"[John Edgar Wideman's] postindustrial Pittsburgh is the locus of many of his novels and memoirs, and its texture and sociology burn a hole through the stories in "You Made Me Love You: Selected Stories, 1981-2018. Wideman's stories have a wary, brooding spirit, a lonely intelligence. They carry a real but atrophied affection for America. He airs the problems of consciousness, including the fragile contingency of our existence." --Dwight Garner, The New York Times "Riveting and masterful." -- O, The Oprah Magazine "Compiled over a 37-year span, this selection of short stories.introduces the reader to characters who face peril, pathos, and heartache. A singular muscularity infuses these narratives, a confidence that astonishes.

" -- Arts Fuse Magazine "This career-spanning collection of work by Wideman, with a revelatory foreword by critic and scholar Walton Muyumba, offers a stunning showcase of Wideman's range. If there were any doubts Wideman belongs to the American canon, this puts them to bed." -- Publisher's Weekly, starred review "Wideman has been compared to William Faulkner and James Baldwin; the stories in You Made Me Love You prove that he is every bit as masterful a cartographer of the American spirit as his forebears." -- Esquire "You Made Me Love You at last assembles the best of Wideman's [stories]--rich, strange, and deeply felt--for anybody or everybody to read." --AV Club, Most Anticipated of 2021 "Spanning three decades and showcasing 35 stories from venerated Wideman's accomplished career, this stunning collection is a testament to ingenious storytelling. Through vividly portrayed voices, evocative settings, and expansive themes, these tales put Wideman's talent for exploring the indelible connections that unite generations on full display . This is an essential collection for both readers familiar with Wideman's oeuvre and those just discovering this modern master." -- Booklist, starred review.