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New! LILAC MINES a novel by Cheryl Klein, 352 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-31-8, $15.95, 5.5x8.5 paperback, Fiction/LGBT

“Klein’s characters are compelling, one and all.”—San Diego Union-Tribune

Trendy hipster dyke Felix joins her stoic aunt Anna Lisa in a hardscrabble town in the Sierra foothills after being gay bashed, and explores the town's namesake mystery: the disappearance of 16-year-old Lilac Ambrose in 1899. A spellbinding narrative that's part history, part mystery, very contemporary... with a dash of magical realism thrown in for good measure.

Author Cheryl Klein is a shameless Angeleno, quiet pescatarian, and shameful tabloid reader. She lives in Los Angeles where she is West Coast director of Poets & Writers, Inc.

 

New! OPEN LETTER TO QUIET LIGHT by Francesca Lia Block, 128 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-30-1, $16, 5.5x8.5 hardcover, Poetry

“[Francesca Lia Block] is the sorceress of iridescent language.”—Kirkus Reviews

In this fiercely passionate and revealing cycle of narrative poems that read like a novella, Francesca Lia Block describes in fiery detail the rise and demise of a year-long love affair. Her rich use of language infused with the power of sex and spirit paint a transcendent, almost mythic, portrait of the way two wounded people—both searching for connection—find each other, collide, and eventually separate.

Francesca Lia Block is renowned for her groundbreaking literary works, including the best-selling Weetzie Bat. Her writing transports readers through the harsh landscapes of contemporary life to realms of the senses where love is a saving grace. She lives in Los Angeles.

also by Francesca Lia Block

QUAKELAND by Francesca Lia Block, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-23-3, $22.95, 5.5x8.8 hardcover, Fiction, cover by Irene Hardwicke Olivieri

"Block's characters can be stunning ... and at its best, her prose moves with a fluid originality ... Quakeland is not to be missed." -- San Francisco Chronicle

".. A solemn, sensual journey through the female interior landscape ..." -- Library Journal

After enduring from afar a seemingly endless series of outside worldwide disasters-including 9/11 and the Asian tsunami-while living in earthquake-prone Los Angeles, a bereft Katrina experiences deep inner longings for some sense of permanence, meaning, and intimacy. A preschool teacher contemplating the unsettling challenges of her mid-life, she finds solace in the company of her dear friend Grace, and conflict in the arms of a narcissistic yoga instructor, Jasper.

 

 

New! HAVING NONE OF IT by Adrienne Su, 96 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-27-1, $13.95, 5-1/2x8-1/2 paperback, Poetry/ Asian American Studies/ Womens Studies

"Su's approach is risky in its sheer honesty and fierce by way of simplicity." -Cate Marvin, Ploughshares

In her third collection, award-winning poet Adrienne Su reflects deeply about the circumstances in which people are forced to remake themselves: as parents, as immigrants, as people whose marriages have ended, as people who've wound up in a place they never intended to settle.

Adrienne Su was born in 1967 and raised in Atlanta. She received her A.B. from Harvard, and an M.F.A. from the University of Virginia. Awards include a Pushcart Prize as well as residencies at Yaddo and MacDowell. Adrienne teaches at Dickinson College.

also by Adrienne Su

SANCTUARY by Adrienne Su, 64 pages, ISBN 1-933149-06-X, $13.95, Paperback, Poetry/Women's Studies/Asian Studies

In carefully crafted lines that are often humorous ("Asian Driver: The Sestina"), Su explores the risks that an individual encouters as a member of any community: a neighborhood, a family, a racial group, a gender, a parent. While many of these poems are about being a mother ("With Children"), Sanctuary is also about being the child of Chinese immigrants, for whom ambition is a lower priority than survival ("Escape from the Old Country").

"As a citizen of our moment, her sense of what it means to be Asian-American isn't in the least predictable." - Mark Doty

 

 

New! AVANTI POPOLO: Italian American Writers Sail Beyond Columbus edited by The Italian American Political Solidarity Club, 120 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-28-8, $14.95, 5-1/2x8-1/2 paperback, Literature/History/Cultural Studies

Italian American writers celebrate their hidden history in a literary tribute to fighting social injustice. This breakthrough anthology filled with thought-provoking works that focus on re-interpreting the mainstream tradition of glorifying Christopher Columbus, features new work by Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Diane di Prima, Kim Addonizio, James Tracy, Michael Cirelli, Michael Parenti, Thomas Centolella, and many others.


 

2009 Lambda Literary Award Winner!

New! INTERSEX (For Lack of a Better Word) by Thea Hillman, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-24-0, $14.95, 5-1/2x8-1/2 paperback, LGBT/Gender Studies / Memoir

"There's nothing else in print like this amazing and courageous book."--Patrick Califia, author of Sex Changes: The Politics of Transgenderism

Intersex (For Lack of a Better Word) chronicles one person's search for self in a world obsessed with normal. In first-person prose as intimate as a diary, Thea Hillman redefines memoir in a series of compelling stories that take a no-holds-barred look at sex, gender, family, and community. Whether she's pondering quirky family tendencies, reflecting on "queerness", or recounting scintillating adventures in San Francisco's sex clubs, Hillman's brave and fierce vision for cultural and societal change shines through.

 

also by Thea Hillman

DEPENDING ON THE LIGHT by Thea Hillman, 144 pages, ISBN 0-916397-70-X, $13.95 paperback Fiction

"Thea Hillman looks way past the surface and into the intricate insides of love and sex, safety and identity, the pleasures and dangers of urban life. " ­Carol Queen, author, PoMoSexuals

Depending on the Light contains 64 short works of smart sophisticated sudden fiction that erupt from a core of sharp urban observations. Her language is at once insightful yet pointed, her voice clear and urgent. Gritty compassion and wry humor permeate these short short stories, and Hillman's insatiable lust for life is everywhere evident.

 

STENCIL NATION: Graffiti, Community, and Art by Russell Howze, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-22-6, $24.99, 8x8 paperback, over 500 color photographs, Art

Featuring more than 500 full-color photographs of artwork by over 350 artists from 28 countries, with work by Banksy, Jef Aerosol, Logan Hicks, Amy Rice, Adam5100, Arofish, M-City, SWOON, Hao, John Fekner, and many others. Written chapters offer the history of stencil artwork from 30,000 BC to the present, tips for creating stencil artwork, and lots more!


 

TRAIN WRECK GIRL a novel by Sean Carswell, 240 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-21-9, $14.95, 5.5x8.5 paperback, Fiction

The funny and tragic story of one man's quest to figure out what to do with his life now that it's too late for him to die young.

After finding his girlfriend dead on the railroad tracks, Danny McGregor -- Flagstaff bartender and surfer without an ocean -- rides the next bus out of Arizona, fleeing to his Cocoa Beach, FL hometown, where a maelstrom of past ghosts await: his treacherous friend, Bart, finds Danny a job picking up corpses. Sophie, a former crazy girlfriend, wants to rekindle their relationship. Taylor, a twelve-year-old neighborhood girl, only wants Danny to teach her to surf. And then there's Helen, with a face that launched a dozen Greyhounds. Through the chaos, Danny discovers his strengths amid all his weaknesses and is able to move forward while making peace with his past.


 

IMAGINATIONALLY: Michael's Lovable Fun of Dictionaries written and illustrated by Michael Bernard Loggins, 140 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-18-9, $14.95, 6x9 hardcover, Art

Have you ever felt terrifical? Has something recently tasted zincky? Maybe you live in troublemakerhood... Artist/author Michael Bernard Loggins, an adult with developmental disabilities, gives brand new meaning to familiar feelings in "Imaginationally", an illustrated dictionary of the words he has created to describe his daily experiences and thoughts.

 

also by Michael Bernard Loggins:

FEARS OF YOUR LIFE by Michael Bernard Loggins, 160 pages, ISBN 0-916397-90-4, $12.95, 6 x 9 Hardcover, Humor/Art

This is a book about scary things: all the things that you're afraid of. Everybody has fears in common, and in this wonderous handwritten book, author Michael Bernard Loggins (an adult with developmental disabilities) battles his fears by listing more than 138 of them. Loggins explores the depths of our most human emotion from real fears like "#53 Fear of Bats" and "#57 Fear of being different," to more complex, imagined fears like "#85 Fear that if you put too much toilet paper in the toilet bowl it will run over and get all over the floor and on you and on someone else too, it would leak from upstairs to the next floor below."

 

 

JUICY MOTHER 2: HOW THEY MET edited by Jennifer Camper, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-20-2, $14.95, 7x10 paperback, LGBT comix anthology

This exciting new comix collection examines LGBT life from new perspectives: homeboys in love, kids with queer parents, a superhero tranny, how Hothead met Chicken, and lots more. Perfect for sexual outlaws, gender pirates, and their friends and admirers...

Featuring new work by Alison Bechdel, Jennifer Camper, Robert Triptow, Tristan Cowan, Howard Cruse, Diane DiMassa, Jamaica Dyer, Michael Fahy, Lawrence Ferber, Fly, Leanne Franson, Katie Fricas, Chitra Ganesh, Justin Hall, Joan Hilty, Victor Hodge, David Hooper, G.B. Jones, David Kelly, Robert Kirby, Carrie McNinch, Erika Moen, Sara Rojo Parez, Karen Platt, Carlo Diego Quispe, Lawrence Schimel, Ariel Schrag, Serpilla, and Scott Treleaven.

 

 

THE RISE AND FALL OF THIRD LEG by Jon Longhi, 168 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-17-2, $13.95, 6x9 paperback, Fiction, cover by R. Crumb

"Anyone who's an admirer of Richard Brautigan's unclassifiable Trout Fishing in America will be drawn to the eccentric, wandering vision of Longhi's prose." -San Francisco Bay Guardian

These side-splittingly funny short stories relive the twisted glory days of homegrown DIY punk rock, from "Road Trip," in which four benevolent urban skinheads venture forth to rural Montana for a friend's wedding, to the title novella, which follows the absurd trials and tribulations of a small-town Delaware punk band, Third Leg, as its dreams of superstardom get flushed away in a series of hilarious catastrophes.

 

Also by Jon Longhi:

WAKE UP AND SMELL THE BEER by Jon Longhi, 192 pages, ISBN 0-916397-83-1, $11.95, Paperback, Fiction

A fictional chronicle of a year in the underground counter-cultural life of a San Francisco guy during the 1990s: simultaneously hilarious, meaningful, and occasionally just plain gross. Dubious achievements including burping the alphabet backwards, keeping a dayjob at Last Laugh Book Distribution selling titles like Full Metal Genitalia, a blood-drenched wedding at Burning Man, and more will keep readers yowling with laughter at the absurdity, silliness, and occasional tragic meltdown that defines the outer edges of America's left coast.

 

FLASHBACKS AND PREMONITIONS stories by Jon Longhi, 162 pages, ISBN 0-916397-54-8, $11.95, Paperback, Fiction, Cover by R. Crumb

A swirling mass of angry punks, alcoholic slackers, drug-addled hippies and lost souls descend mercilessly into a seething pit of bizarre sex, strange urban encounters and emotional turmoil.

"A truly interesting current writer..." - SF Examiner



BRICKS AND ANCHORS stories by Jon Longhi, 128 pages, ISBN 0-916397-12-2, $8.95, Paperback, Fiction


Twenty-six weird tales from the underground, ranging from one-page microbursts of energetic prose to longer, finely wrought chronicles of post-punk living. Longhi's flair for creating memorable characters and his distinctive voice propel the reader forward toward the brink of insanity. "Highly recommended!" --Maximum Rock'n'Roll


 

WINNER! Edmund White Award for Debut Fiction!

DAHLIA SEASON: stories and a novella by Myriam Gurba, 190 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-16-5, $14.95, 6x9 paperback, Fiction/LGBT

"... A fantastic book filled with stories of sexy badass girls we rarely get to see in literature." - Ali Liebegott

Chicana. Goth. Dykling. Desiree Garcia knows she's weird and a weirdo magnet. To extinguish her strangeness, her parents ship her to St Michael's Catholic School, then to Mexico, but neurology can't be snuffed out so easily: screwy brain chemistry holds the key to Desiree's madness. Combining the spark of Michelle Tea, the comic angst of Augusten Burroughs, and the warmth of Sandra Cisneros, Chicana author Myriam Gurbahas created a territory all her own.

 

WINNER! Thom Gunn Award for Poetry! Lambda Award Finalist!

GUTTED by Justin Chin, 140 pages, ISBN 1-933149-07-8, $13.95, paperback Poetry

"Even as Chin's poems confront and try to comprehend death, they burst with urgent, vibrant life." - Out magazine

While trying to make sense of this ever-churning world, poet Justin Chin found himself travelling back and forth home to SE Asia - a region unnerved and raging with SARS and the Avian Flu - to help care for his father who had suddenly taken ill, all while dealing with his own health annoyances, and a looming U.S. citizenship test. At the beginning of this difficult period, he quietly vowed not to speak about his troubles until they had been suitably resolved. These poems mark the end of that resolution, and is a document of growing older, grief, loss, comfort and illness, and resolve. As ever, these poems are infected with Chin's screwy perspective, ever-defective grace and scabrous humor.

 

Also by Justin Chin:

HARMLESS MEDICINE by Justin Chin, 144 pages, ISBN 0-916397-72-6, $13.95 2002 Lambda Award Finalist! paperback Poetry

"Alongside personal explorations, Chin's poems take on the most rancid (and entrenched) attributes of contemporary life These critiques are vivid and defiant, yet poetically innovative and frequently playful." - Frigate

Fiercely devoted to the margins of life in the generation after the devastating first wave of the AIDS epidemic, this cathartic collection of poems explores illness, travel, contagion, the meaning of home, identity, tainted purity, and the bits of life that contain them and hold them together in spite of the harsh exigency of daily life.

BITE HARD by Justin Chin, 144 pages, ISBN 0-916397-47-5, $13.95 paperback Poetry

Forceful, compelling poetry that lends a unique perspective to the canons of contemporary queer and Asian American literature.

  

THE UNREASONABLE SLUG by Matt Cook, 84 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-15-8, $13.95, 5.5x8.5 paperback, Poetry

"Cook's quirky and humorous style redefines the boundaries of poetic tradition." - Midwest Book Review

In this charmingly disarming third volume of unique narrative poetry, spoken word Slam champ Matt Cook tackles political opinions ("So Anti War"), courtship ("Duck Decoys"), and family ("The Mother of the Poet," "The Comet"), among other topics. His vision is that of the average-guy Midwest, observing life perceptively both globally ("China Readies Itself for Snow with Tough Talk") and locally ("The Woman Next Door").

 

Also by Matt Cook:

EAVESDROP SOUP by Matt Cook, 80 pages, ISBN 1-933149-00-0, $13.95, Paperback, Poetry

"Matt Cook's relentlessly spontaneous wit is savagely original." - Jeffrey McDaniel

In this outrageous second volume of distinctive poetry, spoken word Slam champ Matt Cook tackles science ("Static Electricity"), geography ("Pittsburgh"), and death ("Oblong Strongboxes"), among other topics. Observing life perceptively both globally ("Goat Transaction") and locally ("The Man Across the Street"), Cook's writing is smart and funny, with a subtext of serious social commentary.


 

IN THE SMALL OF MY BACKYARD by Matt Cook, 96 pages, ISBN 0-916397-78-5, $13.95 paperback, Poetry

"Hilarious..." - Rolling Stone

Spoken word artist Matt Cook tackles life perceptively in bars, his neighborhood, and at work. His poems are a shrewd blend of cracker-barrel philosopher and an over-caffeinated Groucho Marx. Quirky and humorous, his writing is perfect for people who think they hate poetry (and those who love it, too).

 

 

San Francisco Poet Laureate!

ONLY DREAMING SKY: Poems by Jack Hirschman, 96 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-13-4, $13.95, 6x9 paperback, Poetry

"Poetry is really a weapon. It's a spiritual weapon for the transformation of the world. And, of course, all my poems are love poems. The nicest thing in the world is to propagandize for love." - Jack Hirschman

In this unique collection of new and selecteded work by San Francisco's Poet Laureate Jack Hirschman, a lighter, humorous side of the award-winning poet is revealed. Even in his most ardent political pieces, Hirschman's playful side shines through ("New World Odor"). Known for his commitment to social justice, Hirschman often frames ordinary urban moments with extraordinary clarity ("Folsom Prison Haiku"). Also included are acerbic reflections on the fall of Communism ("Red-Baiter"), tender memorials for friends ("The Day Bobby Kaufman Died"), and lyrical love poems ("A Woman's Darkness").


 

THE BEATLES IN ROME 1965: Photographs by Marcello Geppetti, 44 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-12-7, $12.95, hardcover, 6x9 paperback, Music/Photography

"Marcello Geppetti . . . found a startling new style of shooting celebrities that would change the nature of journalism and the public's relationship with the rich and famous." - David Schonauer, American Photo magazine

Originally published in Italy, this dynamic book captures the moment when the world's most adored and electrifying rock group entered the setting of Fellini's La Dolce Vita. All of the excitement, expectation, and romance of The Beatles in 1965 is caught by the camera of Italy's most famous celebrity photographer during the height of Rome's glamorous epoch, when everyone was fabulous and anything was possible.


  

PET NOIR: An Illustrated Anthology of Strange but True Pet Crime Stories edited by Shannon O'Leary, 128 pages, ISBN 1-933149-11-6, $13.95, graphic novel, 7x9 paperback, True Crime / Pets

"Pet Noir is fantastic! The writing is clever, the artwork original, and the stories proving the old adage tht the truth is way stranger than fiction. I loved it!" -- Jane Weidlin, The Go-Go's

Putting the cat back in catastrophe, Pet Noir entertains and informs by turning traditional noir storytelling on its furry little ear. These illustrated talesexplore America's dark obsession with true crime by taking a darkly comedic approach while raising awareness about animal welfare. Featuring artwork by Andy Ristaino, MariNaomi, Mary Fleener, August Bournique, Lark Pien, and many others.

 

TOUGH LOVE: High School Confidential by Abby Denson, 144 pages, ISBN 1-933149-08-6, $12.95, Paperback, YA / Graphic Novel / GLBT Lulu-of-the-Year Winner!

"Tough Love keeps a universal subject fresh with clean, appealing artwork and characters guaranteed to touch even the coldest heart." - Poppy Z. Brite

Inspired by shounen-ai manga - melodramatic Japanese comics by girls about gay boys - Tough Love is a teen romance and coming-out story about a shy boy named Brian. More realistic than Japanese manga, this story centers on the relationships Brian develops with Chris, the boy he likes, and Julie, the girl who befriends him. Serious issues like gay bashing, suicidal thoughts, and coming to terms with one's own sexual identity are depicted with an honest, gentle touch. Socially relevant, fun, immediately accessible, and a bit of a soap opera, teenagers who are questioning their sexual identity will appreciate this book, as will friends, teachers, and parents of gay teens. A resource guide for those seeking support and further information is included.

Abby Denson has been drawing and writing comics for XY magazine since 1996. Denson has also scripted comics for The Powerpuff Girls, The Simpsons, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and Josie and the Pussycats. She has a BFA in Illustration from Parsons School of Design. She lives in Brooklyn.

 

THE KILLERS: Destiny Is Calling Me by Jarret Keene, 144 pages, ISBN 1-933149-10-8, $12.95, Paperback, Music/Biography

What's all the fuss about The Killers? In this bio/photo documentary about the Las Vegas rock group that sold millions of its debut album, journalist Jarret Keene reveals the band's originas and how Brandon Flowers & Co. followed their dreams to become America's breakthrough musical sensation. Featuring dozens of never-before-published photos of The Killers, from their earliest club gigs to recent shows at sold-out arenas.

 

ABOLISHING CHRISTIANITY and other essays by Jonathan Swift, 128 pages, ISBN 1-933149-03-5, $13.95, paperback Fiction

In this critically acclaimed compendium of 11 outrageous commentaries and tales by the English language's greatest satirist, Jonathan Swift reflects on the absurdity of organized religion, classical vs. modern literature, astrological predictions, and more.

 

 

FAST FORWARD: Confessions of a Porn Screenwriter by Eric Spitznagel, 216 pages, ISBN 1-933149-05-1, $13.95, Paperback, Memoir/Film Studies. Future Tense series, edited by Kevin Sampsell.

Like so many writers before him, Eric Spitznagel moves to Los Angeles with dreams of becoming a highly paid and respected screenwriter. When Hollywood fails to notice, he settles for the next best thing: writing scripts for adult films. Determined to make the most of it, he sets out to write a movie that will be celebrated more for its witty dialogue and gripping plot than its depictions of hardcore sex. As he soon discovers, making the Great American Porn is far from easy, especially when you've been hired to write a sequel to Butt Crazy.

"Like most pornography, I found Fast Forward to be a relentless and indecent assault on the traditional family values that Americans find most sacred. Makes a great stocking stuffer." - Amy Sedaris

 

 

THE HASHISH MAN and other stories by Lord Dunsany, 160 pages, ISBN 1-933149-04-3, $13.95, paperback, Fiction

In this unusual collection of short stories, one of the original masters of early 20th century scince fiction and fantasy crafts fanciful tales of strange adventures in imaginary exotic locales in which otherworldly creepiness abounds.

 

 

MONSTER FASHION by Jarret Keene, 80 pages, ISBN 0-916397-77-7, $13.95, cover illustration by Jack Kirby paperback Poetry

"Keene's book is not only intelligent and accessible but fun, a combination that is too rarely seen." -- Las Vegas Mercury

Pop culture meets and mates with poetic formalism: whether he's writing about Captain America, Godzilla, abandoned babies, or hangovers, Keene's work is unexpected, smart and funny. Where Wile E. Coyote pays homage to George Santayana...or is it the other way around?

 

 

THE INSOMNIAC READER: Stories of the Night edited by Kevin Sampsell, 255 pages, ISBN 0-916397-94-7, $13.95, Paperback, Fiction A Future Tense Book

Explore the dark side - literally and figuratively - of evening time with astonishing short fiction by Jonathan Ames, Todd Pruzan, Rick Moody, Richard Rushfield, Elizabeth Ellen, Davy Rothbart , Jonathan Lethem, T. Cooper, Monica Drake, Aimee Bender, Jeff Johnson, James Tate, Thorn Kief Hillsbery, Heidi Julavits, Michelle Tea, Dan Kennedy, Stacey Richter, Marshall Moore, and Lucy Thomas. Each adventure - every action and choice - leads to unexpected situations... or tragedies. Long after nightfall, America's best contemporary writers shine their flashlights into a world that begins around the time when most people fall asleep. This noteworthy anthology is the first release in the new ongoing Future Tense Series edited by Kevin Sampsell and published by Manic D Press.

 

 

GRAVEYARD GOLF and other stories by Vampyre Mike Kassel, 64 pages, ISBN 0-916397-15-7, $7.95, cover illustration by S. Clay Wilson paperback Fiction

"A total f*ckin' laugh riot..." -- Your Flesh magazine

Drunk house painters, guys playing golf in a graveyard at midnight, Euripides made incomprehensible: Kassel writes up a storm in this collection of hysterical short stories.

 

 

THE GHASTLY ONES and other fiendish frolics by Richard Sala, 96 pages, ISBN 0-916397-40-8, $9.95, paperback Graphic Novel

Morbidly funny drawings and rhyming stories inspired by Edward Gorey, featuring a gallery of gruesome creeps and the fearsome ills that may befall us all at any time.

 

 

COLOR ME ARNOLD: The Unofficial Arnold Schwarzenegger Coloring and Activity Book by Conor Buckley & Lawrence Gipe, 64 pages, ISBN 0-916397-98-X, $9.95, Paperback, Humor/Politics

Whether you love Arnold or hate him, you have to wonder how an Austrian action-hero movie star / former Mr. Universe got elected governor of the most populous state in the U.S. without any experience that would qualify him for the job. Connect the dots to find Arnold groping a nearby female, draw a picture of yourself between Arnold and George W. Bush, color in the governor as "Conan the Barbarian", drive a Hummer through a maze from Hollywood to Sacramento, and more. Great drawings, hilarious real quotes that we couldn't make up if we tried!

 

 

COTTONMOUTH KISSES by Clint Catalyst, 160 pages, ISBN 0-916397-65-3, $12.95, Fiction

"Clint Catalyst has the magical knack for turning the most ethereal of thoughts and feelings into tangible imagery. He creates beauty with an original hybrid of brutality and love that takes my brain to its favorite place." - Anthony Kiedis (Red Hot Chili Peppers)

Whether he's writing about a chance sexual encounter at a Goth club called Lilith or revealing the inner thoughts of young hustlers in Hollywood, Catalyst unearths the trashy truth in his characters' unconventional lives.


 

 

GUTTER BOYS: A Novel by Alvin Orloff, 224 pages, ISBN 0-916397-93-9, $13.95, Paperback, Fiction/GLBT

A twisted gay tale of unrequited love in Lower Manhattan in the early 1980s filled with scenes of humorous debauchery. Jeremy, a shy 19-year-old, falls madly in love with Colin, a disturbed yet well-read older hustler. Though Colin rejects Jeremy as a lover, he takes him on as a protégé, introducing him to the hilariously depraved world of new wave nightclubs and gay bars in the days before AIDS and the war on drugs. Innocent Jeremy, protected by the guardian spirits of his beloved dead grandmothers - one a fiery Jewish socialist, the other a proper British matron - becomes increasingly unstable under the strain of his unanswered devotion. When Jeremy finally snaps, he reaches an understanding with Colin that he never anticipated.

 

Also by Alvin Orloff - I MARRIED AN EARTHLING: A Novel , 256 pages, ISBN 0-916397-64-5, $13.95, Paperback, Fiction/GLBT

In this rollicking send-up of traditional science fiction, Earth Studies professor Norvex 7 from the planet Zeeron decides to increase his university status by visiting Earth accompanied by Veeba 22, a chic hairdresser of the highest social order. Mistaken for evil villains and harmless frauds instead of the fabulous celebrities they are, Norvex ends up in San Francisco where all hell breaks loose when he crosses paths with the adolescent agony of Chester Julian, a gay Goth teenager acne. Part Jacqueline Susann romantasy, part cheesy Lost In Space episode, this gay comedy will delight any fan of pop culture literature.

 

THE BEAUTIFUL: Collected Poems by Michelle Tea, 228 pages, ISBN 0-916397-89-0, $14.95, Paperback, Poetry/LGBT Studies "... A humanist poet who sees the world from a very personal perspective." -- SF Chronicle

Award-winning author Michelle Tea ran away to San Francisco's queer and literary scenes in the early '90s, finding a home on the stages of various open mic venues. She self-published a steady stream of very limited edition photocopied poetry chapbooks, all of which are available together in a single volume for the first time in The Beautiful. In these tender yet tough contemplations, Tea welcomes the reader to explore her innermost passions, devoid of pretense or assumption. Previously unpublished works, including the title poem, are also included in this stunning collection.

 

FROM THE INSIDE OUT: Radical Gender Transformation, FTM and Beyond edited by Morty Diamond, 168 pages, ISBN 0-916397-96-3, $13.95, Paperback, GLBT 2005 Lambda Literary Award Finalist / American Library Association Stonewall Award nominee

"The many facets of this book sparkle like a jewel." - Leslie Feinberg, author of Transgender Warriors

Born female yet not identifying with that gender assignment, these writers illuminate the experiences of those who identify as FTM (female to male), and those whose gender is more fluid, genderqueers and thirdgenders. Given the opportunity to explore any aspect of gender identity change, these authors have written stories, essays, and poems offering heartfelt insight into the dynamics of identity politics and the definition of self. Although all born female, these writers prove that biology doesn't control destiny.

 

PO MAN'S CHILD: A Novel by Marci Blackman, 240 pages, ISBN 0-916397-59-9 $12.95 paperback Fiction/Lesbian Studies

WINNER of the American Library Association GLBT Award for Literature and the Firecracker Book Award for Fiction. A selection of the Quality Paperback Book Club.

After sustaining a serious injury during an S/M scene, Po Childs checks herself into a psychiatric hospital where she recalls her life's most memorable incidents and unconventional relatives. After a poignant exploration of her family's curses and blessings, Po allows the healing process to begin.

 

 

The Military Draft Handbook: A Brief History and Practical Advice for the Curious and Concerned edited by James Tracy, 128 pages, ISBN 1-933149-01-9, $12, Paperback, Current Affairs/Politics/Education

Written in a concise, easily accessible manner, The Military Draft Handbook outlines the history of conscription, how it has been resisted in previous eras, and exposes the "social justice" argument being used by some draft proponents. Full of plainspoken analysis and useful information about Conscientious Objection, Counter-Recruitment activism, and more, readers will be armed with the knowledge and organization needed to form a timely defense against forced conscription. An essential resource for young people, parents, activists, and educators alike.

Also edited by James Tracy:

The Civil Disobedience Handbook: A Brief History and Practical Advice for the Politically Disenchanted edited by James Tracy, 96 pages, ISBN 0-916397-76-9, $10 paperback History/Current Events

Non-violent civil disobedience is an American tradition, an essential element of a working democracy. From the Bill of Rights to contemporary direct action tactics utilized by the Ruckus Society, this handbook outlines a brief history of social protest. Helpful resources and handy information are included, as well as tips on everything from getting arrested to manipulating the media.

 

 

Good Advice for Young Trendy People of All Ages, edited by Jennifer Blowdryer, 144 pages, ISBN 1-933149-02-7, $15, Paperback, Pop Culture/Self-Help

"Even if you think you've got it all together this collection will help you scam a better scam, work a deeper style, and become a more gracious human being." - Michelle Tea

Compiled by a veteran of the underground after spending 30 years in the alternative art trenches, these experiential, very real commentaries from today's underground luminaries offer honest and humorous advice on everything from "Door Etiquette for the Nightlife-Challenged" by Clint Catalyst to "How to be an Art Star" by downtown NYC scenester Reverend Jen. Without a hint of irony, Good Advice for Young Trendy People of All Ages shows would-be bohemians how things really are ("How to Live in Debt" by Mykel Board), instead of selling far-fetched dreams of writing the great novel or producing a top gallery show.

 

 

SOME ANGELS WEAR BLACK: Selected Poems by Eli Coppola, Introduction by Michelle Tea, 160 pages, ISBN 0-916397-71-8, $13.95, Paperback, Poetry

Narrative poems with straightforward, feisty sensibilities confront the difficulties and rewards of love: what one goes through to love and be loved. Social injustice ("Jury Duty") and mortality ("Casual Hands, Brutal Stars, Past Things") are recurrent themes, but love is always the driving force. Often funny, with a subtle sting, Coppola's heartfelt writing reveals an unrelenting, courageous struggle with a progressive disabling disease ("Enlightenment and Muscular Dystrophy").

 

THE UNDERGROUND GUIDE TO LAS VEGAS edited by Jarret Keene, 208 pages, ISBN 0-916397-99-8, $15.95, Paperback, Travel

The absolute lowdown on what and where in the neon desert's Sin City, whether you're here for a day, a week, or the rest of your life. Avoid the Strip's cheesy pitfalls: enjoy cheap and tasty eats, existential dive bars, loud and nasty bands, thrift stores, pawn shops, awesome gambling odds, and Vegas's best transsexual strip club. For hangover recovery, discover some of the most relaxing spas and breathtaking outdoors the West has to offer.

 

INTELLIGENT JOKES compiled by Sion Rubi, 128 pages, ISBN 0-916397-97-1, $11.95, Paperback, Humor

A man tells his wife, "You know, I don't feel like going to the Robinsons' party."
She replies, "I don't feel like going either, but imagine how happy they'll be if we don't go."

With so many remarkably unfunny things going on in the world today - from the war in Iraq to the Asian tsunami and its aftermath - everyone desperately needs to laugh just to relieve the tension of everyday life. In fact, laughter, along with an active sense of humor, may help protect against a heart attack, according to a recent study by cardiologists. In the interest of restoring mental and physical health in the general population, Intelligent Jokes is written in a colloquial style, with an appeal for clever readers looking for more than a rudimentary punchline. Lovers of "shaggy dog stories", as well as those who appreciate witty insights into personal relationships, send-ups of human folly, and our preoccupation with sex, will find these amusing jokes enormously entertaining.


MADNESS AND RETRIBUTION: Poems by Juliette Torrez, 80 pages, ISBN 0-916397-95-5, $12.95, Paperback, Poetry. Cover painting by Mark Ryden.

"I wish I spoke my tribal language so I would know if there was a word that meant 'magic energy'. But let's imagine I speak the language, and that there is such a word, and that I could only describe Juliette's poetry with that word. Read this book and you'll want to make up words of your own." - Sherman Alexie

Travel a picturesque and often harrowing road through these narrative poems to encounter the quiet survivors and overlooked places fallen through the cracks in the American Dream. Meet a battered wife wearing a celebratory dress to her husband's funeral ("The Red Dress") and a fed-up woman who shoots a complaining nonsmoker at Denny's ("Mother of Four"). With empathy for the human condition, Juliette Torrez captures the absurdity, hypocrisy, and ultimately the beauty of the places and people she has known.

 

IT'S ALL GOOD: How Do You Like It Here Now? edited by Jennifer Joseph & Wendy Shimamura, 144 pages, ISBN 0-916397-85-8, $11.95, Paperback, Fiction/Poetry/Comix

Hard-hitting stories, accessible poems, and hair-raising comix answer the question of millennial ennui in the wake of economic crashes, Zoloft for breakfats, and governmental insanity. This lively collection contains fresh work by more than 40 cutting-edge writers and artists: sordid tales of lousy employment and nutty families; curious poems about a cop with diarrhea and a condom-eating cat; ill-fated love stories; and punk rock comix are among the eclectic mix of eccentric offerings. Outstanding writers from every region of the US are featured in this celebration of human spirit and good ol' American originality.

 

LEGENDS OF PUNK: Photos from the Vault by Rikki Ercoli, 128 pages, ISBN 0-916397-86-6, $19.95, 7 x 10 Hardcover, Music/Photography

A visual feast of black-and-white portraits capturing the most notorious rock'n'roll icons from the punk/new wave era. In these never-before-seen live and backstage photos, Sid Vicious is alive and sneering, the Red Hot Chili Peppers barely have a tattoo between them, the crowds are moshing, and the hairdos are tremendous. Sid, PIL, Patti, Blondie, Ramones, Clash, Stiv, DKs, Circle Jerks, DOA, Misfits, X, Slits, Nuns, Cramps, Lydia Lunch, and more.

 

IN ME OWN WORDS: The Autobiography of Bigfoot written and illustrated by Graham Roumieu, 44 pages, ISBN 0-916397-84-X, $12.95 Full color hardcover Humor

North America's favorite crypto-zoological homonid recast as the modern day everyman bravely struggling with casual cannabalism, eating disorders, pop culture and philosophical quandaries. Absolutely hilarious - a total laugh riot! "Brilliantly funny..." - San Francisco Chronicle

 

 

MOLOTOV MOUTHS: Explosive New Writing by James Tracy, Raw Knowledge, George Tirado, Leroy Moore, Ananda Esteva, Dani Montgomery, and Josiah Luis Aldrete, 144 pages, ISBN 0-916397-87-4, $13.95 Paperback, Literature / Current Affairs & Politics

The Molotov Mouths Outspoken Word Troupe has a simple mission: social justice. Without slogans or dogma, these seven authors have created an original literary manifesto of progressive ideas. Passionate stories about gentrification, discrimination, and identity politics unite with heartfelt poems exploring poverty, race and disability that positively shine with subversive solidarity.

 

 

THE SPLINTER FACTORY by Jeffrey McDaniel, 80 pages, ISBN 0-916397-79-3, $13.95 paperback Poetry

"One of the best young poets on the planet..." -- Thomas Lux

Whether Jeffrey McDaniel's denouncing insomnia ("4,000 A.M."), exploring family tragedy ("Ghost Townhouse"), or celebrating love and lust ("The Biology of Numbers"), his writing is so profoundly original, so funny, twisted, and literary simultaneously, you won't know whether to laugh or cry, but you'll definitely keep reading.



Also by Jeffrey McDaniel --

THE FORGIVENESS PARADE by Jeffrey McDaniel, 80 pages, ISBN 0-916397-55-6, $13.95 paperback Poetry

"Heartbreaking and hilarious simultaneously... " ­ James Tate

In Jeffrey McDaniel's second book, it is hard to separate the humor from the pain. Both qualities are omnipresent whether he's tackling dysfunctional family memories in 'The Most Awful Lullaby', or broken-hearted romance in poems like 'Another Long Day in the Office of Dreams'.

ALIBI SCHOOL by Jeffrey McDaniel, 80 pages, ISBN 0-916397-38-6, $13.95 paperback Poetry

In Alibi School, Jeffrey McDaniel rips the country's skull out, and says "Alas, you poor slobbering sham of a place, screaming at you doesn't work, I shall explode your lies with concentrated metaphors..." -- Bob Holman

 

 

WALKING BAREFOOT IN THE GLASSBLOWERS MUSEUM by Ellyn Maybe, 80 pages, ISBN 0-916397-80-7, $13.95 paperback Poetry

"One of the coolest poets you'll ever read - she's magic." - Henry Rollins

Chosen as one of the "Top 10 Poets to Watch in the Millennium" by Writers Digest

Earnest and confessional in the best sense, Maybe's poems about self and vulnerability reveal her beliefs in family, love, identity, and anti-establishment idealism. Her uncanny ability to pivot at multiple places within a poem, using surprising observations and control of language, wraps beauty and purity around her day-to-day experiences.


 

CONCRETE DREAMS: Manic D Press Early Works edited by Jennifer Joseph, 224 pages, ISBN 0-916397-75-0, $15 paperback Fiction / Poetry

Between 1989 and 1994, Manic D Press produced more than a dozen 20-page photocopied and stapled books of fiction and poetry by some of the most talented young writers from the Bay Area and beyond. Collected for the first time in a single trade paperback edition, this archival volume includes rare works by twelve authors including Jon Longhi, Wendy-o Matik, Jorge Argueta, David Jewell, Sparrow 13, and Bucky Sinister.

 

 

***WINNER of the 2002 FIRECRACKER AWARD for FICTION***

THIS TOO CAN BE YOURS by Beth Lisick, 144 pages, ISBN 0-916397-73-4, $14.95 paperback Fiction

"She transforms the mundane into comic-absurd revelations on the human experience." -- SF Weekly

In this wholly unpredictable collection of tongue-in-chic short stories, Beth Lisick casts a cool eye on the lost and living dead of offices, nightclubs, shopping malls, and rent-controlled apartments. Pretentious web designers, reality show wannabes, and hipster party girls are among the characters populating a seemingly ordinary world teetering on the brink of chaos.

 

Also by Beth Lisick: MONKEY GIRL 128 pages, ISBN 0-916397-49-1, $11.95 paperback Fiction

Short stories. A panoramic tapestry of strip malls, junk-food habits, and yuppie pick-up joints.

 

 

KING OF THE ROADKILLS