State We're In

Ann Beattie at her most magnificentHer first new collection in ten years...These tales explore the range of emotional states the author is famous for: longing, disaffection, ambivalence, love, regret. Its nice to hear her voice again (People).A peerless, contemplative page-turner (Vanity Fair), The State Were In is about how we live in the places we have chosenor been chosen by. Its about the stories we tell our families, our friends, and ourselves, the truths we may or may not see, how our affinities unite or repel us, and where we look for love. Many of these stories are set in Maine, but The State Were In is about more than geographical location. Some characters have arrived in Maine by accident, others are trying to escape. The collection is woven around Jocelyn, a wry, disaffected teenager living with her aunt and uncle while attending summer school. As in life, the narratives of other characters interrupt Jocelyns, sometimes challenging, sometimes embellishing her view. Ann Beattie slips into a short story as flawlessly as Audrey Hepburn wore a Givenchy gown: an iconic presentation, each line and fold falling into place but allowing room for surprise (O, The Oprah Magazine). Splendid...memorable...every pagefitted out with the blessed finery of hypnotic storytelling (The Washington Post), these stories describe a state of mind, a manner of being. The State Were In explores, through womens voices, the unexpected moments and glancing epiphanies of daily life.