"A book in which suppleness of phrasing and sensitivity to the subtler currents of human experience abound." - Chicago Tribune From one of our ablest chroniclers of marriage, middle age, and urban myth, a masterful collection of stories that subverts the standard domestic drama with an edgy outrageousness that mixes tragedy with black humor. In Referred Pain and Other Stories Lynne Sharon Schwartz surpasses her reputation as a scrupulous stylist who writes with both passion and discipline. Whether realistic or fanciful, her stories are distinguished for their intensity and impeccable attention to the nuances of language. On the surface, her characters are living ordinary lives, but Schwartz reveals their fantasies and subversions with black humor and psychological acuity. Long lauded for her precisely observed domestic dramas and comedies, this wide-ranging collection gives further resonance to an already sterling reputation. "A theme...resonates throughout the collection: our need to find the sort of meaning that will keep our lives from becoming little more than aimless parades of incidents." - New York Times