Abstract

Abstract

Jimi Hendrix and the Laughing Girl

Allison Shaw

Jimi Hendrix and the Laughing Girl is a collection of seven short stories that revolve around the lives of women and men in their late teens and early twenties, as they mature and transition towards adulthood. Set in different North American cities, the stories explore changing dynamics in friendships, romantic relationships and families. The construction of individual identity is central to many of the narratives, which examine how the various characters attempt to find and build a sense of self through their relations with others, artistic creation and storytelling.
Several stories in this collection include surreal or fairy tale elements, such as a porcelain doll that comes to life. These fairy-tale elements are set in contrast with the characters’ experiences of loss and disappointment as they grow up, but also reflect the beauty that the characters find in the everyday world, in spite of their personal struggles. The structure of many of the stories is experimental – “Photographs for New York” and “Coffee” are both collections of vignettes, while the final story, “Filmmaker”, incorporates a short film script into the prose.