issue 30

International Review of Contemporary Fiction

May - June 2002

Short Fiction James Sallis       Autumn Leaves Marian Keyes       Soulmates Dennis Cooper       My Loose Thread (excerpt) picks from back issues Jason Starr       Bianca's Wallet Scott Heim       In Awe (excerpt) Interview Nick Hornby Quiz Cormac McCarthy Quiz Sneak Preview Dennis Cooper       My Loose Thread

 
It’s a happy time here in Barcelona as we celebrate TBR’s fifth anniversary issue. We weren’t sure back in April 1997 if an on-line, multilingual review would draw the international readership we had in mind, but little by little over the first two years our audience grew - as did the Net and as did we - and then it began to grow faster and faster, soon surpassing all of our initial expectations. We’d like to thank our many subscribers, friends, readers and fellow editors for all your support over the years; it’s that which has kept us going, especially through the manic wave of crass commercialism that seized the medium and threatened to choke its earlier creative spirit. That spirit has survived - I have only to look at our Links page and the many fine reviews listed there when I want a confirmation - and our team is proud to be a part of that thriving e-culture community.

We’re pleased this issue to present short stories by James Sallis of the U.S., author of the popular Lew Griffin detective novels; and Irish writer Marian Keyes, author of Sushi for Beginners. We’re also delighted to present an extract from Dennis Cooper's upcoming novel, My Loose Thread. Sallis’ slightly futuristic setting is a haunting one and feels as though it could be just around the corner; while Marian Keyes’ story is a fun look at a group of young, well-to-do professional couples who vie to keep up with each other in matters superficial; and Dennis Cooper, that master of transgressive fiction, shows that he’s in good form with this latest as he takes us, once again, into the skewed world of sexually confused gay teens. Quite a diverse offering.

Picks from Back Issues include one of the pieces we ran in our June 1997 premier issue - an excerpt from U.S. author Scott Heim's novel In Awe (which went on to win the 1998 Firecracker Alternative Book Award) - as well as U.S. crime writer Jason Starr's short story "Bianca’s Wallet" from issue four. We have just received Jason Starr’s latest novel, Hard Feelings, which has come out to grand reviews, so look for our own review of the novel in the next issue.

Our interview is with Nick Hornby, who was recently in Barcelona for the presentation of the Spanish and Catalan translations of his latest novel How to Be Good, which has also just been released in paperback in both the U.K. and the U.S.  Sara Martin caught up with him and talks to him about the novel, popular versus literary fiction, and other matters of the literary variety.

Our quiz this issue is on Cormac McCarthy. If you know his given name and where he lived in Spain, you’ve got two answers already. Have a try and you might win a free book.

Be sure to have a look at our sneak preview of Dennis Cooper’s new novel as well, due out this July from Canongate Books, U.K.

As always, we’d love to hear your comments, so drop us a line.

Good reading to all. Jill Adams, editor editor @barcelonareview.com

Remember to check out our archives... With five years' worth of short fiction, plays & interviews from such diverse talents as Douglas Coupland, Irvine Welsh, Pinckney Benedict, G.K. Wuori, Scott Heim, A.M. Homes, Alan Warner, Poppy Z. Brite, Laura Hird, Elissa Wald, Jason Starr, Brian Evenson and new kids on the Net like William Cuthbertson, Aimee Krajewski, Jean Kusina, David Alexander, Lenny T and Victor Saunders. This text is the link.

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