Brief Encounters

May 18, 2015
Among the 77 nonfiction pieces (each under 2,000 words) collected here, the personal tales by Anika Fajardo, Dinty W. Moore, Jim Krusoe, and Tod Goldberg best emulate the short-fiction strategy of hooking readers right away, building suspense, and finishing with a satisfying payoff. Some selections such as Lia Purpura’s “Brief Treatise Against Irony,” simply try too hard. Others, including Ben Anastas’s “O Pioneers!” and Sonja Livingston’s “A Thousand Mary Doyles,” are concise to the point of feeling unfinished. That said, some of the most satisfying inclusions are the shortest, including the one-paragraph pieces “Fats” by Hilton Als and “Grief” by Julian Barnes, and Sven Birkerts’s one-sentence essay entitled, appropriately, “One Long Sentence.” Selections are grouped by themes, including travel, animals, and sports. James Richardson’s “Aphorisms & Ten-Second Essays” and Patricia Hampl’s “Reading,” respectively the opening and penultimate contributions, both focus on literature and reading, neatly framing the other entries. The result is a book that, while uneven, is certainly worthwhile.

August 1, 2015
Two distinguished writers/editors gather together flash nonfiction essays from both established and emerging writers. In this volume, Kitchen (The Circus Train, 2014, etc.), who died in 2014, and Lenney (The Object Parade, 2014, etc.) continue the work they began 20 years ago when they first began editing anthologies of the newest and best in contemporary nonfiction. The works selected for inclusion are as delightfully varied in terms of tone, style, and subject matter as they are individually unique from each other. This diversity is signaled by the opening piece, James Richardson's "Aphorisms & Ten-Second Essays," an experimental reflection on the nature of storytelling that interweaves random truths about daily life. While the editors do not explicitly organize the pieces according to theme, they situate them in such a way so that, and as Lenney observes, "where one writer ends, another begins." In "What I Hear," for example, Martha Cooley reflects on her tinnitus and how the "instruments" she hears inside her head are ultimately playing me to myself." In the essay that directly follows it, Geeta Kothari picks up the theme of listening. In her story, the perspective shifts to a woman who has spent her whole life doing as others have told her, even when what she has heard is superstition. Part of the vigor and liveliness that characterize this volume also derive from the fact that Kitchen and Lenney include the work of new writers like Josette Kubaszyk. In her lyrical essay "Swing," she explores a young girl's thoughts as she examines a swing and reflects on both its previous owner and her own experiences "swooping forward, falling back, humming the rhythm of the wind." Refreshing and often unexpected, the stories in this collection-which run the gamut from memoir to critique to meditation and more-offer insights into experiences that, as they challenge readers' perceptions of the world, also celebrate the pain, joy, and wonder of being human. A vibrant and expansive anthology.

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Starred review from September 1, 2015

Late educator and writer Kitchen (1941-2014; coeditor, In Short) and writer and actress Lenney (writing, Univ. of Southern California; Bigger Than Life) have assembled an eclectic assortment of new short prose pieces--sometimes referred to as "shorts" or "flash creative nonfiction"--by known and up-and-coming writers. There is no unifying theme here, and the 80 entries cover a wide range of subject matter, or concerns, as the editors refer to them, to challenge and entertain readers. Although the entries often don't exceed three pages, they aren't without depth, and they will engage the reader. Kitchen explains that they're like a gallery, or galleries with a gallery, to be read in any order, thereby creating a reader-centered experience. An alphabetical table of contents, a list of themes, and contributor biographies make this an even more attractive book. VERDICT This book has something for everyone and, with little time commitment needed, it's perfect for readers with short attention spans, that morning commute on the bus, or a day at the beach. A great introduction to fresh writing.--Mark Manivong, Lib. of Congress, Washington, DC

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2015
The late anthologist and essayist Kitchen (Distance and Direction, 2001) and coeditor Lenney (The Object Parade, 2014) have culled from books, journals, newspapers, blogs, and online magazines nearly 80 pieces of what they call flash-nonfiction sharply focused and often quite short writings, encompassing memoirs, essays, ideas, and more, meant to appeal to the readerly desire for resonance and depth. Some of these crisp and thoughtful pieces are accompanied by photographs, which either inspire or bolster the writing or stand on their own as vibrant art (e.g., the photo of Fats Waller heading up Hilton Als' page-long Fats ). Working with a wide range of topics, the editors sought to loosely connect these pieces thematically; hence, Pico Iyer's five-page Why I Travel is followed by Leslie Jamison's three-page La Plata Perdida. Even so, with such a vast and talented crowd contributing, subjects range far and wide, from humor to regret to postulations to outright sorrow (e.g., Julian Barnes' long paragraph, Grief ). Such an anthology makes an excellent companion for readers seeking brief takes offering inspiration, commiseration, or the unexpected.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)