If great southern literature did not immediately come to mind, the recently published anthology Best of LSU Fiction will change that. Best of LSU Fiction (The Southern Review, 2010) is a vital collection of 20 great fiction writers who have been associated with Louisiana State University as professors, undergrads, grads, and editors - well-known authors such as Walker Percy, Jean Stafford, Rebecca Wells and John Ed Bradley. The book is the first literary history of the university.
As English instructors at LSU, Best of LSU Fiction editors Nolde Alexius and Judy Kahn were well aware of how many talented authors had graced the halls of the university. But they were more interested in how these writers' lives and their writing affected and intertwined with one another. Who taught whom? How was the craft of fiction passed down from teacher to student?
For that reason, the editors chose to trace LSU’s prestigious literary tradition with three-time Pulitzer Prize-winner Robert Penn Warren at its roots. During his decade of teaching in Baton Rouge, Warren unveiled his and Cleanth Brooks’ theory of New Criticism, revolutionizing the way literature was taught across the country, and founded The Southern Review literary magazine which to this day publishes both established and emerging writers. Best of LSU Fiction introduces each story with an original author biography that reveals the connections and influences among the writers.
Though the authors have the LSU experience in common, they explore the craft of fiction with diverse and unique world views: James Wilcox writes of the quirky interactions of a dysfunctional family on a camping trip, Moira Crone of a northerner’s firsthand experience of a Louisiana hurricane and Laurie Lynn Drummond of a policewoman’s experiences on and off duty. The stories, ranging from traditional to experimental, are profound and entertaining.
Best of LSU Fiction is not only a literary history of Louisiana’s flagship university but also an original presentation of some of the country’s best fiction writers. Readers who love great fiction are sure to find new favorites in this volume.
*** The 272 page Best of LSU Fiction can be purchased online for only $19.95 at http://www.lsu.edu/thesouthernreview/BestFiction.html