Here are nineteen stories that explore her signature themes: wounded adolescence, loneliness in marriage, and the tragicomedy of life in the South. Here too are "The Member of the Wedding" and "The Ballad of the Sad Cafe," novellas that Tennessee Williams judged to be "assuredly among the masterpieces of our language." (A Mariner Reissue)

    His wife is having an affair with his law partner. Add to this scenario Duffy's girlfriend, his son, an overweight blob, and Tump Walker, a black pro athlete, and one has the makings of a "belligerent but ultimately touching" (Chicago Tribune) novel.