tothe"glories"ofthatgreaterlight:theartistbeingapart,simply,ofart.

    Shewastooindividual,toofierceawritertodissolveeasily,however:byturnsformalandeous,exotiddemotic,exquisiteandcoarse,preciousandraunchy,fabulistandsocialist,purpleandblack.Hernovelsarelikenobodyelses,fromthetranssexualcoloraturaofThePassionofothemusic-hallknees-upofWiseChildren;butthebestofher,Ithink,isiories.Sometimes,atnovellength,thedistinctiveCartervoice,thosesmoky,opium-eatersterruptedbyharshoricdiscords,thatmoonstone-and-rhionemixofopulendflim-flam,beexhausting.Iories,shedazzleandswoop,andquitwhileshesahead.

    Carterarrivedalmostfullyformed;herearlystory,"AVery,VeryGreatLadyandHerSonatHome",isalreadyrepletewithCarterianmotifs.Hereistheloveofthegothic,oflushlanguageandhighculture;butalsooflowstinks--fallingrose-petalsthatsoundlikepigeonsfarts,andafatherwhosmellsofhorsedung,andbowelsthatare"greatlevellers".Hereistheselfasperformance:perfumed,det,languorous,erotic,perverse;verylikethewingedwoman,Fevvers,heroineofherpenultimatenovelNightsattheCircus.

    Anotherearlystory,"AVictorianFable",announcesheradditoallthearaoflanguage.Thisextraordinarytext,half-Jabberwocky,half-PaleFire,exhumesthepastbyexhumingitsdeadwords:

    Ineverysandginnel,bone-grubbers,

    rufflers,shivering-jemmies,anglers,clapperdogeons,

    peterers,sneeze-lurkersandWhipJackswiththeir

    morts,outofthepicaroon,foxandflimandogle.

    Beadvised,theseearlystoriessay:thiswri