Under a range of settings and circumstances, Marisa Silver’s characters are all grappling with how to be close to a lover, a parent, a child—accepting the obstacles and unpleasant emotions that come along with intimacy. Silver’s prose is gracefully simple, and its subtlety contrasts the complicated and abstract issues her stories explore. Risa Kahn speaks with the author about the themes of her new short story collection Alone With You—optimism, contradiction, love, and what it means to be close with someone.

Marisa Silver’s latest short story collection Alone With You aspires to provide a bigger picture of love—one that encompasses all relationships and transcends its various definitions. It’s a tall order to deliver—but the subtle yet complex portraits rendered here reveal the light touch and a steady hand of their author. For Risa Kahn’s interview click through.