Ben Marcus Libros

The history of the surfboard is one of innovation---innovation that has in turn shaped the sport of surfing. The Surfboard follows this history, from the first "wave-riding" redwood planks crafted by ancient Hawaiians to the vacuum-sealed, lightweight, "plastic fantastic" technological marvels of today.Beautifully illustrated with historical prints and engravings, as well as the latest surf photography and detailed closeups, this book documents the surfboards evolution as a perfect convergence of form and function.

With over 1,250 vibrant graphic designs, this collection showcases the artistic evolution of surfing culture, featuring advertisements for surfboards, shops, and related gear. It serves as a treasure trove for collectors and a source of inspiration for artists, capturing the essence of the surfing lifestyle and its influence on skateboarding and snowboarding. The book celebrates the creativity and passion that define the surfing community, making it a must-have for enthusiasts and art lovers alike.

This revised edition covers all aspects of stand up paddling, from buying a board and getting started on your local lake to surfing waves in Hawaii, including a brand new chapter on SUP yoga.

Mavericks and more, a celebration of feminine beauty, athleticism, wisdom, and skill when the surf is bombing--Women Who Surf profiles some of the world's most inspiring female surfers ranging from Bethany Hamilton to Wrenna Delgado. Each surfer tells her story, highlighting her personal challenges, accomplishments, and philosophy, as well as inspiring readers and providing them with practical how-to suggestions on maximizing not only their own potential in surfing but in life as they lead the charge and push their limits at infamous big-wave spots like Teahupoo in Tahiti, Waimea Bay, and Peahi/Jaws in the Hawaiian Islands. The profiles by accomplished author and editor Ben Marcus are complemented by stunning color photography by leading adventure photojournalist Lucia Griggi. Featured surfers: 1. Rochelle Ballard 2. Wrenna Delgado 3. Bethany Hamilton 4. Maya Gabeira 5. Keala Kennelly 6. Andrea Moller 7. Leah Dawson 8. Mercedes Maidana 9. Easkey Britton 10. Alana Blanchard 11. Bianca Valenti 12. Paige Alms 13. Alison Teal 14. Sally Fitzgibbons 15. Rosy Hodge 16. Janet Macpherson 17. Pauline Ado

“In twenty-nine separate but ingenious ways, these stories seek permanent residence within a reader. They strive to become an emotional or intellectual cargo that might accompany us wherever, or however, we go. . . . If we are made by what we read, if language truly builds people into what they are, how they think, the depth with which they feel, then these stories are, to me, premium material for that construction project. You could build a civilization with them.” —Ben Marcus, from the IntroductionAward-winning author of Notable American Women Ben Marcus brings us this engaging and comprehensive collection of short stories that explore the stylistic variety of the medium in America today.Sea Oak by George SaundersEverything Ravaged, Everything Burned by Wells TowerDo Not Disturb by A.M. HomesThe Girl in the Flammable Skirt by Aimee BenderThe Caretaker by Anthony DoerrThe Old Dictionary by Lydia DavisThe Father’s Blessing by Mary CaponegroThe Life and Work of Alphonse Kauders by Aleksandar HemonPeople Shouldn’t Have to be the Ones to Tell You by Gary LutzHistories of the Undead by Kate BravermanWhen Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine by Jhumpa LahiriDown the Road by Stephen DixonX Number of Possibilities by Joanna ScottTiny, Smiling Daddy by Mary GaitskillBrief Interviews with Hideous Men by David Foster WallaceThe Sound Gun by Matthew DerbyShort Talks by Anne CarsonField Events by Rick BassScarliotti and the Sinkhole by Padgett Powell

In New American Stories, the beautiful, the strange, the melancholy, and the sublime all comingle to show the vast range of the American short story . In this remarkable anthology, Ben Marcus has corralled a vital and artistically singular crowd of contemporary fiction writers. Collected here are practitioners of deep realism, mind-blowing experimentalism, and every hybrid in between. Luminaries and cult authors stand side by side with the most compelling new literary voices. Nothing less than the American short story renaissance distilled down to its most relevant, daring, and unforgettable works, New American Stories puts on wide display the true art of an American idiom.

Set in a meticulously crafted world, this novel showcases Ben Marcus's evolution as a writer, moving beyond his acclaimed debut. It presents a unique narrative that challenges conventional storytelling, immersing readers in a reality that feels both familiar and extraordinary. The book's innovative approach and imaginative depth highlight Marcus's ability to push boundaries and create a compelling literary experience.

Hailed by Robert Coover as the most audacious literary debut in decades, The Age of Wire and String is unlike anything you've read before -- now appearing for the first time heightened by an artist's visual interpretation of this legendary work.

'I wake up and I have to make the right choice,' he said. Master-stylist Ben Marcus returns with a wonder-cabinet of brain-rearranging stories. From the horrifyingly strange to the deeply touching, each story is a literary masterclass unlikely to leave the reader unchanged. From parent/child relationships thrown agonisingly off kilter, to intensely moving scenarios of dependence and emotional crisis; from left-alone bodies to new scientific frontiers, Ben Marcus is the great chronicler of the contemporary uncanny and the peculiar future. Piece by piece, he takes us apart.

By turns hilarious and heartfelt, dark and illuminative, Ben Marcus’s Leaving the Sea is a ground breaking collection of stories from one of the single most vital, extraordinary, and unique writers of his generation. In the heartfelt “I Can Say Many Nice Things,” a washed-up writer toying with infidelity leads a creative writing workshop on board a cruise ship. In the dystopian “Rollingwood,” a divorced father struggles to take care of his ill infant, as his ex-wife and colleagues try to render him irrelevant. In “Watching Mysteries with My Mother,” a son meditates on his mother’s mortality, hoping to stave off her death for as long as he sits by her side. And in the title story, told in a single breathtaking sentence, we watch as the narrator’s marriage and his sanity unravel, drawing him to the brink of suicide. Surreal and tender, terrifying and life-affirming, Leaving the Sea is the work of an utterly unique writer at the height of his powers.