How is it possible that Lucia Berlin isn鈥檛 as famous as Lorrie Moore, John Updike, and any other well-regarded short story writer? One can only hope that she finds success posthumously (Berlin passed away in 2004). FSG is releasing a collection of her stories on August 18th, edited by Stephen Emerson and with an introduction by Lydia Davis, in which Davis quotes Berlin: 鈥淭he story itself becomes the truth, not just for the writer but for the reader. In any good piece of writing it is not an identification with a situation, but this recognition of truth that is thrilling.鈥� Berlin wrote the truth, whether she was focused on a cleaning woman or the stories that unfold in Laundromats. She writes in the book鈥檚 title story, 鈥淢ost American women are very uncomfortable about having servants. They don鈥檛 know what to do while you are there. Mrs. Burke does things like recheck her Christmas card list and iron last year鈥檚 wrapping paper. In August.鈥� It鈥檚 remarkable how much she could say in just a few sentences.
