A disturbing novel plumbs the cruelty and horror at the bottom rung of the American dream by following ex-con Luce LeMay on a mostly unsuccessful return to his extremely cold and unforgiving hometown. 20,000 first printing.

How the Hula Girl Sings: A Novel

Meno, Joe

Literature & Fiction

Regan Books

In Tender as Hellfire, first-time novelist Joe Meno limns a near-fantastical world of trailer park floozies, broken-down '76 Impalas, lost glass eyes, and the daily experiences of two boys trying to make sense out of their random, sharp lives. Dough and Pill are brothers bound by more than blood. The anguish of their past, the terror of their present, and the uncertainty of their future all underscore the only truth that is within their grasp: Each other. For beneath the cruel surface of their trailer park community lies a menagerie of odd characters, each one strange yet somehow beautiful. There's Val, the blowsy bottle blonde who shows surprising maternal instincts when the boys need it most. And El Ray del Perdito, the "Undisputed King of the Tango," a widow who dances nightly imagining his wife in his arms, as Dough peers through the window contemplating a love that seems not to die. In Tender as Hellfire it is the unexpected beauty that means the most, and this important literary debut provides all the beauty and pain that we can bear.

Tender as Hellfire: A Novel

United States

St.Martin's Press

A breakout new novel from the critically acclaimed novelist and playwright Joe Meno, author of Hairstyles of the Damned. The sky is falling for the Caspers, a family of cowards: for Jonathan, a paleontologist, searching in vain for a prehistoric giant squid; for his wife, Madeline, an animal behaviorist with a failing experiment; for their daughter, Amelia, a disappointed teenage revolutionary; for her younger sister, Thisbe, on a frustrated search for God; and for grandfather Henry, who wants to disappear, limiting himself to eleven words a day, then ten, then nine… Each fears uncertainty and the possibilities that accompany it. When Jonathan and Madeline suddenly decide to separate, this nuclear family is split, each member forced to confront his or her own cowardice, finally coming to appreciate the cloudiness of the modern age. With wit and humor, The Great Perhaps presents a revealing look at anxiety, ambiguity, and the need for complicated answers to complex questions. 4 drawings

The Great Perhaps: A Novel

W.W.Norton&Company

“This ambitious, adventurous writer . . . recalls Anton Chekhov with his amused appreciation of human foibles.”―Wendy Smith, Chicago Tribune The sky is falling for the Caspers, a family of cowards. When the parents decide to separate, this family is forced to appreciate the cloudiness of this modern age.

Bluebirds Used to Croon in the Choir: Stories

Winner of 2006 The Society of Midland Authors Adult Fiction Award Children who anesthetize--and dress up--small wild animals in an ill-fated attempt to cheer their grieving mother; childhood friends who ritually return every year to the site of their near-kidnapping; an awkward teen trying to find his place among the cultural ruins of Greek Mythology Camp; brothers brought together, if not by mutual understanding, by a strange need to steal airport baggage: these are some of the characters who inhabit--and invariably tell--the stories in Joe Meno's Bluebirds Used to Croon in the Choir. Oddballs and charmers and would-be lovers, they are souls not so much lost as wandering, looking for something better, almost getting laid, trying to explain or, if all else fails, to entertain--and this they unfailingly do. Rarely has fiction so understated produced such hilarity and heartbreak. Novelist, music journalist, and playwright Meno writes squarely in the American tradition of wringing large effects from small change, revealing the subtlety in the broad stroke, and conveying complexity with seeming simplicity. Celebrated for its "unflinching honesty" (Entertainment Weekly) and for its "poetic and visceral style" (Booklist), his work resonates with the unmistakable magic and curious mystery of modern life.

Short Stories & Anthologies

TriQuarterly

Hairstyles Of The Damned (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition)

Turtleback Books

Maker Pro is a book of essays by more than a dozen prominent and up-and-coming professional makers (Maker Pros). Each essay includes advice and stories on topics such as starting a kit-making business, taking a hardware project open-source, and plenty of encouragement to "quit your day job." This book is a reference for anyone who dreams of turning a hobby into a small business, and features stories from well-known professional makers; it will turn aspiration into inspiration.

Maker Pro: Essays on Making a Living as a Maker

Business & Money

Baichtal, John

Gauntlett, David

DiResta, Jimmy

Wolf, Adam

Huang, Andrew

Kravitz, Sophi

Altman, Mitch

Gentry, Eri

Jankowski, Tito

Dyba, Alex

Krumpus, Michael

Solarz, Susan

Klingberg, Rob

Hudy, Joe

Hord, Mike

Tremayne, Wendy

Business Development & Entrepreneurship

Make Community, LLC

No, this isn't a book about joining some fringe cult. It's a book by LEGO fans, for LEGO fans, and you and your kids will love it. In The Cult of LEGO, Wired's GeekDad blogger John Baichtal and BrickJournal founder Joe Meno take you on a magnificent, illustrated tour of the LEGO community, its people, and their creations. The Cult of LEGO introduces us to fans and builders from all walks of life. People like professional LEGO artist Nathan Sawaya; enigmatic Dutch painter Ego Leonard (who maintains that he is, in fact, a LEGO minifig); Angus MacLane, a Pixar animator who builds CubeDudes, instantly recognizable likenesses of fictional characters; Brick Testament creator Brendan Powell Smith, who uses LEGO to illustrate biblical stories; and Henry Lim, whose work includes a series of models recreating M.C. Escher lithographs and a full-scale, functioning LEGO harpsichord. Marvel at spectacular LEGO creations like: - A life-sized Stegosaurus and an 80,000-brick T. Rex skeleton - Detailed microscale versions of landmarks like the Acropolis and Yankee Stadium - A 22-foot long, 350-pound re-creation of the World War II battleship Yamato - A robotic, giant chess set that can replay historical matches or take on an opponent - A three-level, remote-controlled Jawa Sandcrawler, complete with moving conveyor belt - Whether you're a card-carrying LEGO fanatic or just thinking fondly about that dusty box of - LEGO in storage, The Cult of LEGO will inspire you to take out your bricks and build something amazing. Gold Medal, Independent Publisher Book Award, "IPPY" for Pop Culture Silver Medal, 2012 ForeWord Book of the Year Awards for Crafts and Hobbies Grand Prize, 2012 San Francisco Book Festival Selected for the Communication Arts 2012 Design Annual

The Cult of LEGO

Crafts, Hobbies & Home

Crafts & Hobbies

No Starch Press

The real fun of LEGO building lies in creating your own models--from choosing the subject to clicking that final brick into place. Start making your own original LEGO creations!What's the difference between a tile and a plate? Why isn't it a good idea to stack bricks in columns to make a wall? How do you build a LEGO mosaic or build at different scales? You'll find the answers to these and other questions in The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide.This brand-new edition of a well-loved favorite includes dozens of new designs with step-by-step building instructions of a space shuttle, houses, animals, keychains, castles, flowers, dinosaurs and more. You'll also learn how to:  *  Construct models that won't fall apart  *  Choose the right pieces and substitute when needed  *  Build to micro, jumbo, and miniland scale  *  Make playable board games out of LEGO pieces  *  Create photo mosaics and curved sculpturesOf course, the real fun of LEGO building lies in creating your own models--from choosing the subject to clicking that final brick into place. Learn how in The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide.Includes the Brickopedia, a visual dictionary of nearly 300 of the most commonly used LEGO elements!

The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide, 3rd Edition

Bedford, Allan

Arts & Photography

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