Cultural Writing. Essays. GOSSIP is a collection of personal essays that covers themes from a woman's life, ranging from love magic to marriage, old boyfriends to solitude. At the age of fifty, the author learns to shoot a gun for the first time and confront fear. There are essays here on on language and meaning--including ethical wills, blessings, and credos. And memoirs that chart a course including young widowhood, raising a child, a re-union with...