paper 0-06-446207-2 Kerr (“Hello,” I Lied, 1997, etc.) wraps observations about writing in general, and her own work in particular, around five short stories, plus long extracts from four novels and her autobiography. Ten conventional tips for new writers open the book (“10. Cut! Cut! Cut! Your reader has a life”); it closes with an abbreviated section of cute quotes from children’s letters. In between, Kerr shows how stories can come out of meetings, personal or witnessed incidents, and sometimes seemingly from nowhere; points out recurrent themes in her work; and discusses the differences between creating novels and short stories. The excerpts, from Gentlehands (1978), Little Little (1981), Me Me Me Me Me (1983), I Stay Near You (1985) and Fell (1987), average about 30 pages each, long enough to capture the author’s distinctive sense of irony and to whet readers’ appetites for more; the shorter fiction, all of which has appeared in collections within the last ten years, includes studies in character, family relations, and love. Without any comment on Kerr’s forays into gay issues and other previously taboo topics, this book is not a true cross-section of her work: Still, it’s valuable as an introduction for those just becoming acquainted with her, and equally worthwhile as the author’s personal take on her art. (Memoir/anthology. 11-15)
Pub Date: May 31, 1998
ISBN: 0-06-027996-6
Page Count: 263
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1998
Illuminated by sudden twists and magical transformations, these linked stories from the author of Winning Scheherazade (p. 392) will have middle readers wondering if their schools and teachers aren't more than they seem. Every year, graduating eighth-graders at the old school on Poor Farm Road have sewn keepsake pillows. This time they have to hurry, for the building is collapsing—the well over which it was built wants it back—so, with the help of three very senior members of the faculty (Ms. Oakes, Ms. Laurel, and old librarian Ms. Holly), the students work away, matter-of-factly accepting the apparitions that appear one after another to share a memory, a memorable character, an urban legend, or a campfire story. A headless ``Silver Skier'' swoops down the slope to snatch a loved one away; a ring of ``Gypsy Gold'' brings loss in one tale, but solace to lonely ``Myra'' in another; the title story explains why manners are important near a well; ``An Old, Often Retold Story of Revenge'' is funny and satisfying, but definitely not delicious; while other tales feature ghostly touches, just deserts, or hilarious slapstick. The main plot is more than a device to bridge the stories, it's strong enough to stand on its own. Appealing and well-told. (Fiction. 11-15)
Pub Date: Oct. 18, 1991
ISBN: 0-399-21803-3
Page Count: 119
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1991
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A wry sequel to The Silent Treatment (1988): here, summer jobs put high-school seniors Ricky and Nate through a mystery from the past, as well as through some timeless rites of passage. Having to clean toilets and listen to gloomy, sex-obsessed Norman the Foreman seems like a fair exchange for a free stay at Quiver Lake resort, especially with all the college women around; Nate moves into hot (and eventually successful) pursuit of a Berkeley student, but Ricky is more inclined to watch from a distance. Meanwhile, what appear to be new but genuine artifacts of the long-integrated Miwok tribe begin to turn up, and Ricky almost loses his life in a primitive deer trap. Is there still a Miwok alive in the wild? Or, as someone suggests, is it the spirit of a young Miwok who never completed his manhood ritual and is unable to find the Aimah, an anthropomorphic rock formation? Carkeet's characters are portrayed sympathetically but broadly enough to keep the story light. The climax is big and dramatic: Ricky wakes one morning to find that the whole lake has suddenly drained away, exposing not only a field of slick mud but the Aimah, with piles of warm ashes at its crotch and armpits. There's no ghost to be seen, but readers can draw their own conclusions. (Fiction. 12-15)
Pub Date: Oct. 30, 1991
ISBN: 0-06-022453-3
Page Count: 256
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1991
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
