Editor's Shelf

Calle 10 by Danny Romero

Gary Soto recommends Calle 10,a first novel by Danny Romero: ” Calle 10is a novel of Chicano lowlife in Oakland. The main character is a dude named Zero, his name summarizing what this novel is all about. The writing is gritty. If you like chewing on the salty rocks of hard living, this is for…

Once the Shore by Paul Yoon

Don Lee recommends Once the Shore, stories by Paul Yoon: “These are lovely stories, rendered with a Chekhovian elegance. They span from post-World War II to the new millennium, with characters of different ethnicities, yet each story has a timelessness and relevance that’s haunting and unforgettable. Yoon is a sparkling new writer to welcome and…

Boy by Patrick Phillips

  Philip Levine recommends Boy, poems by Patrick Phillips. "For me this is a real discovery. In many of the poems—’Nathaniel’ or ‘Matinee’ or ‘Star Quilt’—the language is quiet and accurate, the details precise, and the emotions—though never insisted upon—are there, unquestionable and complex. Phillips never dawdles or repeats himself; he gets down what matters…