Anthologize Me!

Two nice anthologies recently dropped on my desk, both with local connections. Edited by Joyce Carol Oates (where does she find the time?), The Ecco Anthology of Contemporary American Short Fiction (Ecco, $18.95) includes Sherman Alexie's "The Toughest Indian in the World" from his 2000 story collection of the same name. And remember you can go to a free Alexie reading as part of the Washington State Book Awards on Wednesday; details here.

Then there's Lynda Barry, a longtime former contributor to SW. When we finally dumped her Ernie Pook's Comeek a few years back, there were many (justifiably) angry letters. The Evergreen College-trained writer, illustrator, and novelist was based in Seattle for many years, and she got her start at alt weeklies including SW during the '70s. She's editor of The Best American Comics 2008 (Houghton Mifflin, $22), which this year includes names like AlisonBechdel, Matt Groening (Barry's fellow Evergreen alum), and Chris Ware.

None of the artists included in the anthology have direct Seattle ties, though many have been published by Fantagraphics over the years.