The instant anthology keeper, though, is called 'Proving Up.' Imagine, if you can, Willa Cather crossed with Emily Dickinson in her Gothic mood. Another raw standout is the final story, called 'The Graveless Doll of Eric Mutis.' This tale of tough boys and their scarecrow victim should be made required reading for anti-bullying workshops across the land. As always with Russell, the horror of this specific situation ripples out, summoning images of sweatshops, past and present, where workers are reduced to what they repetitively do.

The catch is - and we learn this in the opening pages of the story - that the girls themselves have partly metamorphosed into silkworms, sporting white fur on their faces and spinning thread out of their own bellies. 'Reeling for the Empire' imagines a one-room factory in 19th -century Japan where girls spin exquisite silk. The way Clyde, the husband of the pair, describes his first sip should give you a taste of how Russell's language bursts open:Īuthor Interviews Wrestling Gators And Language In 'Swamplandia!'Īs evocative as Russell's title story is, there are three others here that are in another league altogether. They find some relief at a lemonade stand in Italy. Vampires in the Lemon Grove features an undead married couple who have spent centuries trying to slake their thirst with something other than blood. The title story kicks off this collection by doing the near impossible: making me care about vampires, a breed more overexposed these days than Labrador retrievers. Russell is so grand a writer - so otherworldly, yet emotionally devastating so daffy and daring - that she doesn't need an imprimatur to stake her claim to literary genius. Nevertheless, I rave on: this time about Russell's new short story collection, Vampires in the Lemon Grove. Result? The Pulitzer Board made headlines by deciding not to give out the award in Fiction.

Last year, along with my two fellow judges, I nominated Russell's novel, Swamplandia!, as well as two other finalists, for the Pulitzer Prize. I don't have a good track record when it comes to raving about Karen Russell. Your purchase helps support NPR programming. Close overlay Buy Featured Book Title Vampires In The Lemon Grove Subtitle Stories Author Karen Russell

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