Rereading these 20 splendid stories was like having a reunion with dear old friends who have done very, very well in life. This is a powerful collection of vivid, varied, and important voices in American fiction. John Edgar Wideman did a wonderful editing job, a job that I for one don't envy, considering the consistently high quality of material he had to select from. I now have in my hands the short story anthology I intend to use in my writing courses until the cows come home.-- "Chuck Kinder"
Celebrating 20 years of debuts, 20: The Best of the Drue Heinz Literature Prize. . . .is worth celebrating itself.-- "Orlando Sentinel"
One of the finest collections of contemporary short fiction around. . . . These stories have that uniqueness of voice which makes them not only excellent examples of the form but also a great pleasure to read.-- "City Paper"
... the book unfolds in the fluidity of the genre in its multifaceted representations. ... The major appeal of this book is that the selections are so varied and so wide-ranging in content, structure, and theme.-- "Choice"