Publisher's Weekly
Seven feminist writers, Kathy Acker the best known among them, offer satirical takes on the seven virtues: charity, chastity, generosity, fortitude, humility, justice and patience. Acker's biting drama, ''Dead Doll,'' deconstructs humility, and while it is the best of the lot, the others do not lag far behind for emotional impact. ''Dead Doll'' reveals the propriety and pettiness that dominate over the written word in book publishing, forcing authors into a deferential role. In ''Generosity'' by Leslie Dick, the story of a love triangle is set between historical accounts of potlatch, the Native American practice of giving away material possessions to raise status within the tribe. The main character in Zoe Fairbairn's ''Fortitude'' must also contend with love a little too freely given, as she struggles to keep her marriage afloat. Each tale is a personal interpretation of what the virtues are, and they offer shifting perspectives on the problem of breaking out of pre-conditioned roles--shattering the virtuous images that have composed the ''feminine'' character. Fell is a Scottish novelist and poet.