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Amazing North Carolina: Fascinating Facts, Entertaining Tales, Bizarre Happenings, and Historical Oddities About the Tarheel

From the Wright brothers' first flight to ghost sightings and local lore, the fascinating and peculiar histories of North Carolina are the focus of this comprehensive travel companion and almanac. Both fun and educational, little known facts and legends fill the pages for the enjoyment of resident North Carolinians along with visitors and history fans alike. From breathtaking mountains to crystalline shores, this surprising guide captures the mystery, beauty, and charm of this magnificent state.

Theresa Jensen Lacey is the author of six books, including Amazing Tennessee, and has contributed more than 700 articles to newspapers and magazines. She lives in Fairhope, Alabama.

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Southern Fried Farce: A Buffet of Downhome Humor from the Best of Southern Writers

Building on and stemming from the American South’s grand tradition of hilarious observations, stories, and characters, the contemporary writers presented in this anthology show just how funny life can be South of the Mason-Dixon Line. Clyde Edgerton, Celia Rivenbark, Jacks Pendarvis, George Singleton, John T. Edge, Lisa McLeod, David Magee, Susan Reinhardt, Lisa Daily, Roy Blount Jr. and many others have crafted essays and twisted yarns that will have readers laughing out loud—even if they're Yankees!

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The Shape of Poetry: A Practical Guide to Writing Poetry

Focusing on the foundations of poetry, this reference teaches aspiring poets the mechanics of writing verse. Offering advice on the abstract poetic notions—what makes good poetry, the meaning and inspirations of poetry—and the concrete—how to start a poem, how to craft its shape, and how to use the various poetic forms—this concise and insightful book provides inspiring and practical instruction. Including the author's own poems for guidance, this revised edition also discusses the direction of post-millennium, contemporary poetry.

Peter Meinke is an award-winning poet and author. His poems have appeared in The Atlantic, The Georgia Review, The New Yorker, and Poetry. Director of the writing workshop at Eckerd College for more than thirty years, Meinke has taught poetry composition and literature at all levels, from grade to graduate school. He has written several books of poetry, including The Contracted World and Zinc Fingers. He lives in St. Petersburg, Florida.

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Unheard Music: Stories

A writer of telling, minute detail with global vision, Peter Meinke reveals the intricacy of human relationships, the importance of individualism, and the power of place and culture in this new collection of stories. Masterfully-crafted dialogue, slight shifts in point-of-view, descriptive precision and imagination, and dramatic tension drive each story deeply into the human psyche. The settings range from old England to contemporary Paris and Warsaw, and across the United States. The featured characters—whether on tennis courts, in restaurants, or in their own beloved homes—always make surprising choices as they cope with love, lust, ambition, regret, youth, and old age.

Peter Meinke is the former director of the writing workshop at Eckerd College. His poetry has appeared in The Georgia Review, The New Yorker, and Poetry. He is the author of The Contracted World, one of seven books he has published in the prestigious Pitt Poetry Series, and The Piano Tuner, which received the Flannery O'Connor Award and the Southern Review Award. He lives in St. Petersburg, Florida.

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Rejection, Romance and Royalties: The Wacky World of a Working Writer

Aspiring writers will learn the ins and outs of life as a full-time career novelist in this fresh and frank tell-all book from the perspective of one who knows. While most of these hopefuls will have no chance of becoming the next Stephen King, this book reveals that there is a real possibility for them to make a living from their writing if they put in the hard work, sweat, and tears. This guide covers the steps to getting published, getting paid, getting even, staying sane, and protecting one’s talent in this business. It even points out that prospective writers may not get to start in the genre of their dreams.

Reviews of this book

"Resnick's marvelous essays on writing are not only laugh-out-loud funny, but she does a wickedly accurate job of depicting the craziness of publishing – and the creative passion that makes it all worthwhile." – Mary Jo Putney, New York Times bestselling novelist