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The first online-only news site in state history to get media credentials to cover the state capitol and Seattle city hall, PubliCola has been called a “must-read” by the Seattle Post Intelligencer and a hot “New Media Mover and Shaker” by Seattle Magazine—which also cited our own Erica C. Barnett as the city's No. 1 news nerd.

Lydia, Collected

News   September 29, 2009 at 12:22 pm Heidi Broadhead

I always think it’s a little odd when a living author publishes collected stories. Aren’t they going to keep writing stories?

Still, it’s pretty hard to resist the temptaton to pick up (if you have the means and impatience to buy hardcover books, that is) The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis, which comes out today.
9780374270605

Davis’s stories, often short and essayistic, resemble poetry as much as prose. She’s subversive in a quiet, introspective way, finding humor in pathos but never being too over-the-top about it.

Since her first book in 1976, and particularly in recent collections, Samuel Johnson is Indignant and Varieties of Disturbance, Davis has been quietly reshaping the form of the short story in America. My guess is that it would be hard to find a creative writing program in this country right now where there isn’t at least one person trying to write like Lydia Davis.

Lucky for us, Davis will be in Seattle on November 4th as part of the Seattle Arts and Lectures series. It’s a pricey ticket ($25-$70), but if you’re sucker for a smart lady with a soothing voice, or if you just want to see a literary legend in person, it’s well worth it.


  • http://www.lectures.org/ Rachel Aronson

    Thanks for the post, Heidi!

    I just wanted to mention that if you’re a student or under 25, tickets to SAL events, including Lydia Davis, are a very affordable $10.

    Cheers,
    Rachel
    Seattle Arts & Lectures

  • http://www.lectures.org/ Rachel Aronson

    Thanks for the post, Heidi!

    I just wanted to mention that if you’re a student or under 25, tickets to SAL events, including Lydia Davis, are a very affordable $10.

    Cheers,
    Rachel
    Seattle Arts & Lectures

  • http://www.lectures.org Rachel Aronson

    Thanks for the post, Heidi!

    I just wanted to mention that if you’re a student or under 25, tickets to SAL events, including Lydia Davis, are a very affordable $10.

    Cheers,
    Rachel
    Seattle Arts & Lectures