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adamz24's review against another edition
3.0
For some reason, it never occurred to me that I could add literary journals/magazines/whatever on goodreads. Despite the fact that they have ISBNs.
Anyway, I read several of these. McSweeney's is my favourite, which might be frowned upon in some circles just because of the Eggers connection [I think the dude's an okay writer with good taste in lit; I don't quite understand the vitriol he inspires]. After that, it's The Paris Review and Tin House in that order. I read some others too. In fact, one of the main reasons I'm falling so drastically short of my reading challenge goal for this year is that I haven't been adding literary magazines on goodreads, and frankly these days find them more enjoyable and inviting than many novels or short story collections. What better way to encounter the better writing around these days? And in various styles and genres, to boot. Anyway.
This issue of Tin House was just alright overall. The fiction was most disappointing, with only Ben Marcus' piece standing out. I liked "The Worm" by Donald Ray Pollock okay. The poetry was interesting. I dug "Detective/Woody/Sci-Fi" by Albert Goldbarth and "System of Dismantling Bomb" by Kimberly Grey especially.
The critical stuff was pretty good. Most notable was Ursula Le Guin's piece on H.L. Davis' Honey in the Horn, which I'd never even heard of before, a fact that's seriously damaged my literary cred, in my estimation.
The features stood out among the general mediocrity here. "The Last Days of the Baldock" by Inara Verzemnieks is just a phenomenal essay on community and survival and trying to make shit work. I want to read substantially more stuff by her, but there doesn't appear to be any sort of collection of her writing, which fact upsets me. Matt Kish's illustrations of Heart of Darkness are brilliant and made me want to check out his work on Moby-Dick. Ginger Strand's essay is ostensibly on Vegas, sex, and Nevada brothels, but is really more about hyperreal Americana, a subject I'm always interested in.
Anyway, I read several of these. McSweeney's is my favourite, which might be frowned upon in some circles just because of the Eggers connection [I think the dude's an okay writer with good taste in lit; I don't quite understand the vitriol he inspires]. After that, it's The Paris Review and Tin House in that order. I read some others too. In fact, one of the main reasons I'm falling so drastically short of my reading challenge goal for this year is that I haven't been adding literary magazines on goodreads, and frankly these days find them more enjoyable and inviting than many novels or short story collections. What better way to encounter the better writing around these days? And in various styles and genres, to boot. Anyway.
This issue of Tin House was just alright overall. The fiction was most disappointing, with only Ben Marcus' piece standing out. I liked "The Worm" by Donald Ray Pollock okay. The poetry was interesting. I dug "Detective/Woody/Sci-Fi" by Albert Goldbarth and "System of Dismantling Bomb" by Kimberly Grey especially.
The critical stuff was pretty good. Most notable was Ursula Le Guin's piece on H.L. Davis' Honey in the Horn, which I'd never even heard of before, a fact that's seriously damaged my literary cred, in my estimation.
The features stood out among the general mediocrity here. "The Last Days of the Baldock" by Inara Verzemnieks is just a phenomenal essay on community and survival and trying to make shit work. I want to read substantially more stuff by her, but there doesn't appear to be any sort of collection of her writing, which fact upsets me. Matt Kish's illustrations of Heart of Darkness are brilliant and made me want to check out his work on Moby-Dick. Ginger Strand's essay is ostensibly on Vegas, sex, and Nevada brothels, but is really more about hyperreal Americana, a subject I'm always interested in.
kawai's review
5.0
The stories are moving, artful, unique, and intriguing; the non-fiction pieces are illuminating and well-crafted; the art is gorgeous. As one that doesn't generally enjoy poetry (particularly the modern prose form), I was even moved by the poetry.
Another work of art from a great publisher. Go buy a copy right now.
Another work of art from a great publisher. Go buy a copy right now.
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