Announcing the New Yorker 20 Under 40 Reading Project!

I, like many, have been eagerly awaiting the June 14 & 21, 2010 issue of The New Yorker for its announcement of the latest 20 Under 40 list of fiction writers. The list is here, people. Thanks to the careful analysis of The New York Times, I can tell you half are women. Whether truly accidental as they claim or not, I'm thrilled to see this emerging group of female voices. Only two are under thirty, and both are women. The list represents "a significant number of writers who hail from outside the United States or have parents who do."

The list is full of writers I already adore, writers I've been meaning to read for far too long, and writers I've never heard of. I plan to embark on a reading journey to explore the current and future works of these twenty writers, and I would love for you to join me!

I am overly ambitious, and I hope to read every book by these twenty authors, but I also am not setting a time limit. This reading project will continue for a long time (I hope), as these writers have so many wonderful writing years ahead of them. If you want to set specific goals (i.e. read one book by five of the writers), please do so. I've started a blog for the 20 Under 40 Reading Project, and in the coming days, I'll create a button for the reading project.

Perhaps part of my affinity for this list is being of a similar age. Their stories are my stories. These writers are the voice of my generation. It's a diverse list, and I cannot wait to get started. I'm in the midst of compiling a list of the current and upcoming novels and short story collections of these writers, and I'll post it on the blog once it's done.

Will you join me in celebrating the talents of these young writers and read with me? Simply leave a comment on the welcome post on the project blog indicating your interest. Spread the word: blog, tweet and tell the world you're taking on the 20 Under 40 Reading Project!