Imagined Bodies and Other Stories

Abstract

Imagined Bodies and Other Stories focuses on young girls and women who find themselves in new situations, countries, or bodies that leave them reeling. These five stories examine the generational and everyday violence often committed against women, either from the culture at large, men, or by the women themselves. Additionally, these stories explore the joy, humor, and comfort women find with one another, as well as the bursts of competition, jealousy, and cruelty that can push them apart. The characters in this collection start their stories by feeling secure in the status quo, only for their relationships to transform and disorient the protagonists. This disorientation often surfaces as a tangling of the real and the unreal: visions, magic, witches, and possession abound in these stories, which work to heighten the worlds of these characters and leave reality feeling slippery.