Don't Cry

Mary Gaitskill reads the title story from Don't Cry about a middle-aged woman's quest to adopt a child in Addis Ababa. (Running Time: 27:10)

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Mary Gaitskill's stories are unmistakable -- piercing and lyrical, dark and shimmering, they burrow underneath the skin to the heart of the matter. In her new collection, Don't Cry, Gaitskill delivers tales of remarkable candor and emotional depth, from an exploration of young people adrift in Ann Arbor in "College Town 1980;" to "The Arms and Legs of the Lake," in which the Iraq war reaches out to touch passengers on a train going up the Hudson; to the story of a young man stealing a girl's soul during a one-night stand in "Mirrorball;" to the title story about the quest of a middle-aged woman to adopt a child in Addis Ababa.

Working across the changing backdrop of American life, Gaitskill spins stories that delve into the particulars of each character's experience. From the raw grief of a widow, to the struggles of a depressed woman, to the unutterable confusion of a man returned from war, Gaitskill's stories are fierce and vibrant.

"In five widely acclaimed books now over two decades, Gaitskill has consistently plumbed the farther reaches of psychic extremis with power and passion." -Elle Magazine

About the Author:

Mary Gaitskill: Mary Gaitskill is the author of the story collection Because They Wanted To and the novels Two Girls, Fat and Thin and Veronica. Gaitskill is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, and her work has appeared in The New Yorker, Harper's Magazine, Esquire, The Best American Short Stories, and The O. Henry Prize Stories. She lives in New York.