Patrick Sanchez's wickedly funny debut novel, GIRLFRIENDS, shimmied off the shelves and brought him an instant legion of fans. Now, in THE WAY IT IS, he introduces three thirty-something roommates with insatiable appetites for life, love, and anything deep-fried in this delicious, delirious celebration of women whose hearts are as big as their hips. . . When The Chips Are Down, These Girls Bring The Dip Livin' large has never gotten Ruby Waters what she wants in life. Overweight and addicted to every fad diet on the planet, Ruby's sure that the only thing that stands between her and the good life are those extra pounds she can't seem to shed. But when a girl's stuck caring for an annoying ex-husband, an impossibly critical mother, and the world's most psychotic, incontinent Chihuahua, her best friend is a dozen doughnuts and a can of whipped topping. She'll starve herself tomorrow, and soon, she just might have the courage to go after what she really wants. . .the hunky coworker with the bod of steel. . . Fat is where it's at, honey. That's plus-sized model Wanda Johnson's motto. The larger-than-life African-American goddess may top the scales, but there are plenty of men begging for her phone number. The only thing standing between Wanda and fashion fame is another model who wants what Wanda has and would do anything--that's anything--to get it. . . Simone Reyes, D.C.'s most famous Latina, certainly goes after what she wants--and it's usually ripped with muscles and under thirty. As the city's sexiest anchorwoman, the glamorous, svelte Simone doesn't have time to mess with commitment. She's too focused on making it all the way to the top. . .while protecting a secret that could blow the lid off her whole fraudulent life. . . In the nation's capitol, where the drinks are cold and so is the competition, these three roomies are joining forces, battling their way through a maze of Chubby Chaser web sites, scam diet centers, outrageous fantasies, romantic entanglements, power shopping, and plus-size fashion shows. . .because when life throws you a few curves, it's best to show them off! Patrick Sanchez is a native Washingtonian, having grown up in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. He is a graduate of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia and has been a professional writer for several years. He currently lives in Arlington, Virginia. He is also the author of Girlfriends, and is currently working on his next novel.

Ever since Newton Minow taught us sophisticates to bemoan the descent of television into a vast wasteland, the dyspeptic chorus of jeremiahs who insist that television news in particular has gone from gold to dross gets noisier and noisier. Charles Ponce de Leon says here, in effect, that this is misleading, if not simply fatuous. He argues in this well-paced, lively, readable book that TV news has changed in response to broader changes in the TV industry and American culture. It is pointless to bewail its decline. "That s the Way It Is "gives us the very first history of American television news, spanning more than six decades, from Camel News Caravan to Countdown with Keith Oberman and The Daily Show. Starting in the latter 1940s, television news featured a succession of broadcasters who became household names, even presences: Eric Sevareid, Walter Cronkite, David Brinkley, Peter Jennings, Brian Williams, Katie Couric, and, with cable expansion, people like Glenn Beck, Jon Stewart, and Bill O Reilly. But behind the scenes, the parallel story is just as interesting, involving executives, producers, and journalists who were responsible for the field s most important innovations. Included with mainstream network news programs is an engaging treatment of news magazines like "60 Minutes" and "20/20, " as well as morning news shows like "Today" and "Good Morning America." Ponce de Leon gives ample attention to the establishment of cable networks (CNN, and the later competitors, Fox News and MSNBC), mixing in colorful anecdotes about the likes of Roger Ailes and Roone Arledge. Frothy features and other kinds of entertainment have been part and parcel of TV news from the start; viewer preferences have always played a role in the evolution of programming, although the disintegration of a national culture since the 1970s means that most of us no longer follow the news as a civic obligation. Throughout, Ponce de Leon places his history in a broader cultural context, emphasizing tensions between the public service mission of TV news and the quest for profitability and broad appeal."

A collection of poems by twentieth-century American poet William Stafford, featuring unpublished works from his last year of life, including the poem he wrote the day he died, and providing selections drawn from throughout his career, from the 1960s through the 1990s.

Greg Curnoe is one of the most adventurous and exciting Canadian artists of the second half of the twentieth century. In a series of vividly coloured works he found a multitude of ways to construct an autobiography that, contrary to establishment ideas of his time, obliterates the boundary between art and artist.

THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO help and assist those seeking to get through the miasma of false light and the many pandering ways and forms in which it presents itself. To alert you of the dangers and pitfalls, and the clever guises used to with-hold the information that has been kept to dis-empower you and hence veil the truth with the mist of Illusion via the hooking tool of Glamour and the fearful might of Maya.

It's the 1960s -- the time for equal rights, peace, and love. But for Ellen Manery, it's the time to work hard and finish high school early. She'd rather be helping out at the university's medical lab than listening to rock and roll and hanging out with the kids at her high school. Isolated and driven, Ellen feels like she was born an outsider. And what if you live in a small town, where change is slow in coming? Tony Paul knows what it's like to be on the outside. Living on an Indian reserve near a small town, he goes to the local high school, but his heritage and the color of his skin stand him apart. Ellen and Tony meet when Ellen's parents decide to leave city life behind and move to the town. Right away, they are drawn to each other's difference. Used to being on their own in high school, together they find a happiness and strength that allow them to face the sexism and prejudice around them. But can Ellen and Tony be more than friends? Are they right to think that a girl can study science and become a doctor, and that an Indian boy can go to college? Together they'll find out.