{"title":"Cris Mazza","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"dog-people","title":"Dog People","description":"\u003ch3 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #9a6372;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA novel by Cris Mazza\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch5 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eMay 1, 1997 • 6 x 9 • 288 pages • 978-1-56689-055-7\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eMazza’s bizarre ’90s characters communicate better with their dogs than their lovers. Rich detail, dramatic conclusion!\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSix individuals have the ability to communicate with humans; three turn to their dogs for solace. Mazza uses canine training philosophies and behavior in a story in which a fascist dog trainer, lesbian dancer, ineffectual interior designer, and a love-starved caterer spend time in Southern California’s green, eucalyptus-scented parks learning how to interrelate without biting. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs marriages crumble and careers falter, Doreen and Fanny join forces to create a dog\/wolf hybrid. Along the way, Fanny comes to realize the banality of her life stems from her expectation that intimate relationships will compensate for her failures. After sex therapy with her husband Morgan, a near affair with prima dancer Renee, and a friendship-turned-romance with her employer, Fanny breaks free and takes back control over her life. Mazza deftly fuses \u003cem\u003eThe Truth About Cats and Dogs\u003c\/em\u003e with \u003cem\u003eBasic Instinct.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCris Mazza is the author of \u003cem\u003eHow to Leave a Country, Your Name Here: ___, Exposed, Dog People,\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eIs It Sexual Harassment Yet?\u003c\/em\u003e She was also co-editor of \u003cem\u003eChick-Lit: Postfeminist Fiction\u003c\/em\u003e (1995), and \u003cem\u003eChick-Lit 2\u003c\/em\u003e (No Chick Vics) (1996). Mazza’s fiction has been reviewed numerous times in the \u003cem\u003eNew York Times Book Review, Wall Street Journal, Ms. Magazine, Chicago Tribune Books, Los Angeles Times Book Review, Voice Literary Supplement,\u003c\/em\u003e and many other book review publications. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA native of Southern California, Cris Mazza grew up in San Diego County. She is a graduate of San Diego State University and Brooklyn College. Mazza has taught fiction writing at UC San Diego, and was Writer in Residence at Austin Peay State University and at Allegheny College. Since 1993 Mazza has lived outside Chicago. She is a professor in and director of the Program for Writers at the University of Illinois at Chicago. In spring 2000 Mazza was the Chairholder in Creative Writing in the MFA program at the University of Alabama, and was an NEA grant recipient in 2000-2001.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviews\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"text\"\u003e“The connection Cris Mazza makes between dogs and their people is startling, hilarious, comforting, and terrifying. \u003cem\u003eDog People\u003c\/em\u003e is an ingenious novel from a storyteller who is clearly an authority in more than one animal realm.” \u003cstrong\u003e—Valerie Sayers, author of \u003cem\u003eBrain Fever\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“One of the most impressive America novelists of our contemporary age.” \u003cstrong\u003e—\u003cem\u003eSpectrum Review\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A lesbian dancer, fascist dog trainer, would-be male dancer, ineffectual interior designer, and a love starved caterer compose the tangled cast of Cris Mazza’s \u003cem\u003eDog People\u003c\/em\u003e. In this complex exploration of human behavior, Mazza turns to canine training philosophies for both solace and guidance. As a marriage crumbles and careers falter, the characters in \u003cem\u003eDog People\u003c\/em\u003e brutally learn that loving another species is so much easier than loving each other. Mazza is an associate professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the author of seven novels and short-story collections. Her talent as an imaginative storyteller is demonstrated by her ability to deeply engage the reader from the very first page.” \u003cstrong\u003e—\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMidwest Book Review\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"CHPbeta","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43707430926,"sku":"","price":13.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1475\/9808\/products\/Dog-People-RGB.jpg?v=1499210641"},{"product_id":"exposed","title":"Exposed","description":"\u003ch3 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #9a6372;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA novel by Cris Mazza \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch5 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eMay 1, 1994 • 5.5 x 8.5 • 250 pages • 978-1-56689-019-9\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eIn a new novel as inventive as her earlier works, award-winning author Cris Mazza combines a mystery with an evocative story about one woman’s precarious attempt to distinguish between reality and perception.\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConnie Zamora assumes that what she captures on film is a preservation of her memory—until one of her news photographs sets off disturbing accusations. In an illogical attempt to normalize her life, she takes a job with a theater group. As Connie struggles to belong to this new world, the lines separating truth from perception and dream from delusion become precariously blurred. Faced with another controversy over a photo, one that may prove arson, she is swept into the mystery at hand. But unraveling what took lace only leads to the unraveling of Connie’s own life—and possibly her grip on reality itself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCris Mazza is the author of \u003cem\u003eHow to Leave a Country, Your Name Here: ___, Exposed, Dog People,\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eIs It Sexual Harassment Yet?\u003c\/em\u003e She was also co-editor of \u003cem\u003eChick-Lit: Postfeminist Fiction\u003c\/em\u003e (1995), and \u003cem\u003eChick-Lit 2\u003c\/em\u003e (No Chick Vics) (1996). Mazza’s fiction has been reviewed numerous times in the \u003cem\u003eNew York Times Book Review, Wall Street Journal, Ms. Magazine, Chicago Tribune Books, Los Angeles Times Book Review, Voice Literary Supplement,\u003c\/em\u003e and many other book review publications. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA native of Southern California, Cris Mazza grew up in San Diego County. She is a graduate of San Diego State University and Brooklyn College. Mazza has taught fiction writing at UC San Diego, and was Writer in Residence at Austin Peay State University and at Allegheny College. Since 1993 Mazza has lived outside Chicago. She is a professor in and director of the Program for Writers at the University of Illinois at Chicago. In spring 2000 Mazza was the Chairholder in Creative Writing in the MFA program at the University of Alabama, and was an NEA grant recipient in 2000-2001.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviews\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"text\"\u003e“The only surprise about the high quality of the writing here is that Cris Mazza is not yet a best-selling novelist.” \u003cstrong\u003e—Ron Sukenick\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Mazza’s second novel, a follow-up to her PEN Nelson Algren Award-winning \u003cem\u003eHow to Leave a Country\u003c\/em\u003e (1992), is a fascinating, unsettling tale, told by an untrustworthy narrator whose perceptions shift and dance manically. Connie, the narrator, is a former newspaper photographer trying to escape her past by joining the pit band of a touring musical-theater company. . . . Mazza masterfully interweaves Connie’s desire to become totally invisible through her photography (the news photographer is always on the scene but never part of the action) with her need to relate to other people. She also successfully animates the inner life of her thoroughly passive narrator. Mazza hasn’t received much popular recognition to date, but this novel could quickly change that.” \u003cstrong\u003e—\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBooklist\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"CHPbeta","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43707437838,"sku":"","price":11.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1475\/9808\/products\/Exposed-RGB.jpg?v=1499210672"},{"product_id":"how-to-leave-a-country","title":"How to Leave a Country","description":"\u003ch3 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #9a6372;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA novel by Cris Mazza\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch5 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eJanuary 1, 1992 • 5.5 x 8.5 • 180 pages • 978-0-918273-96-3\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eIn this luminous first novel, critically acclaimed short story writer Cris Mazza deftly carves characters and paints startling situations with clarity, dark humor and an oddly detached eroticism.\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePhelan, a sculptor, and Tara, the painter he lives with, are engaged in a strange relationship. She remembers events from his life, but not her own. He remembers the inspirations for her paintings, but she cannot remember painting them. As Tara recalls significant episodes from Phelan’s life—childhood obsessions, adolescent seductions and adult disappointments—she reveals the nature of their relationship, its animalistic impulses and creative energies, confronting questions about the nature of love, memory and reality.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCris Mazza is the author of \u003cem\u003eHow to Leave a Country, Your Name Here: ___, Exposed, Dog People,\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eIs It Sexual Harassment Yet?\u003c\/em\u003e She was also co-editor of \u003cem\u003eChick-Lit: Postfeminist Fiction\u003c\/em\u003e (1995), and \u003cem\u003eChick-Lit 2 (No Chick Vics)\u003c\/em\u003e (1996). Mazza’s fiction has been reviewed numerous times in the \u003cem\u003eNew York Times Book Review, Wall Street Journal, Ms. Magazine, Chicago Tribune Books, Los Angeles Times Book Review, Voice Literary Supplement,\u003c\/em\u003e and many other book review publications. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA native of Southern California, Cris Mazza grew up in San Diego County. She is a graduate of San Diego State University and Brooklyn College. Mazza has taught fiction writing at UC San Diego, and was Writer in Residence at Austin Peay State University and at Allegheny College. Since 1993 Mazza has lived outside Chicago. She is a professor in and director of the Program for Writers at the University of Illinois at Chicago. In spring 2000 Mazza was the Chairholder in Creative Writing in the MFA program at the University of Alabama, and was an NEA grant recipient in 2000–2001.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviews\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"text\"\u003e“Daringly innovative. . . . Mazza’s work is not for the faint-hearted, but her energy, humor, and respect for her material deliver. She has a career of great promise.” \u003cstrong\u003e—\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eColumbus Dispatch\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Mazza is a subversive, anarchistic writer. . . . Hardly forgettable.” \u003cstrong\u003e—\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"CHPbeta","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43707477774,"sku":"","price":11.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1475\/9808\/products\/How-to-Leave-a-Country.jpg?v=1499210758"},{"product_id":"your-name-here","title":"Your Name Here","description":"\u003ch3 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #9a6372;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA novel by Cris Mazza\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch5 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eApril 1, 1995 • 5.5 x 8.5 • 280 pages • 978-1-56689-031-1\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTen years ago Erin Haley was a young woman named Corinne Staub who was possibly gang raped. She changed her name. She changed cities. She thought she changed her life. But there is no getting past her strange dreams and oddly distorted memories. Compelled to return to her store-away journals for the truth, Erin confronts what really happened to the person she once was—discovering a subtly absorbing story of desire and betrayal, weakness and deceit. And, in the process, she recovers a part of herself which she had abandoned.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCris Mazza is the author of \u003cem\u003eHow to Leave a Country, Your Name Here: ___, Exposed, Dog People,\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eIs It Sexual Harassment Yet?\u003c\/em\u003e She was also co-editor of \u003cem\u003eChick-Lit: Postfeminist Fiction\u003c\/em\u003e (1995), and \u003cem\u003eChick-Lit 2 (No Chick Vics)\u003c\/em\u003e (1996). Mazza’s fiction has been reviewed numerous times in the \u003cem\u003eNew York Times Book Review, Wall Street Journal, Ms. Magazine, Chicago Tribune Books, Los Angeles Times Book Review, Voice Literary Supplement,\u003c\/em\u003e and many other book review publications.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA native of Southern California, Cris Mazza grew up in San Diego County. She is a graduate of San Diego State University and Brooklyn College. Mazza has taught fiction writing at UC San Diego, and was Writer in Residence at Austin Peay State University and at Allegheny College. Since 1993 Mazza has lived outside Chicago. She is a professor in and director of the Program for Writers at the University of Illinois at Chicago. In spring 2000 Mazza was the Chairholder in Creative Writing in the MFA program at the University of Alabama, and was an NEA grant recipient in 2000–2001.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviews\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"text\"\u003e“A complicated, disturbing, unflinching portrait of violence, complicity, and rage. Chillingly unaware of implication, Mazza’s narrator—numb, shell-shocked, traumatized—strikes the perfect balance between frenzy and control.” \u003cstrong\u003e—Carole Maso\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Penetrating examinations of gender roles and identities. . . . Highly original.” \u003cstrong\u003e—Larry McCaffery\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"CHPbeta","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43707820366,"sku":"","price":12.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1475\/9808\/products\/Your-Name-Here.jpg?v=1499211145"}],"url":"https:\/\/coffeehousepress.org\/collections\/cris-mazza.oembed","provider":"Coffee House Press","version":"1.0","type":"link"}