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.

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.

If you have ever stared a page that remains stubbornly blank; if you have ever wondered why writers write, or whether good writers are born or made; if you are a novelist, playwright, poet, or journalist, or simply delight in the written word, The Writer's Quotebook is for you. Whether you keep it in your office, on your coffee table, next to your keyboard or your bed, this rich compendium of over one thousand quotations will inspire, invigorate, and illuminate the often challenging, sometimes humorous, but always fascinating task of those who bring words to life. From William Faulkner and Ernest Hemingway to Doris Lessing and Joyce Carol Oates, more than five hundred published writers put pen to paper on what the literary life is all about. Selections come from seasoned professionals as well as those just establishing their voice, and they represent a variety of nationalities and genres. The book is divided into three sections. The first part is devoted to the creative process, including thoughts on where writers get their ideas, the role of inspiration, what kind of people write, and where talent comes from. In part two, the subject shifts to writing as a craft. Here, authors ponder the creation of protagonists and points of view, the writing of dialogue, setting and description, creating plots, and the anatomy of style. The final third of the book deals with the challenges and rewards that come with the writing life. Subjects in this section include the economic realities of writing, classes, conferences, and workshops, dealing with rejection and bad reviews, writing habits and rituals, despair, alcohol, suicide, and fame. Articulated with elegant metaphor, in straightforward prose, or with wry wit, the carefully selected and thoughtfully organized quotations come together to form a narrative that entertains, informs, and in the case of aspiring writers, shows the way to better writing.

'Through different voices and styles of contributions, including papers, edited talks and panel discussion, this collection explores and applies the principles of relational transactional analysis. It sets them in social, cultural and political contexts, and considers a number of important implications of this particular relational turn in psychotherapy. The book advances relational transactional analyses and, in doing so, reflects the creativity and vibrancy of contemporary TA. The editors have skilfully brought together different generations of TA practitioners in an accessible and stimulating volume. I commend the editors and highly recommend the book.'- Dr Keith Tudor, author of a number of books and co-author of the article "Co-creative transactional analysis" in the Transactional Analysis Journal. He is Associate Professor, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, Aotearoa, New Zealand.

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.

A spectacular new anthology of the best short-short fiction from across the United States. It has been more than thirty years since the term “flash fiction” was first coined, perfectly describing the power in the brevity of these stories, each under 1,000 words. Since then, the form has taken hold in the American imagination. For this latest installment in the popular Flash Fiction series, James Thomas, Sherrie Flick, and John Dufresne have searched far and wide for the most distinctive American voices in short-short fiction. The 73 stories collected here speak to the diversity of the American experience and range from the experimental to the narrative, from the whimsical to the gritty. Featuring fiction from writers both established and new, including Aimee Bender, K-Ming Chang, Bonnie Jo Campbell, Bryan Washington, Robert Scotellaro, and Luis Alberto Urrea, Flash Fiction America is a brilliant collection, radiating creativity and bringing together some of the most compelling and exciting contemporary writers in the United States.

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.

Love in double-vision. Get off your barstool. Open this book. You won't even have to leave a tip.

"This is the most practical, hard-nosed, generous, direct, and useful guide to writing fiction." —Brad Watson Finally, a truly creative—and hilarious—guide to creative writing, full of encouragement and sound advice. Provocative and reassuring, nurturing and wise, The Lie That Tells a Truth is essential to writers in general, fiction writers in particular, beginning writers, serious writers, and anyone facing a blank page. John Dufresne, teacher and the acclaimed author of Love Warps the Mind a Little and Deep in the Shade of Paradise, demystifies the writing process. Drawing upon the wisdom of literature's great craftsmen, Dufresne's lucid essays and diverse exercises initiate the reader into the tools, processes, and techniques of writing: inventing compelling characters, developing a voice, creating a sense of place, editing your own words. Where do great ideas come from? How do we recognize them? How can language capture them? In his signature comic voice, Dufresne answers these questions and more in chapters such as "Writing Around the Block," "Plottery," and "The Art of Abbreviation." Dufresne demystifies the writing process, showing that while the idea of writing may be overwhelming, the act of writing is simplicity itself.

Louisiana writer Tim Gautreaux (b. 1947) writes fiction that mixes equal parts dry humor, tall tales, and deep tragedy. His stories and novels of working-class Acadiana portray lives of inimitably poignant love, loss, and longing. The depth and complexity of Gautreaux's writing invite scholarly appraisals as well, as critics mine the richness of his moral vision. These interviews reveal the intensity of his sense of place, his deep connection to the mechanical and working world, his commitment to the craft of writing, and his Catholic view that has been shaped by Flannery O'Connor and Walker Percy. Conversations with Tim Gautreaux collects interviews from 1993 to 2009 with the author of The Missing, The Clearing, Welding with Children, and many other vital works of fiction. Readers who have been engaged with the themes in his stories and novels will find themselves equally taken with the kind and thoughtful voice they discover in interviews.