Back, and with a new subscription!
Hi folks:
Apologies for the long absence and, in atonement, herewith TWO new subscriptions for all y'all. (I also know it is about time for some more pontificating and I promise a major screed on the subject of permissions and anthologies within the next few weeks.)
As you might imagine, after poetry and fiction it starts to get a little complicated figuring out how to allocate and compartmentalize. But, for this year at least, herewith two new more categories:
Pop Culture and Religion & Politics.
Here's the mix in Popular Culture:
Daily Negations by John S. Hall (yes, he of King Missile and "Detatchable Penis" and "Jesus Was Way Cool")
Putting the Pieces Together: The Graffiti Model for Indie Filmmaking by Benjamin Morgan and the Quality of Life Crew The book about the movie I plugged on the blog recently!
Surfing Armageddon: Fishnets, Fascists, and Body Fluids in Florida Called "the David Sedaris of Punk," by Resonance Magazine, George Tabb picks up where his last acclaimed memoir left off, crafting a humor and pathos filled teenage tale of growing up, losing one's virginity and overcoming abuse.
Did I Wake You? Crazy Haiku Chick by Beth Lapides with, believe it or not, the first ever blurb for a Soft Skull book from Greg Behrendt (author of “He’s Just Not That Into You”)
"Beth Lapides rocks
She is so very hai-cool
Read This Book Today!
It's like your funniest punk rock girlfriend decided to write haiku!"
What Would Bill Hicks Say? Famous writers, humorists, musicians and cartoonists comment on America by channeling their observations through the lens of seminal comic Bill Hicks.
Bound by Law—Tales from the Public Domain: By Day a Filmmaker, By Night She Fought for Fair Use!
by Keith Aoki, James Boyle and Jennifer Jenkins A manifesto and a teaching tool...about the attack of corporate copyright-holders on creative artists (film-makers, musicians, designers)...in the form of a comic book!
A $79 value for $50, inclusive of shipping!
And to our second new subscription...Readers of the blog will recall my discussion of Soft Skull's dive into religion publishing so I won't recapitulate here except to tell you about the titles in question.
Skipping Towards Armageddon: The Politics and Propaganda of the Left Behind Series and the Tim LaHaye Empire by Michael Standaert. An investigation and critique of the LEFT BEHIND series of best-selling novels as well as a critique of the political empire of Christian right evangelist-activist Tim LaHaye, and the surrounding culture.
Going to Heaven: The Life and Election of Bishop Gene Robinson by Elizabeth Adams. An exploration of the man—Gene Robinson, the world's first openly gay Episcopal bishop—who many believe will be the catalyst for the breaking apart of the Episcopal Church.
Half/Life: Jew-ish Tales from Interfaith Homes edited by Laurel Snyder. By turns tragic and funny, religious and heartbreaking, angry and surprisingly familiar, Half/Life represents the altogether diverse memories and reflections of a handful of Half-Jews, among them Thisbe Nissen, Katharine Weber, Jennifer Traig, Jeff Sharlett, and Joyce Maynard.
A Good War is Hard to Find: The Art of Violence in America by David Griffith. Inspired by the recent Abu Ghraib torture photos, this is Griffith's journey through the vast catalogue of violent and sexual images that have accumulated in our collective unconscious, a journey he seeks to understand through filters ranging from Flannery O'Connor to Susan Sontag to Andy Warhol.
The After-Death Room: Journey in Spiritual Activism by Michael McColly. A memoir examining the AIDS epidemic from a global, spiritual, and physical perspective, and the shifting territory where those perspectives meet, by a journalist and Yoga teacher living with AIDS
A $75 value, just $50 with free shipping!