A review by areader09
The Best American Travel Writing 2018 by Jason Wilson, Cheryl Strayed
3.0
3.5 stars, rounded down. I enjoyed this collection. As expected, some stories were more interesting (to me) than others.
I've found that these "Best American" anthologies really live and die with the guest editor. The best volumes, in my opinion, are those that include stories from a diverse set of authors. Otherwise you end up reading the same story, same perspective (usually from a white man). Other reviewers often complain about the subject matter (too similar, etc). Well, the best way to improve the diversity of subject matter is to have greater diversity in authors.
Cheryl Strayed did a much better job than other guest editors whose volumes I have read in selecting stories from both men and women. That said, there is room for improvement. Specifically, there could be more racial diversity in this volume, but at least it isn't all white (as was the case in some of the weakest volumes that I read).
I've found that these "Best American" anthologies really live and die with the guest editor. The best volumes, in my opinion, are those that include stories from a diverse set of authors. Otherwise you end up reading the same story, same perspective (usually from a white man). Other reviewers often complain about the subject matter (too similar, etc). Well, the best way to improve the diversity of subject matter is to have greater diversity in authors.
Cheryl Strayed did a much better job than other guest editors whose volumes I have read in selecting stories from both men and women. That said, there is room for improvement. Specifically, there could be more racial diversity in this volume, but at least it isn't all white (as was the case in some of the weakest volumes that I read).