When offering advice to young
writers, Anton Chekhov wrote, “Catch first the crow, then the magpie, and
someday you may capture the white swan.” Retaining a long-kept tradition, West
Virginia Writers, Inc. has again followed Chekhov’s edict in titling its latest
anthology Seeking the Swan. As in previous anthologies, West Virginia
Writers, Inc. has chosen the best of its competition stories from the past
decade and woven them into an absolute treasure of pure Appalachian and
American lit. “From a Chekhov quote?” you ask. Yes, and the contents of this
anthology are just that sensitive.
The book kicks off with the
dramatic dark humor of the late Joe McCabe. Joe’s wit and wisdom have held
audiences in awe and laughter from New York City to San Francisco, and his
plays are always just great fun. The book then goes to Ebay,
to bid on a child’s shoe unearthed from a former Nazi death camp. What follows
is a journey through Appalachia, in all her forms and glories, to other times
and places, in poetic and prose form. Sixty-eight pieces provide diverse
entertainment without a single ordinary moment.
When I was a lad, my family
started a tradition of purchasing the latest Reader’s Digest’s Abridged
Bestsellers in anthology form. I liked the idea of a single book carrying so
much literary weight. Seeking the Swan has that much talent within its pages. Seeking
The Swan is a book you can pick up any time and start anywhere inside. You
can turn to a selection that depicts what your day requires and take off. It’s
all there and it’s good stuff. Trust me.
To pick up a copy, go to http://www.wvwriters.org/store.html.
Paypal available.
