The Baby Can Sing and Other Stories

By Judith Slater

The Baby Can Sing and Other Stories introduces a writer who approaches the world at a surprisingly oblique angle. Judith Slater writes in a prose dance, dramatizing the lives of ordinary people who wonder what they can do to bring more passion into their lives, or at least less loneliness. The characters in these stories are a diverse bunch--a floral clerk with aspiration of being a ballet dancer, a photographer volunteering to take the pictures at his ex-girlfriend's wedding, a father playing the role of reluctant chaperone at his daughter's school dance--but all of them are alert to the moments of possibility, transcendence, and sometimes even magic that exist just under the surface of ordinary life.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1889330353
• ISBN13: 9781889330358
• Release Date: November 1999
• Publisher: Sarabande Books
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

A treasure

I loved Judith Slater's short story collection, especially the stories "Water Witch" and "The Bride's Lover." All the stories are different in their approach and structure, but all are intellectually and emotionally moving, all deal with the internal landscape of the characters in surprising yet true ways. The prose is wonderful--very engaging and original, yet also very smooth to read. You know you're in the hands of a master storyteller, and the payoff is always substantial and rewarding. I'm looking forward to Slater's next effort.