Drinking Coffee Elsewhere

The winner of the Whiting Writers' Award, 20-something ZZ Packer unfolds stories of her life as an American black female through various lenses--that of a renegade Brownie, rebellious inner city teen, college outcast, and down-and-out expatriate in urban Japan. Shirley Jordan's narration links seamlessly with the text to provide a vivid and entertaining production that supports the author's reputation as an artist with language. Smooth transitions, believable characters and dialogue, and an overall sense of hopelessness pervade the collection. You'll find keen observations of human nature and a lively cynicism underlaid with a love of beauty. D.J.B. 2004 Audie Award Finalist (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine

Starred review from December 16, 2002
The clear-voiced humanity of Packer's characters, mostly black teenage girls, resonates unforgettably through the eight stories of this accomplished debut collection. Several tales are set in black communities in the South and explore the identity crises of God-fearing, economically disenfranchised teens and young women. In the riveting "Speaking in Tongues," 14-year-old "church girl" Tia runs away from her overly strict aunt in rural Georgia in search of the mother she hasn't seen in years. She makes it to Atlanta, where, in her long ruffled skirt and obvious desperation, she seems an easy target for a smooth-talking pimp. The title story explores a Yale freshman's wrenching alienation as a black student who, in trying to cope with her new, radically unfamiliar surroundings and the death of her mother, isolates herself completely until another misfit, a white student, comes into her orbit. Other stories feature a young man's last-ditch effort to understand his unreliable father on a trip to the Million Man March and a young woman who sets off for Tokyo to make "a pile of money" and finds herself destitute, living in a house full of other unemployed gaijin. These stories never end neatly or easily. Packer knows how to keep the tone provocative and tense at the close of each tale, doing justice to the complexity and dignity of the characters and their difficult choices. (Mar. 10)Forecast:Packer's stories have been published in
Harper's and
Story, and anthologized in
The Best American Short Stories 2000. This collection has been much anticipated since she was featured in the
New Yorker's Debut Fiction Issue of 2000. BOMC, QPB, Insight Out, Black Expressions,
and InBook alternate selection; author tour.

February 15, 2004
This debut collection of eight short stories features mostly underprivileged African American teenage girls trying to make it in a white world. In one story, Brownies work up their courage to confront a white girl from another troop who has used the "n" word. In another, a studious black teenager coerced into attending the "Million Man March" with his alcoholic father tries to sell a collection of tropical birds stolen from the father's girlfriend. In "Speaking in Tongues," perhaps the most poignant tale, a 14-year-old girl from rural Georgia runs away from her overly strict and religious aunt to find her mother, who had left years before. Most of the pieces end unhappily but provide learning experiences for the characters as they move toward adulthood. Packer writes with energy and gritty realism but also with humor. Shirley Jordan's narration captures the young voices, full of irreverence and sass. The auditory quality is excellent. Recommended for older teens and audiences who enjoy compelling short stories. Suitable for all public libraries.-Nancy R. Ives, SUNY at Geneseo

Copyright 2004 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.