Big Al And My Side Of The Story

THE STORIES: BIG AL gives us Leo, Al Pacino's biggest, you might say obsessed, fan whose apartment is decorated with Pacino posters and props. After meeting a woman who works for Pacino's film production company, Leo has a chance to present a scrip

In the first comprehensive study of plays written for male characters only, Robert Vorlicky offers a new theory that links cultural codes governing gender and the conventions determining dramatic form. Act Like a Manlooks at a range of plays, including those by O'Neill, Albee, Mamet, Baraka, and Rabe as well as new works by Philip Kan Gotanda, Alonzo Lamont, and Robin Swados, to examine how dialogue within these works reflects the social codes of male behavior and inhibits individualization among men. Plays in which women are absent are often characterized by the location of a male "other"—a female presence who distances himself from the dominant, impersonal masculine ethos and thereby becomes a facilitator of personal communication. The potential authority of this figure is so powerful that its presence becomes the primary determinant of the quality of men's interaction and of the range of male subjectivities possible. This formulation becomes the basis of an alternative theory of American dramatic construction, one that challenges traditional dramaturgical notions of realism. The book will appeal to scholars and students interested in drama, gender, race, sexuality, and American culture, as well as playwrights, teachers of playwrights, and artistic directors. It includes an extensive bibliography of more than four hundred male-cast plays and monodramas, the first such compilation and one that points to further research into a previously unexplored area.

There are people in our lives who are predictable and who can be described in just a few words. Then, there’s Big Al, who’ll surprise you just when you think you’ve got him pegged. Author C. L. Adams met Big Al through a friend who attended Big Al’s world-class martial arts school. She never expected to befriend Big Al, but every time they met, he astounded her with stories, showing a different side of himself. Trained in the martial arts from a young age, Big Al lives his life according to its principles. He works with what he has, he’s adaptable to and aware of his surroundings, and he makes the most of every moment. Knowing that anything could happen at any time makes Big Al observant, so his stories are vivid enough to make you feel like you’re right there with him. The Adventures of Big Al is an enthralling short story collection that captures your attention through an unexpected but wonderful friendship. C. L. believes that good stories don’t need a lot of hype, and that truth can sometimes be as entertaining as fiction, as evidenced by the factual events Big Al sprinkles throughout. Be prepared to be amazed and walk away laughing.

THE STORY: Harry Sobel comes back to the Lower East Side a week late for his father's funeral. Already home are Rebecca, his sister, who is back from Israel, where she got wounded in the Army, and Ada, Harry's mother, who is perpetually hurt and di

Jarold, aka, Jazz, is a typical sixteen year old boy. He lives at home with his two remarkably un-divorced parents, his holier-than-thou sister, and his overbearing grandmother. It's a life straight out of a TV show. Or so it seem The truth is that Jazz's life is anything but picture perfect. He's seeing a shrink because his mom and dad found out he's gay; his schoolmates torment him every day; and he keeps bumping into his high school teacher at a local gay bar. To make matters worse, his best friend, Al, keeps pulling him into trouble. Jazz knows he has to keep everything together, at least through finals, so he can get away from this life once and for all. But, in his haste to leave everything behind, he comes to find out that the only thing he can't escape is himself. Witty, sardonic, and incredibly funny, My Side of the Story is the perfectly rendered portrait of a precocious, troubled teenager faced with the awkward process of growing up and coming out.

THE STORY: Two dangerous ex-cons battle for the affections of a beautiful young transvestite in a small apartment in the Bronx. But will a desperate neighborhood whore with a newborn baby prove the most dangerous person of all?

Prospects make shallow, instant judgments. We want prospects to judge in our favor. Is our first sentence good enough? Our first sentence choices will interest and engage our prospects ... or turn off their confidence in us. Do our new distributors have proven first sentences that work? Do we? Are we creating new first sentences with trained formulas? What happens when our distributors don't have effective an first sentence? They stop talking to prospects. Game over. Our prospects guard their time. They give us a chance for about ... a sentence. Then, they decide to proceed with our conversation or not. Let's wow our prospects in our first few seconds. Discover many types of successful, fun first sentences in this book that get positive reactions from our prospects. We can't start with a second sentence, so our first sentence better be good. Order your copy now!