just stupid. Hence this issue not getting the usual five stars from this reader.
I admired the Letters section, but didn't make any notes this time. Indeed, only two of the pieces stood out enough for me to make a remark, and one of them is the plus/minus note about Tove Ditlevsen's "An Eggnog". I called it an "excellent moment" but decried the sloppy headhopping POV. The other piece was "The Insteadman" by Kevin Hyde, which is a flash fiction that is all "told" but with enough specific details that it doesn't pall. It would be a good teaching example of narrative that isn't just narrative (i.e. that shows while seeming to tell).
Good edition, not great.
May 18, 2023
I haven’t actually finished this book, because I am missing about 30 pages of it in a printing error, which includes the final half of one story and the first half of another. The stories I did read, however, were buzzy, poignant, on the nose, clever, intimate— all things I expect from this quarterly publication of contemporary literary fiction. The lava rocks paired with sincere apology notes was especially delightful. A joy, as always.
August 16, 2023
Another quality issue from the fine folks at McSweeney’s.
Highlights:
- Serranos, by Francisco Gonzalez, about migrant workers living in a trailer park, and their encounter with a new family that moves in. Would love to see this story or more from this author in a novel.
- Wound Bound, by Sarah Wang, about a teenage girl institutionalized for mental health reasons, and her issues with her mother. This one snuck up on me, gaining power as it went.
- Please Forgive Me, Pele, by Ryan Thompson, a photo gallery of items sent back to Hawaii with notes of remorse. On a small bottle of Maui Sand collected in 1982, for example, the note reads “We are very sorry that we took the sand. Our lives have been a living hell since we took it.”
- My Fiona, by Lisa Hsiao Chen, recounting a personal assistant to a celebrity’s experiences with emotional nuance. Bonus points for its references to Tarkovsky’s Solaris.
There were several others which were solid, with the only miss for me the final tale from Amit Chaudhuri. All in all, an enjoyable mix.
Highlights:
- Serranos, by Francisco Gonzalez, about migrant workers living in a trailer park, and their encounter with a new family that moves in. Would love to see this story or more from this author in a novel.
- Wound Bound, by Sarah Wang, about a teenage girl institutionalized for mental health reasons, and her issues with her mother. This one snuck up on me, gaining power as it went.
- Please Forgive Me, Pele, by Ryan Thompson, a photo gallery of items sent back to Hawaii with notes of remorse. On a small bottle of Maui Sand collected in 1982, for example, the note reads “We are very sorry that we took the sand. Our lives have been a living hell since we took it.”
- My Fiona, by Lisa Hsiao Chen, recounting a personal assistant to a celebrity’s experiences with emotional nuance. Bonus points for its references to Tarkovsky’s Solaris.
There were several others which were solid, with the only miss for me the final tale from Amit Chaudhuri. All in all, an enjoyable mix.
May 16, 2023
Great mix of texts, from photos of lava rocks (and apology letters) returned to Hawaii to a personal quest to find Neil Diamond's childhood home in Brooklyn. Refreshingly entertaining in its unexpectedness!
October 25, 2023
I kind of slugged through this literary journal, enjoying some of the stories and enduring others. But I’m glad to have subscribed again after a long absence to the quarterly issues from this remarkable and much-loved publishing house.
November 26, 2024
This is one of the weakest issues I've read of McSweeney's. It has too many long pieces that were underwhelming, and lacking anything that hits hard.
Highlights:
Sparrow's Thirty-Six Very Short Stories
Heath Ledger by Olivia Gallo
The Science Fiction Writer by Eugene Lim
Highlights:
Sparrow's Thirty-Six Very Short Stories
Heath Ledger by Olivia Gallo
The Science Fiction Writer by Eugene Lim
May 15, 2023
As Always! Great short fiction by writers that are almost all new to me, burned right though this!
August 7, 2023
Francisco Gonzalez’s “Serranos” was an amazing piece.
September 6, 2023
Serranos was pretty stinking good.
Conspirator's Notes is confusing and cannot be ready quickly.
Conspirator's Notes is confusing and cannot be ready quickly.
October 8, 2023
Another solid collection, beautifully packaged.
October 20, 2023
Another quarter, another great edition. I particularly loved "Serranos."
January 7, 2024
A couple bangers but mostly weak
January 7, 2024
Great collection of short stories from a a variety of authors (plus some great illustrations and an essay about Neil Diamond's Brooklyn). Altogether amazing content.
May 11, 2024
I always hope these are better than they are.
June 3, 2025
I enjoyed most of the essays except “conspirators’ notes” and “two floors above the butcher”. Those kinda made me sleepy 😬 my favorite was “serranos”.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews