Show Don't Tell

Show, Don't Tell: Stories by Curtis Sittenfeld

A sharp, funny, and deeply insightful collection exploring marriage, friendship, fame, and artistic ambition—including a return to the beloved protagonist from Prep—from the New York Times bestselling author of Eligible and Romantic Comedy.

In her second short story collection, Curtis Sittenfeld proves once again why she’s as celebrated for her short fiction as she is for her novels. With her signature wit and keen observation, she creates characters so vividly real they feel like old friends, revealing the moments that challenge their deepest-held beliefs.

In “The Patron Saints of Middle Age,” a divorced woman reconnects with two friends she hasn’t seen in years. “A for Alone” follows a middle-aged artist as she takes on a creative project aimed at debunking the so-called Mike Pence Rule, which claims that men and women can’t be alone together without temptation. And in “Lost but Not Forgotten,” Sittenfeld revisits Prep’s Lee Fiora, now decades older, as she returns to her former boarding school for an alumni reunion.

Witty, thought-provoking, and brimming with compassion, Show, Don't Tell peels back the layers of human experience with Sittenfeld’s unmistakable voice, drawing readers in from the very first page.