New California Writing 2012

Once again, we've combed through a year's worth of magazines, blogs, zines, and books, from both major and small publishers, to find the most compelling writing California has to offer. The forty-three pieces in this year's anthology, culled from thousands of choices, offer a variety of voices that will enliven the mind, expand the imagination, and stretch the heart. Here is the latest work by established writers—including Jon Carroll, T. Coraghessan Boyle, Caitlin Flanagan, Michael Pollan, Maxine Hong Kingston, and Francesca Lia Block—standing alongside that of emerging writers—among them Eric Puchner, Daniel Olivas, Rebecca K. O'Connor, and Manuel Muñoz. Also included is an excerpt from Masha'allah and Other Stories, by Mariah K. Young, winner of the 2011 James D. Houston Award. This year's contributors straddle cultural fault lines, look critically at our collective heritage, and wonder at the ever-shifting infrastructure of the state.