Böcker av Virginia Pye

"Belonging: Short Stories from Pangyrus," edited by Virginia Pye and Anne Bernays, is a poignant collection exploring the sacrifices we make for acceptance.What do we sacrifice when we strive to belong? A woman gets thin to make her family notice her. A teenage girl shoplifts with a friend for love and affirmation. Whether it's an unflinching look at a soldier's return to a land seared in his memory or a tale of a woman wandering the nighttime streets she's forgotten, the tender and funny stories of Belonging explore our own hope of ever finding the connections we so desperately want. Contributors include Erin Almond, Marie Myung-Ok Lee, EC Osondu, and others. The stories: Erin Almond The Unbearable Weight of My Heart Susan Buttenwieser Unaccompanied MinorsPaul Curtis Karaoke in the Lounge of the Gods Catherine Elcik We Own the Jetty Khanh Ha Ask the SeaMarie Myung-Ok Lee Manifest Your Dreams E. C. Osondu Conversations with a Stranger Pamela Painter Feelings and KissyAnn Russell Art ThievesJoshua Shapiro Signs

In these bittersweet, compelling stories, Virginia Pye's characters in Shelf Life of Happiness long for that most-elusive of states: happiness. A young skateboarder reaches across an awesome gap to reconnect with his disapproving father; an elderly painter executes one final, violent gesture to memorialize his work; a newly married writer battles the urge to implode his happy marriage; and a confused young man falls for his best friend's bride and finally learns to love. In each case, Pye's characters aim to be better people as they strive for happiness-and some even reap the sweet reward of achieving it.