McSweeney's Issue 23 [With Comedy by the Numbers Trial-Size]

One of the strongest issues of the McSweeney's series. The art, first of all, is very strong, the bookcover being a poster-sized piece by artist Andrea Dezso on one side and scads of short shorts by Dave Eggers on the other. 23 is an issue worth owning, showing friends, enjoying, and reading repeatedly. In this issue, the Unknowns outclass and outwrite the Knowns, with two utter homeruns from Wells Tower and Chris Bachelder and superb stories by Shawn Vestal, Deb Olin Unferth, Christopher Stokes, April Wilder, and Caren Beilin. The Knowns--Roddy Doyle and Ann Beattie--turn in some duds (Beattie's is super rotten), but the wealth of much stronger work easily eclipses those two lows. Stories include the original version of "Retreat" by Tower, told from the other brother's perspective (a nice companion piece/B-side to Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned), Bachelder's uproarious letter from a father to his son to live a life more lecherous than his own, Stokes' story of Michael Rockefeller bumblingly visiting Irian Jaya, Wilder's steakhouse date story forgivable for being a date story by being terrifically uncomfortable, and Unferth's tale of a man who chances upon a new bride on his way to pick up his first. Eggers' short shorts are almost entirely hits, funny and poignant as short shorts are supposed to be.

McSweeney's always manages to have some fascinating content, even if it is periodically hit-or-miss. #23 however, is a home-run. There isn't a dull story in the bunch and it ranks up there probably in my top 3 issues. Highest rec.

Much has been said about Mcsweeney's, both on the quality of writing and design that goes into their lit mag and issue 23 once again hits the mark. Filled with fantastic stories by some little known---Shawn Vestal, Christopher Stokes, April Wilder---and some well know---Roddy Doyle, Anne Beattie---authors, issue 23 is one great story after the other. Do your self a favor and pick up this issue, one of Mcsweeney's best yet.