Why don't you stop talking

by Jackie Kay

The long awaited collection of stories from award-winning Jackie; Kay Following on from Jackie Kay's award-winning first novel, Trumpet, comes a collection of superlative stories. In true Kay style these small masterpieces cover a great deal of emotional and narrative terrain, from an immaculate observation of the female physiognomy to the bewilderment of the elderly; from silent hidden love to a lifetime reminiscence of an immigrant's England, these stories are warm and tender, frightening and funny. They confirm the arrival of a major storyteller.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Scotland, LGBT

200 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2002

About the author

Born in Glasgow in 1961 to a Scottish mother and a Nigerian father, Kay was adopted by a white couple, Helen and John Kay, as a baby. Brought up in Bishopbriggs, a Glasgow suburb, she has an older adopted brother, Maxwell as well as siblings by her adoptive parents.

Kay's adoptive father worked full-time for the Communist Party and stood for election as a Member of Parliament, and her adoptive mother was the secretary of the Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND).

Initially harbouring ambitions to be an actress, she decided to concentrate on writing after encouragement by Alasdair Gray. She studied English at the University of Stirling and her first book of poetry, the partially autobiographical The Adoption Papers, was published in 1991, and won the Saltire Society Scottish First Book Award. Her other awards include the 1994 Somerset Maugham Award for Other Lovers, and the Guardian Fiction Prize for Trumpet, based on the life of American jazz musician Billy Tipton, born Dorothy Tipton, who lived as a man for the last fifty years of her life.

Kay writes extensively stage, screen, and for children. In 2010 she published Red Dust Road, an account of her search for her birth parents, a white Scottish woman, and a Nigerian man. Her birth parents met when her father was a student at Aberdeen University and her mother was a nurse. Her drama The Lamplighter is an exploration of the Atlantic slave trade. It was broadcast on BBC Radio 3 in March 2007 and published in poem form in 2008.

Jackie Kay became a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) on 17 June 2006. She is currently Professor of Creative Writing at Newcastle University. Kay lives in Manchester.



Jackie Kay was born and brought up in Scotland. THE ADOPTION PAPERS (Bloodaxe, 1991) won the Forward Prize, a Saltire prize and a Scottish Arts Council Prize. DARLING was a poetry book society choice. FIERE, her most recent collection of poems was shortlisted for the COSTA award. Her novel TRUMPET won the Guardian Fiction Award and was shortlisted for the IMPAC award. RED DUST ROAD, (Picador) won the Scottish Book of the Year Award, was shortlisted for the JR ACKERLEY prize and the LONDON BOOK AWARD. She was awarded an MBE in 2006, and made a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2002. Her book of stories WISH I WAS HERE won the Decibel British Book Award.
She also writes for children and her book RED CHERRY RED (Bloomsbury) won the CLYPE award. She has written extensively for stage and television. Her play MANCHESTER LINES produced by Manchester Library Theatre was on this year in Manchester. Her new book of short stories REALITY, REALITY was recently published by Picador. She is Professor of Creative Writing at Newcastle University.

Reviews

[Fiona]

The first story, "Shark!", hit me between the eyes. So I guess I'm reading this now.

[Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

While these 13 stories vary considerably in tone and quality, some strong themes emerge. Five deal specifically with lesbian relationships. There are also many loners and single parents with psychosomatic illnesses and neuroses, often figured through animal imagery and metamorphosis. For example in my favourite story, ‘Shell’, a woman with a cold and unforgiving teenage son, who prefers the memory of the father who abandoned them when he was only two to his mother, is forced to grow a tough shell to survive - quite literally, as she completes her metamorphosis into a tortoise (there are certainly Kafka echoes here but more in homage than imitation). Another theme is older women looking back on their past lives, including a member of the Windrush generation. Although mostly rather downbeat in tone and theme, there are some fun moments, as in the scruffy lesbian serial seducer of posher ladies in ‘Married women’ or the secretly lesbian teachers only known by their subjects (‘Physics and Chemistry’). Overall though I found it a bit depressing, as there were so many lonely or crazy people shown in the midst of unresolved and unresolvable lives.

[Edeh · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 my second jackie kay book - i think ill have ti read them all now god she is so good

[Sarah chaher]

A collection of densely symbolic short stories..

[Lizzie Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love many things about Jackie Kay but the main one is that she consistently gives lesbians happy endings

[Esther Jardine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something so comforting and satisfying to me about 95% of Jackie Kay's short stories being very sapphic and/or very Scottish just because they can be. I always appreciate that in an author. It made me happy even when the stories took some very dark turns and definitely made me want to check out her other short stories. My favourite in this book is either "married women" or "physics and chemistry" because I will never, ever tire of happy, redemptive wlw endings.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favourites from this collection are:
-Big Milk
-Why Don't You Stop Talking?
-Shell

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this collection of stories. They seem to be very well ordered within the book. There are several about people living unsatisfactory lives, who are heading for unavoidable change, often with a surreal bent. In Shark! Shark!, Brian can’t get over a sudden, obsessive, irrational fear of sharks; in Shell, Doreen’s realisation of just how dissatisfied she is coincides with a gradual physical transformation; and in The woman with fork and knife disorder, cutlery plays a big part in driving unappreciated Irene into the realms of madness.

There are a few stories convincingly written in the patois of Jackie Kay’s native Scotland. There are those narrated by outsiders, such as the fantastic title story which made me empathise with a character I would probably avoid or clash with in real life; and the unsettling Making a movie. Then there are the love stories: in the wonderful Physics and Chemistry, two female schoolteachers are fired when their relationship is brought out into the open, despite having worked there for years with no issues. They simply leave the bigotry behind and open a wool shop, because “they had this thing between them, this spark. It could always change colour.” In the heartbreaking final story, In between talking about the elephant, two lovers have an agreement that helps them transcend bleak reality. The story hurtles towards its devastating ending in a sort of desperate, fevered, exhilarating tone.

It is, essentially, a book overflowing with warmth, especially in the final three stories. Some of the tales have the power to shift your perspective and make you rethink prejudices. Kay is also unflinching in her descriptions, and not just of physical things: she’s not afraid to really prod at a subject until the raw emotion behind it oozes out.

[Mihi · Rating 3 out of 5]

So many strange stories within this book! They really make you wonder about Jackie Kay (she did dedicate it to her then gf Carol Ann Duffy.. ) lol I’m giving it a 3 as not all stories were to my liking but there’s a couple I don’t think I’ll ever forget ie Shark! Shark! and Shell 🐢

[Malu · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those who like postmodernism and metafiction, this one is for you. Jackie Kay weaves through her short stories feelings that are known to everyone but she does it so in such a poetic way that makes us forget that we're inside someone else's mind, not ours.
I thought we'd get more happy endings for the WLW couples though the ones she wrote about she provoked questioning more than provided solution, and that is a very postmodernist issue.

[Parvathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A set of slightly unusual short stories all in first person narrative. The characters mostly describe some form of trauma, all in intriguingly strange ways. A character sees his fear of death in sharks, another grows a shell to escape from an unsympathetic world, yet another keeps misplacing her cutlery. A wee bit depressing overall, even as the strangeness in the stories keeps you hooked.

[Ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored these stories. We were given them to study alongside a module in narrative, and Kay is truly an artist at playing with this technique. Each story is totally individual, exploring sexuality, family life, mental health and everything in between. Every word is worth your time.

[Monica Arthur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Actually wanted more of those mini stories. Writing was very good. Very emotional and relatable, there were some stories that sent me into deep thinking especially “shell” and enjoyed “shark shark” was disturbed by “why don’t you stop talking” itself.
Will definitely read again.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m devastated to have finished this incredible book

[Gnanasekar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some very disturbing stories.

[Lynrose · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit of a mixed bag from quaint to surreal. There are lots of different voices. Some stories are uncomfortable. There is a lot of physical and mental illness woven in.

[Xine Segalas]

Recommended by Heni Tinker Feb 22, 2022 article 10 Books From My English Degree I wish More People Knew About

[Holly Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing and compelling stories, beautifully written.

[Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some very, very good stories in this collection

[بسنت]

“Out of Hand” short story is ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️♥️✨

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why Don't You Stop Talking is a collection of short stories from jack-of-all-trades Jackie Kay. She was a playwright, a poet, a novelist, and now she's written some short stories. And if you want someone from a diverse, oppressed background... Her mother was Scottish, her father was Nigerian, they split and gave her up for adoption, and she was adopted and raised by Scottish Communists - and she's a lesbian. The hits keep on coming, eh?

This collection is a set of stories on a similar theme, dealing with similar issues; but each story picks up a different aspect and tells it with a twist, with a slight variation. The result is unsettling, but it flows. The prose is flavored by Kay's poetry - it's prosetry again, hehe. But there's a touch of the dramatist here, too, as in the dramatic monologue "Big Milk." And her writing style is at once immediate and isolated - you feel you're there, but you're the silent observer, the fly on the wall, intimately involved but unable to speak out. Kay's writing style reminds me of nothing so much as Julie Orringer's collection of short stories How To Breathe Underwater, which I maintain is one of the most brilliant contemporary debuts ever. EVER. If you haven't read that, go read it right now.

The best stories, in my opinion, are "Big Milk," "The Woman With Fork And Knife Disorder," and "In Between Talking About The Elephants." But every story is good.

[Frances · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started off slow but I liked the title piece 'Why Dont You Stop Talking' and 'Shell' and 'Married Women'. Seems to be more of a theme of strange disorders/perspectives of life, very interesting. At least it's not completely relationship negative like the last book of short stories by her that I read: Wish I Was Here.
'Physics and Chemistry' was a nice idea but somehow a little bland, but perhaps that simplicity is nice because of the urge to make the subject 'normal', which is what we strive for in this writing.
Slightly depressing story to end with, 'In Between Talking About the Elephant' but a very clever metaphor and idea to play with within the story. I liked it. Jackie Kay is still intriguing me...

[s · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of these stories were good, but none as good as this new story that she read at the AyeWrite festival last week, which was about a deluded woman who thought she was on Masterchef. None of them had ruminations about dog jobbie consistency, f'rinstance, or anything of that kind, so I was slightly disappointed, as I was led to believe (wrongly) by the Masterchef story that there might be more in that vein? Maybe also first-person unreliable (er, mental) narrators are more compelling/convincing/hilarious when read aloud? That is probably part of it.

[Eve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this collection, all of the stories were so relatable and touching. The way she writes about episodes of mental distortions and about loss and love and illness is just so absolutely tangible. I found myself deeply moved by the character's lives. It is rare I like short stories, but this collection made me sad, happy, anxious, annoyed, horny, and amused at different points. Truly excellent and her words just effortlessly lifted from the page in a way that happens rarely for me. Highly recommend.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

strong stories with strong characters and meticulous observation ( a poet's eye). Several feature characters on the edge of mental breakdown, eg the title story about a woman who you would normally avoid in supermarkets, starting conversations with you; or the woman who turns into a tortoise - she starts by eating flowers on Jodrell bank . Other themes reflect the author's own - quite possibly unique - background as a 'mixed race' (she doesn't like this label) child - Scottish/Nigerian - adopted by communists, and also a lesbian. Great tales, well told.

[Niamh · Rating 4 out of 5]

With exception to the very first short story ('Shark! Shark!'), which in my opinion set a disgracefully bad first impression, (and almost put me off continuing), this collection houses some incredibly moving and memorable pastiches. Every one plays like a short film. There are numerous beautiful pieces of prose which almost taste poetic. Not to mention the terrific use of women of all ages, races and sexualities as protagonists! This is a warm, occasionally very funny, and ultimately hugely compelling glimpse into the lives of some very intriguing people.

[Travis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh wow. Just wow. I loved Trumpet and have been eager to read anything else by Jackie Kay since then and this is the first thing I've been able to get my hands on. It BLOWS TRUMPET AWAY. Seriously.[return][return]Not every story was awesome, but they were all very, very good, and there were several that instantly became some of my favorite short stories ever. I especially loved Out of Hand and Married Women.

[Romily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jackie Kay's first collection of short stories already shows her strong individual voice. I enjoy her use of animal imagery - sharks, elephants and tortoises - to add a kind of magic realism to the tales of love, loneliness and despair. She is interested in the marginalised in society and people who are misunderstood, obsessed and sometimes verging on madness. However the overriding impression of the stories is one of warmth and compassion.

[Ruth Brumby · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories are mostly built around extended images, often to do with bodies: the shell, tongue breasts. This involves fascinating use of words and a haunting, powerful way of expressing meaning, quite like visual art.
The writing develops empathy with a wide range of characters with humanity and clarity.
The stories are varied and all good, with a great sense of honesty.

[Belebe · Rating 1 out of 5]

Some stories are wierd and some behaviours of the characters are disturbing.
Not recommended for youths.