Introduction

''I look at all of Carver's work as just one story, for his stories are all occurrences, all about things that just happen to people and cause their lives to take a turn... In formulating the mosaic of the film Short Cuts, which is based on these nine stories and a poem, Lemonade, I''ve tried to do the same thing- to give the audience one look... But it all began here. I was a reader turning these pages. Trying on these lives'' - Robert Altman in his introduction.