The Melancholy of Anatomy

"Witty, multilayered, and beautifully written : a startling and memorable collection." —Ali Smith, author of Hotel World

"These tales prance and pirouette along the edge of the surreal. Sometimes they dive directly in, to bring back a sense of elegance, rightness, and great wisdom."—Samuel R. Delany, author of Dhalgren

"Shelley Jackson is a gifted writer . . . who, very playfully, very disturbingly, takes the body apart and puts it back together again, always in startlingly imaginative ways. These tales of the anatomy’s ludicrous sorrows are deliciously crafted, maintaining always a fine balance between outrageous comedy and profound melancholy. She is . . . one of the most poised and original talents of her generation." —Robert Coover, author of Pricksongs & Descants

"She erases the boundaries between body and self, secretion and shedding, love and loathing, enveloping the reader in a slippery, icky, fascinating world." —The Village Voice Literary Supplement