2001
First Published
3.74
Average Rating
208
Number of Pages
With Mae West as her ingenious guiding spirit, Erika Krouse introduces us to thirteen young, single, geographically and emotionally nomadic women looking for self-knowledge and trouble. "I like to sleep with other women's husbands," says the narrator of "The Husbands" by way of introduction; unfortunately, one of those husbands is her own sister's. In "Drugs and You," a lonely woman hits a heroin addict with her car and falls blindly in love. In "No Universe," Stephanie deals with her own infertility while watching her friend (who calls children "yard apes") grapple with an abortion and then a guilt-induced pregnancy. These smart, quick-witted women strive for the unflappable sass and strength of Mae West, but often fall prey to their own fear and isolation. Krouse's perfect comic timing acts as a tribute to her muse, Mae West, pop culture's original liberated woman, giving these stories their fresh, offbeat perspective. Potently witty, neurotic and nervy, the collection marks the arrival of an irresistible new voice in fiction.
Avg Rating
3.74
Number of Ratings
170
5 STARS
25%
4 STARS
36%
3 STARS
31%
2 STARS
6%
1 STARS
2%
goodreads
Author
Erika Krouse
Author · 5 books
Erika Krouse is a writer of fiction and nonfiction. Her recent memoir, Tell Me Everything: The Story of a Private Investigation (March 15, 2022, Flatiron Books/Macmillan) is a Book of the Month pick, has been optioned by Playground Entertainment for TV adaptation, and received starred advance reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, Library Journal, and Bookpage. Erika is also the author of Contenders (novel, Rare Bird, 2015), and Come Up and See Me Sometime (short stories, Scribner, 2001). Erika’s short fiction has been published in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Ploughshares, and One Story, and has been shortlisted for Best American Short Stories, Best American Nonrequired Reading, and the Pushcart Prize. Erika teaches at the Lighthouse Book Project at the Lighthouse Writers Workshop in Denver, and is a winner of the Lighthouse Beacon Award for Teaching Excellence. Her next book, Save Me: Stories (Flatiron Books/Macmillan) will be published in 2023 or 2024. www.erikakrouse.com.
