RE: JCO: RE: Female of the Species

Yes well, there was that cheap shot about cheap thrills ... But since it's
JCO they have to make some jab it seems.

I agree with you regarding the excellence of her writing in the short form.
Even the briefest of her stories is immensely rich and satisfying to me as a
reader. Many remain with me long after they've been read.

There is one story I especially enjoyed and admired -- I believe the title
is The Runner though I don't recall in which volume it was collected. In
this marvelous story a woman is running on a wooded path with her lover from
whom she becomes separated. While running alone she sees on the path up
ahead two men, not running, just standing there. What follows is her swift
transformation from strong, confident woman to helpless victim and it all
takes place in the woman's mind. At the same time she continues to run
toward these strangers seemingly unable to divert her steps or act in any
other way to overt her victimization which she has already resigned herself
to.

I admire several things about this story. First, JCO is able to create so
much character movement while setting the story in the protag's mind with
very little external action.

Second, she bestows on the protag so many thoughts, emotions and responses
that are familiar to, if not every reader, certainly every female reader;
thus creating a kind of Every Woman with whom the reader identifies and for
whom she can hope and worry for her safe outcome.

I'm sorry this post got so long. I just get carried away ...

Kim

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