Russell Kesler teaches writing at the University of Central Florida and Rollins College. Now a former student, Troy Jewell, takes a look at the instructor’s first collection of poetry, A Small Fire.

Drugs, high diving, and the Civil War. What more do you want from a novel? James Mann looks at Elmore Leonard’s 37th novel, Tishomingo Blues.

Dying of leukemia, Sverre H. Kristensen endeavoured to make the cute little funny animals in his final comic, Bad Pills suffer just as much as him. Matthew Damascus thinks he was successful.

Matthew Moyer takes an in-depth look at the fourth issue of the bastard offspring of the legendary Flipside, Razorcake, and finds a kindred spirit.

Ink 19 Columnist and comics wunderkind Josh Sullivan is at it again, with the tenth issue of his self-published Josh Sullivan Comics. Matthew Damascus takes a look.

Matthew Damascus isn’t afraid to let you know that he reads porn comix like Velveeda Singles and Seconds… not that there’s anything wrong with that.

The latest collection of the famed journalist’s letters, Fear and Loathing in America is just as gonzo as anything in Hunter S. Thompson’s books. Ryan Scarrow gets a look into Thompson’s mind.

What does the Chinese government fear from the exercise/philosophic movement of Falun Gong? Danny Schechter explores the subject in his new book, Falun Gong’s Challenge to China. James Mann takes an in-depth look.

Anton Warner delves into the “bad luck” 13th issue of the pop culture journal While You Were Sleeping, and ponders its unique “adultlescent” appeal.

The legacy and history of the legendary Chess Records is examined in Nadine Cohodas’ new book, Spinning Blues Into Gold. Bob Pomeroy takes the book for a spin.

Sure, we all know you should always “pass the dutchie pon the left hand side,” but what are the other vital rules of pot etiquette? Simon Worman details them all in Original Official Joint Smoking Rules. Anton Wagner tokes and passes.

The true life story of America’s favorite powdered animal cartilage is told in Carolyn Wyman’s Jell-O: A Biography. Ian Koss lets you know whether the book gels.

Intensely personal and disturbingly familiar, Sparrow L. Patterson’s debut novel, Synthetic Bi Products follows a tough teen bisexual girl from the suburbs of Chicago through an early ’90s downward spiral of sex, drugs, and shoplifting. Julio Diaz can relate.

From Weiners in Cherry Jell-O to Tongue Rolls Florentine, James Lileks’ The Gallery of Regrettable Food gathers some of the worst culinary creations of all time. Carl F. Gauze brings the Alka-Seltzer.

A side of jazz ignored by Ken Burns’ documentary is explored in Philip Freeman’s new book, New York is Now!: The New Wave of Free Jazz. But is the book any more valid a document of jazz than Burns’ film was? Bob Pomeroy has the answers.

The ups, downs, ins, and outs of the music biz are only barely fictionalized in David Menconi’s new book, Off The Record. Ian Koss gives the book a spin.

Everybody plays the “what if” game, but Larry Eyre’s Catharsis examines what happens when the game becomes destructive. Bob Pomeroy explores the fascinating debut novel.

What makes the WWII generation “The Greatest Generation”? Is that even a valid description? Terry Eagan explores these questions in the context of the new anthology, The Collected Stories of Richard Yates.

Ian Koss takes a look at Lucius Shepard’s new short story collection, The Jaguar Hunter, chock full of stories that combine exotic locations with elements of the supernatural and near-Lovecraftian horror.

What happens when the Americanization of world culture is played out on an intergalactic scale? That’s the question answered by Jim Munroe’s new novel, Angry Young Spaceman. Ian Koss tells you all about it – in English, the intergalactic language of business.