The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2009 (2009)

Reading a review of the most recent Best American Nonrequired Reading collection (2011 as of this writing), the reviewer ripped the collection apart while lauding other Best American collections. I have always felt just the opposite – that Nonrequired Reading is usually the pinnacle of these collections, and all others are wannabes. However, the last few I read, while good, didn’t live up to my expectations.

As I read the2009 collection, I dived in with a slight worry. The first section (dedicated to small subjects and strange things) was as eclectic as ever – some good, some bad – but never a gauge for the entire collection. It is the hors d’oeuvres to the full meal. But the first item in the second section put me in a tailspin – a story that went nowhere and did nothing. Were my past readings an indication of decline? Was the reviewer correct? Had I lost one of the few “sure things” in reading?

Continuing on, my fears were groundless. This is an excellent collection with a good mix of essays, stories, and graphic novels that are entertaining, thought-provoking, and just worth the time. From “Relations” by Eula Biss which explores the issue of race relations using the birth of twins – one white, one black – as the jumping off point, to a strange tale of triplet girls in a small town who meet a man with strange tastes in “Triplet” by Susan Breen, to “Everything I Know About My Family On My Mother’s Side” by Nathan Englander which, in a contrived but incredibly successful approach, explores how much or how little the teller of the tale knows about his family, to “Monster” by Rebekah Frumkin to “Your Exhausted Heart” by Anne Gisleson to a whole lot more, finally ending with Nick St. John’s fascinating “mini-comic” “Further Notes on my Unfortunate Condition”. There are a couple of false notes beyond the first story, but few and far between.

As I’ve come to expect, a collection that entertains and makes you ponder just a little bit ( )

Just can't get into these. It's fairly obvious, from my where I'm standing, that these stories were chosen by a particularly precocious group of youngsters (no, I'm not 70). I mean, in the long run that's actually a good thing; if any little percentage of new readers start reading because of these books, that's well and good. But, from the constant inhibition to resort to recent world headlines, i.e., Iraq, Katrina, economic recession, rinse and repeat, this collection is accustomed to hopping right on the train of eccentricity ad nauseum. Why can't I just read a story about a human being? Why does it always have to be sugarcoated with a bombardment of bellicose peculiarities? Alas, these collections just might not be for me (although, the opening pages are usually the most interesting and amusing). I just kept on wanting one of these stories to pick up some pace and really spark some life into otherwise neglected literary elements, such as the actual writing. I'm not asking for Faulkner, but just a little creativity beyond character and story; I mean, obviously these stories follow proper writing protocol and are full of blinding white clarity (not always a good thing). But that's just my prerogative. "The Chameleon" was pretty good, anyway.

2010's collection is staring me down on my bookshelf, but it's going on the perpetual back burner. Their otherwise day job collection, The Best American Short Stories, and then, The Pen/O. Henry yearly roundups, seem to be biting at the heels more often nowadays. ( )

This compilation could stand as a kind of sidelong snapshot of early 21st-century American life: by turns amusing and doleful, BANR '09 is an evocative report assembled from book & poem titles, festival names, karate tributes, perplexing comics, short stories and off-kilter news.

The campsite was overgrown with poison ivy, and many legs were covered with weeping red blisters. It was the first time in weeks I hadn’t felt self-conscious about being filthy, but now I felt self-conscious about not being punk enough, and I worried I was being eyed with suspicion. Almost none of the kids were older than twenty-five, as if there was a sell-by date on radical social philosophy, a legal limit after which one must surrender lofty ideals and shave off dreadlocks. CrimethInc’s core function is the creation of propaganda, mainly in the form of books and zines, and they held a swap of such anarcho-classics as Days of War, Nights of Love; Evasion; and Fighting for Our Lives. One of my favorite free pamphlets was ‘Wasted Indeed: Anarchy & Alcohol,’ a searing indictment of the revolution-sapping properties of the demon drink, which offered potent slogans: ‘Sedition not Sedation!’ ‘No cocktail but the Molotov cocktail!’ ‘Let us brew nothing but trouble!’ (Matthew Power, "Mississippi Drift")

Avery Karma Ale
Spaten Oktoberfest

I always love this collection. My favorite part is always the front section which "comes before the next section [and], is the first section in the book."

Among the gems not to be missed this year are:

Best American Letter to the Editor - concerning, ahem, "logs" in a lake.

Best American Anonymous Postcards

Best American Kids' Letters to Obama

Can't wait for the 2010 edition ( )

Actually I am disappointed in this book. The cover is rather clever, and I felt that any book that includes craigs list items, and the best letter to an editor must have great reading in store. According to its into the articles were chosen by a panel of people, some high school students amongst them. Many of the stories were just awful, I wanted something to make me think and be excited about. Only a few stories did anything for me.

"Relations" by Eula Biss was interesting, the writer is reflecting on her feelings after reading a study done on black and white dolls. The story is reflective and thought inspiring.

"Everything I know about my Family on my Mother's side" by Nathan Englander. This was a very odd narrative about a man walking down a city street with his girlfriend. He is thinking about his family and also about his girlfriend. I struggled through the story and finally his thoughts turn to his loneliness, as his girlfriend breaks up with him because he cannot show emotion.

"Wild Berry Blue" Rivka Galchen. A young girl of 9-10 falls in love with a young man that works at McDonalds.

"The Chameleon" David Grann was quite a gem, I am going to look this up and find more info. A French child is found on the streets, he is sent to a children's home where he lives for some time until it is discovered that he is actually a 33 year old man. He lives his life going from place to place pretending to be children. He makes it to America where he passes himself off as a boy what is missing 3 years. The mother and brother act suspicious as they know that the real child is dead. Thusly the Chameleon uncovers the mystery. I believe this is all a true story but I want to learn more.

I didn't find much else of interest in the other short stories. Sadly I doubt that I will purchase another NonRequired Reading book anytime soon.

June 2010 - 5 ( )