“If you’re suicidal and you don’t actually kill yourself, you become known as ‘wry.’ ”

That about sums up Lorrie Moore's new story collection, Bark.  Funny, dark, insightful, troubling. The stories are varied and satisfyingly focused, yet I did come away with a sense of Moore as a sharp observer with a cynical yet empathetic eye.  These are traditional stories (nothing Saunderesque here), bleak and contemporary in spirit. I look forward to her next novel.

For me, on to Goldfinch.  I've packed supplies for the long trek. Hoping for the best.