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The Visiting Privilege
The Visiting Privilege: New and Collected Stories | Joy Williams
14 posts | 9 read | 2 reading | 43 to read
The legendary writers first collection in more than ten yearsand, finally, the definitive one. A literary event of the highest order. Joy Williams has been celebrated as a master of the short story for four decades, her renown passing as a given from one generation to the next even in the shifting landscape of contemporary writing. And at long last the incredible scope of her singular achievement is put on display: thirty-three stories drawn from three much-lauded collections, and another thirteen appearing here for the first time in book form. Forty-six stories in all, far and away the most comprehensive volume in her long career, showcasing her crisp, elegant prose, her dark wit, and her uncanny ability to illuminate our world through characters and situations that feel at once peculiar and foreign and disturbingly familiar.Virtually all American writers have their favorite Joy Williams stories, as do many readers of all ages, and each one of them is available here.From the Hardcover edition.
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Billypar
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#trueblue #MOvember

Some shades of blue from my shelf 💙

@Cinfhen

Cinfhen Pretty 💙blue is my favorite color 4y
35 likes1 comment
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Billypar
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The first thing I thought of for #cars was this Joy Williams story 'Rot' where a man buys this old black Thunderbird only to find that it has extensive body rot. Here he is suggesting to his wife that they move it into the living room. The absurdity of the dialogue cracks me up 😂 🚗🚗🚗 #nuyear @TrishB @Cinfhen

Cinfhen I'm always impressed with your awesome finds❣️❣️❣️ 6y
TrishB I‘m trying to think how big someone‘s living room would have to be 😁 6y
27 likes2 comments
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Billypar
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I realized that my shelf doesn't have too many #badgirls But I guess drinking gin while spying on your chemistry teacher in his home and naked would qualify. From the Joy Williams' story 'Winter Chemistry'. #augustgrrrl @Cinfhen

Leftcoastzen 😂 7y
mcipher Yeah, that sounds kind of bad!! 🤣 7y
saresmoore Hahaha! 7y
Cinfhen Yea, I'd say that qualifies for #badgirl 😜 7y
16 likes1 stack add4 comments
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Billypar
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Pickpick

My first introduction to the strange world of Joy Williams. I had such widely different reactions from story to story, but my biggest takeaway is that you need to read JW with no distractions and slowly. Preferably at night. Under those conditions I can't imagine disliking any stories from this collection on the next read. Side note.... This copy kept getting water damaged randomly, but it feels oddly appropriate.

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badnorthern
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Donna_sBookMinute If I'm in a hurry I just carry it in my hand. 7y
LectricSheep What is Joy Williams like? After 5 minutes of research, it seems like she's the best writer I've never heard of. 7y
badnorthern @Donna_sBookMinute I do the same thing :) But I do love a roomy purse with a nice long strap 7y
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badnorthern @LectricSheep she is weird and funny and bleak. Like 98 per cent of the time I don't understand her stories but I still love them 7y
Donna_sBookMinute @badnorthern -- Yes, I love the first few days with a roomy purse. Then I start adding things and it starts getting fuller and heavier -- for me. 7y
LectricSheep Sounds like a cool reading experience! 7y
36 likes1 stack add6 comments
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karenna
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Of course it was all just whistling in the dark, but sometimes she would conclude by saying that despite their clumsy grief and all the lost and puzzling years that still lay ahead of them, the earth was no less beautiful.

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Thekelburrows
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Pretty great so far. Not sure if I'm seeing enough variety to sustain 400+ pages.

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ReadingEnvy
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11 likes2 stack adds
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strandbookstore
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Congrats to Joy Williams for winning the PEN/ Malamud Award for Excellence in the Short Story. ? Richard Ford has called her stories "incandescent, witty, alarming, often hilarious" and we couldn't agree more. Her latest collection, The Visiting Privilege is one of our favorites!

37 likes23 stack adds
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Kenny
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Joy Williams. Is she our best living short story writer? (Maybe.) (I think so.)

tkmadden I'm with you. But let's not forget about Annie Proulx 8y
vincentscarpa @tkmadden omg I like AP v much, but she sucks JW's rainboots. 8y
tkmadden @vincentscarpa let's fight over it! ❤️ 8y
17 likes3 stack adds3 comments
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AustinJLanger
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Pickpick

continually enjoying everything Joy Williams has written

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notokens
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Returning to this Joy Williams story from issue 1 of #notokens. The story appears in Joy's newest collection, The Visiting Privilege, so why not treat yourself to this perfect holiday read?

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