Becoming Almost Famous

A collection of favorite articles by the Rolling Stone journalist includes his pieces on such performers as Paul McCartney, Frank Sinatra, and Steve Martin, in a volume that is complemented by personal essays on his Asian-American heritage and his interest in radio broadcasting. Original.

Ten-year-old Maxine is determined to become a famous inventor so she can take care of her younger brother's heart condition, and she convinces a troubled classmate to help her.

Publisher Description

Nearly every story in this collection is based on a woman who attained some celebrity, from Lord Byron's illegitimate daughter, Allegra, to Oscar Wilde's troubled niece, Dolly.

A promising young athlete must learn to come to terms with the tragedy that destroys his career and with the pain, responsibility, and love that are an essential part of life itself

Presents a collection of the Rolling Stone writer's interviews and profiles, with descriptions of how stories were assigned, and the fallout that ensued

This may come as a shock, but brilliant writing and clever wordplay do not a published author make. True, you’ll actually have to write if you want to be a writer, but ultimately literary success is about much more than putting pen to paper (or fingers to keys). Before you snap your pencil in half with frustration, please consider the advice writer, teacher, and self-made lit star Ariel Gore offers in this useful guide to realizing your literary dreams. If you find yourself writing when you should be sleeping and scribbling notes on odd pieces of paper at every stoplight, you might as well enjoy the fruits of your labor. How to Become a Famous Writer Before You’re Dead is an irreverent yet practical guide that combines solid writing advice with guerrilla marketing and promotion techniques guaranteed to launch you into print—and into the limelight. You’ll learn how to: • Reimagine yourself as a buzz-worthy artist and entrepreneur• Get your work and your name out in the world where other people can read it• Be an anthology slut and a brazen self-promoter• Apply real-world advice and experience from lit stars like Dave Barry, Susie Bright, and Dave Eggers to your own careerCheaper than an M.F.A. but just as informative, How to Become a Famous Writer Before You’re Dead is your catapult to lit stardom. Just don’t forget to thank Ariel Gore for her inspiring, hands-on plan in the acknowledgments page of your first novel!

In his first book, Life on Planet Rock, author Lonn Friend shared his ringside view of rocks decade of decadence. Now, in Sweet Demotion, the veteran rock scribe takes off the gloves and battles himself. Lonn was enjoying a six-figure multi-media career in 1998 when, at the end of a four-year run as a record company VP, he was bitch slapped by the Universe; his professional ride came to a crashing pause. But instead of hiring headhunters or putting a resume together to find another gig, Lonn hit the rock-and-roll road less traveled. The result is a brutally transparent, shamelessly self-deprecating mid-life memoir of a writer who stopped making money and started seeking truth. Sweet Demotion chronicles a thirteen-year period of personal deconstruction, spiritual madness, and bizarre anecdotal wordplay where faith was lost in everything but the moment and the music. Lonns intimate adventure invites the reader to a porn burial in the desert, a Janis Joplin ghost sighting, a Dallas meditation on the anniversary of JFKs assassination following the interview of a heavy metal legend, and the sharing of sacred space on a northeast lake with the lead singer of Aerosmith. Sweet Demotion is a sojourn to near-enlightenment that no one but Lonn Friend could have possibly experienced.

A novel full of heart, humor, and charm from Newbery Honor winner Joan Bauer! When twelve-year-old Foster and her mother land in the tiny town of Culpepper, they don't know what to expect. But folks quickly warm to the woman with the great voice and the girl who can bake like nobody's business. Soon Foster - who dreams of having her own cooking show one day - lands herself a gig baking for the local coffee shop, and gets herself some much-needed help in overcoming her biggest challenge - learning to read . . . just as Foster and Mama start to feel at ease, their past catches up to them. Thanks to the folks in Culpepper, though Foster and her mama find the strength to put their troubles behind them for good.