The following version of this book was used to create this study guide: Kirby, Gwen E. Shit Cassandra Saw. New York: Penguin Books, 2022.

Shit Cassandra Saw is a collection of short stories by Gwen E. Kirby.

The first story is entitled “Shit Cassandra Saw That She Didn’t Tell the Trojans Because at That Point Fuck Them Anyway.” The story focuses on the Greek mythological figure of Cassandra, who had the gift of prophecy but was cursed to never be believed. The story uses this myth as an exploration of sexual assault against women, both in history and the modern era.

In “A Few Normal Things That Happen A Lot,” women begin developing supernatural powers, which they use to attain revenge on men who harass them. As more and more women gain these powers, fewer and fewer men engage in habitual harassment of women.

In “Jerry’s Crab Shack: One Star,” a man writes a negative review of a restaurant, citing the rude treatment they received from staff and other customers. An undercurrent throughout the narrative is that the man and his wife were a relatively wealthy couple dining at a restaurant in a relatively impoverished neighborhood.

“Boudicca, Mighty Queen of the Britains, Contact Hitter and Utility Outfielder, AD 61” is a very short story narrated by the historical figure Boudicca. Boudicca contemplates misogyny, as well as her dream of being a professional baseball player.

“Mt. Adams at Mar Vista” follows a student on a high school women’s baseball team. The team has a game scheduled for that day. The school they are playing recently suffered a school shooting. The players wonder if they should forfeit the match in respect/deference to the school that suffered. They ultimately decide to play the game, but they partially hope the other team wins.

“Friday Night” focuses on a married couple that is trying to conceive a child. One night, they argue about sex, as well as other, more petty concerns. The implicit undercurrent of the argument is that the couple is not sure they are ready to have a child.

“Here Preached His Last” follows a woman who works as a teacher and soccer coach. She is married and has a young daughter, but she is having an affair with a coworker. She has also inexplicably developed to ability to see a ghost. It is the ghost of a preacher who died in the 1700s. The preacher shames the woman for her affair. Her partner in the affair eventually decides to tell their spouses about the affair.

“First Woman Hanged for Witchcraft in Wales, 1594” follows Gwen Ellis, who lived in Wales in the 1500s. The story gives a fictional account of Gwen’s life. When she was young, she met a magical creature called an afanc, which granted her magical powers. Although she used these powers only to heal people, she was eventually executed for witchcraft, as men feared her power.

“Casper” takes place in Alabama. Three teenage girls have summer jobs working at an abandoned luggage depot. One day, they find a taxidermied albino monkey in a piece of luggage. They display it in the shop window. When other teenagers steal it, the central characters decide to vandalize the other teenagers’ place of work. In “An Apology of Sorts to June,” a man recounts the recent killing of his ex-wife’s cat, claiming unconvincingly that it was an accident.

“Mary Read is a Crossdressing Pirate, the Raging Seas, 1720” gives a fictionalized account of the historical figure Mary Read. After disguising herself as a man, she became a notorious pirate. She was eventually captured and executed.

“The Disneyland of Mexico” follows an American high school student named Amy. She goes to Mexico as part of a study abroad program. She struggles at first, both with Spanish and with fitting in among her host family. Towards the end of her stay, the daughter of the host family takes her to a dance club. Amy has her first kiss while spending time with some of the people she meets there.

In “For a Good Time, Call,” a woman begins receiving calls from men asking for a woman named Gail. The woman realizes that Gail has been giving out a wrong number to men. The woman decides to meet with one of the men. As the woman begins to develop feelings for the man, she also begins to feel trapped in her own identity.

“Nakano Takeko is Fatally Shot, Japan, 1868” tells a fictionalized account of the burial of historical figure Nakano Takeko. As Takeko dies, she asks her sister to behead her before burying her.

“Inishmore,” follows two sisters, Andrea and Lacy. They are American and are on an extended trip to Ireland together. They are in their twenties, and they contemplate their respective futures. Andrea, the older sister, feels protective of Lacy, but both the sisters feel that they should live more independently from each other.

“Marcy Breaks Up with Herself” follows Marcy, a woman in her twenties. She is struggling with depression. After her boyfriend leaves her, she tries to pull herself out of depression by cleaning out as many material possessions as possible from her apartment. However, she finds herself only spiraling deeper into mental illness.

“The Best and Only Whore of Cwm Hyfryd, Patagonia, 1886” takes place in South America in the 1880s. The protagonist is a woman from Wales who has relocated to a Welsh settlement in South America. There, she makes a living as a sex worker. She enjoys her life, but she withholds many truths when corresponding with her brother via letters. She does not want him to worry unnecessarily.

In “Midwestern Girl Is Tired of Appearing in Your Short Stories,” an unnamed male writer writes stories that often feature young women from the American Midwest as supporting characters. These supporting characters are usually thinly drawn and serve only to support the male main characters’ arcs. Eventually, these female characters become more complex and take on more prominent roles in the stories.

“Scene in a Public Park at Dawn, 1892” tells the story of a sword duel between two wealthy women. The spectators are all female as well. One spectator imagines a new kind of duel, which aims not towards violence, but friendship.

“How to Retile Your Bathroom in Six Easy Steps!” follows a woman as she attempts to retile her bathroom. Her husband has recently left her for another woman. She has two teenage sons, and while she works hard to be a good parent, her relationship with her sons is sometimes strained. When she finishes retiling her bathroom, she is unsatisfied with the end result but pretends otherwise.

“We Handle It” follows a group of teenage girls at a summer camp. They become unnerved when, several times in one week, an unfamiliar man approaches them and speaks to them. At night, in an attempt to keep fear and panic at bay, the girls collectively imagine a scenario in which they attack and kill the man.