The Pushcart Prize XXX: Best of the Small Presses 2006 Edition

I primarily read short stories and in the past year have decided that Pushcart and O.Henry collections are much better than the 'Best American Stories' volumes. When I was packing a few weeks ago for an annual vacation,I chose this large volume and a smaller O.Henry Prize Stories 2005 volume.I have now finished the O.Henry volume and am halfway through the Pushcart.The difference is significant. Out of the 20 O.Henry pieces, maybe 40-50% were successful for me.One or two drew from me my greatest homage, an unsolicited "Wowwwwww"followed by a long stunned silence filled with feeling and thought(Sherman Alexie, Wendell Berry). The lesser 50-60% were disappointing or even angering- in their reader manipulation or other weaknesses. The Pushcart experience has been quite different. So far, after 18 pieces, I have experienced only one piece of lesser quality. Otherwise, each has been very very strong. Authentic is the operative word here. No tricks or manipulations. Authentic true stories, essays, poems. A.Van Jordan has taken my breath away and Cynthia Weiner has given me more pleasurable chuckles and hoots than anyone since Jonathan Tropper. Edward Hirsch, Donald Hall and Rick Bass have mesmerized me.And there are so many more pieces to come. I've tried to analyze the 'why' between the difference in O.Henry and Pushcart.It is true that I have read other more successful O.Henry volumes.But Pushcart seems to involve many more editors/nominators and, given the enormous impossible task of sifting through so many submissions, this may be the key to Pushcart's success. I for one am most appreciative and excited.