Melissa Balmain's Books

Satan Talks to His Therapist

By: Melissa Balmain

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If the LOLSOB emoji could write verse that both sings and stings, the result would be Satan Talks to His Therapist." —Allison Joseph, author of Confessions of a Barefaced Woman In Satan Talks to His Therapist, Melissa Balmain explores the lighter side of dark times. Playful yet poignant, her poems perfectly capture our human fallibility and comedic sense of importance. The collection begins with “On Looking at an MRI Cross-Section,” in which Balmain peeks inside her own skull to consider the jumble of thoughts and memories harbored there. After this introduction to the poet's inner world, the book divides into three sections: Spiraling Down, In Limbo, and Climbing Out. The poems in this lyrical descent and ascent are about climate change, social media, pandemics, politics (sexual and otherwise), parenthood, consumerism, aging, loss, and ills, both physical and societal. Balmain writes in meter and rhyme, and she uses traditional forms (sonnets, villanelles, terza rima) as well as ones she’s coined for the moment. The poems in Satan Talks to His Therapist provide clarity and comedy in a time that feels anything but clear or comic, and they hint at the consolations of art, kindness, maturity, persistence, love, and, of course, humor.

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Paul Dry Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

1589881818

ISBN 13

9781589881815

Walking in on People (Able Muse Book Award)

By: Melissa Balmain

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Walking in on People (Able Muse Book Award)

By: Melissa Balmain

In Melissa Balmain’s Walking in on People, the serious is lightened with a generous serving of wit and humor, and the lighthearted is enriched with abundant wisdom. She shows us how poetry can be fun yet grounded in everyday challenges and triumphs, with subjects ranging from the current and hip (Facebook posts, online dating, layoffs, retail therapy, cell-phone apps, trans fat), to the traditional and time-tested (marriage, child-rearing, love, death). Through it all, her craft is masterful, with a formal dexterity deployed with precision in a showcase of forms such as the villanelle, ballad, triolet, nonce, and the sonnet. It is little wonder then that Walking in on People is the winner of the 2013 Able Muse Book Award, as selected by the final judge, X.J. Kennedy. This is a collection that will not only entertain thoroughly, but also enlighten and reward the reader. PRAISE FOR WALKING IN ON PEOPLE: Walking in on People grabbed me with its very title, and it never let go. Poetry these days is rarely so entertaining, so beautifully crafted, so sharp of eye, yet so wise and warm of heart. Melissa Balmain keenly perceives faults in people and in our popular culture, with piercing wit but never bitterness. Don’t miss the wonderful “Lament,” on what it takes to write a best seller, or “The Marital Bed,” a love poem with naturalistic detail. She really commands her art. Indeed, I think any poet who rhymes lobsters and Jersey mobsters deserves to have an equestrian statue of herself erected in Bangor or Newark or both. — X.J. Kennedy (Judge, 2013 Able Muse Book Award) Melissa Balmain’s poems add to the rhythmic bounce of light verse a darker, more cutting humor. The result is an infectious, often hilarious blend of the sweet and the lethal, the charming and the acidic. — Billy Collins So many of the poems in Melissa Balmain’s triumphant debut lodge themselves in that Frostian zone where they are hard to get rid of. They recur in the mind in moments of hilarity and pathos, of exaltation and mortification, and they never let us go. — David Yezzi (from the foreword) Accessible and entertaining poetry doesn't often prevail over the grim personal memoir in poetry contests, but this time the judges were smart. They went for Melissa Balmain's stylish and always metrically perfect wit. You can relate to this poetry if you have ever: longed to save the restaurant lobsters from their fate, lost your lover to his electronic devices, faced the fact that babies are ugly and toddlers suppress your genius, or (of course) walked in on people in all the wrong places. With diverse forms, inventive rhymes, the right word always chosen and a sense of humor always in evidence—you really have no excuse not to buy this book. — Gail White

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Page Count

102

Publisher

Able Muse Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1927409306

ISBN 13

9781927409305

Satan Talks to His Therapist

By: Melissa Balmain

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Satan Talks to His Therapist

By: Melissa Balmain

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Paul Dry Books

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ISBN 10

1589881818

ISBN 13

9781589881815

Larrikins

A History

By: Melissa Bellanta

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Larrikins

A History

By: Melissa Bellanta

A gripping and inspiring space adventure for kids of all ages from popular author Tristan Bancks. Dash Campbell has only ever had one dream. To go to space. Now he and four others have been given the chance to become the first kids ever to leave our planet. From building rockets behind his family's laundromat in Australia to attending a hardcore Space School in the US, Dash is a long way from home. And he still has an intense month of training ahead before he can even think about that glorious moment of blasting out of Earth's atmosphere and living his dream. But does Dash have what it takes t.

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Page Count

267

Publisher

Univ. of Queensland Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0702247758

ISBN 13

9780702247750

Girl Stays in the Picture

By: Melissa de la Cruz

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Girl Stays in the Picture

By: Melissa de la Cruz

Devon, the hottest chart-topping sixteenyear- old diva, has just landed in the south of France to film her Hollywood movie debut. With her French Caribbean beauty and ethereal voice, she aims to secure her newest crown—blockbuster box office—but she discovers sometimes a girl can’t get by without a little help from her friends. So when she befriends Livia Romero, the producer’s insanely gorgeous and insanely spoiled daughter, whose slammin’ new body is thanks to dropping two hundred pounds via stomach-stapling surgery; and Casey West, a personal assistant to the rival star, an entourage is born. And the paparazzi can’t get enough of them.

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Page Count

380

Publisher

Simon and Schuster

Published Date

ISBN 10

1416994947

ISBN 13

9781416994947

What Will Be Worn

A McWhirters story

By: Melissa Fagan

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What Will Be Worn

A McWhirters story

By: Melissa Fagan

Sometimes it seems the most invaluable stories can be found in the unlikeliest of corners. For all who know Brisbane, McWhirters, a once celebrated department store in Fortitude Valley, is an icon. For Melissa Fagan it is also the starting point for this remarkable exploration of her mother and grandmother’s lives, and a poignant reminder of the ways in which retail stores and fashion have connected women’s lives across decades. Behind the dusty shop counters of an Art Deco treasure, Fagan discovers both what has been lost and continues to shine. Ultimately this tender exploration of self and family, so exquisitely written, speaks of the ways in which life so often surprises us and of how the legacies of others can truly enrich our own relationships and lives. ‘I raced through What Will Be Worn. It’s moving and alive, funny and tender. It is also a rigorous examination of the ways in which women shroud ourselves, figuratively and literally. I especially loved Melissa’s portrait of her mother, “the lost princess of Brisbane”. A very fine book.’ — Susan Johnson, author of The Landing ‘With delicacy, flair and an ever-questioning but never judgmental eye, Fagan performs beautifully the dance of writing history, slipping seamlessly back and forth between what is known and what must be imagined.’ — Peggy Frew, author of Hope Farm ‘It’s rare to find a book that so warmly and intelligently takes on themes such as the ways in which fashion links women across generations, the glamour and downfall of the department store, and the bonds between mothers and daughters. Melissa Fagan’s What Will Be Worn transcends the local with aplomb. It’s a loving and searching portrait of what we inherit from our families. It reminds me of Edmund de Waal’s The Hare with Amber Eyes and Helen Garner’s investigative and self-questioning writing style.’ — Barry Scott, Co-publisher at Transit Lounge

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Page Count

222

Publisher

Transit Lounge

Published Date

ISBN 10

1925760146

ISBN 13

9781925760149

The Fight for Freedom: Ending Slavery in America

Ending Slavery in America

By: Melissa Carosella,Stephanie Kuligowski

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The Fight for Freedom: Ending Slavery in America

Ending Slavery in America

By: Melissa Carosella,Stephanie Kuligowski

Discusses the history of slavery in the United States and describes the work of those who fought to end slavery and ensure that African Americans received equal rights.

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Teacher Created Materials

Published Date

ISBN 10

143331519X

ISBN 13

9781433315190

WarCraft II

Dark Saga

By: Melissa Tyler,Anthony James

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WarCraft II

Dark Saga

By: Melissa Tyler,Anthony James

Only a fool would go into the fetid swamps of the Orcish homeland unprepared. Light your way with "Warcraft II: The Dark Saga-- Official Game Secrets"! Inside you?ll find: - Blow-by-blow strategies for hammering both Orcs and Humans - Vital intelligence on enemy objectives and troop strength - Tactical strategies for the best use of your arsenal - Machiavellian advice on developing a strong and prosperous community - Expert information on buildings and spells - In-depth multiplayer strategies Don?t get swallowed by the shadows. Live to tell the story with "Warcraft II: The Dark Saga-- Official Game Secrets." About the Author Anthony James is the author of "Soul Blade Unauthorized Game Secrets, Star Fox 64: Unauthorized Game Secrets, Beyond the Beyond: Unauthorized Game Secrets," and other Prima electronic entertainment titles.

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Page Count

148

Publisher

Prima Games

Published Date

ISBN 10

0761511849

ISBN 13

9780761511847

Just Us

Adventures and Travels of a Mother and Daughter

By: Melissa Balmain

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Just Us

Adventures and Travels of a Mother and Daughter

By: Melissa Balmain

Chronicles the journey of a mother and daughter as they traveled through North America, and learned a lot about each other

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Page Count

207

Published Date

ISBN 10

0571199488

ISBN 13

9780571199488

Book's by Melissa Balmain

Satan Talks to His Therapist

Satan Talks to His Therapist

Walking in on People (Able Muse Book Award)

Walking in on People (Able Muse Book Award)

Satan Talks to His Therapist

Satan Talks to His Therapist

Larrikins

Larrikins

Girl Stays in the Picture

Girl Stays in the Picture

What Will Be Worn

What Will Be Worn

The Fight for Freedom: Ending Slavery in America

The Fight for Freedom: Ending Slavery in America

WarCraft II

WarCraft II

Just Us

Just Us

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