Introduction: Why chick lit matters/ Elizabeth Merrick --
The thing around your neck/ Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie --
Two days/ Aimee Bender --
An open letter to Doctor X/ Francine Prose --
Gabe/ Holiday Reinhorn --
Documents of passion love/ Carolyn Ferrell --
Volunteers are shining stars/ Curtis Sittenfeld --
Selling the General/ Jennifer Egan --
The seventy-two ounce steak challenge/ Dika Lam --
Love machine/ Samantha Hunt --
Ava Bean/ Jennifer S. Davis --
Embrace/ Roxana Robinson --
The Epiphany branch/ Mary Gordon --
Joan, Jeanne, La Pucelle, Maid of Orléans/ Judy Budnitz --
Gabriella, my heart/ Cristina Henríquez --
The red coat/ Caitlin Macy --
The Matthew effect/ Binnie Kirshenbaum --
The recipe/ Lynne Tillman --
Meaning of ends/ Martha Witt.