by Anthony Varallo
University of Pittsburgh Press, 2008
Paper: 978-0-8229-6287-8 | eISBN: 978-0-8229-9112-0 | Cloth: 978-0-8229-4356-3
Library of Congress Classification PS3622.A725O98 2008
Dewey Decimal Classification 813.6

ABOUT THIS BOOK | AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY | REVIEWS | TOC | REQUEST ACCESSIBLE FILE
ABOUT THIS BOOK

WINNER OF THE 2008 DRUE HEINZ LITERATURE PRIZE
Selected by Scott Turow

Feeling distanced from her friends and family, middle-aged divorcée Caitlin Drury is encouraged by her daughter to express her feelings in a diary, but she is hesitant: “I feel lonely she wrote, then crossed it out. She didn't like the idea of someone coming along later to read her journal, finding out she felt lonely." “Like That,” and other stories from Anthony Varallo's new collection Out Loud give voice to the disconnections of family and relationships, and the silent emotions that often speak louder than words. 

In “The Walkers,” we follow a couple on their daily trek through a bedroom community, where they partially glimpse their neighbors' lives, longing for inclusion. Yet their insular lifestyle ensures that they deal with people only on the surface--without learning the truth of their problems.

Out Loud
tells of longings for meaningful expression and the complexities and escapism of human interactions that keep us from these truths. Varallo uses the trials of youth and remembrances of the past, the rituals and routines of the everyday, the interactions of family, friends, teachers, and neighbors to peel away the layers of language and actions we use to shield ourselves.
 


See other books on: Fiction | Short Stories (single author) | Varallo, Anthony
See other titles from University of Pittsburgh Press