Love and Profanity

...relentlessly fascinating brief true stories from YA writers about their own teen years. . . .it's irresistible...-- "Star Tribune, "5 young-adult books by Minnesota writers""
Each story takes only a few minutes or less to read, but they linger in the mind for much longer, offering sharp, fresh perspectives on the kinds of experiences that, for teens, are both commonplace and life-changing -- the kinds of experiences that, in editor Nick Healy's words, "define and explain ourselves."-- "Chicago Tribune, "Young adult roundup: 'Love & Profanity' and more""
...concise and punchy. . . .the brevity of the stories, the honesty of their authors, and their tidy organization lend themselves well to browsing, increasing the likelihood that teen readers will find something they connect with.-- "Booklist"
Each of these 40-plus very short stories unveils a memory of being a teenager that is important to its respective writer. . . .Such issues as body image, cliques, family strife, economic status and popularity are recurring themes throughout and will resonate with teen readers. . . .Teens who enjoy slice-of-life vignettes that evoke a specific time and place and adults who thrill to nostalgia will find a lot to like about these pithy, honestly awkward and poignant minimemoirs.-- "Kirkus Reviews"
Featuring such YA authors as Carrie Mesrobian, Steve Brezenoff, Pete Hautman, and Joseph Bruchac, the stories are painful, humorous, embarrassing, nostalgic, and insightful.-- "Nonfiction Notes from the Horn Book"
From the title and cover I did not know that this book would be one of the sweetest and most terrifyingly authentic things I've read. None of the stories were groundbreaking or shocking; they were simply beautiful and honest. . . .undeniably genuine and heartfelt stories -- teen readers, give them a try!-- "TeenReads.com/The Book Report"
Moments of exhilaration and humiliation, narrow escapes, and epiphanies that opened their eyes and ended their childhoods are all given the significance of hindsight. . . .the authors, perhaps because they are working with true stories from their own pasts, show admirable restraint and reveal not how edgy but how nerdy and ordinary many YA authors were as teens. Sure to give hope to aspiring writers, then, this collection offers models for how ordinary moments turn into stories, and ordinary kids turn into storytellers.-- "Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books"
More than 40 brief true stories from Pete Hautman, Alison McGhee, Adam Rex, Jon Scieszka and others address a vast range of experiences and emotions that will be painfully familiar to teens or anyone who ever was one. . . .Hilarity, heartache, terror, regret, shame, and self-awakening can all be found in this collection of finely wrought moments in time.-- "Publishers Weekly"
Short yet powerful autobiographical stories comprise this collection of consistently excellent, vivid writing. . . .The stories are, by turns, edgy, nostalgic, poignant, sad, and humorous, with some offering a combination of these qualities. Each selection is heartfelt and thought-provoking and could be a catalyst for intensive discussion.-- "School Library Journal"
These well-written and intensely personal reminiscences are often raw and gritty, exposing the realistic, and not always admirable, behavior of typical adolescents. Both the realism of the vignettes and their shortness will appeal to reluctant readers, as well as creative writing teachers needing prompts.-- "VOYA"