Recently, I’ve found myself reading a lot. I received a number of books for Christmas and have been picking up some good stuff at a local used book store. I like to read so this isn’t so strange, however the main difference is what I’ve been reading: anthologies and journals.
I’ve been a fan of the “Best American” series for quite some time and they always showcase wonderful work.
Well, that’s a bit of a lie. I only read two of the ten in the series: The Best American Nonrequired Reading and The Best American Comics. Although I’m sure the rest are great, and I’ve been meaning to tackle some of them, I like to stick on the fringes of the “scene” and check out the more obscure samplings.
The first time I picked up the BANR (I’m going to just type that from now on) was mainly because of it’s editor, David Eggers, who is one of my favourite writers. Turns out, he is as awesome as I think he is. Eggers has started a writing workshop for high school kids, some of means and some without, but all with loads of talent. So, to give them even more experience, he lets them help decide what will be in the BANR! Fantastic. From fiction and non-fiction to comics and charts, the entries are all fantastic and really do give an amazing cross section of the “other sides” of writing. As well, he invites a celebrity to do a forward or introduction for each book. A few years ago it was Beck, last year it was Sufjan Stevens. This year, it was an interview with Judy Blume… how cool is that? It’s pretty cool. As well, the price of these books is pretty reasonable and you can always jump around, skim stuff and come back to it later, which is something I can’t really do if I’m nose deep in a novel.
The other best edition of the Best American series is the BAC. This volume starts off with an amazing cover and it has to. It is essentially a book of art and it delivers cover to cover. Compiled inside are a collection of comics from well known, strip type authors to crazy, off-beat and mostly insane scribblers. Yes, it is fantastic.
From this series, I’ve found other artists which I’ve become mildly obsessed with. The most incredible of this list is easily Chris Ware. I had seen his work before on posters, magazines and book covers but really noticed it at the Art Gallery of Ontario, and then it popped up again in BAC. I was hooked and he delivers.
Check out the series or maybe branch out, as I haven’t done into The Best American Recipes, Mystery Stories, Sports Writing or Essays. They are sure to please and you might just find something new to obsess over.
