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Have you ever wondered where the expression “monkey on my back” comes from? Fret no longer. Quirk Books is here to help with that dang monkey.

[still from The Walking Dead, AMC]

The Walking Dead presents a harsh look at the difficulty survivors of a post-apocalyptic event have in banding together, surviving, and trying to create some semblance of normalcy. We’ve spent the last few seasons watching how Rick and the group cope with the new world order and struggle to retain their humanity as they have to survive against zombies and other people who might wish them harm. How might these other characters fare?

Picking the perfect name for your furry friend can be a challenge. And when there's a challenge, what do we turn to? Good ol' literature. October is Adopt a Shelter Pet Month, so to celebrate, we are giving you nine dog and nine cat names inspired by books to help you figure out what to name that wonderful new pet you’re hopefully bringing home from the shelter!

This weekend, The Walking Dead returns after an agonizingly (thanks to the season 6 finale's doozy of a cliffhanger) long hiatus, and we already know that, as always, Rick and his ragtag gang of survivors have managed to get themselves into quite a pickle. Not all of our favorites made it out of season 6 in one piece, and for those who are left, things are looking (again, as always) rather grim.

October has two amazing days: e.e. cummings’ birthday and National Caps Lock Day. In honor of both days, we imagined a debate between e.e. cummings and the caps lock key.

“I wanna go oh-oh.”

And I did. Again and again. There I found freaks and deviants. Strung-out fiends in gobs of eye make-up and lip gloss. And I loved it, somehow. Every salacious second. From the “the back row-oh-oh” to the front, where the mix of sweat and mascara and spit from the live performers showered down like rain on Brad and Janet.

Luckily, I had an umbrella. Everyone did.