Alumnus Gordon Haber '02 Edits Anthology, '2020: Good Writing from a Bad Year'

Dutch Kills Press recently released 2020: Good Writing from a Bad Year, an e-book anthology edited by alumnus Gordon Haber '02. 

Eight poets, six fiction writers, and four nonfiction writers come together in this timely anthology to discuss "dumpster fires, demon spawn, murder hornets, and of course a global pandemic." The ebook, which is available for Kindle and on any web browser through Atavist, was designed by Haber as a "hilarious, harrowing, and heartbreaking" diversion to help both writers and readers "process the madness" of 2020. 

In his Editor's Note for the book, Haber discusses an experience in which he was approached by a pandemic conspiracy theorist, and the volatile outburst he had as a result. 

"Later my wife told me that my anger had frightened her," he says. "I didn't care what the local tinfoil hat crowd thought about me, but I certainly didn't want my wife worrying that I was about to coldcock a neighbor or drop dead from a heart attack. So what was I so upset about?...when I was calmer, I realized that the anger had arisen from my own feelings of helplessness and despair...I needed to do something. If I was to mitigate these difficult feelings, I'd have to take some kind of positive action. Hence this e-book...The idea behind this collection is simple: to help some writers get their work out, and to provide readers with an inexpensive diversion." 

Gordon Haber writes about religion and culture. His short story collection, Uggs for Gaza (and Other Stories), was published by Dutch Kills Press in 2017. Haber’s's nonfiction writing has appeared in The Forward, Religion & Politics, and Religions Dispatches. He is a member of the Religion News Association and the International Association of Religion Journalists. In addition to writing, Haber founded the micro-publishing company Dutch Kills Press. He teaches at the School of The New York Times.