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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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 by Bucky Sinister, 160 pages, ISBN 0-916397-37-8, $9.95, paperback, Poetry/Fiction. Cover by Frank Kozik.

Twisted stories, bone-chilling poems, and harrowing yet humorous comix that deal with failed relationships, religious cults, loneliness, and drugs, penned with razor-sharp precision.

"Bucky Sinister's collection of stories, poems and comics is visceral and violent -- and shockingly touching." - Oyster Boy Review

DEVIL BABE'S BIG BOOK OF POSTCARDS by Isabel Samaras, 24 color postcards perfectbound, ISBN 0-916397-74-2, $11.95

"Reminiscent of Betty Page and pin-up girl art from the '40s and '50s, Samaras' Devil Babes range from slightly naughty to highly erotic." - Boulder Weekly

Award-winning artist Isabel Samaras conjures up 24 full-color picture postcards from Devil Babe's Big Book of Fun! A voluptuous gift for highbrow art connoisseurs and lowbrow eccentrics: fun for those who are naughty and nice.

Also by Isabel Samaras: DEVIL BABE'S BIG BOOK OF FUN! 64 pages, ISBN 0-916397-52-1, $11.95 paperback Art

Tattoo flash, coloring and activity book for grown-ups...

POETRY SLAM: THE COMPETITIVE ART OF PERFORMANCE POETRY edited by Gary Glazner, 240 pages, ISBN 0-916397-66-1, $15 paperback Poetry

"The points are not the point, the point is poetry. " ­Allan Wolf, Asheville Slam

Poetry Slam documents the first ten years of the National Poetry Slam with a dozen essays on how to start a slam, strategies for winning, history of the slam, memorization tips and more, as well as 100 of the best slam-winning poems ever.

DIRTY MONEY and Other Stories by Ayn Imperato, 144 pages, ISBN 0-916397-61-0, $11.95 paperback Fiction

In more than 50 brilliantly humorous short stories and vignettes, Ayn Imperato writes about a contemporary punk rock gal in search of love, fun, and gainful employment. Along the way, she works at a Goth store "where lots of morbid kids in black wearing pointy buckle boots trudge in lamenting about life in the dreary suburbs and then spend what was a week's worth of pay for me on a bunch of rubber eyeballs, bat wall hangings, and cheap Ankh jewelry" (Mr. Janglin' Bones and the Brain); posing for soft porn photographs while covered in mud (Dirty Money); and as a movie extra playing a refugee in Hell (Dirtier Money), among other attempts at earning a living.

SORRY, WE'RE CLOSE by J. Tarin Towers, 120 pages, ISBN 0-916397-58-0, $11.95 paperback Poetry Cover art by Mary Fleener

In a framework of love, sex, and betrayal these poems and stories about the politics of human relationships explore the boundaries of the heart's language.

FORTY OUNCER: stories by Kurt Zapata, 160 pages, ISBN 0-916397-46-7, $11.95 paperback Fiction

"Highly recommended." - San Francisco Bay Guardian

An uproarious collection of 11 intoxicating short stories and a staggering novella about fist fights, love bouts, the trials and tribulations of minimum wage employment, and of course, carousing in bars and nightclubs.

ESCAPE FROM HOUDINI MOUNTAIN by Pleasant Gehman, 144 pages, ISBN 0-916397-68-8, $13.95 paperback Fiction

"Completely authentic and ensorcelling... " -- Gary Indiana

From trysts on the French Riviera to lofts on Manhattan's Lower East Side to Hollywood's bizarre underbelly, these 26 deft and daffy short stories will having you longing for days and nights of reckless abandon.

Visa/Mastercard/American Express/Discover accepted. Allow up to 3 weeks for delivery. To order by mail, send a letter with which books you'd like with a check or money order payable to Manic D Press to the address below. Thanks!

Manic D Press was founded by Jennifer Joseph in 1984. An award-winning literary press based in San Francisco, California publishing fiction, poetry, pop culture, music, art, narrative-oriented comix, and alternative travel books, we represent a diverse group of unique writers and artists, with emphasis on those who have been shunned by the traditional publishing establishment for lacking commercial viability, regardless of their talent or future promise. For 10 years, we were funded in part by the California Arts Council, then California got screwed by Enron and state funding for the arts disappeared. We've recently expanded our mission to offer refuge to established writers escaping from the commercial publishing meltdown. Manic D Press books are distributed to the trade throughout the US by Consortium/Perseus, Last Gasp, SPD, and all major wholesalers. UK / European distribution is through Turnaround. Awards presented to Manic D Press include 2000 American Library Association Stonewall Award for Literature; 1997 Firecracker Alternative Book Award for Art; 2002 and 2000 Firecracker Alternative Book Awards for Fiction; 1998 American Institute of Graphic Arts juried traveling exhibition 50 Books, 50 Covers; Sept/Oct 2003 + March/April 2004 Booksense 76 lists; SF Bay Guardian's 2004 Best of the Bay: 'Best Quintessentially San Franciscan Publisher', Publishing Triangle's 2007 Thom Gunn Award for Poetry + 2008 Edmund White Award for Debut Fiction; SF Weekly's "Best of San Francisco 2008"; 2009 Lambda Literary Transgender Award.

Here are Submission Guidelines. If you'd like to contact us, send a note to info at manicdpress dot com.

October 12 , 2009 If there's a Manic D book that's not here and you want it, send an email, okay? Thanks for everything (and especially for reading our books).

Manic D Press . Box 410804 . San Francisco CA 94141. tel+fax 415.648.8288