American West: Twenty New Stories from the Western Writers of America

In a continuing attempt to revive publishing interest in western writing, the Western Writers of America showcase themselves in this superior anthology of short fiction. It's safe to say that if all western writing measured up even to the lesser stories in this volume, the American western would be alive and well and looking forward to a new frontier in the nation's world of books. Among the 20 entries in the volume, three are especially good. Loren D. Estleman, who also provides an introduction, shines with ""Thirteen Coils,"" a unique look at a hangman's duties on the cusp of the modernization of capital punishment. JoAnn Levy's ""A Woman 49er"" offers an unsentimental but moving portrait of a hopeless and long-suffering widow in the California mining camps; it stands out as an example of the modern short story at its best. Richard S. Wheeler's ""The Last Days of Dominic Prince"" offers a poignant and telling tour de force study of the impact of changing times and attitudes on the traditional westerner. Other thoroughly excellent short fictions by Johnny D. Boggs, Elmer Kelton, Judy Magnuson Lilly, Patti Sherlock and Deborah Morgan demonstrate the genuine vitality that can be derived from traditional plots and themes, and point out that a writer needn't ""show off"" his or her research and deep emotional ties to history in order to spin a good yarn. It remains to be seen whether a short story collection will spark new interest in western writing in general, but this volumes proves writers are at least keeping the faith. (Jan.)