Between Friends

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

The editor of A Voice of One's Own and Listen to Their Voices here assembles a winning collection of 20 original essays on friendship by a varied group ranging from such relative newcomers as Connie Porter and Christine O'Hagan to well known names like Joyce Carol Oates, Carolyn See, Jayne Anne Phillips and Shirley Abbott. Some authors discuss specific people they have known. Jill McCorkle, for example, explores the joys of her shared history with girlhood chum Cathy Lewis, even though it includes embarrassments: when their apartment was robbed, Cathy's wardrobe was stolen, but hers wasn't--confirming Cathy's opinion of Jill's taste in clothes. Others contemplate the pain of not having friends. Angela Davis-Gardner recalls what it was like to be excluded from the ``inner circle'' of junior high Southern belles, an experience that resonated through her adulthood. Considering friendship in the abstract, Jane Smiley wonders if it is possible for writers to have friends at all, while Wendy Wasserstein argues that female friendships have ``the same bumps and turns'' and must be as carefully cultivated as other relationships. Reading these essays may not quite match spending an evening with an old friend, but it makes a pretty good second. First serial to Mirabella, Story, Glamour and Ladies ' Home Journal. (Apr.)

Library Journal

In this diverse collection of essays, 20 contemporary women writers delve into the depths of memory and experience to portray ``friend'' and ``friendship.'' The writers tell of long-lasting friendships that happened naturally, some that didn't happen at all, and others that were short-lived. Carolyn See shares a story of an unconditional 46-year female friendship that has endured childhood, careers, marriages, and divorces; Wendy Wasserstein laments the difficulties of sustaining female friendships; and Joyce Carol Oates recalls the suicide of a friend she continues to miss. Beyond these are the stories of special male friendships, such as Phyllis Rose's with a homosexual; Janette Turner Hospital's with a childhood rival; and Terry Tempest Williams's with a retarded uncle. Pain, loss, and loneliness surround these poignant, revealing tales edited by anthologist Pearlman ( Listen to Their Voices , Norton, 1992). For most collections.-- Jeris Cassel, Rutgers Univ. Libs., New Brunswick, N.J.

Virginia Dwyer

Friendship is examined through a wide-angle lens that probes both truisms and subtler detail. For Margot Livesey, the failure to have friends is most compelling, but Shirley Abbott focuses on the absence of a loved one. For many writers, childhood was a time of their deepest friendships. Carolyn See recalls her past with pleasure, but Joyce Carol Oates' memory of girlhood friendship is tinged with regret. Michelle Cliff, Meg Pei, and Sylvia Watanabe all honor family friends. The more trying and painful aspects of friendship are considered more often than the experience of a positive bond, with the loss of friends arousing the most passion, but all these polished essays are rich in strong emotion and stimulate a fresh understanding of the place that friendship has in the scheme of our lives. Other contributors include Jane Smiley, Jill McCorkle, Connie Porter, Nancy Willard, and Janette Turner Hospital.