books

Friday, February 10, 2012

The dick lit laureate: Tucker Max gets interviewed about Sloppy Seconds, Hilarity Ensues

Posted by Shawn Alff on Fri, Feb 10, 2012 at 11:14 AM

Tucker_Max_Hilarity_Ensues_book_cover_.png
In 2000, Tucker Max put a "date application" online to settle a bet. He won the bet and bragging rights by sleeping with one of his date applicants — a woman he also encouraged to jump out of his bedroom window naked so his friends would not see how fat she was. After graduating from Duke Law School, Max and his buddies passed the tedium of their jobs by swapping emails about their drunken exploits. Max realized that being a lawyer sucks, while getting drunk and having absurd amounts of casual sex with amputees, midgets and strippers is awesome.

He quit his job and devoted himself to getting his stories published. In 2003, a lawsuit by a former Miss Vermont over a story Max wrote provided the mainstream publicity needed to publish his first collection of stories, I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell. This book became a number one bestseller and spawned a literary genre: fratire.

Max's work reads like bar stories stripped of any literary flourishes — humorous tales of hooking up, drinking to excess, and disregarding consequences. For many critics, Max is a literary Neanderthal. But, like so many rebel writers before him, he was the first person to tap into a market and an attitude younger readers craved. I caught up with Max during the launch of his final book of fratire, Hilarity Ensues, as well as the release of Sloppy Seconds: The Tucker Max Leftovers, which is available for free online.

The catch-22 of being famous is that women actively want to have sex with you, but you also attract fame whores who want to have your children. Considering that you have a law degree, do you think it is possible to have a potential fuck buddy sign a legally binding document freeing you from any financial—

Continue reading »

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Monday, February 6, 2012

Business coach, Caird Urquhart, on how to rally after a breakup

Posted by Shawn Alff on Mon, Feb 6, 2012 at 8:57 AM

30_ways_to_better_days_how_to_rally_after_you_have_been_dumped_book_cover.jpg
Caird Urquhart is the author of 30 Ways to Better Days: How to Rally After You’ve Been Dumped. Below is my interview with the business and relationship coach on the nature of relationships, if casual sex is ever part of the healing process, and why having a gay friend is essential for many women who are trying to get over an ex.

As a business coach, how similar is your advice for getting over a breakup compared to dealing with getting fired or experiencing a major business setback? While many relationship coaches suggest grieving over a broken relationship, do business coaches ever suggest grieving over a lost job?

Continue reading »

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Monday, January 23, 2012

Mixing business with pleasure: an interview with the author of 'Kiss Your Customer'

Posted by Shawn Alff on Mon, Jan 23, 2012 at 8:38 AM

Kiss_yur_customer_andy_master_book_cover.jpg
In Kiss Your Customer: 77 Reasons Why Sales & Service Are Just Like Dating & Relationships, Andy Masters explores how strategies for romancing a love interest can also be used to charm a client.

Shawn Alff: How important is actual seduction and appealing to a potential client’s carnal side when trying to close a deal? Ethically speaking, where should salespeople draw the line when using their sex appeal to get ahead in business?

Andy Masters: There certainly is an ethical line to be drawn when it comes to seduction and sales. And it has become even more dangerous to cross this line in the last decade or two with sexual harassment lawsuits, political correctness, and even outlets such as social media and search engines—in which inappropriate activity can be blasted all across the Internet for future clients or companies to see. With that being said, there's a reason why many sales reps across many, many industries just "happen" to be many of our most attractive people in society. We, as consumers and buyers, are often more welcoming to attractive people. Interestingly, I have spoken with more than one very attractive female salesperson who intentionally don't dress provocatively, or even do their hair up, because they want to prove their success through merit, not because they are hot.

Continue reading »

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Thursday, January 12, 2012

The "hysterical, blasphemous and boisterous" final novel of Jose Saramago

The late Nobel prize winner went out with a bang by raising Cain.

Posted by Mark James on Thu, Jan 12, 2012 at 11:00 AM

A long, successful career sometimes result in complacency, a sense of entitlement that dues have been paid and there’s no need to push any boundaries. It can also provide some insularity, or protection from retribution for crossing those boundaries.

Nobel Prize winner José Saramago (Nov. 16, 1922-June 18, 2010) has had a long and successful career, but Cain ($24, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, translated from Portugese by Margaret Jull Costa), his final novel, is proof that he didn’t suffer from complacency.

The Nobel laureate draws on the Old Testament to produce a fable that could end up uniting Christians, Jews, and Muslims in protest over this slim novel, something the most powerful nations in the world have been unable to do - ever. It’s heretical and hysterical, blasphemous and boisterous; it’s a new twist on an old story with over 2000 years of fallout, some imagination, and an author unafraid of stepping over the line.

cain_cover.jpg

Cain is infamous for the murder of his brother, Abel. In Saramago’s version, God then appears to Cain, and is drawn into a debate over his complicity in the murder. God admits some guilt, but asks Cain to not “tell anyone, it will be a secret between god (sic) and cain . . .” God marks Cain’s forehead, a “sign that for the whole of your life you will be subject to my protection and to my censure too . . .” Cain is then sent off as a “fugitive and a vagabond . . .” to witness a few of the many significant events from the Old Testament. The sequence of events is altered to fit the narrative. Call that revisionist if you like; Saramago would probably applaud the accusation, and then go on about his day. Insouciance is a trait that he may share with his protagonist; they just don’t much care what others may think.

Continue reading »

Tags: , , , ,

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Between the sheets: top 10 most provocative books out this month

Posted by Shawn Alff on Tue, Jan 3, 2012 at 10:23 AM

The_Onion_Presents_Love__Sex__and_Other_Natural_Disasters_Relationship_Reporting_from_America_s_Finest_News_Source.JPG
The Onion Presents: Love, Sex, and Other Natural Disasters: Relationship Reporting from America's Finest News Source. By The Staff of The Onion. Released 1/10/2012.

Publisher's Description: More than one hundred news stories of high-school sweethearts, college hook-ups, dating disasters, weddings, divorces, and restraining orders. From “18-Year-Old Miraculously Finds Soulmate in Hometown,” to, “Couple Forgets 70th Wedding Anniversary,” these reports capture the heartbreak and hilarity of the human experience.

Continue reading »

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Daisy Danger on true sex stories, getting fired and becoming a bestseller

Posted by Arielle Stevenson on Wed, Dec 28, 2011 at 12:25 PM

daisy-danger-.jpg
  • DaisyDanger.com
Ever wonder what women are thinking when they stare at the ceiling during sex, or when they talk dirty? Daisy Danger describes these moments in intimate detail on her blog, Daisydanger.com, and in her new book, The True Sex Stories of Daisy Danger.

Like a modern Anais Nin, Danger writes about the good, the bad and the ugly of sex. Sometimes her stories are anything but sexy. She shows a dark side of people's primal selves, and it can be grotesque and painful. But Danger possesses the ability to make the uncomfortable and personal, compelling and beautiful.

I look up at him, he’s illuminated in a yellowish haze by the parking lot lights. We’re on high alert, every detail presents in sharp relief. Traffic echoes from far away. We fuck in a violent tempo, throwing our bodies at each other. The vinyl piping the seat presses into my lower back. Each stroke of his cock is magnified. Anyone could come at any moment.

He slams into me over and over. Our breath is a white gauzy halo, it meets and swirls with each exhale, then silently floats away into the cold night.

(Excerpt from daisydanger.com)

Continue reading »

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Friday, December 23, 2011

Three boredom-busting books for the holiday gathering

An Onion Xmas exposé, fantasy beatdowns and more read-aloud fun.

Posted by Julie Garisto on Fri, Dec 23, 2011 at 7:04 PM

Even if you have a relatively dysfunction-free family, you know you're going to have those moments during holiday festivities when you're just utterly bored and clawing to escape. The malaise usually sets in Christmas Day, mid-afternoon, when everyone's too sleepy and bloated to come up with a coherent conversation topic.

That's the perfect time to bust out one of these books with ADD-friendly snatches of literature and humor to help you pass the time and break the awkward silences.

Plus, you know you need to take time to unplug and enjoy some quality time with the analog written word. It's therapeutic. These three in particular are fun for the group and for reading to oneself during brief moments between noshing and gabbing.

Continue reading »

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Thank God for The Tea Party Guide

Imagine a Stephen Colbert marathon — on steroids.

Posted by Mark James on Tue, Dec 13, 2011 at 2:55 AM

Finally, just in time for the all-important 2012 election, a real American has the foresight to publish the guide we’ve all longed for. Roland Boyle’s The Tea Party Guide to Being a Real American; Arming Yourself Against Godless Liberals, Dirty Socialists, & Sexy Ideas ($24.99, Sourcebooks) holds court on all subjects — gun control, The Constitution, sex (yuck), big business, but most of all, the liberal agenda — that Real Americans know are right, or wrong in the case of sex and the liberal agenda. It doesn’t matter if you’re red, blue, black, white, male, female, or somewhere in between, The Tea Party Guide will help you not only choose a lifestyle, but also a home, and maybe even a spouse — the right one, of course. Boyle has spent countless hours researching data, public opinion and personal bias to produce a fact-filled (contrary to what his editor sometimes says; he’s obviously a left-wing liberal) self-help guide.

Tea_Party_Guide.jpg

“This book is on your side . . .”: It will “help you make the right judgments, find the right parties, and right the right wrongs. It will confirm you as a Real American, which means being right, right, right.” To make the right judgment, “you have to know what you’re up against,” and Boyle lays out the liberal agenda and how liberals want to confuse matters; nothing is black and white to them. Included is a review of the Red, Blue, and in-between states. Alabama and Mississippi are the obvious Reds; Hawaii and California are the obvious Blues. Our beloved state falls into the “Swingin’ to the Right” category. As Boyle points out, “there was a time when the Tea Party values couldn’t have made a dent in this weird, Jewspanic state. And then came Marco Rubio, trailing clouds of glory ...” It seems that our very own Sen. Rubio is the next great, conservative hope.

Florida also failed to qualify as a “gun-friendly” state. Vermont tops that list with no permit required to carry a weapon, concealed or not. Who would’ve thought that the state that evokes visions of “White Christmas,” and with all that sap, would be the most gun-friendly? Did I mention they have a lot of sap?

Continue reading »

Tags: , ,

Friday, December 9, 2011

Between the sheets: top 10 most provocative books out this December

Posted by Shawn Alff on Fri, Dec 9, 2011 at 11:23 AM

The-Scientific-American-Book-of-Love-Sex-and-the-Brain-Scientific-American.jpg
The Scientific American Book of Love, Sex and the Brain: The Neuroscience of How, When, Why and Who We Love by Judith Horstman. Released 12/27/2011.

Publisher's Description: Who do we love? Who loves us? And why? Why does some love die while other love lasts? Is it really a mystery—or can the latest neuroscience shed some light on how, why, and whom our brains love? Horstman takes us on a tour of the brain and our many kinds of love—the whole smorgasbord of emotions, including the love of parent and child, the affectionate love of companionship, the passion of erotic love, the role of animals in our lives, and the love of God. She explains why love is good for our brains, how we're hardwired to crave the companionship of others—and how badly things can go without love.

Continue reading »

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Thursday, December 8, 2011

A man, a horse and a girl: Rode offers a new take on an old classic

Posted by Mark James on Thu, Dec 8, 2011 at 12:10 AM

Music has long provided inspiration, and the Jimmy Driftwood song, "The Tennessee Stud," has inspired the likes of Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, and Doc Watson, who each offered their own version. The song provides a different sort of inspiration for Thomas Fox Averill, who uses it as the basis of his recently published novel, Rode (University of New Mexico Press, $24.95).

"The Tennessee Stud" is a classic Americana, folk, country, or whatever hole you want to stick it in, and it's a bold step to appropriate a classic for other purposes. It better be good if you're going to do it. Francis Ford Coppola succeeded with the movie Apocalypse Now, which was loosely based on the Joseph Conrad novella, Heart of Darkness. Coppola used sweeping, lush cinematography to create his own, unique version of the tale. Averill uses similar literary devices to create a landscape and historical era in establishing his unique version of this musical standard.

rode.jpg

The lyrics of "The Tennessee Stud" tell the story of a man who has to leave in a hurry after crossing his girlfriend's father. He meets all manner of trouble, from Indians to cheating gamblers, but vanquishes all, and ends up back in Tennessee to "whup" his girlfriend's Pa and claim his girl. That's a lot of action packed into a little over three minutes, but one of the peculiarities, and one of the attractions, of a song is not what is revealed, but what is left to the listener’s imagination.

All we really know of the hero is that he loves his horse and he loves his girl; the man with no name becomes almost mythical as he rides across the frontier in omnipotent anonymity. The listener gets to fill in the blanks in an affair that results in the development of a relationship between listener and song, if the song is any good that is. Fiction takes care of a good deal of that for us. Averill provides a name, face, and a breadth of emotion that both exceeds and deviates from the character in the song.

Continue reading »

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Search Events

Recent Comments

© 2012 SouthComm, Inc.