Under My Skin

by Mary Di Michele

Rita Latte works in middle-management for an unnamed film company, but her dream is to be a famous novelist. At a filmscreening she's organized, she meets a man whom she convinces to read her book, and the tale unfolds. In this tale within a tale, we meet "Rita," a woman who works in film, and her two friends, Margo and Alice. We get to know their boyfriends, Pierre (Rita's married boss), Bo (Margo's cop husband), and Paul (Alice's fiance). And we learn increasingly more about Rita's doctor, Michael Skelton, and his wife Lily, unaware of her husband's horrifying pastime.
This is a first novel for Mary di Michele, internationally recognized for her five books of lyric and narrative poetry. This novel is a work of intense linguistic magic; it is at once a horror story and a romance; it delves into the deep and desperate nature of women's and men's desires. This is a book that will disturb and move the reader; its intellectual and poetic content will delight those who enjoy a thought-provoking read. It is also a true psychological once you become involved in these lives, you won't want to stop until the very last page.

268 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1994