Mary Robison is an American author of short stories and novels, recognized as a foundational writer of literary minimalism. Her prose is characterized by its spare, precise style, which masterfully explores complex human relationships and the inner lives of characters through seemingly simple scenarios. Robison's unique approach to storytelling relies on understatement and implication, creating a compelling narrative tension that invites readers to actively engage with the unspoken depths of her work. She crafts stories where what is left unsaid often carries the greatest significance.
After a ten-year silence, Robison has emerged with a novel so beguiling and funny that it has brought critics and her live-reading audiences to their feet. "Why Did I Ever" takes readers along on the darkest of private journeys. The story, told by a woman named Money Breton, is submitted like a furious and persuasive diary--a tale as fierce and taut as its fictional teller.