Download or read book Love Warps the Mind a Little A Novel written by John Dufresne and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2008-01-17 with total page 275 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reissue of a favorite novel by “a generous and lyric storyteller” (San Francisco Chronicle) known for his tragicomic voice and unforgettable characters. Ever since Lafayette Proulx quit his day job, left his wife, hauled his dog and his Royal portable across town to Judi Dubey’s house, and set out at last to be a fiction writer, his life has been a sordid mess. Judi’s exotically dysfunctional family isn’t all to blame. Sure, the murders are disconcerting. And, yes, Judi’s father’s gone off the deep end. Worse are the vicious rejection letters Laf gets from editors. To top it off, Laf’s falling for Judi at the same time he’s nettled with guilt, is in marriage counseling with his wife, and is writing his long-hoped-for novel. When Judi is diagnosed with stage IV cancer, they both struggle to find the memory that will comfort, the truth that will redeem in a world where everyone suffers some kind of love disorder. John Dufresne, called “a highly readable Faulkner,” will once again take the literary world by storm with this new tragicomic tale.
Download or read book Louisiana Power and Light written by John Dufresne and published by National Geographic Books. This book was released on 2007-12-25 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A favorite novel by “a generous and lyric storyteller” (San Francisco Chronicle) known for his tragicomic voice and unforgettable characters. Billy Wayne is the sole survivor of his oddball line of marginal folk. When he acquires a priestly vocation it seems likely he will be the last Fontana, until hearing a young woman’s confession propels him into an impulsive marriage.
Download or read book I See You Everywhere written by Julia Glass and published by Anchor. This book was released on 2008-10-14 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From the bestselling, National Book Award–winning author of Three Junes comes a tender, riveting book of two sisters and their complicated relationship. Louisa Jardine is the older one, the conscientious student, precise and careful: the one who yearns for a good marriage, an artistic career, a family. Clem, the archetypal youngest, is the rebel: committed to her work saving animals, but not to the men who fall for her. In this vivid, heartrending story of what we can and cannot do for those we love, the sisters grow closer as they move further apart. All told with sensual detail and deft characterization, I See You Everywhere is a candid story of life and death, companionship and sorrow, and the nature of sisterhood itself.
Download or read book Wide Awake in the Pelican State written by Ann Brewster Dobie and published by LSU Press. This book was released on 2006-05-01 with total page 350 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Wide Awake in the Pelican State -- which mimics the title of Dinty W. Moore's contribution to the collection -- brings together twenty-one of the finest modern writers who claim Louisiana as home, having lived all or some part of their lives in the Pelican State. Each author shares the knack of telling a good story, a Louisiana tradition that dates back two hundred years to the tales told by African American griots and the stories swapped among Mississippi river workers on boats, in taverns, and around campfires. Though united by talent and place, these writers speak with inflections that vary by gender, race, education, religion, and time spent elsewhere. Their stories are also richly diverse, ranging from Ernest Gaines's humorous portrait of black culture in rural Louisiana to Tim Parrish's aching depiction of white working-class family life in Baton Rouge, from Ellen Gilchrist's acerbically funny rendering of wealthy New Orleans bankers to Richard Ford's flinty unfolding of a father-son relationship in the marshy netherworld south of the Crescent City. The pieces span the full swath of Louisiana experience, be it the life of a Vietnamese refugee in Lake Charles or the miraculous appearance of the image of Jesus on a refrigerator in Holly Springs. In addition to their Louisiana-rooted inspiration and highest regard for craft, the stories in Wide Awake in the Pelican State share a deep humanity. These are stories about people -- noble and nefarious, some living high and others down on their luck -- as they fathom the tragic depths and comic heights of love, betrayal, family, change, and life writ large. Contributors to Wide Awake in the Pelican State: John Biguenet, James Lee Burke, Robert Olen Butler, Kelly Cherry, Moira Crone, Albert Belisle Davis, Charles deGravelles, John Dufresne, Richard Ford, Ernest J. Gaines, Louis Gallo, Tim Gautreaux, Norman German, Ellen Gilchrist, Joan Arbour Grant, Shirley Ann Grau, Dinty W. Moore, Tim Parrish, Tom Piazza, Nancy Richard, James Wilcox.
Download or read book Is Life Like This written by John Dufresne and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2011-02-08 with total page 383 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The author presents a six-month program, arranged by week, to complete a first draft of a novel.
Download or read book Origin A Novel written by Diana Abu-Jaber and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2008-05-17 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Finally, a novel of literary suspense that gets almost everything right—forensically and psychologically." —Sarah Weinman, Baltimore Sun Secretly, in her heart of hearts, Lena Dawson hides the strangest of beliefs about her childhood. Hiding behind a cool competence as a superb fingerprint analyst in a crime lab in snowy Syracuse, New York, she feels totally out of place in the ordinary world of human interaction. Especially since the controlling husband who guided and protected her, then cheated and left her (though now he wants her back). Her uncanny ability to read a crime scene draws her into investigating a mysterious series of crib deaths—but ultimately the most difficult puzzle she must solve is the one of her own origins. Diana Abu-Jaber, a “gifted and graceful writer” (Chicago Tribune), masterfully “transcends formula” (Kirkus Reviews) as “the tension of Origin escalates, shaped as much by beautifully nuanced prose as menacing events” (New York Daily News).
Download or read book House Lights A Novel written by Leah Hager Cohen and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2009-10-28 with total page 329 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A New York Times Book Review Notable Book A Boston Globe Bestseller "Simply—gorgeous." —Los Angeles Times Late in her twentieth year, Beatrice mails a letter on the sly, sparking events that will change her life forever. The addressee is her grandmother, a legendary stage actress long estranged from her daughter, Bea’s mother. Though Bea wants to become an actress herself, it is the desire to understand the old family rift that drives her to work her way into her grandmother’s graces. But just as she establishes a precarious foothold in her grandmother’s world, Bea’s elite Boston home life begins to crumble. Her beloved father is accused of harassment by one of his graduate students; her usually serene, self-certain mother shows signs of fallibility. And Bea is falling in love with someone many would consider inappropriate. Powerfully written and psychologically intricate, House Lights illuminates the corrosive power of family secrets, and the redemptive struggle to find truth, forgiveness, and love.
Download or read book How to Write Funny written by John Kachuba and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2001-07-01 with total page 235 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Writing humor is subjective and challenging - thankfully, there are many ways to create it. How to Write Funny provides advice, insights and humor from more than twenty writers with a gift for making readers laugh. In a diverse collection of articles and interviews, both classic and new, this esteemed group of writers, including Dave Barry, Bill Bryson and Jennifer Crusie, provides different viewpoints on how humor works on the page, whether in short stories, memoirs, novels or articles. You'll learn the principles and basic forms of comedy, when to break the rules of reason, the importance of being yourself, why you should stop trying to hard to be funny, and how to write for specific genres and audiences. You'll also sit in on a special roundtable discussion featuring P.J. O'Rourke, Mark Leyner, Maggie Estep and James Finn Garner, as well as a one-of-a-kind "how-to" workshop conducted by funny lady and best-selling author Jennifer Crusie. You've got a sense of humor. You've got the will to write. Combining the two, and getting it right, will bring a smile to your face and a chuckle to your readers.
Download or read book Dedicated to the People of Darfur written by Luke Reynolds and published by Rutgers University Press. This book was released on 2009 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Life's changes. They happen every day. Some large, some small. A few are very personal. Others impact the world. Dedicated to the People of Darfur: Writings on Fear, Risk, and Hope includes original and inspiring essays that celebrate the glories gained from taking risks, breaking down barriers, and overcoming any obstacles. Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, a gallery of O.Henry award recipients, and many best-selling authors come together to share personal and compelling challenges and experiences. From contemplations on past drug use to reflections on gun control, social justice, passion and its sacrifices, and adventures such as skydiving, mountain climbing, and golfing, the topics vary greatly. This kaleidoscopic anthology is a commentary on the lives of prominent literary artists and ordinary citizens who have made simple, yet powerful choices that provoked change in one's self and for humanityùmuch the same way that Luke and Jennifer Reynolds do by building this invaluable collection for readers and the world of human rights. Not too long ago, as struggling graduate students, Luke and Jennifer Reynolds conceived this uniquely themed volume as a way to raise funds to support ending the genocide in Darfur. Some people carry signs, others make speeches, many take action. What is most special about this book is that it extends beyond words and ideas, into a tangible effort to effect change. To this end, all royalties from the sales of Dedicated to the People of Darfur:Writings on Fear, Risk, and Hope will benefit The Save Darfur Coalition, an organization that seeks to end the genocide in Darfur, Sudan.
Download or read book Storyville An Illustrated Guide to Writing Fiction written by John Dufresne and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2020-04-07 with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A smart and funny guide to writing fiction, with engaging infographics that bring storytelling techniques to life. Whether you are daunted by a blinking cursor or frustrated trying to get the people in your head onto the page, writing stories can be intimidating. It takes passion, tenacity, patience, and a knowledge of?and faith in?the often-digressive writing process. A do-it-yourself manual for the apprentice fiction writer, Storyville! demystifies that process; its bold graphics take you inside the writer’s comfortingly chaotic mind and show you how stories are made. In Storyville!, seasoned guide John Dufresne?whose approach “will anchor the newbie and entertain the veteran” (San Francisco Chronicle)?provides practical insight into the building blocks of fiction, including how to make the reader see your characters, create a suspenseful plot, and revise, revise, revise. Storyville! is a combination handbook and notebook, with original prompts and exercises crafted with Dufresne’s singular dry wit and Evan Wondolowski’s playful and illuminating graphics on every page.
Download or read book The Lie That Tells a Truth A Guide to Writing Fiction written by John Dufresne and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2004-08-10 with total page 317 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This is an essential guide for writers in general, fiction writers in particular, beginning writers, serious writers, and anyone facing a blank page"--Page 4 of cover.
Download or read book Can t You Get Along with Anyone written by Allan C. Weisbecker and published by Bandito Books, LTD.. This book was released on 2007 with total page 505 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Allan Weisbecker penned the last sentence ofIn Search of Captain Zero,most readers assumed the full scope of the tale had been told. But apparently, life had other plans. In his latest offering,Can't You Get Along With Anyone? A Writer's Memoir and a Tale of a Lost Surfer's Paradise,Weisbecker chronicles the bizarre and convoluted circumstances that drove him from his adopted home in Costa Rica.
Download or read book The Best Novels of the Nineties written by Linda Parent Lesher and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2015-11-17 with total page 489 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This reader’s guide provides uniquely organized and up-to-date information on the most important and enjoyable contemporary English-language novels. Offering critically substantiated reading recommendations, careful cross-referencing, and extensive indexing, this book is appropriate for both the weekend reader looking for the best new mystery and the full-time graduate student hoping to survey the latest in magical realism. More than 1,000 titles are included, each entry citing major reviews and giving a brief description for each book.
Download or read book Alienation And Freedom written by Richard Schmitt and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-05-15 with total page 153 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides detailed descriptions of how lives are narrowed by alienation. It also provides some alternative views on alienation. The book shows that the deformation of personality, characteristic of alienation, takes many different forms.
Download or read book Requiem Mass written by John Dufresne and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2008 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the latest from Dufresne (Love Warps the Mind a Little) novelist John's newest manuscript doesn't impress his girlfriend, Annick, who thinks it doesn't breathe. So he goes back and rewrites it as a memoir: a book within a book. In it, Johnny and Audrey grow up in Requiem, Mass., with their unraveling mother, Frances, who believes her children were replaced by aliens and who bathes in gasoline. Their secretive truck driver father, Rainey, almost certainly has something odd going on down South. The book unfolds like a series of nesting dolls: John meanders around his coastal Florida home, writing his novel, visiting with friends and going on appointments for teaching jobs, while Johnny lives with his mother's worsening condition, his father's absences, his mother's hospitalization and a momentous trip South. Then there are stories within the memoir within the story, including the one a woman tells about her friend, Ginger Rae, who talks of writing a neighbor's suicide note, then claims it's part of a story she herself is writing. John is a very amusing unreliable narrator, and Dufresne's witty, sardonic take on life's fictions leaps off the page. (July) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Download or read book FLASH Writing the Very Short Story written by John Dufresne and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2018-02-13 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An engaging and frank guide to writing the very short story, full of sound advice, exemplary models, and provocative exercises. The history of fiction has been dominated by the novel and the short story. But now a brave new genre has emerged: very brief fiction. FLASH! identifies the qualities that make for excellent flash fiction, demystifies the writing process, and guides writers by exercise and example through the world of the very short story. John Dufresne’s characteristic warmth, wit, and humor remind writers of the joy in the creative process, making this a perfect guide for any writer interested in trying a new form.
Download or read book The Perfect Age A Novel written by Heather Skyler and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2005-05-17 with total page 366 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A sun-baked, beautifully observed debut for readers who loved Amy and Isabelle—a mother and daughter come of age in Las Vegas. Helen is just fifteen, lanky and striking. She is a lifeguard at the pool at The Dunes hotel this summer—her first job, a step toward independence in a world beginning to treat her as an adult and a woman. Her mother, Kathy, watching Helen grow up, suddenly finds herself in a place equally uncertain: her children getting older, her stable marriage perhaps too stable, the slow days of summer leaving her adrift. When she meets Helen's boss, the manager at the pool, she chooses an affair that opens her to the idea of a different sort of life. Following Helen and Kathy through three summers, this novel is an intimate picture of two sexual awakenings under one roof and their aftershocks on a family. Heather Skyler shows us that the validity of life's deepest experiences—love, betrayal, acceptance—is never compromised by age. Reading group guide included.
