num_pages: 34
description: A dazzling and incisive collection of 12 flash fictions illuminating the varied lives of women and girls Nicole Rivass A Bright and Pleading Dagger immerses readers in its subjects complex experiences with desire selfhood and omnipresent danger. A pizza shop worker goes on a series of visceral dates with her gynecologist; a slighted lover coughs up a forgotten childhood toy; an artist unknowingly becomes the subject of an intrusive admirers lust; a woman has a heated staring contest with the worlds oldest man. Powerful and precise Rivass stories highlight the unreality within the real simultaneously evoking humor outrage and awe.Contest judge Rigoberto Gonzlez writes: With this marvelous collection of short stories Rivas places her finger on that pressure point where adventure and dangerintersect where fantasy and reality cross wires and where desire ebbs and flows to the delightor chagrinof her female protagonists. Each story unpredictable and startlingleaves a lasting impression. A Bright and Pleading Dagger is truly a compelling and unforgettable journey into the dark but poignant experiences of women.
language: English
title: A Bright and Pleading Dagger
publisher: Rose Metal Press