Trash: "Some of these stories are easily ascribed to rage."

       I am a relatively avid reader of Southern fiction. I myself am not technically a southern lady though, since Oklahoma is neither considered to be Yankee territory nor part of Dixie (Thank the powers that be for that), but there is a certain type of Southern writing that I definitely identify with: the kind with red dirt, drunken violence, and gray morality (These things scream home to me). For an author that delivers this type of fiction, you can't go wrong with Dorothy Allison.
      Trash is the second of Allison's books I've read and it was riveting. When I bought it I didn't realize it was a collection of short stories, and was disappointed when I picked it up to read and made the discovery. But, after reading the introduction I didn't care. I was sucked in by her direct style of storytelling and couldn't wait to read whatever she had waiting for me.
       Allison says that her work is fiction, based on her life, yes, but fiction nonetheless. I can honestly say that I forget tat when reading her work. She tells it like she is sitting with you on the front porch or with friends around the dinner table over wine. Her voice is brash and brave and her characters are real and familiar. She writes with rage. She writes with honesty. She writes with compassion.
         The titles of her stories, stories like "Violence Against Women Begins at Home, "Meanest Woman Ever Left Tennessee," and "A Lesbian Appetite" entertain you while punching you in the gut with their realness. Because it is a collection of shorts I can't really give a synopsis, I can just tell you it is If you get the chance to pick it up, do. 

On a scale of 1-5, I give Trash a 4.


Next up: Caught Dead Handed