In this Book
- American Standard
- Book
- 2002
- Published by: University of Pittsburgh Press
- Series: Drue Heinz Literature Prize
summary
Winner of the 2002 Drue Heinz Literature Prize
Selected by Elizabeth Hardwick
It is difficult to see what lurks beneath the surface of a muddy river, an alligator-infested lake, or a John Blair short story. The deep currents that drive a demure, devout, church-going woman to shoot her husband; the ripple effect of a midnight rendezvous at church youth camp that goes slightly—then horribly—askew; the sinkholes that can swallow Porsche dealerships—or marriages; what is dredged up in American Standard cannot easily be forgotten.
Set mostly in central Florida, Blair’s stories are filled with people living lives of disquieting longing and stubborn isolation. For them, this is the American standard, as ubiquitous and undistinguished as vitreous china bathroom fixtures.
Selected by Elizabeth Hardwick
It is difficult to see what lurks beneath the surface of a muddy river, an alligator-infested lake, or a John Blair short story. The deep currents that drive a demure, devout, church-going woman to shoot her husband; the ripple effect of a midnight rendezvous at church youth camp that goes slightly—then horribly—askew; the sinkholes that can swallow Porsche dealerships—or marriages; what is dredged up in American Standard cannot easily be forgotten.
Set mostly in central Florida, Blair’s stories are filled with people living lives of disquieting longing and stubborn isolation. For them, this is the American standard, as ubiquitous and undistinguished as vitreous china bathroom fixtures.
Table of Contents
Download Full Book
- Bacon on the Beach
- pp. 1-20
- Running Away
- pp. 21-36
- American Standard
- pp. 37-55
- Moving Man
- pp. 56-78
- Memorial Day
- pp. 79-82
- Trash Fish
- pp. 83-93
- Swimming the Cave
- pp. 94-96
- Happy Puppy
- pp. 97-121
- Julia Loving the Face of God
- pp. 122-143
- A Small Church in the Country
- pp. 144-156
- Ghost River
- pp. 164-180
- Acknowledgments
- p. 181
- Back Cover
- p. BC
Additional Information
ISBN
9780822978756
Related ISBN(s)
9780822941927, 9780822962441
MARC Record
OCLC
606928350
Pages
181
Launched on MUSE
2015-01-01
Language
English
Open Access
No