All about Skin

November 1, 2014

In this intriguing collection of 27 short stories, editors Ortiz and Spencer demonstrate how widely women writers of color range, with stories spanning mother-daughter relationships (Ivelisse Rodriguez's "A Different Story"); forgiveness (Glendaliz Camacho's "Noelia and Amparo"); the difficulty of being young, insecure, and in an interracial relationship (ZZ Packer's "Pita Delicious"); and issues of nationality (Hong Kong-based English-language author Xu Xi's title story). Throughout, sisterly bonds and self-understanding figure largely--"Coming-of-Age" is in fact the opening section, with "Reinvention" and "Borderlands" following. The featured authors have won honors ranging from a Flannery O'Connor Award to a John Guggenheim Fellowship, and readers understand immediately how wonderful this book will be when Helena Maria Viramontes quotes Paul Auster in the foreword: "Every novel is an equal collaboration between the writer and the reader, and it is the only place in the world where two strangers can meet on terms of absolute intimacy." VERDICT Similar to Wild Women Don't Wear No Blues, this strong collection will appeal to lovers of stories by and about women and literary fiction.--Ashanti White, Yelm, WA

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2014
Women of color writing short stories find themselves in a three-strikes-and-you're-out situation when it comes to publishing opportunities. To counter this, writers and teachers Ortiz and Spencer created this stellar anthology showcasing contemporary women short story writers of color who have been nominated for or received prestigious literary prizes, including Unoma Azuah, Glendaliz Camacho, and Learkana Chong. Ortiz and Spencer provide an enlightening introduction and organize the 27 stories into three richly thematic categories: Coming-of-Age, Reinvention, and Borderlands. Then all social and intellectual considerations fall away. The spectrum of identity, experience, and conflict covered in these vivid, sharp-edged, often staggering stories is wide, while key concerns inspire multiple perspectives. Such as the endless battle between the sexes, which is explored with chagrin, sorrow, and wit in ZZ Packer's Pita Delicious, Amina Gautier's Candidate, and Ivelisse Rodriguez's A Different Story. Each candid, creative writer, including Xu Xi, author of the mischievously satiric title story, sets taut dramas in motion in which archetypal human pursuits are cruelly and absurdly complicated by gender and race, adding up to a provocative and commanding collection.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)