Lucia Berlin (1936–2004) was an American short story writer whose deeply autobiographical fiction explores work, poverty, addiction, family, and the resilience of ordinary people with remarkable wit, compassion, and lyrical precision. Although little known during her lifetime, she gained international recognition after the posthumous publication of *A Manual for Cleaning Women*, a celebrated collection that revealed her extraordinary talent to a global readership. Today, Berlin is widely regarded as one of the finest American short story writers of the twentieth century.
