In 1978, with the publication of her first novel Final Payments, Mary Gordon appeared on the literary scene, not as a promising apprentice but as an accomplished and mature writer deserving of the extraordinary amount of critical attention her work...

Mary Gordon's gentleness and compassion should not be mistaken for mushiness. Maybe's it's her Catholicism, her rigorous ethical outlook or her artistic integrity, but as a critic, she is clear-eyed and fearless, with something of a killer instinct. For proof, look no further than...

GOOD BOYS AND DEAD GIRLS And Other Essays. By Mary Gordon. Viking. 252 pp. $19.95. Mary Gordon has written with such intricacy and command in her novels that her voice seems synonymous with the form: It's easy to forget she's anything besides...

The State Patrol's toxicology lab has had so many ethical lapses and made so many scientific mistakes in recent years that alcohol breath test results should not be admitted at trial, a court ruled Wednesday.The ruling by a three-member panel of King County District Court...

In the following essay, Bennett explores major themes in the stories of Temporary Shelter.

In the following essay, Bennett argues that the three novellas included in The Rest of Life “form a deliberately crafted whole,” and explore some dominant motifs that resonate throughout the volume.

In the following essay, Wymward comments that the stories of Temporary Shelter are infused with the author's religious sensibilities.