Book description
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Annie Proulx follows the success of Close
Range with another remarkable collection of short stories set in Wyoming.
Bad Dirt is filled with the vivid and willful characters for which
Proulx has become known. Each occupies a community or landscape
described in rich and robust language, with an eye for detail
unparalleled in American fiction.
In 'The Contest', the men of Elk Tooth, Wyoming, vow to put aside their
razors for two seasons and wait to see who has the longest beard come
the 4th of July. Deb Sipple, the moving protagonist of 'That Trickle
Down Effect', finds that his opportunism - and his smoking habit - lead
to a massive destruction. And 'What Kind of Furniture Would Jesus Pick?'
is the story of Gilbert Wolfscale, whose rabid devotion to his ranch
drives off his wife and sons.
Proulx displays her wit in every story of this stunning collection, as
well as her knowledge of the West, of history, of ranching and farming.
Her profound sympathy for characters who must use sheer will and courage
to make it in tough territory makes this collection extraordinarily
compelling. Her images are so alert and novel she makes a world
entirely her own…there are a number of stories here that show proulx at
her marvellous best…There are great pleasures to be had from this
collection…the greatest pleasure is the way she does it.' Geraldine
Bedell, Observer
'Performs inspired imaginative feats' Alex Clark, Sunday Times
Proulx writes in wonderful stews, everything thrown in together…the
stories demand a second reading.' Daily Telegraph
'Her keen eye for idiosyncrasy ensures her continuing reputation as one
of the shrewdest chroniclers of contemporary America. David Robson,
Sunday Telegraph
The notion of a small settlement of people whose narratives, from the
anecdotal to the archetypal, criss-cross like so many humming telegraph
wires gives Proulx an elegant framework on which to hang these stories,
whose sour sometimes brutal folksiness gains a singular resonance from
the fine, sinewy prose in which they are rendered.' Jane Shilling, The
Times Annie Proulx published her first novel Postcards in 1991 at the
age of 56. She is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Shipping
News, the acclaimed novels Accordion Crimes and That Old Ace in the
Hole, and the bestselling short story collection, Close Range.
