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Witty, wistful, and deeply moving, “Agoraphobics in Love” is an O. Henry story for the twenty-first century. In sparkling prose, Lisa Tucker perfectly captures the miracle of two lonely people finding each other—and finding their way back to life.
In 2003, Tucker burst upon the scene with The Song Reader, a moving coming-of-age drama that resonated as much with adolescents as with adult readers. The novel's narrator, a vulnerable preteen named Leeann Norris, recounts the story of her adored older sister Mary Beth, a hardworking young woman who supports them both after their mother's death by waiting tables and reading songs -- that is, interpreting the events in people's lives by analyzing the songs they can't get out of their heads. When this extraordinary gift turns inward and a devastating family secret is revealed, Leeann must reach inside herself to save the sister she loves. Selected by Book Sense for its 2004-2005 reading group, The Song Reader received glowing reviews, and Tucker was hailed as "a brilliant new literary talent" (The Albuquerque Tribune).
Since her bestselling debut, Tucker has gone on to craft more compelling, emotionally nuanced novels that have garnered praise from sundry quarters. Her work has appeared in Seventeen magazine, Pages, and The Oxford American; and her short story "Why Go" (inspired by the classic Pearl Jam tune) was included in Lit Riffs: Writers "Cover" Songs They Love, an anthology of music-related fiction by Jonathan Lethem, Tom Perotta, and other contemporary writers.
Tucker is also a talented teacher who has taught creative writing at the Taos Conference, at UCLA, and at the University of Pennsylvania.
"I started writing fiction in 1995 for no other reason than that I loved reading it. I'd never had a creative writing course or attended a workshop; I didn't know any writers. I still feel there's something so magical about just plunging in and learning the craft as you go."
"I've had a lot of jobs. Probably the most unusual things I've done are touring the Midwest and South with a jazz band and teaching math at an urban community college."
"Of all the nice things that have been said about my novels in reviews, I think Frank Wilson's description of my characters (in The Philadelphia Inquirer) had the most meaning to me:
'These aren't the human orchids populating so much of what gets called literary fiction. These are working stiffs, the store clerks and waitresses who inhabit Heartland America [and] Tucker has drawn them without condescension.'
No one else had mentioned this, but I do write about ordinary people, the kind I grew up with and still identify with. I used to get rejections that said no one would care about these people's lives. I'm so glad that hasn't proved true!"
"I love teaching almost as much as I love writing and hope to have a chance to do it again. I also desperately want to live closer to water. Anyone know of a teaching gig near the ocean?"
Anonymous
Posted May 11, 2012
Not really what I expected, it was o.k.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.A novella, Agoraphobics in Love, is a wonderful story of the gift of self, as told by novelist, Lisa Tucker.
What one thing can two people give to each other that can be cherished beyond measure? This is what I found: Unconditional love. We've all faced heart wrenching moments in our lives, when all hope seems to have flown out the window; with that last failure in life, or that last chance for happiness, as we see it, but for Emily and Jules, the coming together of two unlikely people, meet in a most unusual place on the internet. No, meeting online is not unusual, but meeting by chance on a website for Agoraphobics is!
I won't tell you this story, as it's a precious one, and only Lisa Tucker can describe the circumstance around this love; Lisa, a writer who carries her heart into each and every one of her stories, whether a novel length, or a short story as this one, finds compassion, and forgiveness, in her characters, who are more than willing to share these emotions with their readers.
Emily and Jules, will capture your attention with their unasked for, unwanted, and unmasked frailties. These two will follow their heart within this touching, and sometimes tense story, all flowing beautifully to your own dreams for that ultimate happiness for this couple. We halt, and our breath catches at moments of poignant clarity, as we see two people thwarted by circumstances. And true to the storyline, and true to love, the pace takes us around a corner to a most unusual and rewarding ending. You won't be disappointed in this story, or this author's writing.
Kathy Shattuck
Anonymous
Posted September 9, 2011
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Anonymous
Posted November 27, 2011
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Posted September 11, 2011
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Overview
After the accidental death of her parents, Emily retreated to their home, where she freelances for an online greeting card company and tries to come up with words for feelings she can no longer feel. Jules climbed his way up to creative director of an advertising agency; he had power, a girlfriend, and a great apartment in New York, when he started having the panic attacks that would leave him in a tiny sublet, unemployed and alone. But when Emily and Jules both join an online board for agoraphobics, what begins as friendship quickly develops into something much more. Now if only they can find the courage to leave their “safety zones” and actually meet ...