Breaking Up is Hard to Do: Stories by Women

In this companion to Love's Shadow: Writings by Women , editor and poet Sumrall has brought together 63 short stories and poems which address in some way the different stages surrounding the dissolution of relationships. These voices, all of which belong to women, are full of self-doubt, longing, anger, lust and, in many cases, madness. Some women are afraid of intimacy, such as Maureen in Chris Mazza's ``Adrenalin,'' who uses her obsession with photography to push her lover away. Others, like Susan in ``Unlocking the Door'' by Deborah Shouse, were victims of abuse as children, which is the root of their inability to stay in a relationship. Margaret McMullen's heart-wrenching ``Saying Goodbye to Joey'' involves a woman named Cat, who stays by her friend's side as he is dying of AIDS, even though she knows of his affair with her lover, Michael. Although often compelling and well-written, the pacing and sheer volume of this ambitious collection pose problems. The distinct voices tend to blur at times, detracting from the success of each individual piece. This might have been avoided by a shorter, more even selection of poetry and prose. Still, this is a spectacular array of characters that any reader would have a hard time resisting. (Apr.)