Confessions of a Failed Southern Lady is Florence King's classic memoir of her upbringing in an eccentric Southern family, told with all the uproarious wit and gusto that has made her one of the most admired writers in the country. Florence may have been a disappointment to her Granny, whose dream of rearing a Perfect Southern Lady would never be quite fulfilled. But after all, as Florence reminds us, "no matter which sex I went to bed with, I never smoked on the street."

GIFT LOCAL 11-15-2002 $13.95.

'A marvel of storytelling and a masterclass in the history of the book' WALL STREET JOURNAL The Renaissance in Florence conjures images of beautiful frescoes and elegant buildings - the dazzling handiwork of the city's artists and architects. But equally important were geniuses of another kind: Florence's manuscript hunters, scribes, scholars and booksellers. At a time where all books were made by hand, these people helped imagine a new and enlightened world. At the heart of this activity was a remarkable bookseller: Vespasiano da Bisticci. His books were works of art in their own right, copied by talented scribes and illuminated by the finest miniaturists. With a client list that included popes and royalty, Vespasiano became the 'king of the world's booksellers'. But by 1480 a new invention had appeared: the printed book, and Europe's most prolific merchant of knowledge faced a formidable new challenge. 'A spectacular life of the book trade's Renaissance man' JOHN CAREY, SUNDAY TIMES

Looking for guidance in understanding the ways and means of Southern culture? Look no further. Florence King's celebrated field guide to the land below the Mason-Dixon Line is now blissfully back in print, just in time for the Clinton era. The Failed Souther Lady's classic primer on Dixie manners captures such storied types as the Southern Woman (frigid, passionate, sweet, bitchy, and scatterbrained--all at the same time), the Self-Rejuvenating Virgin, and the Good Ole Boy in all his coats and stripes. (The Clinton questions--is he a G.O.B. or isn't he?--Miss king covers in her hilarious new Afterword.) No one has ever made more sharp, scathing, affectionate, real sense out of the land of the endless Civil War than Florence King in these razor-edged pages.

Great writing is timeless, and so it is with Deja Reviews, Fifteen years later, five years, no matter how old her review, no matter how dated the topic of an essay, readers of this hearty collection will find that Miss Florence King's sharp, crafted prose still dazzles, sizzles, and edures, which is why she finds herself in the exclusive company of great American writers and humorists, such as Dorothy Parker, H. L. Mencken, and Westbrook Pegler, renowned for not suffering fools gladly. Deja Reviews is a compilation of the book reviews and essays Miss King wrote between 1991 and 2002 for National Review and The American Spectator, It is a joy--a duty! a service!--to republish these treasured pieces...

The unreconstructed people-hater offers her piece de resistance: a guided tour of the misanthropic life, and an inspirational handbook for Americans grown tired of goo-goo humanitarianism and sensitivity that never sleeps. The only trouble with this book is that its covers are too close together.--The New York Times.

An earthquake and tidal wave sweep John Dollar, Charlotte, and her pupils into the violent sea. They come to consciousness on the beach huddled around a paralyzed John Dollar.

Lump It or Leave It, Florence King's latest volume of rapier-edged contemplations on American tomfoolery--er, values--takes on everything from the hazards of fame to the joys of menopause, with all of the bile and brio that has made her the nation's most beloved misanthrope. From college professors ("incapable of earning a living with either their minds or their hands") to the South ("if at first you don't secede, try, try, again") to the U.S. government ("the crude leading the crud"), few fools remain unskewered by the reigning Queen of Spleen.

A collection of Florence King's columns, previously published in "National Review" from 2007-2012. Toipcs range from political to literary to grammatical, with a satirical bent.--Publisher.

In this collection of essays, King surveys the wide spectrum of American foolishness, leaving few sacred cows ungored. Her subjects include "helpism", education, feminist literature, and America's most fundamental principle, "Democrazy". The Washington Post calls Florence King "a Southern spinster who doesn't suffer fools gladly and likes to see fools suffer".