A radically condensed history of postindustrial life -- Death is not the end -- Forever overhead -- Brief interviews with hideous men -- Yet another example of the porousness of certain borders (XI) -- The depressed person -- The devil is a busy man -- Think -- Signifying nothing -- Brief interviews with hideous men -- Datum centurio -- Octet -- Adult world (I) -- Adult world (II) -- The devil is a busy man -- Church not made with hands -- Yet another example of the porousness of certain borders (VI) -- Brief interviews with hideous men -- Tri-Stan : I sold Sissee Nar to Ecko -- On his deathbed, holding your hand, the acclaimed new young off-Broadway playwright's father begs a boon -- Suicide as a sort of present -- Brief interviews with hideous men -- Yet another example of the porousness of certain borders (XXIV).
Summary:
A collection of 23 stories, several of which deal with misunderstandings between men and women. In one, a man assumes that women find his mutilated arm sexy, in another a wife is inhibited in her lovemaking by fear that her husband will think she is a slut.
