A balance of dark humor and a devastatingly sorrowful tone illumines the human condition in these elegiac poems. Appointed the first poet laureate of Missouri in 2008, Walter Bargen writes about humanity with a candidly chilling and... Read More

Allred’s eloquent word portraits capture each character’s own brand of quirkines. "A Simplified Map of the Real World" is a near-flawless first book that delights with its colorful portrayals of loggers, farmers, families, and even... Read More

McDermott’s rare talent for conveying a crisp image of a scene shines in this collection of fresh, tightly woven stories. Courtney McDermott’s collection of short stories, "How They Spend Their Sundays", is like a Whitman’s Sampler... Read More

The one-of-a-kind illustrations and exotic setting of this adventure emphasize subtle messages about death and intuition. Featuring unique, multi-patterned graphic illustrations produced in part by middle-school students, "The Eyes of... Read More

Deserving of readers’ interest and sympathy, these two girls transform miraculously under the gifted hand of Joanna Higgins. In Joanna Higgins’ first novel for young readers, "Waiting for the Queen", thoughtfully created and dynamic... Read More

This gangster novel is breathlessly paced and populated with priceless characters. “I’ve seen dead bodies. You can’t be even partially Irish without chalking up some more wakes than weddings.” So explains the hero of John F.... Read More

Access to the spirit world brings a refreshing angle to the detective genre. "In the Moors" cheerfully follows the sensual and independent Sabbie Dare into the markets and boot sales of Bridgwater, the wetlands of Somerset, and the... Read More

This exceptional collection takes readers on an illuminating road trip encompassing the scope of modern American pop culture. One thing that the new anthology, "Glitter and Mayhem", will never stand accused of is subtlety. Not that... Read More