Memoir: How Writers Screw Up and Publishing's Tricks & Taboos. “The Killing of an Author” is a true story--of a small-town Indian dreamer who meets some of the most powerful people in the literary universe. The book is set mainly in New York, and partly in London and New Delhi. With cameo appearances by literary and publishing stars, and a relentless storytelling pace, this book has an element of literary thriller to it, one climactic moment being when the world's most powerful editor tells the author, "Remarkable ... I must admit I have been haunted by your novel!" and another when Saul Bellow's agent tells the author, "I can see this as a movie!" "What comes out is his integrity. Not many people about whom you can say this. If Richard succeeds, we shall all succeed."--Kuldip Nayar, eminent Indian author/editor/statesman. "Crasta has a sense of humour which he maintains from the start to the end. Funny, sad, and eye-opening. . .Dares to be different. We need more writers like him." --The Deccan Chronicle "You are funny and delightful . . . and nowhere are you too heavy to carry. I've never read anyone like you. I laugh, I ache, I smile, I cry - but never close the book without that smile surfacing."--Sheelagh Grenon, Canada "More than a book . . . an act of bravery."--Lulu Review Keywords: publishing, publishing memoir, New York publishers, British publishers, Penguin Books, Fourth Estate, Writers, Publishing Taboos, Writers, Author Biographies, Author Memoirs, How to Succeed, Race and Publishing.

John Baptist Crasta's only mistake was to be in the wrong place at the wrong time--Singapore, when the Japanese invaded--and to be a man of rectitude and courage. His memoir tells of his miraculous survival through 3.5 years as a POW of the Japanese. The memoir itself miraculously survives 51 years until it is published by his son, just before his death!

What if a child, asked to go the f**k to sleep by its father, could respond in adult language? What if 5000 Indian yogis simultaneously dropped hot coffee on their laps in 5000 McDonalds to balance India's budget? How about selling used nukes to help balance the budget deficit? By the father of 3 boys and one Inner Brat that refuses to go to sleep or to grow up, this broad anthology of humor is his bestselling e-book. "Pythonesque," silly, and sophisticated at the same time, according to reviewers. I WILL NOT GO THE F**K TO SLEEP is an anytime book for adults who refuse to grow up or to go to sleep in this unreal and wacky world of jet-setting yogis, retired nukes, and presidents named Bush. Profane, compassionate, wickedly funny at times, it captures a world and a humor that is fresh, subversive, and often thought-provoking. You probably should not read it to your children under 15; but don’t be surprised if they decide to read it to you. "Hysterical and informative. For the rebel in you. Great style and humor"--Linda J. Lundy, 5-star review This edition restores the ORIGINAL cover which was so popular with readers.

Are beauty queens un-Indian? Is the sudden boom in sex in India, which seems to have woken up from centuries of erotic suppression, limited only to a few lucky urban dwellers? This collection of comic and serious essays by the author of the acclaimed novel The Revised Kama Sutra was originally published by HarperCollins, and comments on diverse subjects, from India's sexual confusion and schizophrenia to the colonization of the Indian mind. Making a passionate case for true freedom for Indians and writers of Indian origin, he also discusses his status as an Indian citizen living abroad and a writer's ultimate loyalty to the truth. The book also includes a comical, part-fantastic report of his meeting with Sushmita Sen, the future Bollywood actress and Miss Universe, and a real interview with the late Indian author and institution, Khushwant Singh. "Biting, cynical . . . zany sense of humour."-India Today. "Sparkling . . racy yet refined."--Indian Express. Search terms and keywords: literature, essays, political satire, social satire, humor, Indian writers, Indian writing, beauty contests, Miss Univese

From bestselling, Printz Award-winning author Libba Bray, the story of a plane of beauty pageant contestants that crashes on a desert island.Teen beauty queens. A "Lost"-like island. Mysteries and dangers. No access to emall. And the spirit of fierce, feral competition that lives underground in girls, a savage brutality that can only be revealed by a journey into the heart of non-exfoliated darkness. Oh, the horror, the horror! Only funnier. With evening gowns. And a body count.

This novel, an Indian sensation, describes a young man's growing up and coming to grips with sexuality with delicious and often-hilarious detail, but it is about much more: political, ironic, and "an indictment of colonialism" (The Hindu). This comic novel of childhood, coming of age, of modern Indian manhood, and an American Dream was described as "humorous and manic" by The Independent of London, and as personifying "the post-Independence Indian male." It has also been adapted for the stage and played to many standing room only audiences. "Hilarious."--Time Out. "Indefatigable good humor, charm"--Publishers Weekly. "A comic timing never seen in any Indian novel to date."--The Indian Express "Should be a recognized classic. An Indian Catcher in the Rye"--Mark Ledbetter, Author and Professor of Linguistics Keywords: Coming of Age, Indian novel, Contemporary India, Indian society, the Male Experience, Literary Fiction, Sexual Repression, Indian Christians, Indian Catholics, Konkani language, Indian Comic Novel, Politically Incorrect, Men and Women, American Dream, Immigrant American Writers, Asian writers, Asian-American fiction