There is so much to admire in these deeply human tales confronting grief, death, loneliness, and despair. Each compelling and complex character reveals an unexpected grace, reveals comfort where one would never expect to find it, and this gives a reader the courage to face the worst. Whether you’re grieving or celebrating the beauty of this life, these stories will speak to you. -Karen Stefano, author of What A Body Remembers: A Memoir of Sexual Assault and Its Aftermath
The characters’ seemingly unhealthy pursuits concerning their personal grief become utterly compelling to the reader under Fagan’s command. Instead of odd, they are fully believable, reacting to loss in one of a myriad of ways human beings just might-a woman who attends the funerals of people she does not know, another who collects yo-yos and men, a man who dials random phone numbers hoping for connection on the other end, a woman who finds a man living in her basement, and more. In addition, Fagan employs short sentences so effectively. With minimal details she is able to reveal the worlds of curious people. Grief Eater is a thoroughly enjoyable collection of short stories. -Lisa Muir, author of Taking Down the Moon
Deirdre Fagan’s distinctive voice, spare yet warm, lures the reader into spacious interiors affording the reader room to roam. Thought-provoking, beguiling, astringent, yet consoling, this cohesive collection of tales of loss never fails to engross and surprise. The surprises culminate with an insightful resolution of the delightful last tale. Haversham’s Dickens and Lenore’s Poe would, I think, reach out for this volume. -Jon Sindell, author of The Pugilist Poets of Venice
Deirdre Fagan is a widow, wife, and mother of two who writes poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and essays on literary criticism and pedagogy. She is the author of the book Critical Companion to Robert Frost, and the articles, Kay Ryan and Poetic Play, published in the CEA Critic, and Emily Dickinson’s Unutterable Word, collected in Bloom’s Modern Critical Views: Emily Dickinson. Her academic and creative work is available in various online and print journals, magazines, and anthologies. Fagan’s poem, Outside In, was a finalist for Best of the Net 2018, and her poem, Homesick, was nominated for a 2018 Pushcart. She has a chapbook, Have Love, forthcoming from Finishing Line Press.
Fagan is a native New Yorker who has previously lived in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, and Maryland. She currently resides in Michigan where she is associate professor and coordinator of creative writing in the English, Literature, and World Languages Department at Ferris State University. Fagan coordinates the Literature in Person series, which brings national and regional authors to Ferris, and facilitates National Poetry Month events celebrating the genre through poetry readings, discussions, and activities. Fagan teaches creative writing, composition, poetry, and American literature. Meet her at deirdrefagan.com.
