Chick Lit Postfeminist Fiction [Paperback]

Cris Mazza (Editor), Jeffrey DeShell (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 4, 2000

inclusive, fun, sexy, silly, literary feminism

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The excellent fiction here is betrayed by the coyness of the introductions by Mazza and, particularly, DeShell. The former insists that the use of the word "postfeminist" in her call for submissions was "almost a joke," while the latter fails to even come close to fulfilling the promise of its subtitle: "On Being a Male Editor of a Woman's Anthology." Fortunately, the duo's choices are better than their introductions. Several stories reproduce the unstoppable rhythm of the modern world. Kim Addonizio's frenetic reader recognizes her addiction to the written word for the sickness?and the cure?that it is. Peggy Shinner's unending questions probe the inner meaning of a simple statement. Other stories jar with their use of unusual and often disturbing symbolism. The hairdresser of Suzanne Greathouse's "Operator Seven" is accompanied by a vicious black dog that harasses her?including making obscene nighttime phone calls; Nicolette DeCsipkay's 10th grader is invited by a strange man to come into his cat-filled house and placate his obese sister, and Lara Anderson Love's couple, Kurt and Zella, base every decision?from where to eat dinner to whether or not to get married?on the results of games like Scrabble and Life. While not all these pieces soar above banality, each one at least tries to make the leap through inventive form, style and content.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

This collection of 22 short fiction pieces was selected from 400 manuscripts submitted in response to a call for "postfeminist writing" from women working in alternative fiction. The stories demonstrate diverse styles and play with variations of the real and surreal. For example, Lara Anderson Love's "Skittles" portrays a couple making life decisions by playing cards; Suzanne Greathouse's "Operator Seven" concerns a deranged hairdresser who subjects herself and others to a vengeful, disloyal dog; and Lily James's "Up There" features a woman who counsels a group of impotent males while a former member watches from the skylight. These stories contain violence, sex, madness, and perversion. They are not all pleasant, but they are fresh, creative, powerful, and challenging. Recommended for literary collections.
Jeris Cassel, Rutgers Univ. Libs., New Brunswick, N.J.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 205 pages
• Publisher: Fiction Collective 2; 1 edition (April 4, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573660906
• ISBN-13: 978-1573660907
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,424,992 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jeffrey DeShell has published five novels: Arthouse (FC2), The Trouble with Being Born (FC2), Peter: An (A)Historical Romance (Starcherone), S & M (FC2) and In Heaven Everything is Fine (FC2), and a critical book, The Peculiarity of Literature: An Allegorical Approach to Poe's Fiction. DeShell was a Fulbright Teaching Fellow in Budapest, and has taught in Northern Cyprus, the American Midwest and Bard College. Currently he is an associate professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He lives in Denver with the novelist Elisabeth Sheffield and their two children, Francis and Leo.