Jason McBride

The first full-scale authorized biography of the pioneering experimental novelist Kathy Acker, one of the most original and controversial figures in 20th-century American literature. Kathy Acker (1947–1997) was a rare and almost inconceivable thing: a celebrity experimental writer. Twenty-five years after her death, she remains one of the most original, shocking, and controversial artists of her era. The author of visionary, transgressive novels like Blood and Guts in High School; Empire of the Senses; and Pussy, King of Pirates, Acker wrote obsessively about the treachery of love, the limitations of language, and the possibility of revolution. She was notorious for her methods—collaging together texts stolen from other writers with her own diaries, sexual fantasies, and blunt political critiques—as well as her appearance. With her punkish hairstyles, tattoos, and couture outfits she looked like no other writer before or after. Her work was exceptionally prescient, taking up complicated conversations about gender, sex, capitalism, and colonialism that continue today. Acker’s life was as unruly and radical as her writing. Raised in a privileged but oppressive Upper East Side Jewish family, she turned her back on that world as soon as she could, seeking a life of romantic and intellectual adventure that led her to, and through, many of the most thrilling avant-garde and countercultural moments in America: the births of conceptual art and experimental music; the poetry wars of the 60s and 70s; the mainstreaming of hardcore porn; No Wave cinema and New Narrative writing; Riot grrls, biker chicks, cyberpunks. As this definitive biography shows, Acker was not just a singular writer, she was also a titanic cultural force who tied together disparate movements in literature, art, music, theatre, and film. A feat of literary biography, Eat Your Mind is the first full-scale, authorized life of Acker. Drawing on exclusive interviews with hundreds of Acker’s intimates as well as her private journals, correspondence, and early drafts of her work, acclaimed journalist and critic Jason McBride offers a thrilling account and a long overdue reassessment of a misunderstood genius and revolutionary artist.

The Radical Life and Work of Kathy Acker

Eat Your Mind

Taking Haiku Places It Was Never Meant To Go A Warped and Twisted Take on Pirates If you love short 17-syllable poems about nature and the sublime this book is not for you. But, if you enjoy dark humor and have an affinity for pirates, you need this book. This collection of over 400 poems delves into every aspect of what it means to be a pirate. The book is divided into ten chapters, each with a different pirate theme. Inside you will discover haiku about: Job ads for pirates Pirate secrets Pirate obituaries Pirate love letters Pain and punishment The daily life of a pirate Interesting pirate facts Even more interesting pirate lies Pirate captain's handbook Pirate black market newspaper ads The haiku in this book are funny, dark, and occasionally in bad taste. But, they are never boring. Author Jason McBride prides himself on being able to write haiku on just about any topic. In this first book of the Twisted Haiku Series he takes the ancient Japanese poetry form and throws out the rulebook. Each haiku still has the familiar 5-7-5 syllable pattern, but these poems are anything but traditional. If you want to read haiku about torture, gunpowder, the dangers of snoring on a pirate ship, and much more, you can now get Pirate Haiku for less than a cup of coffee. What Are You Waiting For? Get Your Copy Right Now!

Pirate Haiku

Alana Wilcox

Since the election of Mayor David Miller in November 2003, Toronto has experienced a wave of civic pride and enthusiasm not felt in decades. At long last, Torontonians see their city as a place of possibility and potential. Visions of a truly workable, liveable and world-class city are once again dancing in citizens’ heads. In the past two years, this spirit has, directly or indirectly, manifested itself in multifarious forms: in writer Sheila Heti’s sui generis lecture series, Trampoline Hall; in the transformation of derelict hotels such as the Drake and the Gladstone into cultural hotspots; in renewed interest in waterfront revitalization and public transportation; in exciting, controversial architectural developments such as the OCAD building, the expansion of the ROM and the AGO; in the [murmur] project, which catalogues stories about Toronto neighbourhoods and broadcasts them to people’s cell phones; in the explosion of the local independent music scene. uTOpia aims to capture and chronicle that spirit, collecting writing by many of the people inspired by and involved in these projects. Featuring passionate, visionary essays by thirty-four different journalists, artists, thinkers, architects and activists, uTOpia is a compendium of ideas, opinions and strategies. The anthology explores plans to redevelop the Island airport into a Ward’s Island-style community; how the Zeidler family is energizing artist-run centres; what a car-free Kensington Market might mean; the necessity and beauty of laneway housing; the way past efforts to combat devastating developments like the Spadina Expressway have shaped current activism; what a utopian Toronto might look like mapped out; and much, much more. Playful, erudite and accessible, uTOpia writes Toronto as it is shared and created by the people who live here. Though it is by no means a complete picture of what is happening in the city right now, it will hopefully show that what was once just a T-shirt slogan – I Heart T.O. – is now genuine, heartfelt sentiment. Contributors include Howard Akler, Andrew Alfred-Duggan, Jacob Allderdice, Bert Archer, James Bow, Nicole Cohen, Jonny Dovercourt, Dale Duncan, Philip Evans, Mark Fram, Misha Glouberman, Chris Hardwicke, Sheila Heti, Alfred Holden, Luis Jacob, Lorraine Johnson, Edward Keenan, Mark Kingwell, John Lorinc, Sally McKay, Heather McLean, Dave Meslin, Shawn Micallef, Derek Murr, Ninjalicious, Darren O’Donnell, Planning Action, Barbara Rahder, Dylan Reid, Erik Rutherford, Jeffrey Stinson, Deanne Taylor, Conan Tobias, Stéphanie Verge, Adam Vaughan and Marlena Zuber.

Towards a New Toronto

UTOpia

Looking for a Chilling Read? Horror Haiku Will Make You Want to Sleep With the Lights On This poetry collection is not for the faint of heart. Inside you will find both ferocious creatures and human monsters. You will discover new phobias. Reading this haiku may give you the sensation that the walls on closing in, that your house is full of sinister, unexplained noises, and that the spider you lost track of is in your bed. Proceed at your own risk. Jason McBride is a weird poet and author of Pirate Haiku. Horror Haiku has over 500 poems that explore the dark side of life, while always leaving at least a glimmer of hope. Each poem is like a mini horror story. Horror Haiku is part poetry and part flash fiction. As one fan put it: "Jason's work is wonderfully disturbing." Get Your Copy of Horror Haiku Right Now!

Jason McBride

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