Passion and Affect

I guess I don't have too much to say about this, Laurie Colwin's first published work, which is my final Laurie Colwin to read, at least for the first time. Passion and Affect is a collection of short stories. Of all her short stories, I think these are the most normal, and the least typically Laurie Colwin of her works. The topics are more diverse. The collection includes one of her most political works--a short story about a girl whose family hires a servant and the girls difficulty in relating to this woman. It also includes two short stories about the two couples in Family Happiness, for those who love that book and must have more.

My favorite story in this collection is called "Children, Dogs, and Desperate Men." It is a compelling rant of a woman confused and dissatisfied by men and love--it recognizes, as Colwin always does, that love is this incomprehensible thing that just doesn't make much sense.

I thoroughly enjoyed it when one of Colwin's characters complains about nametags! "'This tag embarrasses me,' Mary Leibnitz said. 'Everyone knows my name before I'm introduced.'" (See my own take on nametags here.)


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