Two of our foremost poets provide here a lucid, straightforward primer that "looks squarely at some of the headaches and mysteries of poetic form": a book for readers who have always felt that an understanding of form (sonnet, ballad, villanelle, sestina, among others) would enhance their appreciation of poetry. Tracing "the exuberant history of forms," they devote one chapter to each form, offering explanation, close reading, and a rich selection...

"Everything an aspiring memoirist needs to know, in one readable volume, a follow-up to the acclaimed writers' handbook Why We Write For the many amateurs and professionals who write about themselves--bloggers, journal-keepers, aspiring essayists, and memoirists--this book offers inspiration, encouragement, and pithy, practical advice. Twenty of America's bestselling memoirists share their innermost thoughts and hard-earned tips with veteran author...

"Author of the international bestseller I'm with the Band: Confessions of a Groupie, Pamela Des Barres shares with women the art of memoir writing. For the last fourteen years, Pamela Des Barres has been teaching an eight-week women's "femoir" writing workshop. She found that the music-loving ladies who showed up at her door had pent-up stories to tell. Many of them had read her two memoirs, which were wildly personal and deeply confessional, and...

If coffee is the foundation of your food pyramid, then this colorful compendium of fun facts and infographics is for you . . . Ryoko Iwata collects the best pieces from her popular web site, I Love Coffee, and adds a generous shot of brand-new material in this tribute for true-brew fans of the beloved beverage. Overflowing with infographics and fun, interesting (and occasionally useful) facts, the book explores such topics as: • Your Brain on...

Contains a fully updated A-Z guide to over 1,200 definitions of terms from the fields of literary theory and criticism, rhetoric, versification and drama. Recommendations for further reading are included.

Erma Bombeck's hilarious guide to using self-help books to prosper ormore likelyto perish As far as Erma can tell, her life is going well. Her children speak to her, her husband smiles at her, and she's capable of looking in a mirror without screaming. But her friends know better. No matter how happy Erma thinks she is, she's in need of help, and the only way to fulfillment is a ten-foot stack of self-improvement books. From Sensual Needlepoint to...

Mayhem, mishap, and misadventure combined! Have you ever wondered why a rock thrown flat never flies straight? Have you ever survived a night in a den of forty snorers? Did you ever blow up cuisine in the microwave and then try and hide it from your clairvoyant mother? If so, then these stories are right up your alley! Follow the author and his family and friends in their rollicking adventures as they sled down the dreaded Sleddin' Road, ride in...

Millions of Americans want to write about their lives. With this book as the road map for getting started and following through, writers and readers will gain a deeper understanding of their own minds, learn to connect with their senses in order to find the detail and truth that give their written words power and authenticity, and unfold the natural structure of the stories they carry within. Through timed, associative, and meditative exercises, writing...