The Pushcart Prize XXXI: Best of the Small Presses 2007 Edition

Editor, Bill Henderson, as always, has collected in the 2007 edition of the Pushcart Prize some very exciting and memorable fiction. I have an intense interest in the short-story form so I will not comment upon the poetry. Short stories that have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize by such excellent literary reviews such as The Missouri Review, The Antioch Review, Ploughshares and endless others have been chosen, along with their poetry counterparts. One of my favorites was titled "Dogged" by Risteard O'Keitinn, a first-time winner of the Pushcart Prize, yet published elsewhere. The story is about a "mean" tough dog and the language is repleat with masculine images, words relevant to junkyards, trucks, bars and an interetingly seedy side of life. It's ending grabs the heart in way so powerful, so tragic, so utterly human that this story will remain a classic in my mind, and I would think, surely in others'. Beyond many that I have read recently, this writer has mastered the form of the short-story brilliantly. Then there is the story titled "Laundry" by Maureen Stanton. Not only is it an interesting style of literary presentation, but the wealth of information, which one could never have imagined, about the history and intracacies of "laundry" is fascinating. So far, having read about a third of this book, there is yet a piece that was chosen for this edition about which I would wonder why. This book is my year's companion, my stimulator, my research, my relaxation. I cannot say enough positive things about this collection.