Home: American Writers Remember Rooms of Their Own

by Steven Fiffer (Editor), Sharon Sloan Fiffer (Editor)

In Home , eighteen of our finest writers evoke different rooms--from their pasts, their present, or simply their imaginations--in order to investigate the ways in which homes contain our lives. The results are touching, provocative, and sometimes hilarious. And since a portion of the editors' proceeds will go to organizations that help the homeless, Home is really where the heart is. Contributors Lynda Barry, Richard Bausch, Tony Earley, James Finn Garner, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Allan Gurganus, Colin Harrison, Kathryn Harrison, Gish Jen, Karen Karbo, Alex Kotlowitz, Clint McCown, Susan Power, Esmeralda Santiago, Mona Simpson, Jane Smiley, Sallie Tisdale, and Bailey White.



"Unforgettable...These pages are filled with the kind of details that etch a childhood place into the deep recesses of memory, that distinguish the sensual life of one family from another."--Los Angeles Times Book Review

Genres: Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1996

Reviews

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've had this book since it was first published in 1996, and it seems the excitement of the text has diminished during its long shelf life in my possession. I put the blame on myself for thinking this was going to be a group of joyful stories, when in fact most of them revolve around sad (some tragic) events and even death. My favorite story was that of Jane Smiley, who wrote about her bathroom. I, too, have always enjoyed a wonderful bath and the perfect bathroom can be the best room in the house.

Some of my favorite lines from the book:

"He was six feet four, but so skinny that he seemed to have been constructed from spare parts." (Tony Earley)

"Jeff rounded his shoulders, collapsing in on himself like a Halloween pumpkin past its prime." (Karen Karbo)

"They ate their mother's warm pie, letting its intricacy unwind in the mouth..." (Mona Simpson)

"The main reason for a mirror in the bathroom is to silver the ambient light and thereby lift the spirit." (Jane Smiley)

"Memories fade like photographs; time bleaches out subtleties so that even the sharpest distinctions become blurred." (Clint McCown)

[Libraryassistant · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a huge fan of short fiction, so I snapped this up on sale and have been nibbling away at it. It turned out to be a rather mixed bag for me— but what diverse collection is not? Some of the stories are edge-of-tears moving, some were chuckle-worthy ( intentionally), and a few flat out annoyed me. Overall, worth taking for a ride.

[Marilyn Sue Michel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many of these writers associate "home" with "death" of those near and dear to them. This may be a reflection of the age of the writers. A good book to read while waiting to hear the latest on the pandemic.