Author Interview Orphans Preferred: The Twisted Truth and Lasting Legend of the Pony Express by Christopher Corbett "Wanted. Young, skinny, wiry fellows. Not over 18. Must be expert riders. Willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred." --California newspaper help wanted ad, 1860 In the history of the Wild West, perhaps no subject conjures up more romanticized lore and compelling Americana than the famed Pony Express, which provided mail delivery service between St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California in 1860 and 1861. Now, veteran journalist Christopher Corbett examines this early experiment in cross-continental transportation, drawing distinctions between fact and fable and profiling the larger-than-life personalities who created—and later perpetuated— celebrated pop culture imagery surrounding "The Pony." Readers of American history in search of a fresh and unorthodox perspective should prove a natural audience for Orphans Preferred. ISBN: 0767906926 Hardcover SRP: $23.95 Pub Date: September 2003 Publisher: Broadway Books Goodbye, Little Rock 'n' Roller by Marshall Chapman "I absolutely love this book! It's To Kill a Mockingbird with "Great Balls of Fire" playing in the background."-- Jill McCorkle, author of Creatures of Habit "Marshall Chapman writes like she lives -- with wild grace. This book is as strong and sweet as a julep in July."-- Alice Randall author of The Wind Done Gone Raised as a debutante in Spartansburg, South Carolina, Marshall Chapman—according to one reviewer— serves as "a living example of the triumph of rock and roll over good breeding." An accomplished Nashville singer/songwriter, Chapman has released eight critically acclaimed albums and penned songs for such notable recording artists as Jimmy Buffett, Joe Cocker, and Tanya Tucker. Along, the way, she embraced life on her own terms and paved the way for new generations of women in the music business. In her exuberant memoir, Chapman recounts a sweeping personal account of popular music history, with all of its glamour and indulgence. From the time her family's black maid Cora Jeter took the seven-year-old Marshall to see a young Elvis Presley in concert to a fateful New Year's Eve in 1978, when the notorious party girl received a stern admonition from—of all people—Jerry Lee Lewis, Chapman's array of colorful experiences will delight both music afficionados and fans of Southern literature. ISBN: 0312315686 Hardcover SRP: $24.95 Pub Date: September 2003 Publisher: St. Martin's Press Triangle: The Fire That Changed America by Dave Von Drehle Nine decades before the September 11 tragedy, another ominous day of destruction in New York City radically altered the course of American public policy and ushered in unprecedented national dialogue concerning workplace safety and corporate responsibility. On March 25, 1911—a raging inferno quickly engulfed the "fireproof" Triangle Shirt Factory building, a mammoth structure previously heralded as a model of industrial efficiency. One hundred forty-six employees—most of them young immigrant women in their teens and twenties—perished in the blaze, trapped behind locked exit doors. Author Dave Von Drehle provides a riveting chronicle of the horrible course of events surrounding the fire and its aftermath. While bringing light to the social and political ramifications of the Triangle deaths, Von Drehle gives voice to the humanity and sacrifice of the American labor force. ISBN: 0871138743 Hardcover SRP: $25.00 Pub Date: September 2003 Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press One Pill Makes You Smaller by Lisa Dierbeck Eleven-year-old Alice Duncan—the protagonist of Lisa Dierbeck's electrifying novel of the 1970s counterculture—finds herself in a highly vulnerable predicament. Abandoned by her carefree, jet set mother and emotionally tortured artist father, Lisa falls under the haphazard supervision of her sixteen-year-old Aunt Esme. The pair transforms the family's Upper East Side townhouse into a slumber party gone awry, sustaining themselves on pizza and cookies; entertaining boys; and shoplifting at posh Manhattan department stores. Yet, in the dysfunctional tradition of Running with Scissors, circumstances manage to go from bad to worse, when Alice goes to North Carolina to attend the Balthus Institute, an unorthodox art school for gifted children. Possessing "a kid's head grafted on a woman's body," young Alice faces the disturbing realities of reckless excess. Inspired by the visionary literary imagery created by Lewis Carroll, Dierbeck's tale vividly portrays the most sinister reaches of America's recent past. ISBN: 0374226490 Hardcover SRP: $24.00 Pub Date: September 2003 Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux Pushing 30 by Whitney Gaskell Debut author Whitney Gaskell delivers a charming tale sure to delight fans of Helen Fielding and Jennier Weiner. As she approaches her thirtieth birthday, "consummate good girl" Ellie Winters views herself as a hapless victim, tormented on all fronts. As the last member of her circle of high school friends to remain single, Ellie sees her romantic prospects as eternally bleak. She loathes her job, feels put-upon by her irritating family, and experiences little—if any— solace from her high-maintenance pug Sally. Yet, one night at the neighborhood pharmacy, her life takes a very dramatic turn, when Ted Langston, a sexy and sophisticated news anchor twice Ellie's age, takes a liking to Sally. Ellie finds herself instantly smitten, and when an unlikely May to December courtship unfolds, a comedy of errors threatens Ellie's newfound romantic bliss. ISBN: 0553382241 Paperback SRP: $11.95 Pub Date: September 2003 Publisher: Bantam Books Advance e.letter . Feature . Forthcoming Titles . Sleepers . NBA Classic Privacy Policy . Contact Us . ipage.ingrambook.com ®Copyright 2002 Ingram Book Group. All Rights Reserved.