Joy Williams Book order

"Concerning the Future of Souls balances the extraordinary and the humble, the bizarre and the beatific, as Azrael-transporter of souls and the most troubled and thoughtful of the angels-confronts the holy impossibility of his task, his uneasy relationship with Death, and his friendship with the Devil. Over the course of these ninety-nine illuminations, a collection of connected and disparate beings--ranging from ordinary folk to grand, known figures such as Jung, Nietzsche, Pythagoras, Bach, and Rilke; to mountains, oceans, dogs, birds, whales, horses, butterflies, a sixty-year-old tortoise, and a chimp named Washoe--experience the varying fate of the soul as each encounters the darkness of transcendence in this era of extinction. A brilliant crash course in philosophy, religion, literature, and culture, Concerning the Future of Souls is an absolution and an indictment, sorrowful and ecstatic."--Publisher.

A fresh, powerful story of surviving ecological disaster and solidarity between the generations by a giant of American literature. Winner of the 2021 Kirkus Prize for Fiction.

When we first meet Pearl - young in years but advanced in her drinking - she's sitting at a hotel bar in Florida, throwing back gin and tonics. Cradled in the crook of her arm is her infant son. But the relief she feels at having fled her abusive husband, and the Northeastern island his family calls home, doesn't last for long. Soon she's being shepherded back. The island, for Pearl, is a place of madness and pain, and her drinking might dull the latter but it spurs on the former. Through the lens of Pearl's fragile consciousness, readers encounter the horror and triumph of both childhood and motherhood. With language that flits between exuberance and elegy, the plainspoken and the poetic, Joy Williams has created a modern fairy-tale, entirely original and entirely consuming.

Olivia, a spirited seven-year-old with dreams of becoming a princess, faces a challenge: she wears glasses. Initially feeling that her glasses disqualify her from princess status, she embarks on an unexpected adventure that reveals a world of wonders. Throughout her journey, Olivia learns to embrace her uniqueness, realizing that her glasses are not a hindrance but a special part of who she is. This enchanting tale celebrates self-acceptance and the magic of being true to oneself, showcasing that everyone can be extraordinary in their own way.

'How to tell the story of a 500-page collection of stories spanning more than forty years? Especially when I really want to just exclaim, "Oh, Oh, OH!" in a state of steadily mounting rapture' Geoff Dyer, ObserverWilliams' uniquely devastating portrayals of modern life have been captivating readers and writers for decades. Here, for the first time, Williams' thirty-three best stories are available in a single volume, together with thirteen new stories that show a writer continuing to mould the form into something strange and new.Bleak but funny, real but surreal, domestic but dangerous, familiar but enigmatic, Joy Williams' stories fray away the fabric at the edge of ordinary experience to reveal the loneliness at the heart of human life.In 'The Lover', a girl suffers a spiritual and physical wasting away; in 'The Visiting Privilege', a visitor finds refuge in her friend's psychiatric ward; in 'Charity', a woman gives a poor family gas money and finds herself marooned in their peculiar world; in 'Another Season' an itinerant man cleanses an island of roadkill; in 'Craving' an alcoholic couple head towards a car crash.The Visiting Privilege represents the culmination of Williams' career and cements her place as the most singular artist of short fiction writing today.

Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalist Joy Williams has a one-of-a-kind gift for capturing both the absurdity and the darkness of everyday life. In Ninety-Nine Stories of God, she takes on one of mankind’s most confounding preoccupations: the Supreme Being. This series of short, fictional vignettes explores our day-to-day interactions with an ever-elusive and arbitrary God. It’s the Book of Common Prayer as seen through a looking glass—a powerfully vivid collection of seemingly random life moments. The figures that haunt these stories range from Kafka (talking to a fish) to the Aztecs, Tolstoy to Abraham and Sarah, O. J. Simpson to a pack of wolves. Most of Williams’s characters, however, are like the rest of us: anonymous strivers and bumblers who brush up against God in the least expected places or go searching for Him when He’s standing right there. The Lord shows up at a hot-dog-eating contest, a demolition derby, a formal gala, and a drugstore, where he’s in line to get a shingles vaccination. At turns comic and yearning, lyric and aphoristic, Ninety-Nine Stories of God serves as a pure distillation of one of our great artists.

Nineteen essays ranging from saving the whales and anti-hunting to wildlife in Africa, animal rights, and population control.

Eighteen stories by contemporary female authors blend surrealism and dark comedy, offering inventive narratives that explore the complexities of human nature. Drawing inspiration from literary giants, these writers create unique worlds that challenge traditional fiction, inviting readers to experience extraordinary scenarios—from transforming into a deer to exploring undersea realms. This collection highlights the innovative contributions of women in literature, showcasing their ability to delve into deep psychological themes while crafting imaginative tales that captivate and intrigue.

Among the "best American short stories of the past two decades" (The Atlantic Monthly) from one of our most acclaimed writers. In short stories "so vibrant and alive they have heartbeats, the prose so electric and dazzling it makes the pulse race" (Vanity Fair), a masseuse breaks her rich client's wrist bone, a friend visits at the hospital long after she is welcome, and a woman surrenders her husband to a creepily adoring student. With her singular brand of gorgeous dark humor, Joy Williams explores the various ways—comic, tragic, and unnerving—we seek to accommodate diminishment and loss, offering a rich examination of our capacity for transformation and salvation.

Exploring the Florida Keys, this handbook offers a blend of local legends and practical travel advice along U.S. Highway 1 from Key Largo to Key West. Joy Williams, an acclaimed novelist and Florida resident, shares captivating stories and insights that highlight the unique charm of the islands. Readers will find recommendations on accommodations, dining, and activities, making it an essential resource for both first-time visitors and seasoned travelers seeking to uncover the region's rich history and vibrant culture.