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A review by ckiyoko
The Best American Short Stories 2021 by Heidi Pitlor, Jesmyn Ward
4.0
General Thoughts:
This is an eclectic (and strong) mix of stories. From stories about family grief and imperialism through the lens of a video game, to stories about individuals who struggle to define their worth outside of how they can be of use to others, all roads lead to the interior in this collection (which feels emblematic of the world at large and lockdown tbh)
My personal Top Five from the anthology (in no particular order):
-Jamal Jan Kochai’s “Playing Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain”
-Eloghosa Osunde’s “Good Boy”
-Shantra Sigers’, “A Way With Bea”
-Rita Chang-Eppig’s “The Miracle Girl”
-Yxta Maya Murray’s “Paradise”
-Jane Pek’s “Portrait of Two Young Ladies in White and Green Robes (Unidentified Artist, circa Sixteenth Century)”
Petty Grievance:
George Saunders' "Love Letter" was a bit of a letdown for me. There's a clear reaching towards interacting with civil unrest and responses to recent protests, but because the story remains intentionally vague, it feels untethered and loses some of its resonance. Ironically, the refusal to provide any specificity prevented this story from feeling broadly applicable.
This is an eclectic (and strong) mix of stories. From stories about family grief and imperialism through the lens of a video game, to stories about individuals who struggle to define their worth outside of how they can be of use to others, all roads lead to the interior in this collection (which feels emblematic of the world at large and lockdown tbh)
My personal Top Five from the anthology (in no particular order):
-Jamal Jan Kochai’s “Playing Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain”
-Eloghosa Osunde’s “Good Boy”
-Shantra Sigers’, “A Way With Bea”
-Rita Chang-Eppig’s “The Miracle Girl”
-Yxta Maya Murray’s “Paradise”
-Jane Pek’s “Portrait of Two Young Ladies in White and Green Robes (Unidentified Artist, circa Sixteenth Century)”
Petty Grievance:
George Saunders' "Love Letter" was a bit of a letdown for me. There's a clear reaching towards interacting with civil unrest and responses to recent protests, but because the story remains intentionally vague, it feels untethered and loses some of its resonance. Ironically, the refusal to provide any specificity prevented this story from feeling broadly applicable.