Breath & Shadow

The Pushcart Prize: Best of the Small Presses is an anthology of stories, poems, essays, or other "literary whatnot" culled from American small presses. Each small press may nominate up to six pieces published during the past year for consideration for a Pushcart Prize.

The Pushcart website, http://www.pushcartprize.com/index.htm, says, "The Pushcart Prize — Best of the Small Presses series, published every year since 1976, is the most honored literary project in America. Hundreds of presses and thousands of writers of short stories, poetry and essays have been represented in the pages of our annual collections.

"Writers who were first noticed here include: Raymond Carver, Tim O’Brien, Jayne Anne Phillips, Charles Baxter, Andre Dubus, Susan Minot, Mona Simpson, John Irving, Philip Lopate, Philip Levine, and many more."

Out of over 60 pieces published in Breath & Shadow this year — more than half of which were poems — we had to choose the best of the best. Our nominees, as well as our runner's up, should feel very proud of their accomplishments.