McSweeney's Issue 23 [With Comedy by the Numbers Trial-Size]

By Roddy Doyle, Chris Bachelder, Ann Beattie, et al.

Book Overview

McSweeney's Issue 23 includes ten stories from ten excellent writers, including Wells Tower, Chris Bachelder, Ann Beattie, and other agile talents bringing visions of the Dallas/Fort Worth fake-watch trade and Papua New Guinea in the 1960s. Every story gets its own front and back cover drawn, collaged, or embroidered by the polymathic Andrea Dezs . The whole thing is wrapped in a jacket that unfolds into five square feet of double-sided glory ? spread it out one way for dozens of very short stories by Dave Eggers, arranged in what we're pretty sure is a volvelle; flip it over and witness all those Dezs illustrations stitched into one unbroken expanse.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1932416765
• ISBN13: 9781932416763
• Release Date: April 2007
• Publisher: McSweeney's
• Length: 181 Pages
• Weight: 1.58 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 7.2" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Sharp Looks/Strong Content

One of the strongest issues of the McSweeney's series. The art, first of all, is very strong, the bookcover being a poster-sized piece by artist Andrea Dezso on one side and scads of short shorts by Dave Eggers on the other. 23 is an issue worth owning, showing friends, enjoying, and reading repeatedly. In this issue, the Unknowns outclass and outwrite the Knowns, with two utter homeruns from Wells Tower and Chris Bachelder and superb stories by Shawn Vestal, Deb Olin Unferth, Christopher Stokes, April Wilder, and Caren Beilin. The Knowns--Roddy Doyle and Ann Beattie--turn in some duds (Beattie's is super rotten), but the wealth of much stronger work easily eclipses those two lows. Stories include the original version of "Retreat" by Tower, told from the other brother's perspective (a nice companion piece/B-side to Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned), Bachelder's uproarious letter from a father to his son to live a life more lecherous than his own, Stokes' story of Michael Rockefeller bumblingly visiting Irian Jaya, Wilder's steakhouse date story forgivable for being a date story by being terrifically uncomfortable, and Unferth's tale of a man who chances upon a new bride on his way to pick up his first. Eggers' short shorts are almost entirely hits, funny and poignant as short shorts are supposed to be.

Always a Pleasant Surprise

McSweeney's always manages to have some fascinating content, even if it is periodically hit-or-miss. #23 however, is a home-run. There isn't a dull story in the bunch and it ranks up there probably in my top 3 issues. Highest rec.

Another Fantastic Issue

Much has been said about Mcsweeney's, both on the quality of writing and design that goes into their lit mag and issue 23 once again hits the mark. Filled with fantastic stories by some little known---Shawn Vestal, Christopher Stokes, April Wilder---and some well know---Roddy Doyle, Anne Beattie---authors, issue 23 is one great story after the other. Do your self a favor and pick up this issue, one of Mcsweeney's best yet.