... ). His over-the-top sarcasm, cynicism, and droll, trenchant humor combine to turn his either very trivial, or absolutely mortifying experiences into "widly entertaining art." (Rob Stout Providence Journal) The essays begin in North Carolina, where fifth grader David "Thedarith" endures his speech therapy with Miss Chrissy Samson, and skillfully avoids his sibilate s through the use ... of a thesaurus which provides him with a large vocabulary completely free of s sounds. Through the essays we learn about his family: his sister who wears fat suits, his brother who calls himself "The Roost...

• Word Count: 964
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... , thoughtful distillation. Never purely mechanical (as the grid form would suggest) or impersonal, it is her form of expressionist painting. Although in her works she has seemed to be seeking the classical ideal of perfection in pure geometry, she has often asserted, in essays and in interviews, that she does not paint "scientific discoveries or philosophies" but what she has called "the holiday ... state of mind." However it is defined, her paintings give an ineffable pleasure to those who allow themselves the ... constituted a formal group, they represented, in their diverse ways, a b...

• Word Count: 3087
• Approx Pages: 12
• Grade Level: Undergraduate