Barbara Gowdy

Whew! It's a hot and muggy day here, with thundershowers predicted- simply the best weather for reading Little Sister. In the story, thunderstorms transport one character into the body of another - but why? And what happens because of it?
Well, I won't tell you because you deserve the pleasure of a wander through another of Barbara Gowdy's excellent books to find out for yourself. It's worth it to read about an old-times movie theatre, a mother dancing with dementia, affairs and men and women living their lives out in Toronto, under stormy skies.
I'm becoming a total Gowdy groupie. Her books are stimulating and fun, they make you think and feel while surrounding you with wonderful language and character development.
But this one you should read on a humid summer day. The rumbles of thunder will fit right in...… (meer)

Wow. Wow. Wow.
See, THIS is why I have terminal writer's block. You read something by Barbara Gowdy and you realize you are completely inferior and nothing you do will ever make you better enough.
These are short stories, horrifying short stories, prizewinners all. They are all about people who have an oddness about them - a conjoined twin bit attached, an extra big head, deformities of all kinds and degrees of hardships.
And I love every one of the characters. I bleed for them. The poor girl whose mother loved the legs of her twin better than she loved the whole girl, the girl whose friend has a purple suitcase by the door in case of an event...
Gowdy is so good at telling these stories that they didn't feel prurient, even though some of the people in them had non-benign interest in the characters.
Read it. Buy it for your bookshelf. And whenever you feel like sitting down and writing a book, reread it, and then go have some wine.… (meer)