<p>Since the publication of her groundbreaking novel, Bastard out of Carolina, Dorothy Allison (b. 1949) has been known--as with Larry Brown and Lee Smith--as a purveyor of the working-class, contemporary South. Allison has frequently used her position, through passionate lectures and enthusiastic interviews, to give voice to issues dear to her: poverty, working-class life, domestic violence, feminism and women&#39;s relationships, the contemporary South, and gay/lesbian life. Often called a 'writer-rock star' and a 'cult icon,' Allison is a true performer of the written word.</p><p>At the same time, Allison also takes the craft of writing very seriously. In this collection, spanning almost two decades, Allison the performer and Allison the careful craftsperson both emerge, creating a portrait of a complex woman.</p><p>In the absence of a biography of Allison&#39;s life, Conversations with Dorothy Allison presents Allison&#39;s perspectives on her life, literature, and her conflicted role as a public figure.</p>