Crazyhorse – Fall 2006

Crazyhorse has been so good for so long, I opened the pages of this issue expecting to be bored by its brilliance. Instead, Crazyhorse Number 70 features stories that are so fascinating that boredom is out of the question. Crazyhorse does not rely on heavy plotting; the plots are, in fact, fairly mundane. It is the writing that contains much of the appeal. Fiction Prize Winner “Dog People” by Steve Mitchel tells the story of a divorced father and his children, love life, and ex-wife. Crazyhorse has been so good for so long, I opened the pages of this issue expecting to be bored by its brilliance. Instead, Crazyhorse Number 70 features stories that are so fascinating that boredom is out of the question. Crazyhorse does not rely on heavy plotting; the plots are, in fact, fairly mundane. It is the writing that contains much of the appeal. Fiction Prize Winner “Dog People” by Steve Mitchel tells the story of a divorced father and his children, love life, and ex-wife. Mitchel’s writing illuminates the fine details of suburban life with child: the snacks, the soccer coaching, the videos, the arguments. The story’s sense of humor drives it forward, with lines like, “I happen to have the hots for Pocahontas, though the real one, I’ve read, unlike the animated version, wasn’t built like some Playmate / pilates instructor.” Each story similarly finds an engine within the writing itself. The poetry works on similar principles. James McCorkle’s “Barn Fire,” despite the urgency of the writing and the situation described therein, takes its time, meditating on what is lost as much as how it happens. The rush of activity at the end of the poem, “And what did they see / When wreathed in fire / I ran towards them / The last one out,” underscores the stillness that preceded it. Crazyhorse is never in a rush. About the size of a 45 record, Crazyhorse could easily contain twice the material, but wisely allows the stories and poems to unfold like a beautifully slow song.
[crazyhorse.cofc.edu]