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The Failure is a picaresque novel set in Los Angeles about two guys who conceive and badly execute a plan… to rob a Korean check-cashing store in order to finance the prototype for an impossibly ridiculous Internet application James Greer one of the nimblest and most multilayered American fiction writers has with his latest novel The Failure pulled off a sublime and shivery-smooth literary hat-trick-cum-emotional-gotcha I defy anyone to come up with an equation to explain how this book s first impression as a ridiculously clever funny crime story can gradually disclose a metanovel built from far more encyclopedic scratch only to reveal upon its conclusion a central overriding thought so heartfelt literally it trembles your lower lip This is one stunning piece of work --Dennis Cooper author of Ugly Man James Greer s The Failure is such an unqualified success both in conception and execution that I have grave doubts he actually wrote it --Steven SoderberghJames Greer is the author of the novel Artificial Light Akashic Books which won a California Book Award for Best Debut Novel and the nonfiction book Guided By Voices A Brief History Grove Press a biography of the band for which he once played bass guitar He is currently working with director Steven Soderbergh on a rock musical about Cleopatra starring Catherine Zeta-Jones He lives in Los Angeles
Evoking William Faulkner and Cormac McCarthy Meno s suspenseful mordantly incisive many-layered tale can also be read… as an equine Moby-Dick As he tracks the bewildering seismic shifts under way in America Meno celebrates everyday marvels including the hard-proven love between grandfather and grandson --Booklist Starred review Faulkner-ian epic for the contemporary age Meno draws on the grave themes and austere styles of writers like Cormac McCarthy and Daniel Woodrell to offer a mix of biblical allegories tinder-dry prose and noble characters trying to survive in a wretched world The novel s prose is marvelous is its spare convincing grit while the story s themes of family redemption sacrifice and faith echo the plays of Sam Shepard at times A grandiose atmospheric portrait of Middle America in all its damaged glory --Kirkus Reviews The latest by Meno is a compelling mash-up of magic and the absurd with the grittiness of a world inhabited by punks thieves and losers as a grandfather and his grandson take a road trip through 1990s rural America in search of their stolen horse This is a provocative reflection on the lives of the disenfranchised in the waning days of the 20th century with a bittersweet resolution that will resonate with readers --Publishers Weekly Winner of the Discover Great New Writers Award and the Nelson Algren Award among other honors Meno can be entertainingly outr This story of a man and his grandfather hunting for their stolen horse is also affecting --Library Journal Barbara Hoffert s Prepub Alert Marvel and a Wonder is such a tender love story The love of an irascible grandfather for his baffling grandson the love for a mysterious horse the love for a country that no longer seems to love us back Joe Meno writes with poise and wit and stunning amounts of empathy What a beautiful story What a lovely book --Victor LaValle author of The Devil in Silver Both sprawling and intimate Marvel and a Wonder is a vivid portrait of Heartland America and infuses its array of characters with humor empathy and insight I ve long been an admirer of Joe Meno s work and this is his most ambitious book yet --Dan Chaon author of Await Your ReplyPraise for Joe Meno A beguiling and slyly disquieting storyteller Meno transforms wintery Chicago into a wondrous crystallization of countless dreams and tragedies while telling the stories of two derailed young artists poignant and funny --Kansas City Star on Office Girl The wisest most humane and transcendent novel on the contemporary family since The Corrections A marvelous book --Irvine Welsh on The Great PerhapsMarvel and a Wonder is a darkly mesmerizing epic and literary page-turner set at the end of the twentieth century In summer 1995 Jim Falls a Korean War vet struggles to raise his sixteen-year-old grandson Quentin on a farm in southern Indiana In July they receive a mysterious gift--a beautiful quarter horse--which upends the balance of their difficult lives The horse s appearance catches the attention of a pair of troubled meth-dealing brothers and after a violent altercation the horse is stolen and sold Grandfather and grandson must travel the landscape of the bleak heartland to reclaim the animal and to confront the ruthless party that has taken possession of it Along the way both will be forced to face the misperceptions and tragedies of their past Evoking the writing of William Faulkner and Denis Johnson this brilliant deeply moving work explores the harrowing often beautiful marvels of a nation challenged by its own beliefs Ambitious expansive and laden with suspense Marvel and a Wonder presents an unforgettable pair of protagonists at the beginning of one America and the end of another
Trinie Dalton s voice is so charming in these stories and they fly right by so it takes a… little time to realize how deftly she is talking about death and sex and fear and love and fur and slumber parties how lightly she touches upon heaviness making an imprint so gentle you don t know it s there until later when the story floats back up in your memory light as a butterfly or a blood-oil lilypad in the bath --Aimee Bender Trinie Dalton is as radically original a young writer as I ve ever come across a post-punk post-apocalyptic post-everything sensibility casting spells of willed innocence against the powers of darkness she knows terrifyingly well --David Gates These charming stories vibrate with innocence and awe Trinie Dalton is an effortless purveyor of wonder strangeness and love She is a writer of high spirits and unguarded vision and this debut collection is an absolute pleasure to read --Ben Marcus In Wide Eyed a wonderfully eccentric and vibrant collection Trinie Dalton showcases her ability to put a fresh spin on the world leading the reader into places never explored--sometimes dreamlike sometimes nightmarish always riveting Her vision is wholly unique and memorable --Jill McCorkleIn Trinie Dalton s tweaked vision of reality psychic communications between herself and Mick Jagger The Flaming Lips Marc Bolan Lou Reed and Pavement are daily occurrences Animals also populate this book beavers hamsters salamanders black widows owls llamas bats and many more are characters who befriend the narrator This collection of stories is told by a woman compelled to divulge her secrets fantasies and obsessions with native Californian animals glam rock icons and horror movies among other things With a setting rooted in urban Los Angeles but colored by mythic tales of beauty borrowed from medieval times Shakespeare and Grimm s fairy tales Wide Eyed makes the difficulties of surviving in a contemporary American city more palatable by showing the reader that magic and escape is always possible Stories include Hummingbird Moonshine in which the narrator s frustrated hunt for authentic religion in botanicas and science books culminates in a spiritual connection made with a hummingbird In Oceanic she resolves to marry a manatee after a drunken pre-party for her best friend s wedding In Tiles four vignettes about bloody accidents in tiled bathrooms intermingle with scenes from Dalton s favorite scary movies Featuring oddball prose in the traditions of Dalton s literary heroes--Denton Welch Robert Walser and Jane Bowles--these stories have a dreamy imaginative quality that reveal a peculiar state of mental ecstasy To be inside the mind of Trinie Dalton is to be escorted into bliss
<P>Hairstyles of the Damned is an honest, true-life depiction of growing up punk on Chicago's south side: a study in… the demons of racial intolerance, Catholic school conformism, and class repression. <P>It is the story of the riotous exploits of Brian, a high school burnout, and his best friend, Gretchen, a punk rock girl fond of brawling. <P>Based on the actual events surrounding a Chicago high school's segregated prom, this work of fiction unflinchingly pursues the truth in discovering what it means to be your own person.
The groundbreaking #1 bestseller is sure to turn nightly bedtime battles into a loving and special end-of-day ritual. This child-tested,… parent-approved story uses an innovative technique that brings a calm end to any child’s day.<P><P> Do you struggle with getting your child to fall asleep?<P> Join parents all over the world who have embraced The Rabbit Who Wants to Fall Asleep as their new nightly routine.<P> When Roger can’t fall asleep, Mommy Rabbit takes him to see Uncle Yawn, who knows just what to do. Children will join Roger on his journey and be lulled to sleep alongside their new friend.<P> Carl-Johan Forssén Ehrlin’s simple story uses a unique and distinct language pattern that will help your child relax and fall asleep—at bedtime or naptime.<P> Reclaim bedtime today!
<P>Aged 15, Jordan Bone got into a car with friends. She would never walk again. Paralysed from the chest down,… her life was changed forever. Becoming depressed and feeling like life wasn't worth living, these weren't the teenage years that Jordan had envisaged. <P>However, slowly but surely, she began to get herself out of the darkness. With a little help from the internet, Jordan started to embrace positive thinking and embarked on a personal journey to get her confidence - and her life - back. Eleven years on from the accident, Jordan creates her own beauty tutorials on YouTube and has a range of successful brand partnerships. She has reclaimed her life and her independence and now wants to share her inspirational story with others and is telling it through different aspects of beauty. This isn't a book about looking good on the surface, this is a story of inner strength, believing in yourself and finding motivation when you feel like all hope is gone.
Lauded as the “Queen of Lesbian Pulp” for her landmark novels of the 1950s, Ann Bannon defined lesbian fiction for… the pre-Stonewall generation. Following the release of Cleis Press’s new editions of Beebo Brinker and Odd Girl Out, I Am a Woman finds sorority sister Laura Landon leaving college heartbreak behind and embracing Greenwich Village’s lesbian bohemia. This edition includes a new introduction by the author.
A New York Times Notable BookIn the unrelenting cold and bitter winter of upstate New York, Jack and his wife,… Fanny, are trying to cope with the desperate sorrow they feel over the death of their young daughter. The loss forms a chasm in their relationship as Jack, a sardonic Vietnam vet, looks for a way to heal them both.Then, in a nearby town, a fourteen-year-old girl disappears somewhere between her home and church. Though she is just one of the hundreds of children who vanish every year in America, Jack turns all his attention to this little girl. For finding what has become of this child could be Jack's salvation--if he can just get to her in time. . . .From the Trade Paperback edition.
Internationally acclaimed as a playwright, screen-writer, comic and sardonic commentator on the endless gaffs, absurdities and the profound and painful… misunderstandings that continue to characterize social interactions between aboriginal and non-aboriginal peoples, Taylor's stories in Fearless Warriors are a full frontal assault on stereotypes of all kinds and an edifying affirmation of humanity unlike anything else in fiction.
'Brims with laughs, love, family and friendship. You will love this heartwarming read!' Trisha Ashley. Meet the Reading Group: six… women in the seaside village of Little Sanderton come together every month to share their love of reading. No topic is off-limits: books, family, love and loss . . . and don't forget the glass of red!Grace knows that the holiday season is going to be different this year. No turkey, no tinsel, no gorgeously wrapped gifts under the tree . . . how on earth is she going to break it to her little boys that Christmas is effectively cancelled? And can she bear to tell anyone her embarrassing secret? Enter the Reading Group: Grace's life might have turned upside down but there's no problem they can't solve.
The celebrated author of Montana 1948 (over 400,000 copies sold) returns to the American West in this riveting tale of… familial love and its unexpected consequences.Dalton, North Dakota. It's September 1951: years since George and Margaret Blackledge lost their son James when he was thrown from a horse; months since his widow Lorna took off with their only grandson and married Donnie Weboy. Margaret is steadfast, resolved to find and retrieve her grandson Jimmy - the one person in this world keeping James's memory alive - while George, a retired sheriff, is none too eager to stir up trouble. Unable to sway his wife from her mission, George takes to the road with Margaret by his side, traveling through the Dakota badlands to Gladstone, Montana. When Margaret tries to convince Lorna to return home to North Dakota and bring little Jimmy with her, the Blackledges find themselves entangled with the entire Weboy clan, who are determined not to give up the boy without a fight. From the author who brought us Montana 1948, Let Him Go is pitch-perfect, gutsy, and unwavering. Larry Watson is at his storytelling finest in this unforgettable return to the American West.
Kate Gray takes an unblinking look at bullying in her debut novel, Carry the Sky. It's 1983 at an elite… Delaware boarding school. Taylor Alta, the new rowing coach, arrives reeling from the death of the woman she loved. Physics teacher Jack Song, the only Asian American on campus, struggles with his personal code of honor when he gets too close to a student. These two young, lonely teachers narrate the story of a strange and brilliant thirteen-year-old boy who draws atomic mushroom clouds on his notebook, pings through the corridors like a pinball, and develops a crush on an older girl with secrets of her own. Carry the Sky sings a brave and honest anthem about what it means to be different in a world of uniformity.
This is the untold story of the anti-Apartheid movement in South Africa, told by a woman who lived it. It… is the story of the ordinary women of South Africa who, forced to scratch a living from the land, still found the strength to ask for respect and, in the process, made a revolution.
This delightful read-aloud story for children uses parenting author Vicki Lansky's lovable unisex character, KoKo Bear, to show that toilet… training is only a part of the larger process of growing up. Both boys and girls can identify with young KoKo's growing ability to learn just how nice dry diapers can be. Told through a fun and pleasurable story, KoKo helps children understand all the issues of potty training--what to expect and what's expected.Color illustrations on each page add warmth to the simple story that children can easily understand and convey the family's happiness with KoKo's success and their patience with accidents and hesitations.Every page contains read-aloud text in large type for the child as well as a box containing two or three practical tips in smaller type for the parent. Each tip provides helpful information on how to assess, respond and deal with a toddlers's predictable behavior during the often long period of time that training can take.
Super Black places the appearance of black superheroes alongside broad and sweeping cultural trends in American politics and pop culture,… which reveals how black superheroes are not disposable pop products, but rather a fascinating racial phenomenon through which futuristic expressions and fantastic visions of black racial identity and symbolic political meaning are presented. Adilifu Nama sees the value—and finds new avenues for exploring racial identity—in black superheroes who are often dismissed as sidekicks, imitators of established white heroes, or are accused of having no role outside of blaxploitation film contexts. Nama examines seminal black comic book superheroes such as Black Panther, Black Lightning, Storm, Luke Cage, Blade, the Falcon, Nubia, and others, some of whom also appear on the small and large screens, as well as how the imaginary black superhero has come to life in the image of President Barack Obama. Super Black explores how black superheroes are a powerful source of racial meaning, narrative, and imagination in American society that express a myriad of racial assumptions, political perspectives, and fantastic (re)imaginings of black identity. The book also demonstrates how these figures overtly represent or implicitly signify social discourse and accepted wisdom concerning notions of racial reciprocity, equality, forgiveness, and ultimately, racial justice.
The swaggering butches and dolled-up femmes of this 1961 lesbian pulp novel experience the guilt, thrills, and wonder of forbidden… love."She knew why they danced with such gay desperation."A budding butch in the Brylcreem era, Lorraine "Lon" Harris fantasizes about a South Pacific island full of women, where everyone will be free and accepting, and she'll never have to wear an eyelet blouse again. Spurned by her high school English teacher, Lon turns to a new friend, the brash, purple-haired Violet, who draws Lon into the lesbian underworld of suburban Los Angeles, to the sordid 28 Percent Club, a private bar where those with "contaminated passions" cling to each other. Here, among the swaggering butches and dolled-up femmes, Lon will discover herself. And here she will first lay eyes on brilliant, lovely Mavis, a black jazz pianist and the girlfriend of wealthy Sassy Gregg, whose heavy bracelets may as well be brass knuckles where Lon is concerned.
Her silky black hair. Her low-cut gown. Her sparkling sorority pin. It's autumn rush in the Tri Epsilon house, and… the new pledge, Susan Mitchell-"Mitch" to her friends-trembles as the fastest girl on campus, the lovely Leda Taylor, crosses the room toward her for a dance. Will Leda corrupt Mitch? Or will the strong and silent Mitch draw the queen of Tri Ep into the forbidden world of Lesbian Love?Spring Fire was the first lesbian paperback novel and sold an amazing 1.5 million copies when it first appeared in 1952. It launched an entire genre of lesbian novels, as well as the writing career of Vin Packer, one of the pseudonyms of prolific author Marijane Meaker, whose acclaimed memoir, Highsmith: A Romance of the 1950s, told the story of her own forbidden love. Now available after forty years out of print, Spring Fire is both a vital part of lesbian history and a steamy page-turner.
When many think of comic books the first thing that comes to mind are caped crusaders and spandex-wearing super-heroes. Perhaps,… inevitably, these images are of white men (and more rarely, women). It was not until the 1970s that African American superheroes such as Luke Cage, Blade, and others emerged. But as this exciting new collection reveals, these superhero comics are only one small component in a wealth of representations of black characters within comic strips, comic books, and graphic novels over the past century. The Blacker the Ink is the first book to explore not only the diverse range of black characters in comics, but also the multitude of ways that black artists, writers, and publishers have made a mark on the industry. Organized thematically into "panels" in tribute to sequential art published in the funny pages of newspapers, the fifteen original essays take us on a journey that reaches from the African American newspaper comics of the 1930s to the Francophone graphic novels of the 2000s. Even as it demonstrates the wide spectrum of images of African Americans in comics and sequential art, the collection also identifies common character types and themes running through everything from the strip The Boondocks to the graphic novel Nat Turner. Though it does not shy away from examining the legacy of racial stereotypes in comics and racial biases in the industry, The Blacker the Ink also offers inspiring stories of trailblazing African American artists and writers. Whether you are a diehard comic book fan or a casual reader of the funny pages, these essays will give you a new appreciation for how black characters and creators have brought a vibrant splash of color to the world of comics.
From John Reed, author of the controversial Orwell parody,Snowball's Chance,comes a subversive satire of modern culture, the complete lack thereof,… and a lost generation that no one even tried to look for. In the middle of America's heartland, a young boy digs a small hole in the ground. . . which grows into a big hole in the ground. . . which then proceeds to drag the boy, his parents, his dog, and most of their house into a deep void. Then, as abruptly as the hole started growing, it stops. So begins the first in a series of events that takes the beautiful-if-not-brainy Thing on a quest to uncover the truth behind the mysterious Hole. Inspired by visions, signs, and an unlimited supply of pink cocktails served by an ever-lurking "Black Rabbit," Thing and her dogged production crew travel around America, encountering Satanists, an Extraterrestrial/Christian cult group, and a surprisingly helpful phone psychic. Their search for answers could very well decide the fate of the world as they know it. But the more Thing learns about the Hole, her shocking connection to it, and the mind-boggling destiny that awaits her, the more she realizes that human civilization isn't all it's cracked up to be -- and that it's just about time to start over.