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You are a human animal.

You are a very special breed.

For you are the only animal.

Who can think, who can reason, who can read.

Hello and welcome to Bookworm.

My name is Michael Silverblatt.

Today's show was recorded before a live audience at Borders Bookstore in San Francisco's Union Square during the National Public Radio Conference.

My guest is Dorothy Allison, the author most recently of Cave Dweller, published by Dutton.

Her earlier books, which were published by smaller presses, were trash, the women who hate me,

skin, talking about sex class and literature, then came bastard out of Carolina, two or three things I Know for Sure, and now, Cave Dweller by Dorothy Allison.

I am very, very happy to have Dorothy Allison here with me. Please welcome her with me.

We're going to begin with a reading from the work from cave dweller, Dorothy Allison.

Cave Dweller is a novel about three sisters. This is a pivotal moment in the life of the middle daughter.

He's gone crazy. Billy Tucker has gone crazy. He was in there threatening to kill Didi. I said, stay down. The words were muffled, peculiar, coming through the glass, rubbery and echoing as if through the other end of a tunnel. Nolan moved forward, carefully, quietly. A bird was singing in a tree at the edge of the lot. Dede's face was upturned and empty. Billy lowered the gun a little, holding it now in

front of his belly. The sight still centered on the woman Nolan loved. You don't give a shit about me,

he said. You always thinking about your silly-ass self. Nolan put his hand on the

right double door. A wave of dizziness swung over him. He looked down, saw his shadow small and hunched

just visible in the patch of sunlight. He had no idea what he was going to do. I am going to get

myself killed, he thought. He opened the door. Billy was completely

focused on Didi. He was waiting for her face to show something, her eyes to widen or tear up,

or her mouth to twist something. He was going to see his mark on her before he killed her, and he wanted

...