A review by danitrev
Bad Dirt: Wyoming Stories 2, by Annie Proulx
2.0
Is there a style called Wyoming Gothic? If not, Proulx invented it. If so, Proulx is the master of it. These are enjoyable short stories that blend "reality" and "magic" freely, with the same characters and places showing up again and again, either centrally or tangentially. The stories have a strong sense of place (Wyoming), and the portraits of its people are unflinching.
Also, I never realized she's the author of the "Brokeback Mountain" short story.
"The stories in Annie Proulx's new collection are peopled by characters who struggle with circumstances beyond their control in a kind of rural noir half-light. Trouble comes at them from unexpected angles, and they will themselves through it, hardheaded and resourceful. (...) Through Proulx's knowledge of the history of Wyoming and the west, her interest in landscape and place, and her sympathy for the sheer will it takes to survive, we see the seared heart of the tough people who live in the emptiest state."
Also, I never realized she's the author of the "Brokeback Mountain" short story.
"The stories in Annie Proulx's new collection are peopled by characters who struggle with circumstances beyond their control in a kind of rural noir half-light. Trouble comes at them from unexpected angles, and they will themselves through it, hardheaded and resourceful. (...) Through Proulx's knowledge of the history of Wyoming and the west, her interest in landscape and place, and her sympathy for the sheer will it takes to survive, we see the seared heart of the tough people who live in the emptiest state."