In the Absence of Angels: Stories

By: Hortense Calisher

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Synopsis: The debut short story collection that launched the career of one of the twentieth century&’s most vivid writers, featuring the celebrated tale &“In Greenwich There Are Many Gravelled Walks&”In this captivating collection of fifteen short stories, many of which first appeared in the New Yorker, Hortense Calisher&’s lyrical prose captures the quotidian lives of individuals dealing with alienation, loneliness, and assimilation. Highly influenced by her own New York upbringing, Calisher brings an all-knowing and compassionate verve to these intimate stories.The opening piece, &“In Greenwich There Are Many Gravelled Walks,&” is an elegantly constructed tale of a man who becomes particularly introspective after dropping his loving but alcoholic mother off at a sanitarium. In &“Heartburn,&” Calisher deftly sketches a time and place through portraits of watering holes that resemble their own camaraderie-filled communities. The unforgettable title story captures the end of a love affair.With her distinctive language and psychological clarity, Calisher meticulously builds truths through her characters and their understandings.

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