Manic D Press: Great Books Since 1984

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MANIC  D  PRESS
Great Books Since 1984
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New! WONDERFUL BLACKIFUL PEOPLE: Bay Area Changemakers A to Z by the Blackiful Collective & d. Wright 64 pages, ISBN 978-1-945665-42-4, $16.95, 6 x 9 paperback, 26 full color illustrations, Biography/Art/San Francisco Bay Area History

Wonderful Blackiful People celebrates the inspiring lives and works of 26 unique San Francisco Bay Area Black changemakers including poets, artists, teachers, musicians, activists, Black Panthers, and public service workers, with accessible biographies written by d. Wright and interpretive portraits by the Blackiful Collective at Creativity Explored art studio. Featuring musicians Fantastic Negrito, Idris Ackamoor, and Pamela Z; poets Pat Parker and QR Hand, Jr; Black Panthers Ericka Huggins and Fredrika Newton; Marcus bookstore founders/educators Dr. Raye & Julian Richardson; Berkeley librarian Jim Jacobs; changemaking organizations Mom 4 Housing and the Union of Sleeping Car Porters; and many more fascinating individuals. Educate yourself with interesting history and accomplishments both current and historical + great art!

The Blackiful Collective is a Black neurodivergent artists collective that co-creates Black social and aesthetic space at San Francisco's Creativity Explored art studio and beyond. Blackiful empowers its members to cultivate individual and collective self-determination. Artist/writer d. Wright is interested in the limits of language. Through drawing, installation, and experiments in sound, d. explores what it is like, as subject, to be regarded as object.




More outsider art books:

WHIPPER SNAPPER NERD: Selections from the Zine edited by Harrell Fletcher & Elizabeth Meyer, 200 pages, ISBN 978-1-945665-12-7, $15.95, 6 x 9, paperback, Art/Writing

First appearing in the '90s as small-edition, photocopied zines produced by Fletcher & Meyer, this unexpected compilation of outsider artwork and writing includes work by 10 artists working from the Creativity Explored studios: Michael Bernard Loggins, James Miles, John Patrick McKenzie, Barnara Doehrman, David Jarvey, Andrew Li, Robert Margolis, Diane Scaccalosi, Gerald Wiggins, and Christina Marie Fong. Founded in 1983, Creativity Explored is a San Francisco art studio and gallery that gives adults with developmental disabilities that means to create and share their work with the community.

Editor Harrell Fletcher's artwork was included in the 2004 Whitney Biennial, and is the collections of MoMA, the New Museum, and the De Young Museum, among other museums. He is an Associate Professor of Art and Social Practices at Portland State University in Oregon. Editor Elizabeth Meyer has worked with several Bay Area arts and media organizations, including Artists Television Access. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.



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              DESCRIBE THIS IMAGE ** FEARS OF YOUR LIFE by Michael Bernard Loggins, with a new Preface by Harrell Fletcher, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-61-5, $14.95, 6x9 Paperback, Humor/Art

This is the expanded 2nd edition of 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." This revised edition contains a new 60-page illustrated chapter of unique portraits, entitled "How Fearful Can You Be?" and in artist Harrell Fletcher's Preface, he explains the origins of Fears of Your Life and its lasting impact in its many manifestations.

Author Michael Bernard Loggins has written & illustrated two books. Fears of Your Life has been featured on NPR's This American Life, excerpted in Harper's magazine, turned into a multimedia dance performance choreographed by Kim Epifano and performed by AXIS Dance at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. This book also inspired musicians Aesop Rock, Kimya Dawson, and the band Dry Cleaning. He lives in San Francisco.


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              PLEASE DESCRIBE THIS IMAGE **IMAGINATIONALLY: Michael's Lovable Fun of Dictionaries written and illustrated by Michael Bernard Loggins, 140 pages, ISBN 978-1-945665-09-7, $14.95, 6x9 paperback, Art

Have you ever felt terrifical? Has something recently tasted zincky? Maybe you live in troublemakerhood... Author Michael Bernard Loggins gives new meaning to familiar feelings in Imaginationally, an illustrated dictionary of the words he created to describe his daily experiences and thoughts.

From associalize (enjoying the company of other people) to zincky (when food is spoiled and nasty to eat), customized words are handwritten in alphabetical order with Loggins's own definitions, examples of how you would use them in a sentence, and hand-drawn illustrations. It's a totally original lexicon of funable and laughterful terms that you just might find yourself using soon.





 

New edition! BURDEN OF ASHES by Justin Chin, Foreword by Alexander Chee 196 pages, ISBN 978-1-945665-36-3, $16.95, 5.5 x 8.5 paperback, LGBT/Asian American Studies/Fiction/Memoir

"... An award-winning San Francisco writer whose work has been celebrated for its bold unconventionality, mixing humor with potent political and personal themes..."  — San Francisco Chronicle

"Nothing short of phantasmagoric... disturbing if Chin didn't seem so firmly in control of his language and self, both of which emerge here luminously. " — Publishers Weekly

Floating somewhere between fiction and memoir, Burden of Ashes is a beautiful and brutal series of short stories in which childhood, homeland, and lovers both real and imagined  succumb to whimsy, revision, denial, and truthful embellishment. Chin artfully creates a personal world where snake killings, demonic possession, the enigmatic pleasure of a deep kiss, cruelty, and compassion all co-exist. Actual events and fictional outcomes reconcile what has been lost, outgrown, and abandoned with what never was and what might have been.

Justin Chin (1969-2015) was born in Malaysia, raised and educated in Singapore, shipped to the U.S. by way of Hawaii, and resided in San Francisco until his passing. He was the author of seven books, including Gutted, winner of the Publishing Triangle's Thom Gunn Award for Poetry.

Alexander Chee is the bestselling author of Edinburgh and The Queen of the Night, among other noteworthy books. He most recently edited Best American Essays 2022. The recipient of numerous prestigious awards and fellowships, Chee is an associate professor of English and Creative Writing at Dartmouth College.
 



Also by Justin Chin:


JUSTIN CHIN: SELECTED WORKS edited by Jennifer Joseph, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-97-4, $15.95, 5.5 x 8.5, Paperback, poetry/fiction/memoir/anthology

Chin’s poetry reads like a very raw and real map of the queer Asian-American experience ...”  BuzzFeed

Chin was prolific, funny, outrageous... he was somber, he was serious, he was lighthearted, he was vital
.” Lambda Literary
 
Poet and writer of fiction, memoir, nonfiction, and performance art texts, Justin Chin's fearless and fierce voice was resolute in relating his worldview, whether directly or through metaphorical language. As a queer Asian American, born and raised in Southeast Asia within a devoutly Christian, ethnically Chinese family of medical professionals, Chin’s early life experience informed his writing and framed his point of view. In his literary works, the seemingly conflicted duality of existence is paramount: sacred and profane, saints and sinners, health and illness, hope and despair, life and death. His works also explore his experience of living with HIV, which progressed into AIDS in his final years. With commentaries by R. Zamora Linmark, Timothy Liu, Rabih Alameddine, Michelle Tea, Beth Lisick, Daniel Handler, and other notables.

With essays from noted literary figures and close friends, this unique collection of Chin's literary legacy curated from his 7 published books will serve as both a primer for those new to his works, as well as a loving tribute by those who knew him and his work best. Chin passed away at the end of 2015 at the age of 46.

Editor Jennifer Joseph has been editor and publisher of Manic D Press books since its founding in 1984. She worked closely with Justin Chin for two decades, publishing four of his seven books.


98 Wounds 98 WOUNDS by Justin Chin, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-57-8, $14.95, paperback Fiction Lambda Award Finalist!

"A short novel packed with wit, defiance, and desperation... at his most elegiac, he transforms a monstrous world into something lustrous and vulnerable. " -- Between the Lines

Through intertwined short stories, 98 Wounds dissects the inexorable dualities present in every moment that matters: pleasure and pain, contentment and longing, sacred and profane, living and dying. In between all of these, solace, understanding, and occasional regret-if not resolution-can be found. 98 Wounds takes the reader on a defiant road trip beset with contrition potholes and agitation detours to a place where absurdity and horror nestle comfortably together.

Justin Chin was born in Malaysia, raised and educated in Singapore, shipped to the US by way of Hawaii, and has resided in San Francisco for many years. He is the author of three books of poetry, all published by Manic D Press: Bite Hard (1997); Harmless Medicine (2001); and Gutted (2006), winner of the Publishing Triangle's Thom Gunn Award. Squeezed in between these were two non-fictions: Mongrel: Essays, Diatribes & Pranks (St. Martin's) and a memoir, Burden of Ashes (Alyson). Chin has also led a double life as a performance artist and his performances were documented in Attack of the Man-Eating Lotus Blossoms (Suspect Thoughts).


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GUTTED by Justin Chin, 140 pages, ISBN 1-933149-07-8, $13.95, paperback Poetry
WINNER Thom Gunn Award for Poetry + Lambda Award Finalist

"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 traveling 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.



** PLEASE DESCRIBE THIS IMAGE **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. In more than 40 pieces, Chin fearlessly delivers everything from his first exposure to science ("Magnified") to a mail order fantasy experience ("I Buy Sea Monkeys"); from backroads travel in Asia ("Little Everest in Your Palm") to the plight of immigrants in America ("The Men's Restroom at the INS Building"). Chin's brutal honesty and sharp humor frame a profound and original collection.




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

The first collection by award-winning performance artist/poet Justin Chin. In Bite Hard, Chin explores his identity as an Asian, a gay man, an artist, and a lover. He rails against both his own life experiences and society's limitations and stereotypes with scathing humor, bare-bones honesty, and unblinking detail. Whether addressing "what really goes on in the kitchen of Chinese restaurants" or a series of ex-boyfriends, all named Michael, Chin displays his remarkable emotional range and voice as a poet. His raw, incantatory, stream-of-consciousness poems confront issues of race, desire, and loss with a compelling urgency that reflects his work as in performance, speaking directly to an audience. Throughout this collection, Chin demonstrates his uncanny ability to convey thought-provoking viewpoints on a variety of controversial subjects. According to award-winning author R. Zamora Linmark, "He plugs the stage microphone into the page and lyrically blasts the heart of our fears, rage, and import-export nightmarish dreams."





MERCH TABLE BLUES: A Novel by Peter Conners, 260 pages, ISBN 978-1-945665-31-8, $16.95, 5.5 x 8.5 paperback, Fiction/Music/Pop Culture/Mystery

"I like the idea of books that you can play as if they were records. Narratives as LPs. Merch Table Blues is meant to be played, hard and loud—by which I mean, read and read again." — Colin Fleming, author of [ ]: Fabula, Fantasy, F**kery, Hope

"... A real page-turner and a great book!" — Mark Pinkus, Rhino Records

When Virgil Frey gets an unexpected phone call from his childhood best buddy, guitarist Richard Payne Knight, urging him to join his band Laverna as a roadie running the merch table on a small club tour through New York state, he decides to go for it. Virgil's current situation as a student in a graduate school creative writing program kind of sucks, and he's hoping this new adventure will spark some kind of creative inspiration. While on tour, Virgil discovers Laverna's growing popularity involves a cult-like following that just might be a real cult, unexpected hook-ups, odd disappearances, and band members developing questionable habits. Can old friendships survive tour chaos? Will the band get signed? Does Virgil find the inspiration he's seeking? A fast-paced read exploring ideas about loyalty, friendship, and making things happen, for anyone who has ever thrown caution to the wind in pursuit of good times...

Author Peter Conners has documented music and counterculture communities in several books including Growing Up Dead: The Hallucinated Confessions of a Teenage Deadhead (Da Capo), and White Hand Society: The Psychedelic Partnership of Timothy Leary & Allen Ginsberg (City Lights), among other titles. He lives in Rochester. NY, where he works as Publisher and Executive Director of the literary press BOA Editions.



  THE LURKING PLACE: A Novel by Clarence Major, 260 pages, ISBN 978-1-945665-28-8, $16.95, 5.5 x 8.5 paperback, Fiction

"...inspired... a rich meditation..." —Publishers Weekly

"In this subtle exploration of avocation and racial identity, Major resists conventional narrative structure in favor of taut, dialog-driven scenes that capture the randomness of violence, the arbitrariness of prejudice, and the poignancy of love." —Lucinda Roy, author of The Freedom Race

"Clarence Major's fiction has amazed me for years. This novel captures the late sixties in subtle ways that we seldom read. Major assumes the character of this narrator completely and fully, giving himself at once the narrative distance and fictive detachment required to render this story with building tension and expectancy. A wonderful addition to an already substantial oeuvre.”   — Percival Everett, author of The Trees

"The Lurking Place is a tender and compelling portrait of the poet as a young man. Clarence Major depicts the convergence of art and love with authority and great charm." — Hilma Wolitzer, author of Today a Woman Went Mad in the Supermarket

"Vivid, canny, propulsive, and cool... endlessly engaging." – John Beckman, author of The Winter Zoo

In the midst of tumultuous 1968, a young Black poet in downtown New York City pursues his intentions of publication and finding employment in academia. On the way, he falls in love, encounters racism, and journeys to Mexico and back... but will his undetermined success or failure in all aspects of his career and love life affect his hopes and dreams? Parallels between today's societal experiences and those of 1968 appear in sharp relief as life lessons are subtly woven throughout with humor, reflection, and insight.  

The award-winning author of 11 novels, 16 poetry collections, two volumes of short stories, and 10 works of nonfiction, Clarence Major has appeared in the New Yorker, Harvard Review, The New York Times, and Best American Poetry, among other publications. Among other honors, he has received the National Book Award Bronze Medal and the PEN-Oakland Reginald Lockett Lifetime Achievement Award. He was recently inducted into the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame, and currently lives in Northern California.


WILE & WING: Poems by Kimi Sugioka, 120 pages, ISBN 978-1-945665-18-9, $14.95, 5.5 x 8.5 paperback, Poetry

“Kimi Sugioka is a poet with a lot of guises: maternal, witchy, passionate, detached observer... strong in her observance and power.” 
— Anne Waldman, author of Trickster Feminism

“Sugioka's poems conjure like ancient spells... Wile & Wing is a lyrical documentation of our histories and myths, and beckons us to remember who we are.”   —MK Chavez, author of Dear Animal 

In Wile & Wing, poetic explorations of this place we call “home” investigate invisible borders, systemic inequity, family dynamics, love, and social justice. These themes intertwine with richly drawn imagery from the natural world where birds take wing, feathers scatter, and moonflowers bloom.

Born in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and raised in Berkeley, California, Kimi Sugioka is a poet, songwriter, and educator who performs her work frequently throughout the Bay Area. She earned her BA from San Francisco State University and MFA from the Naropa Institute in Boulder, Colorado. She is currently the City of Alameda's Poet Laureate.



legends

Now in paperback! LEGENDS OF PUNK: Photos from the Vault by Rikki Ercoli, 128 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-87-5, $15.95, 6 x 9 paperback, Music/Photography

“Gritty Legends of Punk encompasses all that was great and real about the NYC punk scene in the late ’70s...” – Chart magazine

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 Vicious, PIL, Patti Smith, Blondie, Ramones, Clash, Stiv Bators, DKs, Circle Jerks, Discharge, Misfits, X, Slits, Nuns, Cramps, Lydia Lunch, and more.

Rikki Ercoli was a sort of yearbook photographer at Rock'n'Roll High School during punk’s heyday in the ’70s and ’80s., capturing music history as it was being made. He lives in San Francisco.



45 THOUGHT CRIMES: New Writing by Lynn Breedlove, 96 pages, ISBN 978-1-945665-17-2, $14.95, 5.5 x 8.5 paperback, LGBTQQIA / Current Events / Poetry

“Breedlove harnesses the urgent response to political iniquity like building a profane bonfire and the heat will move us to swear, to sweat, to action.” — Jewelle Gomez, The Gilda Stories

45 Thought Crimes is spirituality for skeptics, in the body of the beloved. It's church at a punk show, a letter to bees, a map in a crisis, a guidebook to histories, to love in a riot. Compassionate table flipping, commitment to the tactile, a swipe at the inevitable. Arrows to roses, plowshares to swords, strangers welcomed as life flies by. It's tablature for voice, chords they said you couldn't sing, the sound of swinging at fascists while kissing the one you love.

Lynn Breedlove is the author of the novel Godspeed, singer for the bands Tribe 8 / Homobiles / Commando, and writer/performer of Lynnee Breedlove's One Freak Show, a comic solo show on gender and award-winning book. He is the entrepreneurial founder of Homobiles, the indie nonprofit ride service for the LGBTIQQ community and its allies, which, along with his creative work, won him the 2012 Harvey Milk LGBT Club Award for Activism.


also by Lynn Breedlove:

One Freak ShowWINNER - 2010 Lambda Literary Award
LYNNEE BREEDLOVE'S ONE FREAK SHOW
by Lynn Breedlove, 128 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-32-5, $14.95,  paperback, Humor/LGBTQQIA

"Uninhibited humor lends tender insight and perspective to a gender politics debate that often takes place in a fiercely contentious atmosphere."- San Francisco Bay Times

Through the unusual vehicle of gender-bending comedy, Lynn Breedlove asks his audience, "Who truly owns and defines the body: self, family, or community?" Based on his critically acclaimed comedy performances, this laugh-out-loud collection of outrageous writing celebrates a lifelong defiance of categorization. With universal appeal, the distinctive humor in Lynnee Breedlove's One Freak Show delightfully enlightens while challenging societal norms about love, identity, and community.

Lynn Breedlove is known as lyricist and front thang for the queer punk band Tribe 8, and author of the speed-driven bike messenger novel, Godspeed. Winner of a Heritage Award for Creativity, Breedlove currently resides in the Bay Area.




MALLARME'S FOR A TOMB OF ANATOLE: A Personal Translation by Jack Hirschman, 196 pages, ISBN 978-1-945665-13-4, $15.95, 5-1/2 x 8-1/2, paperback, Poetry/Art

When French Symbolist poet Stéphane Mallarmé's son died at the age of 8, Mallarmé wrote grief-stricken fragments of a long poem entitled Pour Un Tombeau d'Anatole that was not published until 1961. In the early 1970s, Jack Hirschman translated this work, writing the manuscript out by hand, placing the words on the page to echo Mallarmé's placement. Tragically, in the early 1980's, Jack lost his own son at the age of 24, and Jack penned a deeply sorrowful introduction to the translation, reflecting on a poet's grief and trying to make sense of the incomprehensible. Hirschman kept the project in the top drawer of his desk for decades and, with this release, it is finally in print.

Stéphane Mallarmé (1842-1898) was influenced by his contemporaries, Charles Baudelaire and Paul Verlaine, and was recognized as one of the most eminent poets of his time.  


Jack Hirschman is an American poet and social activist who has written and translated more than 100 volumes of poetry and essays. He lives and works in the Bay Area. He was San Francisco poet laureate and still lives in San Francisco.

also by Jack Hirschman:

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              IMAGE **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").





MDC AL SCHVITZ: Double Life in Double Time by Alan Schultz, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-945665-07-3, $16.95, 5-1/2 x 8-1/2, paperback, Memoir/Music/True Crime

When Alan Schultz met Dave Dictor as a college freshman in 1973, it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Reuniting in Austin in 1981, they formed the band that would become MDC, Millions of Dead Cops. After touring Europe and the US throughout the '80s, Schulz left the band and made some questionable choices that led to meth addiction, becoming homeless, and ending up in prison. He writes vividly of his time behind bars as well as his time with MDC. At turns hair-raising and humorous, Double Life in Double Time is a one-of-a-kind memorable story that's leaves the reader asking, "Why is this guy still alive, let alone still touring the world with MDC?!"

Alan "Al Schvitz" Schultz
grew up in the suburbs outside of New York City, and started playing drums at the age of 13. He currently plays drums with MDC, touring throughout the US and the world. He lives near Portland, Oregon. This is his first book.



also about MDC:

MDC: MEMOIR FROM A DAMAGED CIVILIZATION: Stories of Punk, Fear, and Redemption by Dave Dictor, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-98-1, $15.95, 5.5 x 8.5, Paperback, black+white photographs & flyers, memoir

... a must-read.” – Jello Biafra

1982’s Millions of Dead Cops album represented a milestone in radical politics and music.” —Steven Blush, American Hardcore

MDC always has been in the vanguard of the struggle for social justice in the punk movement. Dictor’s narrative is a raw portrait of an American underground folk-hero who stood on the barricades advocating social justice and spreading punk’s promise to a global audience. Part poet, renegade, satirist, and lover, he is an authentic homegrown character carrying the progressive punk fight into the twenty-first century.

Dave Dictor is singer, lyricist, and founding member of legendary American punk band MDC (Millions of Dead Cops)
. Since 1979, Dictor has toured throughout the world with MDC, releasing more than nine albums with MDC that have sold more then 125,000 copies. MDC continues to tour, playing  over 60 concerts each year. Dictor’s MDC song, “John Wayne Was A Nazi,” was featured in the best-selling video game Grand Theft Auto 5. He appeared in the film American Hardcore and resides in Portland, Oregon.


INVISIBLE GIFTS: Poems by Maw Shein Win, 120 pages, ISBN 978-1-945665-08-0, $14.95, 5-1/2 x 8-1/2, paperback, Poetry

In her first full-length collection of poems, Win depicts a colorful world imbued with unexpected paradoxes:  nature is both comforting and savagely unnerving; love is permanent and fleeting; the accuracy and flaws of memory abound. Her experiences with illness and recovery intertwine with her identity as a Burmese American daughter of immigrant doctors, flowing in poems like “Hands”: My father’s hands, frail birds, shaking wings. / In Burmese, “win” means bright. / Hands that stitched skin together and brought back life. Win’s unique perspective and artful language offer readers insight into how the heart can bend and mend without breaking.

“Vivid and vital, Maw Shein Win’s Invisible Gifts is a stunning exploration of memory, family, and the natural world.” —Vanessa Hua, author of A River of Stars

“A poet’s mastery of detail and time can create a world with no poison. The eye in every place, Invisible Gifts saves all that we destroyed.”  —Tongo Eisen-Martin, author of Heaven Is All Goodbyes

Maw Shein Win is a Burmese American poet, editor, and educator who lives and works in the Bay Area. Her writing has appeared in many journals and several anthologies, including Cimarron ReviewFanzineEleven Eleven,The Fabulist, and others. She is the first poet laureate of El Cerrito, California.



We Say NO!: A CHILD'S GUIDE TO RESISTANCE by John & Jana, 44 pages, ISBN 978-1-945665-06-6, $14.95, 6 x 9, Hardcover, Full color illustrations throughout!  Pop Culture/Politics/Humor

When you've had enough of the biggies and maddies and meanies and bullies and baddies and grabbies and fools .... We Say NO! Form a smiling mob, help people feel safe — when we join together, our unique differences make us stronger.

“In We Say NO! John & Jana’s wee playful anarchists return with a lovely and refreshing memo to their mates: Every rebellious NO! is also quite naturally an exquisite YES! No to war is yes to peace; no to hatred, an embracing yes to love; no to being labeled, sorted, measured, ranked, and judged, an empowering yes to one's own distinctive humanity an potential agency.’‘ —Bill Ayers

John Seven and Jana Christy's previous Manic D collaborations form the awesome Wee Rebel series for progressively-minded kids of all ages. These books have been translated into many languages, including Polish and Hebrew, and are used in children's education environments throughout the US.




GORILLA GARDENER: How to Help Nature Take Over the World by John & Jana, 32 pages, ISBN  978-1-945665-00-4, $16.95, 8 x 8, Hardcover, Full color illustrations throughout!  Kids / Nature / Guerrilla Gardening 

"You can't argue with flowers! Gorilla Gardener  is a gorgeous, irreverent meditation about what happens when we let nature — and hope — take over the world." - Ali Benjamin, The Thing About Jellyfish

Can we work for peaceful change and beautify our surroundings at the same time?

In these colorful pages, happy little Gorilla Gardener shows us how, by secretly dropping seeds in sidewalk cracks to sprout flowers and green the city. Gorilla Gardener goes even farther, building a delightful world where nature rules and humans of all ages enjoy life outdoors, while having creative fun and adventure! With instructions for making your own seed-bombs, with a little history of the Guerrilla Gardening movement.

John Seven is a writer and Jana Christy is an illustrator, both avid gardeners living together in Western Massachusetts. They're the authors of A Rule Is To Break: A Child's Guide to Anarchy and Happy Punks 1 2 3: A Counting Book.



HAPPY PUNKS 1 2 3: A Counting Book by John & Jana, 32 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-67-7, $15.95, 8 x 10, Hardcover, Full color illustrations throughout!  Pop Culture/Humor/Music

"Happy Punks 1 2 3 voices a belief that you can rebel, not merely for the sake of rebellion, but for its own constructive, creative purpose." - Matthue Roth, Electric Literature

"To call Happy Punks 1 2 3 'adorable' would be an understatement. It tells us 'Welcome to Planet Earth!' and 'Here's some cool stuff you could do in life!' " - Teresa Taylor, B*tthole Surfers

Welcome to New Flip City, a Busytown for a new era and home of the Happy Punks, twelve colorful, fun-loving, and creatively exciting friends. Come along as the Happy Punks get ready for their big show and are joined by their friends, a collection of animals, robots, zombies, snowmen, cavemen, and more who make life in New Flip City fun—and who all love to dance at the end of the day! In Happy Punks 1 2 3 we meet each of the punks as they go through their day, explore New Flip City, meet up with their friends, and have a big party with music and dancing. We also learn to count to twelve!



A RULE IS TO BREAK: A Child's Guide to Anarchy by John & Jana, 44 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-25-7, $14.95, 6 x 9, Hardcover, Full color illustrations throughout!  Pop Culture/Politics/Humor

"A Rule Is To Break says: Go ahead and throw your best self a party! So glad it exists." - Kristin Hersh, Throwing Muses

"A children's book on anarchy seems somehow just right: an instinctive, intuitive sense of fairness, community, and interdependence sits naturally enough with a desire for participatory democracy, self-determination, and peace and global justice." - Bill Ayers, author of Fugitive Days

Simply celebrating childhood: the joy, the wonder of discovery, the spontaneity, and strong emotions. . . . Wild Child is free to do as she pleases. A Rule Is To Break: A Child's Guide to Anarchy follows Wild Child as she learns about just being herself and how that translates into kid autonomy. It presents the ideas of challenging societal expectations and expressing yourself freely in kid-terms that are both funny and thought provoking—it even functions as a guidebook for adults to understand what it is to be a critically thinking, creative individual.

John Seven and Jana Christy's previous collaboration The Ocean Story won Creative Child magazine's 2011 Creative Child Award Seal of Excellence and was shortlisted for the 2012 Green Earth Book Award.


YOUR GOLDEN SUN STILL SHINES: San Francisco Personal Histories & Small Fictions edited by Denise Sullivan, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-945665-05-9, $15.95, 5.5 x 8.5, Paperback, San Francisco/memoir/fiction/poetry

With writing by San Francisco Poet Laureate Kim Shuck * SF Examiner columnists Broke-Ass Stuart & Kelly Dessaint * Alvin Orloff * Sylvia J. Martinez * Raluca Ioanid * Jorge Argueta * Anna Maria Smith * Patsy Creedy * Dee Allen. * Tony Robles * Norman Antonio Zelaya * Michael Koch * John Goins * Shizue Seigel * Denise Sullivan * Lynell George * Don Skiles * Barbara Stauffacher Solomon * Alice Elizabeth Rogoff * Stefanie Doucette * E. Hagan * Peter Case

Artist evictions, tech invasions―where will it end? San Francisco stories from visionary voices wrest wisdom from chaos and channel boundless energy into artful narratives, demonstrating that grace and resilience are as much a measure of the City’s legacy as a determination of its future. Your Golden Sun Still Shines illustrates San Francisco’s continuing legacy as home and beacon to the literary vanguard, situated at the edge of the world.

A fourth generation San Franciscan, editor Denise Sullivan writes about music, arts, and culture and her hometown. She is the author of five books.




KAPOW! POETRY & COMIX: A Minizine Anthology edited by Juliette Torrez, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-945665-01-1, $15.95, 5.5 x 8.5, Paperback, Poetry/Fiction/Art

Kapow! ...direct and never predictable.” —San Francisco Bay Guardian

 With writing by Pleasant Gehman * Greg Zura * Beau Sia * Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz * Kevin Sampsell * Kristen Casselman * Mike Henry * Dayvid Figler * Noel Franklin * Matthew John Conley * Chelsea Starr * Tarin Towers * Cas McGee * George Tirado * Derrick Brown * Kenn Rodriguez * Cara Bruce * Shappy * Jon Longhi * James Tracy * Greg Gillam * Bucky Sinister * Horehound Stillpoint *Juliette Torrez

With artwork by Jordan Crane * Steve Weissman * Janelle Hessig * Ivan Brunetti * James Kochalka * Keith Knight * Josh Berkowitz * Lloyd Dangle * Eric Reynolds * Pete Sickman-Garner * KRK Ryden * Johnny Ryan * Ron Rege, Jr. * Jaime Crespo * Brad Johnson * Rafael Navarro * Mats!? * Sam Henderson * Gabby Gamboa * Kevin Scalzo * Kurt Wolfgang * David Choe
 
Kapow! Poetry & Comix … the ’zines that launched a thousand (actually a few dozen) careers are anthologized here for the first time. Starting in the final days of the last century, poet & cultural activist Juliette Torrez published hand-stapled mini-books of illustrated poetry and short stories featuring original work by up-and-coming writers and artists. Sometimes raunchy, often hilarious, occasionally transgressive, this entertaining historic collection is wholly unique, delightfully diverse, and thankfully never normal.


Editor Juliette Torrez spent the 1990s as a key catalyst of poetry & spoken word’s resurgence. Founder of the Albuquerque Poetry Festival, she booked the national Lollapalooza ’94 tour’s spoken word stage, and was an organizer in the Southwest Slam scene. She is the author of Madness and Retribution and has edited several anthologies. Torrez currently resides in Oakland, California.



THE UNSINKABLE BAMBI LAKE: A Fairy Tale Containing the Dish on Cockettes, Punks, and Angels by Bambi Lake & Alvin Orloff, Introduction by Exene Cervenka, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-945665-02-8, $15.95, 5.5 x 8.5, Paperback, memoir

Bambi Lake was the first trans person I ever met on a regular basis. I have known her for more than 30 years. She would go on before Black Flag and lip-synch to Marlene Dietrich tapes. She got the respect because she was more punk than anyone in the building.”    — Henry Rollins, L.A. Weekly

Bambi’s life has been a protest march in high heels.
— Exene Cervenka, lead singer, X
 
Before RuPaul’s Drag Race and Transparent, there was Bambi Lake. Twenty years after it was first published, this intimate account follows one individual’s evolution from innocent, suburban Johnny Purcell in the ’60s into often fabulous, occasionally infamous, always talented Bambi Lake. From a fantasy-filled childhood to San Francisco’s queer salad days in the ’70s with the gay theatrical troupes The Cockettes and the Angels of Light to the punk rock ’80s and beyond, absolutely nothing is off-topic in this dramatic, revealing memoir. With new photographs and an Afterword: 20 Years Later.

Chanteuse Bambi Lake lives in San Francisco, as does her co-author, writer Alvin Orloff.



THE ROOTS OF A THOUSAND EMBRACES: Dialogues by Juan Felipe Herrera, 64 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-96-7, $13.95, 5.5 x 8.5, Paperback, poetry

Juan Felipe Herrera’s writing fuses wide-ranging experimentalism with reflections on Mexican-American identity...” —The New York Times

In 40 prose-poem cantos, the poet explores the metaphysical relationship between Mexican artist Frida Kahlo
, her art, her broken body, her relationship with Diego Rivera, and cross-border consciousness. It’s about Kahlo and Kahlo as metaphor. First published by Manic D in 1994, this early work — Herrera’s sixth book — reveals a deep sense of longing for all to be made whole again in spite of the fractures — physical, metaphorical, cultural, and political — bestowed by the world.

Poet Juan Felipe Herrera was initiated into the Word by the fire-speakers of the early Chicano Movimiento and by heavy exposure to various poetry, jazz, and blues performance streams.
He is the first Latino US Poet Laureate, and lives in California. This is his sixth book, out of the dozens he has published so far.





43 MONSTERS words by Arthur Bradford & drawings by Chuck Webster, 88 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-92-9, $18.95, 9 x 6, Full-color hardcover, art/children's

Enter the colorful world of 43 Monsters, where each monster has special hopes, quirky dreams, and deep feelings of its own. Monster Brokeosurus introduces curious readers to each monster as we are guided through the imaginary realm of the fictitious monster-creator Charlie Wedster. An inspiration for young artists and entertaining for all, let your imagination run wild as these lovable monsters steal your heart!

Arthur Bradford is an O. Henry Award-winning writer and Emmy-nominated filmmaker. His first book,Dogwalker, was published by Knopf and Vintage paperback. His most recent book,Turtleface and Beyond, has been published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

Chuck Webster is an artist known for his abstract paintings and drawings. His work is in the permanent collections of the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. His childhood drawings provide the artwork in 43 Monsters. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.


  WOMEN STREET ARTISTS OF LATIN AMERICA: Art Without Fear by Rachel Cassandra & Lauren Gucik, 196 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-91-2, $24.99, 8 x 8, Full-color paperback, Art / Women's Studies / Latina Studies

In this groundbreaking, in-depth look at a rarely explored perspective of street art, more than twenty female artists from seven nations in Latin America discuss themes of social justice, artist process, community, visibility, feminism, and more. A bilingual edition packed with full-color photographs and interviews, this revealing exploration of contemporary street art includes work from Colombia, Peru, Panama, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Mexico. Viva!

Rachel Cassandra is a designer and writer. Originally from Princeton, New Jersey, she received a BA from Wesleyan University. Her artwork has appeared in 7x7, and her writing has appeared in the Doxa, Night Train, Fusion, and Adbusters. She lives in San Francisco.

Lauren Gucik is an artist and activist. Originally from Hudson, Ohio, she graduated from Indiana University. Gucik has worked with the SF Mime Troupe, Brava Theatre, and Precita Eyes Mural Project. She is currently a community advisor at KQED and working with a food justice nonprofit in San Francisco.




LIVING QUARTERS: Poems by Adrienne Su, 96 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-89-2, $14.95, 5.5 x 8.5, Paperback, poetry

Thought-provoking poems reflect an intimate internal dialogue, addressing among other ideas Is it really safer at home, or are there perils within our closest relationships, in daily domestic ritual? And where is home, when people are constantly moving, marriages dissolving, new relationships beginning and ending? When is a house just a house, and when does it become a home? Living Quarters uses both the structure of a domestic space and the rhythms of the seasons to seek (but not reliably find) order and consolation in life's seeming disorder. Su deftly uses poetic forms to convey meaning in multi-layered works of rare design.


Born and raised in Atlanta, Adrienne Su earned her AB at Harvard and MFA at University of Virginia. She was the first Ralph Samuel Poetry Fellow at Dartmouth, and later held residencies at Yaddo and MacDowell. She has since received an NEA fellowship, a Pushcart Prize, and her work has twice appeared in Best American Poetry among other notable publications. She was a member of the highly acclaimed Nuyorican Poetry Slam team in the early ’90s. Su currently teaches at Dickinson College where she is Poet-in-Residence.
This is her fourth book.


also by Adrienne Su:

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.






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

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

In carefully crafted lines that are often humorous ("Asian Driver: The Sestina"), Su explores the risks that an individual encounters 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").







PAINTING THEIR PORTRAITS IN WINTER: Short Stories by Myriam Gurba, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-90-5, $15.95, 5.5 x 8.5, Paperback, fiction

In this artfully crafted collection of new short stories by award-winning author Myriam Gurba, nothing is as it seems. A Mexican grandmother tells creepy yet fascinating ghost stories to her granddaughters as a way to prevent fidgeting (“How Some Abuelitas Keep Their Chicana Granddaughters Still So That They Can Paint Their Portraits in Winter”). A Polish grandfather spends the night in a Mexican graveyard after a Día de Muertos celebration to discover if ghosts really do consume the food that has been left for them (“Even This Title Is a Ghost’). Unforgettable characters inhabit these cross-border tales filled with introspection and longing, as modern sensibilities weave and wend through traditional folktales creating a new kind of magical realism that offers insights into where we come from and where we may be going.

A native Californian, Myriam Gurba earned a BA with honors from UC Berkeley. Her first book, Dahlia Season, won the Publishing Triangle's Edmund White Award for Debut Fiction and was a Lambda Literary Award finalist. She blogs often for The Rumpus and Radar Productions.



also by Myriam Gurba:


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 Gurba has created a territory all her own.





WET RECKLESS by Cassandra Dallett, 128 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-84-4, $14.95, 5.5 x 8.5, Paperback, Poetry

"In poem upon poem, Cassandra Dallett pours out her cool and steaming heart in unmeasured rounds of bittersweet toasts and takes. Dallett's voice and vision shine." - Al Young, California Poet Laureate emeritus

" ...A longtime East Bay literary presence who manages to tell it like it is..." - SF Weekly

In this poetic memoir of a rough and tumble life, from her backwoods childhood without boundaries to a California urban adulthood filled with triumphs and disasters, Cassandra Dallett spares no details in a poetry memoir that reads like the love child of Charles Bukowski and Elizabeth Bishop. These are stories of an outsider, a perpetual misfit, offering a ceasefire in the war she wages with herself.

Cassandra Dallett's work has appeared in Slip Stream, Sparkle and Blink, Rusty Truck, Hip Mama, and the Criminal Class Review, among other publications. She currently occupies Oakland, California.



STEALING CHERRIES by Marina Rubin, 96 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-80-6, $14.95, 5.5 x 8.5, Paperback, Flash Fiction

"A collection of precisely chiseled blocks of soulful, funny, heart-rending fiction." - Ted Jonathan, author of Bones & Jokes

"Riveting as a novel, concise as a poem, Stealing Cherries is a narrative spread out like a painting by Monet." - Jill Hoffman, author of Mink Coat


Childhood memories form the Ukraine, unexpected immigration realities in New York City, world travel adventures, romantic and work misadventures: with a sharp eye for detail and a wicked sense of humor, the triumphant absurdities of contemporary life are uniquely framed in Marina Rubin’s delightful bite-sized short stories.


Marina Rubin's writing has appeared in more than 70 literary journal and magazines. Her family emigrated from the former Soviet Union seeking political asylum in 1989. She is an associate editor of Mudfish, Tribeca's literary & art magazine, and was awarded COJECO's Blueprint Fellowship. She lives in Brooklyn, NY.




MADHOUSE FOG: a novel by Sean Carswell, 288 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-75-2, $15.95, 5.5 x 8.5, Paperback, Fiction

"Carswell's writing has the kind of deft observation that changes the way you see things long after you leave the page." - Scott O'Connor, author of Untouchable

After a thirty-something altruistic punk rocker fleeing a troubled marriage is hired for a grant-writing job at a southern California psychiatric hospital, he quickly gets  entangled in a neuropsychiatrist's mysterious research into the collective unconscious, and becomes romantically involved with a former patient. A metaphysical thriller peopled with memorable characters set in a picturesque town along the Pacific coast, Carswell gives readers a wild ride into the unknown... and back again.


Sean Carswell is the author of two novels and two short story collections. His work has appeared in dozens of publications that range from skateboarding magazine Thrasher to literary journals including The Southeast Review. A founder of Razorcake magazine and Gorsky Press, he currently lives in Ventura, California where he's a professor of American literature at Cal State Channel Islands.


also by Sean Carswell:

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.




HAIRDRESSER ON FIRE: a novel by Daniel LeVesque, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-73-8, $15.95, 5.5 x 8.5, Paperback, Fiction

"Daniel LeVesque's tale mixes truth and absurdity until you don't know which wild way is up." - Michelle Tea

"Down, dirty, funny, and glorious. LeVesque has an authentic eye for the cracks all around us, but never misses the light shining through them." - Beth Lisick

Meet Francis, whose quirky childhood was marred by a strange religious cult yet enhanced by the rock band KISS; his teen years spent dawdling with daytime television talk show appearances and weekend art classes, followed by a dubious career in a soul-sucking business culture that values superficial beauty over inner grace and character. Trapped by a vicious world in which he just doesn’t fit, how will Francis ever escape to find true fulfillment and follow his precious dreams?

Author Daniel LeVesque is a recovering hairburner who does not participate in the cult of beauty. His work has been published in numerous anthologies and magazines, including Punk Globe. This is his first novel. He lives in Oakland, California.



WOMEN OF THE UNDERGROUND: ART Cultural Innovators Speak for Themselves - interviews by Zora von Burden, 208 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-33-2, $16.95, 5.5x8.5 paperback, Art/Women's Studies

Featuring interviews with: Marina Abramovic - Orlan - Penny Arcade - Babeth Mondini VanLoo - Irina Ionesco - Aleksandra Mir - Daria Nicolodi - Mars Tokyo - Anna Banana - Barbara Kruger - Lady Pink - Johanna Went - Tessa Hughes-Freeland - Litsa Spathi - Christina Augello - Michelle Handelman - The Guerrilla Girls - Liz McGrath - Lisa Petrucci - Christiane Cegavske - Jessica Joslin - Kaia Selene - Laurie Lipton - Ionat Zurr

In a series of twenty-four candid interviews with influential women artists, author Zora von Burden gives some of the most influential cultural innovators of this generation a voice, and probes the depths of how and why they broke through society's limitations to create works of outstanding measure. Among the artistic genres covered are painting, drawing, photography, performance, film, theatre, sculpture, and more.





also by Zora von Burden:

** PLEASE DESCRIBE THIS
        IMAGE **WOMEN OF THE UNDERGROUND: MUSIC Cultural Innovators Speak for Themselves - interviews by Zora von Burden, 264 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-19-6, $15.95, 5.5x8.5 paperback, Music/Women's Studies

Featuring interviews with: Marina Abramovic - Miss Mercy (GTOs) - Moe Tucker (Velvet Underground) - Nina Hagen - Lydia Lunch - Adele Bertei (The Contortions) - Cosey Fanni Tutti (Throbbing Gristle) - Jarboe (Swans) - Slymenstra (Gwar) - Patricia Morrison (Sisters of Mercy) - Teresa Nervosa (Butthole Surfers) - Ana da Silva (The Raincoats) - Kembra Pfahler (The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black) - Pam Tent (The Cockettes) - Pauline Black (The Selecter) - Laurie Anderson - Mary Huff (Southern Culture on the Skids) - Sean Yseult (White Zombie) - Phoebe Legere - Deanna Ashley (Frightwig)

In a series of twenty candid interviews with influential women musicians, author Zora von Burden gives the forerunners of this generation a voice, and probes the depths of how and why they broke through society's limitations to create works of outstanding measure. Among the musical genres covered are rock, punk, goth, industrial, electronica, performance art, and more.




WHEN THE DRUMMING STOPS a novel by Steven Wishnia, 223 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-66-0, $15, 5.5 x 8.5 Paperback, Fiction/Pop Culture

Bass player and rapidly aging punk rocker Underend Vicodini is an unlikely hero. He loves New York City like nobody's business but does it still love him despite his lack of affluence and influence? His former band, The Gutter Astronomers, was riding high in the 1980s, releasing albums and touring across the country but the Great Recession finds the band members middle-aged and struggling not to drown in the seas of gentrification and disillusion. When lead singer Mickey gets an offer to reunite the band, he jumps at it. But can the old bandmates overcome their acrimonious break up? Can they get back into it without shredding their lives? Can Underend Vicodini find inner peace and, more importantly, a reasonably priced apartment below 14th Street or in Brooklyn ?

Author Steven Wishnia is a New York-based writer, journalist, and musician. He has played in numerous bands, including the False Prophets. He was a news editor at High Times magazine. Recipient of two NYC Independent Press Association awards, his writing nowadays appears often in Alternet.org and Junior Scholastic. This is his first novel.



THE STEAMPUNK COLORING & ACTIVITY BOOK containing illustrations, recipes, formulas & other activities to entertain & entice creativity for the prevention of ennui & general malaise among the youth of today & their progenitors by Phoebe Longhi, 64 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-63-9, $11.95, 8 x 10 Paperback, Pop Culture/Art

Flying machines, underwater submersibles, steam engines, and mechanical birds... imagine a whimsical world where science fiction and fantasy meet historical fashion fun where everything is powered by steam because electricity was never invented! Within these 64 pages, children of all ages will enjoy coloring and exploring adventurous activities in an imaginative world that never was. Fun for all ages, Victorian and up.

Author Phoebe Longhi, 16 years old, enjoys making Victorian dresses when she's not reading or drawing. She loves multiple places around the world, but resides in San Francisco because of the predictable weather.





** PLEASE DESCRIBE
        THIS IMAGE ** TRANS/LOVE: Radical Sex, Love & Relationships Beyond the Gender Binary edited by Morty Diamond, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-56-1, $14.95, Paperback, LGBTQQI

"This is where sex and gender collide... if you think you already know what's in these stories, you're wrong. " - Patrick Califia, author of Sex Changes: The Politics of Transgenderism

FTM, MTF, thirdgender, genderqueer, and other non-traditional identities beyond traditional male and female are included in this often heartwarming, occasionally heartbreaking, truly groundbreaking anthology. From monogamous love, marriage, and parenting to anonymous sex and one-night hook-ups, these stories offer insight into the precarious emotional and practical mechanics of intimacy among gender-variant experiences.

Featuring contributions from award-winning authors including Julia Serano, Sassafras Lowery, and Max Valerio alongside outstanding new writing by Tribe 8 guitarist and acclaimed film director Silas Howard, activist Joelle Ruby Ryan, filmmaker Ashley Altadonna, SisterSpit alum Cooper Lee Bombardier, and many other unique and talented voices.






also edited by Morty Diamond:

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          DESCRIBE THIS IMAGE **FROM THE INSIDE OUT: Radical Gender Transformation, FTM and Beyond edited by Morty Diamond, 168 pages, ISBN 0-916397-96-3, $13.95, Paperback, LGBT
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, genderqueer and thirdgender. Exploring many aspects of gender identity change, from dating to disclosure to family issues, these stories, essays, and poems offer heartfelt insight into the dynamics of identity politics and the definition of self. An eloquent tribute to diversity, From the Inside Out provides an amazing introduction for those who want to understand more transgender and gender-variant people. In addition, these moving narratives are invaluable tools for learning more about queer theory, gender politics, cultural studies, and transgender history. Although all born female, these writers prove that biology doesn't control destiny.





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WHY AREN'T YOU SMILING? A Novel by Alvin Orloff, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-58-5, $14.95, Paperback, Fiction/GLBT

"Everyone knows that all you need is love. Alvin Orloff's swell new novel asks what to do when you want something more." - Daniel Handler

Growing up in the 1970s has never before been portrayed with such delightful ludicrousness and heartrending tenderness. When teenager Leonard decides to quit being a Dweeb and instead joins the Burnouts, his "good kid" persona is abandoned as he embarks on a comically painful journey of self-discovery through his unconventional friendship with Rick, an older Jesus freak barefoot hippie. The farcical parallel story of how Irving Mandelbaum from Los Angeles transmogrifies into rag-tag cult leader Rick of The Forever Family paints an indelible portrait of California during one of its most preposterous eras.




also by Alvin Orloff:

** PLEASE
          DESCRIBE THIS IMAGE **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.





** PLEASE
          DESCRIBE THIS IMAGE **I MARRIED AN EARTHLING: A Novel by Alvin Orloff, 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.




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                **15 WAYS TO STAY ALIVE by Daphne Gottlieb, 112 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-52-3, $14.95, 5.5x8.5 paperback, Poetry Lambda Literary Award Finalist

Broken hearts, scattered dreams, postpunk politics, and postmodern cut-up collages spiral and flow through award-winning poet Daphne Gottlieb's latest collection. These startling new works explore survival after personal / communal disasters and the renewal that follows these tragedies. Whether she's writing about unanticipated outcomes ("After the Midway Ride Collapsed"), her mother's passing ("Somewhere, Over"), or absurd situations ("Preoccupation"), Gottlieb's deeply personal insights into the complex areas where life and contemporary culture collide offer readers a uniquely voiced, thought-provoking perspective.

Daphne Gottlieb is the award-winning author of seven books. She has performed her work and taught creative writing workshops throughout the U.S. She received her MFA from Mills College, and currently resides in San Francisco.




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WALKING SHADOWS: A Novel Without Words by Neil Bousfield, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-29-5, $19.95, 6x9 hardcover, Graphic Novel/Art

In this uniquely beautiful wordless graphic novel, a working-class family struggles to make ends meet and raise their children in a relentless world of economic challenges. The story of Walking Shadows is told through 220 full-page woodcut engravings reminiscent of Frans Masereel and Lynd Ward. This book can be enjoyed both as graphic novel narrative and as an admirable work of art. Winner of the prestigious Rebecca Smith Award for Fine Art in the UK, this debut publication is unparalleled among modern works for its incredible visual details created in an uncommon medium, as well as the beauty of its deeply heartfelt narrative that speaks to common experience in these challenging economic times.

Author Neil Bousfield is a professional printmaker, animator, and teacher whose work has been exhibited throughout the UK. His engravings reflect his interest in social concerns and the use of visual art to convey a narrative story. This is his first book.



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THE INTERNATIONAL HOMOSEXUAL CONSPIRACY by Larry-bob Roberts, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-42-4, $14.95, 5.5x8.5 paperback, LGBT/Humor ALA Stonewall Award Nominee

In this series of cultural polemics on an unexpected array of contemporary topics-from mistaken first impressions ("Presumed Hetero Unless Proven Gay") to sustainable yet unaffordable pants ("Socially Responsible Pants") to critiques of bourgeois mindsets ("Middle Class Writer")-author Larry-bob Roberts offers hilarious insight into the absurdities of modern life and queer culture. His humorous observations are destined to jostle readers' complacency and confirm their worst suspicions.

Author Larry-bob Roberts is into sparking culture, politics, and creating fusions between the two. Since 1989, he has been publishing in print and now online the zine, Holy Titclamps!






BANG DITTO by Amber Tamblyn, 128 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-88-2, $14.95, paperback, Poetry/Performing Arts

"Punchy, spiky, and flush with a young writer's love of language, the collection often deglamourizes the acting business. A great find..."-Library Journal

Ever wondered what it's like to be a celebrated Hollywood actor from the age of eleven? With insightful, no BS, cards-on-the-table poetry that is quite serious yet has fun with metaphor, imagery, and language itself, author Amber Tamblyn gives readers a backstage pass to the show inside her mind. Whether she's describing real life info-gathering for a new prime time TV drama ("Role Research") or addressing the crossroads of public perception and private life ("Fell Off"), Amber Tamblyn reveals questions, answers, and more in Bang Ditto, wielding metaphors mercilessly in a wry and talented voice.

Author Amber Tamblyn is an Emmy and Golden Globe Award-nominated actor and poet. She came to fame on the soap opera General Hospital followed by starring roles on the television series Joan of Arcadia and The Unusuals. She has branched out into film roles, appearing in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and many other films. Winner of a Borders Choice Award for Breakout Writing, the author currently resides in New York.

Hardcover first edition signed by AMBER TAMBLYN - $25


** PLEASE DESCRIBE THIS IMAGE ** 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.




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            PLEASE DESCRIBE THIS IMAGE **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

Now in paperback! QUAKELAND by Francesca Lia Block, 198 pages, ISBN 978-1-945665-30-1, $16.95, 5.5x8.8 paperback, 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.



THE ASTROLOGY COOKBOOK: A Cosmic Guide to Feasts of Love by Stephanie Rosenbaum, 128 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-26-4, $16.95, 8x5-1/2 paperback, Cooking/Astrology/Romance

"Cheeky and sexy, practical and mouth-watering; you may not be able to find all that in one astrological sign, but you can find it all in Stephanie Rosenbaum's addictive book." - Julie Powell, author of Julie & Julia

Hoping to woo a fickle Gemini or a larger-than-life Leo? The Astrology Cookbook offers tempting menus geared to the tastes of each sign, with clear, easy-to-follow recipes. Whether you're an accomplished cook or a beginning baker, Stephanie Rosenbaum's charming astrological insights combine with lighthearted, delicious recipe ideas to please the palate and create endless romance in the kitchen.

Stephanie Rosenbaum has been twice nominated for a James Beard Journalism Award. The author of Honey: from Flower to Table and Kids in the Kitchen: Fun Food, Stephanie was also crowned Grand Champion in the Sebastopol Gravenstein Apple Fair's Apple Pie Contest.




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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.







** PLEASE DESCRIBE THIS IMAGE **2009 Lambda Literary Award Winner!
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, 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

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          DESCRIBE THIS IMAGE **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, 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.








**
        PLEASE DESCRIBE THIS IMAGE **STENCIL NATION: Graffiti, Community, and Art by Russell Howze, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-933149-22-6, $24.99, 8x8 paperback, 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!




** PLEASE
            DESCRIBE THIS IMAGE **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.





** PLEASE
            DESCRIBE THIS IMAGE **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:

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          THIS IMAGE **WAKE UP AND SMELL THE BEER by Jon Longhi, 192 pages, ISBN 0-916397-83-1, $11.95, Paperback, Fiction, cover by R. Crumb

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.




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

Flashbacks and Premonitions is populated by the entire spectrum of contemporary alternative culture: slackers, Goths, punks, hippies, and ravers. Surreal yet strangely realistic, Jon Longhi's carnival is a portrait of modern America in decline, a wasted human landscape choking on its own polluted broken dreams.

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




** PLEASE DESCRIBE THIS
          IMAGE **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








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            PLEASE DESCRIBE THIS IMAGE **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:

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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.

Selections from this book have been heard on Garrison Keillor's Writers Almanac, broadcast on NPR.



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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).







** PLEASE
            DESCRIBE THIS IMAGE **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.




** PLEASE
          DESCRIBE THIS IMAGE **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.





** PLEASE
          DESCRIBE THIS IMAGE **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.





** PLEASE DESCRIBE THIS IMAGE ** 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 origins 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. An epic true story of the meteoric rise of one American band from garage to arena stage ...





Also by Jarret Keene:

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

"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?

 






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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.






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

In this compendium of 11 outrageous essays and commentaries by the English language's greatest satirist, Swift reflects on the absurdity of organized religion, classical vs. modern literature, digressions, astrological predictions, and a host of other tantalizing topics. His classic tale, A Modest Proposal, which suggests solving the hunger problem by eating children, is also included.

Jonathan Swift may be best known as the author of Gulliver's Travels. He was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1667 and died in Ireland in 1745, after going insane.







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        **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



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

In this collection of 25 short stories, one of the original masters of early 20th century science fiction and fantasy is introduced to a new generation of readers. Often cited as a major influence on J.R.R. Tolkien and H.P. Lovecraft, Dunsany's work continues to delight and intrigue whether he is weaving fanciful tales of strange adventure in imaginary exotic locales, or depicting grim and creepy visions of otherworldliness.

Lord Dunsany, Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany (24 July 1878 – 25 October 1957) was an Irish writer and dramatist, notable for his work, mostly in fantasy, published under the name Lord Dunsany. More than eighty books of his work were published, and his oeuvre includes many hundreds of published short stories, as well as successful plays, novels and essays.






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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.






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      **GROWING UP FREE IN AMERICA by Bruce Jackson, 144 pages, ISBN 0-916397-48-3, $11.95, Paperback, Fiction

A superb exploration of inner city America told from the perspective of an African-American young man in short poetic prose pieces. Hypnotic and scary, just as you think you're reaching the end of a piece and that you understood it, Jackson twists the knife 90 degrees and exposes a point of view that catches you unawares, then he's through your defenses and into your heart.

Author Bruce Jackson has lived in Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, and currently resides in Seattle where he works with troubled children in a public elementary school.






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          DESCRIBE THIS IMAGE ** GRAVEYARD GOLF and Other Stories by Vampyre Mike Kassel, 64 pages, ISBN 0-916397-15-7, $7.95, paperback Fiction, cover illustration by S. Clay Wilson

"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.








** PLEASE
          DESCRIBE THIS IMAGE ** THE GHASTLY ONES and Other Fiendish Frolics by Richard Sala, 96 pages, ISBN 0-916397-40-8, $9.95, paperback Graphic Novel

The Ghastly Ones and Other Fiendish Frolics follows in the grand and ghoulish tradition of Edward Gorey and Charles Addams in a delightfully gruesome and fanciful, tongue-in-cheek look at maniacs, monsters, and mayhem. Creeping through the pages are lurking beasties, axe-swinging psychos, and pouncing bloodsuckers - each one described in darkly witty verse and captured in Sala's fine, quirky drawing style.





** PLEASE
          DESCRIBE THIS IMAGE **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!

 




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COTTONMOUTH KISSES by Clint Catalyst, 160 pages, ISBN 0-916397-65-3, $14.95, 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.





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.





PoManPO 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.




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          DESCRIBE THIS IMAGE **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:

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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.









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            PLEASE DESCRIBE THIS IMAGE **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.










** PLEASE
            DESCRIBE THIS IMAGE **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.






** PLEASE
            DESCRIBE THIS IMAGE **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").











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            PLEASE DESCRIBE THIS IMAGE **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, 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 appeals to 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.




** PLEASE
            DESCRIBE THIS IMAGE **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.






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            DESCRIBE THIS IMAGE **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.







also edited by Jennifer Joseph:

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          DESCRIBE THIS IMAGE **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, Lisa Radon, Jerry D. Miley, Nancy Depper, David Jewell, Sparrow 13, and Bucky Sinister.










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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 A Manic D Bestseller!

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





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          PLEASE DESCRIBE THIS IMAGE **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:

** PLEASE DESCRIBE THIS IMAGE **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'.





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

"It takes genius to transcend the boring factionalism of U.S. poetry and that's what Jeffrey McDaniel's got: his affiliation is to the imagination. Fresh, provocative, non-doctrinaire, his poems are the kind I want to grow up to write." -Bill Knott, author of Outremer

"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







** PLEASE DESCRIBE THIS IMAGE **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.




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          PLEASE DESCRIBE THIS IMAGE **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.

Beth Lisick is the author of two bestsellers, Everybody Into the Pool and Helping Me Help Myself, and is the co-founder of the Porchlight storytelling series. Her first book was Monkey Girl, this is her second.




also by
Beth Lisick:


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

In her first collection of short stories, celebrated spoken-word artist Beth Lisick evokes the rollicking world of post-boom America. An impoverished but proud office drone ("I am the reigning queen of the Toshiba BD copy machine") gets a makeover. A teenager is drugged by her fraudulent, sadistic orthodontist. On a five-hour flight to Cabo San Lucas, the author psychically bonds with a flight attendant. In this collection of 25 hilarious, anecdotal short stories, spoken-word performer Beth Lisick creates a panoramic tapestry of strip malls, junk-food habits, and yuppie pickup joints, unveiling a world that most of us simply drive past. Blending the everyday and its sometimes grotesque underside, hallucinatory detail, and stripped-down dialogue, Lisick's descriptions are almost hypnotic with their complex rhythms and cadences. These stories - all of which Beth Lisick uses in performance - imbue the ordinary with unique and unexpected hilarity. Striking, witty, and vividly contemporary, these stories evoke what it's like to live now, in the suburban wasteland of the '90s.




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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






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          DESCRIBE THIS IMAGE **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:


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DEVIL BABE'S BIG BOOK OF FUN! Tattoo Flash, Coloring & Activity Book for Adults by Isabel Samaras 64 pages, ISBN 0-916397-52-1, $11.95 paperback Art

Why should kids have all the fun? Now grown-ups can have a blast coloring in Devil Babe's luscious lips and tantalizing body parts, playing connect-the-dots to discover naughty pictures, dressing up the Devil Babe paperdoll in sultry fantasy costumes, and whipping up finger-licking taste sensations like Ultra-Chocolate Devil's Food Cake. Revealing artwork for the ultimate tattoo is featured throughout. A voluptuous gift for highbrow art connoisseurs and lowbrow eccentrics: fun for those who are naughty and nice.





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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.






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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.





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

"You can't outsmart the sharply honed arrows of Tarin Towers' poetry. It's lurking in your favorite bar or following you down a freeway at night or standing perfectly still just behind the door to your apartment. Her writing will find you in places you thought were safe." - Beth Lisick

In an urban framework of love and sex and betrayal, these sizzling poems and scorching stories explore the inexplicable politics of human relationships while breaking open the boundaries of the heart's language.






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          DESCRIBE THIS IMAGE **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.









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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 the glittering debauched nights of 1980s Hollywood ("Escape from Houdini Mountain") to the festering bowels of New York's Lower East Side ("Must Have Been Love"), these 23 mind-bending tales chronicle a young woman's quest for romantic adventure. Spun from her experiences in the L.A. underground, the stories are infectiously entertaining. Pleasant's eye for the human condition is pristine. Her heart shines as she revels in a carnival of delicately drawn characters. Some are sad, some sick, some brilliant, but in Pleasant's world they are all appreciated equally. Ultimately this book, for all it's wildly funny tales, is an evolved praising of feminine beauty and it's power in a world gone mad.

Pleasant Gehman has been writing about L.A. for more than 20 years. She has appeared on E!'s Wild On Tinseltown, MTV, VH-1, and CNN. The author of several books including Senorita Sin and Princess of Hollywood, her work has been widely anthologized.




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HELL SOUP
by Sparrow 13 LaughingWand, 96 pages, ISBN 978-0-916397-43-2, $9.95 paperback  Poetry/Gay Studies

Whether he's writing about drug deals gone sour, hobo camps at war with the local rednecks or his hillbilly childhood, Sparrow 13 LaughingWand spares no details. His inimitable character portraits and depiciton of life on society's fringe are at once haunting and unforgettable. Be prepared to burn as you consume Hell Soup.

Sparrow 13 LaughingWand was born Taurus with Pisces rising in the coal and cornbread heart of West Virginia. After leaving school to pursue a career in vagrancy, experimental mysticism, and small villainies, Sparrow 13 traveled a million miles with his right thumb. He's alive and well in San Francisco.



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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, children's,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. We've expanded our mission to offer refuge to established writers escaping from the commercial publishing parallel universe. Manic D Press books are distributed to the trade throughout the world by Consortium/Ingram and all major wholesalers. UK / European distribution is through Turnaround. Canadian distribution is through PGC. 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 and 2010 Lambda Literary Transgender Awards; 2014 Kathy Acker Award.

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

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Updated Oct 19, 2023 . 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). ©2023

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