Reviewed by Camille-Yvette Welsch

In May 2006, the New York Times announced the best work in American fiction in the last twenty-five years. The paper asked dozens of writers and critics to respond with a single title that might merit "best." Though Toni Morrisson's Beloved topped the list, only one other woman writer, Marilynne Robinson, made the top twenty-five. Interestingly, the Times also noted that 69% of respondents were men. What does this say about the state of women writing literary fiction? And, why are men so much more likely to respond to such a poll?

In an on-line forum, author Jane Smiley argues "I had thought of not responding, not playing the game, as it were, so that statistic intrigued me. It does seem to me to be a male game. Here we have the final four, and here were have the champion (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/21/books/fiction-discussion)". Perhaps in the interest of a more inclusive view of fiction at the beginning of the twenty-first century, and to highlight those women writers producing literary fiction, editor Elizabeth Merrick collected eighteen stories by celebrated writers. Guggenheim and Fulbright fellows, NEA grant award winners, New York Public Library Literary Lions, New York Times Notable Book award winners, National Book Award finalists fill the pages of this book, suggesting that someone somewhere is reading and recognizing the contributions of women writers.

The book opens with a delineation between the wildly popular genre of chicklit and literary fiction. Merrick explains the detriments of chicklit as she sees them: the formulaic plots, the consumerist bent, the failures of imagination. Literature, she writes "employs carefully crafted language to expand our reality, instead of beating us over the head with clich�s that promote a narrow worldview." It "grants us access to countless new cultures, places, and inner lives�increases our awareness of other perspectives and paths." Though Merrick suggests these general differences, she makes little comment on the aesthetic differences, a matter important to any discussion of art, nor does she describe her selection process of authors or pieces. These oversights might have helped make better sense of her project, particularly the claim of the subtitle, "America's Best Women Writers."

Still, the stories themselves do a fine job of breaking away from chick lit formulas and expectations. Jennifer Egan writes about a washed up publicist who revamps the image of a genocidal dictator. Samantha Hunt's male protagonist sends a fembot to a reclusive bomber's house; Dika Lam documents a divorce and a 72-ounce steak competitive eating challenge. Judy Budnitz imagines a reality tv team following Joan of Arc and Carolyn Ferrell addresses race, love, and history in "Documents of Passion Love," one of the most experimental and engrossing stories in the collection. In it, Ferrell moves between memory and documentation, past and present, real and imagined. Little mention is made of designers and heels; character is codified by action rather than dress, and the narrators are sometimes men, sometimes gay, rarely a comfortable stereotype.

While some chick lit is very well-written (Merrick cites Jennifer Weiner and I tend to agree), some is not. The same can be said of literary fiction. Francine Prose, normally an utter delight, misses the mark here with a stilted epistle to a cell-phone talking doctor. Martha Witt's post-modern play in "Meaning of Ends" winds down to nothing in particular.

Perhaps one of the most interesting experiences with this book is the discussion created between those interested in the schism, or seeming schism, between chick lit and literary fiction. One might note the paradox of despising chick lit, but using it as a marketing tool. One might also note that Jane Austen was long dismissed, although in other words, as chick lit. Nonetheless, Merrick's feminist project has women talking about books and reading across genres, which, all told, has got to be good.