The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2006

I first became a Dave Eggers fan after getting into McSweeney's thanks to an NPR review. I'm actually not retirement age, listening to NPR, but a 20 year old college student. This book is great because I can read it in short spurts, like before class starts, and not really lose the focus of an intense novel. Also, the stories in this edition are truly riveting- the tale of a "freedom fighter", a future "Body Works" corpse- and yet some just make your face light up- the best fake headlines, courtesy of The Onion, random first lines of books. Overall, this is random, but a great cross section of pop culture. Weird? yes. Nonrequired? It's so good, it should be required.

The collection of stories was surprisingly good. I'm not much for compilations like this, but I found myself truly enjoying this one.

I have read two of the other books in this series and loved them. Unfortunately, the 2006 edition does not include the diverse range of subject matter that the other editions have included. For reasons which are not explained in the introduction by Matt Groening, 80 percent of the material in the 2006 edition is from writers trying to make a simplistic point about the Middle East. There are soldier blogs, reviews of luxury hotels in Dubai, stories about terrorists-all with the theme that "we're all the same" in the "we-just-want-to-love-our-family-make-a-living" kind of way. It's a message that any sensitive, well-read person who isn't spending their summers at Jesus Camp would know. And if you aren't a sensitive and well-read person, you aren't going to be picking up this book. The editors are guilty of preaching to the converted. A lot of the writing here is mediocre. The pieces have been chosen because they fit a theme, not because they are original or well written. I would have preferred one or two pieces regarding Dave Eggers and Matt Groening's point on humanity and then some other pieces which were capable of provoking OTHER types of thought. George Saunders brings us a story about the "New Mecca"- Dubai. He writes about the thousands of workers from India and Vietnam who have been imported to this new paradise. But do I want to read a story about oppressed workers from the point of view of a writer who describes himself and his wife as having a "hobby of maxing out all credit cards in sight"? Or a writer who is interested in Dubai because his editors are willing to pay $1500 a night for him to experience "heaven" at the Durj Al Arab hotel? Ummm, NO! There are a FEW other subjects in this book, but again-the stories seem to be emphasizing a point to the people that already believe it. I was really disappointed to find I had already read many of the stories and pieces in this edition. Eggers and Groening didn't go far in their attempt to bring me unique reading. Still, I look forward to the 2007 edition.

I just love when the holiday season comes around each year. Is it the food? The generosity? The family time? Partially, but the holiday season is when the Best Americans come out! I read several of them, but my favorite has been Non-Required reading ever since its first incarnation. It was an Onion article that earned my devotion, the one about Marilyn Manson going door to door trying to shock people. Have you ever feared dying from laughter? I have. This edition, like all the others increased my awareness of the world and my own relation to it. Which brings me to the first shout out. David Foster Wallace, who's written a lot of stuff that I just couldn't get into (Infinity and Beyond, anyone?), contributed a commencement speech that he gave at Kenyon in 2005. It blew my mind wide open. The students in my high school English class are always asking me why I am always smiling. I just kind of took it as rhetorical, but now I understand my own development, thanks to DFW. When I was in high school, I did not smile very much. Actually, I was extremely bitter and hostile. The fact was, it made me mad that life wasn't exactly the way I thought it should be. Since high school, I have gotten to the point where I recognize how fortunate I am compared to other people, and I am serene to the point of bafflement. I don't know if I'd have gotten to this place without my college education, but I'm sure it catalyzed the process. Vonnegut's writing lessons were hilarious, Sweeney's religious meanderings were full of wonderful precision of language (reminding me of Kevin Smith's Dogma), and Saunders's fluctuating feelings about the Xtreme luxury of Dubai were an insight into how the disparity of wealth in the world affects people. I also enjoyed Rakoff's ambivalent conversion to American citizenship. Murakami's story was a great modern parable about love, Lewis's essay said a lot about the insidious distrust of African-Americans that came to the surface during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and Downey's sympathetic tale of an Al Qaeda soldier's journey illustrates the sentiment that in every conflict, each combatant always believes that he is right. And I loved the new stuff: the best first lines, the best new words, and especially the best facts about Chuck Norris! As with any BANR, there were some pieces not to my taste, but on the whole, it has yet to disappoint.

Not resting on their laurels, the BANR editors have devised a more creative approach for 2006 including sections "Best American Headlines" (from The Onion); "Best American Daily Show Exchange on the Anniversary of Watergate" (from Jon Stewart discussion with Stephen Colbert); Best American Answers to the Question "What Do You Believe Is True Even Though You Cannot Prove It?" (scientists and philosophers reveal their beliefs); "Best American First Sentences of Novels of 2005"; "Best American New Words and Phrases." You can see from these titles that BANR is going beyond its usual stories and essays. Other highlights include: Cat Bohannon. Shipwreck. A short story about a death cult that preserves corpses and draws huge art crowds, a meditation on our inability to deal with our mortality. Judy Bunitz. Nadia. A short story about a man who orders a mail order bride. A Soldier's Thoughts. An American soldier blogs about the despair of being trapped in the quagmire of the Iraq war. Tom Downey. The Insurgent's Tale. A profile of an insurgent who begans to have scruples about the bloodshed he is causing against the Iraqi people, a great complement to "A Soldier's Thoughts." George Saunders. The New Mecca. A diary style account of Saunders' trip to Dubai where he witnesses the excess of an opulent dystopia built on the backs of slave labor. The excess grotesqueries complement David Foster Wallace's famous boat cruise essay "A Supposedly Fun Thing I Would Never Do Again." Julia Sweeney. Letting Go of God? Saturday Night Live performer's famous critique of religion. Sam Shaw. Peg. A short story about a husband and wife who, having nothing to live for but materialism, retreat into an insane world. Haruki Murakami. The Kidney-Shaped Stone That Moves Every Day. Another fabulous fable by Murakami about the elusiveness of relationships. Kurt Vonnegut. Here Is A Lesson in Creative Writing. A satire about the lame formulas for teaching the writing of fiction.