{"product_id":"9781925410341","title":"Pulse Points: Stories","description":"\u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003e‘With precise and beautiful prose, the short stories in Jennifer Down’s \u003ci\u003ePulse Points\u003c\/i\u003e carry an emotional clarity and intensity that is truly impressive.’ \u003ci\u003eBooks\u003c\/i\u003e+\u003ci\u003ePublishing\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e The characters in Jennifer Down’s \u003ci\u003ePulse Points\u003c\/i\u003e live in small dusty towns, glittering exotic cities and slow droll suburbs; they are mourners, survivors and perpetrators. \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e In the award-winning ‘Aokigahara’, a young woman travels to the sea of trees in Japan to say goodbye. In ‘Coarsegold’, a woman conducts an illicit affair while her recovering girlfriend works the overnight motel shift in the middle of nowhere. In ‘Dogs’, Foggo runs an unruly gang of bored, cruel boys with a scent for fresh meat. In ‘Pressure Okay’ a middle-aged man goes to the theatre, gets a massage, remembers his departed wife, navigates the long game of grief with his adult daughter. \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e Jennifer Down, whose first novel, \u003ci\u003eOur Magic Hour\u003c\/i\u003e, was commended in the 2017 Victorian Premier’s Literary Award, is a masterful stylist whose sharp eye has been compared to that of Helen Garner. \u003ci\u003ePulse Points\u003c\/i\u003e is a gutting collection that showcases her singular voice, and reminds us once more that this is a writer of great talent. \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eJennifer Down\u003c\/b\u003e was born in 1990. \u003ci\u003eOur Magic Hour\u003c\/i\u003e was highly commended in the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award. Her writing has appeared in the \u003ci\u003eAge\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eSydney Morning Herald\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eSaturday Paper\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eAustralian Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eKill Your Darlings\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eLifted Brow\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eBest Australian Stories\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eBlue Mesa Review\u003c\/i\u003e. She is one of \u003ci\u003eSydney Morning Herald\u003c\/i\u003e’s Young Novelists of the Year, 2017. \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e ‘Jennifer Down is a subtly extraordinary writer, and \u003ci\u003ePulse Points\u003c\/i\u003e is one of the best Australian literary offerings we’ll see this year.’ \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eGood Reading\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e ‘A haunting and evocative collection of stories about quietly courageous characters facing loss in its many forms.’ \u003cb\u003eAbigail Ulman\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e ‘\u003ci\u003ePulse Points\u003c\/i\u003e exceeds all expectations…[it] has the precise, arresting prose and depth of feeling of \u003ci\u003eOur Magic Hour\u003c\/i\u003e, but the short story form magnifies Down’s skill…There are no weak moments here…A human pulse runs through this collection; these stories live and breathe, and as a result \u003ci\u003ePulse Points\u003c\/i\u003e is powerful and deeply affecting.’ \u003cb\u003eReadings\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e ‘All the rapture and calamity of youth. Jennifer Down is a writer of rare insight and heart.’ \u003cb\u003eCarrie Tiffany\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e ‘\u003ci\u003ePulse Points\u003c\/i\u003e is fluid, graceful and shocking. Down serves life up ruthlessly to us, in small, heart-wrenching packages, overturning expectations swiftly from story to story, but leaving us faintly uplifted in the end.’ \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eOverland\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e ‘\u003ci\u003ePulse Points\u003c\/i\u003e isn’t just made up of technical proficiencies and clever motifs, it is a quick heartbeat.’ \u003cb\u003eWriters Bloc\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e ‘This is a finely crafted collection that reminds us how sad and beautiful it is simply to be alive. Down’s debut novel, \u003ci\u003eOur Magic Hour\u003c\/i\u003e, was shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Award for New Writing and she was named a 2017 \u003ci\u003eSMH\u003c\/i\u003e Best Young Australian Novelist. It’s probably insulting to comment upon how young she is, but the emotional depth of her writing displays a gift that will no doubt continue to unfold as her body of work grows.’ \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSaturday Paper\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e ‘\u003ci\u003ePulse Points\u003c\/i\u003e is beautiful. It’s a bit like opening a sketchbook and brushing a hand against all the charcoal nudes inside…Down has insight into the human condition beyond her years and a talent for writing realism in unwaveringly sharp prose. In \u003ci\u003ePulse Points\u003c\/i\u003e she uses these skills to make a statement about the many different hearts beating in the one universe, however unrelated they may seem. As with \u003ci\u003eOur Magic Hour\u003c\/i\u003e, readers will feel safe in the hands of such a skilful writer, one able to turn her awareness of the human condition into measured and universal storytelling.’ \u003cb\u003eAnna Spargo-Ryan, \u003ci\u003eKill Your Darlings\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e ‘I honestly couldn’t recommend \u003ci\u003ePulse Points\u003c\/i\u003e more highly. These are snapshots of ordinary people grappling with the small joys and deeper heartaches of ordinary lives, and the result is a powerful and deeply affecting collection.’ \u003cb\u003eReadings\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e ‘Taking the reader from Melbourne to the USA, each beautifully crafted story is a fascinating escape into someone else’s life.’ \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSunday Life\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e ‘Down is exemplary at drawing whole characters and quickly giving them depth. Stories are heavy with atmosphere, and words are chosen with care…She has a knack of talking honestly about the nature of contemporary life, and I look forward to more.’ \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSydney Morning Herald\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e ‘One of the most heartbreakingly beautiful books I have ever read.’ \u003cb\u003eHot Chicks With Big Brains\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e ‘\u003ci\u003ePulse Points\u003c\/i\u003e is an impressively poised and even collection…Down’s stories are alive with psychological acuity and technical dexterity. They offer thoughtful, sometimes heartbreaking, insights into our anxieties and desires…Readers of her intelligent, subtle, and affecting prose clearly have much to look forward to.’ \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eAustralian Book Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003e ‘These stories are studies in concision and with their strong social justice message they function like shocks. Though they are often about the disempowered, they ripple out with a seismic intensity, hinting at just how far this dazzling young writer might go.’ \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eAustralian\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e ‘Down’s ability to inhabit the minds of her characters is eerily good, and no two voices in this collection seem alike. Her prose is tight and original. This is the sort of book that bibliophiles will delight in underlining, collecting those sentences too good to leave on the page…It is a collection which will bring you to your knees.’ \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eAU Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e ‘A master of short fiction, this short story collection brings together works including her prize-winning ‘Aokigahara’…Down’s prose isn’t afraid of dark subject matter, and handles this with a sharpness and clarity that is a delight to read.’ \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eHerald Sun\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e ‘In this astonishing collection of short stories, Jennifer Down weaves intricate and moving portraits of love and loss…A powerful new talent.’ \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeekly Times\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e ‘[Down’s] back with a collection of stories, cementing her status as one of Australia’s finest literary talents.’ \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eMarie Claire\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e ‘Jennifer Down is going to be a major part of the future of Australian literature. The quality of her writing, as well as her ability to tap into the loves, fears and anxieties many of us experience guarantee this.’ \u003cb\u003eReadings\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e ‘\u003ci\u003ePulse Points\u003c\/i\u003e consolidates [Down’s] reputation as a remarkable young writer. Her stories are effortlessly global yet strongly anchored in place. They testify to Down’s remarkable powers of observation and her ability to create bleak but engaging worlds.’ \u003cb\u003eMichelle de Kretser, Best Books of 2017, \u003ci\u003eAustralian Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e ‘This young Australian writer was named one of the Sydney Morning Herald’s Best Young Australian Novelists of 2017. Here she shows off her impressive skill as a short story writer…Jennifer Down shows great insight into human vulnerability.’ \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eGood Reading\u003c\/i\u003e, Best Fiction Books of 2017\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e ‘Jennifer Down’s \u003ci\u003ePulse Points\u003c\/i\u003e is full of perfectly crafted miracles of storytelling.’ \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKill Your Darlings\u003c\/i\u003e, Best of 2017\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e ‘After reading Jennifer Down’s first novel \u003ci\u003eOur Magic Hour\u003c\/i\u003e last year, I was keen to read her short story collection \u003ci\u003ePulse Points\u003c\/i\u003e, which showcases her range and talent. Though Down’s stories travel from regional Victoria to Middle America and Japan, they are distinctly Australian and overwhelmingly about class.’ \u003cb\u003eGretchen Shirm, \u003ci\u003eAustralian\u003c\/i\u003e, Books of the Year 2017\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Text Publishing Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47141113757936,"sku":"9781925410341","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781925410341_p0.jpg?v=1763634482","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781925410341","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}