Articles of Faith

By Elizabeth Oness

In her award-winning collection, Elizabeth Oness travels a vast emotional terrain, from the loss of innocence to sexual betrayal to the helplessness of parents before their children. In "Momentum, " a woman carries the burden of a dead friend's secret for years until she finally decides to reveal it, only to discover that other, darker secrets still lie in wait. "Rufus" follows the quandary of a young man who is forced to choose between the affection of his girlfriend and his compassion for a homeless man who has taken up residence in his car.

Articles of Faith is a collection of stories about silence and the complications that arise when a silence is kept too long or suddenly broken. As one narrator relates, "I knew that life was full of these things which matter so enormously and make us what we are--but remain unsaid because to voice them does not make them go away, and instead shakes everything around us apart. "

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0877457263
• ISBN13: 9780877457268
• Release Date: October 2000
• Publisher: University of Iowa Press
• Length: 152 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.6" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Subtly faithful

If you blink while reading Articles of Faith, you may miss the "faith" connections. A born-again Christian? A cult member? The philosophy of an Eastern religion? Sin? These seem to be some of the faithful in this collection of contemporary stories on a wide variety of subjects. The Narrow Gate is about drug-abuse. The Oracle shows what an unconventional relationship between prospective step-siblings might look like. The Music Underneath covers adultery. A Confusion of Light (my least favorite) is a barely five-page story about the Waco fire. Rufus delves into the seemingly unlikely interactions between a woman, her boyfriend and a homeless man. Momentum handles a girl's feelings of guilt over long-secreted tragedy-related knowledge. Theodolite follows a surveyor's courting of a singer. A Crescent in the Skin (my favorite) looks at an actor's evolving friendship with a Spanish-speaking restaurant coworker. Although the paperback is awkwardly-dimensioned (over nine inches in length), the eight stories within are varied, engaging, and worth a look.

A Great Beginning...

This book, which is a great beginning for Mrs. Oness as an author and a voice of contemporary Americans, shows the depth and potential of what could easily be a new and powerful voice in Modern fiction.The unique quality of Oness's writing (which goes from real to surreal depending on story) is that it touches--and makes a subtle indictment--of many aspects of American faith. Faith in god, each other, and what unites us all...It's all shown in a light that makes the reader question each angle of the situations depicted.Although I feel she hasn't quite mastered the essence of "truth" found in many masterpieces of short fiction, I feel she is a unique and intelligent writer who may be well on her way to the grandeur of Logos.

an amazing new short story writer

I'm thrilled that Elizabeth Oness has arrived. She is a deft and agile writer. I admire what she does with characterization, complexities of relationships, and her ability to nail the moment. She is remarkable, and I hope to see more work by her.