I only wish Dot Parker were still alive to make her cynical, yet comical judgements on the state of men, women and the relationships they attempt to have. Parker can be both dark and divine at the same time. Her irrepressible wit shines through in this collection of both her short stories and poems. Readers will come away with a few choice one-liners worth repeating to their own irreverant female friends.

My rating (3 stars) reflects an attempt to average the very uneven contents. Some very excellent pieces contrast with others that have not aged well. The monologues and soliloquies in particular among the stories read today as rather quaint; far from their contemporary impact as so very original. Some pieces have mainly scholarly interest; fewer hold up to the standard of being entertaining to a modern audience. The poems are more successful in this regard. Although the poems are best sampled in small nibbles as there are very many and by-and-large very much like their fellows. ( )

I have lived by the words of her poetry since I was in high school, and I still love it. ( )

A delightfully wicked read and reference. ( )