Arizona and the American Southwest

The general setting that recurs most often throughout the collection is Arizona and the American Southwest, which has a desert climate. Some of the stories, such as "Noche" (2) or "A New Arrangement" (98), take place in very specific cities in the Arizona suburbs, and very mundane, suburban things occur there. The darker nature of this region is explored in "Businesswoman" (81) and "Polyurethane" (82), which demonstrate the deep selfishness of its citizens, in particular when it comes to the treatment of native cultures.

Church

A handful of different stories take place in churches. The churches are not described in detail, and could either be the same church or different churches, as they all appear smaller and in more rural settings. The stories that take place in churches, like "Without God There Is Nothing" (24), or "Abandon All Hope" (28), show the darkly passive-aggressive nature of the people in the...