The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis

LydiaDavis,acclaimedfictionwriterandtranslator,isfamousinliterarycirclesforherextremelybriefandbrilliantlyinventiveshortstories.Infall2003shereceivedoneof25MacArthurFoundation“Genius”awards.IngrantingtheawardtheMacArthurFoundationpraisedDavis’sworkforshowing“howlanguageitselfcanentertain,howallthatwhatonewordsays,andleavesunsaid,canholdareader’sinterest....Davisgrantsreadersaglimpseoflife’spreviouslyinvisibledetails,revealingnewsourcesofphilosophicalinsightsandbeauty.”In2013ShewasthewinneroftheManBookerInternationalprize.Davis’srecentcollection,“VarietiesofDisturbance”(May2007),wasfeaturedonthefrontcoverofthe“LosAngelesTimesBookReview”andgarneredastarredreviewfrom“PublishersWeekly.”Her“SamuelJohnsonIsIndignant”(2001)waspraisedby“Elle”magazineforits“Highlyintelligent,wildlyentertainingstories,boundbyvisionary,philosophical,comicprose—partGertrudeStein,partSimoneWeil,andpureLydiaDavis.”DavisisalsoacelebratedtranslatorofFrenchliteratureintoEnglish.TheFrenchgovernmentnamedheraChevalieroftheOrderofArtsandLettersforherfictionandherdistinguishedtranslationsofworksbyMauriceBlanchot,PierreJeanJouve,MichelButorandothers.Davisrecentlypublishedanewtranslation(thefirstinmorethan80years)ofMarcelProust’smasterpiece,“Swann’sWay”(2003),thefirstvolumeofProust’s“InSearchofLostTime.”AstoryofchildhoodandsexualjealousysetinfindesiecleFrance,“Swann’sWay”iswidelyregardedasoneofthemostimportantliteraryworksofthe20thcentury.The“SundayTelegraph”(London)calledthenewtranslation“Atriumph[that]willbringthisinexhaustibleartworktonewaudiencesthroughouttheEnglish-speakingworld.”Writingforthe“IrishTimes,”FrankWynnesaid,“WhatsoarsinthisnewversionisthesimplicityoflanguageandfidelitytothecambersofProust’sprose…Davis’translationismagnificent,precise.”Davis’spreviousworksinclude“AlmostNoMemory”(stories,1997),“TheEndoftheStory”(novel,1995),“BreakItDown”(stories,1986),“StoryandOtherStories”(1983),and“TheThirteenthWoman”(stories,1976).GracePaleywroteof“AlmostNoMemory”thatLydiaDavisisthekindofwriterwho“makesyousay,‘Oh,atlast!’—brains,language,energy,aplayfulnesswithform,andwhatappearstobeagenerousnature.”Thecollectionwaschosenasoneofthe“25FavoriteBooksof1997”bythe“VoiceLiterarySupplement”andoneofthe“100BestBooksof1997”bythe“LosAngelesTimes.”Davisfirstreceivedseriouscriticalattentionforhercollectionofstories,“BreakItDown,”whichwasselectedasafinalistforthePEN/HemingwayAward.Thebook’spositivecriticalreceptionhelpedDaviswinaprestigiousWhitingWriter’sAwardin1988.SheisthedaughterofRobertGorhamDavisandHopeHaleDavis.From1974to1978DaviswasmarriedtoPaulAuster,withwhomshehasason,DanielAuster.DavisiscurrentlymarriedtopainterAlanCote,withwhomshehasason,TheoCote.SheisaprofessorofcreativewritingatUniversityatAlbany,SUNY.DavisisconsideredhugelyinfluentialbyagenerationofwritersincludingJonathanFranzen,DavidFosterWallaceandDaveEggers,whooncewrotethatshe"blowstheroofoffofsomanyofourassumptionsaboutwhatconstitutesshortfiction."