The Visiting Privilege: New and Collected Stories (Vintage Contemporaries)

The legendary writer’s definitive story collection, and a literary event of the highest order "Powerful, important, compassionate, and full of dark humor. This is a book that will be reread with admiration and love many times over.” —Vanity Fair Joy Williams has been celebrated as a master of the short story for four decades, her renown passing as a given from one generation to the next even in the shifting landscape of contemporary writing. At long last the incredible scope of her singular achievement is put on display: thirty-three stories drawn from three much-lauded collections, and another thirteen appearing here for the first time in book form. Forty-six stories in all, far and away the most comprehensive volume in her long career, showcasing her crisp, elegant prose, her dark wit, and her uncanny ability to illuminate our world through characters and situations that feel at once peculiar and foreign and disturbingly familiar. Virtually all American writers have their favorite Joy Williams stories, as do many readers of all ages, and each one of them is available here. The Legendary Writer's First Collection In More Than Ten Years - And Finally, The Definitive One. A Literary Event Of The Highest Order. Joy Williams Has Been Celebrated As A Master Of The Short Story For Four Decades, Her Renown Passing As A Given From One Generation To The Next Even In The Shifting Landscape Of Contemporary Writing. And At Long Last The Incredible Scope Of Her Singluar Achievement Is Put On Display: Thirty-three Stories Drawn From Three Much-lauded Collections, And Another Thirteen Appearing Here For The First Time In Book Form. Forty-six Stories In All, Far And Away The Most Comprehensive Volume In Her Long Career, Showcasing Her Crisp, Elegant Prose, Her Dark Wit, And Her Uncanny Ability To Illuminate Our World Through Characters And Situations That Feel At Once Peculiar And Foreign And Disturbingly Familiar. Virtually All American Writers Have Their Favorite Joy Williams Stories, As Do Many Readers Of All Ages, And Eachy One Of Them Is Available Here. -- From Dust Jacket. Collected Stories: Taking Care -- The Lover -- Summer -- Preparation For A Collie -- The Wedding -- The Yard Boy -- Shepherd -- Train -- The Excursion -- Winter Chemistry -- Shorelines -- The Farm -- Escapes -- Rot -- The Skater -- Lu-lu -- The Little Winter -- Health -- White -- The Blue Men -- The Last Generation -- Honored Guest -- Congress -- Marabou -- The Visiting Privilege -- Substance -- Charity -- Anodyne -- Ack -- The Other Week -- Hamer -- Fortune -- Bromeliads -- New Stories: Brass -- The Girls -- Revenant -- The Mission -- Another Season -- Dangerous -- In The Park -- Cats And Dogs -- The Bridgetender -- Souvenir -- The Country -- The Mother Call -- Craving. Joy Williams. This Is A Borzoi Book. The definitive story collection “by one of the most celebrated American short-story writers.... Powerful, important, compassionate, and full of dark humor. This is a book that will be reread with admiration and love many times over” (Vanity Fair). Joy Williams has been celebrated as a master of the short story for four decades, her renown passing as a given from one generation to the next even in the shifting landscape of contemporary writing. At long last the incredible scope of her singular achievement is put on display: thirty-three stories drawn from three much-lauded collections, and another thirteen appearing here for the first time in book form. Forty-six stories in all, far and away the most comprehensive volume in her long career, showcasing her crisp, elegant prose, her dark wit, and her uncanny ability to illuminate our world through characters and situations that feel at once peculiar and foreign and disturbingly familiar. Virtually all American writers have their favorite Joy Williams stories, as do many readers of all ages, and each one of them is available here. The legendary writer's first collection in more than ten years--and, finally, the definitive one. A literary event of the highest order. Joy Williams has been celebrated as a master of the short story for four decades, her renown passing as a given from one generation to the next even in the shifting landscape of contemporary writing. And at long last the incredible scope of her singular achievement is put on display: thirty-three stories drawn from three earlier, much lauded collections, and another thirteen appearing here for the first time in book form. Forty-six stories in all, far and away the most comprehensive volume in her long career, showcasing her crisp, elegant prose, her dark wit, and her uncanny ability to illuminate our world through characters and situations that feel at once peculiar and foreign and disturbingly familiar. Virtually all American writers have their favorite Joy Williams stories, as do many readers of all ages, and each one of them is available here. From the Hardcover edition The Legendary Writer's First collection in more than ten years - and finally, the definitive one. A literary event of the highest order. Joy Williams has been celebrated as a master of the short story for four decades, her renown passing as a given from one generation to the next even in the shifting landscape of contemporary writing. And at long last the incredible scope of her singular achievement is put on display: thirty-three stories drawn from three much-lauded collections, and another thirteen appearing here for the first time in book form. Forty-six stories in all, far and away the most comprehensive volume in her long career, showcasing her crisp, elegant prose, her dark wit, and her uncanny ability to illuminate our world through characters and situations that feel at once peculiar and foreign and disturbingly familiar. Virtually all American writers have their favorite Joy Williams stories, as do many readers of all ages, and each one of them is available here. -- from dust jacket