Trash (Paperback)

by Dorothy Allison (Author) "At a picnic at my aunt's farm, the only time the whole family ever gathered, my sister Billie and I chased chickens into the barn..." (more)
Key Phrases: Aunt Alma, Shannon Pearl, Women's Center (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
In 14 gritty, intimate stories, Allison's fictional persona exposes with poetic frankness the complexities of being "a cross-eyed working-class lesbian, addicted to violence, language, and hope," rebelling against the Southern "poor white trash" roots that inevitably define her. Bridging the bedrooms, bars and kitchens of its narrator's adult world, and the dirt yards and diners of her '50s South Carolina childhood, this magnetic collection charts a fascinating woman's struggle for self-realization and acceptance through a sensual, often horrific tapestry of the lives of women to whom she is connected. In the mythically resonant early pieces, the conflicts of her foremothers, like Great-grandmother Shirley, "the meanest woman that ever left Tennessee," embody a grim legacy of drudgery that presages the seeds of her own rage and cavernous hunger, later finely played out through various love affairs. With a keen feel for the languid rhythms of Southern speech, Allison ( The Women Who Hate Me ) masterfully suspends the reader between voyeurism and empathy, breathing life into a vast body of symbolic feminine imagery.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
Trash, Allison's landmark collection, laid the groundwork for her critically acclaimed Bastard Out of Carolina, the National Book Award finalist that was hailed by The New York Times Book Review as "simply stunning...a wonderful work of fiction by a major talent." In addition to Allison's classic stories, this new edition of Trash features "Stubborn Girls and Mean Stories," an introduction in which Allison discusses the writing of Trash and "Compassion," a never-before-published short story.

First published in 1988, the award-winning Trash showcases Allison at her most fearlessly honest and startlingly vivid. The limitless scope of human emotion and experience are depicted in stories that give aching and eloquent voice to the terrible wounds we inflict on those closest to us. These are tales of loss and redemption; of shame and forgiveness; of love and abuse and the healing power of storytelling.

A book that resonates with uncompromising candor and incandescence, Trash is sure to captivate Allison's legion of readers and win her a devoted new following.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Plume (September 24, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452283515
• ISBN-13: 978-0452283510
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #124,271 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not just lesbian fiction, January 8, 2001

By	Melissa L. Hutchins (North Adams, MA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Trash (Paperback)

Trash is a great book of short stories written by Dorothy Allison. Although she the winner of book awards for lesbian fiction, her stories also tell of a tragic childhood, growing up as white trash, and of a family life involving alcholism, abuse and tragedy. The stories are difficult to read at times, due to the agonizing adversity the she has faced, but it is peppered with comic relief, sarcasm and wit.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A series of insightful autobiographical sketches, March 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Trash (Paperback)

Trash, billed as a book of short stories, was more like a book of essays - anticdotal, reflective, sometimes funny, often tragic - which give the reader a sense of sitting around the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and an old friend named Dorothy Allison. I loved Trash because I felt closer to Allison after reading it - she is one of my favorite authors, and this book brought me to a better understanding of her both as a person and as a writer.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars unstoppable, September 13, 2007

By	Robin A. Myers "Appreciate Arts" (Advance, NC United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In the shadows of society lie the ugly truth of what many must overcome just to survive. Set in, then rural South, this book moves you through the landscape of poverty, sadness, and grave dysfunction. When education is absent and substance abuse prevalent, unthinkable tragedy can occur. But the will of a girl to survive in spite of her lack of resources is heartbreaking, but the encouragement of at least one person in her life helps her overcome adversity. Written with detail to the usually inviisible details of life, Trash draws you in & holds you until the end. Even then the book haunted me with sadness for what some children have faced. While it is a novel, it closely aligns with real life events.