The Goodbye Process

“Mary Jones builds enormous depth in direct clear sentences—over and over again, I found myself moved and wowed by how much she packed into a moment, how swiftly she could conjure a person. And she pulls us in, too—her words have these subtle magnets in them, drawing a reader close. Thrilling abundance here.”

Aimee Bender

"In these exquisite and emotionally distilled stories, Jones illuminates the mysterious corners of grief and grace with poignancy and spiky humor. While wholly original, Jones’s prose shares literary DNA with Mary Gaitskill, Aimee Bender, and Amy Hempel. Her explorations of sex, sorrow, and wonder are transfixing and brilliant. This is a must-read collection."

Mary Otis

"Keenly felt and observed, always humane, the stories in Jones’s debut begin where all the best stories do: the end of one thing, the start of the next. The Goodbye Process introduces an arresting new voice."

Taylor Koekkoek

“The stories of The Goodbye Process are startling, haunting, and original. Mary Jones captures the eerie light that transfuses those often-forgotten and overlooked corners of the heart. These stories shape shift and beguile, offering up their remarkable insights with wit and genuine style. A brilliant book of stories.”

Brandon Taylor

“Mary Jones’s delightful story collection, The Goodbye Process, is full of surprises—sometimes funny, often heartbreaking, always memorable.”

Jill McCorkle