With a talent for fusing fact with fiction until the boundaries blur, Jo Ann Beard is one of American literature’s most overlooked writers. Comprising her two essay collections, The Boys of My Youth (1998) and Festival Days (2021), this volume showcases her highly controlled narrative style, each piece describing in granular detail events related to recurring themes: unsuitable men, devoted dogs, friendship, ill health, disappointment and danger.
'Too good... You should read her and not look away' Anne Enright, Guardian
'The stories are essays, the essays are stories. Even when they are not literally true, they contain the kind of truth that great fiction thrives on' The Times
'Literature's best kept secret' Independent
Weaving a complex tapestry drawn from interviews, anecdotes, moments from Beard's own life, and sheer imagination, these extraordinary pieces embody the hospitality of spectacular writing: they are spaces you fall into and are reluctant to leave. From the intimate drama of everyday life - school crushes, dog clinics, divorce - to the terror and excitement of a fox lurking by a campsite or a murderer in your home, Beard flawlessly distils what it means to live deeply as we hurtle through wonder and grief, love and heartbreak.
Bringing together pieces from Beard's first collection, The Boys of My Youth, and Festival Days, which was published two decades later, The Collected Works showcases Jo Ann Beard's impressive breadth, quiet brilliance, and timeless prose.
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https://www.psbooks.co.uk/the-collected-works-of-jo-ann-beard546709The Collected Works of Jo Ann Beardhttps://www.psbooks.co.uk/media/catalog/product/5/4/546709_media-0.jpg6.996.99GBPInStock/Non-Fiction/Categories/Literature, Poetry & Classics/Gift Ideas/Categories/Gifts Under £10/Gift Ideas/Categories/Gifts Under £15/Gift Ideas/Categories/Literary & Poetry Gift Books/Gift Ideas/Categories/View All Gift BooksWith a talent for fusing fact with fiction until the boundaries blur, Jo Ann Beard is one of American literature’s most overlooked writers. Comprising her two essay collections, <i>The Boys of My Youth</i> (1998) and <i>Festival Days</i> (2021), this volume showcases her highly controlled narrative style, each piece describing in granular detail events related to recurring themes: unsuitable men, devoted dogs, friendship, ill health, disappointment and danger.Paperback00https://www.psbooks.co.uk/media/catalog/product/5/4/546709_media-1.jpghttps://www.psbooks.co.uk/media/catalog/product/5/4/546709_media-2.jpgadd-to-cartrrp_info:£17.99productId:185075bic_code:DNFDNF£17.99Jo Ann BeardGeneral215x136mmSerpent's TailNoPaperback
