The Pushcart Prize XLVI: Best of the Small Presses 2022 Edition

by Bill Henderson (Editor)

Overview

The 46th annual edition of the most celebrated literary series in America.

Over 60 brilliant stories, poems and essays from dozens of small presses, as selected from 900 presses worldwide by more than 200 distinguished staff contributing editors.
Series Honors: The American Academy of Arts and Letters awarded Pushcart its 2020 recognition for “Distinguished Service to the Arts.”

The National Book Critics Circle cited Bill Henderson for its Ivan Sandrof “Lifetime Achievement” award in 2006.

In 2005 Poets & Writers / Barnes and Noble noted Pushcart for their Writers For Writers prize. And in 1978 Publishers Weekly’s Carey-Thomas Award went to the Pushcart Prize.

Reviews of last year’s edition:

Booklist - “Resplendent…A perennial must have.”

Publishers Weekly - “A trove of fine writing.”

Kirkus - ”Strong and wide ranging."

Library Journal (starred) - "Fascinating ….A must have for all collections."

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780960097753
Publisher:	Pushcart Press
Publication date:	12/07/2021
Series:	The Pushcart Prize Anthologies , #46
Edition description:	2022 Edition
Pages:	576
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.60(d)

About the Author

Bill Henderson is the founder and editor of the Pushcart Prize. He received the 2006 National Book Critic Circle’s Lifetime Achievement Award and the Poets & Writers / Barnes & Noble Writers for Writers Award. He is also the author of several memoirs, including All My Dogs: A Life. The founder of the Lead Pencil Club, Henderson lives on Long Island and In Maine where he runs the Pushcart bookstore – “the world’s smallest bookstore.”

Table of Contents

Introduction 9

Suffering in Motion McKenna Marsden 23

Every Poem Is My Most Asian Poem Chen Chen 44

Remembering the Alchemists Richard Hoffman 46

Reality TV Michael Kardos 56

Revenge B.H. Fairchild 59

Let's Play Dead Senaa Ahmad 61

To Autumn Carl Phillips 74

Biology Kevin Wilson 75

Leave No Trace Daniel Orozco 87

The Holy Spirit of the Moon Red Hawk 103

Housekeeping Karin Lin-Greenberg 105

The Loss of Heaven Dantiel W. Moniz 120

The Best-Ever Doom Metal Band Lara Markstein 135

False Teeth Tom Sleigh 155

Monarch Carol Muske-Dukes 158

Our Vices Dominica Phetteplace 159

My First Blood Rebecca Cadenhead 162

Father's Belt Kurt Luchs 173

The Real Thing Olivia Clare 175

The Creatures of the World Have Not Been Chastened Lia Purpura 188

Crime Against Grief: Myth of an Age Xiao Xiao 193

What I'll Miss Dennis Held 195

O Despot! My Despot! Patrick Dacey 203

A Small Needful Fact Ross Gay 217

Trezzo Seth Fried 218

Old Women Talking about Death Jennifer L. Knox 238

Midnight Is A Beautiful Curse Dorianne Laux 239

Night Cows Jennifer Bowen Hicks 241

In a Time of Peace Ilya Kaminsky 248

Recon/Men Devon Halliday 250

Young Americans Jabari Asim 260

Image Louise Glück 262

Breathing Exercise Raven Leilani 263

Sleepers Arthur Sze 271

Gutted Cathryn Klusmeier 273

Contender Traci Brimhall 285

Mother Won't Buy Polypropylene Patricia Cleary Miller 287

Suffer Me to Pass Debra Gwartney 288

Ceremony Margaret Ross 296

The Kaleshion Jerald Walker 298

Pluto Be Orbit Uncommon Quintin Collins 303

Elenin Stephen Mortland 304

Trans is Against Nostalgia Taylor Johnson 307

Finland Ron Riekki 309

Ruthless Emily Lee Luan 311

A Little Like God Molly McCloskey 313

On Agate Beach Holly Singlehurst 329

Letter From Brooklyn D. Nurkse 330

Mark on the Cross Maria Black 332

Seven Flowers Triin Paja 342

Muslim With Dog Threa Almontaser 344

Baikal Lindsay Starck 347

Dedicated Kathy Fagan 361

Aftermath Holly Iglesias 364

Open House Jeremiah Moss 365

The Crying Room Lucas Southworth 380

The Description I Carry in My Wallet in Case Eve Goes Missing And I Go Mute Bob Hicok 390

A Very Great Abyss Pam Durban 392

Black Box Sandra Lim 404

A Tale of Two Trolls Marcus Spiegel 405

A Small Blip on an Eternal Timeline Ifeoma Sesiana Amobi 420

Parole Hearing, California Institution for Women, Chino CA Joyce Carol Oates 437

Because Grace Schulman 444

Lakewood Charles Baxter 446

The God Phone Leora Smith 450

Special Mention 463

Presses Featured in the Pushcart Prize Editions Since 1976 469

The Pushcart Prize Fellowships 477

Contributing Small Presses 483

Contributors' Notes 507

Index 511

From the Pushcart Prize Archives: 555