Humour collections and anthologies Books

Book SynopsisWhen you’re feeling disappointed or just a little blue, there’s nothing like good a laugh at some groanworthy jokes to raise the spirits – and that’s what you’ll get with this whopping compendium. With all-time classic subjects such as bankers, the battle of the sexes and Doctor, Doctor, as well as cheeky wordplay and one-liners, Nick Harris has collected together a bumper crop of mirth to turn that frown upside down!

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Book SynopsisWinefulness is the new mindfulness.Cancel the hot yoga and pick up a cool Pinot Grigio - sometimes all you need is a nice glass of wine. Through the good times and the bad, it's always there to pick you up and it's always got your back. So enjoy this collection of wine wisdom for the soul, and learn to view the world through rosé-tinted glasses.As the old saying goes, where there's a wine there's a way.Includes inspiration such as:- It isn't wise to keep things bottled up - No Champagne, no gain- Life is a Cabernet, after all- Every cloud has a Syrah lining- Do things for the right Rieslings

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Book SynopsisYou can have a lot of laughs in ten years, which is why we have collected the very best of the amusing stories encountered by the readers of The Herald Diary column over the past decade.There was even a Scottish Labour Prime Minister all those years ago, Celtic fans could only dream that their team would begin its quest for 10 titles in a row, and the word Covid was simply a typing error for David or cove.So as everyone could really do with a smile just now, we have combed well over two thousand Diary columns to bring the best of what made Scots laugh over the last ten years, whether it is the sharpest humour from pubs, the daft things children say or the humour from all sides of Scottish courts, the very best are here.

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Book Synopsis'Her first words were "shoes" and "brioche".' 'There's no nicer way to put this, but frankly anyone can afford to go skiing these days.' 'Of course I said "no". A trampoline in the garden gives out entirely the wrong message.'Based on the popular Twitter account @Highgatemums, this hilarious collection brings together the most outrageous snippets of conversation that have been overheard in the shops and cafes of this gentrified North London suburb.Highgate Mums also includes confessions from mothers dismayed by their own upper-middle-class offspring and submissions from fathers making fun of themselves with the hashtag #lattedads, revealing day-to-day life among Britain's chattering classes as never before.Trade ReviewHilarious... Excruciatingly funny * Daily Mail *You don't have to live in Highgate to know that these snippets of haute bourgeoise wisdom are terrifyingly accurate... Will make you laugh out loud on page after page -- Marcus Berkmann * Spectator *

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Book SynopsisFrom marital bliss to man flu, husbands are jolly good fellows, and this tip-top collection of retro photos and frightfully funny captions capture everything to love about marriage.The Wit and Wisdom of... is a series of terrifically humorous books brought to you by the rip-roaringly funny folks behind the best-selling On-the-Ceiling greetings cards.Perfect as a birthday, Christmas, Valentine's Day or Father's Day gift for long-suffering husbands everywhere.Also available: The Wit and Wisdom of Dad, The Wit and Wisdom of Mum and The Wit and Wisdom of the Wife.

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Book SynopsisFrom parenting to prosecco, mums are jolly smashing and this tip-top collection of retro photos and frightfully funny captions capture everything to love about motherhood.The Wit and Wisdom of... is a series of terrifically humorous books brought to you by the rip-roaringly funny folks behind the best-selling On-the-Ceiling greetings cards.Perfect as a birthday, Christmas or Mother's Day gift for long-suffering mums everywhere.Also available: The Wit and Wisdom of the Wife, The Wit and Wisdom of Grandma, The Wit and Wisdom of Wine, The Wit and Wisdom of Prosecco, The Wit and Wisdom of the Husband and The Wit and Wisdom of Grandad.

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Book SynopsisFrom parties to proposals, Prosecco is just spiffing and this tip-top collection of retro photos and frightfully funny captions captures everything to love about a glass of bubbly.The Wit and Wisdom of... is a series of terrifically humorous books brought to you by the rip-roaringly funny folks behind the best-selling On-the-Ceiling greetings cards.Also available:The Wit and Wisdom of MumThe Wit and Wisdom of DadThe Wit and Wisdom of the HusbandThe Wit and Wisdom of the WifeThe Wit and Wisdom of WineThe Wit and Wisdom of Beer

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Book SynopsisFrom hairstyles to heartbreak, sisters are jolly spiffing and this tip-top collection of retro photos and frightfully funny captions captures everything to love about the trials and tribulations of having a sister.The Wit and Wisdom of... is a series of terrifically humorous books for adults brought to you by the rip-roaringly funny folks behind the best-selling On-the-Ceiling greetings cardsAlso available:The Wit and Wisdom of BrotherThe Wit and Wisdom of GrandmaThe Wit and Wisdom of GrandadThe Wit and Wisdom of MumThe Wit and Wisdom of DadThe Wit and Wisdom of the WifeThe Wit and Wisdom of the HusbandThe Wit and Wisdom of BeerThe Wit and Wisdom of WineThe Wit and Wisdom of ProseccoThe Wit and Wisdom of Gin

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Book SynopsisThe Golden Age of Bullshit.Welcome to the golden age of bullshit, a wiki-wild world knee deep in half-truths and alternative facts, spin and bias, influence and insincerity, little white lies and tall tales, falsehoods and propaganda, and all sorts of other baloney designed to disguise fact from fiction. We live in a post truth, fake news, world where nothing is quite as it seems and everything you read should be seen before believed. But isn't.From Brexit buses to Donald Trump, the University of Google to misleading advertising claims, and everything in-between, the bullshit keeps getting bigger and stronger and the lies are turning truer every day. It's time to call bullshit on bullshit!The Little Book of Bullshit is the ideal antidote everybody needs to fight the influx of excessive lying and cheating and defrauding that has come to define the 21st century, a tiny tome stuffed with delightfully witty snack-sized nuggets of facts and stats and quotes and boasts all related to the ever-expanding world of bullshit."The first rule of bullshit is that it must be believable." Nassim Nicholas Taleb"I'm almost finished..." All of us, at some point in our livesTable of ContentsAlternative Facts - Famous and historic lies in disguise and falsehoods that fooled the world! • The Unbelievable Truth - Stranger-than-fiction facts that are actually true! • Won't Get Fooled Again - The world's biggest bullshit artists, scoundrels, cheats, liars, phoneys and frauds exposed! • We're Gonna Need A Bigger Boast - Quotes and boasts too good to be true! • Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics - World-renowned statistics and irrelevant facts and figures that just don't add up! • Fake News - 'Post truth' stories and news reports that prove you shouldn't believe everything you read.

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Book Synopsis'"What?" said the reverend gent, "Dance through my hours of leisure? Smoke? Bathe myself with scent? Play croquet? Oh, with pleasure!"' Today W.S. Gilbert is best known for the comic operas he produced in collaboration with Arthur Sullivan, but another of his great - and numerous - literary contributions were his humorous ballads, written and illustrated under the pseudonym 'Bab'. Combining his trademark absurdist wit with keenly observed character studies, the ballads are a satirical tour de force that lambast society figures. This new selection, chosen and introduced by Andrew Crowther, Secretary of the W.S. Gilbert Society, brings together the very best of the ballads and presents the 'Bab' works for a new readership.Table of Contents‘W.S. Gilbert: A Brief Introduction’, ‘Introduction’, ‘Preface to The Bab Ballads (1869)’, The Bab Ballads: ‘Captain Reece’, ‘The Rival Curates’, ‘General John’, ‘Haunted’, ‘The Troubadour’, ‘Ferdinando and Elvira’, ‘Babette’s Love’, ‘To My Bride’, ‘Sir Macklin’, ‘The Yarn of the Nancy Bell’, ‘The Bishop of Rum-Ti-Foo’, ‘The Precocious Baby’, ‘Thomas Winterbottom Hance’, ‘A Discontented Sugar Broker’, ‘The Ghost, the Gallant, the Gael and the Goblin’, ‘At a Pantomime’, ‘Thomson Green and Harriet Hale’, ‘The Story of Prince Agib’, ‘Ellen McJones Aberdeen’, ‘Peter the Wag’, ‘Joe Golightly’, ‘Gentle Alice Brown’, ‘Mister William’, ‘The Bumboat Woman’s Story’, ‘Pasha Bailey Ben’, ‘Lieutenant-Colonel Flare’, ‘Lost Mr Blake’, ‘The Baby’s Vengeance’, ‘Annie Protheroe’, ‘Gregory Parable, LL D’, ‘Brave Alum Bey’, ‘Sir Barnaby Bampton Boo’, ‘The Modest Couple’, ‘My Dream’, ‘The Haughty Actor’, ‘The Two Majors’, ‘Emily, John, James and I’, ‘The Perils of Invisibility’, ‘The Fairy Curate’, ‘The Way of Wooing’, ‘Etiquette’, Notes, ‘The Selected Ballads in Chronological Order’

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Book SynopsisEver been late? Steve has. Lots. But he always has a good excuse. Here are 101 real corkers for you to enjoy. And maybe even borrow... * Distracted by a surprisingly complicated Kinder toy* Overcome by the urge to alphabetise my pets * Forgot how trousers work* Became temporarily feral* Got stuck in a romantic montage Why Steve Was Late is a book of hilarious (and even - occasionally - plausible!) reasons for tardiness, handily dreamed up and illustrated by someone else.Trade ReviewFunny, ingenious, I loved it. -- Adam KayHenry Paker and Dave Skinner are absolutely hilarious. Steve is an absolute liability. -- Josh WiddicombeThis book is great. Can't say any more. Late for work. -- Jo BrandThis book should be in itself yet another reason to be late. Brilliant. Stock up on excuses here. -- Al Murray, the Pub LandlordI love Steve. He's hilarious. * Michael McIntyre *

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Book SynopsisYouTube is the world's number one video-sharing website and hosts over 150 million clips, many with the power to make us laugh, gasp and even shed a tear. The Most Awesome YouTube Videos Ever! is an expertly curated collection of the website's greatest clips and a celebration of the continuing creativity of YouTube posters. Exploring 150 clips and with each entry carrying a QR code, the reader is instantly able to watch the site's most amazing clips. From the world famous and global viral hits to highly creative and the not so well known, this is the perfect gift for YouTube fanatics or those new to the site.Table of ContentsThe book features 150 of YouTube's most hilarious, breathtaking and awesome clips.

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Book SynopsisGrandma - You're the Best! is a glorious collection of more than 300 quotes celebrating grandmothers and grannies everywhere. Grandmas have deservedly attracted thousands of amazing quotes, thoughts and observations and this unique anthology features contributions from the deeply philosophical to the wonderfully humorous, and is the perfect present to say thank you for all your grandma's love, kindness and compassion. With witty and wonderful quotes from the stars of stage, screen and literature, the worlds of music, comedy and politics, Grandma - You're the Best! makes for a delightful book and gift.

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Book SynopsisThe Best Wife in the World is a special collection of more than 300 quotes honouring the joys of being married to your soul mate. This wonderful collection of quotes features contributions ranging from the deeply philosophical to the brilliantly humorous. It is the perfect present for saying thank you to your wife – for her love, support and strength. With witty and wise quotes from the stars of stage, screen and literature, the worlds of music, comedy and politics, The Best Wife in the World makes for a delightful book and a thoughtful gift. 'The secrets of success are a good wife and a steady job. My wife told me.' Howard Nemerov. 'My most brilliant achievement was my ability to be able to persuade my wife to marry me.' Winston Churchill. 'I haven't spoken to my wife in years. I didn't want to interrupt her.' Rodney Dangerfield. Table of ContentsContains more than 300 quotes about wonderful wives, from the deeply personal to the brilliantly humorous.

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Book SynopsisPeople travel for many reasons, some looking to escape and some looking for adventure. You have the right to feel and experience highs and lows within your own social context-what you find hellish may be heavenly for somebody less privileged. This eclectic collection of travel stories and poems captures the essence of traveling-to experience the unknown, be it heavenly or hellish, and return to tell the tale. Amusing, informative, dramatic and compelling, this anecdotal collection is an enchanting-and occasionally shocking-journey into the lives of intrepid globetrotters.Trade Review'Travel tales we guarantee you won't find in brochures.' Maxim 'Celebrates the highs and lows of life on the road' The Independent on Sunday 'An inspirational experience. I couldn't wait to leave the country and encounter the next inevitable disaster' The Independent

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Book SynopsisBake a cake in a mug; take part in a people-watching challenge; create a time capsule; diarise a week of your life and learn to make origami. Fully illustrated and packed with a host of games, activities and pranks, Alfie invites you to join his online following as he challenges you to complete your journal of pointlessness and do virtually nothing with pride.

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Book SynopsisThe 50th anniversary of the last trams in Glasgow is 2012. The last regular tram in Glasgow ran on 1 September, 1962. However on the 2, 3 and 4 of September, a very special tram service was operated between Auchenshuggle and Anderson Cross, for which souvenir tickets were sold. The Last Tram tae Auchenshuggle is the hilarious patter and build up to the end of the Glasgow trams, featuring Glasgow's famous clippie, Big Aggie MacDonald.Trade ReviewReaders of the book are indulging in a spot of nostalgia. THE HERALD MAGAZINE Inspiration for the book came from a chance encounter he had while working as a volunteer driver for a local hospice. One day his passenger was a lady who told him about her colourful time as a conductress on the Glasgow buses. Her stories formed the basis for the heroine of his novels, Big Aggie MacDonald, who dishes out no-nonsense patter to fare dodgers, drunks and cheeky weans alike. THE HERALD There’s no darkness to Allan Morrison’s brand of nostalgia, needless to say: his past is uncomplicated, full of cheeky chippies on Glasgow’s trams were “people spoke to one another”, shared their sweeties and their stories. THE HERALD Morrison peppers his reflections with some interesting facts – the middle classes complaining to newspapers about the behaviour of the “lower orders”, and the “no spitting” signs during a period when TB was a real threat, hint at possible darkness, but this is quickly dispelled. THE HERALD Allan’s book is selling well and featured at the recent ‘Aye Write’ Glasgow book festival, were he spoke to a packed audience about it. GREENOCK TELEGRAPH

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Book SynopsisBuy a pair of Levi's, lose the Russian accent, become an American... how hard could it be?Moscow, 1988. After years of antisemitic harassment, countless hours waiting in line for toilet paper, and having zero access to cool jeans, Margarita decides it's time to get the hell out of the Soviet Union. While dreaming of buying the boat-sized Buick she'd seen in a pirated VHS of Miami Vice and getting a taste of whatever it is Bruce Springsteen is singing about, she comes up with a plan to escape Mother Russia for good. When Margarita arrives in the US with her family, she has one objective - become fully American as soon as possible, and leave her Soviet past behind. But she soon learns that finding her new voice is harder than avoiding the KGB.Because, how do you become someone else completely? Is it as simple as changing your name, upgrading your wardrobe and working on your pronunciation of the word 'sheet'? Can you let go of old habits (never, ever throw anything away), or learn to date without hang-ups ('there is no sex in the Soviet Union' after all)? Will you ever stop disappointing your parents, who expect you to become a doctor, a lawyer, an investment banker and a classical pianist - all at the same time? And can you still become the person you dreamed you'd be, while learning to embrace parts of yourself you've wanted to discard for good when you immigrated?Absolutely hilarious, painfully honest and sometimes heart-breaking, the award-winning I Named My Dog Pushkin will have fans of David Sedaris and Samantha Irby howling with laughter at Margarita's failures, her victories and the life lessons she learns as she grows as both a woman and an immigrant, in a world that often doesn't appreciate either. What readers are saying about I Named My Dog Pushkin:'Hilariously funny, whip-smart and absolutely fascinating... Silver shows that the only person she needs to ever become is herself. Just amazing.' Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You and With or Without You'Laugh-out-loud funny... a particular pleasure to see our splintered country through the eyes of this determined and appreciative emigree.' NPR Books'An eye-opener... a whole other brand of Jewish humor... The book's wit, drama and erudition appear to me wholly miraculous. Margarita deserves a literary prize.' Alicia Bay Laurel, New York Times bestselling author of Living on the Earth'Hysterically funny and thought-provoking... perfect for anyone fascinated with the USSR' FangirlNation'I thoroughly enjoyed Margarita's witty and acerbic voice. This book was a delight!' Jen Mann, New York Times bestselling author of People I Want to Punch in the Throat'Hilarious... From one USSR immigrant to another... I related a lot.' Margarita Levieva, HBO's The Deuce'Hilarious and thought-provoking.' California Bookwatch'A memoir like this is so very rare, one in which you learn a great deal, while laughing throughout. Highly, highly recommended.' Wandering Educators'Plunges the reader into a world in which Coca-Cola is synonymous with freedom... riveting... moving... Gokun Silver is a gifted, witty writer.' Los Angeles Review of Books'Sure to delight while tugging at your heartstrings.' Jewish Book Council'Had me laughing and smiling all the way through... a perfect balance of wit and seriousness... Superb.' Goodreads reviewer'Laughed my socks off!' Goodreads reviewer'I loved this book so much... I just could not stop reading.' NetGalley reviewer'A sharp, witty memoir... Margarita captured Jewish joy and grief together perfectly.' Goodreads reviewer'Darkly funny... reminiscent of other acerbic comedian authors like Sara Barron... fascinating.' NetGalley reviewer

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Book SynopsisAlfie Deyes is back with another instalment of his unique brand of nothingness. Bigger, better and even more pointless,The Pointless Book 2 is once again full of hilarious challenges and crazy activities, and the ultimate accessory to Alfie's wonderful PointlessBlog. With all the humour and quirkiness of Alfie's celebrated YouTube site, Pointless Book 2 is packed with a host of games, activities, dares, pranks and jokes - and, of course, an exclusive digital app to take you closer to Alfie and the PointlessBlog. Fully illustrated and endlessly entertaining, Alfie invites you back to his Pointless party and to once again do virtually nothing with pride!

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Book SynopsisJust when you thought it was safe to put down your pens, Alfie Deyes is back with everyone's favourite journal! This time it includes some brand-new challenges and activities - from Haikus to recipes and riddles to mindfulness. Full of classic favourites, too, Alfie invites you to rejoin his online following and pick up the The Pointless Book 3 to once again do virtually nothing with pride!

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Book SynopsisThe Westminster Alice is a collection of humorous vignettes by Saki, first published in the Westminster Gazette in 1902, which form a political pastiche of the Alice books by Lewis Carroll, featuring an unforgettable cast of notable politicians of the day, and brought to life with illustrations by F. Carruthers Gould – ‘with apologies to Sir John Tenniel’ for their striking likeness to the original Alice illustrations. Desperately trying to navigate her way through the world of Ineptitudes, Knights, Queens and Mad Hatters, Alice delivers a stinging satire of Westminster politics – which, imbued with Saki’s charm and delicate wit, and set in a world evocative of Carroll’s timeless Wonderland, is as charming today as when it was written, and belongs on every Alice fan’s bookshelf.Trade Review'His stories and novels appear as delightful and […] sophisticated as they did when he first published them.' (Noël Coward) 'Saki writes so lightly that you might hardly notice how beautifully also.' (Christopher Morley)Table of ContentsThe Westminster Alice: Introduction, Alice in Downing Street, Alice in Pall Mall, Alice at Lambeth, Alice and the Liberal Party, Alice Anywhere but in Downing Street, Alice in Difficulties, Alice at St Stephen’s, Alice Lunches at Westminster, Alice in a Fog, Alice Has Tea at the Hotel Cecil, Alice Goes to Chesterfield, The Aged Man, Spades in Wonderland, Note on the Text, Notes, A Brief Biographical Note on Saki

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Book SynopsisFrom the decadent turn of the century to the Third Reich, the acerbic satirist Karl Kraus was one of the most famous-and feared-intellectuals in Europe. This title provides an introductory essay on Kraus' life and milieu and annotations that clarify many of Kraus' literary and sociohistorical allusions.Trade Review"McVity's volume is ... important both as translation and as evidence that Kraus can be translated... Others ... have tried their hand at translating the aphorisms, but McVity is the most ambitious... McVity masterfully preserves the flavor, spirit, meaning, and intent of the original." -- Choice "McVity takes the refreshing view that translation is an opportunity rather than an impossibility, and he has some wonderfully inventive equivalents for Kraus's wordplay." -- Michael Wood, London Review of Books "These 9l8 aphorisms, courageously translated by John McVity, reveal Kraus in all his truculent, rebarbative, crap-cutting glory. Like postcards lost in the dead-letter office for the better part of a century, they call up a world no longer our own and yet manage to speak with surprising frequency to many of our most abiding concerns." - Martin Jay, author of Cultural Semantics: Keywords of Our Time "McVity has done the seemingly impossible: translate the complex and quirky wisdoms of one of the greatest twentieth-century masters of the German language into an English that is not only coherent but lets the brilliance of the original shine through." - Fred Viebahn, University of Virginia "The volume includes, for the first time in English, the entire text of Kraus's first book of aphorisms... For all of Kraus's political intricacies, 'the most painful part' of translating his work into modern English ... is capturing his ingenious and assiduous wordplay." -- Aaron Retica, Lingua Franca.

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsPreface (Edward J. Saltzman)IntroductionTales from the Examining Room The Singing Doctor Those Awful Nasty Shots The Little Wise Ones Little Patients with Little Patience The Joys of School Brothers and Sisters Through the Generations The Good Doctor The Poor Parents Taking Good Care Growing UpPracticing PediatricsFarewell (Elizabeth M. Tanis)Looking Back—and Forward

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Book SynopsisCombines the author's love of America's waterways with practical and historic information gathered from his three decades as a professional riverlorian for the Delta Queen Steamboat Company in New Orleans. A book for all who love Mark Twain, these river adventures will entertain the landlubber and engage the boating enthusiast.Trade ReviewRiver historians, folklorists, and buffs will enjoy and learn from Rivers Revealed: Rediscovering America's Waterways. It can sit on the shelf, ready for reading in long or short installments.Sept. 2008 -- Michael Allen * Indiana Magazine of History *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Boy in a Johnboat2. Wabash 5003. Wabash Queen4. Reading the River5. River Guide Books6. Gilligan Goose7. Rescue from a Dock8. Great Duck Race9. Anatomy of a River10. Language of the Rivers11. Nine Days on a Towboat12. Navigable River Know-How13. Bizarre River Experiences14. Evolution of Riverboats15. Restless River16. Steamboat Passengers17. Ghost of Mary Greene18. River Royalty19. Top Ten River Towns20. Canoeing Misadventures21. Grand Excursion 200422. PotpourriBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisThis book brings together 139 of Ace Reid's popular "Cowpokes" cartoons, reproduced in large format to show the artistry and attention to detail that characterized Reid's work.Table of Contents Foreword by Pat Oliphant Introduction: Ace Reid by Elmer Kelton Work Economics Bankers Weather Ma Outsiders Friends & Neighbors

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Book SynopsisFor more than 30 years, investigative journalist and New York Times bestselling author Craig Pittman has chronicled the wildest stories Florida has to offer. Featuring a selection of columns that have appeared throughout Pittman's career, this book highlights just how strange and wonderful Florida can be.

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Book SynopsisThe first collection of acclaimed illustrator Jack Unruh's work, this book gathers the best of the illustrations he created for The Texanist, Texas Monthly's back-page column, along with the serious and not-so-serious questions that inspired them.Trade Review"Table of Contents Acknowledgments Introduction What is the proper answer when asked, “Where are you from?” I have a co-worker who dips Copenhagen and spits into a Styrofoam cup in the office. Is this appropriate? If, when you visit a friend’s house, he has parked on his front yard, may you also park there? Is it really okay to make love in a campground? Can one have too many Texas-themed tattoos? What are the guidelines for male friends helping each other apply sunscreen? Is it okay to buy my daughter a homecoming mum and say it’s from a secret admirer? How old need a boy be to receive the gift of a first gun? What can I do to keep varmints from destroying my beautiful landscaping? Do I have to go with my family to take a bluebonnet photo this year? What’s the best cure for jellyfish stings? Propane or charcoal? Will hiring a lawn service to do my yard work make me soft? Is it wrong to wear your football team’s jersey to church? Is it real Tex-Mex if it’s served with a side of black beans? How do I break into the business of ranching? When out at a dance hall, do I need to stick with the one that brung me? What do I tell my young son when he asks me to identify a roadside crop I don’t recognize? Can I have school spirit for a college I didn’t attend? How many Gulf oysters does it take for a person to see results from the aphrodisiac qualities that they are said to possess? May I pick the bluebonnets? What are the rules of the road when it comes to driving behind a tractor? If I hit a deer with my car, is it legal to collect it and eat it? Is there such thing as gravel-road etiquette, and if so, how best can I teach it to the neighbors? How do I get out of a wedding scheduled for Super Bowl Sunday? Is disciplining my niece over spilt Dublin Dr Pepper okay? Are “truck nuts” appropriate? Do country dancers ever go clockwise? Can I shoot a rattlesnake in my suburban backyard? May I keep a loose dog even if I have a pretty good idea where he came from? Is there a point at which I should stop condoning my daughter’s tomboy side? What are the rules regarding the setup of a new tailgating spot? Is it legal to be buried on my own property? Should I unleash my dogs on the possum that visits my back porch? If two ranches are separated by a length of old barbed-wire fencing and that fence needs repair, who is responsible come fence-mending time? Have rural Texans always been closed-minded about clothes? Why is driving allowed on beaches in Texas? Can you recommend a cure for cedar fever? Does anyone ever have an actual “roll” in the hay? Is there really “no such thing as bad barbecue”? Are the banks of a river free to use for camping? How is it possible that the word “Texan” is not accepted for play in the game Words With Friends? When did we start referring to a chicken’s “second joint” as its thigh? Tell us about your little sidekick? Instead of handing my pocketknife over to airport security, I used a service that promised to mail it back to me. I haven’t seen it since. Is it gone forever? Can you recommend other Texas beaches that compare with the old South Padre Island? What should I do if I encounter a tornado while driving? How should a Texan handle himself in the presence of a small stinging insect? I let my daughter use my husband’s chili pot to tie-dye some T-shirts, and he’s really upset. How do I make it right? Is not liking Willie Nelson’s music a relationship deal-breaker? My husband and I are Texans living in Florida, but recently he told someone that we were from Florida. Will you please explain to him why this cannot continue? What do I tell my friend who insists on giving Tennessee credit for the “birth of Texas”? I’ve been thinking about getting a license to carry a gun, but my wife insists this is a bad idea. I seek your counsel. My wife-to-be loves animals and wants a miniature Vietnamese potbellied pig as a wedding gift. Is this insane?

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Book Synopsis15 Bytes Book Award 2021 Independent Publisher Book Awards, Gold Medal Winner In English disparatemeans different or miscellaneousapt descriptors of these essays by Patrick Madden. In Spanish, however, disparatemeans nonsense, folly, or absurdity,words appropriate to Madden's goal of undercutting any notion that essays must be serious business. Thus, in this collection, the essays are frivolous and lively, aiming to make readers laugh while they think about such abstract subjects as happiness and memory and unpredictability. In this vein, Madden takes sidelong swipes at weighty topics via form, with wildly meandering essays, abandoned essays in honor of the long tradition of essayists disparaging their own efforts, and guerrilla essayswhich slip in quietly under the guise of a borrowed form, abruptly attack, and promptly escape, leaving laughter and contemplation in their wake. Madden also incorporates cameos from guest essayists, including Mary Cappello, Matthew Gavin Frank, David Trade Review"If you love the personal essay, or are open to learning to love it, the freewheeling, luminous, disparate Patrick Madden is well worth the time."—David Kirkham, Lit Pub"Disparates honors the futile and the essential in both content and form. Don’t read this collection if you hate essays, especially lyric essays, or dislike being reminded that you are reading an essay. Nor should you read this book if you demand a point and feel slighted to learn that 'life doesn’t always happen in the best order or with the best details.' This is a book for those who appreciate amusement and 'raucous play.' As for me—a life-long student of essays, and a teacher of them—I’ll be turning to Disparates as a model for a long time to come."—Rachel Rueckert, Tupelo Quarterly"Madden’s essays offer relief—they offer laughter, provoke pondering, and delight in playfulness. . . . Disparates delights in the world and celebrates the essay. It was a joy to read."—Natalie Johansen, Brevity"The writing is playful and marked by humility, with Madden often inviting readers—and other writers—into the narrative. A capable collection of writing that continually reviews itself."—Kirkus Reviews"'Disparates' are 'things so unlike that there is no basis for comparison.' There is surely no basis for comparison of these essays to any other book I've read."—Linda Marshall, Pop Matters “Patrick Madden has made a career championing the essay—its traditions, its tenets, and its opportunities. In this, his third collection, Madden masterfully demonstrates a crucial (and often overlooked) element of the form—raucous play—in each smart, active piece. Disparates plays constantly: with shape, with subject, with language; it even plays well with others in several lively collaborations. I savored this collection over several days like it was a sampler of fine candy . . . and then I found twenty bucks.”—Elena Passarello, author of Animals Strike Curious Poses“You’re in for a treat picking up Pat Madden’s Disparates, a book that doubles down so hard on its disparity it ends up holding together in surprising ways. Madden is maniacal in his fidelity to found forms (eBay auction listing, OED definition, literary translation, wordfind puzzle, etc.) and seemingly bad ideas (composing an essay by machine-learned predictive text, writing pangram haiku, discussing the band Rush), but due to his prodigious enthusiasm and intelligence he lands more jumps than not. My favorite feature of Disparates seems at first like the book’s worst idea: most of these essays feature other writers in guest spots. The overall effect is that of a perforated, collaborative self, manifesting exactly the kind of generosity and playfulness we could use a lot more of in literary nonfiction.”—Ander Monson, author of I Will Take the Answer“Disparates is a generous romp of a book. Patrick Madden’s essays open windows onto glee and silliness as well as grief and love. In forms as wide-ranging as Balderdash, wordsearch, Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style, and James Brady’s bygone Parade feature “In Step With…,” Madden shows us again, as in his previous books, that the daily stuff of life sings out for examination and play. Read with an eye peeled for: Dr. Demento, the Jackalope, pahoehoe lava, and the important reminder that ‘Laughter is a taste of your own medicine’. ‘Whenever I fix/ my quips to the jazzy world,/ I come back agape,’ he writes. After reading Disparates, I feel the same: changed, alive to surprise, comforted, dazzled.”—Joni Tevis, author of The World Is on Fire“You cannot help but read Madden’s essays and grin at his deadpan maniacal love for detail and life and kids and anecdotes and wrinkles in the fabric of nominal reality. The guy is obsessed with nominal reality and all the shimmers and windows in it. A terrific essayist, and even better, wholly and utterly unique—there really isn’t an essayist today who writes like this, I think, and for all Madden’s worshipping of Montaigne, Madden’s more interesting and absorbing and funny. Heresy! But it’s true.”—the late Brian Doyle, author of One Long River of SongTable of Contents/disparate/ Writer Michael Martone’s Leftover Water: Imbibe literary genius (dozens of authors) in one swig! Nostalgia (feat. Lawrence Sutin) Insomnia (feat. Lina María Ferreira Cabeza-Vanegas) Unpredictable Essays Laughter (feat. Jericho Parms) Order Memorizing the Lyrics Repast Happiness (feat. Amy Leach) Memory Alfonsina y el Mar Mea Culpa Expectations (feat. Desirae Matherly) Freewill (feat. Joe Oestreich) In Step with . . . Montaigne (feat. David Lazar) Timing Inertia Thumbs (feat. Elena Passarello & Wendy S. Walters) Smells (feat. Stephen Haynie) The Proverbial __________ Poetry Old Time Rock and Roll (feat. Michael Martone) The Arrogance of Style Distance (feat. Joni Tevis) Beat on the Brat Against the Wind Pangram Haiku Plums (feat. Matthew Gavin Frank) Solstice Listening (feat. Mary Cappello)

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Book Synopsis2021 Clara Johnson Award from Jane''s Stories Press Foundation 2020 Gold Winner for Autobiography & Memoir in the Foreword INDIES Many are haunted and obsessed by their own eventual deaths, but perhaps no one as much as Sue William Silverman. This thematically linked collection of essays charts Silverman’s attempt to confront her fears of that ultimate unknown. Her dread was fomented in part by a sexual assault, hidden for years, that led to an awareness that death and sex are in some ways inextricable, an everyday reality many women know too well. Through gallows humor, vivid realism, and fantastical speculation, How to Survive Death and Other Inconveniences explores this fear of death and the author’s desire to survive it. From cruising New Jersey’s industry-blighted landscape in a gold Plymouth to visiting the emergency room for maladies both real and imagined to suffering the stifling strictness of an intractable piano teTrade Review"Because of the distinctive subject matter and Silverman’s vast writing talents, How to Survive Death and Other Inconveniences will appeal to new and experienced readers alike; notably, it will also draw teachers of creative writing, who will cherish it for the many essays that can be taught as models of braided and segmented forms."—Jody Keisner, Hippocampus Magazine"Honoring subconscious logic, How to Survive Death and Other Inconveniences makes the gambit that the mysteries of the self are both keys to understanding and uncertainties to be celebrated. We become who we are without being fully conscious of our choices—probing those choices won’t give us easy answers, but the discoveries along the way will be illuminating and well worth the necessary befuddlements."—Elizabeth Kadetsky, Literary Hub"What do we do with those memories that carry with them the ability to sink us? According to Silverman, in order to survive and grow, we have to collect them, transform them, and let them transform us."—Chanel Dubofsky, Lilith"Silverman undertakes the questions some of us are too afraid to ask, and we find ourselves rooting for her, flying down Route 17, because in doing so we are also rooting for ourselves."—Rachel Rueckert, Columbia Journal“A joyously unconventional memoir written at least in part as a hedge against mortality. It will shake loose memories, invite you to ponder, and, maybe best of all, make you laugh. This is a marvelously written, imaginative, and seriously funny book.”—Abigail Thomas, New York Times best-selling author of What Comes Next and How to Like It“With true originality and wit, Silverman takes readers on a wild ride through time, memory, pleasure, and trauma. What remains is a deeply human portrait of one woman’s resilience and the power of her spirit. I couldn’t put it down.”—Christina Haag, New York Times best-selling author of Come to the Edge: A Love Story“Though a book about death should be morbid and depressing, Silverman takes an unusual approach, packing both humor and wit into more than a dozen entertaining essays that may offer comfort to those dealing with death anxiety.”—Bitch Media “The book’s title may suggest this is a morbid book; yet, Silverman in her own clever way leans towards tongue-in-cheek, mixing pop culture, literature, and history with her stories and, of course, her unending quest to survive.”—Brevity: A Journal of Concise Literary Nonfiction Table of ContentsAuthor’s Note Ultima Thule Fate 1 Clotho spins the thread of life The Eternal Reign of Miss Route 17 13 Ways of Surviving New Jersey Miss Route 17 Refuses to Grow Old The Three Fates: How Much Is the Moon Worth? The Remarkable Death-Defying Exploits of Miss Route 17 Until My Number Comes Up Requiem for a Qwertyist My Death in the Family The Three Fates: Drawing the Shades A Member of the Wedding Fate 2 Lachesis measures the thread of life to determine how long you live The Sick Hypochondriac The Three Fates: On Tedium The Safe Side My Life as a Thanatologist The Janet Leigh Variations The Summer of Hate and Death Here Be Human Dragons Miss Route 17’s Near-Death Experience under the Boardwalk at the New Jersey Shore Sigilisms of Miss Route 17’s Many Hidden Talents Death Comes for the Poet Flirting with the Butcher The Three Fates and the Barefoot Angels Fate 3 Atropos cuts the thread of life with a pair of shears to decide how someone dies At the Terminal Gate Miss Route 17’s Own Graceland Memorabilia: My Guardian Devils and the Phantom of the Opera Gloves The Three Fates: When You Go Of Chrysanthemums, Tupperware, Cremated Remains, and FedEx-ing to the Great Beyond Miss Route 17’s Blue Period The Three Fates: Filling in the Blanks On the Reliance of Verbs to Survive Death The Queen of Panmnesia Acknowledgments Notes

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Book SynopsisThis collection of opinion editorials and recent essays solidifies Midge''s standing as one of the most versatile talents in Native and American writing today.—Samantha Majhor, American Indian Culture and Research JournalBury My Heart at Chuck E. Cheese’s is a powerful and compelling collection of Tiffany Midge’s musings on life, politics, and identity as a Native woman in America. Artfully blending sly humor, social commentary, and meditations on love and loss, Midge weaves short, standalone musings into a memoir that stares down colonialism while chastising hipsters for abusing pumpkin spice. She explains why she doesn’t like pussy hats, mercilessly dismantles pretendians, and confesses her own struggles with white-bread privilege.Midge ponders Standing Rock, feminism, and a tweeting president, all while exploring her own complex identity and the loss of her mother. Employing humor as an act of resistance, these slicTrade Review“This uproarious, truth-telling collection of satirical essays skewer[s] everything from white feminism to ‘Pretendians’ to pumpkin spice. Midge, a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, muses bitingly on life as a Native woman in America, staring colonialism and racism in the face wherever she finds them, from offensive Halloween costumes to exploitative language. This collection’s deliciously sharp edges draw laughter and blood alike.”—Adrienne Westenfeld, Esquire “Midge is a hilarious satirical essayist and nonfiction writer, and her work brings all the laughs. But they are ‘thinky’ laughs, because the humor doubles back on itself and makes you see so much about modern Native American life in a new way.”—David Treuer, Los Angeles Times “Midge is a wry, astute charmer with an eye for detail and an ear for the scruffy rhythms of American lingo.”—Sarah Vowell, author of Lafayette in the Somewhat United States "[A] cornucopia of literary brilliance. The Standing Rock Sioux writer’s wickedly funny autobiography offers laugh-out-loud passages alongside compassionate profiles, bitter sarcasm, and heartbreaking chronicles. Each of the memoirs are short yet potent, compelling the reader to continue while paradoxically causing one to pause to reflect on Midge’s astute observations. Every entry is so well-crafted that the only disappointment you’ll find is when you realize you’ve read them all. Then again, this is a book that demands to be reread."—Ryan Winn, Tribal College Journal of American Indian Higher Education"If you're wondering why the presence of Andrew Jackson's portrait in the Oval Office is offensive, this is your book."—Kirkus"Bury My Heart at Chuck E. Cheese’s is timely reading for the fall season, with Midge suggesting "Politically Correct Alternatives to Culturally Insensitive Halloween Costumes," and proclaiming "Hey America, I’m Taking Back Thanksgiving." Treat yourself to a fast-moving correction of any vestiges you may have of the stoic, unsmiling Native stereotype and enjoy at least a Tweet or a one-liner from Tiffany Midge. You’re sure to learn something as you laugh."—Jan Hardy, Back in the Stacks"This collection of opinion editorials and recent essays solidifies Midge's standing as one of the most versatile talents in Native and American writing today."—Samantha Majhor, American Indian Culture and Research Journal"[Midge's] no-b.s., take-no-prisoners approach is likely to resound with twenty-something readers, but the older crowd ought to give Midge a look, too."—Joan Curbow, Booklist"Abundant with brilliant satire."—Shelf Awareness“Tiffany Midge is the kind of funny that can make the same joke funny over and over again. Which means, of course, that she is wicked smart, and sly, and that she has her hand on the pulse of the culture in a Roxane Gay-ish way, only funnier, and that she has our number, your number, and my number too, all of our numbers. Which means she is our teacher, if we let her be.”—Pam Houston, author of Deep Creek: Finding Hope in the High Country “Bury My Heart at Chuck E. Cheese’s drives a spear into the stereotype of Native American stoicism. It is perhaps the funniest nonfiction collection I have ever read. But it is much more than funny: it is moving, honest, and painful as well, and looks at the absurdities of modern America. Midge’s collection is so good it could raise Iron Eyes Cody from the grave and make him laugh till he cries.”—David Treuer, author of The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee Table of ContentsForeword by Geary Hobson Part I: My Origin Story Is a Cross between “Call Me Ishmael,” a Few Too Many Whiskey Sours Packed in an Old Thermos at the Drive-In Double Feature, and That Little Voice That Says, “You Got This” Bury My Heart at Chuck E. Cheese’s Headlines Part II: Instead of a “Raised by Wolves” T-Shirt, Mine Says “Raised by Functioning Alcoholics with Intimacy Phobias & Low Self-Esteem” The Jimmy Report My Name Is Moonbeam McSwine The Siam Sequences Part III: Micro (Aggression) Memoirs First World (Story) Problems: Brown Girl Multiple Choice Edition Tweets as Assigned Texts for Native American Studies Course Ghoul, Interrupted Part IV: Garsh Durn It! You Say Patriarchy, I Say Patri-Malarkey, Dollars to Donuts Cuckoo Banana Pants, You Gals & Your Lady Power This ’n’ That An Open Letter to White Women Concerning The Handmaid’s Tale and America’s Historical Amnesia Fertility Rites Wonder Woman Hits Theaters, Smashes Patriarchy Jame Gumb, Hero and Pioneer of the Fat-Positivity Movement Post-Election Message to the 53 Percent Committee of Barnyard Swine to Determine Fate for Women’s Health Champion Our Native Sisters! (but Only Selectively and under Certain Conditions) An Open Letter to White Girls Regarding Pumpkin Spice and Cultural Appropriation Part V: Me, Cutting in Front of All the People in All of the Lines Forever: “It’s Okay, I Literally Was Here First” #DecolonizedAF Thousands of Jingle Dress Dancers Magically Appear at Standing Rock Protector Site Satire Article Goes Viral on Day of 2016 Presidential Election Results Attack of the Fifty-Foot (Lakota) Woman Minnesota Art Gallery to Demolish “Indian Uprisings” Exhibit after Caucasian Community Protest Why I Don’t Like “Pussy” Hats Li-Li-Li-Li-Land, Standing Rock the Musical! Part VI: Merciless Indian Savages? Try Merciless Indian Fabulous! Redeeming the English Language (Acquisition) Series Fifty Shades of Buckskin Conversations with My Lakota Mom Feast Smudge Snag Eight Types of Native Moms Part VII: “Shill the Pretendian, Unfav the Genuine” Is the 2018 Remix of “Kill the Indian, Save the Man” Red like Me: I Knew Rachel Dolezal Back When She Was Indigenous A List of Alternative Identities to Try for Fun and Profit I Have White Bread Privilege Things Pseudo-Native Authors Have Claimed to Be but Actually Are Not You Might Be a Pretendian Part VIII: I Watched Woman Walks Ahead and Frankly Was Offended by the Cookie-Cutter, Stereotypical Portrayal of the Menacing White Soldier Reel Indians Don’t Eat Quiche: The Fight for Authentic Roles in Hollywood Are You There, Christmas? It’s Me, Carol! Post-Election U.S. Open in Racist Tirades Competition West Wing World Part IX: The Native Americans Used EVERY Part of the Sacred Turkey Hey America, I’m Taking Back Thanksgiving Clown Costumes Banned, Racist Native American Halloween Costumes Still Okay Thanksgiving Shopping at Costco: I Just Can’t Even Politically Correct Alternatives to Culturally Insensitive Halloween Costumes Part X: BREAKING NEWS—Your Neighbor Who Said, “Whoa, Dude, This Whole Trump Thing’s, Like, So Fricken Surreal,” Might Actually Be on to Something Step Right Up, Folks Trump Pardons Zombie Apocalypse There’s Something about Andrew Jackson Trump Administration to Repeal Bison as First National Mammal President Trump Scheduled for Whirlwind Tour to Desecrate World’s Treasures Part XI: The Trump Administration’s Pop-Up, Coloring, Scratch ’n’ Sniff, Edible, and Radioactive Activity Book You’ve Got Mail! Executive Order Requiring All Americans Take Up Cigarettes by End of 2017 The Wild West (Wing) and Wild Bill Hiccup Give a Chump a Chance Ars Poetica by Donald J. Trump Acknowledgments

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Book SynopsisThis collection of opinion editorials and recent essays solidifies Midge''s standing as one of the most versatile talents in Native and American writing today.—Samantha Majhor, American Indian Culture and Research JournalBury My Heart at Chuck E. Cheese’s is a powerful and compelling collection of Tiffany Midge’s musings on life, politics, and identity as a Native woman in America. Artfully blending sly humor, social commentary, and meditations on love and loss, Midge weaves short, standalone musings into a memoir that stares down colonialism while chastising hipsters for abusing pumpkin spice. She explains why she doesn’t like pussy hats, mercilessly dismantles pretendians, and confesses her own struggles with white-bread privilege.Midge ponders Standing Rock, feminism, and a tweeting president, all while exploring her own complex identity and the loss of her mother. Employing humor as an act of resistance, these slicTrade Review“This uproarious, truth-telling collection of satirical essays skewer[s] everything from white feminism to ‘Pretendians’ to pumpkin spice. Midge, a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, muses bitingly on life as a Native woman in America, staring colonialism and racism in the face wherever she finds them, from offensive Halloween costumes to exploitative language. This collection’s deliciously sharp edges draw laughter and blood alike.”—Adrienne Westenfeld, Esquire “Midge is a hilarious satirical essayist and nonfiction writer, and her work brings all the laughs. But they are ‘thinky’ laughs, because the humor doubles back on itself and makes you see so much about modern Native American life in a new way.”—David Treuer, Los Angeles Times “Midge is a wry, astute charmer with an eye for detail and an ear for the scruffy rhythms of American lingo.”—Sarah Vowell, author of Lafayette in the Somewhat United States "[A] cornucopia of literary brilliance. The Standing Rock Sioux writer’s wickedly funny autobiography offers laugh-out-loud passages alongside compassionate profiles, bitter sarcasm, and heartbreaking chronicles. Each of the memoirs are short yet potent, compelling the reader to continue while paradoxically causing one to pause to reflect on Midge’s astute observations. Every entry is so well-crafted that the only disappointment you’ll find is when you realize you’ve read them all. Then again, this is a book that demands to be reread."—Ryan Winn, Tribal College Journal of American Indian Higher Education"If you're wondering why the presence of Andrew Jackson's portrait in the Oval Office is offensive, this is your book."—Kirkus"Bury My Heart at Chuck E. Cheese’s is timely reading for the fall season, with Midge suggesting "Politically Correct Alternatives to Culturally Insensitive Halloween Costumes," and proclaiming "Hey America, I’m Taking Back Thanksgiving." Treat yourself to a fast-moving correction of any vestiges you may have of the stoic, unsmiling Native stereotype and enjoy at least a Tweet or a one-liner from Tiffany Midge. You’re sure to learn something as you laugh."—Jan Hardy, Back in the Stacks"This collection of opinion editorials and recent essays solidifies Midge's standing as one of the most versatile talents in Native and American writing today."—Samantha Majhor, American Indian Culture and Research Journal"[Midge's] no-b.s., take-no-prisoners approach is likely to resound with twenty-something readers, but the older crowd ought to give Midge a look, too."—Joan Curbow, Booklist"Abundant with brilliant satire."—Shelf Awareness“Tiffany Midge is the kind of funny that can make the same joke funny over and over again. Which means, of course, that she is wicked smart, and sly, and that she has her hand on the pulse of the culture in a Roxane Gay-ish way, only funnier, and that she has our number, your number, and my number too, all of our numbers. Which means she is our teacher, if we let her be.”—Pam Houston, author of Deep Creek: Finding Hope in the High Country “Bury My Heart at Chuck E. Cheese’s drives a spear into the stereotype of Native American stoicism. It is perhaps the funniest nonfiction collection I have ever read. But it is much more than funny: it is moving, honest, and painful as well, and looks at the absurdities of modern America. Midge’s collection is so good it could raise Iron Eyes Cody from the grave and make him laugh till he cries.”—David Treuer, author of The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee Table of ContentsForeword by Geary Hobson Part I: My Origin Story Is a Cross between “Call Me Ishmael,” a Few Too Many Whiskey Sours Packed in an Old Thermos at the Drive-In Double Feature, and That Little Voice That Says, “You Got This” Bury My Heart at Chuck E. Cheese’s Headlines Part II: Instead of a “Raised by Wolves” T-Shirt, Mine Says “Raised by Functioning Alcoholics with Intimacy Phobias & Low Self-Esteem” The Jimmy Report My Name Is Moonbeam McSwine The Siam Sequences Part III: Micro (Aggression) Memoirs First World (Story) Problems: Brown Girl Multiple Choice Edition Tweets as Assigned Texts for Native American Studies Course Ghoul, Interrupted Part IV: Garsh Durn It! You Say Patriarchy, I Say Patri-Malarkey, Dollars to Donuts Cuckoo Banana Pants, You Gals & Your Lady Power This ’n’ That An Open Letter to White Women Concerning The Handmaid’s Tale and America’s Historical Amnesia Fertility Rites Wonder Woman Hits Theaters, Smashes Patriarchy Jame Gumb, Hero and Pioneer of the Fat-Positivity Movement Post-Election Message to the 53 Percent Committee of Barnyard Swine to Determine Fate for Women’s Health Champion Our Native Sisters! (but Only Selectively and under Certain Conditions) An Open Letter to White Girls Regarding Pumpkin Spice and Cultural Appropriation Part V: Me, Cutting in Front of All the People in All of the Lines Forever: “It’s Okay, I Literally Was Here First” #DecolonizedAF Thousands of Jingle Dress Dancers Magically Appear at Standing Rock Protector Site Satire Article Goes Viral on Day of 2016 Presidential Election Results Attack of the Fifty-Foot (Lakota) Woman Minnesota Art Gallery to Demolish “Indian Uprisings” Exhibit after Caucasian Community Protest Why I Don’t Like “Pussy” Hats Li-Li-Li-Li-Land, Standing Rock the Musical! Part VI: Merciless Indian Savages? Try Merciless Indian Fabulous! Redeeming the English Language (Acquisition) Series Fifty Shades of Buckskin Conversations with My Lakota Mom Feast Smudge Snag Eight Types of Native Moms Part VII: “Shill the Pretendian, Unfav the Genuine” Is the 2018 Remix of “Kill the Indian, Save the Man” Red like Me: I Knew Rachel Dolezal Back When She Was Indigenous A List of Alternative Identities to Try for Fun and Profit I Have White Bread Privilege Things Pseudo-Native Authors Have Claimed to Be but Actually Are Not You Might Be a Pretendian Part VIII: I Watched Woman Walks Ahead and Frankly Was Offended by the Cookie-Cutter, Stereotypical Portrayal of the Menacing White Soldier Reel Indians Don’t Eat Quiche: The Fight for Authentic Roles in Hollywood Are You There, Christmas? It’s Me, Carol! Post-Election U.S. Open in Racist Tirades Competition West Wing World Part IX: The Native Americans Used EVERY Part of the Sacred Turkey Hey America, I’m Taking Back Thanksgiving Clown Costumes Banned, Racist Native American Halloween Costumes Still Okay Thanksgiving Shopping at Costco: I Just Can’t Even Politically Correct Alternatives to Culturally Insensitive Halloween Costumes Part X: BREAKING NEWS—Your Neighbor Who Said, “Whoa, Dude, This Whole Trump Thing’s, Like, So Fricken Surreal,” Might Actually Be on to Something Step Right Up, Folks Trump Pardons Zombie Apocalypse There’s Something about Andrew Jackson Trump Administration to Repeal Bison as First National Mammal President Trump Scheduled for Whirlwind Tour to Desecrate World’s Treasures Part XI: The Trump Administration’s Pop-Up, Coloring, Scratch ’n’ Sniff, Edible, and Radioactive Activity Book You’ve Got Mail! Executive Order Requiring All Americans Take Up Cigarettes by End of 2017 The Wild West (Wing) and Wild Bill Hiccup Give a Chump a Chance Ars Poetica by Donald J. Trump Acknowledgments

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Book SynopsisIn these deeply funny and introspective essays, Andrew Farkas boldly surveys the “in-of-doors,” where a higher degree of comfort can be found than out-of-doors, and discovers that our lives are controlled much more by fiction than by anything “real.” Trade Review"Ironic, joking, thoughtful, nostalgic, and moving, these lyric essays, reflections, lighthearted arguments, and odes meditate playfully on the peculiar human environments we discover indoors."—Hugh Sheehy, Full Stop"The Great Indoorsman is the work of a true craftsperson and the phrasing and structure feels akin to architecture, all lines, angles and inspired thinking, leavened with a pop culture and extended cultural knowingness that left me smiling and nodding my head throughout."—Ben Tanzer, litreactor.com“Absurdist and absurdly amusing, Andrew Farkas takes readers on a sublime tour through dive bars and coffeehouses, dilapidated movie theaters and dying malls. A doctor of knowledge, erudite but humble, Farkas creates an enchanting yet down-to-earth collection perfect for indoors, outdoors, or anywhere in between.”—Kathleen Rooney, author of Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey“Andrew Farkas, the master renovator in these crafted and crafty essays, is the ultimate interior decorator of all things turned inside out. Here the reflections reflect infinite rooms where we are, at once, lost and found, found and lost with-in hallways of infinite with-in-ings.”—Michael Martone, editor of The Complete Writings of Art Smith, the Bird Boy of Fort Wayne“Throughout this deliriously inventive collection, Andrew Farkas operates like a 1930s Rube Goldberg cartoon jalopy, nimbly galumphing through mundane worlds—a waiting room, a hamburger joint, Tuscaloosa. The elevated performance is grounded by a sincere, persistent question: Where is home?”—David Giffels, author of Barnstorming Ohio: To Understand AmericaTable of ContentsThe Great Indoorsman Wait Here? A Filk Tale Pool Hall Legend Somewhere Better Than This Place A Front or Affront Kitchen Sink Realism Time Stands Still When You’re Havin’ Fun On Drinking the Kool-Aid in a Coffeehouse Still Life with Alarm Clocks Everything You Were Looking For An Essay About Nothing When Hamburger Station Is Busy Last Year at Chapel Hill Mall Bowl-a-Rama Noir Girl Acknowledgements

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Book SynopsisWelcome! Benvenuti! It’s summertime in northern Minnesota and a bus full of kids is about to arrive at the Italian Concordia Language Village, better known as camp. Inexplicably the chief lifeguard has chosen this moment to conduct a “missing villager drill,” prompting staff to strip to their underwear in a simulated rush to search the lake. It’s an inopportune time for a surprise visit from the Health Inspector, but there he is—just as an Italian counselor calls through the walkie-talkie, “My God, there’s blood everywhere!” He’s finally clobbered the chipmunk that’s been stealing his candy. When at age six he had to be hauled kicking and screaming on the bus bound for camp, Eric Dregni could not have imagined this moment. But all the days and weeks of summer camp since then have shown him the abundant pleasures of this uniquely American experience—and given him plenty of stories to tell. In You’re Sending Me Where? Dregni takes us back to those boyhood days of running head-on into nature with his fellow campers and learning a few valuable lessons, such as don’t let the van driver leave you and your canoe until you’re sure there’s actually water in the “flowage.” From discouraging summer love to soothing homesick campers to—Oh no! Bats!—taking everyone to town for their rabies shots, to the difficulty of saying goodbye, Eric Dregni’s wise, funny book reassures us that there’s still a place in the woods where, unplugged from devices and screens, children of all ages can connect with the natural world—and with each other.Trade Review"Dregni specializes in describing the detail of human interaction. His stories of discouraging camp romances, love triangles, how to deal with staff who melt down over bats, cabin-to-cabin antics (and revenge) are witty and engaging and make the reader both reminisce and feel a part of the whole scene."—Concordia Language Villages "By the end of the memoir, you’ll find yourself in the same shape as the campgoers on the last days of camp—you don’t want it to end. "—Italian AmericaTable of ContentsContentsWhat Did I Do to Deserve This?FoxfireThe River That Wasn’t ThereNo Road to CampAnother Day at American CampMe? A Dean?Beaver PrideGood Impressions on Opening DayMother DuckNinjas vs. PiratesNot So Politically Correct“Friendship” TournamentRed Neck DaysBat CampBeware the Sharktopus and Sidehill Gougers!Keep ’em SeparatedCuddly SkunksThe Cheese Wiz Eats CrowGoing SauvageThere Will Be Blood . . .Coffee EmergencyThe Last Day of Camp

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Book SynopsisRecognising it's not always easy to say no, Nicole takes readers through real-life examples familiar to anyone who has found themselves saying yes when they really didn't want to, providing guidance on how to: Say no effectively and appropriately in any situation - Use techniques that come naturally to make saying no as stress-free as possible - Fend off unwanted invitations nicely but firmly - Set healthy boundaries with loved ones, family, friends, and colleagues - Tell yourself no when you need to - Let go of guilt, worry, and regrets and do what's right for you - Everyone needs healthy boundaries - let this charming book help you set them and make learning to say no much easier.Trade Review“Those of us in the people-pleasing club probably know by now that we are happier, healthier humans when we protect our energy and learn to say no . . . but many of us have no idea how to actually do that. This book is filled with superpractical and useful scripts to help us navigate those situations where we cringe at the thought of (ahh!) disappointing someone. I will be keeping this book permanently on my desk for daily guidance!” —Mari Andrew, New York Times–bestselling author of Am I There Yet? and My Inner Sky “People pleasers everywhere will delight in saying no after reading this dazzling debut. With heartfelt illustrations, empathy for the yes-sayers, and examples for all of life’s common conflicts, 100 Ways to Say No offers a stand-alone guide to compassionately (but firmly!) setting boundaries with others and yourself.” —Haley Weaver, creator of @HaleyDrewThis

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Book SynopsisDelightful tales of hunting and fishing, family, friends, dogs, and precious time well spent and cherished Nationally recognized and award-winning writer Jim Mize captures the true essence of sport and living life to the fullest in this collection of stories about his outdoor escapades. In tales spanning more than five decades, Mize invites readers into carefree days hiking through the Colorado Rockies with a fly rod and leisurely casting poppers to bluegill on small southern ponds. Cold days shivering in a duck blind or deer hunting trips lost in fog all make for fine memories. And then there are the dogs. Meet boot-eating Labs, setters with fine noses, and a Brittany Spaniel that loved to bounce through frosted kudzu. Mize's humorous stories entertain and remind readers of their own turkey hunting or creek fishing excursions. Black-and-white line drawings from artist Bob White illustrate stories filled with laughter, quiet contemplation, and wonder. Mize reminds the young and old that the pleasure of the pursuit matters most.Table of Contents Foreword by Jim Casada PrefaceAcross Generations First Pup Your Day Will Come Kids Do Say the Darndest Things The Jon Boat Years Another Letter to a Grandson A Letter to a Granddaughter Fishing with Others If a Tree Falls My Buddy's Fishing Hole The Seabee Jacket After Dark Fishing Directions Old Guys in a Boat A Lesson Twice Learned Fishing Odd Hatches Yellow Damn Jackets Carpy Diem Along Came a Spider Fishing the Mosquito Hatch A Whiff of Skunk Stir Crazy Low Expectations Jinxed Into the Backing Gone with the Wind Knot Fly Fishing for Suckers The Colorado Years Freedom Coldcocked Skinny-Dipping with Cutties The Fish of a Lifetime Pondering Deer Stuff Hunting with KP Hunting in the Haunted House The Deer Who Wore Camo Custer's Last Deer Stand Pondering Deer Stuff A Class in Ethics In Pursuit of Bearded Birds How to Name Your Turkey The Turkey Chainsaw Massacre Almost a Lion Story Growing Your Gobbler Of Ducks and Dogs Blurred Memories A Quack's Guide to Duck Calls Reasons for Owning a Dog My Steel Shot Rusted Upland Birds Hunting the Pole Kudzu Quail Hunting the Hurricane The Christmas Gift Winders An Old Red Shirt

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisCombining inspiration, humor, and entomology, Instagram artist Ali Beckman (@SoFlyTaxidermy) is the internet's go-to gal for bug-related content that makes you a happier human. Beckman's witty comics, which use actual insects in everyday situations, illustrate the importance of pollinators as well as body positivity and mental health awareness. Using creatures that are donated, purchased, or found dead to create amusing cartoons, Bee a Good Human highlights the integral role of insects in our environment while also demonstrating we all have a part to play in this world. Beyond bugs, Beckman's art speaks to the value of self-love as she shares a narrative of growth and finding confidence within.Bee a Good Human features the best of Beckman's @SoFlyTaxidermy Instagram art. With 106 color illustrations, many of which have never appeared online, this gift of a book will make you consider the bigger picture—and laugh a little too.Trade ReviewWhether you're in the market for an unconventional yet highly entertaining read or a long-time follower of the author's uplifting Instagram, Bee A Good Human: A Pollinator's Guide to a Better Life is sure to make you crack a smile or two! -- Mimi Koehler * Nerd Daily *This charming little book is illustrated with photos of actual insects (deceased from natural causes) and full of witty humor. The perfect gift for the pollinator lover in your life or anyone who needs a fresh perspective on life. * Washington Gardener Magazine *This cute book breaks the macabre stereotypes of taxidermy to bring light and humor to your coffee table. Created by Ali Beckman, of @SoFlyTaxidermy Instagram fame, each page has posed taxidermied insect(s) and doodles accompanied by a funny or motivational line. This quick, entomological romp is designed to make you smile. . . . Beyond the content, the book itself is gorgeous: the binding pops in pollinator-yellow and the photo-paper pages feel glossy and luxe. It's a great eye-catcher for any bookshelf or coffee table. Bee a Good Human is adorable and witty and brought a smile to my face. And you can enjoy it guilt-free, because no insects were harmed in the making of the book- all the insects were found or sent to Beckman! Check it out to see what all the buzz is about! -- Elise Kulik * Nerdophiles *Ali uses creatures that are donated, purchased, or found dead to create amusing cartoons and highlight the key roles insects play in our environment. Pollinators come in all shapes and sizes — for example, a tiny midge pollinates chocolate while beetles can pollinate certain flowers — and Ali showcases them with her work and shares how they keep our ecosystem thriving. Her art also highlights the importance of loving yourself and finding confidence to say that, yes, you can do anything you put your mind to. That's a pretty cool thing. -- Joey Held * Good People, Cool Things Podcast *I'm someone who is fascinated but also very frightened of insects but this book gave me a good giggle. Going into this, I thought it was just a little picture book with images of bees but I was honestly happily mistaken. The first few pages such as the forward and the acknowledgments shed light on the sad truth about how we see bees and certain insects, showing that television and film truly demonize them, when in reality they do more for the planet than we do. This sweet book written by Ali Beckman is a different and creative way of showing that each page is dedicated to the little helpers around us it definitely gives you a different outlook on those little guys that were so demonized within the world. I never thought I'd catch myself smiling and finding bugs adorable but here I am! I give this book 4 1/2 stars and I most definitely recommend "Bee a Good Human" if you're looking for a smile. * Nerd Girl Official *Original, fun, thoughtful, and thought-provoking, Bee a Good Human: A Pollinators' Guide to a Better Life is highly recommended. -- Susan Bethany * Midwest Book Review *In her debut book, Beckman illustrates the importance of pollinators along with a healthy dose of body positivity and mental health awareness through her witty comics that feature actual insects in everyday situations. Through the cartoons, Beckman shares a narrative of self-growth and finding confidence within, all while making people laugh. The genius behind her work is that the insects many people fear reflect back our own insecurities and hopes, allowing us all to see our significance in the world. * Pretty Progressive *Like bees to a blossom, 180,000 followers have found @soflytaxidermy, the quirky-cute Instagram account of Indiana artist Ali Beckman. For each post, she poses dead insects like bees, flies or butterflies in meme-y settings with inspirational, witty (and occasionally potty-mouthed) captions. Her new book, Bee a Good Human, is a giftable collection of her work. * Midwest Living *Bee a Good Human just might be the entry for dis-believers to come to terms with the real power of the tiniest to be mightier than the so-called mighty. Insects are doing their best to save humans from self-destruction. Yes, read science-based essays in a swath of media; watch informative television shows; etc etcbut for the sheer joy of bringing everyone together as a caring community in all its manifestations, share a copy of Bee a Good Human. -- Rita Kohn * NUVO *What I particularly love about this book is what it has taught me. . . . Everyone wins when we're just a bit more conscious, and in fact, it really doesn't take that much effort, which is a relief since most of us are living pretty busy lives. Aside from that, this book is so clever. I immediately wanted to share it with my friends. For that reason, it's a great gift for all different occasions, especially for people who need a good laugh or those who care about the environment. I have to be honest. I am NOT a bug lover, but this little book did help shift my perspective on how much we need each other. Because of that, it's a great coffee table book as it's bound to start a conversation. Overall, Bee a Good Human: A Pollinator's Guide to a Better Life is a testament to the power of art, invention, and do-it-yourself power. -- Elisha Jachetti * YA Books Central *Table of ContentsForewordGalleryAuthor bio

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