Laughter and other lies

Abstract

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] This dissertation contains a collection of twelve short stories as well as a critical essay on the short stories of Ann Beattie. The critical essay explores minimalism in Ann Beattie's work, particularly with regard to her use of crowds and gender construction. The short stories are unlinked, although thematically related, and summarizing the twelve of them in a single line has proven to be impossible.