Big and Rich

In the big hard region known as Appalachia, routinely maligned or mythologized as some single vision backwater in the American Dream, a long line of acclaimed poets has regularly astonished a national readership by drawing on the rich cultural treasury and diverse bevy of voices that transcend any map or media images. Nonetheless, it takes a dazzling new chapbook of poetry, every now and then, to remind us that the extraordinary fountain of Appalachian letters continues to churn out some of the most original, innovative and downright fearless voices today. Crystal Good's debut collection of poetry, Valley Girl, marks the entry of such an astonishing new voice into the national poetry circuit. Capturing the conflicts and ambitions of a generation seemingly adrift and deeply rooted at the same time, Good unflinchingly casts her poetic spell on the 'quantum phases' of 'things that matter' in her native West Virginia, from mountaintop removal mining in the coalfields to the NASCAR-Talladega Speedway to 'rabbit holes' in Affrilachia where 'the rainbow ends,' with the masterful ease of Appalachia's future poet laureate. Valley Girl is a beguiling read, at once bold, disarming, plucky and feisty, unabashed in its spoken word hip hop dares and verbal 'pivot,' and deliberate in its narrative storyteller verve; it wonderfully carries on the legacy of Good's fellow Affrilachian Poets, including the spellbinding work of recent National Book Award-winning poet Nikky Finney and Frank X. Walker. A self-described quantum Christian, tunk player and mother, Good effortlessly moves between places of her heart and a 'single Mom / concession stand / working it,' and defiantly challenges to the reader to ask the same questions that 'got us all crazy.' In the book's title poem, 'Valley Girl,' Good intermittently chides and consoles a friend's teetering aspirations in Appalachia&ap

Pack your bags, but leave your inhibitions behind, as you move up to this star studded comedy of outrageous proportions. On the road to womanhood in the '70's, Vivian (Natasha Lyonne) is encountering two big bumps, her strangely nomadic family - always on the move yet desperate to stay in the Beverly Hills school district - and her blossoming sexuality. Add Viv's vivacious visiting cousin (Marisa Tomei) to the mix, and you've got an explosive coming-of-age story that proves you don't have to be rich to have first-class fun.

In the gripping thriller 'The Lincoln Lawyer,' Matthew McConaughey stars as Michael 'Mick' Haller, a slick, charismatic Los Angeles criminal defense attorney who operates out of the back of his Lincoln Continental sedan. Having spent most of his career defending petty, gutter- variety criminals, Mick unexpectedly lands the case of a lifetime: defending a rich Beverly Hills playboy (Ryan Phillippe) who is accused of attempted murder. However, what initially appears to be a straightforward case with a big money pay-off swiftly develops into a deadly match between two masters of manipulation and a crisis of conscience for Haller.

A long time ago, in the faraway town of Bethlingham, roved a band of merry men, led by the fearless Robin Good. Their mission: to help people by fundraising from the rich and giving to the poor! But when a greedy Prince starts stealing the townspeople's hams, donations are down and Robin's friends take off and decide to give robbing from the rich a try. Feeling rejected, Robin thinks things can't get any worse, until he finds out that the ham-hoarding Prince has also captured his friends. Can Robin overcome his own hurt, rescue his friends and restore the townspeople's hope? Find out in this fun Veggie story where kids learn that there's no hurt too big for God!