This book was first published nearly two decades ago in 1994. At that time, it was deemed politic to use a pseudonym, Geo Brandon, for the author's name. The objective of the book was, and still is, to highlight some of the vulgarities in which life abounds, and to suggest that there are humorous paths through them. Time has not changed any of this, but it has given courage to the author to no longer feel the need for the protection of camouflage. There has not been much change to the text in this most recently published edition, and the stories remain as titillating and outlandish as they were originally conceived.

Enigmatic and explosive, Irving Layton was indisputably one of this country's most controversial literary figures. His flamboyant style and outspokenness won him friends and enemies. His visceral and lyrical poetry earned him reverence and international acclaim. In Waiting for the Messiah, first published in 1985, Layton writes openly about his life and the discordant impulses that shaped him into the provocative poet and personality that he became. With the vitality, passion, and intimacy that characterizes his verse, his memoir -- covering the years between 1912 and 1946 -- sheds welcome light on Irving Layton's public persona, and gives further substance to one of the most impressive bodies of work in Canadian poetry. His self-portrait teems with insight and energy, and paints a picture of a colourful life, from its beginnings in Montreal's Jewish ghetto. As a high-spirited, life-loving, and sensual boy, he reacted against anti-Semitism and poverty that surrounded him, rejecting his parents' values and orthodox beliefs. He battled his way through an educational system that provided no outlet for his imagination. Layton's "crazy need for experience" drove him to embrace or challenge all that he encountered, and he recounts his first experiences with sex and death, his associations with literary friends and rivals, his relationships with women. Equally compelling is his description of Montreal in the forties as a city crackling with literary and political energies. It was in the ferment of this milieu that Layton ripened as a poet In Waiting for the Messiah, Layton unleashes his sparkling prose style. He is bold and revealing, scathing and witty. The result is a rich and entertaining memoir of a life which as "commuted daily between heaven and hell" and produced poems which have made a lasting contribution to Canadian literature.

John Chilton has gained an international reputation as a jazz biographer, having written acclaimed books on Sidney Bechet, Billie Holiday, Coleman Hawkins, Bob Crosby, Louis Jordan, Henry 'Red' Allen and Roy Eldridge. His lively autobiography not only reveals the fascinating background to his jazz researches but also shines a bright light on his many years as a professional jazz musician. For thirty years he led the Feetwarmers backing singer George Melly, sharing escapades that took them all over the world. Before working with George, he was in Bruce Turner's Jump Band and also led the Swing Kings which backed many visiting American jazz stars. He has dedicated his life to jazz, both as a player and as an author - in 2000 he was voted 'Jazz Writer of the Year' - and his story is full of anecdotes and revelations about the many British and American musicians he has known. George Melly has described him as 'an anecdotalist of genius'.

A rollicking and ambitious novel that follows two filmmakers on an unlikely journey, while exploring the complexities of race, class, sexuality, and success in early twentieth century America. In the summer of 1928, twin brothers Micah and Izzy Grand are at the pinnacle of their movie-making careers. From their roots as sons of Brooklyn immigrants, they have risen to become kings of silent comedy--with the brash, bloviating Micah directing and calling the shots, while his retreating brother skillfully works behind the lens. But when Micah’s penchant for gambling, and his interracial affair with Rose, a sharp-witted, light-skinned black woman from Harlem, combine to threaten his livelihood and his life, he finds himself in need of a quick escape. As the ascent of the talkies looms on the horizon, the brothers’ producer offers them an opportunity that couldn’t be better timed: travel to Africa to compile stock footage of the exotic locales, as well as filming a new comedy in the jungle. Together with an unlikely crew of producers, stars and hangers-on, the Grands set out for Malwiki, where among the tribesmen they each discover unforeseen truths about themselves, their lovers, and the meaning of the movies. Moving from the piers of Coney Island to Africa’s veld, and further to the glitter of early Hollywood, O, Africa! is an epic tale of self-discovery, the constraints of history and prejudice, and the stubborn resolve of family and friendship in the face of tragedy.

This book will tell all you need to know about British English spelling. It's a reference work intended for anyone interested in the English language, especially those who teach it, whatever the age or mother tongue of their students. It will be particularly useful to those wishing to produce well-designed materials for teaching initial literacy via phonics, for teaching English as a foreign or second language, and for teacher training. English spelling is notoriously complicated and difficult to learn; it is correctly described as much less regular and predictable than any other alphabetic orthography. However, there is more regularity in the English spelling system than is generally appreciated. This book provides, for the first time, a thorough account of the whole complex system. It does so by describing how phonemes relate to graphemes and vice versa. It enables searches for particular words, so that one can easily find, not the meanings or pronunciations of words, but the other words with which those with unusual phoneme-grapheme/grapheme-phoneme correspondences keep company. Other unique features of this book include teacher-friendly lists of correspondences and various regularities not described by previous authorities, for example the strong tendency for the letter-name vowel phonemes (the names of the letters ) to be spelt with those single letters in non-final syllables.

An award-winning historian surveys the astonishing cast of characters who helped turn Manhattan into the world capital of commerce, communication and entertainment --

Surprising historical documents--such as a treatise on the difficulties of sex with the Devil--are interspersed with written reflections on sex and love by famous artists, statesmen, and saints. $40,000 ad/promo. Tour.

From Flag Day parades to Cold War duck-and-cover drills, "Atomic Farmgirl" chronicles a peculiar coming of age for a young girl and her community, whose way of life--and livelihood--are gradually threatened by the dispersions of nuclear waste. Includes a new Foreword and Epilogue by the author.