Just As I Thought

This rich and multifaceted collection is Grace Paley's vivid record of her life. As close to an autobiography as anything we are likely to have from this quintessentially American writer,Just As I Thoughtgives us a chance to see Paley not only as a writer and "troublemaker" but also as a daughter, sister, mother, and grandmother. Through her descriptions of her childhood in the Bronx and her experiences as an antiwar activist to her lectures on writing and her recollections of other writers, these pieces are always alive with Paley's inimitable voice, humor, and wisdom. Grace Paley, born in 1922, is well known as a poet, feminist, writer, and antiwar activist. In 1994, herCollected Storieswas a finalist for the National Book Award. She received The Rea Award for the Short Story in 1993 and in 2005, she received the Sarah Josepha Hale Award in recognition for her work in the field of literature and letters. She died in 2007. Just As I Thoughtis as close to autobiography as anything we are likely to have from this quintessentially American author. It shows us Grace Paley not only as a writer and "troublemaker" but also as a daughter, sister, mother, and grandmother. Through her descriptions of her childhood in the Bronx and her experiences as an antiwar activist to her lectures on writing and her recollections of other writers, these pieces are always alive with Paley's inimitable voice, humor, and wisdom. "A feisty, passionate gathering of writings."Elle "In Paley, life, literature and politics convergenonviolently, of coursein a cunning patchwork quilt of radiance and scruple, witness and example, nurture and nag, subversive humor and astonishing art: a Magical Socialism and a Groucho Marxism."John Leonard,The Nation "What distinguishes [Just As I Thought] from standard political fare is what sets her stories apart as well: Paley's genius for capturing the way people talk to each other across seemingly unbridgeable divides."Alexis Jetter,Vanity Fair

Grace Paley is well known as a poet, feminist, writer, and antiwar activist. In 1994, her Collected Stories was a finalist for the National Book Award. She lives in New York City and Vermont.