Ploughshares contributors share NYT Book Review acclaim

The New York Times’ Sunday Book Review section was recently dominated by writers connected to Emerson’s Ploughshares literary magazine.

The reviews encompassed story collections of Colm Toibin, guest editor of the Spring 2011 Ploughshares; Charlie Baxter,whose Mr. Scary was published in the Fall 2010 edition; and Edith Pearlman, whose essay Plan B was part of the Winter 2010 edition.

“I think what this says about Ploughshares is that we have our finger on the proverbial pulse,” said Editor-in-Chief and Director Ladette Randolph. “We have relationships with writers who are getting significant national attention, though from different avenues. Colm Toibin is a very distinguished Irish writer, who is a regular contributor to large magazines and newspapers, including the London Times, the New York Times, and the Irish Times. He has won or has been shortlisted for many major awards. Charles Baxter is one of the premier short story writers living today. His work has been celebrated widely for the past 30 years, at least. And Edith Pearlman, who is local to Boston, has been publishing for many years and winning awards (many Best American Short Stories citations), but has not until now received this sort of widespread attention.

“It means that the magazine’s reach is wide and diverse and that we celebrate many types of writers. It’s very unusual for the Book Review to feature three reviews on the front, and that drew particular attention to our close relationship to all three of those writers.”

–Ploughshares Editor-in-Chief and Director Ladette Randolph