I Knew You'd Be Lovely by Alethea Black

Review: Over the summer I had the distinct pleasure of attending a writing retreat with Alethea Black, where she was the guest author and presenter. Not only was she a pleasure to be around, but you were easily drawn to her voice and the way she spoke about writing. She immediately reminded me of a small handful of authors that I hold in such high regard for their ability to tell a story and draw out multiple emotions from an audience. Even though her collection of short stories are really quick reads, one should experience them in small sittings in order to savor each character's journey. She is truly an author that I myself will continue to follow and will suggest her pieces to readers alike. By far the most interesting addition to the book is the Author’s Notes feature in which Alethea offers the back story and genesis of each of the stories. This gives the reader a unique and interesting glimpse into the creative process and also a chance for the author to get personal.

About the author:

Alethea Black was born in Boston and graduated from Harvard in 1991. Her debut story collection, I Knew You’d Be Lovely (Broadway, 2011), was chosen for the Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers program and as Book of the Week on Oprah.com.

A glimpse at some of her stories:
"The Only Way Out Is Through" -A teenage boy attempts suicide while on a camping trip with his father. "Don't do this," the father pleads. "We can make it better. But not if you end it. If you end it now, it will never get any better than this." 


"Mollusk Makes a Comeback" -Twenty-something Katie struggles to find a beautiful path while everything around her goes wrong at once. She gets fired from a bookstore after suggesting that a customer someday read the actual books represented by his CliffsNotes. "Yeah, I could do that," he replies, casually handing her a hundred-dollar bill. "But then again, look where that go you." In the title story, a woman struggles to get her husband a more clever, thoughtful birthday present than his potential mistress might. 


"We've Got a Great Future Behind Us" -A down-and-out singer-songwriter spends a weekend in Nashville with a once-famous songwriting duo who divorced so acrimoniously that they haven't spoken in years ... until they come together to record one last love song. The above three summaries are taken from Linkedin.


Click here to read the short story "The Boathouse".
Click here to listen to a podcast interview with Work Stew.