'I know lots of things now that I'm dead. Peter from Apartment Two has a spastic bladder. My former boss Morgan keeps her toenails in a gold jewellery box. My brother and his wife are trying for a baby. I always excuse myself before things get too heated.
'I don't know much about my mother yet. I am waiting for grief to catch her, but she mostly seems ashamed—of her body, of what it made.
'A mother cuts her daughter's hair because her own hair starts falling out. A woman leaves her boyfriend because he reminds her of a corpse. A woman undergoes brain surgery to try and live more comfortably in higher temperatures. A widow attempts to physically transform into her husband so that she does not have to grieve.
'The characters that populate She is Haunted search for recognition and connection, and, more than anything else, small moments of empathy - offering piercing insights into transnational Asian identity and intergenerational trauma and grief, the dynamics of mother-daughter relationships, the inexplicable oddities of female friendship, and the love of a good dog.' (Publication summary)
'The stories in Chinese/American/Australian writer Paige Clark’s debut collection, She Is Haunted, deal with relationships—both romantic and those between mothers and daughters—and mortality. The lead story is titled “Elisabeth Kubler-Ross” after the psychiatrist who framed the five stages of grief. Many of the female characters are named Elizabeth, including a Paige Elizabeth, or variations of that name and Clark dedicates her book to “all the Elizabeths who have lived through this and more”.' (Introduction)
'A bitingly clever short story collection about life, loss, relationships, and identity.'
'Every year Grattan Institute compiles a list of essential reads for the PM. Here’s what it has recommended this time.'
'Just in time for the latest lockdown, ABC Arts is trialling a monthly book column. Each month, we'll present a shortlist of new releases read and recommended by The Bookshelf's Kate Evans and The Book Show's Claire Nichols and Sarah L'Estrange — alongside freelance writers and book reviewers. This month, we're thrilled to present recommendations from Declan Fry and Khalid Warsame.' (Introduction)
'The stories in Chinese/American/Australian writer Paige Clark’s debut collection, She Is Haunted, deal with relationships—both romantic and those between mothers and daughters—and mortality. The lead story is titled “Elisabeth Kubler-Ross” after the psychiatrist who framed the five stages of grief. Many of the female characters are named Elizabeth, including a Paige Elizabeth, or variations of that name and Clark dedicates her book to “all the Elizabeths who have lived through this and more”.' (Introduction)
'A bitingly clever short story collection about life, loss, relationships, and identity.'
'Every year Grattan Institute compiles a list of essential reads for the PM. Here’s what it has recommended this time.'
