Still Hot
Unheard Music: Stories
by Peter Meinke
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.
The South is Round: Contemplations of a 21st Century Redneck
by David Magee
A satirical play on Thomas Friedman's bestseller, The World is Flat, this book takes a humorous approach to social issues facing the conflicted, contemporary south.
Tackling everything from crystal meth abuse and obesity to sexual misconduct, it blends sarcasm with outspoken insight that will make readers laugh in spite of it all.
This unrestrained, humorous take on life in the 21st-century south will delight both native southerners and those who simply love the land below the Mason-Dixon Line. Reviews of this book
"There's a lot of Dave Barry here...Magee's stuff is more firmly rooted in its unique landscape, and he is often as enlightening as he is funny." – Booklist, American Library Association
"...an amusing and illuminating series of essays about the New south that read like conversations with a friend." – Kirkus Reviews, April 1, 2007
"With gentle humor that recalls the late Lewis Grizzard..." – Kirkus Reviews, April 1, 2007
"Alternately hilarious (the Fry Daddy culture) and poignant (meth-makin' mamas), David Magee's The South Is Round is a rollicking read. To know Magee's South is to know the real thing." – Celia Rivenbark, author, We're Just Like You, Only Prettier
"Like a true Southerner, the author of MoonPie: Biography of an Out-of-This-World Snack holds nothing back in his off-kilter analysis of the region." – Square Books' Dear Reader, Spring, 2007
"David Magee is not afraid to peel away any scabs Southerners tried to heal through years of social climbing, culture soaking, education, and open-mindedness. He made me crave a pony Miller like I haven't in nearly 30 years. He also made me laugh like hell while reading about a golfing experience most men will NEVER have." – Susan Reinhardt, author, Not Tonight Honey, Wait 'Til I'm a Size 6
Finding Grace When You Can't Even Find Clean Underwear: 23 Questions Explore the Meaning of Life and Why Other People Are So Darned Annoying
by Lisa Earle McLeod
Women can find some comic relief when grappling with some of life's issues and annoyances with this book that is part therapy and all wicked wit. From TV and religion to sex and fast food, traditional thinking is turned on its head with such questions as: Can Sponge Bob get you into Mensa? How much guilt can you fit into a briefcase? Can you become CEO by standing next to a water cooler? and Does Buddha need Botox? Irreverent but inspirational, this book is perfect for the woman who needs a break from everyday pressures to laugh at it all. Reviews of this book
"I'm laughing out loud. Hilarious." – Kate Snow, Good Morning America co-host
"Lisa McLeod is the only writer I know who can talk about sex and cereal in the same sentence and make you laugh so hard the Mueslix comes snorting out of your nose." – Michael Alvear, HBO host & syndicated columnist
"Have you ever wanted one person to solve all your problems? You've found her. Lisa McLeod is a therapist, preacher, business advisor and mom all in one. Fire your shrink, corporate coach or financial advisor and buy this book. You'll laugh your way back to health and happiness and make money while you're at it." – Susan Harrow, author, Sell Yourself without Selling Your Soul
"Lisa is a witty and compassionate writer who aims for the funny bone but always manages to hit the heart along the way." – Ptolemy Tompkins, editor, Guideposts Magazine
Beer & Food: An American History
by Bob Skilnik
The timeless combination of America's favorite frothy beverage, with its solid gastronomic counterparts, is the focus of this culinary chronicle. Documenting the parallel development of the brewing industry with that of American cookery, this exhaustive history traces ale's influence on recipes in America's early history, the introduction of lager beer in the 19th century, the use of malt extract during Prohibition, and the recent advent of craft beer. The more than 90 beer-related recipes encourage chefs to experience the bliss of wild salmon grilled on cedar planks or brownies washed down with a creamy stout. Reviews of this book
"The first book that gives a historical look at why beer and food are truly partners in today's kitchens." – John R. Hall, president, Goose Island Beer Company
"Kudos to Bob Skilnik for creating this absorbing and informative resource." – Keith Lemcke, marketing manager, World Brewing Academy
"This enjoyable read merits a pint of your favorite ale by your side, so you may sip and browse throughout!" – Lucy Saunders, editor, Beercook.com, and author, Grilling with Beer
"A tasty history, from beer soup to Beer Nuts, with pickled pigs' feet in between." – Don Russell, a.k.a. "Joe Sixpack," beer reporter, Philadelphia Daily News
House of Testosterone: One Mom's Survival in a Household of Males
by Sharon O'Donnell
Though serious enough to provide thoughtful discussion about male psychology and marital stress, this book makes humor – based on real dialogue scribbled in notebooks over the years by the mother of three boys – the main event. Bewilderment and hilarity slosh together as the author contemplates never-ending bathroom jokes, bemoans her family's persistence in calling intermission at the theater "half time," and shares her tips for surviving unbearable vacations in the RV. In the end, this plucky, lighthearted story of a rowdy household is a lesson in forsaking unrealistic expectations and tackling each day with a sense of adventure. Reviews of this book
"The trials and travails of household estrogen deprivation as documented in her book of funny essays." – The News & Observer (Raleigh, North Carolina)
MoonPie: Biography Of An Out-of-This-World Snack
by David Magee
From Library Journal: As he's done in the past, freelance journalist Magee (columnist for Chattanooga Times Free Press and author of The John Deere Way) has brought to life a cultural icon: the chocolate-covered marshmallow and graham cracker sandwich confection familiar to many of us from our childhood or ongoing snacking days!
This is the story of that true American product and the Chattanooga bakery that produced it. Tracing the history of this treat from its beginnings as a regional snack for the coal miners of Kentucky and Tennessee in 1917 to a favorite product of retail magnate Sam Walton in the 1980s, Magee thoughtfully and whimsically records the life of the MoonPie, skillfully mixing in quotes and recipes from MoonPie fans, thus adding further personal touches to the story. This is also the emblematic tale of a family-owned business and its struggle to survive and prosper.
Librarians should not conclude from its title that this is a frivolous book: Magee's work is an important addition to the study of food in the American memory and is also fun and informative. Essential reading; recommended for all libraries-and snack-food fans.
– Lisa A. Ennis, Univ. of Alabama at Birmingham Lib.,
Lister Hill Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information. Reviews of this book
"Delicious read."
–– Southern Living
"A self-described MoonPie addict, Magee shares MoonPie memories and takes readers back in time on the production line." – The Charlotte Observer
"Essential reading; recommended for all libraries – and snack-food fans."
– Library Journal
"As whimsical as a banana MoonPie . . . a very sweet tribute to a sweet treat."
– Southern Food & Beverage Museum Newsletter
"Like the MoonPie itself . . . filling and satisfying." – INK 19
"The same blend of mystique and marketing, of consumers and company, that has characterized [Magee's] books about other American icons."
– Chattanooga Times Free Press
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