Language & Literature
 
Poetry, Essays, Humor, & More
 
Spring 2024
In this Issue
Recently Added
Humor
Essays
Recently Added
Why We Love Middle-Earth : An Enthusiast's Book About Tolkien, Middle-Earth, and the LotR Fandom
by Shawn E. Marchese

Learn about the man who wrote The Lord of the Rings in this Middle-earth treasury. Full of everything to learn about Middle-earth and the fandom, this book about Tolkien celebrates Why We Love Middle-earth. 
 
1000 words : a writer's guide to staying creative, focused, and productive all year round
by Jami Attenberg

The book extension of the growing writer's movement and challenge to write 1,000 words a day helps readers and writers discover how to uncover their creative desires and stay motivated and offers advice from over 50 well-known writers. Illustrations.
The Fine Art of Literary Fist-fighting : How a Bunch of Rabble-rousers, Outsiders, and Ne'er-do-wells Concocted Creative Nonfiction
by Lee Gutkind

"An account of the emergence of creative nonfiction, written by the“godfather” of the genre, tells the true story of how creative nonfiction became a leading genre for both readers and writers."
Blackbirds singing : inspiring Black women's speeches from the Civil War to the twenty-first century
by Janet Dewart Bell

This collection of speeches by African American women from the nineteenth century until today features contributions from such trailblazers as Harriet Tubman, Barbara Lee, Josephine Baker and Barbara Jordan.
Bad Chaucer : the great poet's greatest mistakes in the Canterbury Tales
by Tison Pugh

Acclaimed for centuries as the "Father of English Literature," Geoffrey Chaucer enjoys widespread and effusive praise for his classic Canterbury Tales-and rightfully so. Still, even the greatest of authors cannot claim perfection, and so Bad Chaucer: TheGreat Poet's Greatest Mistakes in the Canterbury Tales analyzes his various missteps, missed opportunities, and other blunders in this peerless masterpiece. From a vexing catalog of trees in the Knight's Tale to the flirtations with blasphemy in the Parson's Tale, this volume progresses through the Canterbury Tales story by story, tale by tale, pondering the most egregious failing of each in turn. Viewed collectively, Chaucer's troubles stem from clashing genres that disrupt interpretive clarity, themeless themes that undermine any message a tale might convey, mischaracterized characters who act without clear motivation, purposeful and otherwise pleasureful badness that show Chaucer's appreciation for the humor of bad literature, and outmoded perspectives that threaten to alienate modern readers. Badness is not always to be lamented but often celebrated, even cherished, for badness infuses artistic creations with the vitality that springs from varied responses, spirited engagements, and the inherent volatility of enjoying literature. On the whole, Bad Chaucer: The Great Poet's Greatest Mistakes in the Canterbury Tales swerves literary criticism in a new direction by examining the provocative question, for too long overlooked, of what this great author got wrong
Sharing too much : musings from an unlikely life
by Richard Paul Evans

In this intimate and heartfelt collection of personal essays, the #1 New York Times best-selling author of more than 40 novels recounts his moving journey from childhood to beloved writer, sharing the lessons he's learned and hard-won advice about everything from marriage to parenthood.
Subculture vulture : a memoir in six scenes
by Moshe Kasher

Telling the story of the lives he spent careening from one to the next, from Alcoholics Anonymous to the techno warehouse party scene to Burning Man, the author deftly weaves together memoir and propulsive cultural history as he takes us on a rollicking ride through deep American subcultures.
Raised by wolves : fifty poets on fifty poems : a Graywolf anthology.
by Graywolf Press

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Graywolf Press, this unique collection of poems serves as community document in which 50 Graywolf poets have selected 50 poems by Graywolf poets, offering insightful prose reflections on their selections. Original.
Humor
How to win friends and influence fungi : collected quirks of science, tech, engineering, and math from nerd nite
by Chris Balakrishnan

The co-founders of the global science organization Nerd Nite present a quirky, illustrated collection of narratives and infographics centered around STEM, such as the importance of microbes and how the Webb telescope has influenced movie special effects. 150,000 first printing. Illustrations.
How to stay married : the most insane love story ever told
by Harrison Scott Key

The Thurber Prize-winning author recalls his hilarious and shocking spiritual journey through hell and back after discovering his wife's infidelity with a family friend by confronting his own failure to love his wife in the ways she needed.
One in a millennial : on friendship, feelings, fangirls, and fitting in
by Kate Kennedy

In this laugh-out-loud book filled with keen observations, a pop culture commentator and host of the millennial-focused podcast Be There in Five both celebrates and criticizes the culture that shaped her as a woman, tackling AOL Instant Messenger, American Girl Dolls, Spice Girl feminism, millennial motherhood and more.
Essays
A hitch in time : reflections ready for reconsideration
by Christopher Hitchens

This collection of essays, reviews, diary entries and letters from the late renowned writer includes his thoughts on Salman Rushdie, being spanked by Margaret Thatcher in The House of Lords and taking his son to the Oscars. 75,000 first printing.
Why we read : on bookworms, libraries and just one more page before lights out
by Shannon Reed

In this uproarious exploration of the joys of reading, a long-time teacher, lifelong reader and The New Yorker contributor shares surprising stories from her life and the poignant ways in which books have impacted her students and shows us how literature can transform us for the better.
With every great breath : new and selected essays, 1995-2023
by Rick Bass

Spanning his storied career, the acclaimed writer and environmental activist presents this collection of new and selected essays that explore ecological, social and personal landscapes, celebrating the beauty that inspires us.
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