A collection mimicking the great writers of literary history, with each writer's name rearranged as a title, creating the subject for a parody rendered in the author's style.

A witty collection of poetry and prose satirizing the great poets and playwrights of literary history, with a twist: each writer's name is rearranged in an anagram as a title of the new "work," creating the subject for a parody rendered in the writer's style. A devilishly clever collection of poetry and prose satirizing the great poets and playwrights of literary history, from Shakespeare, Chaucer, and Bashō; to Oscar Wilde, Edgar Allen Poe, and Emily Dickinson; to Sylvia Plath, e. e. cummings, and Maya Angelou. But there's a twist: Each writer's name is rearranged in an anagram as a title of the new "work," creating the subject for a parody rendered in the author's style, riffing on everything from the IRS to Star Wars. Features astute caricatures by renowned cartoonist Richard Thompson (1957-2016), whose syndicated comic strips Cul de Sac and Richard's Poor Almanac appeared in TheWashington Post, and who also illustrated for TheNew Yorker, TheAtlantic Monthly, and many others.

Richard's Poor Almanac, inspired by seven years of weekly contributions to the Washington Post, is Richard Thompson's omnium-gatherum of seasoned observations for all seasons -- indoors and out. Like the almanac we've all come to know and ignore, Richard's Poor Almanac is an annual compendium of weathered wisdom rendered in the more palatable form of cartooning.

Chronicles loud music from its colicky infancy and troubled adolescence smack into its midlife crisis and beyond.

Why do word puzzles fascinate us? How do they help develop problem-solving skills? How do they teach us about geography, literature, sports, and popular culture? How are they an international language? Jonathan Berkowitz offers a brief history of wordplay, with insights into puzzles and the brain. He offers tips on how to solve puzzles and explains the educational value of puzzles. Challenges in the form of rebuses, anagrams, codes and cryptograms, crosswords, and wordplay with numbers supply even more fun! The Whirl of Words is a unique, rich, and intriguing tour of a wide variety of word puzzles certain to stimulate a brain work-out.

From Square One is Dean Olsher's captivating and in-depth exploration of the cultural history, psychology, and even metaphysics of crosswords -- their promise of a world without chaos and uncertainty. It is often repeated that more than 50 million Americans do crossword puzzles on a regular basis. Skeptical of that claim, Dean Olsher does his own research and finds that the number is nearly dead-on. Filled with lively, original reporting, From Square One disputes the widely held belief that solving crosswords helps prevent Alzheimer's; in fact, the drive to fill in empty spaces is more likely a mental illness than a cure. While "puzzle addiction" is usually meant as a lighthearted metaphor, the term contains more than a nugget of truth. Olsher looks into the origins and traditions of this popular pastime, which made its debut in a New York newspaper in 1913. Or did it? Along the way, he takes readers inside the making of a crossword. He also revives the quest of musical-theater legend and puzzle constructor Stephen Sondheim to find an American audience for a British crossword style that demands a love of verbal playfulness over knowledge of arcane trivia. Informative, engaging, and often surprising, From Square One is a unique and enjoyable read for puzzlers and nonpuzzlers alike.

A pot roast left unguarded. An open bedroom door. An ill-timed squat. Dogs seem to have impeccable timing. Yet how quickly calamity turns to comedy in the company of a dog, and the wrong moment turns out to be just the right one. In this delightful follow-up to Dog Is My Co-Pilot, which won the Best Book of the Year award from the Dog Writers Association of America, the editors of The Bark bring together more stories, essays, and artwork that highlight the hilarity of dog behavior and the comical interactions between dog people and their four-legged friends. From playful puppies who wreak havoc in the home to dogs with a whole array of comic shticks and tricks, Howl celebrates the verve and the laughs pets offer their people. It includes laugh-out-loud reflections (and confessions), rib-tickling tales, and whimsical vignettes from well-known writers such as: • Dave Barry • Margaret Cho • Al Franken • Kinky Friedman • Pam Houston • Haven Kimmel • Neal Pollack • And many more!