Skin: Stories

by C.E. Poverman

In these sensitive and keenly observed stories dramatizing the complexities and ambiguities of human relationships, C. E. Poverman presents a richly varied range of protagonists. Among them are an Hispanic social worker who takes calls on a crisis center helpline ("Cutter"), a young model who demonstrates cosmetics ("Beautiful"), and a college professor accused of sexual abuse ("The Man Who Died"). The powerful climax of the collection is the hallucinatory title story, where a young woman discovers that her lover is a potentially dangerous psychopath. Marked by intelligence, compassion, and a sense of irony, these stories secure Poverman's place among the best writers of short fiction in America today.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories

279 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1992

About the author

C. E. Poverman’s first book of stories, The Black Velvet Girl, won the Iowa School of Letters Award for Short Fiction. His second, Skin, was nominated for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. His stories have appeared in the O’Henry, Pushcart, and other antholo¬gies. His previous novels are Susan, Solomon’s Daughter, My Father in Dreams, and On the Edge.

Reviews

[Val]

Recommended by Kim McGlynn