Not long ago, Michael Wexler and John Hulme became so frustrated by the books, films, articles, and media blitzes designed to define and seduce people their age—the “twentysomething” generation—that they decided to write their own book. Realizing they’d be doing just what they objected to—presuming to speak for their peers—they instead placed an ad in the Chicago Reader, urging young writers to send them short stories reflecting the world as they knew it. Ten days later they had received 300 manuscripts. In a few short weeks, as word of the project spread, they had more than 3,000 submissions from all over the United States. Voices of X-iled is not an attempt to define a generation. It’s an opportunity for people to speak for themselves. It’s an opportunity for people to speak for themselves. It’s 20 pieces of vibrant and fiercely original fiction, adamantly free of poses and self-pity. The contributors range from established and acclaimed young writers to those being published for the first time in this collection. Read the stories. Listen to the voices. Enjoy the novelty and freedom of drawing your own conclusions.