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The Amorous Busboy of Decatur Avenue: A Child of the Fifties Looks Back
by Robert KleinDear Reader,When we asked the beloved award-winning comedian and actor Robert Klein to write a book, you can imagine our utter surprise when he told us that he wanted to write about sixth-century Chinese pottery. Thankfully, he hit a creative brick wall (since he doesn't really know anything about pottery from China or anywhere else). Then came similar failures to write books about sea turtles, circumnavigation of the globe, building jet engines at home, the sociology of chickens, or fungi of the skin.Luckily, Mr. Klein's paramount concern was the consumer. He knew that if we, his publishers, were going to boldly ask you to purchase his book (see above for price), he would have to write something so good, so worthwhile, so meaningful as to make you want to send additional money to your bookseller in gratitude for having allowed you to partake in this reading experience.So Mr. Klein set out to write about what he knows best: himself. This book is about the adventures of a child who becomes a young man: how he thinks and dreams and lusts and fears and laughs and handles adversity. From the beginning of his distinguished career as a comedian, Robert Klein established himself as a pioneer in observational humor and razor-sharp routines that are infectiously funny. Now -- for the first time -- Klein brings his trademark humor and honesty to the printed page. In this portrait of a comic as a young man, Klein takes us back to the people and streets of his Bronx neighborhood, the eccentric cast of characters in the Catskills hotels and bungalow colonies where he worked, the college dorms where he received more than an academic education, the 1964 World's Fair where he fell in love, New York City and Chicago in the 1960s as he developed his talent, and Los Angeles just as he was about to embark on a show business career. Throughout, Klein reveals the hilarity of growing up and explores the mysteries and his own foibles in sex and relationships. He recounts with wit and poignancy losing his virginity with a prostitute, bringing home a German girlfriend to his Jewish family, and the amorous adventures of the busboy he once was.With an ego more fragile than Chinese pottery, Robert Klein has written a funny and evocative coming-of-age memoir -- well worth the price (if we say so ourselves). Enjoy.All the best,The Publisher
The Amorous Education of Celia Seaton (The Burgundy Club #3)
by Miranda NevilleA desperate woman stumbles upon an irresistible opportunity for revenge in this Regency romance “of hilarity, mystery, and passion” (Publishers Weekly).As a spinster, Miss Celia Seaton has come to expect a rather dull life—until she is kidnapped, robbed, and left stranded on the moors without so much as a petticoat for protection. But the tables soon turn when she finds Tarquin Compton—the devilishly handsome rogue who ruined her marriage prospects—lying on the ground unconscious. Celia wastes no time in saving Tarquin’s life. And when he awakens with amnesia, she wastes no time filling his head with lies. Now the leader of the ton believes himself to be one Terence Fish—and Celia’s fiancé. As they search for Celia’s kidnapper, they discover a passion more intense than either has ever known. But the tables may turn yet again as Tarquin’s memory returns . . .
The Amusement Park from the Black Lagoon (Black Lagoon Adventures #27)
by Mike ThalerThese fun-filled chapter books mix school, monsters, and common kid problems with hilarious results. You'll scream with laughter!It's time for a class trip and all Hubie's friends want to go to the Amusement Park. But not Hubie. Waiting on long lines? Rides names after natural disasters? There's nothing amusing about that. Will Hubie make it through the day?
The Anatomy Lesson (Vintage International)
by Philip RothAt forty, the writer Nathan Zuckerman comes down with a mysterious affliction—pure pain, beginning in his neck and shoulders, invading his torso, and taking possession of his spirit. Zuckerman, whose work was his life, is unable to write a line. Now his work is trekking from one doctor to another, but none can find a cause for the pain and nobody can assuage it. Zuckerman himself wonders if the pain can have been caused by his own books. And while he is wondering, his dependence on painkillers grows into an addiction to vodka, marijuana, and Percodan. The Anatomy Lesson is a great comedy of illness written in what the English critic Hermione Lee has described as "a manner at once ... brash and thoughtful ... lyrical and wry, which projects through comic expostulations and confessions...a knowing, humane authority." The third volume of the trilogy and epilogue Zuckerman Bound, The Anatomy Lesson provides some of the funniest scenes in all of Roth's fiction as well as some of the fiercest.
The Anatomy of Magic: A Novel
by J.C. CervantesA young woman learns to embrace all the messy imperfections of life and love with some help from her magical family Lilian Estrada seemingly has it all: an ob-gyn star on the rise, a master at balancing work with whirlwind romances and part of a family of fiercely loyal and exceptional women, all bound together by an extraordinary secret. The Estrada women each possess a unique power, and Lily shines with the rare gift to manipulate memories. Yet not even her mystical abilities can shield her from a harrowing event at the hospital, one that sends her powers—and her confidence—spiraling out of control. Seeking solace, Lily retreats to her family's ancestral home in Mexico, only to find herself face-to-face with a ghost from her past—Sam, the first love she never forgot. Nearly a decade since she last saw him, Sam is hardly the boy she once knew, and as old flames spark to life, Lily must navigate the mysteries of their shared history and the depths of her own heart if she hopes to control her unpredictable magic.
The Anatomy of Magic: Curl up with this perfectly magical and enchantingly romantic read!
by J.C. Cervantes🌸✨A young woman learns to embrace all the messy imperfections of life and love with some help from her magical family ✨🌸'[A] cozy magical romance . . . a well-balanced tale of magic, perseverance, and rekindled love. Cervantes is sure to win fans with this one' Publisher's Weekly_______________________Can an old flame spark a new romance?Lilian Estrada seemingly has it all. She's an ob-gyn star on the rise, a master at balancing work with whirlwind romances, and part of a family of fiercely loyal and exceptional women, all bound together by an extraordinary secret. The Estrada women each possess a unique power, and Lily shines with the rare gift to manipulate memories. But her mystical abilities can't shield her from a harrowing event at the hospital, one that sends her powers - and her confidence - spiralling out of control. Seeking solace, Lily retreats to her family's ancestral home in Mexico, only to find herself face-to-face with a ghost from her past - Sam, the first love she never forgot. Nearly a decade since she last saw him, Sam is hardly the boy she once knew, and as old flames spark to life, Lily must navigate the mysteries of their shared history and the depths of her own heart if she hopes to control her unpredictable magic._______________________'A delightful, funny, and uplifting novel with the perfect amount of heat' KATY HAYS'The Estrada women will bewitch your heart and make you believe in magic again' CAROLYN HUYNH'This story had me rooting for love in all its forms ... a wondrous backdrop for blooming romance' DIANE MARIE BROWN'An enchantingly comfortable romantic dramedy' KIRKUS'Cervantes' adult debut is a sensual tale ... and the sweeping love story draws readers in' BOOKLISTReaders gave The Enchanted Hacienda 5 stars!!'The most beautiful story. The romance that blossomed, like the flowers from the Estrada farm, was a magical treat . . . A book filled with romance, familia, and magic''A truly beautiful and enchanting story that shows the power of love, family and find your place in the world. Magic, family and a beautifully told story make this one that you don't want to miss out on''J.C. Cervantes is a genius. I am absolutely in love with this writing style and I love the characters and I love the subtle magic . . . the story is honestly beautiful and heartbreaking and enchanting''A delightful, emotionally charged tale of a young woman realizing that maybe her lack of magic isn't the end of the world, that she does have something to offer, that family is everything, and love can come out of nowhere, magic or not. Readers will be enchanted with the magic, and will want to live in The Enchanted Hacienda'
The Anatomy of Magic: Curl up with this perfectly magical and enchantingly romantic read!
by J.C. Cervantes🌸✨A young woman learns to embrace all the messy imperfections of life and love with some help from her magical family ✨🌸'[A] cozy magical romance . . . a well-balanced tale of magic, perseverance, and rekindled love. Cervantes is sure to win fans with this one' Publisher's Weekly_______________________Can an old flame spark a new romance?Lilian Estrada seemingly has it all. She's an ob-gyn star on the rise, a master at balancing work with whirlwind romances, and part of a family of fiercely loyal and exceptional women, all bound together by an extraordinary secret. The Estrada women each possess a unique power, and Lily shines with the rare gift to manipulate memories. But her mystical abilities can't shield her from a harrowing event at the hospital, one that sends her powers - and her confidence - spiralling out of control. Seeking solace, Lily retreats to her family's ancestral home in Mexico, only to find herself face-to-face with a ghost from her past - Sam, the first love she never forgot. Nearly a decade since she last saw him, Sam is hardly the boy she once knew, and as old flames spark to life, Lily must navigate the mysteries of their shared history and the depths of her own heart if she hopes to control her unpredictable magic._______________________'A delightful, funny, and uplifting novel with the perfect amount of heat' KATY HAYS'The Estrada women will bewitch your heart and make you believe in magic again' CAROLYN HUYNH'This story had me rooting for love in all its forms ... a wondrous backdrop for blooming romance' DIANE MARIE BROWN'An enchantingly comfortable romantic dramedy' KIRKUS'Cervantes' adult debut is a sensual tale ... and the sweeping love story draws readers in' BOOKLISTReaders gave The Enchanted Hacienda 5 stars!!'The most beautiful story. The romance that blossomed, like the flowers from the Estrada farm, was a magical treat . . . A book filled with romance, familia, and magic''A truly beautiful and enchanting story that shows the power of love, family and find your place in the world. Magic, family and a beautifully told story make this one that you don't want to miss out on''J.C. Cervantes is a genius. I am absolutely in love with this writing style and I love the characters and I love the subtle magic . . . the story is honestly beautiful and heartbreaking and enchanting''A delightful, emotionally charged tale of a young woman realizing that maybe her lack of magic isn't the end of the world, that she does have something to offer, that family is everything, and love can come out of nowhere, magic or not. Readers will be enchanted with the magic, and will want to live in The Enchanted Hacienda'
The Android's Dream
by John ScalziFrom New York Times bestseller and Hugo Award-winner John Scalzi, a wild-and-woolly caper novel of interstellar diplomacyA human diplomat creates an interstellar incident when he kills an alien diplomat in a most . . . unusual . . . way. To avoid war, Earth's government must find an equally unusual object: a type of sheep ("The Android's Dream"), used in the alien race's coronation ceremony.To find the sheep, the government turns to Harry Creek, ex-cop, war hero and hacker extraordinare, who, with the help of a childhood friend turned artificial intelligence, scours the earth looking for the rare creature. But there are others with plans for the sheep as well. Mercenaries employed by the military. Adherents of a secret religion based on the writings of a 21st century SF author. And alien races, eager to start a revolution on their home world and a war on Earth.To keep our planet from being enslaved, Harry will have to pull off a grand diplomatic coup, a gambit that will take him from the halls of power to the lava-strewn battlefields of alien worlds. There's only one chance to get it right, to save the life of the sheep—and to protect the future of humanity.Other Tor BooksThe Android’s DreamAgent to the StarsYour Hate Mail Will Be GradedFuzzy NationRedshirts1. Lock In2. Head OnThe Interdepency Sequence1. The Collapsing Empire2. The Consuming FireOld Man's War Series1. Old Man’s War2. The Ghost Brigades3. The Last Colony4. Zoe’s Tale5. The Human Division6. The End of All ThingsAt the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
The Angel Tasted Temptation
by Shirley JumpShirley Jump dishes up a red-hot romance in the third installment of her Sweet and Savory Romances series. Exotic food and a no-strings attached hunk top Meredith Shordon's "I-Want" list when she leaves her life behind in Indiana and heads for Boston to experience big city life. At the top of her list? Losing her virginity to Mr. Right Now, without getting tangled up with Mr. Right. Reformed party animal Travis Campbell won't be tempted--until he meets the determined Indiana farm girl and realizes taking a bite of temptation only leaves him wanting more. He's just sworn off women for thirty days, but Meredith is doing her best to tempt him into her bed, before he captures her heart. *Special bonus material: Recipes written by the characters inside!* The original version of this eBook was published in 2005, and titled as The Angel Craved Lobster
The Angels Will Not Care (A Cecil Younger Investigation #5)
by John StraleyTrapped on an Alaskan cruise line, PI Cecil Younger must expose a killer—and fast—or he may just find himself sleeping with the fishes.Cecil Younger never thought it would come to this: running surveillance on a chicken coop that’s being raided by a fowl thief. But things have not exactly been breaking right lately for the Alaskan PI. The logical thing to do? Take a vacation, of course.Well, it’s not exactly a vacation. Cecil has been paid to investigate a doctor aboard a cruise ship up the Alaskan coast following some complaints from his patients . . . that is, the patients who are still alive to complain. Worst of all, someone is leaving evidence pointing an accusing finger at Cecil. By the time the S.S. Westward makes landfall, Cecil will be wishing he was back guarding chickens.
The Angry Birds Movie 2: The Junior Novel
by Heather NuhferThe Angry Birds Movie 2 is coming to theaters in August 2019, with a star-studded cast that includes Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Peter Dinklage, and Leslie Jones. The Angry Birds Movie 2: The Junior Novel tells the entire story from the movie and includes an 8-page full-color insert!Sometimes, it takes two villages…Welcome back to Bird Island, a peaceful, happy bird community—thanks to Red, Bomb, and Chuck, who saved all their feathered friends from an all-out war with King Leonard and the pigs!Well, the war’s over—kind of. Now the birds and pigs are in a prank war—with lots of tricks played on both sides of the water.But when a new villain, an eagle named Zeta, threatens to destroy life on both Bird and Piggy Island, these sworn enemies must set aside their differences and join forces to fight a feathery foe.Now Red, Chuck, Bomb, and Mighty Eagle, along with Chuck’s sister, Silver, must team up with the pigs, including Leonard and Courtney, Leonard’s new assistant, to stop Zeta and her volcanic superweapon of doom! And did we mention that there are Hatchlings in this story, too?The worst enemies make an even worse team!
The Angry Birds Movie: Laughtastic Joke Book
by Courtney CarboneEven Angry Birds get the giggles. Characters from The Angry Birds Movie come together in this collection of perfectly silly jokes and rollicking riddles. Arranged thematically, each section is chock-full of humorous riffs that will tickle kids' funny bones.The Angry Birds Movie, based on the international video game phenomenon, arrives in theaters spring 2016. With a star-studded cast that includes Jason Sudekis, Josh Gad, Maya Rudolph, and Peter Dinklage, this film will finally answer the question: why are the birds so angry?
The Angry Birds Movie: The Junior Novel
by Chris CerasiLife's a beach for the happy birds of Bird Island. They work, play, and raise their hatchlings without a care in the world. A few Angry Birds can ruffle some feathers, but that's what anger-management classes are for. Red-the angriest of them all-doe
The Angry Buddhist
by Seth GreenlandFrom the author of I Regret Everything comes this &“great novel. It&’s satirical, it&’s political, it&’s sexual. All the things that I love dearly&” (Larry David, creator of Curb Your Enthusiasm and Seinfeld). Seth Greenland&’s timely novel is a smart and darkly amusing dissection of the American political establishment in all its sordid glory. Set in the hardscrabble California desert community of Desert Hot Springs and the manicured enclave of Palm Springs, the novel lives at the intersection of the political disarray of today. In this sun-blasted territory, with its equally arid culture, a fiercely contested congressional election is in progress. The wily incumbent, Randall Duke, is unburdened by ethical considerations and his opponent, Mary Swain, is a sexy and well-financed newcomer who does not have a firm grip on American history or elemental economics. As election day nears, the exploitable backgrounds of these two candidates are teased out by the desire to one-up each other. The campaign gets carried away when the personal escapades of friends and family spill over into the election, including lesbian love triangles, and sudden spiritual enlightenment. &“A wild entertainment as well as a novel about the way we live now that dares to dance with the profound.&” —Los Angeles Times &“The Angry Buddhist approaches all its characters with reliable misanthropy (not for nothing does Larry David provide this book&’s most visible blurb). And its story unfolds with dexterous ease . . . A fine, high-end beach read for this election season.&” —The New York Times Book Review &“A novel about three brothers, The Angry Buddhist is a steamy mix of murder, matching manga kitten tattoos, and a fierce congressional election.&” —Lion&’s Roar
The Animal Lover's Book of Beastly Murder: A Virago Modern Classic (Virago Modern Classics #195)
by Patricia HighsmithBy the bestselling author of The Talented Mr Ripley, Carol and Strangers on a Train'Highsmith writes the verbal equivalent of a drug - easy to consume, darkly euphoric, totally addictive . . . (She) belongs in the moody company of Dostoevsky or Angela Carter' Time OutNowhere is Patricia Highsmith's affinity for animals more apparent than in The Animal-Lover's Book of Beastly Murder, for here she transfers the murderous thoughts and rages most associated with humans onto the animals themselves. ou will meet, for example, in 'In the Dead of Truffle Season', a truffle-hunting pig who tries to whet his own appetite for a while; or Jumbo in 'Chorus Girl's Absolutely Final Performance', a lonely, old circus elephant who decides she's had enough of show business and cruel trainers for one lifetime. In this satirical reprise of Kafka, cats, dogs, and breeding rodents are no longer ordinary beings in the happy home, but actually have the power to destroy the world in which we live.
The Animal Rescue Agency #1: Case File: Little Claws (Animal Rescue Agency #1)
by Eliot SchreferAn Amazon Best Book of the Month! New York Times bestselling author Eliot Schrefer introduces a delightful and dynamic animal duo in a race against time to save a polar bear cub in the first book of this hilarious and heartwarming middle grade series about friendship and conservation. When an animal is in trouble, there’s only one place to turn: the Animal Rescue Agency! Dashing Esquire Fox used to organize the world’s most elaborate chicken raids until the day she encountered Mr. Pepper. Meeting the blustery old rooster changed her heart, convincing her to turn from a life of crime and instead form the Animal Rescue Agency, which masterminds rescue operations across the globe.Esquire and her unlikely chicken business manager coordinate their far-flung agents to get them to the Arctic. In that frozen land they learn that what happened to the polar bear cub was no accident—and that saving him will pit them against the scariest predator in the world: a human.
The Animals After Midnight: A Darby Holland Crime Novel (Darby Holland Crime Novel Series #3)
by Jeff JohnsonIn this third novel in the Darby Holland Crime Novel series, Darby's past rises up to do more than haunt him. You can run, but in the information age you can only hide for so long. Midnight Rider Productions is a dark web nightmare machine, headed by the one man who years ago drove Darby to hide in the seamy environs of Old Town and make his life there. But Darby left his own mark back in the day and the shadowy head of production has a grudge to settle. Rider has found him at long last and plans to make an example of him. Every dark secret of Darby’s is exposed, every triumph reversed, every dream made real is set on fire, and as the Feds circle, smelling blood in the water, Darby has to run the most brutal rearguard action in the history of crime-meets-crime and gamble that he has finally grown powerful enough, crazy enough, and hard enough to beat the Devil himself. Meanwhile his best friend and should-be lover Delia, is about to be married to someone with his own dark secrets. With the help of his friends new and old, Darby must save Delia and himself and the rest of the Lucky Supreme faithful as he plays one force against another with desperate brilliance in an epic conflict that rages through the dark underbelly of Portland, Oregon.
The Anna Karenina Fix: Life Lessons from Russian Literature
by Viv Groskop“In this hilarious, candid, and thought-provoking memoir, [Groskop] explains how she used lessons from Russian classics to understand herself better.” —Gretchen Rubin, #1 New York Times–bestselling authorAs Viv Groskop knows from personal experience, everything that has ever happened to a person has already happened in the Russian classics: from not being sure what to do with your life (Anna Karenina), to being hopelessly in love with someone who doesn’t love you back (Turgenev’s A Month in the Country), or being socially anxious about your appearance (all of Chekhov’s work). In The Anna Karenina Fix, a sort of literary self-help memoir, Groskop mines these and other works, as well as the lives of their celebrated creators, and her own experiences as a student of Russian, to answer the question “How should you live your life?” This is a charming and fiercely intelligent book, a love letter to Russian literature and an exploration of the answers these writers found to life’s questions.“[Groskop is] a delight, a reader’s reader whose professional and personal experiences have allowed her to write the kind of book that not only is complete unto itself, but makes you want to head to the library and revisit or discover the great works she loves.” —The Washington Post“Learn how to hack life nineteenth-century Russian style! You’ll totally be like Anna Karenina without getting (spoiler alert) run over by a train!” —Gary Shteyngart, New York Times-bestselling author“For anyone intimidated by Russia’s daunting literary heritage, this humorous yet thoughtful introduction will serve as the perfect entrée.” —Publishers Weekly
The Annie Sanders Collection
by Annie SandersSeven charming women's fiction novels, packed with romance, humour and great characters.Including: GOODBYE, JIMMY CHOO; WARNINGS OF GALES; BUSY WOMAN SEEKS WIFE; THE GAP YEAR FOR GROWN-UPS; GETTING MAD, GETTING EVEN; FAMOUS LAST WORDS; INSTRUCTIONS FOR BRINGING UP SCARLETT.
The Anniversary: The "supremely gripping" psychological thriller with a "delicious" twist
by Laura Marshall'Laura Marshall's best yet' Chris Whitaker'I was genuinely unable to put it down' Karen Hamilton'Fascinating' Sunday TimesThey thought the killer had no motive. But these murders are not what they seem . . . On 15th June 1994, Travis Green - husband, father, upstanding citizen - walked through the streets of Hartstead and killed eleven of his neighbours. The last victim was little Cassie Colman's father. As the twenty-fifth anniversary approaches, Cassie tries to forget the past - even as her mother struggles to remember it at all. Then, something hidden in her mother's belongings suggests the murders were not as random as everyone believes. Cassie can't stop herself digging up the past. But someone will do anything to keep it buried . . . 'A tense, twisty, one-sitting read' Tammy Cohen'The perfect compulsive summer read' Fiona Cummins'Utterly gripping' Women's Own
The Anniversary: The "supremely gripping" psychological thriller with a "delicious" twist
by Laura Marshall'Laura Marshall's best yet' Chris Whitaker'I was genuinely unable to put it down' Karen Hamilton'Fascinating' Sunday TimesThey thought the killer had no motive. But these murders are not what they seem . . . On 15th June 1994, Travis Green - husband, father, upstanding citizen - walked through the streets of Hartstead and killed eleven of his neighbours. The last victim was little Cassie Colman's father. As the twenty-fifth anniversary approaches, Cassie tries to forget the past - even as her mother struggles to remember it at all. Then, something hidden in her mother's belongings suggests the murders were not as random as everyone believes. Cassie can't stop herself digging up the past. But someone will do anything to keep it buried . . . 'A tense, twisty, one-sitting read' Tammy Cohen'The perfect compulsive summer read' Fiona Cummins'Utterly gripping' Women's Own
The Anniversary: The "supremely gripping" psychological thriller with a "delicious" twist
by Laura Marshall'Laura Marshall's best yet' Chris Whitaker'I was genuinely unable to put it down' Karen Hamilton'Fascinating' Sunday TimesThey thought the killer had no motive. But these murders are not what they seem . . . On 15th June 1994, Travis Green - husband, father, upstanding citizen - walked through the streets of Hartstead and killed eleven of his neighbours. The last victim was little Cassie Colman's father. As the twenty-fifth anniversary approaches, Cassie tries to forget the past - even as her mother struggles to remember it at all. Then, something hidden in her mother's belongings suggests the murders were not as random as everyone believes. Cassie can't stop herself digging up the past. But someone will do anything to keep it buried . . . 'A tense, twisty, one-sitting read' Tammy Cohen'The perfect compulsive summer read' Fiona Cummins'Utterly gripping' Women's Own
The Annotated Archy and Mehitabel
by Don MarquisGenerations of readers have delighted in the work of the great American humorist Don Marquis, who was frequently compared to Mark Twain. These free-verse poems, which first appeared in Marquis's New York newspaper columns, revolve around the escapades of Archy, the philosophical cockroach who was once a poet, and Mehitabel, a streetwise alley cat who was once Cleopatra. Reincarnated as the lowest creatures on the social scale, they prowl the rowdy streets of New York City in between the world wars. The antics of these two immortal characters are now made available for the first time in their original order of publication in this unique, comprehensive collection, which features many poems never before reprinted. First time in Penguin Classics Archy and Mehitabel is considered the inspiration for E. B. White's Charlotte's Web Features many new poems never reprinted since they were first published early in the twentieth century Introduction places Marquis in the context of American humor and the history of satire .
The Anthologist
by Nicholson BakerPaul Chowder is trying to write the introduction to a new anthology of rhyming verse, but he's having a hard time getting started. The result of his fitful struggles is The Anthologist, Nicholson Baker's brilliantly funny and exquisite love story about poetry.* * * A New York Times Notable Book, 2009. Favorite Fiction of 2009-Los Angeles Times. Best Books of 2009-The Christian Science Monitor. Best of 2009-Slate.com. "A Year's Reading" Favorites, 2009-The New Yorker. Best Books of 2009-Seattle Times.
The Anthology of Really Important Modern Poetry: Timeless Poems by Snooki, John Boehner, Kanye West, and Other Well-Versed Celebrities
by Ross Petras Kathryn PetrasRequired reading from great poets of our time. Drew Barrymore: “Upon Pondering Breasts.” Tom Cruise: “An Exegesis on Psychiatry.” Ann Coulter: “My Kind of Fun.” And Trump and Sheen and Snooki, John Boehner and Michelle Bachman, Miley and Ke$ha. Hugo Chavez. Even a Zen haiku by Emmitt Smith: I think it’s his self- confidence in himself that makes him confident. <P>With their great gift for curating the inane public utterances of celebrities, politicians, and other self-important loudmouths, Kathryn and Ross Petras offer a timeless collection of “found” poetry—real quotes formatted as verse for hilarious and surprising effect. <P> The quotes are inherently addictive and funny—but turning them into verse intensifies the effect, making the words even more ridiculous, parodies to revel in. <P> And the Petrases take it one step further: organizing the poems by themes, introducing each work with a Norton Anthology mock seriousness, discussing “schools,” and larding the text with footnotes, The Anthology of Really Important Modern Poetry is pure deadpan pleasure. A whiff of Emily Dickinson in Ann Coulter? It’s literary treasure, right under our noses.