The Queer Fantasies of the American Family Sitcom examines the evasive depictions of sexuality in domestic and family-friendly sitcoms. Tison Pugh charts the history of increasing sexual depiction in this genre while also unpacking how sitcoms use sexuality as a source of power, as a kind of camouflage, and as a foundation for family building. The book examines how queerness, at first latent, became a vibrant yet continually conflicted part of the family-sitcom tradition. Taking into account elements such as the casting of child actors, the use of and experimentation with plot traditions, the contradictory interpretive valences of comedy, and the subtle subversions of moral standards by writers and directors, Pugh points out how innocence and sexuality conflict on television. As older sitcoms often sit on a pedestal of nostalgia as representative of the Golden Age of the American Family, television history reveals a deeper, queerer vision of family bonds.

In this new early reader story, Manny and the tools are visiting yard sales around town. Pat gets sleepy and decides to take a quick nap in a tool box, and ends up being sold! Join Manny and the rest of the tools as they race around town to find their lost friend. Young children will learn to read both English and Spanish words in this new early reader. Handy Manny features the humorous adventures of Manny Garcia, the best darn handyman in his diverse community. Manny and his eclectic group of talking tools work together to fix objects, help neighbors, and show preschoolers how to conquer everyday problems.

The appeal of the banjo has been shown to be timeless and universal---adaptable to almost any form of popular music. It was one of just a few instruments that could be faithfully reproduced in the early days of sound recording, and its recording history dates back to 1889. Heier documents that history on cylinders and 78-rpm disks in the pre-LP era ending in the mid-1950s. The book offers a comprehensive compilation of all such recordings on which the banjo plays a solo role or dominant part. Organized by performer or performing group, the recordings are listed chronologically with location, date, matrix number, and take-digit as available, as well as manufacturer and catalog number. Biographical information on the banjoist is provided wherever possible, and all performers anywhere in the world known to have recorded any type of music on banjo are included even if no data on the actual disks is available. Introduced in a foreword by British discographer Brian Rust, the discography also includes a narrative account of the banjo in phonograph recording history by Lowell Schreyer and an essay on the history of the banjo itself by Robert Lloyd Webb. In addition to the discography proper, the editors have provided a preface, A Quick Look at the Banjo Family, identifying the instruments; an extensive bibliography of sources; an index of all tune titles; and reproductions of 92 recording labels. These elements all combine to make this volume a true discopedia of the banjo.

"I'd rather have one or two of his whiplashing essays in my hands than almost any tome of philosophy". -- Thomas Moore

All the stuffed toys at the store try to help Corduroy find his missing button so that he can find a home.

Straight out of his beloved Twitter feed @RockCriticLaw, acclaimed rock journalist and author of the classic books Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana and Our Band Could Be Your Life, Michael Azerrad turns his trenchant eye to the art of rock writing itself, hilariously skewering 101 of the genre’s seemingly endless litany of hackneyed phrases and tropes. One of the finest music writers today, Michael Azerrad has catalogued the shortcuts, lazy metaphors and uninspired prose that so many of his beloved colleagues all too regularly rely on to fill column inches. In 2014, he began his wickedly droll Twitter feed @RockCriticLaw to expose and make fun of this word-hash. Now, he consolidates these "Laws" into one witty, comprehensive and fully illustrated volume. Rock Critic Law includes timeless gems such as: If a band pioneered something, you must say they are "seminal." That is the Seminal Law of Rock Criticism. If a recording features densely layered guitars, then you MUST use the phrase "sonic cathedrals." Even when it’s easy to find out with research, by all means ask a band how they got their name. Please feel free to deny an artist’s individuality and say they are "the new [x]." If two guitars play a melodic line in harmony, you MUST say they are "twin lead guitars." All 101 Rock Critic Laws are accompanied by original illustrations from Ed Fotheringham, beloved Seattle scenester and highly regarded artist who has created album covers for everyone from, well, seminal grunge band Mudhoney to iconic jazz label Verve Records, as well as illustrations for TheAtlantic, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker and more, making this book a must-have for music lovers everywhere. A unique appreciation of music writing from one of its own, Rock Critic Law irreverently captures all the passion and furor of fandom.