Mary Gaitskill’s stories are unmistakable — piercing and lyrical, dark andshimmering, they burrow underneath the skin to the heart of the matter. Inher new collection, Don’t Cry, Gaitskill delivers tales of remarkable candorand emotional depth, from an exploration of young people adrift in Ann Arborin “College Town 1980;” to “The Arms and Legs of the Lake,” in which the Iraqwar reaches out to touch passengers on a train going up the Hudson; to thestory 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 toadopt a child in Addis Ababa.
Working across the changing backdrop of American life, Gaitskill spinsstories that delve into the particulars of each character’s experience. Fromthe raw grief of a widow, to the struggles of a depressed woman, to theunutterable confusion of a man returned from war, Gaitskill’s stories arefierce and vibrant.
“In five widely acclaimed books now over two decades,Gaitskill has consistently plumbed the farther reaches of psychic extremiswith power and passion.” -Elle Magazine
