The dreaded feast : writers on enduring the holidays / edited by Michele Clarke and Taylor Plimpton ; introduction by P.J. O'Rourke.
Material type:
TextPublication details: New York : Abrams Image, c2009.Description: 208 p. ; 20 cmISBN: - 081098265X (hbk.)
- 9780810982659 (hbk.)
| Item type | Home library | Collection | Call number | Materials specified | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item holds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adult Book
|
Dr. James Carlson Library | NonFiction | 394.2663 D771 | Checked out | 05/05/2024 | 33111006061093 |
Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
The Dreaded Feast will act as a balm for the millions of people who face Christmastime with a mixture of dread and obligation. Whether it's the last-minute shopping, the unappealing office party, or the prospect of more than 24 hours with family, it's never easy. The anthology, which includes fiction, nonfiction, and poetry on these and many more related subjects, deflates the notion of the "perfect" holiday season, and allows the reader to commiserate and bask in the glow of a little dark, neurotic, and unflinchingly honest humor.
The star roster of contributors includes Jonathan Ames, Dave Barry, Robert Benchley, Charles Bukowski, Augusten Burroughs, Billy Collins, Greg Kotis, Lewis Lapham, Jay McInerney, Fiona Maazel, George Plimpton, David Rakoff, David Sedaris, Charles Simic, Hunter S. Thompson, James Thurber, Calvin Trillin, and John Waters.
Praise for The Dreaded Feast:
"A wonderfully irreverent look at the holidays. A must for the Christmas cynic on your list."
- USA Today
One of USA Today's 2009 "12 Books of Christmas"
"If you embrace the darker side of Christmas, then this is definitely the book for you."
-Chicago Sun-Times
"Thank the 'X' in 'Xmas' for The Dreaded Feast , [which] collects essays, short stories, and poetry that attack Hallmark holidays with all the neurotic humor one expects from contributors like Jonathan Ames, Fiona Maazel, and Calvin Trillin."
- The New Yorker
"Amid the twinkly decorations, dancing sugar plums, and ubiquitous holiday cheer, a bracing dose of dark humor might be nice, don't you think? For book lovers, we're recommending a volume that offers just that: The Dreaded Feast ."
- Raleigh News & Observer
Give it a rest, ye merry gentlemen : an introduction / P.J. O'Rourke -- Why I love Christmas / John Waters -- A fruitcake theory / Calvin Trillin -- Home for the holidays : a survivor's frightening account / Chris Radant -- 'Tis the season for halitosis / Jonathan Ames -- The Christmas party & how to mix a Christmas wassail / Corey Ford -- The Madonna of turkey season / Jay McInerney -- Two Thanksgiving poems / Billy Collins -- Susie's letter from Santa / Mark Twain -- A Christmas spectacle / Robert C. Benchley -- Waiting for Santy : a Christmas playlet / S.J. Perelman -- Xmas words / Roy Blount Jr. -- Christmas carol / Lewis Lapham -- Two selections from I hate Christmas / Daniel Blythe -- The terrible fourth day of Christmas / Scott Horton -- Selections from Mercurius religiosus : faithfully communicating to the whole nation, the vanity of Christmas / Anonymous -- Christmas shopping : a survivor's guide / Dave Barry -- Santa responds / Santa Claus -- The compleat shopper : George Plimpton's guide to gift giving / George Plimpton -- Merry Christmas / James Thurber -- Christmas is a sad season for the poor / John Cheever -- Christmas dreams and cruel memories / Hunter S. Thompson -- Against winter / Charles Simic -- Christmas Freud / David Rakoff -- Women / Charles Bukowski -- The truth about Santa (an apocalyptic holiday tale) / Greg Kotis -- Ceremonies that have not recrudesced because we never succeeded in getting rid of them in the first place / P.J. O'Rourke -- Last last chance / Fiona Maazel -- Oh, Christmas tree / Augusten Burroughs -- Keeping Christmas in your heart all year long / Alysia Gray Painter -- Christmas means giving / David Sedaris.