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McSweeney's




Title Author Publisher Price
McSweeney's 23 Chris Bachelder, Ann Beattie, Roddy Doyle, Clancy Martin and more ... McSweeney's $17.77
($20.00 list)
Cef27ff946fd6b3cdfa9a6164609fa1a
Read more and comment... 		Well, what do you know?  This time around, McSweeney's is a plain old book, containing a nice and neat ten tales by writers known -- such as Chris Bachelder, Ann Beattie and Roddy Doyle -- and, at least to us, unknown -- such as Clancy Martin, Christopher Stokes and Wells Tower.  Well, upon closer inspection, we notice that the cover folds out into a gigantic poster on one side, while on the other is a brain scrambling piece that involves a complicated division of two-dimensional space that is too elaborate to elaborate on here.  And, oh wait, what have we here attached to the inside back cover?  It's a special "trial-size edition" of Comedy by Numbers, a "new manual (that) makes the secrets of comedy accessible..." It is to laugh.
McSweeney's 24 Christopher Howard, Justin Taylor, Donald Barthelme, Robert Coover and more ... McSweeney's $19.95
($24.00 list)
Mcsweeneys24
Read more and comment... 		This issue comes in the form of a "Siamese Twin" book jacket in which two separate books share the same back cover (can't visualize it?  well then, you'll have to come in and see it for yourself).  Stories in the first of the "twins" include:  "How to Make Millions in the Oil Market," by Chritopher Howard, "Bored to Death," by Jonathan Ames, "The Death of Nick Carter," by Philippe Soupault --  which was originally written in French in 1926 and was only translated this year by Robin Walz -- and several others.  The special highlight, and the entire contents of the second twin is a symposium entitled, "Come Home, Donald Barthelme," which is edited and curated by Justin Taylor, starts off with his introduction "for the belated and immediate beatification of Donald Barthelme," includes a host of participants among whom are Ann Beattie, Robert Coover, and includes two uncollected and long out of print Barthelme stories.
McSweeney's No. 22 Michelle Orange McSweeney's $21.50
($24.00 list)
Mcsweeneys22
Read more and comment... 		This issue's design, with its slipcase containing three separate softcovers, harkens all the way back to issue No. 8; but there's a twist -- this time around the books are held together with magnets rather than the industrial strength rubber band of yore.  And, you rightly ask, what is there about these books that they need magnets to keep them together?  Well, our guess is that their contents are so disparate that this was the only way.  The first book writes the unwritten stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald.  "Come again?" you say:  Fitzgerald left notebooks at the time of his death and in these notebooks were 32 story ideas that he never realized.  Michelle Orange has assembled 17 writers -- including herself -- to take upon themselves the task of writing 16 of these stories (one twice); this book bears the fruit of this undertaking.  The second book is titled, The State of Constraint, and presents 17 new works from the Oulipo group.  The third and fattest of the books is The Poetry Chains of Dominic Luxford, which assembles, "one hundred favorite works of some of the best poets writing today" selected by a novel and ingenious method too involved to relate here but which is succinctly explained in Mr. Luxford's introduction.  All in all, this issue of McSweeney's looks very much like  a winner.
McSweeney's 21 Roddy Doyle, Stephen Elliott, Peter Orner, Joyce Carol Oates and more ... McSweeney's $14.40
($16.00 list)
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Read more and comment... 		McSweeney's sez: "With work by Roddy Doyle, Stephen Elliott, Peter Orner, Joyce Carol Oates, Yannick Murphy, and Miranda July, as well as the triumphant return of Arthur Bradford and stories concerning fistfighting Mormons, New Zealand police malfeasance, and a man named Trang, and with all of those works interspersed with heartfelt letters to Ray Charles and storyboards by some of the finest pen-and-ink artists of our day, our twenty-first issue is sure to be one of our best assemblages yet."
Maps and Legends Jordan Crane, Michael Chabon McSweeney's $22.22
($24.00 list)
Mapsandlegends
Read more and comment... 		The first non-fiction collection by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Kavalier & Clay ranges from autobiographical essays (growing up in the then experimental community of Columbia, MD) to book reviews (Cormac McCarthy's The Road, for one) to artist appreciations (Howard Chaykin, Will Eisner, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle) to Judaism (Golems anyone?) and then back to memoirs (writing Mysteries of Pittsburgh, childhood encounters with literature).  We can pretty much guarantee that any and all readers who are enamored of Chabon's fiction will take great pleasure in reading this volume, as the same discerning intelligence is on ample display here in sentences and paragraphs that are as finely crafted as any he has written and that will leave each reader with greater appreciations of and deeper insights into all the covered topics.  And then there's the way fab, three tier, Jordan Crane dustjacket.
McSweeney's #27 Leonard Cohen, Paul Hornschemeier, Jeffrey Brown, David Shrigley and more ... McSweeney's $21.50
($24.00 list)
Mcsweeneys27
Read more and comment... 		This time out we have a tripartate, slipcased edition, thus:  a 196-page softcover fiction anthology featuring the writings of Larry Smith, Jim Shepard, Ashlee Adams, Liz Mandrell, Mikel Jollett and Stephen King that sports a swell, architectronic wraparound cover and interior illustrations by Scott Teplin; a 72-page horizontally formatted collection of "Art" cartoons by the likes of Jean Michel Basquiat, Kenneth Koch, Raymond Pettibone, David Shrigley, Jeffrey Brown, Paul Hornschemeier, Leonard Cohen, David Mamet and others, in full color and black & white;  an 80-page sketchbook executed between March 12 and May 26, 2007 by Art Spiegelman, titled "Autophobia," which Spiegelman created to overcome his "fear of drawing."
Lady Into Fox David Garnett McSweeney's $16.75
($18.00 list)

Read more and comment... 		The latest from McSweeney's sub-imprint, The Collins Library, is, in keeping with this series' mission, a reissue of a long (but unfairly) forgotten classic of early twentieth century literature. Lady Into Fox is "a lost classic of the Bloomsbury circle" which was originally published in 1922 and received some amazing raves at that time.  To wit:  "Magnificent... write twenty more books, at once, I beseech." -- Virginia Woolf; "It is the most successful thing of the kind I have ever seen... flawless in style and exposition, altogether an accomplished piece of work." -- Joseph Conrad; and finally, "The most amazingly good story I have read in a long time." -- H.G. Wells.  Well, we've read it and it's pretty great.  A lot like a Kafka's Metamorphosis (published six years earlier in 1916) in its matter-of-fact tone and straightforward plunge into absurdity; but in this case, the metamorphosis is undergone by the narrator's spouse rather the the narrator, and is accompanied by the differences in perspective and outcome that such a shift implies.  Comparative Lit profs, please take note! hardcover
McSweeney's 33: San Francisco Panorama Geoff Nicholson, J.G. Ballard, Roddy Doyle, Deb Olin Unferth and more ... McSweeney's $14.44
($16.00 list)
OUT OF STOCK!
Mcsweeneys33
Read more and comment... 		I'm sure that we were not alone in thinking that the last few issues of McSweeney's had not been living up to the high design and content standards that they had set for themselves over the years.  We were beginning to wonder if, perhaps, the enterprise had run out of gas, and that Eggers & Co. had set their priorities elsewhere.  And while the latter may very well have been the case, we are happy to announce that, with, at least, it's thirty-third issue, all those concerned have put McSweeney's back front and center.  This is a knock-your-socks-off issue that asks – and boldly answers – the question, "What's so good about a newspaper, anyway?"  McSweeney's 33 is, more or less, a what-if? fantasy of what the San Francisco Sunday paper could be like in an alternative universe where profit-driven capitalism did not govern all enterprise-related decisions.  Originally published and distributed in San Franciso on December 9, 2009, it is now available to the rest of us.  More or less patterned after the Sunday New York Times (only bigger – a whoppin' 15" x 22"!), this hefty newspaper edition of McSweeney's is filled with engaging, well written articles on all sorts of topics and at all lengths from (rough guess, here) 100 to 10,000 words.  The graphics department has taken full advantage of the oversize "canvas" offered by these large broadsheets, and the printing and paper are excellent for full visual impact.  There is a 96-page book review insert printed on extra high quality paper stock that is not only filled with reviews but also:  interviews with the likes of Junot Diaz, Miranda July and James Franco;  new, original short works of fiction by George Saunders, Deb Olin Unferth, Roddy Doyle and others; a gigantic feature on the work of J.G. Ballard by Geoff Nicholson; pages of letters; and more!  There is an oversize 112-page magazine insert that is printed on an even higher grade of paper stock that is overflowing with in-depth essays on all and sundry as well as columns by Michael Chabon, Chip Kidd and others.  And, of course, we have saved the best for last:  there is an honest-to-God, good-old-fashioned, 16-page, full color comics section, filled with all new work by Dan Clowes, Chris Ware, Alison Bechdel, Adrian Tomine, and plenty more.  And, as if this weren't already enough, there's a bonus Acme Novelty Library, Rocket Sam cut-out by Chris Ware to while away a lazy Sunday afternoon.  Don't miss this vibrant, full-blooded testimonial to the power and glory of newspapers.
The Believer Book of Writers Talking to Writers Vendela Vida, Dave Eggers, Adam Thirlwell, Tom Stoppard and more ... McSweeney's $15.75
($18.00 list)
Believerinterviews
Read more and comment... 		Twenty-Three conversations and correspndences between a host of today's most engaging authors, including Zadie Smith talking with Ian McEwan; Jonathan Lethem talking with Paul Auster; Adam Thirlwell talking with Tom Stoppard; Susan Choi talking with Francisco Goldman; ZZ Packer talking with Edward P. Jones; Dave Eggers talking with David Foster Wallace; Julie Orringer talking with Tobias Wolff; and Ben Marcus talking with George Saunders.  An excellent book for the morning commute and/or the lunchroom. 
The Better of McSweeneys Jonathan Lethem, Glen David Gold, A. M. Homes, David Foster Wallace and more ... McSweeney's $15.75
($18.00 list)
Bettermcsweeneys
Read more and comment... 		This is a jam-packed assortment culled from the now out-of-print first ten issues of McSweeney's Quarterly Concern.  Editor David Eggers has written plenty of fresh commentary specifically for this volume, so even if you are one of the tiny minority who already posses the first ten issues of MQC, you still might want to consider this one.  Authors whose work grace this collection include Jonathan Lethem, Glen David Gold, A. M. Homes, David Foster Wallace, Dave Eggers, Amanda Davis, George Saunders, Paul Collins, and William T. Vollmann, as well as many talented newcomers.
Comedy By Numbers Prof. Eric Hoffman™, Dr. Gary Rudoren© McSweeney's $11.90
($14.00 list)

Read more and comment... 		169 ways to be funny followed by an end-of-the-book-bonus Comedy Test:  44 questions and one extra credit.  You too can become an instant expert on all things funny.  It is to laugh.
Bowl of Cherries Millard Kaufman McSweeney's $19.80
($22.00 list)

Read more and comment... 		This provocative 326 page first novel by 90 year old Millard Kaufman follows the world spanning adventures of 14 year old Judd Breslau and "rivals the liveliest comic epics for giddy wordplay and gleeful invention" (at least, according to the fine folks at McSweeney's), proving once again that adolescnce is a state of mind.
McSweeney's 15 Steven Millhauser, Roddy Doyle McSweeney's $20.00
($24.00 list)
Mcsweeneys15
Read more and comment... 		official hype - "Issue 15 is also known as The "Icelandic Issue". Printed in Iceland, half of the stories are written by actual Icelandic writers. And the kicker? It also comes with a Icelandic tabloid mini-mag filled with words you won't understand and images that speak for themselves.  Included in this issue are new stories from Roddy Doyle, Steven Millhauser and many exceptional newcomers.  Hardcover, bound in fine cloth. This issue makes us want to sit by a fireplace on a snowy day."
McSweeney's 28 Danica Novgorodoff, Nathan Englander, Ryan Bodinot, Dave Eggers and more ... McSweeney's $21.50
($24.00 list)
Mcsweeneys28
Read more and comment... 		This time around, Mcsweeney's presents us with "eight individual books, fully illustrated, which resurrect and reinvent the art of the fable -- simple, suprising, and morally direct.  More or less."  Each of these books is a snappy little hardcover, the cover illustration of each of which join together (and are held together in this cleverly designed package) to form two large painted images by Danica Novgorodoff.   The books are:  Poor Little Egg-Boy Hatched in a Shul by Nathan Englander, illustrated by Jordan Isip; The Book and the Girl by Brian Evenson, illustrated by Philip Fivel Nessen; The Guy Who Kept Meeting Himself by Ryan Boudinot, illustrated by Genevieve Sims; LaKeisha and the Dirty Girl by Tayari Jones, illustrated by Morgan Elliot; The Thousands by Daniel Alarcón, illustrated by Jordan Awan; Two Free Men by Sheila Heti, illustrated by Liz Lee; Virgil Walker by Arthur Bradford, illustrated by Jon Adams; and The Box by Sarah Manguso, illustrated by Louie Cordero.
All Known Metal Bands Dan Nelson McSweeney's $16.66
($22.00 list)
Allmetal
Read more and comment... 		Looking like nothing so much as a facsimile of the register at the dock where you catch the ferry to Hades, this deluxe hardcover edition inscribes on black paper the names of all 51,000 known metal bands that -- figuratively, at least -- took this trip.  An ideal aid for contemplation.
McSweeney's 16 Roddy Doyle, Dave Eggers, Denis Johnson, Robert Coover and more ... McSweeney's $21.60
($24.00 list)
Mcsweeneys16
Read more and comment... 		This is one of the craziest designs yet -- a sort of cloth covered fold-out folio in which the contents are then inserted.  You'll have to see it for yourself to understand.  Here's what McSweeney's has to say:  "Issue 16 presents new stories from McSweeney's regulars like Roddy Doyle and Denis Johnson, and exploits a never-before-seen tripartite format to bring you a hilarious Ann Beattie novella and a special deck-of-cards story from Robert Coover, one of the great masters of American experimental fiction. This issue uses more cloth than any issue to date. Also, it comes with a comb."
Surviving Justice: America's Wrongly Convicted and Exonerated Dave Eggers, Lola Vollen McSweeney's $12.00
($16.00 list)
Survivingjustice
Read more and comment... 		This is the first volume in the Voice of Witness series, which will "allow those most affected by social injustice to speak for themselves" by providing oral histories to "illustrate human rights crises through the voice of its victms."  Surviving Justice presents the cases of thirtreen men and women who were unjustly incarcerated for crimes they did not commit and who managed through a combination of lengthly struggle, outside legal assistance and/or sheer luck to prove their innocence and finally be realeased from prison -- usually after ten years or more served.
McSweeney's 18 Edmund White, Joyce Carol Oates, Dave Eggers, Roddy Doyle and more ... McSweeney's $19.80
($22.00 list)
OUT OF STOCK!
Mcsweeneys18
Read more and comment... 		It's here.  Here's what they have to say about it:  "Even beyond Edmund White's youthful hustler, Joyce Carol Oates's fatherly killer, and Roddy Doyle's Rwandan refugee, Issue 18 will not stay at home. Bears, clouds, assassinations, and demons lurk in a high-concept labyrinth of stories."  In addition, this issue comes complete with a deluxe slip-cased edition of the first issue of Wholphin, the new DVD quarterly, about which you can learn more at http://www.wholphindvd.com/.  (Please note that this is the same issue of Wholphin -- albeit with deluxe packaging --  that comes with Believer #30 -- see below.)
McSweeney's Enchanted Chamber of Astonishing Stories Michael Chabon McSweeney's $11.85
($13.95 list)

Read more and comment... 		This is the sequel to 2002's swell McSweeney's Mammoth Treasury of Thrilling Tales, and features more great genre fiction (see Chabon's intro for a discussion of this term) from some of today's finest writers.  The best book for your bedside table.  Features new work by  Margaret Atwood, Stephen King, Peter Straub, David Mitchell, Jonathan Lethem, Heidi Julavits, Roddy Doyle, and more.
McSweeney's 14 Joshuah Bearman, T.C. Boyle, Denis Johnson McSweeney's $12.75
($15.00 list)

Read more and comment... 		The usual susupects are back in this plain vanilla issue of McSweeney's.  Joshuah Bearman, T.C. Boyle, Denis Johnson, Susan Straight, Lawrence Weschler and many others fill out 306 high quality pages.