{"product_id":"a-bug-collection-paperback","title":"A Bug Collection - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eMelody Mansfield\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eA Bug Collection\u003c\/i\u003e is not for the squeamish. These stories about love, death, and the webby, tenuous intersections between the two take a humorous and heartbreaking look at the complexities of human life through the compound eyes of bugs. When a lone mayfly has a painful revelation about the ephemerality of her own existence, it sets in motion a chain of revelations by more bugs: a honey bee who struggles against a paralyzing depression; a katydid who comes to terms with a life-altering disability; a water strider who offers proof of reincarnation; a tribe of ants who must confront their individual and collective powerlessness in the face of a catastrophic event; a tumbling flower beetle who falls for an abusive mate; an earthworm who gains a Buddhist-like understanding of his place in the universe; and a host of other bugs who force us to consider what it means to be fully alive in a world of dung.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eMelody Mansfield's first novel, \u003ci\u003eThe Life Stone of Singing Bird\u003c\/i\u003e, was published by Faber and Faber, Inc. to favorable reviews from \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e, and others. Her short fiction, essays, and poetry have appeared in a variety of literary, academic, and commercial publications including \u003ci\u003eThought Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eInside English\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eParent's Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e. She is currently at work on a number of longer projects, including a semi-autobiographical account of her years as a ballet dancer in NYC. She lives in Los Angeles with her writer\/professor husband, Jerry Mansfield, and is the Director of Creative Writing at Milken Community High School.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 200\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.59 x 7.94 x 5.11 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e October 01, 2013\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42692940234815,"sku":"9781939096005","price":15.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0105\/8226\/1823\/files\/b7bb8a49da9a6226426083b0ac975538.webp?v=1764997165","url":"https:\/\/dhl-adrianne.myshopify.com\/products\/a-bug-collection-paperback","provider":"BBB","version":"1.0","type":"link"}