Brief Encounters: A Collection of Contemporary Nonfiction

Late educator and writer Kitchen (1941–2014; coeditor, In Short) and writer and actress Lenney (writing, Univ. of Southern California; Bigger Than Life) have assembled an eclectic assortment of new short prose pieces—sometimes referred to as "shorts" or "flash creative nonfiction"—by known and up-and-coming writers. There is no unifying theme here, and the 80 entries cover a wide range of subject matter, or concerns, as the editors refer to them, to challenge and entertain readers. Although the entries often don't exceed three pages, they aren't without depth, and they will engage the reader. Kitchen explains that they're like a gallery, or galleries with a gallery, to be read in any order, thereby creating a reader-centered experience. An alphabetical table of contents, a list of themes, and contributor biographies make this an even more attractive book.