Belles' letters

Gumbo in Mobile, Dreamland ribs in Tuscaloosa, nouveau cuisine in Birmingham, Chris's hot dogs in Montgomery, and pond-raised catfish fried in the Black Belt - as varied as that menu, so are the stories and excerpts in this collection by women writers from Alabama. Comedy, allegory, folklore are here. Subjects varying from childhood initiation, to spousal abuse, to race relations, to AIDS are here. Plots involving murder, romance, necrophilia, Shirley Temple dolls, kinfolk, and ghostly appearances are here. In brief, when you finish this collection your concept of Alabama writers, as well as your concept of women writers, will expand.