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A review by seebrandyread
The Best American Short Stories 2003 by Walter Mosley, Katrina Kenison
5.0
I wasn't very familiar with Walter Mosley or his work before reading this one, so I wasn't sure what to expect. He also wrote a shorter introduction than most editors, and it focused more on his beliefs about what a short story is than about his selection method, which I kind of appreciated. I still prefer reading about the editors' experience and technique for choosing stories but only if they can keep it succinct.
I think this is one of the most diverse editions of BASS (unfortunate acronym) that I've read so far. I don't know if the actual author list was more diverse, but the voices within were very different. A Philippina nanny, a blind marine biologist, a Native American fiddler are just a few of the protagonists and set-ups of these stories. A couple stories broach the realms of sci-fi and horror.
One common theme in several stories is fatherhood. There are actually 2 about the relationship between father and son after the death of their wife/mother. One of these stories, "Space" by Kevin Brockmeier, nearly brought me to tears. Another common theme is death. Wives die, mothers die, sons and aunts die. This repetition might seem excessive, but they're spaced apart well, and, because the voices are so varied, Mosley's picks demonstrate commonalities between us like love, grief, and hope.
The stories in this collection take readers to Haiti, an island off the coast of Kenya, China, and the near or maybe just imagined future. I usually enjoy books from this series, but I often don't come away with many that I know I'll remember. However, with Mosley's edition, I can think of several that are going to stick with me.
I think this is one of the most diverse editions of BASS (unfortunate acronym) that I've read so far. I don't know if the actual author list was more diverse, but the voices within were very different. A Philippina nanny, a blind marine biologist, a Native American fiddler are just a few of the protagonists and set-ups of these stories. A couple stories broach the realms of sci-fi and horror.
One common theme in several stories is fatherhood. There are actually 2 about the relationship between father and son after the death of their wife/mother. One of these stories, "Space" by Kevin Brockmeier, nearly brought me to tears. Another common theme is death. Wives die, mothers die, sons and aunts die. This repetition might seem excessive, but they're spaced apart well, and, because the voices are so varied, Mosley's picks demonstrate commonalities between us like love, grief, and hope.
The stories in this collection take readers to Haiti, an island off the coast of Kenya, China, and the near or maybe just imagined future. I usually enjoy books from this series, but I often don't come away with many that I know I'll remember. However, with Mosley's edition, I can think of several that are going to stick with me.