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Alice Elliott Dark

Alice Elliott Dark is the author of the novels Fellowship Point and Think of England, and two collections of short stories, In The Gloaming and Naked to the Waist. Her work has appeared in, among others,

The New Yorker, Harper's, DoubleTake, Ploughshares, A Public Space, Best American Short Stories, Prize Stories: The O.Henry Awards, and translated into many languages. "In the Gloaming," a story, was chosen by John Updike for inclusion in The Best American Short Stories of The Century and was made into films by HBO and Trinity Playhouse.

Her non-fiction reviews and essays have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and many anthologies.

Genres: Literary Fiction

Novels

Think of England (2002)
Fellowship Point (2022)

Collections

Naked To The Waist (1991)
In the Gloaming (2000)

Alice Elliott Dark recommends

Last House (2024)
Jessica Shattuck
"It's rare to find such a gripping novel about an ordinary family pulled in opposite directions by their generational differences and the opportunities and pressures of current events. This is a highly intelligent portrait of a country divided about its values, and an old New England house that has the capacity to shelter and heal all comers. I loved and related to Last House and will keep it on my favorites shelf."

Welcome Home, Stranger (2023)
Kate Christensen
"Rachel Calloway is a compelling heroine for the present moment - angry, honest, independent, witty, brilliant, and in pain. She sometimes makes impulsive choices, but her integrity is always intact. This is the most contemporary novel I have ever read, and I immersed myself in Rachel's Portland, Maine, her family and friends, her knowledge of coming climate catastrophes, and her confusion about where home is for her. Then suddenly, I realized that I was reading about the entire human condition, portrayed in crystal sentences I will return to many times. Welcome Home, Stranger is a novel for now and for the ages."

The Stark Beauty of Last Things (2023)
Céline Keating
"I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed this book. The characters, the twisty plot, the detailed descriptions, and the setting of Montauk, a place of great natural beauty, all drew me in completely. When I miss being by the ocean-all the time-I will from now on have The Stark Beauty of Last Things to turn to for passages that take me there. This is a rare and special book to keep on the bedside table."

Night Watch (2023)
Jayne Anne Phillips
"It's hard to know what to praise first - Jayne Anne Phillips' signature beautiful sentences, the compelling scenes of battle and their ravaged aftermath, the fascinating portrayal of Dr. Thomas Story Kirkbride's 'moral treatment' method for the mentally ill, or the vivid depiction of the people and land of West Virginia in the 1860s and 70s. Night Watch takes a highly deserved place among important novels about war and its legacy."

The Great Transition (2023)
Nick Fuller Googins
"This remarkable novel tells the story of a family trying to hold together after the world has shattered by a cataclysmic climate disaster. Nick Fuller Googins writes beautifully and knowledgeably about the speculative future while focusing on a compelling human story. I was moved by the enormous moral conviction at the heart of The Great Transition and its vision of the future, one that is full of human folly but ultimately offers hope. This is a profound work of great wisdom."

Pete and Alice in Maine (2023)
Caitlin Shetterly
"Rarely is a fictional voice so intimate, honest, and revealing. Alice's carefully created family life is interrupted and her consequent fears are described with deep intelligence in exquisite sentences. I loved this book!"

The Bird Hotel (2023)
Joyce Maynard
"The Bird Hotel is an engaging, smart, and warm-hearted novel that is hard to put down. The setting of the beautiful hotel with its flowers, birds, and fascinating cast of characters is irresistible; during the days I was reading it, all I wanted to do was be there. The excellent plot kept me guessing, and I loved the surprises and touching scenes along the way to a well-earned ending. I will return to this book again."

Take What You Need (2023)
Idra Novey
"In crystalline sentences, Idra Novey has created a suspenseful work of deep moral imagination. The relationship between step-daughter and mother has the explosive power of fairy tales, myths, and ancient texts."

Beyond That, the Sea (2023)
Laura Spence-Ash
"I was utterly captivated by this beautiful story from the first page to the last. The characters are so real, their feelings so well portrayed that I had to keep reminding myself that I don't actually know them. But I do! And I will return to the book to experience the well-wrought details of these lives again. This is a new favorite novel, and I can only hope Laura Spence-Ash has more coming soon."

Hester (2022)
Laurie Lico Albanese
"This page-turning and poignant novel beautifully imagines the untold life story of the woman who went down in literary history wearing a scarlet letter. Albanese lets the reader accompany her through an early life of secret powers and difficult attachments on her way to becoming a strong and independent woman."

The Party Upstairs (2020)
Lee Conell
"I savored every word of this funny, wise, and cool book. Ruby's post-college return to her parents' apartment in the basement of a building near the Museum of Natural History is hardly triumphal, yet on one March day and night she and her father—the building's super—manage to do and undo their best-laid plans and beliefs about who they are to each other and in the world. Lee Conell is profound, wise, and witty, and in The Party Upstairs has offered us all a manual for how to care for the spaces we inhabit and the people and events that upset our equilibrium in ways both good and bad—including ourselves. This novel will take its well-earned place among the enduring books about young women. It is serious-minded and relevant in the hardest times, and also offers the pleasures of a great party."

Rules for Moving (2020)
Nancy Star
"Rules for Moving highlights once again Nancy Star’s sense of humor and empathy for tenderhearted people who are struggling to find a place in the world. I rooted for Lane Meckler, the snappy advice columnist who has no quick comeback when her six-year-old son goes silent with everyone but her. The novel is as suspenseful as a mystery and as wise as an Elizabeth Strout book."

Gods of Wood and Stone (2018)
Mark Di Ionno
"Engrossing from the first page, this clear-eyed and atmospheric novel hurtled me through a roller coaster of emotions—from curiosity to outrage to relief. How are American men raised to think about fame, talent, hard work, and women? What happens when two men with opposing worldviews get in each other’s way? Gods of Wood and Stone raises important questions of our time."

Refuge (2017)
Dina Nayeri
"Deeply felt . . . I was completely taken up by this book--invigorated by the intelligence, and inspired by the sensual descriptions of Iranian food and Amsterdam life. I'll keep this one in my bookshelf of favorites."

More recommendations

Books containing stories by Alice Elliott Dark

The Best American Short Stories of the Century (2008)
(Best American Short Stories)
edited by
Katrina Kenison and John Updike

Nothing But You (1997)
Love Stories from the New Yorker
edited by
Roger Angell

The Best American Short Stories 1994 (1994)
(Best American Short Stories)
edited by
Katrina Kenison and Tobias Wolff

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