"For Los Angeles writers, the boundariness is taken to the furthest extent-for what could be more peripheral than serious short stories written in a town known predominantly for its big screens and action figures and silicone-enhanced placticine femmes?" So writes Janet Fitch, author of White Oleander, in her introduction to this collection. Some of the contributors are well-known figures in the literary landscape-Aimee Bender, Carol Muske Dukes, Lisa Teasley, Rachel Resnick-while others have little publishing experience. All, however, offer compelling stories that are fresh in their approach, immaculate in their execution. This challenging, unexpected anthology is not a "best of" but rather a gathering of escritoras, a handful of voices singing in Los Angeles at a particular moment in time, their characters walking wide, weird worlds with an ear to the shifty ground. Book jacket.