One Woman Show by Christine Coulson

Told through the imaginative idea of using stylishly witty museum wall labels, One Woman Show, Coulson's follow up to her short story collection Metropolitan Stories is a unique approach to a life-and-times tale of one woman's 20th century life.

Coulson's whip-smart, side-eye approach to her subjects continues here as she imagines a young woman born into the pre-World War I world of wealth and privilege, and its limited opportunities for and low expectations of its women. Kitty Whitaker is an embellished, decorative vase in a garniture that changes through the stages of her life. First part of the set into which she was born, Kitty's value is determined by her pedigree, appearance, and accomplishments.

As she moves through the different displays of her marriages, widowhood, and later years, Kitty's life is reflective of many affluent white women of her era. Initially, One Woman Show's unique approach, narrating exclusively through museum wall labels, was intriguing. However, as the story progressed, this method started to feel increasingly tedious. The interplay between the wording used for human beings and the continued attempt at sticking with the related vernacular for art and display pieces broke too often. Additionally, as many other characters are introduced through their own wall labels, the WASPy nicknames that were common of the time became overplayed and tiresome with each character and their related parents' names.

Overall, while the concept itself was interesting, the execution left me wanting an occasional dip into a more standard approach to characterization and storytelling. The idea overall felt stretched, despite its short length, and would potentially have been better served as another short story in a second collection. Nonetheless, I still remain a fan of Coulson's writing and look forward to see what she offers in the future.