Chelmsford Public Library

Terrarium, new and selected stories, Valerie Trueblood

eng

no index present

short stories

Terrarium

1022076031

Valerie Trueblood

new and selected stories

This collection will cement Valerie Trueblood's standing as one of the finest American short story writers at work today: gathered together for the first time are stories spanning her acclaimed career, presented along with her newest work Valerie Trueblood's writing has been praised by The New York Times as "an exercise in literary restraint and extreme empathy." Selected here are stories from her previous collections--finalists for the PEN/Faulkner Award and the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award--alongside her newest collection, which lends this book its name. The new stories collected within Terrarium represent an exciting direction for the author: a condensing of narrative and, in some cases, a departure from it into another state of mind. It's hard to describe any of Trueblood's stories as "typical." She does not write about people from a single class, or caste, or geographical area. She has not written a single story emblematic of her work. She does not write stories fantastical or eccentric. Ordinary life, her stories may be saying, is fantastical enough. She is more like Babel than Chekhov. In all her writing, it's clear that Trueblood believes that the short story can carry both the lightest and heaviest of loads. Terrarium highlights the achievement of simply living, the stories within often unresolved but in a state of continuation, expansion. Trueblood's stories aren't merely "about" their subjects, they're inside them

From Marry or burn (2010). Invisible river -- Choice in dreams -- Trespass -- Phantom father -- Beloved, you looked into space -- From Search party : stories of rescue (2013). The finding -- The magic pebble -- The llamas -- The stabbed boy -- Later or never -- Who is he that will harm you? -- From Criminals : love stories (2016). Bride of the black duck -- His rank -- Astride -- Da capo -- You would be good -- Sleepover -- Novel of rose -- Criminals -- Terrarium (2018) -- Cherries. Aliens : saving the child -- Helen of Troy -- Dogs of war and peace -- Book review -- The witch -- Crisco -- Cherries -- What we found -- The infralife. The tamarins -- Ghost -- Stay -- Tarp -- Two dogs -- Earthly love. Hero -- Afternoon tango -- Two birthdays -- Whiteout -- Forced entry -- Seurat -- Raccoon -- The flag of the nude -- The bull -- Orogeny -- What we found. Where we grew up -- Harvest -- Visiting revivalist -- The girl who told -- Advice -- Freeway rescues -- River boat