Books are available for purchase through our website and directly from our authors at book events. We encourage readers to support authors and small presses by buying directly whenever possible.

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We have a limited supply of BOOK PLATES signed by Mary Jo!
From now until they are gone, order DUMB, DUMB, DUMB, and get a FREE signature Bookplate to stick in the book while supplies last!
We will throw in an MJ BOOKMARK designed by artist Melinda Kordich as well while supplies last!
In this endearing and hilarious memoir, Mary Jo Pehl celebrates the relationship she shared with her quirky, wise, and opinionated mother. It’s about love and loss and how humor enriches both. Dumb Dumb Dumb is funny, funny, funny; tender, tender, tender, and a joy, joy, joy to read.—Lorna Landvik, Chronicles Of A Radical Hag (With Recipes)
Through her mother’s hilariously terse book reviews, Mary Jo finds a funny and touching kaleidoscope of memories, emotions, and life. —Elliot Kalan, The Flop House Podcast; writer, Maniac of New York; former head writer, The Daily Show with John Stewart
A funny and touching look at how we all turn into our parents in one way or another, and how everybody's a critic, whether or not we exhaustively use a note-card system. Mary Jo Pehl has always been hilarious, but now she also reveals her heartfelt side. —Alonso Duralde, "Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas", Linoleum Knife podcast, The Wrap
This book is about is a universal truth, that all of our mothers are mysteries. Mary Jo tries to solve her mom with the clues left in cupboards, closets, drawers and boxes. Learning about Mary Jo’s mom helped me understand my own. I loved it.—Laurie Kilmartin, Dead People Suck
Dumb Dumb Dumb gives the reader an insight into Mary Jo Pehl’s remarkable mother-a woman of many contradictions. A voracious reader who kept ratings and synopses of everything she read. A taste for the pragmatic and macabre, she doesn’t suffer romance and I found that delightful. Also, an interesting category of hoarder. Get ready to take notes when you read this book. It offers so much in the way of attitudes towards life and a kick ass reading list not to mention many laugh out loud moments seen thru Ms. Pehl’s endearing wit.—Laraine Newman, Founding member of The Groundlings and OG SNL
Let's face it.Everybody's mother is a piece of work. But in this oftenhilarious book, Mary Jo Pehl has done the impossible: figured out a way to honor her mother's tireless efforts as a compulsive reader by creating a portrait of her using the hundreds of short and often terse book reviews she left behind. When combined with the carefully observed and lovingly crafted anecdotes written by a devoted daughter who was also a fan, Mary Jo manages to bring her family to life as a group of folks who are fun to hang out with.—Merrill Markoe, Humorist, We Saw Scenery
This book cracked me open. Read it with a baguette, a box of Kleenex, and your mom on speed dial.—Cate Berry, Penguin & Tiny Shrimp Don’t Do Bedtime and Chicken Break-A Counting Book.
Poignant and laugh-out-loud funny. A quest for understanding memories catalyzed when Mary Jo Pehl discovers her deceased mother’s hand-written book reviews. A wonderful read. —Matt Goldman, NYT Best Selling Author of Carolina Moonset
Bringing books to market, one manuscript at a time!
Since 2017, Redhawk Publications at Catawba Valley Community College has been proud to bring distinctive voices and original books to life, with more than 200 titles published so far. We are one of only a handful of community colleges in the United States with a literary press. To learn more about Redhawk, our submission guidelines, local literary services, or writing workshops, feel free to contact Patty Thompson at pthompson994@cvcc.edu.
Books are available for purchase through our website and directly from our authors at book events. We encourage readers to support authors and small presses by buying directly whenever possible.