Her entry begins:Usually, when an old friend says “Oh, I know another writer; I have to introduce you!” I groan inwardly. All writers do not get along, any more than all lawyers or all veterinarians. But I agreed to show up at the Big Hunt—a DC bar where he was scheduled to read—reasoning that the skeeball and $4 drafts were reason enough. And in this case, my high school friend’s sister’s new husband turned out to be not only a compelling writer, but a very cool guy: Joseph Riippi.Among the early praise for Don't Kill the Birthday Girl:
The Orange Suitcase is described in terms of “stories,” but many of the sections have the brevity and lyric intensity of prose poems. In a series of snapshots that move back and forth between modern day and a grandparent’s generation, Riippi creates a portrait of young man’s ascent from firing BB guns to exchanging I Dos, interrogating along the way what it means to live and to love in New York. A collage of memories, dreams, and non sequiturs, there is not a boring page in this collection. Even as I write this, I’m thinking...[read on]
“Beasley shares surprisingly delightful stories.”Learn more about the book and author at Sandra Beasley's website and blog, Chicks Dig Poetry.
–Prevention
"This information- and anecdote-filled book will be a welcome antidote to the worries and fears endured by families with food allergies."
—Booklist
“Intelligent and witty…enthralling…thoughtful and well-written.”
—Publishers Weekly
"Award winner Beasley (e.g., Barnard Women Poets) offers a cultural study of living the “allergic life.”
—Library Journal“Fascinating…humane and informative.”
—Kirkus Reviews
"For readers who suffer from allergies, or care for someone who does, for parents who wonder why they can no longer send their child to school with the American staple, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or for anyone curious about how Sandra Beasley handles a lifelong challenge successfully, this book is for you. Winning, wise and humorous, you'll think twice when someone says, ‘Pass the peanuts.’”
—Adriana Trigiani, bestselling author of Don't Sing at the Table
“Sandra Beasley's book is both hilarious and moving. It's about what it's like to live in fear of hidden parmesan, but it's also about teenage rebellion, romance and George Washington Carver. Recommended for everyone, no matter what their immune system is like.”
—A.J. Jacobs, author of My Life as an Experiment and The Year of Living Biblically
Writers Read: Sandra Beasley (Febraury 2008).
Writers Read: Sandra Beasley.
--Marshal Zeringue
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