Exactly half of the stories you'll read in issue 23 of McSweeney's are by brand-new writers; the other half are by writers already well known for their extraordinary gifts. All of these stories, however, are ambitious, and all of them are wonderful.

Between these covers you'll find three schoolfriends attempting to eradicate stereotyping in their local shopping mall with their new venture, Black Hoodie Solutions; chaos and comfort in the wake of a hurricane; a letter from an estranged father to his son warning him of the agonies and ecstasies of sexual congress; artwork by Andrea Dezso, Brian McMullen and McSweeney's own Dave Eggers, and much more besides.

Featuring new stories by Roddy Doyle and Ann Beattie, and introducing some of the hottest new names to watch, McSweeney's Issue 23 is exciting and essential reading.