catapult magazine

I’m not sure how big an audience I’m going to find for this thread, but I’ll give it a shot anyway.
My students complain frequently(.) about not finding more contemporary literature in their anthologies, which is understandable. I’ve used “The Stucco House” by Ellen Gilchrist (my favorite short story), “Orientation” by Daniel Orozco, “Russian Summer” by Mark Helprin and “Streetlamp in the Netherlands” by Duncan to try to supplement the anthologies that I’ve used.
What do other English teachers use to balance frequently aging and outdated anthologies with contemporary literature?
What is your favorite literature to teach? and why?

For contemporary poetry I use an antholgy called Genreations of 2000 edited (i think) by somebody named Henderson. It has some excellent poets in it. I also bring in Seamus Heany.

I keep a shelf of centemporary literature in my room that kids can borrow from. I seldom have much chance to actually teach it. We do read aloud from contemporary adolescent lit on Firdays. Just finished Tangerine by Edward Bloor and am starting on Holes by Lois Sacher. Have also read them Ender’s Game. But that isn’t what you are talking about.

If I were going to bring in more contemporary fiction, besides Mark Helprin (whom I love), I would proabably bring in Barbara Kingsolver, Sherman Alexie, Prayer for Owen Meany, and some Annie Dillard.

Gotta go make my daughter a oeanut butter and banana sandwich. Yuck.

Here are a few of the contemporary writers I’ve worked into classes: Wendell Berry, Mark Helprin, Raymond Carver, Paul Mariani, Tim O’Brien, John Updike, Annie Dillard, Joyce Carol Oates, Chaim Potok, Lucille Clifton, Walter Wangerin, Madeleine L’Engle. There are quite a few more, but that’s a quick list off the top of my head. I love the classics and think that students should know them. After all, their quality and historical importance is what cinched their spot as classics. I also think, however, that it is important for students to realize that significant writing is still happening today and that God may be calling some of them to join in that endeavor. I look for a variety of ways to incorporate contemporary work. Sometimes I bring it in to study as literature; sometimes I use it as a model for something we are working on in composition; sometimes I use it simply to provoke thought about a particular issue.

Yeah, Tim O’Brien. I was going to mention him. Larry Heineman is another good vietnam writer.

Also Laurie Moore’s excellent short story, “People like that are the Only People Here” which is from her collection Birds of America and also appears in a recent O Henry Awards collection (My brilliant colleague JDV recommended this one to me) . I have used Scott Russell Sander’s essay “Under the Influence” and his stories about Gordon Milk. Rick Bass’s _The Legend of Pig Eye- also works.

There are some contemporary writers in the world lit book I use. These include Pablo Naruda and of course Elie Weisel.

Good stuff guys. Keep it coming. O’Brien is fantastic. I taught Going After Cacciato in AP in my previous three years but won’t be able to fit it in this year.
I hate not teaching AP. That class always gave me a bit more leeway in what I taught. Besides, the test does a good job of assessing a student’s knowledge in more contemporary fiction as well. It’s a good excuse.