Magic is what poetry is about. Magic can and does happen on the page, but the connection slams allow between poet and audience is both larger and more personal than the printed word. And it's reassuring, in a new century and millennium, to see that most ancient of the literary arts, poetry, return to its oral roots. When it comes to slams, poetry is the winner.

- from the essay "Downtown Slam" by JV Brummels

"Slamma Lamma Ding Dong" is the combined effort of 35 of Nebraska's slam poets. Appealing to fans of both the written and spoken word, it gives voice to the rich culture, the wild imagination, and the diverse spirit of the plains.

Exalting Jesus in Psalms, Volume 2, Psalms 51-100 is part of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series. Edited by David Platt, Daniel L. Akin, and Tony Merida, this commentary series, to include 47 volumes when complete, takes a Christ-centered approach to expositing each book of the Bible. Rather than a verse-by-verse approach, the authors have crafted chapters that explain and apply key passages in their assigned Bible books. Readers will learn to see Christ in all aspects of Scripture, and they will be encouraged by the devotional nature of each exposition presented as sermons and divided into chapters that conclude with a "Reflect & Discuss" section, making this series ideal for small group study, personal devotion, and even sermon preparation. It's not academic but rather presents an easy reading, practical and friendly commentary. The authors of Exalting Jesus in Psalms, Volume 2, Psalms 51-100 are Matt Mason, David Platt, and Jim Shaddix.

"The Baby That Ate Cincinnati" is a collection of poems about parenthood. And horror movies. It's about that other side of things, the bit with the wonder and the magic as well as the terror of trying to redefine yourself and your place in the universe with what is really a very strange and monumental change in who you are, what you do, and what you truly fear. Ultimately, you know, it's life affirming, just like all classic scary movies, by the time the credits roll.

"Whether turning his attention to kiwifruit, "Wild Kingdom's" Marlin Perkins, the Strategic Air Command Museum, or lovers who with luck may come to resemble a no-expiration-date snack cake, Mason sheds some of his Nebraskan light on our universally human proceedings." --David Clewell, author of "Now We're Getting Somewhere."