Bull: and Other Stories

by Kathy Anderson

Fiction. Women's Studies. LGBT Studies. 
Disorienting and illuminating, playful and often penetrating, the stories of Kathy Anderson astonish.  She has already established herself as a powerful new voice on the national literary scene. The stories contained in Bull are marvelous pleasures, whether taken one at a time or gobbled ravenously. -- David Lynn, editor of The Kenyon Review 

Genres: Short Stories, LGBT, Fiction, Lesbian, Queer, Gay

136 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2016

About the author

Kathy Anderson is the author of a novel, The New Town Librarian (NineStar Press), which was a finalist for Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award in LGBTQ+ Fiction and the Goldie Award from the Golden Crown Literary Society. Her debut short story collection, Bull and Other Stories (Autumn House Press), was a finalist for Publishing Triangle’s Edmund White Award for Debut Fiction, the Lambda Literary Awards, and Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award in Short Stories. Her second short story collection, Vamoose: Stories is forthcoming from Vine Leaves Press in June 2026.

The New Town Librarian is her first novel. Kathy holds a Master of Library Science degree and worked as a librarian for over twenty-five years in small-town public libraries in southern New Jersey, the setting for the novel. Her home is in Philadelphia, PA, where she lives with her wife, who is her exact opposite in every way and therefore her perfect match.

Reviews

[Macartney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This short story collection sure snuck up on me and stole my breath (and heart) away. Sparse and simple language and construction deceptively hide astute and soulful observations about life and our many possible journeys along the way. Reminded me of the old political prop of the Lesbian Avengers: a balloon with the simple words "Ask about Lesbian Lives."

[John Vanderslice · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating group of stories by a writer I'm really happy to have discovered. Established as a playwright, this is Anderson's first fiction collection. And I have to say that she shows perfect control over the genre. Deeply psychological in nature, each story in the book gently fingers through the consciousness of her protagonist, highlighting her ironic inconsistencies and self-justifying excuses, but, finally, most of the time, her essential honesty. Mostly women in middle age, whether gay or straight, these protagonists carry long and interesting life histories, along with considerable troubles of the heart. Most prove themselves to be noble in the end, as the author gives us a much needed peek into a world in which people finally own up to their own errors and are willing to offer forgiveness. My absolute favorite story is called "Dip Me in Honey and Throw Me to the Lesbians." It features a sort of stand-off between a lesbian woman who has waited way too long in line, with a group of friends, at a popular upscale restaurant and a harried, overly-sensitive straight woman, the mother of a young baby girl who sports a beard. The fascination of the lesbian woman for the girl's beard leads to a drunken confrontation between the two women, but a confrontation that doesn't go any way the reader might expect, and ends up as a deeply humane moment. It's a beautiful story. Over all, there are just some great character studies in here: the fourteen-year old boy in "Bull" who is so angry over his father's transition to womanhood that he makes up stories about being persecuted at school for having a trans dad; the straight realtor in "You Are the Bad Smell," a crafty and silently resentful type who manipulates a rather haughty lesbian femme into an emotional breakdown; and, most of all, Hawk Ann in "Hawk Ann in Love," a lesbian woman who in middle age finally--finally!--discovers her true love, only to lose the woman in heart-breaking and unexpected fashion. As a playwright, Anderson, of course, writes great dialogue. But the other elements of fiction of craftily employed by her as well. This is a quick read and a very satisfying one.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

The thirteen short stories in this collection by Kathy Anderson give off stark and contrapuntal gut-punches of emotion that wind around one's psyche with fierce and resonating attachment. She excels at bringing forth tight complexities of character and conflict. Most of these stories were ingenious examples of the bizarre snuggled up to the plain, mundane efforts of living. I found these stories engaging and often surprising me. They are page turners perfect for those lunchtime or bedtime reads.

There are some real gems in this collection: A rebellious son struggles to understand his transgendered father; an elderly couple determined to outlast life itself; a hearse driver gets more than he bargained for; a salesman and his whippets run up against the shock of crumbled love; a wall built between father and daughter, each laying bricks side-by-side until the distance is too much to surmount.

My favorites were "Bull", which opens the collection with a bang; the simultaneous narrative of "GO. STOP"; "Chew On This", a labyrinthine garden of rabbits, conflicts and emotions and the bizarre situational tension practically jumping off the page in "You Are So Beautiful, to Me." IN my opinon, these stories are the strongest in the collection, with a few others close behind. As for the layout of the book, I think it could have ended with one of these stronger selections. However, the beauty of a short story collection is the choice to toss linear reading out the window and jump around a bit.

If you're into short stories, bizarre situations and the twists that life dishes out upon us all, you'll enjoy these stories by Kathy Anderson. She's an up and coming star whose writing deserves attention.

[HMoore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Right from the first page I could tell that I would. Dialogue is a real strength of Bull, as well as its cohesiveness, that elusive and essential element of collections of stories that are not strictly "linked." And the stories have that great combination of oddness (though fitting for the story at hand, not just for its own sake) and heart.

[Marcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are WONDERFUL stories. Short, precise, and each carries an important insight into the shared human condition. Do yourself a favor and track down a copy of this book and enjoy each of these stories.

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal stories! Carefully crafted, interesting, and surprising.

[Alexis Evans · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t know why but this series of short stories did very little for me. Some I certainly liked more than others, but seriously, what the fuck was dog park accident about? That was just god awful to visualize.

[Rita Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished reading Bull: And Other Stories about a month ago. Enough time to move on, yet the characters (and they are all characters) that I met there insist on hanging around, grabbing my attention and making me listen to what they have to tell me once again. It's really that important, they insist. And it is. As their stories are revealed, you meet the quirkiest of the quirky, often at the margins where they like to live, and you find yourself so entertained. Until that moment, unexpectedly, they share their unique, gut-punching humanity, and you remember and you find yourself truly elevated. Thank you Kathy, for adding to my cohort of most appreciated humans.

[Judah Kosterman · Rating 5 out of 5]

By all means run out and purchase this collection of short stories immediately. Some end with an ellipse, some with a gut punch. Themes of strong women and misunderstood others, serial monogamy and ugly splits, and ultimately a wistful hope run through these tales, all set in the mid-Atlantic region. Even some characters recur, giving the reader a feeling of completeness. So, so easy to keep beginning another and yet another, wishing the last page would never come.