Conversations with Dorothy Allison

<p>Since the publication of her groundbreaking novel Bastard out of Carolina Dorothy Allison (b. 1949) has been known--as with Larry Brown and Lee Smith--as a purveyor of the working-class contemporary South. Allison has frequently used her position through passionate lectures and enthusiastic interviews to give voice to issues dear to her: poverty working-class life domestic violence feminism and women's relationships the contemporary South and gay/lesbian life. Often called a "writer-rock star" and a "cult icon" Allison is a true performer of the written word.</p><p>At the same time Allison also takes the craft of writing very seriously. In this collection spanning almost two decades Allison the performer and Allison the careful craftsperson both emerge creating a portrait of a complex woman.</p><p>In the absence of a biography of Allison's life Conversations with Dorothy Allison presents Allison's perspectives on her life literature and her conflicted role as a public figure.</p>