A remarkable collection of short stories set in Wyoming from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of 'The Shipping News' and 'Brokeback Mountain'. 'Bad Dirt' is filled with the vivid and willful characters for which Proulx has become known. Each occupies a community or landscape described in rich and robust language, with an eye for detail unparalleled in American fiction. In 'The Contest', the men of Elk Tooth, Wyoming, vow to put aside their razors for two seasons and wait to see who has the longest beard come the 4th of July. Deb Sipple, the moving protagonist of 'That Trickle Down Effect', finds that his opportunism -- and his smoking habit -- lead to a massive destruction. And 'What Kind of Furniture Would Jesus Pick?' is the story of Gilbert Wolfscale, whose rabid devotion to his ranch drives off his wife and sons. Proulx displays her wit in every story of this stunning collection, as well as her knowledge of the West, of history, of ranching and farming. Her profound sympathy for characters who must use sheer will and courage to make it in tough territory makes this collection extraordinarily compelling.

安妮‧普露（Annie Proulx），1935年生於美國康乃狄格州，當過新聞工作者，寫過大眾書籍，50歲以後才開始小說創作。她熱愛地方歷史，多年來收集了北美多地的在地生活、事件的回憶錄與敘述。實地在懷俄明州生活旅行經歷，參加牛仔詩會，參考地區史將其中的真人真事。

普露曾獲全國教育協會與古根漢研究經費，並多次獲選進駐懷俄明的優克羅斯基金會。1988年發表首部短篇小說選集Heart Songs and Other Stories，1992年發表Postcards，贏得1993年美國筆會／福克納小說獎，為首位獲得此獎的女性作家。1993年出版的小說《真情快遞》榮獲芝加哥論壇報心臟地帶獎、愛爾蘭時報國際小說獎、美國國家書卷獎以及普立茲獎。1996年6月出版Accordion Crimes，2002年出版That Old Ace in the Hole。

短篇小說集《斷背山》（1999年）則有多篇單篇獲獎；〈斷背山〉獲得歐‧亨利短篇小說獎，並獲得全美雜誌獎。整本小說集則榮獲1999年紐約客最佳小說獎、2000年博多書店原聲文學獎以及English-Speaking Union's Ambassador Book Award等殊榮。

安妮‧普露1995年遷居懷俄明州，但泰半時間周遊北美各地。