Miranda July has a rare gift for bringing excitement to the otherwise banal moments in our everyday lives. That talent is on display in her debut collection of 16 short stories, No One Belongs Here More Than You. Her characters are fragile, odd, and often damaged, each in her own way; in a word, human. They deal with loneliness and heartache, finding love and letting go, as do we all. Her stories are filled with bizarre sexual encounters and awkward interactions. One narrator gives swimming lessons to octogenarians inside her apartment; another has a large birthmark removed, only to have it return later in life to save her marriage and her sense of self. Though dark at times, July's stories are filled with quirky humor and stay with you long after you turn out the lights and go to sleep. Stand-outs include "The Man on the Stairs," "This Person," "Something That Needs Nothing" and "Mon Plaisir."
The creator and star of Me and You and Everyone We Know presents a collection of short works featuring profoundly sympathetic protagonists whose inherent sensitivities render them particularly vulnerable to unexpected events. Reprint. 100,000 first printing.