Whatever Happened to Interracial Love?: Stories - Paperback

by Kathleen Collins (Author)

"From the first page you know you're in the hands of an exceptional writer... I adored this book." --Zadie Smith

"Sexy and radical and intimate." --Miranda July

Named a Best Book of 2016 by VICE, Elle, Nylon, Publishers Weekly and NPR

Named one of the most anticipated books of the fall by the Huffington Post, New York, The Boston Globe, Lit Hub, and The Millions

Now available in Ecco's Art of the Story series: a never-before-published collection of stories from a brilliant yet little known African American artist and filmmaker--a contemporary of revered writers including Toni Cade Bambara, Laurie Colwin, Ann Beattie, Amy Hempel, and Grace Paley--whose prescient work has recently resurfaced to wide acclaim.

Humorous, poignant, perceptive, and full of grace, Kathleen Collins's stories masterfully blend the quotidian and the profound in a personal, intimate way, exploring deep, far-reaching issues--race, gender, family, and sexuality--that shape the ordinary moments in our lives.

In "The Uncle," a young girl who idolizes her handsome uncle and his beautiful wife makes a haunting discovery about their lives. In "Only Once," a woman reminisces about her charming daredevil of a lover and his ultimate--and final--act of foolishness. Collins's work seamlessly integrates the African-American experience in her characters' lives, creating rich, devastatingly familiar, full-bodied men, women, and children who transcend the symbolic, penetrating both the reader's head and heart.

Both contemporary and timeless, Whatever Happened to Interracial Love? is a major addition to the literary canon, and is sure to earn Kathleen Collins the widespread recognition she is long overdue.

Front Jacket

A collection of newly discovered and never-before-published stories by the late Kathleen Collins, a brilliant yet little-known African American writer, artist, and filmmaker.

Exuberant, poignant, perceptive, and full of grace, these sixteen stories by Kathleen Collins explore deep, far-reaching issues--relating to race, gender, family, and sexuality--that shape the ordinary moments in our lives. Collins's work masterfully blends the quotidian and the profound in a personal, intimate way, seamlessly integrating the African American experience into her characters' lives and creating rich and devastatingly familiar characters who transcend symbolism.

In "The Uncle," a young girl who idolizes her handsome uncle and his beautiful wife makes a haunting discovery about their lives. In "Only Once," a woman reminisces about her charming daredevil of a lover and his ultimate--and final--act of foolishness. And in the title story, a recent college graduate realizes the limits of the civil rights movement--and the personal and romantic consequences it holds for her.

Both contemporary and timeless, Whatever Happened to Interracial Love? is a major and long- overdue addition to our literary canon.

--Nylon Magazine

Back Jacket

A collection of newly discovered and never-before-published stories by the late Kathleen Collins, a brilliant yet little-known African American writer, artist, and filmmaker.

Exuberant, poignant, perceptive, and full of grace, these sixteen stories by Kathleen Collins explore deep, far-reaching issues--relating to race, gender, family, and sexuality--that shape the ordinary moments in our lives. Collins's work masterfully blends the quotidian and the profound in a personal, intimate way, seamlessly integrating the African American experience into her characters' lives and creating rich and devastatingly familiar characters who transcend symbolism.

In "The Uncle," a young girl who idolizes her handsome uncle and his beautiful wife makes a haunting discovery about their lives. In "Only Once," a woman reminisces about her charming daredevil of a lover and his ultimate--and final--act of foolishness. And in the title story, a recent college graduate realizes the limits of the civil rights movement--and the personal and romantic consequences it holds for her.

Both contemporary and timeless, Whatever Happened to Interracial Love? is a major and long- overdue addition to our literary canon.