Description

Love Does Not Make Me Gentle or Kind
Chavis Woods
Love Does Not Make Me Gentle or Kind is a collection of short stories
which fit together as chapters of a novel, focusing on the formative
and tumultuous moments in the lives of two women as children and
adults, whose characters are abstracted within the context of each
story. Primarily set in rural America and other transient realms, this
book combines realism with elements of meta-fiction, magnifying the
extraordinary interpersonal worlds created by the circumstances
of their outer reality.

“As Flannery O’Connor beckons us into the restless, gothic American
south, and A.M. Homes backs us into bizarre and frightening corners
of our suburbia, Chavisa Woods guides us through a strange, troubling
vision of domestic life in the rural U.S.” — Go Magazine

“A thoughtful and philosophical read. Highly recommended.”
— The Pedestal Magazine

“Woods is writer who watches, waits, and thinks for herself, bringing
us close to the infernal life of the Americanly Ignorant and the
articulate seer who lurks among them.” — Jennifer Blowdryer

“The stories in this book are strong as a punch with endings that
hit as hard as a full beer can to the head.” — Katharine Arnoldi

“Most gripping are stories that, like real dreams, institute close
connections between reality and fantasy.” — The Brooklyn Rail

“From the sweet smell of trumpet flowers to the touch that can
kill, Woods’ work is honest, clear-headed and hard-hitting.”
— Steve Dalachinsky