
'Where I'm Calling From' by Raymond Carver is a collection of short stories that delve into the lives of ordinary people facing themes of alcoholism, dysfunctional relationships, and quiet desperation. Carver's writing style is described as spare and simple, yet powerful, capturing the realism of everyday life with stark characterizations and abrupt endings that mirror the unpredictability of life's challenges.
The stories in the book are mostly vignettes that focus on small moments and interactions, showcasing the complexities and struggles of the characters. Carver's narratives are often set in suburban settings, exploring themes of loneliness, failed relationships, and the darker aspects of human nature with a touch of hope and resilience shining through the despair.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings may include themes of alcoholism, domestic strife, emotional distress, and hints of violence or breakdowns.
From The Publisher:
The stories in Where I'm Calling From are selected from the full range of the author's work including Furious Seasons, Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?, What We Talk about When We Talk about Love, and Cathedral and include all seven stories from his last collection, Elephant.
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About the Author:
Raymond Carver was born in Clatskanie, Oregon, in 1938. His first short stories appeared in Esquire during Gordon Lish's tenure as fiction editor in the 1970s. Carver's work began to reach a wider audience with the 1976 publication of Will You Please be Quiet, Please, but it was not until the 1981 publication of What We Talk About When We Talk About Love under Gordon Lish, then at Knopf, that he began to achieve real literary fame. This collection was edited by more than 40 per cent before publication, and Carver dedicated it to his fellow writer and future wife, Tess Gallagher, with the promise that he would one day republish his stories at full length. He went on to write two more collections of stories, Cathedral and Elephant, which moved away from the earlier minimalist style into a new expansiveness, as well as several collections of poetry. He died in 1988, aged fifty.
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