Two or Three Things I Know for Sure - Softcover

Allison, Dorothy

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0452273404 ISBN 13: 9780452273405

Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group, 1996

Synopsis

Bastard Out of Carolina, nominated for the 1992 National Book Award for fiction, introduced Dorothy Allison as one of the most passionate and gifted writers of her generation. Now, in Two or Three Things I Know for Sure, she takes a probing look at her family's history to give us a lyrical, complex memoir that explores how the gossip of one generation can become legends for the next.

Illustrated with photographs from the author's personal collection, Two or Three Things I Know for Sure tells the story of the Gibson women -- sisters, cousins, daughters, and aunts -- and the men who loved them, often abused them, and, nonetheless, shared their destinies. With luminous clarity, Allison explores how desire surprises and what power feels like to a young girl as she confronts abuse.

As always, Dorothy Allison is provocative, confrontational, and brutally honest. Two or Three Things I Know for Sure, steeped in the hard-won wisdom of experience, expresses the strength of her unique vision with beauty and eloquence.

About this title

From the Back Cover

'OH, I COULD TELL YOU STORIES THAT WOULD DARKEN THE SKY AND STOP THE BLOOD'

Dorothy Allison's debut novel, 'Bastard Out of Carolina', introduced her as one of the most passionate, uncompromising and gifted writers on the literary scene. In 'Two or Three Things I Know for Sure', she explores the family background and upbringing which inspired that extraordinary book. With exceptional candour and directness, she talks about her white trash, dirt-poor background and her triumph over family violence, sexual abuse, lack of education and physical unattractiveness. This was a legacy which Dorothy, smart and plain, shook off slowly, as her feminism and her heart led her to lesbian relationships, often painful, finally rewarding.

Pithy, funny, poignant and confrontational, this is Dorothy Allison with her gloves off. Read it aloud and savour the rhythms, marvel at how the telling of such tales can be so enjoyable and so inspirational.

Praise for Dorothy Allison:

'Allison tells her sad tales with a lyricism that lifts them into another realm.'
KIRKUS

'The territory that Allison has set out to explore is dangerous turf. It is a great pleasure to see her succeed, blithe and graceful as Baryshnikov in performance. A major talent.'
NEW YORK TIMES

'Allison illuminates aspects of a class that has been neglected and misunderstood. Haunting work...a raw power.'
NEW STATESMAN

'Her work has all the hard-won honesty of Carver's best writing.'
INDEPENDENT

About the Author

Dorothy Allison is the acclaimed author of the nationally bestselling novel Bastard Out of Carolina, which was a finalist for the 1992 National Book Award. The recipient of numerous awards, she lives in Northern California.

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0452273404
• ISBN 13: 9780452273405
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 112