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Fiction Short Stories (single Author)

For All The Men (and Some of The Women) I've Known

by (author) Danila Botha

Publisher
Tightrope Books
Initial publish date
Oct 2016
Category
Short Stories (single author)
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781988040080
    Publish Date
    Oct 2016
    List Price
    $21.95

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Description

For All The Men (and Some of The Women) I’ve Known explores the complexity of relationships, from love to betrayal. In the book’s unforgettable stories, Botha creates characters so authentic, readers are convinced that they know the characters personally. Botha excels at blending literary techniques with popular zeitgeist, creating stories that read like a combination of Liar by Lynn Crosbie with Lena Dunham’s "Girls." With her signature honesty, Botha exposes the desire for human connection above all things. The collection is hopeful, fearless and utterly relatable.

About the author

Danila Botha is a fiction writer based in Toronto. Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, she studied Creative Writing at York University and at Humber College’s School for Writers. Her first book, a collection of short stories called Got No Secrets (Tightrope Books, 2010) was praised by the Globe and Mail: “The force of the writing is formidable … the staying power lies in Botha’s carefully inflected first person narration.” It was also published in South Africa (Modjaji Books, 2011). Danila has guest-edited the National Post’s “The Afterword,” and her short stories have appeared in Broken Pencil’s fiction issue, Douglas Glover’s Numero Cinq Magazine, and the Adroit Journal. Too Much on the Inside is her first novel.

Danila Botha's profile page

Editorial Reviews

"Botha’s collection thoughtfully, tragically, and insightfully captures the peculiarities of modern relationships in the time of texting, online dating, and an unnerving urban detachment we’ve come to recognize as a normal thing." —Lydia Kardum, theliterarylollipop.com

"The romantic travails of a group of urban twentysomethings falling into and out of love, lust and friendship . . . The author is undeniably familiar with modern urban ennui, and the stories in her collection have an admirable directness and grit." —Steven W. Beattie, The Globe and Mail

“Everyone in this book is alive. Painfully, nervously, ardently. This collection (like Chekhov by way of Kathy Acker but utterly original) is truthful and dreamy, tough and tremulous; sad and aching, seductively, with hope.” —Lynn Crosbie, author, Where Did You Sleep Last Night

"These are stories full of people who disappoint, or are disappointed, yet they rarely end on a note of despair, which in today's Tinder-enabled relationship landscape seems almost like an act of subversion . . . She [Botha] has a fine talent." —Emily Donaldson, Toronto Star

"Short, emotionally dense vignettes pretty much all dealing with love, relationships, marriage and their failure . . . Botha has a talent with words and description and she is speaking smartly, even boldly . . . there are great moments of shine in this collection." —Jonathan Valelly, Winnipeg Review

"This stunning collection will absolutely affect you . . . Each of these stories are real and honest, open and gut-wrenching, and Botha makes them jump out from the page into your mind. This book will stay with you for a long time." —Laurie Burns, Atlantic Books Today

"I devoured this collection, and I hope Ms Botha continues to hone her craft producing more stories with that healthy touch of realism that she has come to be recognised for." —Miramichi Reader

"Smart prose that seamlessly balances humour, disappointment, and dysfunction . . . Botha is an incredibly fresh voice in Canadian literature, and this remarkably visceral and unforgettable collection feels like it’s only setting the stage for much more to come." —Liz Worth, Quill and Quire

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