LIFE IS A COURSE IN HUMANITY: Margaret Atwood's Moral Disorder:

When I hear an author's name mentioned on Writer's Almanac (NPR) I want to know more, as Garrison Keillor seems to point out only the best when it comes to authors of the many genres of written works. He mentioned Margaret Atwood's birthday and her standing as an author and novelist, so when near a library Thursday, I checked on her works, and chose a small book called MORAL DISORDER and Other Stories. This author seems to have her finger on what the idiosyncrasies are that make us human. The first story mentions how some people just need to unburden themselves of bad news. "He wants to pass the bad news on as soon as possible-get it off his hands, like a hot potato. Bad news burns him."

You see... I never thought of the bearers of bad news in that way. And it is probably true. I know when I've itched to share a shocking piece of bad news with others, and was afraid that as the phrase goes, they'd "shoot the messenger." Or think of me as a depressing person to talk to, having been the bad news bearer. I feel it's great to read for enjoyment, while at the same time coming to a better understanding of myself and what it is like to be human. Sometimes I feel like an alien who is still learning about how to understand this human race, and at the age of 70, I'm still learning.

In the second chapter, the main character has been told that her mother was in an expectant state, and for her to be extra helpful. When she overheard references to this as being a poor situation, and not realizing it was just because her mother was pretty old for having a baby, she interpreted what she heard as there could be something wrong. She learned how to knit, and knitted a layette for the baby while wondering what was going to be wrong. In thinking of all the dire possibilities, she thinks, "At the back of my mind, my feat of knitting was a sort of charm, like the fairy-tale.... If I could only complete the full set of baby garments, the baby that was supposed to fit inside them would be conjured into the world, and thus out of my mother. Once outside, where I could see it--once it had a face--it could be dealt with. As it was, the thing was a menace."
[...All turned out okay... just thought I'd mention. At the same time, I was thinking of how I used to have a rabbit's foot, or think, if I do such and such, like eat all my vegetables for a week, something good would happen. We all do that. It's part of being human. It's also an active prayer, though sometimes bartering with God.

These short stories are interconnected in a way that isn't immediately obvious except inwhat the cover-flap describes as "Atwood['s]... access to her people's emotional histories, complete understanding of their hearts and imaginations." I would say it's written in a way that if someone like myself was reading for a better understanding of the human condition, this book of interlocking short stories will show our reflections for detailed revelations, though sometimes through a glass darkly.