The Winter 2005-06 issue of Ploughshares, guest-edited by David St. John. Ploughshares, a journal of new writing, is guest-edited serially by prominent writers who explore different personal visions, aesthetics, and literary circles.

Acclaimed poet and essayist David St. John (Hush, Prism) compiles this volume of poems and stories that embody the heterogeneity of contemporary literary style. "The greatest strength of American literature," says St. John in this volume's introduction, "has been, at its source, its plurality of voices, its multitude of styles, and its consistent resistance to the coercion of what we have imagined to be prevailing literary trends." Featuring works from former Ploughshares guest editors Edward Hirsch, Carl Phillips, and Alice Hoffman; Ploughshares Cohen award winners Ron Carlson and Maxine Swann; and acclaimed poets like Mark Doty and Jane Hirshfield, this volume mirrors St. John's preference for works that defy convention and, indeed, treat literary trends as "an anachronism."