Overview
- The Los Angeles Times lauds Brawler, Groff’s third story collection from Riverhead, as further proof of her standing as a leading contemporary writer.
- The collection focuses on characters at breaking points—domestic abuse, addiction, illness, natural disaster—emphasizing lasting consequences over tidy redemption.
- Critics note Groff’s distinctive craft, merging a broad historical or psychological lens with the immediacy short stories require.
- Stories including What’s the Time, Mr. Wolf? and Birdie examine privilege, friendship, and the social scripts that shape people’s choices without offering easy answers.
- Public engagement accompanies the release, with Groff discussing her work at a Vroman’s event in Pasadena on Tuesday and continuing anti-censorship efforts through her Gainesville bookstore, The Lynx.