I went to the Edward Hopper exhibition at the Tate the other week, and as I was trying not to be lured into buying pointless Hopper souvenirs, I found myself buying a book of short stories from a new American writer, Adam Haslett. Called You Are Not A Stranger Here, it was part of a display of books that had a kind of Hopper-esque theme; Carver, Arther Miller, Norman mailer, etc. It's gobsmackingly good- so good that I meant to treat myself to a story a day but raced through it because it was just so beautifully written. I'd never heard of him before- is it just me?

Hi Anna, I've never heard of him either, but I enjoyed the Hopper exhibition, so I'll be sure to look out for him!

Thanks for the tip,

Adele.

I read them about a year ago. Someone recommended them. Very moving, brilliant observation. I loved them. In fact I feel like reading them again now - I think I'd appreciate them even more now a year on in my writing career.

Amnesia.

Yes, I think they'd definitely bear re-reading. A lot. What impressed me was how different the stories all are- not as if the writer doesn't have a consistent or specific voice of his own, but as if each story shows a different type of observation about the world. Pure class.