Great read:

I read a couple of terrific stories in the latest issue (Volume 13, Spring 2013) of The Los Angeles Review:

* "Landfall" by Robert P. Kaye - This is wonderfully understated so that it sneaks up on you, grabs hold in a powerful way. I admire the ability to take a world news event and make it relatable.

* "Losing the Title" by David Elliot - This is told in a second person POV, and I, as a rule, don't care for this POV. But, holy cow, this is magnificently rendered. Powerful. Mesmerizing.

* "Confounding Variables" by Rachael Warecki - This is smart and clever and well-crafted.

Great read:

I am reading the latest issue of The Los Angeles Review (volume 6, Fall 2009) and, wow, am I having a good time. It's the first time I've ever read the journal, but it won't be the last. It's filled with terrific stories, stories by Alicia Gifford (one of my favorite writers), Ethel Rohan (another favorite of mine), Michael Czyzniejewski (a writer I've only recently discovered and am completely enamored with his work), Steve Almond (a writer who, of course, I've heard of but never had the pleasure of reading before now), and a ton of others I can't wait to read.