Sarasota News and Books

Every year beginning in 1976, Pushcart Press has published its Best of the Small Presses anthology. Within these lengthy tomes, you’ll find a variety of new fiction, non-fiction, and poetry written by authors both known and unknown. The only requirement is that the piece appeared in a small-print magazine or collection during the previous year.Part of the pleasure in reading such a collection is in imagining where these authors will be in ten years. Many acclaimed writers, including Raymond Carver and Tim O’Brien, reached the public consciousness based on their inclusion in early editions. Which authors from this collection could achieve the same success? There’s Gregory Orr, a documentary filmmaker with one of his first published prose pieces (“Return to Hayneville,” a non-fiction piece). In contrast, J.C. Hallman’s “Ethan: A Love Story” is an insightful piece on video games.The 2010 edition includes already-established authors like Richard Powers (Generosity, The Echo Maker) and Mary Gaitskill, an author whose work often features difficult themes and has been made into films. If you’re interested, check out The Pushcart Prize XXXIV from your local library or bookstore.