Dorothy Allison

Independent presses and bookstores give access to literature specific to a place. Readers can find stories they need.

Independent presses and bookstores give access to literature specific to a place. Readers can find stories they need.

Change, when it comes, cracks everything open.

Change, when it comes, cracks everything open.

I tell my students you have an absolute right to write about people you know and love. You do. But read more

I tell my students you have an absolute right to write about people you know and love. You do. But the kicker is you have a responsibility to make the characters large enough that you will not have sinned against them.

Class, race, sexuality, gender and all other categories by which we categorize and dismiss each other need to be excavated read more

Class, race, sexuality, gender and all other categories by which we categorize and dismiss each other need to be excavated from the inside.

When I saw him speak here before, I could look into the audience and see people who look like him read more

When I saw him speak here before, I could look into the audience and see people who look like him laughing at things I didn't know the references to. There is an intimacy between Chicago writers and the population of this city that I find really wonderful. It's warm and it's welcoming. It's a little like going to a Baptist church. They know when to say 'Amen'.