Behind our political leaders-yes, even the "moral" ones-is an army of young, horny, professional staffers scrapping it out. Lisa Baron should know-she used to be one of them. With the unerring candor of George Stephanopoulos and the uncensored wit of Chelsea Handler, Baron gives good anecdote on a world where Godaphiles and Press Tarts work together to keep their politicos from imploding. . .and reveals how a not-so-nice Jewish girl became spokeswoman for the head of the Christian Coalition until she had to kiss that career and its perks-a drunken night with Wayne Newton and a seemingly endless supply of narcotics-good-bye. "Sarah Palin, Ann Coulter, and Monica Crowley may think they're pretty bold. But when it comes to baring the secret ardor of a conservative woman, nobody undresses like Lisa Baron." -New York Daily News "Hysterical." -Hollis Gillespie, author of Trailer Trashed "Everything you wanted to know about what goes on behind the Christian GOP curtain but were afraid to ask. Funny, frank, hilarious. " -Michael Murphy, guest columnist for Time magazine "Sex, drugs, interns-rock stars have nothing on Bible-thumping politicos when it comes to sin and raunch." -Suzi Parker, author of Sex in the South "Primary Colors meets Coyote Ugly." -Gawker "Sex, scandal. . .this book has everything." -A. J. Jacobs
The prose poem is currently having its heyday in the U.S. and Gordon Carrega's new collection will be a most welcome guest at the ongoing celebration, perhaps, indeed, going on to become the life of the party. Carrega's writing is what Charles Baudelaire, great illustrious grandfather of this literary genre, had in mind when in the introduction to Paris Spleen, his book of prose poems, he called for a poetic prose "... supple enough and rugged enough to adapt itself to the lyrical impulses of the soul, the undulations of reverie, the jibes of conscience."
The incredible story of Brownie Wise, the Southern single mother—and postwar #Girlboss—who built, and lost, a Tupperware home-party empire Before Mary Kay, Martha Stewart, and Joy Mangano, there was Brownie Wise, the charismatic Tupperware executive who converted postwar optimism into a record-breaking sales engine powered by American housewives. In Life of the Party, Bob Kealing offers the definitive portrait of Wise, a plucky businesswoman who divorced her alcoholic husband, started her own successful business, and eventually caught the eye of Tupperware inventor, Earl Tupper, whose plastic containers were collecting dust on store shelves. The Tupperware Party that Wise popularized, a master-class in the soft sell, drove Tupperware's sales to soaring heights. It also gave minimally educated and economically invisible postwar women, including some African-American women, an acceptable outlet for making their own money for their families—and for being rewarded for their efforts. With the people skills of Dale Carnegie, the looks of Doris Day, and the magnetism of Eva Peron, Wise was as popular among her many devoted followers as she was among the press, and she become the first woman to appear on the cover of BusinessWeek in 1954. Then, at the height of her success, Wise's ascent ended as quickly as it began. Earl Tupper fired her under mysterious circumstances, wrote her out of Tupperware's success story, and left her with a pittance. He walked away with a fortune and she disappeared—until now. Originally published as Tupperware Unsealed by the University Press of Florida in 2008—and optioned by Sony Pictures, with Sandra Bullock attached to star—this revised and updated edition is perfectly timed to take advantage of renewed interest in this long-overlooked American business icon.
In just two more months, seventeen-year-old Mackenzie will reach sweet freedom. About to graduate from high school, Mac is not sure what happened to the good girl she used to be, but it does not matter. Without a second thought, Mac hurls herself into the dark world of rebellion and does not look back. Macs best friend, Riley, is a boy from the wrong side of the tracks who can score drugs anytime, anywhere. As Riley introduces her to a lifestyle that includes wild nights, drugs, and questionable men, Mac struggles to overcome her personal demons. Cast in the shadow of her perfect sister, Mac must endure the disapproval of her parents every time she returns home. But just as Mac takes a job to support her growing drug addiction, Riley begins questioning all his bad choices. Suddenly Mac, who wants complete, reckless amusement at any cost, is alone. The world can be a dangerous place. Mac is about to drown in an abyss of her own creation, and only one person can save her.
Book three of the Girls Most Likely to… In high school, Tess Bonham was the go-to for party planning. So it's no surprise that she's built that talent into a successful party planning business. Tess loves her job—most of the time. Planning her own ten-year reunion weekend promises to be the highlight of her career, even if making it perfect for her former classmates means she won't actually have time to enjoy it herself. Hotelier Jeremy Wright has wanted Tess for months, and he's tired of watching her sacrifice her social life to her overbooked calendar. So when she's short-staffed, Jeremy jumps at the chance to help out with her reunion during the day—if Tess surrenders the nights to him. He's got plans for a private party, and she's the guest of honor… Tess should say no. But she really, really wants to say yes. Spending time with Jeremy reminds her just how much fun life can be. But she's not sure she can be "just friends" once she knows how amazing the benefits are… 22,000 words
Returning to Calypso Falls gives Jenna Elias a second chance at the life she's always wanted and the love she's never had--if only the past doesn't get in the way... Jenna Elias was always the life of the party, coasting on her charm and beauty, hiding the shame of the scandal surrounding her absentee father, a corrupt politician. But the party ended all too soon with an injury that left her partially paralyzed and a husband who simply left her. Now, at age thirty, she’s back in Calypso Falls. She leads a simple existence working in her sister’s coffee shop, but Jenna misses the joy she once had in her life. Then Cole Dekker walks into the coffee shop. As idealistic as he is sexy, the local lawyer is running for mayor of Calypso Falls. Drawn to Jenna’s quick wit and radiance, he asks her to volunteer for his campaign. As the two start working together, there’s no denying the powerful attraction they feel for each other. A desktop makeout session leads to much more. But when Jenna’s dad returns to Calypso Falls and wants to be a part of her life again, the association could spell political suicide for Cole—and the end of a once-in-a-lifetime chance at true love.
Critics have long recognized the links between community festivals and literary art. The comedies and tragedies of the ancient Greeks grew out of their festivals; Anglo-Saxon poetry was often read at festival occasions; and the structural patterns of renaissance drama are inseparable from their festive origins. In The Life of the Party, Christopher Ames argues that the private party has become the festival of modern culture and has served as a shaping force in the fiction of many important twentieth century writers. Drawing upon and extending theories of Mikhail Bakhtin and others, Ames contends that parties have inherited much of the spirit and social function of festivals and carnivals. In these "controlled transgressions," ordinary rules of behavior are set aside for a short time, permitting excess and including (usually in veiled form) a ritual encounter with death, as well as a cathartic return to the normal social order when the party ends. In the experimental fiction of James Joyce and Virginia Wolf, the mingling of many voices at the party challenges both social and narrative decorum. For F. Scott Fitzgerald, Evelyn Waugh, and Henry Green, the party becomes a microcosm of a decadent society and informs a festive vision characteristic of the literature that emerged between the wars. And in postmodern works by Thomas Pynchon and Robert Coover, the novelists celebrate the disruptive and liberating force of parties even as they illustrate the dangers of chaos through scenes of the party-gone-wild. With its creative application of literary theory and ethnographic studies of festival, The Life of the Party demonstrates the persistence of the festive vision and its significance in the evolution of modern fiction.
Let's get this party started! Liven up any dinner party with this elegant conversation-starting addition to your table setting. Life of the Party's beautifully illustrated placemats are designed with your dinner party in mind, with more than 375 questions at the ready from the start of cocktails and appetizers, through dinner and dessert. There's no shuffling or rearranging required, just good food and good conversation! These pleasing placemats will brighten up any table, and add an alluring touch of flair to your next social event. With 24 different placemats, you can entertain from just two up to two dozen! Here are just a few of the questions you'll find: *What would be the hardest skill for you to give up? *If you were born 100 years ago, what do you think your occupation would be? *What's the smallest amount of money that would make the biggest difference in your life? *How would you explain different colors to a blind person? *Have you ever lied to get out of a date? It's creative! It's inventive! It's decorative! And most of all, it's FUN! It's The Life of the Party!
A dazzling debut collection of raw and explosive poems about growing up in a sexist, sensationalized world, from a thrilling new feminist voice. i’m a good girl, bad girl, dream girl, sad girl girl next door sunbathing in the driveway i wanna be them all at once, i wanna be all the girls I’ve ever loved —from “Girl” Lauded for the power of her writing and having attracted an online fan base of millions for her extraordinary spoken-word performances, Olivia Gatwood now weaves together her own coming-of-age with an investigation into our culture’s romanticization of violence against women. At times blistering and riotous, at times soulful and exuberant, Life of the Party explores the boundary between what is real and what is imagined in a life saturated with fear. Gatwood asks, How does a girl grow into a woman in a world racked by violence? Where is the line between perpetrator and victim? In precise, searing language, she illustrates how what happens to our bodies can make us who we are. Praise for Life of the Party “Delicately devastating, this book will make us all ‘feel less alone in the dark.’ ”—Miel Bredouw, writer and comedian, Punch Up the Jam “Gatwood writes about the women who were forgotten and the men who got off too easy with an effortlessness and empathy and anger that yanked every emotion on the spectrum out of me. Imagine, we get to live in the age of Olivia Gatwood. Goddamn.”—Jamie Loftus, writer and comedian, Boss Whom Is Girl and The Bechdel Cast “I’ve read every poem in Life of the Party. I’ve read each of them more than once. In some parts of the book the spine is already breaking because I’ve spent so much time poring over it and losing hours in this world Olivia Gatwood has partly created, but partly just invited the reader to enter on their own, caution signs be damned. This book is enlightening, inspiring, igniting, and f***ing scary. I loved every word on every page with a ferocity that frightened me.”—Madeline Brewer, actress, The Handmaid’s Tale, Orange Is the New Black, and Cam
We all have friends who light up a room with their presence. They transfer energy with a handshake or a hug. One smile and the world becomes a happier place. They can’t help themselves. This is who they are—naturally radiant and magnetic. Wherever they are, they become the life of the party. Jesus is like this. His presence is unmatched. When it comes to lighting up a room, Jesus is the brightest. And as far as being the life of the party, he’s the best. In The Life of the Party, author Jason J. Nelson uses a combination of personal testimony, scripture references, and Bible stories to illustrate the important role Jesus plays in the lives of all of his people. Using the theme of being the life of the party, he communicates Jesus’ presence in every event of our lives and throughout our faith journey. The messages conveyed in The Life of the Party encourage you to grow in your relationship with Jesus and receive everything he offers.
