Mondo Books
Barbie is an American icon. But Barbie becomes a problem when the adult fantasy collides with the child's fantasy. All that misplaced Barbie angst of our youth, all the childhood conditioning, and the adult results are revealed at last in Mondo Barbie . "Barbie is in the air, all right! "Since we began this anthology, we’ve seen articles on Barbie in magazines as wide-ranging as Parenting , People , and the Utne Reader . . . . We’re not the only ones. Friends, acquaintances, and contributors (real and imagined) have flooded our mailboxes with clippings about Barbie look-alike contests, cable TV shows, photography exhibits, sculptures, you name it. "Everyone had an anecdote. . . . "[Barbie] is an American icon. The product of an adult fantasy of a girl-child’s toy. Or is Barbie the adult’s toy and the child’s fantasy? What happens when the adult fantasy collides with the child’s fantasy? . . . "In the end the book divided into two definite strategies for dealing with the Barbie phenomenon―poems and stories from Barbie’s point of view, or writings about Barbie’s impact (as either doll or flesh and blood) on specific characters. These works are just a sampling of the vast array of material inspired by Barbie. Perhaps, as one writer suggested, we should start a Barbie hotline. A way to reach all those warped by Barbie. . . . After all, everyone loves Barbie, don’t they?" -- From the introduction by Richard Peabody and Lucinda Ebersole
Elvis is, and always will be, The King. Even as he (probably) lies in his grave at Graceland, he lives on in his music, his movies, on the Vegas stage, through the U.S. Mail, and on these pages. Mondo Elvis is a compilation of Elvis dreams, Elvis desires, and Elvis nightmares. This collection of stories and poems by, among others, Greil Marcus, Nick Cave, Mark Childress, Diane Wakoski, and Janice Eidus, track the Elvis legend from beginning to end. They depict Elvis the man, as well as the myth, they reflect on the life that was, and ponder the life that might have been. Elvis will never die. We can't let him. We need him too much.
Titillating, fun, and sad--Marilyn is all of that in this unique anthology from the people who brought you Mondo Elvis and Mondo Barbie. Mondo Marilyn brings together such notable authors as Clive Barker, Judy Grahn, Charles Bukowski, John Rechy, and Doris Grumbach, among others, to look at her life, her death, and her life after death.
As the title suggests, this is a vivid collection of stories, poems, dreams, wishes and wild imaginings about an unforgettable actor who lived fast, died young and left a beautiful corpse.