broken for you

What strikes me about Kallos’ writing is that she is intrigued by imperfection, in relationships as well as individual people. Both Wanda and Margaret feel a srong need to redeem themselves, yet neither one is likely to change their habits (Wanda’s searching and obsessing, Margaret’s relentless collecting of things) and in a way, their respective stubbornness allows them to recognize it in each other and therefore, within themselves. I am struck by how much Stephanie Kallos’ style reminds meof Margaret Atwood’s, particularly in her desire to tell the stories of searching individuals in an effort to complete what they have left undone in their pasts.