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Home / History / Post Perspective / Royal Deceiver Royal Deceiver Tweet Prince Michael Romanoff; alias Count Gladstone, Prince Obolensky, Captain Dmitri, Prof. John W. Adams, Arthur Wellesley, Willoughby de Burke, William A. Wellington. Impostors are a recurring theme in American literature. The two strongest contenders for the title of Great American Novel both concern impostors who assume exalted roles. Jay Gatz becomes the Great Gatsby and posed as a gentleman of culture and accomplishment to give a respectable front for a New York gangster. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, con men — the Duke and the Dauphin — commandeer Huck and Jim’s raft. Both men are suspicious characters, ragged and dirty, treacherous, and often drunk — but Huck and Jim accept their story because, having heard stories of romance and chivalry from Tom Sawyer, they are ready to believe any outlandish act from aristocrats. In 1943, The Post ran an article on a royal pretender who lived from one scam to the next for years, yet kept a wide circle of friends and admirers who knew of his imposture. In “The Downfall of Prince Mike” (March 20, 1942) [PDF], Alva Johnston informed readers that Prince Michael Romanoff, the leading impostor of the twentieth century, had degenerated into a successful businessman.” During the 1920s, “Michael Romanoff” traveled between New York and Hollywood, posing as the last living member of the Russian royal family. He lived off the generosity of people who were flattered to extend credit to a man claiming to be a cousin of Czar Nicholas. In addition to walking off with these loans, he also pocketed the proceeds from the sale of paintings, which he brokered for an art dealer. Then, in 1927, while working for movie studios as an expert on Russia, he was denounced by a real Russian emigré. He told the studio executives that the Prince was, in fact, Harry Gerguson, an orphan from New York’s lower East Side. Harry had been resettled to a small Illinois town, where he had grown up without family or identity. Hungry to be recognized and respected, he noticed how people quickly deferred to anyone they considered their social superior. Having observed that the Oxford accent was the heaviest social artillery a man could have, he crossed the Atlantic on a cattle boat in order to acquire it. He spent years in England doggedly polishing himself. In 1915 he tried himself out prematurely on English society under the name of Willoughby de Burke and landed in jail. Ordered out of England in 1921 for impersonating and marauding, Mike became a spot of color at the Ritz bar in Paris, where he was taken up by wealthy Americans. Bad-check trouble in France caused him to migrate to the United States. Arriving at Ellis Island, he made the mistake of overplaying his part of a wandering British noble. He bragged to immigration officials that he had spent eight years in a German prison for killing a German baron in a duel. He was immediately detained and ordered to be deported. Before the officials took action, though, he stowed away on a ferry and slipped into New York. A few days after his escape, Mike changed into Prince Obolensky. New York newspapers printed a sympathetic interview with Obolensky on the troubles of an impoverished nobleman seeking employment. Everybody thought it a hilarious joke, he said, when he offered himself as a secretary, a clerk or a laborer. The interview won him some gaudy week ends, but no work. From there he went to St. Paul, where he was féted by railroad and lumber kings. One of his rich friends sent him to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Harvard. It was a patten that repeated throughout his life. People continually offered favors and opportunity to this faux noble. When he felt he had milked the one coast enough, he moved to the other. In time, his charade became public knowledge, but no one seemed genuinely angry with him. Celebrities ‘adopted’ him. He became a pet of the social elite. Some of his victims even forgave his debts. Harry might have been a con man, but he was a professional. He knew when it was time to give up the game. So, in the 1940s, he opened a restaurant and abandoned his royal scams. He never fully abandoned his persona, but he stopped trying to convince people of his title. In time, he even became something of an expert on impostors. One day when he was haranguing about the incompetency of the current crop of phonies, the Prince was asked what advice he would give to a young phony just starting out. “I would advise him to stay out of it,” said Mike. “There’s too much competition.” Read “The Downfall of Prince Mike” (March 20, 1942) [PDF]. Next: Fake Prince Meets Fake Prince Read More:crime | impostors | romanoff | russian royalty You might also like ... H.G. Wells’ Predictions of War Overseeing the National Park Service Is No Picnic From Gimmick Street to Carnegie Hall Frank James Davis June 16, 2010 at 12:40 pm | Permalink | The most successful impostors have never been exposed..

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Off-Ramp host John Rabe and contributors share thoughts on arts, culture, and life in L.A. Subscribe to Off-Ramp Bleeding Through – New Play About the Fabric of LA by John Rabe Big thanks to Jerry Sullivan of LA Garment & Citizen for tipping us to a new play at Shakespeare Festival/LA, 1238 W. 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026. It’s called "Bleeding Through," and it’s an About…Productions production that digs into the history of Angelino Heights. It’s not exactly a play. I think they used the word “experiential.” You walk into the theatre, and are met by a narrator who has befriended a widow who lives in a big old house in Angelino Heights, the neighborhood near downtown where Gloria Swanson used to live. He’s trying to figure out her history, which is intertwined with the history of the freeways, Latinos, corruption, the Red Line … in other words, it’s an LA story. After he briefs you, you sit at tables in the audience as the actors move about you. During intermission, you can go on stage and poke around – looking for clues and further immersing yourself in the recent history of the area. Jerry’s wife Lorna and I did a reading of the “speeding ticket” scene from the "Double Indemnity" screenplay left out for us to see. Jerry ate the gummi bears in a covered dish. He says he's going to go see it again and, during intermission, look for clues to solve the mystery... Even if you don’t care about the plot, it’s fun just to let the story and characters wash over you – you feel like you’re back in the LA of the 1920s to 1940s. Check out John's weekly show Off-Ramp! (Photo: Victorian house at 1344 Carroll Avenue in Angelino Heights built about 1895. Photo dated: Feb. 16, 1979. Credit: Chris Gulker/LA Public Library Herald-Examiner Collection.) Previously in Off-Ramp Halloween Tips from LA County Public Health Browse the Off-Ramp archive Recently on Off-Ramp Off-Ramp blog posts are moving to spiffier new dwellings The Huntington unveils big changes, but not too big Are you high on mountains? Cool event Saturday Enjoy reading Off-Ramp? You might like KPCC’s other blogs.

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Ellie Goulding Biography Elena Jane Goulding was born on the 30th December 1986 in Hereford. She is an English singer and songwriter who started to get well known after topping the BBC Sound of 2010 poll and winning Critic’s Choice Award at the Brit Awards. She signed to polydor records in 2009 and released An Introduction to Ellie Goulding and then Lights in 2010. She studied drama at Kent University but dropped out, after two years, after beginning to develop her music. She developed her style with the help of Frankmusik and Starsmith, the latter becoming her main collaborator and producer on her debut album. Home Ellie Goulding Albums Ellie Goulding Lyrics

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Home The Fat Duck Cookbook By: Heston Blumenthal Catalogue Number: X39-UF6B /direct/the-fat-duck-cookbook/X39-UF6B.prd;jsessionid=1D462BD074D9E205B2C6453914A50BDD.UKTUL02LF67V_slot1?skuId=X39-UF6B Publisher:Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Published:05 October 2009 Illustrations: Colour In this beautiful, smaller format edition of the award-winning Big Fat Duck Cookbook, we hear the full story of the meteoric rise of Heston Blumenthal and The Fat Duck, birthplace of snail porridge and bacon-and-egg ice cream, and encounter the passion, perfection and weird science behind the man and the restaurant. Heston Blumenthal is widely acknowledged to be a genius, and The Fat Duck has twice been voted the Best Restaurant in the World by a peer group of top chefs. But he is entirely self-taught, and the story of his restaurant has broken every rule in the book. His success has been borne out of his pure obsession, endless invention and a childish curiosity into how things work - whether it's how smell affects taste, what different flavours mean to us on a biological level, or how temperature is distributed in the centre of a souffle. In the first section of The Fat Duck Cookbook, we learn the history of the restaurant, from its humble beginnings to its third Michelin star (the day Heston received the news of this he had been wondering how exactly he would be able to pay his staff that month). Next we meet 50 of his signature recipes - sardine on toast sorbet, salmon poached with liquorice, hot and iced tea, chocolate wine - which, while challenging for anyone not equipped with ice baths, dehydrators, vacuum pumps and nitrogen on tap, will inspire home cooks and chefs alike. Finally, we hear from the experts whose scientific know-how has contributed to Heston's topsy-turvy world. With an introduction by Harold McGee, incredible colour photographs throughout and illustrations by Dave McKean, The Fat Duck Cookbook is not only the nearest thing to an autobiography from the world's most fascinating chef, but also a stunning, colourful and joyous work of art. Author's Biography Entirely self-taught, Heston Blumenthal is the most progressive chef of his generation. In 2004 he won the coveted three Michelin stars in near-record time for his restaurant The Fat Duck, which has twice been voted the Best Restaurant in the World by an international panel of 500 experts. In 2006 he was awarded an OBE. He lives in Berkshire with his wife and three children.

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You are hereHome News Arts Council withholds Poetry Society grant Arts Council withholds Poetry Society grant Published July 26, 2011 by Benedicte Page Share Share on FacebookTweet this on TwitterShare on Google PlusShare on Linkedin Arts Council England (ACE) has confirmed it is withholding the Poetry Society's quarterly grant payment of almost £78,500, in the wake of the major internal row and resignations. The payment was due to the Poetry Society at the start of July. ACE said it was withholding the payment until the society has addressed its concerns around "governance, management and leadership, reputational risk and reasonable care". ACE said it hoped to be in a position to make the delayed payment by the time of the body's annual general meeting in September. The move follows the departure of the Poetry Society director Judith Palmer, president Jo Shapcott and vice-president Gwyneth Lewis, among others, and an extraordinary general meeting earlier this month at which the society's board of trustees also agreed to stand down. An interim director, Amanda Smethurst, is now at the helm of the organisation. A spokesperson for Arts Council England said: "We still believe that the Poetry Society has the potential to take a lead in the sector, as a champion of excellence helping more people to participate in the art form. But first, it needs to get its house in order." She added: "The standing down of the current trustees, making way for a new board to be elected at the AGM in September, is clearly a move designed to regain the confidence of the society's membership in its leadership. We welcome this and hope that the forming of a new board will signal the start of a rapid return to stability for the society, so that it can work with the Arts Council to help achieve its ambitions for the poetry sector."

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Downloads! Scattered Rhymes Morning House Infoxicated Corner Homer to Gluck: First Lines In many of the pieces I’ve turned in for a Creative Writing class, they’ve been returned with red ink underlining the first line, usually with comments like “This needs to have more impact” or “How does this draw in the reader?” Plus, there’s always one class period dedicated entirely to the crafting of the first line. Even now, as I’m writing this, I’m wondering if these first sentences are really the best ways to open this article. The first lines of our poems can promise us interested audience or convince them our work is worth skipping over. From what I’ve learned from my studies so far, a good opening grabs a reader’s attention. I’ve also seen from my own reading that trying too hard to get their notice can make the lines feel forced and serve as a worse opening than something more generic. This emphasis in my classes and the complexity of first lines I’ve experienced in my own writing led me to wonder what truly makes a great first line and what people’s favorite first lines are. I took to THEthe’s tumblr and twitter page to ask our followers. Some of our responses were from our reader’s own poems: Others responded with some published and famous works: While I had read some of these poems before this gave me the opportunity to look up many of these poems. What I noticed was that many of these first lines left a strong visual image along with an emotional connection, most notably love or sadness. An image by itself in an opening can be memorable, as in one of our followers’ original poem, which compares cervical mucus to egg whites. This also gives a bit a mystery to beginning of the piece because although the bodily fluid obviously will relate somehow, the reader must read more to find out what’s going on in in the piece. It can sometimes be difficult to pull out extraordinary descriptions but simpler image may be more readily available. In this case, it may be more effective to juxtapose the image with a strong emotion that isn’t usually associated with that image. For example, one follower mentioned the opening to Louise Gluck’s “The Wild Iris.” While the image of a door is not all that exciting, and certainly not very memorable, when combined with the feeling of suffering the lines become a powerful combination that pulls the reader in. Sorrow isn’t typically a feeling one would think of alongside something as typical as a door, and by putting them together the poet creates interest. Still there are other amazing poetic openings not mentioned by our followers, but still are worth examining. For instance, Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, begins with “Tell me, O muse, of that ingenious hero who travelled far and wide after he had sacked the famous town of Troy.” While this line doesn’t meet either of the characteristics previously mentioned, it does give the reader (or in the case was for Homer’s audience: the listener) an immediate sense of what the following story is about. We learn that our main character is smart, strong, and a veteran of the famous battle of Troy. We also know that this story will be about his journey after the battle, and that it will be a long journey. Also, Milton’s Paradise Lost opens by telling the readers what they are about to experience. The first book opens with “Of Mans First Disobedience, and the Fruit/Of that Forbidden Tree, whose mortal taste/ Brought Death into the World, and all our woe.” It is becomes obvious to the reader within these first few lines that the tale will be about Adam and Eve and their infamous story of the origin of sin. Neither of these poems open with bold imagery or obvious emotional connections, but they are still regarded as iconic and beautiful first lines. There is something in the simplicity of these lines, along with those of other epic poems, which are inviting to a reader. These lines seduce the reader with the promise of an adventure or tale, which the reader then gets to experience vicariously through the poet and the characters in the poem. There is also this hint of a narrative in the lyrical first lines. It may not be as direct as epic poems, but it is there in an unusual image, or evocative phrase. Look again at the Louise Gluck’s line. Both the suffering and the door promise a story of some sort, one of an upsetting past and the other of a hopeful future. However, there is a lack of immediacy in epic poems that is present in lyrical poetry. This easily explained by the difference in lengths between these exceptionally longer epic poems and the shorter lyrical pieces. Epic poetry has many chapters, in some cases books, in which to ease the reader into a scene and topic of a story. Meanwhile, lyrical poems have less space available and must get to the essential parts of the scene immediately. Shorter works from the same time periods as Homer and Milton have similar first lines to modern lyrical poetry. There is also a sense of intimacy in the openings of lyrical poetry that is lacking in the epic poems. Homer’s work addresses the muses in the first line, seemingly talking to a third party. The epic poem begins with holding the reader at a distance, although it invites them to read the story. Lyrical poetry is more personal and usually addresses a “you” or “we”, even in the first lines of the poems. These lines give the allusion that the poet is speaking directly to the reader. Whoever the poem is about served as a sort of “muse” to the poet and that’s who they are truly addressing, but the language gives the sense that it can be about anyone, including the reader. Thanks to all of our followers who responded! Video Poem of the Week Poem of the Week: Cahal Dallat Poem of the Week: Susannah Hart Poem of the Week: Dominic Bury Poem of the Week: Mona Arshi Poem of the Week – Jenna Butler POETRY FIX Poetry Fix, Episode 20: Weldon Kees Poetry Fix, Episode 19: Thomas Lux Poetry Fix, Episode 18: More Milosz Poetry Fix, Episode 17: Milosz Poetry Fix Episode 16: Heather McHugh Poetry Fix Episode 15: Transtromer Poetry Fix, Episodes 13 & 14: Mary Oliver and Keats Poetry Fix, Episode 12: Baseball Haiku Poetry Fix Episode 11: Terrence Hayes Poetry Fix Episode 10: William Matthews October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 Sign up to our Newsletter! Copyright @2010-2014 THEthe Poetry Blog

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HomeUW TodayArchiveAn early American theater lost … and found Archive April 21, 2005 An early American theater lost … and found Peter Kelley News and Information Photo by Kathy Sauber Odai Johnson, associate professor in the School of Drama, talks about the process of rediscovering and maybe even restoring the old Douglass Theater at the Colonial Williamsburg living museum in Virginia. A handbill remarkably preserved from the 18th century shows the sort of plays that entertained audiences of the day. Moliere’s ‘The Miser’ is still frequently produced today. It all started with an old hole in the ground discovered on the 301-acre site of the Colonial Williamsburg living museum in Virginia. And then another, and another. Their spacing at even, 8-foot intervals was the first clue — these were the remains of a building of some sort, but what? There had been a public theater on the site, long ago lost to time — but was this it? About then, Odai Johnson — UW associate professor of drama, author and a historian well versed in the colonial American theater — came into the picture. It happened he was nearby, doing research at the Virginia Historical Society in Richmond. “The curator knew someone down in Williamsburg and heard there was a dig under way looking for this theater,” said Johnson, a bearded, soft-spoken theater historian who has published two books on the theater of colonial America, with plans for more. “(He) let them know they had a theater scholar in residence.” The story since then is one of startling information gleaned from sparse clues and hopes of restoring a splendid, centuries-old theater to performing life. “I got the enviable job of being a sort of researcher on the project,” Johnson said. Over the centuries, it had been known that there was a theater somewhere at Colonial Williamsburg in the mid-1700s, run by an impresario named David Douglass, who managed his own theatrical company and owned as many as 16 theaters during his long career, from Rhode Island to Barbados. Such a performing house may have been located across from the historic Blue Bell Tavern on the Williamsburg site, where 148 other buildings had already been restored to historic accuracy. But even that wasn’t close enough to begin excavation. As Johnson said, “‘Near’ is no place to put a shovel in the ground.” The ground provided few clues as to what it contained; no obviously telltale relics of an old theater, such as footlights or stage mechanisms, were located. One of the only discovered hints, Johnson said, was residue revealing what had years before been a nine-inch iron spike. These were used back then to separate the audience from the stage area, keeping the actors and scenery safe from encounters with unsatisfied or offended audience members. Johnson said the archaeologists working the site wondered, “‘If we found this theater, what would its likely dimensions be?’” He inspected the site and researched theaters built during Douglass’ long career. “I was able to offer a composite picture of what this building may have looked like,” he said. The holes seemed to show that the building had been about 70 by 44 feet, “but what sold it for us was a brick dividing line at 30 feet,” Johnson said. That indicated a 70 by 30-foot playhouse space — the right size for the time — with another 15 feet or so along one long side for various dressing rooms and a green room. Even then, they knew only about the building’s general shape. “It’s not a remarkable building on the outside,” Johnson said. “It only gets interesting on the inside.” He said much of how the interior looked could be implied, if not known for certain, by studying other theaters of the era. Research showed the theater had been built in a quick eight weeks, and on a sort of generic, no-frills building plan. “Theater-going was not frivolous” at that time, Johnson said. Audiences went to the theater as much to be seen there as to take in the dramas offered. “The playhouse helped to bring a genteel culture to the colonies.” At that time, the colonial audiences’ tastes were beginning to change, he said, but did not yet reflect the growing frustration with the British crown that led to revolution. Players passing through, mostly out of London, were welcomed warmly and without any political agenda. Johnson said even the founding fathers present during the theater’s public times — troupes passed through and played mostly when business was being conducted by lawmakers — regularly attended the theater for recreation and social mingling. He discovered, for instance, that Thomas Jefferson, then a young attorney on his way up, attended the theater six nights out of seven in one particular week. Johnson said he learned this not from Jefferson’s writings, but from the lawyer’s expense books from the time, which show his payments for theater tickets. Shakespeare was a well-loved and often-produced playwright even in the old theater, Johnson said, but other, more contemporary pieces were popular, too. Even Patrick Henry’s famous line “Give me liberty or give me death” was lifted from a popular play of the time, Addison’s Cato, Johnson said. Cary Carson, vice president of Colonial Williamsburg’s research division, said Johnson “came to our attention through his published work.” Carson was pleased to find that “someone far, far away knew things about Williamsburg that we didn’t know.” Carson said the project will proceed in phases and that he will need to seek permission from the Colonial Williamsburg board of directors before even beginning the fund-raising necessary for the theater restoration project, much less starting construction. When the research phase of the project is complete, Carson said, the hope is to have “a set of detailed drawings of what we think David Douglass’ theater looked like, inside and out, in great detail.” Getting to restore the old theater is a much larger, and more expensive proposition. “I am actually very hopeful,” Carson said. “But at the same time I need to caution everyone I share these hopes with that there is a definite firewall between the research and later phases that will start with fund-raising.” All the digging, speculation and research lead to one overarching question, Johnson said: “What do you do with a great 18th century theater once you open it?” This is where famous stage and screen actor Christopher Plummer came in. Plummer, known for many a Shakespearean turn as well as more popular fare such as The Sound of Music and even Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, was in the area filming The New World, a movie about colonial America (the 400th anniversary of the founding of the Jamestown Colony will be in 2007), heard about the project and took a personal interest. Plummer is excited about the “acoustic space” that the new theater might be for acting, Johnson said, and expressed a willingness to help with the project, even offering to perform one-man shows to help with fund-raising. “His real value to us,” Carson said, “is his long, long string of good friends and acquaintances throughout the theater world to whom he could provide introductions. We need that.” Johnson noted that if the theater is restored, it will have the dual challenge of being as historically accurate as possible while also being comfortable for modern audiences. Public theater seating in the 18th century was not spacious — the seats usually comprised a small space along a 9-inch-wide bench with about a foot of leg room in front. “It’s a different dynamic of theater-going. You don’t own your own seat, you’re just there. It’s a much more social experience, by force,” Johnson said. “This was worse than coach seating!” Also, questions of satisfying audience needs with air conditioning — unknown in the 1700s, of course — and handicapped access will have to be solved, as well as the intricate requirements of the Uniform Building Code. Johnson will write a book about the Colonial Williamsburg theater project, and also is writing a biography of the working life of David Douglass. Sarah Nash Gates, who heads the School of Drama, praised Johnson for his enthusiasm about this historical project, and teaching in general: “His passion for his subject is evident when you talk with him and when he teaches. He makes you care about these things which happened centuries ago — and helps you understand their relevance today,” she said. Even while stressing that restoring the theater is a multimillion dollar project still very much in the “hoping” phase, Carlson said it’s his wish to see a working theater at Colonial Williamsburg to entertain tourists during the day and other theater-goers in the evening. So, from a hole in the ground in Virginia has come a fascinating research project about the 18th century that may evolve into a creative place for the 21st century. If it succeeds, Johnson said, “There will be public times when the players will come to town again.” For more information about the Douglass Theater project at Colonial Williamsburg, visit online at http://www.history.org/history/argy/excavs/argyhall.cfm.

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Behind the Sun 2001 Walter Salles Othon Bastos Jose Dumont Rita Assemany Ravi Ramos Lacerda Flavia Marco Antonio "Behind the Sun" tells the story of two families locked in a generations-old deadly feud. It started out as a battle over land, but now it's escalated into a series of reprisals that is claiming the lives of the young men on both sides. In one family, the oldest remaining son - distressed by the prospect of death and encouraged by his younger brother - begins to question the cycle of violence. That's when a beautiful young woman from a traveling circus crosses his path.

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No Salute for the Cover of ‘Miss Manners’ Basic Training: The Right Thing to Say’ Filed under: Book Covers — 1minutebookreviewswordpresscom @ 12:56 am Tags: Art, Blogroll, Books, Design, Etiquette, Female Authors, Illustration, Journalists, Judith Martin, Manners, Miss Manners. Books, Reading, Washington DC Authors, Women's Writing The latest in a series of occasional posts that rate the covers of books reviewed on this site One of the delights of the syndicated Miss Manners etiquette column is that it has always had a distinctive voice – a bit arch and Victorian yet also witty and commonsensical. You would never know it from the covers of some of its companion books. Martin’s advice finds a deft balance between the ideals of two eras – the years before and after the upheavals of the 1960s, which swept away many traditional etiquette rules. You see that trait clearly in the cover of Miss Manners’ Guide for the Turn-of-the-Millennium (Fireside, 1990), which shows of a photo of a fountain pen next to a personal digital assistant. The title floats above them in the John Hancock-ish script that is Martin’s trademark. And the harmonious coexistence of the quasi-archaic font and sleek PDA reflects her style perfectly. You can’t say that for the cover of the more recent Miss Manners’ Basic Training: The Right Thing to Say (Crown, 1998), part of her “Basic Training” series. The regimental stripes seem intended to carry out the mild joke in the title – Martin as a drill sergeant sending you to the boot camp. This is too clever and clashes with her tone. Martin isn’t the John Wayne of etiquette so much as its strict but benevolent headmistress. Worse, the colors of the cover – especially that stop-sign yellow – are shrill, which she isn’t. And on a lunch-hour dash through Borders, who would stop to read a nine-line subtitle in white-on-navy-blue reverse type? Why does a writer with such a steady voice come across on her covers as a teenager who doesn’t know whether she wants to wear a lemon-meringue prom dress or a flak jacket to the party? Well into her career as an author, Martin moved from Simon & Schuster to the Crown imprint of Random House, which gave her a new look. The mismatch may have extended beyond her covers. Martin’s latest book, Miss Manners’ Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior, Freshly Updated, written with Gloria Kamen, was published by Norton www.wwnorton.com. If you’re interested in book covers, check out Rekya’s Bookshelf www.rekya.blogspot.com, a site that focuses book design. It has a great blogroll with links to many good book-design sites and designers’ portfolios. The review of Basic Training: The Right Thing to Say appeared on Nov. 21, 2007, before a second post on Cyber Hymnal that appeared the same day. To read it, click here www.oneminutebookreviews.wordpress.com/2007/11/21/. All cover reviews on this site consider not just aesthetics but how well the cover reflects the contents of the book. That’s why the cover reviews don’t appear until after the review has been posted (or, if I have only a line or two to say, in the section of extra material that follows the review, not in the body of the review). These reviews aren’t just about design but about truth in publishing.

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Jazz hands and priestly players: the Margaret Atwood roadshow is in town The all-singing, all-dancing tour for Margaret Atwood's latest novel, The Year of the Flood, is something to behold. But how much does it have to do with the written word? Margaret Atwood, pictured on the London leg of The Year of the Flood tour. Photograph: Stefan Wermuth/Reuters Lindesay Irvine Thursday 3 September 2009 09.42 EDT Last modified on Thursday 3 September 2009 11.08 EDT With its dainty carbon footprint, Margaret Atwood's 30-date "world tour" is only just beginning its progress around the planet, with a renewable cast stepping lightly across Britain, the US and Canada. Not all of the venues will be churches, and every performance will, we are assured, be different. But the stately 18th-century St James's Church in central London, where I caught last night's performance, seemed a particularly apt setting. Partly, of course, this is because the new novel Atwood is promoting, The Year of the Flood, follows the remaining members of a visionary religious sect. They are God's Gardeners, who featured fleetingly in her ealier future dystopia, Oryx and Crake, now regrouping in the wake of the ecological catastrophe they have long foretold. Their Blakean-hippy theology expounds the kinship of all creatures, and is written into a series of hymns – not quite as sappy as they at first seem – that punctuate the novel's plot. ("All the shining Water/ Is turned to slime and mire,/ And all the feathered birds so bright/ Have ceased their joyful choir/ … / Until the Gardeners arise/ And you to Life restore"). Composer Orville Stoeber was given a copy of the manuscript last year, and set the book's 14 sets of lyrics to music, drawing on various more or less "deity-based songs" in his own cultural background. These settings seem in turn to have inspired the current tour, which expands the familiar author reading into a semi-staged tableau complete with choir, and actors taking the parts of the major characters to fill out Atwood's narration. The church seems peculiarly apt for this staging because the aesthetic – jolly but also rather patched-together, with poster-painted stage sets and under-rehearsed actors clutching scripts – seems very familiar from many a carol concert and nativity play. And it brought with it pleasures I had never expected to experience in waking life: at the beginning of the show, the players processed down the aisle bearing glowing blue orbs, with Atwood bringing up the priestly rear, all of them channelling the spirit of John Sergeant in a shuffling half-dance. And who would have dreamed that, to go with her peerless narrator's drawl, the Booker winner and Nobel contender had such flair for doing jazz hands? The whole thing was introduced by Atwood's English publisher, whose tribute emphasised that not only has she written an absorbing, acute piece of speculative fiction, she has also "reinvented the book launch". (Just when she thought that, 30 books into her career, she'd achieved as much as she was going to.) And she does seem to be in the vanguard of something. Increasingly, it seems, it's not enough for authors to just, you know, write books. The apparently unquenchable thirst for three-dimensional encounters with authors has been around for a good while now, of course, and continues to grow. (Edinburgh's recent festival was the largest ever held, but I'm willing to bet that record won't hold for long.) But publishers – and one can be fairly confident that this is where the impetus is coming from – seem to think that they're under obligation to set their products competing with the full blare of our multi-media-saturated world. You've got to keep your readers up to date with your beverage intake. ("Any UK organic coffees out there?" wondered Atwood earlier this week. "U name, I will buy & tweet.") Prose alone is kind of old school, so "value" must be added wherever possible, as with Nick Cave's new book, soundtracked by himself and Warren Ellis. This trend seems certain to escalate – Ian Rankin has recently been seen DJ-ing, Iain Sinclair is apparently cooking up "a site-specific work for text and sound" for later this year and when JK Rowling's next book appears, I expect she'll be playing Wembley, with a cast of thousands, to mark the occasion. And so on. All of which could be fun – I'm glad to have seen Atwood's am-dram (and to have witnessed her using the expression "yay!!" on Twitter) – but how much it has to do with books is pretty moot. I enjoyed seeing The Year of the Flood roadshow, but you get little sense of encountering a major artist from the experience. You need to actually read it to register that. The only really immediate relationship to the books is that such all-singing events are very effective unit shifters: and that means publishers will ensure we'll be seeing more of them. Which is fine, if you're a charismatic charmer comfortable in the spotlight, as Jazz Hands Atwood somewhat surprisingly seems to be. But pity the authors whose only performance skill is to write really well: they're likely to be even quieter than usual in days to come.

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Masjid-i Jami'-i Siraf Siraf, Iran Located near the shore on the Iranian coast of the Persian gulf in the port city of Siraf, the Friday Mosque of Siraf dates from the early to mid-ninth century and is a very early example of Islamic architecture in Iran. Only ruins survive today, and most information about its architectural elements comes from the excavations undertaken between 1966 and 1973 by the British Institute of Persian Studies, under the direction of archaeologist David Whitehouse. Many other architecturally similar mosques were excavated near the site, but the Friday Mosque of Siraf is the largest of them. It is a congregational mosque arranged within a rectilinear box set on a 2-meter-high podium. Its interior is simply articulated by rows of columns and a central courtyard. Its proportions are considerably large in comparison to other mosques of the time; when complete, its square footprint was 55 meters long.The excavations revealed many construction phases, with two or three more prominent periods of construction. At the end of the first construction phase, the mosque walls enclosed an area 51 meters deep by 44 meters wide atop the aforementioned 2-meter-high platform. Within these were three arcades parallel to the qibla wall that made up the prayer hall, and one arcade on the other three sides surrounding the courtyard, which had a well at its center. The mihrab was simply articulated as a rectangular niche at the centre of the qibla wall. Oriented in the direction of Mecca, the entrance at the center of the northeastern wall was accessed by a stairway; a minaret was located to its left. A square masonry base, 3.8 meters long, still remains, presumably in its original position. Beyond and parallel to the entrance was a single bay arcade followed by a courtyard, also with a single bay arcade at each of the sides. To the southwest were three bays that provided the space for the prayer hall. This first construction phase has been dated to the beginning of the ninth century, at which time the mihrab was simply a niche in the qibla wall.A second construction phase took place around the end of the first quarter of the ninth century. At this time, the qibla wall of the mosque was demolished, the sanctuary area was extended by one bay, and the qibla wall was rebuilt. The mihrab was articulated as a rectangular niche at its center and expressed on the exterior by a corresponding rectangular projection. During this construction phase another arcade was added along the perimeter of the courtyard. With this addition, the courtyard was reduced by the thickness of one bay on all but the entrance sides, and the two perpendicular sides of the courtyard now consisted of double arcades, while the sanctuary was five bays deep.At some point after this second construction phase a cistern was built on the eastern corner of the courtyard and ablution facilities were added to the side of the exterior east corner. During this third construction phase the sanctuary was also extended. The four wall-to-wall existing bays parallel to the qibla wall were extended 11 meters to the southeast, and six short bays were added to the east, connecting the new wall to the location where the old wall stood. Rather than continuing the bays to complete a square enclosure, a rectangular cutout was maintained where the ablution facility stood. At the platform level this extension provided extra space for worship, while underneath it, at street level, were eleven rooms that could be entered from the adjacent bazaar. The bazaar is believed to have surrounded the mosque on all sides but the qibla. This was perhaps the last of the major construction phases of the mosque, leaving the entire complex measuring approximately 55 meters along its sides.Although an early thirteenth-century description attributes wooden columns to the mosque, the scarcity of wood in the region makes this unlikely. For the most part, the walls of the mosque were made of rubble bonded with gypsum mortar and faced with courses of rectangular blocks of stone. The arcades were made up of piers which were themselves composed of 0.9 - 1.1 meter square bases approximately 0.7 meters tall; their cylindrical shafts were 0.84 to 0.96 meters in diameter, and their imposts were 0.8 meters deep and 1.03 meters long. Excavations have concluded that there were no vaults or domes, and that the flat roof was made of palm matting and plaster. The courtyard and the porticos were paved throughout with sandstone blocks.The existence of the mosque's 2-meter-high platform may be practical rather than symbolic; a fort had already existed on the site, as had several other buildings. Archaeologists conclude that the builders of the mosque may have therefore found it expedient to build a platform suspended above the remnants of these structures, rather than clearing and leveling the site.The mosque was restored in the twelfth century, albeit not extensively. It is also noteworthy that among the many smaller mosques also found at the site, all have rectangular protrusions on the exterior of their qibla walls, implying that their mihrabs were articulated in the same manner as the one at the larger Friday Mosque.The Cultural Heritage Organization of Bushehr province has recently announced its plan to propose to UNESCO that the archeological sites at Siraf be included on the World Heritage List.Sources:Creswell, K.A.C. A Short Account of Early Muslim Architecture, 346-347, 349,414. Aldershot, UK: Scolar Press. 1989Michell, George (ed.). Architecture of the Islamic World: Its History and Social Meaning, 101. New York, N.Y. : Thames and Hudson,. 1984O'Kane, Bernard. Studies in Persian Art and Architecture, 120-121. Cairo: The American University of Cairo Press, 1995Petersen, Andrew. Dictionary of Islamic Architecture, 261. London: Routledge, 1996. Whitehouse, David. The Congregational Mosque and other Mosques from the Ninth to the Twelfth Centuries. London: The British Institute of Persian Studies, 1980."Siraf Resembles Venice." Jun. 30th, 2004. Iran, Daily Newspaper Website. http://www.netiran.com/?fn=artd(1586). [Accessed June 8, 2005]; inaccessible July 10, 2014. Masjid-i Jami' of Siraf (Variant) Friday Mosque of Siraf (Translated) Masjed-e Jomeh Siraf (Alternate transliteration) 815-825/199-209 AH 200 km southeast of Bushire, Siraf, Bushehr Province

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Classifieds Directory Kids East The Art Scene: 05.02.13 Local art news | April 30, 2013 - 11:09am Jack Youngerman’s works on paper will be on view at the Drawing Room in East Hampton beginning tomorrow. Paper Retrospective A selection of Jack Youngerman’s works on paper from 1951 to 2012 will be on view at East Hampton’s Drawing Room gallery beginning tomorrow and running through June 3. Mr. Youngerman has been exploring invented form, organic abstraction, symmetry, and asymmetry with a bold palette since his early years in Paris after World War II. This exhibition will present rare early collages, colorful gouache and oil paintings, and select India ink compositions. The aim is to trace his progression from early geometric collages to the most recent results of his longstanding interest in radiating symmetrical variations. Mr. Youngerman established a studio in Bridgehampton in the late 1960s and has been a full-time resident since 1995. He has been the subject of 50 one-person shows and had a full retrospective at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in 1986. Two at Halsey Mckay Beginning Saturday with a reception from 6 to 8 p.m., Halsey Mckay Gallery in East Hampton will show two solo exhibitions, “Rose Shoulder,” work by Colby Bird, and “Sarah Dornner: Transoms.” Mr. Bird harnesses light itself in sculptures that incorporate lights to become functional lamps. The hard-edged industrialism of his designs is not of the classic porcelain ginger jar variety. Instead, brick and other industrial materials are his mediums, which he sands, saws, and stains to effect laborious transformations. Mr. Bird’s background as a photographer has instilled in him a particular interest in the properties and consequences of light. Ms. Dornner is concerned with perception and “its destabilizing effect on spatial engagement,” according to the gallery. Working in sculpture and two dimensions, she deconstructs patterns and forms into linear elements. Her materials are aluminum, steel, lacquer, and wood, and she uses them to explore her compositions in both two and three dimensions. Ms. Dornner earned an M.F.A. in sculpture at Yale University. The exhibition will be on view through May 26. Mixed Media at Ashawagh “Mixed Media Plus” will be on view this weekend at Ashawagh Hall in Springs. The show will feature the work of Ronnie Grill, Gene Samuelson, Nadine, Lance Corey, Alyce Peifer, Frank Sofo, Anna Franklin, Elizabeth Weiss, Anne McAlinden, Laura Benjamin, Catherine Silver, Ann McNamee, and Ursula Thomas. It will open on Saturday afternoon with a reception from 5 to 8 and remain on view through Sunday. New at Crazy Monkey Crazy Monkey Gallery’s May show in Amagansett will feature four cooperative members: Jana Hayden, Jim Hayden, Ellyn Tucker, and Bob Tucker, as well as a group exhibit of other members such as Tina Andrews, Barbara Bilotta, Beth Barry, Daniel Dubinsky, Lance Corey, Katherine Hammond, Cathy Hunter, June Kaplan, Andrea McCafferty, Sheila Rotner, Daniel Schoenheimer, and Mark E. Zimmerman. The work will be on view beginning tomorrow, with a reception on Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m. It will remain on view through May 27. “Two Men” at Nightingale Sara Nightingale Gallery in Water Mill will present “Two Men,” an exhibition of photographs and a book signing by John Jonas Gruen, and recent paintings by Gus Yero opening on Saturday from 6 to 8 p.m. At the same time, Ms. Nightingale’s #blinddates/musiclab series will have Erez and Jonah Kreitner, a k a Fiddle ’n’ Bones, providing musical entertainment with Dalton Portella on djembe and conga. “Two Men” is a book of photographs by Mr. Gruen that examines relationships of intimacy between men, some of whom are lovers and some who are not. “From the first, men have been assigned the role of leader, provider, decider, protector, instigator, fighter, and wooer,” he writes in the foreword to the book. “All of us will continuously and forever be subjected to what the world . . . thinks a man should be.” The exhibition includes 30 of these photographs. Mr. Yero is an abstract painter who experiments with formal composition and uses color to play with shape, scale, and pattern. His latest works are inspired by views he saw in Sedona, Ariz., earlier this year: “The architectural landscape of the red rocks, their layers and flat surfaces, as well as the influences of Navajo weavings and the artisans of the Hopi Indians, have all found their way into these paintings. I see everything as color and shapes. When painting I use color as my vocabulary to create and inspire stories.” Public Radio Art Mitchell Park in Greenport will be the site of the first WPPB Art Show on June 8. Artists and galleries have been invited to participate as exhibitors at this event, which will have individual tents for artists and galleries as well as a larger general display tent for smaller presentations. Spaces will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. Juried entry is by Hector deCordova. The registration deadline is Friday, May 10. Further information is available on the station’s Web site. Hoepker at 4 North Main Thomas Hoepker, a German photographer who lives in Southampton, is showing his work at 4 North Main Gallery in Southampton through Tuesday. Mr. Hoepker came of age in Germany and worked for publications there such as Municher Illustrierte and Stern. Magnum Photos, a cooperative photography agency and archive, began to distribute his archive in 1964 and he became a full member in 1989. In addition to still photography, Mr. Hoepker worked in documentary films for German television in the 1970s. He eventually moved to New York and was president of Magnum from 2003 to 2006. He is both a photojournalist and a features photographer, and his work has won many awards. The show will feature subjects of his with a regional connection, such as Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Willem de Kooning, John Chamberlain, Chuck Close, and Henry Geldzahler. Other subjects include Muhammad Ali and Claes Oldenburg, whose work is currently on view at the Museum of Modern Art. Mr. Hoepker will be in the gallery to speak with patrons tomorrow and Saturday from 3 to 8 p.m.

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Adrienne Rich in the L.A. Times Poet Adrienne Rich, who died Tuesday at the age of 82 (see our complete obituary), was also known as an essayist. Rich moved from Massachusetts to Santa Cruz in 1984, later saying, "I don't think it's a bad thing in your life to have your whole orientation completely switched geographically." She became an occasional contributor to the L.A. Times, writing essays and criticism for the paper. She started off explosively In 1997, when she explained her decision not to accept the National Medal of Arts; it was not about a looming vote about NEA funding, she wrote. "My 'no' came directly out of my work as a poet and essayist and citizen drawn to the interfold of personal and public experience." In her 1,800-word piece, Rich went on to conclude: In a society tyrannized by the accumulation of wealth as Eastern Europe was tyrannized by its own false gods of concentrated power, recognized artists have, perhaps, a new opportunity to work out our connectedness, as artists, with other people who are beleaguered, suffering, disenfranchised --precariously employed workers, trashed elders, throwaway youth, the "unsuccessful" and the art they too are nonetheless making and seeking. I wish I didn't feel the necessity to say here that none of this is about imposing ideology or style or content on artists; it is about the inseparability of art from acute social crisis in this century and the one now coming up. We have a short-lived model in our history for the place of art in relation to government. During the Depression of the 1930s, under New Deal legislation, thousands of creative and performing artists were paid modest stipends to work in the Federal Writers Project, the Federal Theatre Project, the Federal Art Project. Their creativity, in the form of novels, murals, plays, performances, public monuments, the providing of music and theater to new audiences, seeded the art and the consciousness of succeeding decades. By 1939, this funding was discontinued. Federal funding for the arts, like the philanthropy of private arts patrons, can be given and taken away. In the long run, art needs to grow organically out of a social compost nourishing to everyone, a literate citizenry, a free, universal, public education complex with art as an integral element, a society without throwaway people, honoring both human individuality and the search for a decent, sustainable common life. In such conditions, art would still be a voice of hunger, desire, discontent, passion, reminding us that the democratic project is never-ending. For that to happen, what else would have to change? I hope the discussion will continue. That discussion surfaced in her 2004 review of "The Price of the Ticket: Collected Nonfiction, 1948-1985" as she wrote, "Tracing the writer's development (and steadfastness) through the history he recounted of those years sharpened my sense of what's missing from the desperate, hysterical public non-conversations in which we're presently mired." She continued: He, more than any American writer I can think of, had to make his way through the contradictions of early literary success, later iconization, vilification and incomprehension, particularly as a black writer, that fell onto his shoulders. Determined to remain a serious writer and not become a mere celebrity or spokesman, he lived for long periods, and died, outside the United States. He became a participant in the history of the civil rights movement somewhat reluctantly, seeing himself as a writer, not an activist, yet he knew he could and must bear witness to that history as it was being made, with respect and critical astuteness. The artist, Baldwin wrote in a 1959 review of a collection of Langston Hughes poems, needs to be "within the experience and outside it at the same time." His own awareness of this difficult position (If I am, in spite of all, an American, what does this mean, for me and for America?) was, I think, a supreme artistic strength, giving him prescience, narrative power and an early and vivid anticipation of the real internal trouble toward which this nation, in its blur of wealth and fantasies, has been heading. In March of 2001, Rich looked back at her prose pieces collected in the April 2001 book "Arts of the Possible: Essays and Conversations." In our pages she wrote: For more than 50 years I have been writing, tearing, up, revising poems, studying poets from every culture and century available to me. I have been a poet of the oppositional imagination, meaning that I don't think my only argument is with myself. My work is for people who want to imagine and claim wider horizons and carry on about them into the night, rather than rehearse the landlocked details of personal quandaries or the price for which the house next door just sold. At times in the past decade and a half I have felt like a stranger in my own country. I seem not to speak the official language. I believe many others feel like this, not just as poets or intellectuals but as citizens -- accountable yet excluded from power. I began as an American optimist, albeit a critical one, formed by our racial legacy and by the Vietnam War. In both these cases it was necessary to look hard truths in the face in order to change horrible realities. I believed, with many others, that my country's historical aquifers were flowing in that direction of democratic change. I became an American skeptic, not as to the long search for justice and dignity, which is part of all human history, but in the light of my nation's leading role in demoralizing and destabilizing that search, here at home and around the world. Perhaps just such a passionate skepticism, neither cynical nor nihilistic, is the ground for continuing. Poet Adrienne Rich, 82, has died Nobel Prize-winning Polish poet Wislawa Szymborska dies at 88 Juan Felipe Herrera is appointed California Poet Laureate -- Carolyn Kellogg Photo: Adrienne Rich accepting the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters at the 2006 National Book Awards. Credit: Stuart Ramson / Associated Press

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"All the world's a stage we pass through." - R. Ayana Friday, 26 November 2010 Emit Time by Conner Habib In the dream, I’m sitting on a long couch next to three people: William S. Burroughs, Timothy Leary, and Oprah Winfrey. The room is smoky, and I’m allowed a question. “How do I take all this knowledge I have and make the world a better place?” I ask. A child’s question, How does this work? Leary, with whom I am the least acquainted, answers. “You have to find a way to step outside of time.” I’m about to ask what he means, and in the waking world, a sharp and harsh call pulls me out of sleep. The red-numbered digital alarm I’ve set insists itself. Wake. Up. I hit the snooze button and when I lie back again, the dream is still there and still complete. Leary leans toward me. “You see?” He asks. Oprah nods her head knowingly while Burroughs takes a long drag from his cigarette, eyes forward, catatonic. * * * * *In the beginning there was stone, or nothing, or God, or the loud unspeakable banging of things. There was an origin. And inside of us, somewhere, is that origin. We couldn’t be here without containing it. Every moment of time and all the interactions of nature have led themselves to us, to the person reading these words in the space they’re being read in. And so the very history of the universe stands in our bones, like a ghost standing inside of a wall. This is philosopher Jean Gebser’s “ever-present origin” from his book of the same name. The point from which all lines and planes and cubes emerge, the one that still pours forth our being, but which, at some moment, we became unaware of, and which, if we want to speak spatially about such things, we have “grown distant” from. Somewhere in this great divorce, we developed our current concept of and feeling for time, which so intensely typifies our current way of life, on the peninsular stretch away from the origin that we live on. Gebser’s focus on time impelled him to write the book. There’s too much history to go over, too many potshots to take at the thing, and too many expressions of time from culture to culture to get into the nitty gritty of the history of time (for a great and exhausting study of just that, I recommend A Sideways Look at Time by Jay Griffiths). I don’t have time (or space) to do it. But we can look at what time is to us -- how it feels, how it “ticks away,” how it becomes something beyond claiming as it falls into the past. We can, perhaps, even learn to interact with time in a new way. “Time may change me, but I can’t trace time,” David Bowie sang. Oh no? Gebser claimed that we were entering into a new understanding of time and that it would change our consciousness utterly. He claimed, like the theosophists, anthroposophists, Hindus, and others, that human consciousness has changed throughout our long history. Our new perspective on time would herald a “mutation” -- the “integral” -- through which we could see the ways we used to think -- the past mutations of consciousness. “Mutations” not because they follow the reductive concepts of genetic mutation, nor because they have the same feel as physical evolution; they are, instead, changes in the inner landscape of the psyche and spirit. They are shifts in the pattern of thinking and being that change those patterns utterly. Our selves change in accordance to these mutations; our structures of perception, our personalities, our relationships, all uproot and become undone. That is, they no longer feel finished, and they become again. As goes our structure of consciousness, so goes the world. Gebser’s arguments -- intensely detailed examinations of art history and language -- are compelling and powerful, and in themselves contribute to changes in the consciousness of any reader strong-willed enough to make it through the wordy book (for gentler but just as profound renderings of the evidence, see Owen Barfield’s Saving the Appearances, History in English Words, or Poetic Diction). His main point with the integral is that when we change our vision of time, we change our world, and that this perspective is changing whether we like it or not. Physicist Stephen Hawking speculates that the “‘psychological arrow of time’ is pointed in the same direction as the cosmological and thermodynamic arrow of time... from the past to the future.” Gebser and others ask -- what happens when the psychological arrow changes direction? Or we aim the bow upward? Or more than that -- what happens when we put down our weapons all together? * * * * *I am sitting at the Urban Plaza near 50th Street and 10th Avenue in New York City. There’s a Starbucks and a restaurant nearby and the ground beneath the metal chair I’m sitting on is cobblestone. It is October 20th. Pigeons fly around the fountain. Everyone is reading and talking to one another or on the phone. Some are eating. A few are doing nothing at all, except listening maybe, or watching the sky. None of it feels like time. I can write the word, but it’s distant or even empty, like a bit of nonsense...until I think time is happening. Or sometimes I’ll get the notion of it when a person leaves. The seat is empty; it didn’t used to be empty. There was somewhere to go! That exclamation point feels like time as I look at it. Moreso, definitely, than the absolute blackness of the period. The exclamation point is an event! It’s an instant! The register rises at the end of the sentence! I think about when I need this essay done and there it is. A future. When I double myself -- me and me soon -- there is time. And here’s a waiter, approaching a table. A man has paid with a hundred dollar bill and accidentally left the change in the folder with the check. Time: What he did then unfolding now. The pigeons are moving from ground to awning to tree top, and there’s no time until I think about where they were or where they are going. Time is the animal moving out of sight and into inner vision. It’s an engagement with the invisible. * * * * * In 1759, a pillar of wisdom, mystical and otherwise, Emmanuel Swedenborg revealed that he’d been communing with angels. He was a respected man who wore a wig. He tended to stutter, but besides that was the calm figure of a scientist. He’d engineered bridges, he’d calculated the longitudinal axis based on the movements of the moon, and discovered that the two hemispheres of the brain react differently. He was one of the most famous and well-respected engineers and scientists of his time, and he had a habit of entering into the world of the angels and sometimes even into Hell. It was there that he began to understand time. In the spiritual world, he found that our ideas and concepts had the curious state property of realness -- that is, they weren’t simply thought about, but they were factual expressions. Austrian mystic, natural philosopher, educator, architect and seer Rudolf Steiner would confirm this in later years, stating that in the spiritual world, our concepts are “objects”. Time is as real as a chair in the spiritual world, because in the spiritual world we do not only use the same senses as we do in the material world, as "real” evinces itself as an intense fact of feeling in the spiritual senses. “A pleasant state,” Swedenborg wrote in one of his many voluminous descriptions of the spiritual world, “makes time seem brief, and an unpleasant one makes it seem long. We can therefore see that time in the spiritual world is simply an attribute of state.” Even Einstein could not deny this -- an attribute of state. Like solidity, density, color, tone. Time is a feeling. Wilson van Dusen, Swedenborg scholar and psychologist would later elaborate by examining dimensionality from a Swedenborgian point of view. Though Swedenborg never schematized the dimensions, van Dusen deduced the implicit dimensionality from combing relentlessly over Swedenborg’s work along with the work of other mystics. The dimensions start off as mathematical dimensions -- they are simple: Point, line, plane, cube. The point is a zero-dimension. It has a distinguished nothingness to it. It’s not even the period at the end of this sentence, though we draw it that way. It’s not a thing, it’s not a spot, it’s not a moment. Instead, the point is a gesture of separation -- an instance of being pulled from the whole. This bears a striking resemblance to Gebser’s archaic mutation of consciousness or what Steiner refers to as the Saturnian period of consciousness. The Saturnian being had a consciousness “duller than dreamless sleep”--and occult historian Gary Lachman states that the archaic being was “little more than the first slight ripple of difference between origin and its latent unfolding.” Van Dusen, in ascending through the dimensions, treats the problem algorhythmically. The line is all the points. For Steiner and the theosophists, the line is instead the point turned or bent. Either way, when one lives on the line-state of consciousness (like in Edwin Abbot’s Flatland), all one can see is points. This corresponds well with -- though he did not characterize it this way -- Gebser’s theory of magical consciousness, the next mutation in the sequence. The magical mutation is typified by synchronicites. They’re discreet instances of consciousness which do not only relate, but overlay one another. For an example of magical consciousness, Gebser presents an indigenous people who draw an antelope and plunge a spear into the drawing, then spear an antelope later in perfect reciprocity. This may be difficult at first to understand -- but understand it as the moment when you are thinking of someone and then they call out of nowhere, only more intense. The thought process and the events are so intertwined that they cannot possibly be seen to be independent. In fact, they are interdependent. (This is why in magical rituals, we still see much iconography--sigils or voodoo dolls are symbolic art created to affect life.) The second dimension is the plane. All of the lines together cannot help but form a sort of vaster line--thicker and full of itself. For Steiner, we can say that the plane is the line turned. If a line continues on and on, Steiner explains, it “curves” until it meets itself again. In this way, it forms a circle; “...a straight line can be interpreted as a circle whose diameter is infinitely large... we can imagine that if we move ever farther along a straight line, we will eventually pass through infinity and come back from the other side.” Steiner’s way of examining lines, in other words, brings in our experience as a higher dimension which defines the lower. These dimensions are not separate but in fact beautifully complex in that they all determine each other -- they are neither “top down” nor “bottom up,” particularly since in their totality they defy the spatial laws of structure and hierarchy. On the plane, we find Gebser’s mythic consciousness. The plane pulls the mythic human around and around. A square, not a circle, is the best image for mythic time, because it is a shape punctuated by familiar instances: seasons, directions, colors. Rhythm is felt by the rounding of a corner. In a sense, these corners are the gods. While in the magical mutation of first-dimensional thinking synchronicities “popped up”, in the mythic, synchronicities acquired a new intensity -- rhythm. If in magical consciousness synchronicity was punctuated percussing noise, then in mythcial consciousness, at the corners, the noises found a beat. Infintize the plane, a la van Dusen, or curve it a la Steiner, and we have a cube: the plane that boldly faces itself. And here Gebser’s perspective meets Duhrer’s little squares across the maiden, breaking her form into bits of light and shadow. We became “heavy” with matter as the plane beheld its own eminence. As Gebser deftly points out, (he lays the blame and credit first on Petrarch) we began at this point in history to ascend mountains. No more were the impossible Mt. Olympuses, where we’d be struck down, even for daring to scale. We started to see a vast panorama of space. We were no longer countrymen, united, but individuals, separated by harsh outlines. And what a view! For proof, look at the dramatic shifts in western art around the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries: suddenly, everything jumped out of the frame or slinked backward into it. Light and shadow took the place of color. Instead of color against color: distance and curvature. A perspective of irrevocable spatiality. This is Gebser’s mental mutation, which we’re now in -- albeit its “deficient” mode. Deficient because we’ve lost ourselves in it, forgotten the wonder of it. What’s next on the agenda of dimensions? Time. This was illustrated profoundly to me by a teacher who explained van Dusen’s expressions of dimensions. She held a book. “This book’s the cube; it’s space,” she said. “What happens when you add all the space and all the space?” Of course I had no idea. Then she dropped the book. “When space passes through itself, you have time.” * * * * I’m at the Esalen Institute with about a hundred others. We’re here to spend time with a woman who -- how can I put this? -- is like a glowing white light. Her name is Byron Katie, and she has a beautiful comforting smile. She undoes things. “Good evening,” she says from the stage. We all say good evening back. “Is it true?” she asks, and those of us who know what’s happening laugh. What’s happening is this: Katie, as she prefers to be called, describes the world as Epictetus did. “It is not events that upset us, it is our thoughts about events which upset us.” Katie has a system for parsing the two. When people ask her if she’s enlightened, she says, “I don’t know what that means; I’m just a person who knows the difference between what hurts and what doesn’t.” She often wears shawls. If you saw a picture of her, you might think she was a flake or a saint. The system is The Work. It’s just four questions, and they shine an intense light on the mind of the mental mutation because they use the mental mutation’s own clarity and sharp outlines against itself. The master’s tools dismantling the master’s house (well they’re lying around, anyway, why not?). The questions are applied to a stressful concept -- and it’s easier, she tells us, to apply it to someone else before we apply it to ourselves. My husband shouldn’t cheat on me. My children should listen to me. That woman shouldn’t talk so much. My mailman should say hello when he sees me. Out of context, the questions aren’t so impressive. They are 1. Is it true? 2. Can you absolutely know that it’s true? 3. How do you feel when you think that thought? 4. Who or how would you be without that thought? And they are followed by a “turnaround”, where the original statement is brought back to the self. For example, “My wife shouldn’t have left me” turns into “I shouldn’t have left me” or “I shouldn’t have left my wife” or even “My wife should have left me.” What occurs through The Work is obvious around me. We listen to Katie, facilitate with her and then with each other. We cry and light up. There’s nothing phony about it, nothing new age, it’s simply an intense engagement with the mental world. Everything in the world is. There’s no sense arguing with it. A woman, while doing the work with me sees her husband isn’t selfish, but profoundly giving. She also sees that she needs to give herself everything she expected him to give and to set her boundaries with him. I forgive myself for the first time for being crazy around an old boyfriend. I think, I’d like to be a different way around the people I love. This is postmodernism used to its most profound effect. It’s the deconstruction of thought -- but not to the point of meaninglessness -- rather to its true essence. We are not our thoughts, but we do interact with them. The thoughts rise and fall within us, like weather. But they do not come from us. It’s as if thoughts are curtains billowing inward -- the curtains are blowing in the apartment, but the impetus for their movement comes from somewhere else. When we attach to a thought, that’s when the trouble begins. We stop moving, and we’re caught in Lucifer’s perversion (literally translated as a turning away). Lucifer, instead of turning all the way around to face God once again, stopped and became stuck. And so, evil was born. When we attach to our thoughts, we get stuck and create a fundamentalist belief, and belief can bring pain. “Anything is true if you believe it,” Katie says. “Nothing is true whether you believe it or not.” And she’s funny. It’s much easier to understand The Work by doing, so I won’t record the dialogues here. Go to her website, listen to her audiobooks. But something occurs to me at the conference -- Katie is not anxious or depressed about anything. Somehow, she doesn’t seem to feel stress. Doesn’t she engage with time? Looking backward to regret, forward to worry? “Do you know about time?” she asks us. “Look,” she begins, each utterance a complete sentence. “I. I am. I am a woman. I am a woman who wants a glass of water. I am a woman who is going to reach for a glass of water. Do you see how I’m creating time?” Time is the attachment to a thought. The moment we say, “I am,” we position ourselves temporally. And it expands from there into, “I am a man. I am a man who wants.” We begin to create a past -- the collection of inherited concepts, such as “man”. We create a future by thinking of what we’d like to have, by becoming, “a man who wants.” And so forth until we’re in the very practical world of someone who is going to reach for a glass of water. This is the world of materialisms--everything happens outside of inner being -- “sticking” to itself. All the space and all the space. Katie would say this happens when, “we believe what we think.” Of course, we’re paralyzed without concept--and there is a rightness to concept. Katie tells us that our feelings are alarms. A stressful feeling is the sign of attaching to a stressful thought. “Keep the dreams,” she says, “and investigate the nightmares.” * * * * *Back to the fourth dimension: all the cubes at once. For Steiner, the fourth dimension is the astral world. This presents the first disagreement in dimensionality for van Dusen and Steiner -- while for van Dusen time is the fourth dimension, for Steiner, time appears differently in the fourth dimension. And here’s my leap: human time in the mental mutation of consciousness seems to me to be a combination of the anthroposophical fourth dimension or astral plane and the etheric. The etheric, as described by Steiner, is tricky business. Not because it’s theoretical but because it’s so apparent to our being, but not our senses. We perceive the etheric with our senses only through the distinction in forms and movements in a developing living being. Plants are perhaps the best example, and it is felt that they reside in the etheric “realm” (that is, their consciousness is an etheric consciousness) most squarely. With high speed recording, we can “see” plant development -- the life of the etheric. But while the etheric evinces itself in the material world as temporal, it stands outside of time. That is, it streams with purpose within a completed whole. In fact, it is not so much “streaming towards” as it is “swirling within.” This is close to what Goethe referred to as the “archetypal plant” -- a plant that “contains” all other plants -- a living pool of possibility. Gebser’s origin bears many similarities to the etheric -- it is the unmanifest, formless being from which all forms manifest. Imagine a skyscraper building itself into an invisible blueprint, which is pressed onto the ground, the sky, and the workers that carry out the labor, making them part of the whole. Or, if you like, Marvel Comics has a character named Eternity -- he has a human form, but is vast, infinite, and in the outline of this form are all the planets and stars and all that has ever happened and will happen. The idea here is that things form themselves within a finality. In this sense, the etheric and origin are the ground-level “proofs” of a teleological point of view. They are fractally experienced versions of physicist and philosopher David Bohm’s “implicate order.” A good way to observe this sensually is to notice the differences between a plant and a rock. Rocks do change, but we do not sense within them an inner growth. Even developing crystals form from the outside. The plants, on the other hand, draw from something within themselves to develop as well as from the outside world. Biologist Wolfgang Schad writes, that the etheric has and is, “...an autonomous capacity to behave within matter, physical energy, space and time in a way different from that of lifeless objects.” Because of this, we must observe that time exists in a different way for the plant--just as time exists in a different way for the animal and human. This is because the rock and the animal and the human live in different realms of being than the plant. The animal and the human both have an astral body, and the human alone has a mental body (or “ego-organization”) on which I will present more on later (and through which the distinction is made, as opposed to standard evolutionary thinking that humans are animals). The astral body is the body through which we experience feeling and dreaming. The fourth/astral dimension is a strange place, and when entered into wholly, it is not unlike cartoons where Bugs Bunny goes to a distant planet. Bugs Bunny sees a hammer chasing a nail, a bizarre animal, and people with entirely different rules of living. Steiner explains, “You must become used to reading each number symmetrically, as its mirror image. This is the basic prerequisite...relationships in time...must also be interpreted symmetrically -- that is, later events come first and earlier events appear later...There, the old emerges from the new...It is said of Kronos that he devoured his children. In the astral realm, offspring are not born but devoured.” Events of great emotional weight also appear backwards. “Imagine, for example, that we see a wild animal approaching us in the astral realm, and it strangles us. That is how it appears to someone who is used to interpreting external events...In reality, the wild animal is an internal quality, an aspect of our own astral body is strangling us. The attacking strangler is a quality that is rooted in our own desires. If we have a vengeful thought, for example, the thought may appear in an external form, tormenting us as the Angel of Death.” The astral world is full of these reverse animals, which feels exact when you remember that the animal is a being of astrality that does not pulse strongly with a mental body. Time apparently flows backwards in the fourth dimension or the astral realm because of that dimensional “bend” or “curve.” To ascend in dimensionality, the dominant form (point, line, plane, cube) must be algorhythmically added to itself. Easy enough to imagine when we bend a point to make it a line or bend a plane to make it a cube. Bending the cube is not so easy to imagine, but we can understand it through mirrors. When we bend spatiality, we create a mirror image -- like a right-handed glove appearing as a left-handed glove in the mirror. Time flows in the reverse to the lower dimensions. So even as the animal runs towards us to tear at our throat, Steiner reminds us that our being is primary and that our freedom determines the animal. “In reality, everything in the astral world radiates from us... It comes back to us on all sides as if from the periphery, from infinite space. In truth, however, we are confronting only what our own astral body has given off.” The invention of anxiety -- our astral body is the imagined future. We imagine it, yet it appears to be rushing towards us. This is what Byron Katie means when she says, “We keep thinking, why is this happening to me? What we begin to understand through The Work is that it is happening for us.” * * * * * Just as it’s important to not confuse the fourth dimension with time itself, it’s important to not conceive of the etheric as space, simply because growth flows “into” it. “Strictly speaking,” Hermann Popplebaum, botanist, writes, “the joining of the forms is the task of the perceiver and concerns him only; nature on the other hand, evolves the individual forms out of the totality, because for her the totality is primary.” (p. 220, Poppelbaum, 1985) That is, the perceiver understands relationships and forms through separateness -- a bud and a flower, say -- even though they are not separate. Nature works out of totality. Poppelbaum continues, “The temporal succession of forms is the result of an unfolding into the spatial dimension -- a true ‘ex-plane-ation.’” Anthroposophists also assert the appearance of the etheric after death -- when “the soul experiences its whole past life spread out before it in a vast ‘panorama’ or ‘tableau.’ The etheric body of man is present as a continuous whole before him...” (Popplebaum) How like Gebser’s observations of Picasso’s work, in which smashed-together faces were painted to present all aspects of time. That is, what we perceive in the circling of a three-dimensional form (a face) presented all at once. The astral moves backwards, the etheric moves forward. These two movements give us our curious sense of time. The astral: the anticipation of the future brought on by what radiates from us but feels like it is coming at us. The etheric: the notion of the past rushing to meet us when we compare distinctions in form which are present within a whole. Here’s what happens when we put those two together -- we get a feeling that the future is coming to us and that the past is always behind us. At curious moments, we feel the collision of the two and a sort of “canceling out.” The collision of the etheric and the astral gives us the present--a sort of no-time, a spot of negation and canceling out of memory and anticipation and inner and outer. What’s more, with humans, there is the addition of the mental body, which perceives the astral and etheric. Our sense of time is therefore different than that of the plant or the animal. But it includes those senses of time as well, and we have passed through Gebser’s mutations, so that the effects of time are curious. * * * * * How can you be here, reading this essay when you’ve got to get it all done? Shouldn’t you be making a list? And what about yesterday? You didn’t quite get it all in yesterday did you -- if only you would have managed it all a little more wisely. Look at all the time you wasted doing things that weren’t really beneficial to you! There, feel it. It’s in your body, in your heart, in your lungs. Perhaps your hands were a little shaky or you looked away from the words of this essay to contemplate how to better manage the rest of the day. Maybe you were even sweating. Remember, the experience of time is only “here” when we’re aware of it. We consider time as something that pulses through but time does not really “exist” wholly apart from our experience. For example, for the all-present zen master, there can exist a “space” in which there is only one moment which encompasses everything. Like the room outside the one you’re sitting in, reading this, time’s existence is questionable. When we forget about it (or can’t “see” it in our awareness), it seems to disappear. When we remember it, it appears: the room next to this one exists now internally and springs to being when we enter it again. Furthermore, it feels familiar because we compare it to our memory. When the past seems to match the present, this is looping -- the recursion of the imagined, visualized past into the immediate present. Different societies have different ways of looping. For example, the Australian aborigines, a society for whom the mythic and magical are more diaphanous than our own, sing the landscape into being. The world is interacted with if it is to exist at all. This process only seems foreign to us because our songs are hummed internally. We also sing, but with our memories, hidden and silent. Just as we “see” familiarity with memory, we sense time with bodies. Think again of everything you need to get done today and feel the changing pace in your chest. Rudolf Steiner describes the heart and the lungs as our “rhythmic system.” The rhythmic system, a system of regularity, is sensitive to our ideas about time. Try to contain the future or the past, and it alerts us to the action by speeding up. If you’re running and stop suddenly, you will feel the same thing -- the forward flow of the past and backward flow of the future have an inertia to them. Hold them in your heart and you’ll begin to shake, shiver, sweat. You’ll feel the heat of the energy you’ve contained. Time only feels good when it passes through us effortlessly. Like food, if time gets caught in you, you will begin to choke. * * * * * Popplebaum writes, “The bark of the tree... though it is leaving the etheric realm, is still on the way back to the physical; it has not yet arrived there. Only when it decomposes in the soil has it fully arrived in the physical realm.” In other words, without the astral, the etheric leads back to the physical. When the functioning astral is combined with the functional etheric, the astral is always on the way back to the etheric -- that is, the feeling astral is what contributes to growth. When the mental body is added, the mental flows back toward the astral. Thought lapses back into feeling. So it is for the human being that feeling (the astral) should be dominant -- that even though we have a thinking capacity, feeling is so powerful in comparison to thinking without proper training. Thinking is our highest capacity, but thinking flows into feeling just as bark flows into ground. This is why if we look behind a stressful feeling, we will find a stressful thought. The feeling is the alarm that the thinking is unhealthy -- just as the decomposition in soil is the alarm that the bark of a tree is unhealthy. * * * * * “Wherever the astral body sets limits to growth, the etheric forces are set free from their original task and are able to become a kind of matrix for the formation of thoughts. The capabilities of thinking (e.g. repetition, variation, logical opposition) reveal the formative activities which were previously working in the physical body.” --Popplebaum (emphasis mine) When the astral and etheric become transparent to the mental, that is, when we begin to emit or divest time from our being, we can set ourselves free through intention. We’re not always up to this task: For example, we feel awful because we keep dwelling on a past incident -- when we lied to a loved one, perhaps. When we do this rather than confront the wrong and move on, we halt time. A loop, in a sense is created -- but a smaller, more constricted one. When, in the human, the astral encounters the etheric without the assistance of the mental, it’s like a skipping record. The astral tries to overwhelm the etheric and becomes stuck in a dark, contracted version of it: Hell. It’s a burning that never goes out. It is how we react when we think that thought and attach to it. It is the feeling of trapped time. But when we approach time with intention, we become heroic: the mental body (and mutation) engage with astral and etheric bodies or magical and mythical time. The hero enters the cave with an iron sword and slays the dragon. This act as a whole is the entering into the mental body -- a place of freedom. There, we become capable of a new way of being. What is this way of being? Something, God or the angels or I don’t know what, begins to flow into the mental body, just as before the mental flowed naturally into the astral. In other words, the astral is no longer the overwhelming default. Instead of feeling, thinking comes naturally. We may engage with desire (as we know it now) however we please. We do not want out of fear, but rather out of curiosity and interest. Where once there was terror and intensity of mood, there will be loving engagement. Where once there was necessity driven by impulsive feeling, soon there will be freedom. “...in a space-and-time-free aperspectival world,” Gebser writes, “...the free (or freed) consciousness has at its disposal all latent as well as actual forms of space and time without having either to deny them or to be fully subject to them.” * * * * *I am sitting at a Tibetan restaurant. The ting mo -- steamed white bread -- has just arrived. It’s not supposed to come with the hot pepper oil, but I’ve asked for it. An experiment. What happens when I apply The Work to physical pain? I add as much pepper as possible to the ting mo. A flaring alert shows up on my tongue. I’m in pain, is it true? Can I absolutely know that I’m in pain? How do I feel when I think that thought -- I’m in pain? Who or how would I be without the thought, I’m in pain? Can I turn that thought around? And the pain is gone. I didn’t compare the moment to the past or the future, I didn’t think, “I shouldn’t feel this way,” or “I felt better a moment ago.” I’m seeing all time states at once and choosing the one that feels the most free to me. And with that, even the physical sharpness of the pepper oil coating the back of my throat and my tongue becomes warming. To love time, to put down the psychological arrow, is to marry the physical world and the inner world. It’s to see the mineral body’s clearest spiritual face; from afar, from geological time. “Go inside a stone/That would be my way” poet Charles Simic writes. We must see such a broad field of space and time that it begins to not seem like time at all. In fact, we must, in a way, conceptualize it all at once. When we refer to “geological time” what we mean is the near-absence of the astral and the etheric, the near-abandonment of our notions of time all together. * * * * * As a possible doorway to a new time-consciousness, consider money. “Time is money,” Benjamin Franklin famously said. It’s an often-despised quote, but Franklin was not only a politician but an esotericist. His statement is a mystical truth: money is a time-container. We focus time thinking onto money because it is meant to hold future promise and past labor. We misinterpret in it the etheric and astral bodies. Money does have its own being, but this being--one of brotherliness--is opaque to us. And so real money is actually invisible. We perceive, instead, money as the container of past debt. The things we desire, when linked with “I don’t have enough money” create a future anxiety. When we have money, we are still burdened. Again with the constant burning--the money is “burning a hole in your pocket.” Notice this burning in our misinterpretations of time. When we try to contain time, we sweat, we get chills. The future cannot be held in the present -- because it is meant to radiate -- when we hold it, we feel its heat. Dwelling on the past brings a coldness flowing at us, the loneliness and solitude of depression and guilt and regret. Our misconstrued perception of money is so embedded into the deficient mental mutation that to lose it would be to lose a spiritual arm. If we can learn to shed our perception of money through intention, we can feel a lighter, more integral vision of time. If not, our experience of the integral will be more like William Irwin Thompson’s metaphor of the speeding car. We’ll slam on the breaks and everything in the back will fly forward and into the front. But even this could be fun. When we’re teenagers (the time when we’re most present in our astral dimension), we drive our cars through empty parking lots and slam on the brakes and laugh. * * * * *Time is not a minute or an hour. It is not the past or the future. It is not even the rising of the sun or the blooming of the apple blossoms. All of these, yes, are gestures of time -- but they all seem so not us somehow. Time is the feeling and thoughts we have as the book falls to the floor. This is good news for us when we realize that those thoughts and feelings are up to us to radiate and attach to or let go of. “You have to find a way to step outside of time,” Timothy Leary said to me in the dream-world; a world which is woven -- in its being -- into the astral world. Then the alarm, then the snooze button, then the dream again. “You see?” he asked. I see. The waking and the dreaming world, combined. The astral and the etheric and the mineral all diaphanous in the illuminating mental at the moment of intention: that snooze button. Not a button to sleep or to wake, but to hover in all worlds at once, answering our own questions with a slight and effortless gesture. * * * * *BibliographyBockemuhl, Jochen, edt, Toward A Phenomenology of the Etheric World (Great Barrington: Anthroposophic Press, 1985) (Including Popplebaum and Schad) Gebser, Jean, The Ever-Present Origin (Athens: Ohio University Press, 1985) Griffiths, Jay, A Sideways Look at Time (New York: Tarcher/Putnam, 2002) Hoffman, Eva, Time (New York: Picador, 2009) Katie, Byron, A Thousand Names for Joy: Living in Harmony with the Way Things Are (New York: Random House, 2007) Lachman, Gary, A Secret History of Consciousness (Great Barrington: Lindisfarne Press, 2003) Simic, Charles, The Voice at 3:00 A.M.: Selected Late and New Poems (New York: Harcourt, 2003) Steiner, Rudolf, The Fourth Dimension: Sacred Geometry, Alchemy, and Mathematics (Great Barrington: Anthroposophic Press, 2001) Swedenborg, Emmanuel, Divine Love and Wisdom (West Chester: Swedenborg Foundation, 2003) Toms, Michael, edt, Money, Money, Money: The Search for Wealth and the Pursuit of Happiness (Carlsbad: Hay House, Inc., 1998) Van Dusen, Wilson, The Design of Existence: Emanation from Source to Creation (West Chester: Swedenborg Foundation, 2001) Van Dusen, Wilson, The Presence of Other Worlds: The Psychological/Spiritual Findings of Emmanuel Swedenborg (New York: Swedenborg Foundation Inc., 1977) From Reality Sandwich @ http://www.realitysandwich.com/emit_time Xtra images - http://www.treehugger.com/daylight-saving-time-costs-billions.jpghttp://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vD3gQm4pY8U/SyUxQ3ZK9CI/AAAAAAAAAE8/dMIZP5P0QE4/s640/Dali+Persistence+of+Time.jpg http://focus.aps.org/files/focus/v23/st18/time_tunnel_big.jpghttp://midsouthdiocese.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/daylight-savings-time.jpg For further enlightenment see – The Her(m)etic Hermit - http://hermetic.blog.com New Illuminati – http://nexusilluminati.blogspot.com http://newilluminati.blog-city.com New Illuminati on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Illuminati/320674219559 The Prince of Centraxis – http://centraxis.blogspot.com This material is published under Creative Commons Copyright – reproduction for non-profit use is permitted & encouraged, if you give attribution to the work & author - and please include a (preferably active) link to the original along with this notice. Feel free to make non-commercial hard (printed) or software copies or mirror sites - you never know how long something will stay glued to the web – but remember attribution! If you like what you see, please send a tiny donation or leave a comment – and thanks for reading this far… From the New Illuminati – http://nexusilluminati.blogspot.com http://newilluminati.blog-city.com 4th dimension, astral plane, Byron Katie, Conner Habib, etheric, gebser, Hermann Popplebaum, infinite spacetime, jean, spacetime, time illusion American Stonehenge: Monumental Instructions for t... America's Grand Strategy: Militarizing Space The Future Isn’t What It Used To Be: Living Throug... 'We Have Learned Nothing from the Genome' Illuminati Hypnosis: History of Hypnosis for Progr... Chernobyl death toll: 985,000, mostly from cancer Is AVIG the first electromagnetic free energy devi... Secret DARPA time travel program may hold key to u... Brooke the Immortal Girls Now Begin Puberty Aged Nine Is Precognition Real? All Consuming Growth - The Flaw of Western Economi... Physics ‘Constants’ Changing Comet Triggered Mini Ice Age? Hogan’s holometer: Testing the hypothesis of a hol... 7 Secret Ways We Are Being Poisoned 'UFO' Spiral in the sky seen and heard across West... Forgotten In Time: The Ancient Solfeggio Frequenci... Five Times We Almost Nuked Ourselves by Accident Have Scientists Finally Discovered Evidence for Ps...

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Canadian museum brings Forbidden City treasures to life GMT 10:31 2014 Thursday ,06 March Toronto - XINHUA From Emperor Chenghua's extensive art collection to Empress Dowager Cixi's nail guards, the mysterious lives within Beijing's iconic 600-year-old imperial home are brought to life in Toronto's Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) for the very first time. The Forbidden City: Inside the Court of China's Emperors exhibit, unveiled on Wednesday, is part of ROM's centerpiece in its year-long centennial celebrations, and museum CEO Janet Carding said making this the focus of their 100th anniversary was a no brainer. "Our Chinese collection is internationally renowned and we've been working with our Chinese partners for many years, and we thought, this is a great opportunity to show something which has never been seen in Canada before," she explained. Running from March 8 to Sept. 1, approximately 250 artifacts will be exhibited, roughly 80 of which had never been seen outside the Forbidden City before their transportation to Canada. Featuring bathtubs, robes, stationery and small textile items used in the everyday life of the 24 emperors, concubines, eunuchs, and court officials straight from Beijing's Palace Museum, the ROM aims to showcase what Chinese imperial life was like. The project has taken nearly two years to complete, and opened on Wednesday in the presence of Chinese Ambassador Zhang Junsai, Ontario's Premier Kathleen Wynne, and a number of dignitaries. During his speech, Zhang called the exhibit one of the most important cultural events between China and Canada in recent years. "Historic and cultural differences between China and the West have also left us with different values, and only by respecting and appreciating our differences can we build a harmonious world," said Zhang. "So this exhibit will definitely promote mutual understanding and friendship between our two countries and our two peoples." The media were treated to a preview of what visitors will get to see when the exhibit officially opens to the public on Saturday. Divided into five sections, it is designed to make visitors feel as if they are walking through the Forbidden City architecture of 980 buildings and 9,000 rooms. Visitors will first enter the Outer Court, a place where those the emperor had invited into the palace would congregate. There are ceremonial bells, suits of armour, weapons and large-scale paintings displayed to tell the story of the emperors' governing and military battles. Visitors will then make their way to the Inner Court, a residential space where only the imperial family and their eunuchs lived. The climactic highlight is the last section, which takes visitors into the emperors' study, the most private space in the palace. The museums's senior curator Chen Shen said visitors will not just get to see the emperor's stationery items, but also learn about Emperor Chenghua's appreciation of the arts. "You're going to see in this room stationeries, what kind of pen he's using, ink stones, ink washers, all these things (that are) associated with his really private life and certainly his products, his paintings," said Shen. "He was like a curator. Sometimes I say he's the first curator of the Forbidden City because he made a catalogue of his collections, he classified his collections." Carding said their ultimate goal is to use this exclusive collaboration between the ROM and the Palace Museum to show visitors a side of the Forbidden City that they don't always get to see. "I think that's been something which our curators have been able to bring to life," she said. "So they have researched the different histories and they've gone back and they've looked at people who wrote diaries and journals and accounts of living in the palace at the time, and from that we've been able to piece together what I think is a very, very rich story that brings to life the objects." Choosing from the 1.8 million artifacts in the Palace Museum's vault certainly wasn't an easy task, but Shen believes it is well worth the effort if visitors have the opportunity to appreciate this significant piece of Chinese history. Due to the significant number of light-sensitive textiles and paintings, there will be an extensive rotation of objects at the half way point of the exhibit. Giant pages from ancient Qur’an on display in…2016-10-23 Egypt contacts UNESCO to stop sele of artifacts…2016-10-22 GEM receives 532 artifacts from Tahrir branch2016-10-22 Laos’ Plain of Jars recreated in virtual reality2016-10-20 Germany offers ‘world’s best tourism experience’2016-10-19 View News in Arabic - Culture: أخبار الثقافة والفنون

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Blogs+Video Books+Magazines Design+Fashion Culture Traveler Daily Dozen LATEST NEWS Search “Duchamp, Eat Your Heart Out” The Guggenheim is installing a Gold Toilet Independent Collectors online exhibitions showcase: Contemporary art “bad boy”, Bjarne Melgaard, has found his home in Norway’s KaviarFactory ARTnews: Why artists make ideal collectors? Jeff Koons’s collection seems far more classicist than Koonsian… How important is the role of collector to an artist? Independent Collectors asks to Débora Delmar “I don’t spend money on art” Amount of money that art sells for is shocking, says painter Gerhard Richter AN INTERVIEW WITH THE AMERICAN ARTIST AND VIDEO SCULPTURE PIONEER TONY OURSLER AN INTERVIEW WITH LATVIA-BORN ARTIST DAIGA GRANTIŅA Maria Arusoo – The New Director of the Center for Contemporary Art, Estonia 0 Interviewed by Anna Iltnere20/11/2013 Since the beginning of October, the Center for Contemporary Art (CCA), Estonia has been under the directorship of Maria Arusoo (1983). The Center was established in 1992 (originally titled the Soros Center of Contemporary Art, Estonia), and has been operating as an independent, non-governmental institution since 1999. Johannes Saar, who became the Center's director in 2005, handed in his resignation in the spring of this year. For the sake of comparison, the Latvian Centre for Contemporary Art was founded in 1993 (at first, it was called the Soros Center of Contemporary Art, Riga), and became an independent institution in 2000; ever since then, it has been headed by Solvita Krese. The Contemporary Art Centre (CAC), Vilnius was established in 1992, and has been headed by Kęstutis Kuizinas since its inception. Maria Arusoo is an artist (aka Marusoo) and curator, and has studied Contemporary Art Theory at the Department of Visual and Aural Culture at Goldsmiths, University of London. Having finished her studies, she returned to Tallinn, and in the summer of 2011, organized the extensive group show “Continuum_The Perception Zone”, at Tallinn's Art Room – Kunstihoone. The exhibition featured both local artists and world-famous ones, such as Martins Creed and Olafur Eliason, among others. Arusoo had not planned on staying in Tallinn for long, but things turned out differently. Having put her artistic and curatorial work aside for the present moment, Arusoo is actively bringing to life all of her ideas concerning what CCA, Estonia – and its mission – should be. On an interesting side note, the city of Tartu has undergone changes of its own this autumn. The Tartu Art Museum also boasts a new director – the curator Rael Artel – a contemporary of Arusoo. As Arusoo herself says, this is a notable occurrence because “not long ago, no one could have imagined that that position could be filled by someone from the new generation.” When I arrive at CCA, Estonia (which is located right next to Tallinn's Freedom Square), Maria Arusoo is by herself (usually, there are two people there. That's right – just two employees!) and is wearing a white sweatshirt with the world “FAKE” emblazoned on it. Maria shows me around, adding that they're not going to put in a couch, since then it would be too tempting to not go home but just spend the night there. I accept a cup of coffee (black), while Maria sips her green tea from a mug with “Documenta(13)” printed on it. Why was there a change of directors for CCA, Estonia? The director of CCA, Estonia is elected for a five-year term. Johannes Saar had the position for almost two full terms – he was just one and a half years away from a full ten years as director. He resigned because he had decided to focus more on research and wished to finish his doctoral work. Why now? Maybe because he felt confident that a suitable replacement could be found to take over the reigns. Major changes have happened at the Center over the last year and a half. Rebeka Põldsam and I had been hired as curators, and we changed the Center's direction of operations more towards organizing activities, and not just being an institution that amasses an archive. When I met you in the summer of 2012, you had just begun working here as a curator, and you said that you had thought long and hard over the decision of accepting the job. You had just returned from your studies at Goldsmiths in London, and were straddling the fence in terms of either working as an artist and curator without being tied to a certain city, or, applying for a position at the CCA, Estonia offices in Tallinn. Not two years have passed since then, and you're already the director of the Center – and “tied down” to the position for at least five years. Yes, I gave much though to my decision back then. It was a moment at which I could finally have begun to work independently. But it was exactly at that time that CCA, Estonia announced that they were accepting applications for a curatorial position. I knew that if I were to stay in Tallinn, then the only place that I'd want to work is at CCA, Estonia. So, I changed my game plan and applied for the position. I was also swayed by the fact that I had tons of ideas on what the CCA, Estonia should be like, and what it could truly become. It was a tempting challenge to bring to life. I must add that the Center's team – just like many cultural institutions in Estonia – is so small that you actually get to work as an independent curator, and are in no way just a small screw in some huge machine. I doubt that this could even be called a real office job. The opening for the position of director was announced in the spring of this year. It just seemed logical for me to apply, since I had just spent a year and a half intensively working on changing the direction in which the Center operated – which was a possible thing to do while working under Johannes Saar. If the directorship were to change, I would have left, most likely. So, the only other option was to apply for the position myself. What is this direction in which you'd like to see CCA, Estonia develop towards? Everything new is the well-forgotten old. The work of CCA, Estonia has developed spirally. In the 90s, when the Center was established, it had a large role in creating the discourse on contemporary art. The Center was the so-called leader in the forming of a standpoint. A lot of work was also put into supporting local artists; back then, in the 90s, an acute issue was finding opportunities for sending them abroad and organizing exhibitions in foreign countries for them. Then came a long period during which the Center's activities were directed inwards – becoming an archive and information center. My wish is to return to the Center's initial sphere of operations, in which CCA, Estonia was actively working on the local discourse, developing an understanding of contemporary art, and organizing various related activities. I also believe that today it is no longer necessary to only send our artists abroad, and that we can, instead, invite foreign artists and curators to work here, in Tallinn; we can make the local contemporary art scene more international in nature. Of course, our budget is limited, but there are, nevertheless, many opportunities for doing this. And nothing that I've mentioned isn't something that hasn't been done before; I'm talking about lectures, film evenings and exhibitions, as well as supporting the career development of local artists. This sort of conscious, regular and intensive activity is acutely lacking in Estonia right now. The CCA, Estonia team is quite small... That's true; there is Rebeka, with whom I started to work here as a curator, and I. Also our intern Sten Ojavee, who is a great help. A year and a half ago, we were four people. Right now I really feel a need for one more person who would take care of administrative issues and writing up projects. Although Rebeka and I are not at a loss for coming up with excellent content and program development, I do know that we have to become more realistic if we want to find funding sources to bring them all about. So, beginning with 2014, we are looking to hire a permanent employee who has both feet on the ground (laughs). But in terms of individual projects, we're planning on hiring a team of different people for each one. Looking ahead three or four years, we'd like to specifically invite foreign curators. What are your plans for the coming year? In January of 2014 we are going to show at KUMU the exposition that Dénes Farkas created for Estonia's national pavilion at the 55th Venice Biennale. We're planning several exhibitions in Tartu and Tallinn: Rebeka will have her curatorial project in at Estonian Contemporary Art Museum and I will curate and exhibition at Tartu Art Museum, but I'd rather not delve into those right now. We've also started working with the European contemporary art festival Manifesta, which will be held in St. Petersburg in the summer of 2014. Consequently, next year's summer and autumn events in Tallinn will also be tied in to Manifesta. The same holds for the monthly lectures, which will be led by foreign curators. In 2014 we're also planning on working out a new system of how the Center can support itself financially; I want to find a more flexible approach. What sort of financial model is CCA, Estonia following currently? The bulk of our budget comes from the Ministry of Culture, which covers our rent, wages and daily expenditures. We must reapply for this financing every year, as well as compete with other institutions in doing so. Projects, on the other hand, are financed by international and locally-based grants. And how is the Center planning on changing this model? By developing more stable and long-term relationships with our funding sources, as well as bringing in private investors for certain projects. So that we wouldn't have to start from the beginning every time, and we would already have long-term partnerships for activities that concern a certain sector. For instance, for supporting interns, or just for lectures, and so on. That way, we could plan our activities in advance. Are private investors in Estonia keen on supporting the visual arts? What is the situation like? Compared to Latvia, I think that you have a better situation. Although they aren't many in number, Latvia does have several active art collectors who support art and culture. In Estonia, interest in collecting and philanthropy is growing slowly. I think it's also a question of education, because only in the last few years have art galleries and other institutions been actively working at changing the public's perception of contemporary art, as well as the perception held by potential buyers and collectors. An example is this year's Venice Art Biennale, where we succeeded in getting the financial support for Estonia's national pavilion from an Estonian Attorneys at law Borenius. The effect was two-way: we received funding for a part of our expenses, while the contemporary art scene found a new audience – one that is actively interested in it now. Finding this sort of support for contemporary art is a very slow process and hard work. That's because it is much easier to convince someone that financial support is needed for something like children's healthcare. And the reasons why private money should be donated to contemporary art projects is also not as obvious. CCA, Estonia oversees the competition concerning who gets to participate in the Venice Art Biennale from Estonia. As the new director, do you plan on making any changes to the status quo? Yes; we're hoping to open up the competition much earlier than usual for the 56th Venice Art Biennale, which will take place in 2015. Our advantage is that CCA, Estonia gets to decide when to begin accepting applications; if I'm not mistaken, the situation is a bit different in Latvia. We will be announcing the open call already in November of this year, and we will keep to the same conditions that were assigned to this year's 55th Venice Biennale – namely, that the project's team can contain representatives from both Estonia and any other country. This is not an obligatory, but we are open to receive proposals from international teams. This time we will also actively work at getting the news of the open call out and beyond Estonia's borders, so that the initiative for projects could even come from abroad. This will be a good learning opportunity even for all of the teams that don't get chosen, since local artists and/or curators will have the impetus to work together with professionals outside of Estonia. Can a generational change be sensed in Estonia's cultural scene? Yes and no. The fact that I have become the Center's director is largely due to a string of chance occurrences. However, I can safely say that the environment in Tallinn has recently become interesting to the younger generation. For instance, Anu Vahtra and Indrek Sirkel – the creators and owners of the Lugemik Bookshop – recently told me that when they left Estonia to study abroad, they really didn't want to return to Estonia. But when they returned to Tallinn, they saw that just over a few short years the environment had changed and become fertile for cultural initiatives like, for instance, a bookstore on art and design. It's intriguing to stay and be active here. In a sense, I could say the same thing about myself. I went to London because I wanted to experience an art world that already possesed a long tradition. I didn't think I'd return to Estonia so soon. But when I came back, I felt a change in the air; a change that has already started to turn the wheels of real, albeit small, processes. Several cultural fields now have people from the younger generation in leading positions – people who have a similar way of thinking. And the fact that the Baltic States don't have a developed art market, or system, is attractively challenging to a young person; to be the ones who get to work on creating a system. There is so much that still has to be done, and you have every opportunity to do it your way. This may seem frightening to some, but to others, it's exciting. This does not mean, however, that the older generation has been pushed aside. I always refer to the curator Eha Komissarov (1947), who is currently working at KUMU, as an extremely inspiring example of how one person, regardless of age, can have a more contemporary way of thinking than most young people. So it is not the question of age or generation but more of the ways of contemporary thinking. In your opinion, what is currently most lacking in Estonia's contemporary art scene? Mutual agreement of what our relationship to contemporary art is – on a local level. All of the cells on the local art stage must have an understanding of a, more or less, unified direction in which the contemporary art environment should develop. So that we can combine our strengths and have greater power to show ourselves on a larger scale. One must be able to articulate what it is that we are doing, and why we are doing it. What do we want to achieve? Because, as I already mentioned, most cultural institutions are headed by one, two or three people. And if each one tries to pave their own road, that's a waste of energy that won't lead to any real results. How can this be done in practice? By everyone agreeing on something similar? This may sound really naïve, but I believe that the most important thing is that we must trust each other, and not try to “divide the pie” – even though we all are competing for financing from the Ministry of Culture and Cultural Endowment. We must learn to cooperate so that everyone can develop their strong suit. I am also convinced that one must circulate from one position to another; no one should be tied down to one “chair”. You must work for some time as a freelancer, as a curator, as the head of an institution, and then go on. This is also the way to gain a better understanding of how the art environment functions. An important aspect is student internships. At the Estonian Academy of Arts, a very short amount of time is devoted to getting practice working in the field. But that's the best way of finding out what it is that you want to do after your studies. That is something that CCA, Estonia will try to advance. Students can already apply for an internship with us, but we're going to expand our cooperation with other cultural institutions as well. In London, you gained experience by working at Martin Creed Limited for three years, as an artist's assistant. Are there any specific examples from that time that inspired you, and perhaps still motivate you, as you now work in Estonia and attempt to better the situation? Mostly the attitude. To take your job very seriously. To believe in what you are doing. To whine less and do more real work. It was specifically this attitude, as well as the overall level of professionalism in the contemporary art world there, that still inspire me to forge ahead and continue to develop. And I always try to keep this at eye level, otherwise here in Estonia, it's very easy to get bogged down in the feeling that no one needs your work. It's currently hard to get feedback here in Estonia because a large part of the public has a very conservative understanding of what contemporary art is. It is perceived as something negative, and rarely does anybody ever consider that contemporary art is something greater – that it really is a way of thinking. At the same time, I don't think that some kind of London example should be copied, because you have to figure out how to develop the contemporary art environment specifically here, in Estonia. That all sounds nice and inspiring, but as you mentioned before, there are only two of you here at the Center. Neither of you is superhuman... How do you recharge yourself so you don't burn out? (Laughs) It's important to communicate with like-minded people. You can't be alone, because that is the least inspiring. And a team doesn't have to be large for the members to gain energy from one another. I also get energized by having the opportunity to go to internationally-recognized art events such as such as the Documenta, Manifesta, Venice Biennale, Bergen Assembly and other maybe not so established but highly international, because it's the chance to see those professionals for whom contemporary art is not only a hobby or weekend diversion, but a reason for hard and persistent work. Talking about work only between the hours of 9 to 5 is something that needs to be forgotten. If there ever comes a day when at five PM, all I want to do is go home and do nothing all evening, then I'd better resign and give my job to someone who does have the power and energy to bring big ideas to life. www.cca.ee Thomas Schütte. Stockholm Moderna Museet October 10, 2016 – January 15, 2017 , Sweden Białystok, Poland Bilbao, Brazil Boden, Switzerland Borås, Sweden Brighton, England Charlottenlund, Denmark Cēsis, Latvia Daugavpils, Latvia Durbe, Latvia Eindhoven, Netherlands Groningen, Netherlands Humlebaek, Denmark Høvikodden, Norway Ishøj, Denmark Jevnaker, Norway Jurmala, Latvia Kalmar, Sweden Kaunas, Lithuania Krakow, Poland Kuldiga, Latvia Liepāja, Latvia Lillehammer, Norway Malmö, Sweden New York City, United States of America Nida, Lithuania Odense, Denmark Online, Internet Pedvāle, Latvia Perm, Russia Pärnu, Estonia Reykjavík, Iceland Roja, Latvia Seyðisfjörður, Iceland Tartu, Estonia Tromsø, Norway Tukums, Latvia Umea, Sweden Vaasa, Finland Ventspils, Latvia Versailles, France Žeimiai, Lithuania

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SAMPLE PLAY AUDIO SAMPLE http%3A%2F%2Fsamples.audible.com%2Fbk%2Fbrll%2F002030%2Fbk_brll_002030_sample.mp3+flashcontent1XTQNKAKW0B33G4C3C7K0 The Glass Palace Sea of Poppies By Amitav Ghosh At the heart of this vibrant saga is an immense ship, the Ibis. Its destiny is a tumultuous voyage across the Indian Ocean, its purpose to fight China's vicious 19th-century Opium Wars. As for the crew, they are a motley array of sailors and stowaways, coolies and convicts. Evelyn M Kloepper says: "ignorance may be bliss" The Hungry Tide Narrated By Firdous Bamji Internationally best-selling author Amitav Ghosh, winner of the Pushcart Prize and numerous other prestigious accolades, pens a sweeping novel full of romantic adventure. Favorably compared to the masterworks of Joseph Conrad and V.S. Naipaul, The Hungry Tide is an atmospheric tale set in a world of wondrous sights...and terrible danger. "One of the Best Audio Books I've Read" The Shadow Lines Narrated By Raj Varma Opening in Calcutta in the 1960s, Ghosh’s radiant second novel follows two families - one English, one Bengali - as their lives intertwine in tragic and comic ways. The narrator, Indian-born and English educated, traces events back and forth in time, through years of Bengali partition and violence, observing the ways in which political events invade private lives. K. Parks says: "Excellent narrator. Master story teller." Burmese Days: A Novel By George Orwell Colonial politics in Kyauktada, India, in the 1920s, come to a head when the European Club, previously for whites only, is ordered to elect one token native member. The deeply racist members do their best to manipulate the situation, resulting in the loss not only of reputations but of lives. Amid this cynical setting, timber merchant James Flory, a Brit with a genuine appreciation for the native people and culture, stands as a bridge between the warring factions. But he has trouble acting on his feelings, and the significance of his vote, both social and political, weighs on him. "A Sad, Fierce and Ambitious Colonial Novel" The Circle of Reason Amitav Ghosh’s extraordinary first novel makes a claim on literary turf held by Gabriel García Márquez and Salman Rushdie. In a vivid and magical story, The Circle of Reason traces the misadventures of Alu, a young master weaver in a small Bengali village who is falsely accused of terrorism. Alu flees his home, traveling through Bombay to the Persian Gulf to North Africa with a bird-watching policeman in pursuit. Gwen says: "Ghosh, I was disappointed" The Eternal Wonder: A Novel By Pearl S. Buck Narrated By Aaron Abano Rann falls for the beautiful and equally brilliant Stephanie Kung, who lives in Paris with her Chinese father and has not seen her American mother since she abandoned the family when Stephanie was six years old. Both Rann and Stephanie yearn for a sense of genuine identity. Rann feels plagued by his voracious intellectual curiosity and strives to integrate his life of the mind with his experience in the world. Stephanie struggles to reconcile the Chinese part of herself with her American and French selves. Chin-Chin says: "Wow what a trip back in time." The Calcutta Chromosome: A Novel of Fevers, Delirium & Discovery From Victorian India to near-future New York, The Calcutta Chromosome takes listeners on a wondrous journey through time as a computer programmer trapped in a mind-numbing job hits upon a curious item that will forever change his life. When Antar discovers the battered I.D. card of a long-lost acquaintance, he is suddenly drawn into a spellbinding adventure across centuries and around the globe, into the strange life of L. Murugan.... "What fun!" Diamond Head: A Novel By Cecily Wong Narrated By Nancy Wu, Samantha Chen, Angela Lin, and others Told through the eyes of the Leongs' secret-keeping daughters and wives and spanning the Boxer Rebellion to Pearl Harbor to 1960s Hawaii, Diamond Head is a breathtakingly powerful tale of tragic love, shocking lies, poignant compromise, aching loss, heroic acts of sacrifice, and miraculous hope. "." Finding George Orwell in Burma By Emma Larkin Over the years the American writer Emma Larkin has spent traveling in Burma, she has come to know all too well the many ways this police state can be described as "Orwellian". The life of the mind exists in a state of siege in Burma, and it long has. The connection between George Orwell and Burma is not simply metaphorical, of course; Orwell's mother was born in Burma, and he was shaped by his experiences there as a young man working for the British Imperial Police. "Orwell's Horrors Brought to Life" By Katherine Anne Porter Narrated By Grace Conlin In the summer of 1931, a cruise ship sails for Bremerhaven, Germany. Among its many diverse passengers are a Spanish noblewoman, a drunken German lawyer, an American divorcee, a pair of Mexican Catholic priests, a number of Germans returning to their homeland from Mexico, and a corrupt, avaricious company of Spanish singers and dancers who scheme to defraud the other passengers of their money. "Guaranteed Depression" In an Antique Land: History in the Guise of a Traveler's Tale Once upon a time an Indian writer name Amitav Ghosh set out to find an Indian slave, name unknown, who some 700 years before had traveled to the Middle East. The journey took him to a small village in Egypt, where medieval customs coexist with 20th-century desires and discontents. But even as Ghosh sought to re-create the life of his Indian predecessor, he found himself immersed in those of his modern Egyptian neighbors. "Mixed Worlds" Oil and Marble: A Novel of Leonardo and Michelangelo By Stephanie Storey From 1501 to 1505, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarroti both lived and worked in Florence. Leonardo was a charming, handsome 50-year-old at the peak of his career. Michelangelo was a temperamental sculptor in his mid-20s, desperate to make a name for himself. Michelangelo is a virtual unknown when he returns to Florence and wins the commission to carve what will become one of the most famous sculptures of all time: David. bec/audiothing says: "Fact and Fiction Fuse for a Great Listen" Nora Silk doesn't really fit in on Hemlock Street, where every house looks the same. She's divorced. She wears a charm bracelet and high heels and red toreador pants. And the way she raises her kids is a scandal. But as time passes, the neighbors start having second thoughts about Nora. The women's apprehension evolves into admiration. The men's lust evolves into awe. The children are drawn to her in ways they can't explain. "Changing Times" By Julia Gregson Narrated By Tania Rodrigues Autumn 1928. Three young women are on their way to India, each with a new life in mind. Rose, a beautiful but naive bride-to-be, is anxious about leaving her family and marrying a man she hardly knows. Victoria, her bridesmaid couldn't be happier to get away from her overbearing mother, and is determined to find herself a husband. And Viva, their inexperienced chaperone, is in search of the India of her childhood, ghosts from the past and freedom. Cate P says: "Plotty, but good." The Burma Spring: Aung San Suu Kyi and the New Struggle for the Soul of a Nation By Rena Pederson Using exclusive interviews with Suu Kyi since her release from 15 years of house arrest, as well as recently disclosed diplomatic cables, Pederson uncovers new facets to Suu Kyi's extraordinary story. The Burma Spring also reveals the extraordinary steps taken by First Lady Laura Bush to help Suu Kyi, as well as how former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton injected new momentum into Burma's democratic rebirth. Bookworm says: "Interesting modern history of Burma" Before the Wind: A Novel By Jim Lynch Narrated By Roger Wayne Joshua Johannssen has spent all of his 31 years among sailboats. His grandfather designed them, his father built and raced them, his mother knows why and how they work (or not). For Josh and his two siblings, their backyard was the Puget Sound and sailing their DNA. But both his sister and brother fled many years ago: Ruby to Africa and elsewhere to do good works on land, and Bernard to god-knows-where at sea, a fugitive and pirate. Santa Barbara shopper says: "Good sailing lore but corny plot" The Chaneysville Incident: A Novel By David Bradley Narrated By Noah Michael Levine Brilliant but troubled historian John Washington returns to his hometown of Chaneysville, Pennsylvania—just north of the Mason-Dixon Line—to learn more about the death of his father. Washington discovers that his father was researching a mystery of his own: why 13 escaped slaves reached freedom in Chaneysville only to die there, for reasons forgotten or never known at all. "He said, she said, I said." By Rohinton Mistry In the India of the mid-1970s, Indira Gandhi's government has just come to power. It institutionalizes corruption and arbitrary force, most oppressive to the poorest and weakest people under its sway. Against this backdrop, in an unnamed city by the sea, four people struggle to survive. Dina, Maneck, and two tailors, the Untouchables Om and Ishvar, who are sewing in Dina's service, undergo a series of reversals. Karen P. Smith says: "Praise for the Narrator as much as the Writer" Come to the Edge: A Memoir By Christina Haag Narrated By Christina Haag When Christina Haag was growing up on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, John F. Kennedy, Jr., was just one of the boys in her circle of prep-school friends. A decade later, after they had both graduated from Brown University and were living in New York City, Christina and John were cast in an off-Broadway play together. It was then that John confessed his long-standing crush on her, and they embarked on a five-year love affair. Marie A. Gelormino says: "A sweet love story" By Richard Flanagan Narrated By David Atlas >In the despair of a Japanese POW camp on the Thailand - Burma Death Railway in 1943, Australian surgeon Dorrigo Evans is haunted by his love affair with his uncle's young wife two years earlier. His life is a daily struggle to save the men under his command from starvation, from cholera, from pitiless beatings - until he receives a letter that will change him forever. Lee Chemel says: "Exquisite" Everything You Ever Wanted: A Memoir By Jillian Lauren Narrated By Jillian Lauren In her younger years, Jillian Lauren was a college dropout, a drug addict, and an international concubine in the Prince of Brunei's harem, an experience she immortalized in her best-selling memoir, Some Girls. In her 30s, Jillian's most radical act is learning the steadying power of love when she and her rock star husband adopt an Ethiopian child with special needs. Edna says: "Authentic" Set in Burma during the British invasion of 1885, this masterly novel by Amitav Ghosh tells the story of Rajkumar, a poor boy lifted on the tides of political and social chaos, who goes on to create an empire in the Burmese teak forest. When soldiers force the royal family out of the Glass Palace and into exile, Rajkumar befriends Dolly, a young woman in the court of the Burmese Queen, whose love will shape his life. He cannot forget her, and years later, as a rich man, he goes in search of her. The struggles that have made Burma, India, and Malaya the places they are today are illuminated in this wonderful novel by the writer Chitra Divakaruni calls “a master storyteller.” ©2002 Amitav Ghosh (P)2010 Brilliance Audio, Inc. "Ghosh renders the polite imprisonment of the Burmese royal family in India and the lush, dangerous atmosphere of teak camps in the Burmese forest with fine detail––a perfect balance for the broad strokes of romance and serendipity that drive the story forward." (The New Yorker) "Ghosh ranges from the condescension of the British colonialists to the repression of the current Myanmar (Burmese) regime in a style that suggests E. M. Forster as well as James Michener. Highly recommended." (Library Journal) Flood of Fire River of Smoke ARLINGTON, MA, United States "Wonderful Family Saga Set in Burma and Malaysia" This is a big story written by one of my favorite authors, Amitav Ghosh. He gives the full sweep of history in this region in the 20th century, starting with the end of Burmese royalty, the movement of Indians into the culture of Burma, the horrendous toll of suffering and displacement during WW II, ending with the restrictive political climate of the new "Myanmar". It is told through the intertwined families of the book, a large and intertwined lot. I loved the attention to the characters, and the coming together of many different family connections that span the generations. The characters are quite unique, and the woman are very independent. Ghosh is a great story teller and I would recommend his other books as well. The book's length and detail draw you in, the narrator is very good and brings all the characters alive. It is not a book for someone looking for a fast moving plot, but there is a lot of drama throughout the novel and a fascinating book for a good, long listening experience. Addicted to books, both print and audio-. "Marvelous listening experience" I read the book a few years back and loved it. It is beautifully written, very absorbing, and heartbreaking. This is a great way to re-read the book, or to read it for the first time. Simon Vance is one of the best narrators I've heard, and he does a marvelous job here. A fabulous listen! D. Donohue dungha "A Delicious Escape into the Past" Wow, I cannot remember why I selected this, as I had not read Ghosh before. It has been too enthralling an audiobook to put down! It has remarkable language portraits of India, Burma and Malaya, complete with smells, people, built environments, economics and politics. Sometimes it feels that too many historic events directly affect its players, but the reader is extraordinary and the novel's ability to evoke a place and time is superb. FANTASTIC book! Couldn't stop listening. Now, can't stop thinking about it. I did not find the narrative too long. I would highly recommend this book. "I struggled to finish... enough said." I can appreciate the story - young boy grows up during a rough time but ends up becoming very successful, both in his business and personal life. I can even appreciate the author's ability to help you "see" the story. I feel like I got a real sense of how it was in Burma during this time. What I can't appreciate, are some of the long stretches of (seemingly) unnecessary details and conversations. I expect to have loads of details in an unabridged version, but sheesh, those details are usually helpful in telling the story. Not this time; instead I felt like there was a bunch of fluff added in. On top of that, the end read as if the author had gotten tired of writing, but still wanted to cover a 10? 20? 30? year timespan so he just threw it all out there with no clear indication of the year, or the amount of time that had passed. 2.5 stars for the idea of the story, -2.5 stars for making it sooo difficult to finish. (I actually gave up about 5 times). K.D. Keenan 1emp "Touchng, Beautiful--and Annoying" The Glass Palace is beautifully written, with wonderfully-drawn characters and many touching moments. However, between Part 1 and Part 2 there was such a quantum leap in time and events that I went back to Audible to make sure that I had downloaded all the parts. There was a gap of 15 years, during which protagonists who were in different countries somehow got together and were married in some unexplained manner that was never clarified. Once I got past this, however, the story continued in a very satisfactory manner, and I am glad I stuck with it. Simon Vance's narration was superb, as always. I highly recommend this book despite its flaws. It is a portrayal of a venue that has not been well-covered in fiction--Burma (now Myanmar) and Malaya from early 20th Century to the 1970s. Kristen Giles Boulder, CO, USA Kea Giles (Asmus) "Long book made longer by very little happiness" Only listen if you want a sweeping history of Burma and India. It's well-written and narrated with great detail, but so long! And I found it to be sad on balance. More Less Richard Delman I am a 65-year-old psychologist, married for 25 years, with two sons who are 25 and 22. I love reviewing the books and the feedback I get. "I found no fun here. Education about Burma, maybe." In the past several weeks I have devoted about four and a half hours trying to enjoy this book. But, when you are "trying to enjoy" something, what that means is that you are not actually enjoying it at all. Maybe it's cultural, as my wife is fond of saying. You do find yourself rooting for the young Rajkumar, but there is no suspense at all in this story. Clearly he is going to grow up and marry the lovely young Dolly (I am so sure that that is not how to pronounce her name; it's just phonetics). I bought the book because I thought I might learn something about Burma, and because Simon Vance is just a really good narrator. Call me an American, which I certainly am, but the book is not friendly to an American reader, in the way that Tim Hallinan's books, which are about Thailand, certainly are written from the American viewpoint. I love his books, and I am educated as well as being entertained by them. I learn quite a bit about Thailand and about Southeast Asia from them. Tim knows how to hold his audience in the way that Amitav Ghosh does not. This week I realized that I listened to Owen Laukkenan's book "Criminal Enterprise" in its entirety while I was in the middle of struggling through this book. Not a good sign. Maybe you have to be Burmese, although that sentence sounds preposterous to me as I write it. Maybe I should just listen to the hundreds of other audiobooks that I have loved and been entertained by. More Less Kristi Richardson Milwaukie, OR, United States An old broad that enjoys books of all types. Would rather read than write reviews though. I know what I like, and won't be bothered by crap. "Riveting picture of the human story of Burma!" What did you love best about The Glass Palace? The characters were well drawn and very vivid, so that you emphasized with them. I also enjoyed the descriptions of a country I knew very little about. It was an eye opening experience. What other book might you compare The Glass Palace to and why? This book is similar to Hawaii by James Michener, or Sarum by Edward Rutherfurd. They all are sweeping stories of country's histories told thru a few families. The only difference is that The Glass Palace is only telling a few hundred years of history while the others go centuries. Which character – as performed by Simon Vance – was your favorite? So many characters I loved. I would have to say Dinu Raha was my favorite. As a young boy he is closer to his mother than father, and survives childhood polio. He loves photography and would be what we call today autistic in his singlemindedness. He falls for Alison the beautiful daughter of Matthew and Elsa and against all odds wins her love. He also becomes the voice of Burma and a political prisoner for a time. Just loved his character! If you could rename The Glass Palace, what would you call it? I like the name just fine. Don't think there is a better name. This story really brought the world to me. The narrative is told by the individual peoples and made me realize that Britain and America's love for their country and belief in a "manifest destiny" nearly destroyed the people and countries they conquered. A very moving tale of the rights of all people to live free in this world. Highly recommend! "Great historical/cross-cultural story" Where does The Glass Palace rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far? Upper quadrant. What was most disappointing about Amitav Ghosh’s story? Really a family history intertwined with Burmese history rather than a novel of real personal growth or significant challenges. Which scene was your favorite? Every scene was told with the same reporter style so it was somewhat difficult to get emotionally caught-up. Overall the story (history) was compelling. If you could take any character from The Glass Palace out to dinner, who would it be and why?

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> Dramatizations SAMPLE PLAY AUDIO SAMPLE http%3A%2F%2Fsamples.audible.com%2Fpf%2Fbbcw%2F000795%2Fpf_bbcw_000795_sample.mp3+flashcontent1XG3HTJZBED1T08ZJ6D00 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Quandary Phase (Dramatized) , Geoffrey McGivern , Full Cast Length: 2 hrs and 25 mins Series: Hitchhiker's Guide (radio plays), Book 4 Performance Release Date:09-12-05 Publisher: BBC Worldwide Limited Thomas says: "Difficult to listen to in the car!" Dirk Gently: The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul (Dramatised) Narrated By Harry Enfield Harry Enfield exuberantly returns as Dirk Gently, who, fallen on hard times and dressed as a gypsy woman, is using his irritatingly accurate clairvoyant powers to read palms. He is saved when a frantic client turns up with a ludicrous story about being stalked by a goblin waving a contract accompanied by a hairy, green-eyed, scythe-wielding monster. Ann says: "Holistic update" Seconds before the Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last 15 years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor. J. Medany says: "HHTGH - Lightly Fried" The Salmon of Doubt: Hitchhiking the Galaxy One Last Time Narrated By Simon Jones, Christopher Cerf, Richard Dawkins, and others Rescued from his beloved Macintosh, The Salmon of Doubt provides us with the opportunity to linger and frolic one last time in the uniquely entertaining and richly informative mind of Douglas Adams. For the millions of readers who expressed their grief and shock at his untimely death, this is a treasure; his final book and our last chance to see new work from an acknowledged comic genius. Ambrose A. Dunn-meynell says: "enjoyable but not well described" Shada: Doctor Who: The Lost Adventure By Douglas Adams, Gareth Roberts Narrated By Lalla Ward The Doctor's old friend and fellow Time Lord Professor Chronotis has retired to Cambridge University - where nobody will notice if he lives for centuries. But now he needs help from the Doctor, Romana, and K-9. When he left Gallifrey he took with him a few little souvenirs - most of them are harmless. But one of them is extremely dangerous. The Worshipful and Ancient Law of Gallifrey isn't a book for Time Tots.It must not be allowed to fall into the wrong hands. "Like uncovering a lost treasure" The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul Narrated By Douglas Adams Kate Schechter would like to know why everyone she meets knows her name - and why Thor, the Norse god of thunder, keeps showing up on her doorstep. Dirk Gently, detective and refrigerator wrestler, can uncover the mystery, and only the absurdist wit of Douglas Adams can recount them with such relentless humor. "Makes you miss him even more..." Doctor Who - The Lost Stories - The Fourth Doctor Box Set By Robert Banks Stewart, Philip Hinchcliffe, John Dorney, and others Narrated By Tom Baker, Louise Jameson, Paul Freeman Two lost stories from the Fourth Doctor's era: The Foe from the Future and The Valley of Death. "What a treat! The Doctor and Leela" The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Live in Concert Author Douglas Adams kidnapped an audience and held them hostage for 90 minutes at London's Almeida Theatre. The audience members were subjected to extremely hot August temperatures and Adams's dramatic solo performances of excerpts and scenes from his wildly funny Hitchhiker's Guide Trilogy. "A Live Performance" Star Wars (Dramatized) By George Lucas, Brian Daley (adaptation) Narrated By Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels This landmark production, perhaps the most ambitious radio project ever attempted, began when Star Wars creator George Lucas donated the story rights to an NPR affiliate. Writer Brian Daley adapted the film's highly visual script to the special demands and unique possibilities of radio, creating a more richly textured tale with greater emphasis on character development. "Beyond the film..." John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme, Series 5: The BBC Radio 4 Comedy Sketch Show By John Finnemore Narrated By John Finnemore The complete fifth series of BBC Radio 4's award-winning sketch show, written by and starring the writer of Cabin Pressure. John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme has won a host of awards, including the 2015 BBC Audio Drama Award for Best Scripted Comedy with Live Audience. Written by and starring John Finnemore, this fifth series of the hit show returns with more witty wordplay and laugh-out-loud sketches. Hanna Raspel says: "Insanely enjoyable" John Finnemore's Double Acts: Six BBC Radio 4 Comedy Dramas Narrated By Alison Steadman, Celia Imrie, full cast Celia Imrie, Alison Steadman, John Bird and Rebecca Front are among the cast of these six comedy two-handers written by Cabin Pressure's John Finnemore. The stories are: 'A Flock of Tigers'; 'Wysinnwig'; 'Red-Handed'; 'The Goliath Window'; 'English for Pony-Lovers'; and 'Hot Desk'. Also among the cast are Charles Edwards, Isy Sutie, Lawrie Lewin, John Finnemore, Simon Kane, Beth Mullen, Matthew Baynton and Jenny Bede. "If you like stories" A full-cast BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman’s celebrated apocalyptic comic novel, with bonus length episodes and outtakes. According to the Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday in fact. Just after Any Answers on Radio 4….Events have been set in motion to bring about the End of Days. The armies of Good and Evil are gathering and making their way towards the sleepy English village of Lower Tadfield. Mr Benn says: "An adaption of one of my all time favorite books" Doctor Who: Eleventh Doctor Tales: Eleventh Doctor Audio Originals By Oli Smith Narrated By Matt Smith, Arthur Darvill, Meera Syal Join the Eleventh Doctor on journeys in time and space in the stories 'The Runaway Train' by Oli Smith, 'The Ring of Steel' by Stephen Cole, 'The Jade Pyramid' by Martin Day, 'The Hounds of Artemis' by James Goss, 'The Gemini Contagion' by Jason Arnopp, 'Eye of the Jungle' by Darren Jones, 'Blackout' by Oli Smith, 'The Art of Death' by James Goss, 'Darkstar Academy' by Mark Morris, 'Day of the Cockroach' by Steve Lyons and many more. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (Dramatized) By George Lucas Narrated By Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Billy Dee Williams, and others Like its predecessor, this electrifying drama boasts an outstanding cast (including Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, Anthony Daniels as See Threepio, Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian, and John Lithgow as Yoda); a greatly expanded script, with many scenes not found in the movie; and audio engineering of unparalleled excellence. The Empire Strikes Back takes you once more into a galaxy of pure sound and limitless imagination for an adventure you'll never forget. Ellen Anthony says: Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (Dramatized) Narrated By Anthony Daniels, Ed Asner Like its predecessors, this electrifying drama boasts a splendid cast (including Anthony Daniels as See-Threepio and Ed Asner as Jabba the Hutt), a greatly expanded script, with many scenes and characters not found in the movie, and audio engineering of unparalleled excellence. Jago & Litefoot Series 1 By Alan Barnes, Jonathan Morris, Andy Lane, and others Narrated By Christopher Benjamin, Trevor Baxter, Conrad Asquith, and others The continuing adventures of Henry Gordon Jago and George Litefoot, characters first introduced on television in Doctor Who: The Talons of Weng-Chiang (1977), who have become Infernal Investigators, solving mysteries involving paranormal or alien phenomena in 1880s London. My First Planet: The Complete Series 1 By Phil Whelans Narrated By Nicholas Lyndhurst, Vicki Pepperdine, Tom Goodman-Hill, and others The complete first series of My First Planet - a sitcom set on a shiny new planet, starring Nicholas Lyndhurst, Vicki Pepperdine (Jo Brand's Getting On) & Tom Goodman-Hill (Another Case of Milton Jones) The story so far: Unfortunately, Burrows the leader of the colony has died on the voyage, so his Number 2, Brian (Nicholas Lyndhurst), is now in charge. He's a nice enough chap, but no alpha male, and his desire to sort things out with a nice friendly meeting infuriates the colony's Chief Physician, Lillian (Vicki Pepperdine), who'd really rather everyone was walking round in tight colour-coded tunics.... "Wish this for Fred and Rosemary" The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster By Bobby Henderson Narrated By Griffin Burns June 2005: Bobby Henderson of Oregon wrote an open letter to the Kansas School Board proposing a third alternative to the teaching of evolution and intelligent design in schools. Bobby is a prophet of sorts, the spiritual leader of a growing, world-wide group of followers who worship the teachings of The Flying Spaghetti Monster (FSM). The FSM appeared to Bobby as a giant ball of spaghetti, with meatballs for eyes, and touched Bobby with "His noodly appendage".... "Very funny" Don't panic! The Hitchhiker's saga returns once again with a brand new full-cast dramatisation of So Long and Thanks For All the Fish, the fourth book in Douglas Adams's famous 'trilogy in five parts'. The Earth has miraculously reappeared and, even more miraculously, Arthur Dent has found it. Returning to his cottage after...well...ages, he falls in love with the girl of his dreams.But Ford Prefect is onto something which might well burst Arthur's bubble. There is, after all, something very fishy about his girlfriend's feet, and what has happened to all the dolphins? Perhaps, at last, all will be revealed in God's Last Message to His Creation....Simon Jones returns as Arthur, Geoffrey McGivern as Ford, and Stephen Moore as Marvin. William Franklyn is the Book, and there is a whole host of famous guest stars.This extended edition features 30 minutes of material not heard on BBC Radio 4. Listen to the rest of Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy "trilogy".Want to learn more about the new Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy movie? Listen to this interview with Robbie Stamp, close friend of Douglas Adams and executive producer of the film. © and (P)2005 BBC Audiobooks Ltd 2005 Audie Award Nominee, Audiobook Adapted from Another Medium The Restaurant at the End of the Universe Life, the Universe, and Everything Predictably Irrational (Unabridged) The Amulet of Samarkand: The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book 1 (Unabridged) The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Primary Phase (Dramatised) (Unabridged) What Members Say W. Seligman upstate NY USA "Getting Better" This is the fourth in the BBC Radio adaptations of Douglas Adams' "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" series of books. Except that the first two BBC radio productions were the originals, and Adams wrote the first two HHG books based on the series. However, the third through fifth BBC radio adaptations are based on the three HHG books that Adams wrote after his first two books, but before the last three radio series. If that's not clear, consult any popular reference work on temporal causality. To put this review in context, I ask that you read my Audible review of the previous BBC dramatization, "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Tertiary Phase." Go ahead, I'll wait. I see you're back. The "Quandary Phase" contains a four-episode radio series that's an adaptation of Adams' book "So Long and Thanks For All the Fish," the fourth book in the story of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." Let me ease any concerns you may have after reading another reviewers' comments on the "Tertiary Phase." I had no difficulties purchasing the "Quandary Phase" from Audible, and I live in the US. The first two episodes in the BBC radio dramatization suffer from the same problems I mentioned in my review of the "Tertiary Phase": I feel that they're over-produced, with too many audio effects layered at once; and that they're too faithful to the written books for a radio production. However, the second two episodes reverse both of those issues. Finally, the emphasis is on the characters talking to one another; Adams' wit and humor (or should it be "humour"?) can finally shine through. Also, the presentation is tailored for the radio; some plot elements are re-arranged and presented in a way that's better to suited for listening. If I'd purchased this from the UK, as I did the "Tertiary Phase", I probably would have felt it wasn't work the extra expense. But at Audible's lower prices, I recommend it. Listen and enjoy. "great cast in dramatization" this is a great cast and solid adaptation of the book so long and thanks for all the fish. finally a voice to fenchurch. some of the storylines are condensed but it flows great. I now have the third, fourth, and fifth books dramatized More Less david lebo "Amazing Audio Drama. After ZBS, Meatball Fulton" I renewed my Audible account because the Audio Drama. being near 50 Years old, I love audio drama. Thank Audible! they are adding more and more audio drama. I would like to see some of the independent A.D. titles make it to Audible. Great product includes, We're Alive, Levitation Chronicles, and More ZBS/Meatball Fulton. <3 Audible! More Less Paul W. Kreamer Philadelphia, PA United States Paul Kreamer Loved it. The BBC version is outstanding. This is the fourth in the BBC series. The story is better then the third series in my opinion. "My all time favorite" My Favorite fiction series of all time. Highly recommend the entire radio series!! Love Douglas Adams. Sci-fi, detective, cozy. Only give 5s to those books I think stand above the rest. 4 is a good solid book. 3 is average, nothing special. "Short and sweet" Not as smooth as the earlier phases. However, still a great way to spend a few hours. Zany. Teresa Denemy "all BBC phases of this book are my fav" love it, love it, love it. I was able to borrow the H2G2 BBC Radio version on cassette from a teacher and feel in love with series when I was in high school and have been trying to obtain since then "Does what the book doesn't & blends perfectly..." So Long & Thanks For All The Fish is quite a tough read but Dirk Maggs and his team have really slapped it into shape and made a very, very good and enjoyable version for our consumption.Essentially the Earth that Arthur was rescued from (a few moments before it was destroyed by the Vogons) has popped back into existence again. Life on the planet is much the same as before with one major exception - the dolphins have gone.The critical thing about Maggs' slapping is that he hasn't changed too much and it blends perfectly with all the other HGTTG audiobooks - you have listened to the others haven't you? For heavens sake don't start with this one otherwise your head will explode...probably!The usual cast provide strong performances as usual and as this book features the character of Arthur Dent more than the others then it really gives Simon Jones a chance to stretch Arthur a little further than we've heard/seen before.Jane Horrocks is fab as Fenchurch but I particularly enjoy Geoff McGivern's furniture wrecking scene and a nice cameo by David Dixon who played Ford Prefect in the BBC TV series of HGTTG.Quality stuff... Ch3nz Harlow, United Kingdom read the book. the dramatised version just as good. really enjoyable. not much needs to be said. 1 of 1 people found this review helpful You never want it to end. :) It's brilliant and funny and the cast is superb. What more can you wish for? 0 of 0 people found this review helpful Mr. E. A. Shanks Peebles, Scotland "Another fine performance" This instalment is as good as the ones gone before. Looking forward to the next one. 0 of 0 people found this review helpful "Worst of them all." Douglas Adams once said that, So Long and Thanks for all the Fish, was "his worst work" He wrote it during a low period, and didn't give it his best.Well If that's how he write badly, he can do no wrong in my eyes.It was a brilliant book, yes a turn away from the normal guide, but all the better for it. The pictures it painted were wonderful.With such characters as, Fenchurch, Murray Bost Henson and Anji's stiffly primed work mate, made it a delight to listen tooThe only problem I found with the book was that it wasn't long enough. L. Allen "Corrupted file, unplayable" What disappointed you about The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Quandary Phase (Dramatised)? It's a good job I have the books as I have no idea what this audible version is like because it won't download due to the file being corrupted. I am hoping I can get a refund of this and all the other books in the HHG series as there's no point in not having one part of this epic five part trilogy missing from the set. What will your next listen be? Nothing, I am cancelling my audible account as soon as I get a refund I wouldn't know, the file didn't play You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities? The author

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Cornelius artist Jessica Singerman’s work connects her with her love of the land. By 8 a.m. most days Jessica Singerman has already logged in three solid hours of painting, a morning ritual she began nearly two years ago after her son, Noah, was born. Quietly working in her garage home studio, Singerman’s solitude is punctuated only by the morning chatter of NPR. The nearby baby monitor advises her when her little guy is ready to start his day. “This is a new beginning for me,” Singerman says of her daily work routine. “Making work every day is what I’m supposed to be doing. It’s spiritual and how I need to connect with being an artist while balancing time with being a mom.” Singerman’s approach to her work and her outlook on life brings a broad perspective as a product of a bicultural upbringing. Her mother is French and her father is American. She grew up in Davidson where her dad taught French at Davidson College. His stints leading exchange and foreign study programs, found Singerman spending entire school years in France while growing up. She knew at a very young age she wanted to be an artist. She received her undergraduate degree in studio art from William & Mary in Williamsburg and her MFA in painting at the University of Delaware where she also served on the faculty. Singerman also taught drawing and computer graphic art at Salem College in New Jersey. Though away for some years from academia, she sees herself returning to teaching in the future. “Being in a place is different than travelling there,” said Singerman, who noted that the “rootlessness” of her bicultural upbringing has been a great influence on her work. “Sense of place is something I’m acutely aware of and has spurred me to find a greater sense of connection with the land around me.” Singerman describes her most recent work as abstract land paintings. She’s careful and deliberate in differentiating them from landscapes. “Landscapes infer a ‘window’ on a scene that’s being viewed,” said Singerman. “Conversely ‘land’ evokes for me an integration of me being part of the work, a feeling, it’s really a verb. I’m not viewing what I’m painting, it’s part of me and I’m part of it. I connect in a similar way when I’m cycling, it’s visceral. It feels corporal.” At 34, Singerman has strung together a number of life experiences to bring her creative talent onto the canvas. She’s studied in Italy, taught drawing to students barely her junior, lived and worked in Australia, and led guided bicycle tours throughout Europe and back country roads throughout the U.S. Her work offers explosions of color, form and light conjuring imagery of motion and depth. Upon close inspection, viewers may find figurative imagery, elements not present by accident. “I often work figurative components into my work,” said Singerman, whose process involves building up the base of canvas with acrylic and then moving into oil paint. “I don’t like to over think it, I like to let go when I paint and see what comes out.” Jessica Singerman will show August 14 for one month at ‘Fresh Tide’ at the Neighborhood Theater in NoDa www.neighborhoodtheatre.com . Singerman is represented locally by the Providence Gallery. A special exhibition of her work will show beginning October 10 for one month. www.providencegallery.net. More Information . Sixteen Minute Comfort Spring Style Guide A Big Backyard of the Mind, and More, at Davidson College

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Not a superstar, but still a revolutionary artist Gloria Goodale, Arts and culture correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor WESTWOOD, CALIF. — In an era dominated by television and film, it's refreshing to know that a painter from half a century ago can still stir up passions.Milton Avery has long been known within art circles as "a painter's painter." It is clear that he has always been less well known than his superstar contemporaries, such as Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock.But what is less clear is how connected his work was to the important art trends of his day. One issue that still gets art critics hot under the collar: What was his real impact on the artists who helped define American art in the second half of the 20th century? The current exhibition at the UCLA Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, "Milton Avery: The Late Paintings," features works from 1947 to 1963. The exhibition shows that his work represented a bridge between American traditionalists, such as Thomas Hart Benton and Marsden Hartley, and the Abstract Expressionists Pollock and Rothko. "He started the revolution with a newer voice," says exhibition curator Robert Hobbs. Avery was influenced by French painters such as Henri Matisse and Pierre Bonnard, whose vivid use of color made its way into Avery's paintings. But although he helped bring this profound exploration of color to his peers, Avery wasn't ready to give up on recognizable imagery, Mr. Hobbs says.Avery was also influenced by American folk-art traditions, which were rooted in realism, albeit naive. The next generation of American artists was committed to going totally abstract, even in their imagery. "He was eclipsed by what he created," Hobbs says.Paintings such as "Sailfish in Fog" and "The Haircut," with their strong use of color, are good examples of the transitional material his work provided to other artists, Hobbs says. In the first, the entire canvas is a saturated red with the merest hint of a boat's outline."This is a good example of his connection with the work later done by Mark Rothko," says Hobbs, describing the work of the pioneer in pure color-field theory. There's good reason to believe Avery influenced Rothko: The younger artist was one of a handful of influential painters living in New York City in the mid-century who met regularly with Avery to have him critique their work.But just as art of the 20th century showed that there are many ways to depict the same experience, art criticism shows that one person's masterpiece is another's shallow decoration. When the show opened several weeks ago, Christopher Knight, art critic for the Los Angeles Times, clearly enjoyed knocking down the view of Avery as an important figure.Mr. Knight called Avery's work "old-fashioned sentiment given a veneer of experimental adventure. It's avant-garde lite." Further, he said, the show "flogs his 1950s work in a tortured effort to assert its illuminating relevance to the period."Other critics have been more expansive. Avery "contributed to the triumph of abstract-expressionism, through the impact he had on its major practitioners," writes James Auer, art critic for the Milwaukee Sentinel Journal. The exhibition previously visited Milwaukee.Curator Hobbs says one thing is clear: "Avery's work has always been pleasing to look at. That, in the eyes of many modernists, who tend to think what we consider good art has to be difficult, has always made him easy to dismiss."• 'Milton Avery: The Late Paintings' is on display at the UCLA Hammer Museum in Los Angeles through Sept. 8. Author Ryan Avery aims to set record for number of books signed 'Making a Murderer' petition elicits response from White House 'Stripped': A documentary examines the American comic strip

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Professor's Work Published in International Anthology Distinguished Professor of English Richard Kopley A short story written by Penn State DuBois Distinguished Professor of English Richard Kopley has been chosen for inclusion in this year's edition of an exclusive international anthology of fiction literature compiled and printed in England. The Lightship Anthology 2 (Lightship Publishing) is the second collection of short stories, poems, and flash fiction written by authors from around the globe. It is meant to discover the best new literary voices writing in English. Kopley's work is one of 10 selected for inclusion in the anthology's short story category, out of a total of 552 submissions. Kopley’s story, "The Hideous and Intolerable Bookshop," was inspired by Manhattan’s Book Row, a now vanished part of a New York City neighborhood that was once home to an extensive assemblage of eclectic bookshops. Kopley’s fantasy of visiting the site of the extinct Book Row to discover a little-known shop still operating prompted him to write the story. Told in the first person, the story features a hero who finds both familiar comfort and unexpected mystery once he enters the forgotten store. Kopley is no stranger to seeing his work in print. His academic work, such as research into literary legends like Edgar Allan Poe has been published extensively. In that vein, he published his analytical volume Edgar Allan Poe and the Dupin Mysteries (Palgrave Macmillan) in 2008, in which he examines the structure, sources, and autobiographical significance of Poe's detective stories, which many say inspired the entire detective genre in modern literature. Notably, Kopley is about to break into the children’s fiction realm with the soon-to-be-published "The Remarkable David Wordsworth," and he hopes to keep his momentum going in the fiction genre. "I’m very happy to have my story published in Lightship Anthology 2," Kopley said. "The book is very new, but my dream of becoming a fiction writer is very old. So I’m especially pleased. I hope to publish a collection of short stories someday." Kopley recently returned from a literary awards ceremony in Hull, England where he was recognized for his work and its inclusion in the anthology. The Lightship Anthology 2 is available at www.almabooks.com/lightship-anthology-2-p-433-book.html and at amazon.com Email this story to a friend Facebook Twitter

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> The Phantom Ship The Phantom Ship Essay - Critical Essays Frederick Marryat Navigate Study Guiderows Critical Essays ▻ Analysis Analysis print Print Frederick Marryat’s novels have gone almost entirely out of fashion, and of his numerous works (both for adults and children), only a few, such as Peter Simple (1833), Mister Midshipman Easy (1836), and The Children of the New Forest (1847), continue to preserve his minor reputation. Scholars regard him primarily as an influence upon more gifted authors such as Charles Dickens. The Phantom Ship demonstrates all of Marryat’s considerable weaknesses as a writer and many of his greatest strengths. Marryat, himself a seaman, usually draws his narrative life from the sea. The Phantom Ship, with its beginning on land, is likely to tire most readers before Philip puts out to sea the first time, despite the introduction of Flying Dutchman material, the death of the mother, and the mysteries of the hidden room. The love interest between Philip and Amine is as inept as the worst Dickens, and some of the non-nautical material, such as Philip’s attempt to burn down Poots’s house to make him give up the relic, is frankly silly. Matters are quite different when Marryat writes of the sea. He loses most of his artificiality and writes very convincing and often gripping narrative. The storms, shipwrecks, fires at sea, and desperate activities of the human animal when stranded need no apology, nor does the Inquisition section near the conclusion of the novel. Although Marryat is clearly spinning out the length of his novel and slowing the main plot with these nautical adventures, he is no more digressive than most of his contemporaries. Although it is true that Marryat bungles the introduction and often the development of the supernatural materials, the appearances of the Phantom Ship itself are usually vivid and effective. The final pages, with the time-locked sailors trying to send their letters to people now long dead and the dissolution of the ship, certainly deserve a niche in fantasy literature. The indisputably great and best-known episode is the narrative by Herman Krantz, Vanderdecken’s companion. It is the longest single chapter in the novel. Often anthologized as “The Werewolf” or “The White Wolf of the Harz Mountains,” it is the earliest and one of the finest treatments of the subject in English. The Phantom Ship Homework Help Questions Who are the characters in Frederick Marryat's, The Phantom Ship?Descriptions of the characters. The main character in Frederick Marryat's The Phantom Ship is Philip Vanderdecken. A "daring, impetuous, moody" young man from Holland, Philip is trying to find his father, doomed to captain the... Ask a question Mr. Midshipman Easy Peter Simple The King's Own Settlers In Canada The Pirate

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Genres: Speculative,Suspense Best-selling author Joel C. Rosenberg has some 2 million total copies in print. As a communications adviser, Joel has worked with a number of U.S. and Israeli leaders. He has also spoken at the White House, the Pentagon, and to members of Congress. In 2008, Joel designed and hosted the first Epicenter Conference in Jerusalem. He is married, has four sons, and lives near Washington, D.C. Genres:Suspense|Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers|ISBN: 978-1414336244 A terrible darkness has fallen upon Jacob Weisz’s beloved Germany. The Nazi regime, under the leadership of Adolf Hitler, has surged to power and now holds Germany by the throat. All non-Aryans — especially Jews like Jacob and his family — are treated like dogs. When tragedy strikes during one terrible night of violence, Jacob flees and joins rebel forces working to undermine the regime. But after a raid goes horribly wrong, Jacob finds himself in a living nightmare — trapped in a crowded, stinking car on the train to the Auschwitz death camp. As World War II rages and Hitler begins implementing his “final solution” to systematically and ruthlessly exterminate the Jewish people, Jacob must rely on his wits and a God he’s not sure he believes in to somehow escape from Auschwitz and alert the world to the Nazi’s atrocities before Fascism overtakes all of Europe. The fate of millions hangs in the balance. Books by Joel C. Rosenberg The First Hostage: A J. B. Collins Novel The Third Target Damascus Countdown The Tehran Initiative

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James Boswell .info Everything Boswell Navigation Biography of James Boswell You are hereHome » Blogs » thf1977's blog » A Dish of Tea with Doctor Johnson A Dish of Tea with Doctor Johnson Submitted by thf1977 on Feb 22, 2011 Tonight sees the opening of a new play, A Dish of Tea with Doctor Johnson, based on writings of James Boswell. The play features Ian Redford as Dr. Johnson and Russel Barr as a host of other characters including Boswell and Joshua Reynolds. It is based on Boswell's Life of Johnson and Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides, and, according to the producers, it is an "[e]vening of stories and conversation [that] brings to life some of the most colourful figures of the eighteenth century." The show premieres at the Warwick Arts Centre this evening and will go on tour in the UK until April 9, 2011. Trudie Styler will guest star in two performances of the show which is to be held in the Customs House, South Shields on March 4 and 5. Read more about it at the homepage of the Out of Joint theatre company. thf1977's blog Thomas (not verified) Feb 18, 2013 Permalink Is it possible to see some Is it possible to see some clips from the play some where? Thomas - http://tandlaegestrange.dk Home page By submitting this form, you accept the Mollom privacy policy. Search form Search Like us on Facebook Did you know? On his Grand Tour of Europe in 1764-1765, Boswell visited and befriended the famous philosophers Jean-Jacques Rosseau and François-Marie Arouet (Voltaire), and back in Edinburgh he was a personal friend of David Hume. Copyright 2004-2015 Frandzen Communication / Thomas Frandzen

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David Cannadine, a fellow of Christ’s College, Cambridge, is the author of Lords and Landlords. Two volumes of essays edited by him, Exploring the Urban past: Essays in Urban History by H.J. Dyos and Patricians, Power and Politics in 19th-Century Towns, were published last autumn. Last Night Fever The Proms E.S. Turner David Cannadine Owning Mayfair Exploring Bloomsbury The wearer as much as the frock Down Dalston Lane Europe, Western Europe, UK, London, 1700-1799, 1800-1899, Art and architecture, Architecture, Urban development Vol. 5 No. 14 · 4 August 1983 pages 17-18 | 3744 words Homely Virtues London: The Unique City by Steen Eiler Rasmussen MIT, 468 pp, £7.30, May 1982, ISBN 0 262 68027 0 Town Planning in London: The 18th and 19th Centuries by Donald Olsen Yale, 245 pp, £25.00, October 1982, ISBN 0 300 02914 4 The English Terraced House by Stefan Muthesius Yale, 278 pp, £12.50, November 1982, ISBN 0 300 02871 7 London as it might have been by Felix Barker and Ralph Hyde Murray, 223 pp, £12.50, May 1982, ISBN 0 7195 3857 2 It is almost impossible to say anything completely correct about London; and it is equally difficult to say anything entirely erroneous. Whatever is written about a town so vast and varied, whether by city residents, provincial visitors or foreign observers, is likely to be at least and at best partially valid, which may explain why the literature on London is so lush. By the late 18th century, it was the largest city in the world, unique not only in the number of its inhabitants, but also in the range of its functions. Pace Dr Johnson, there was not in London all that life could afford: but it provided more opportunities for living and buying than all provincial English towns combined. Unfailingly attractive, and inexorably centripetal, London dominated England to an extent not rivalled by any other capital in any other country, drawing to itself the crown, parliament, government, the law, commerce, finance, fashion and culture, thereby concentrating in one swollen metropolis all those diverse urban functions which, in the United States, were divided up between Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, and in France were shared by Paris, Versailles, Lyons, Marseilles and Bordeaux. So, as Henry James explained, ‘one has not the alternative of speaking of London as a whole, for the simple reason that there is no whole of it ... Rather, it is a collection of many wholes, and of which of them is one to speak?’ Which, indeed? One matter which preoccupied many mid-18th and mid-19th-century observers was the extreme contrast between the wealth which was generated and garnered in London, and the poverty-stricken nature of its appearance. ‘The capital of the richest nation in the world’ was also ‘the least beautiful city in the world’. Unrivalled in ‘opulence, splendour and luxury’, it was nevertheless ‘inconvenient, inelegant, and without the least pretensions to magnificence or grandeur’. Affluence and effluence dwelt side by side; its streets were more likely to be paved with gold than with slabs; and its buildings were non-monuments to non-monumentality. The comparison between Trafalgar Square and the Place de la Concorde, Buckingham Palace and the Louvre, the Mall and the Champs-Elysées, Regent’s Street and the Rue de Rivoli, merely underlined the fact that the British were amateurs in the grand manner. The city whose ‘towers, domes, theatres and temples’ Wordsworth celebrated in the rare moment of urban empathy, was more candidly described in The Prelude as a ‘monstrous ant-hill’, ‘gloomy’ and ‘unsightly’. Like the making and losing of the British Empire, London was both burnt and built in a fit of absence of mind. The strands of its fabric (like the fabric of its Strand) were distinctly unimpressive.The first 20th-century writer to confront this conundrum historically was Steen Eiler Rasmussen, a Danish architect, town-planner and Anglophile, whose book, London: The Unique City, was published in 1934, and is now deservedly, if tardily reprinted. As a lifelong observer of the great metropolis, he came to share Henry James’s view that it could only be written about satisfactorily from a partial and particular perspective. ‘A description,’ he noted, ‘of a town of ten millions is utter nonsense, unless one considers the subject from a special angle, and can thus reduce to a chosen few the endless number of facts.’ Accordingly, he devoted his book to explaining what it was that made London the uniquely delightful city he believed it to be, by investigating ‘that part’ of its history ‘which can help us to understand the city of the present day’. And the novelty and importance of his findings are well borne out by these other three books which, although written several decades later and from a variety of standpoints, are all in great measure following the trail which he blazed. Whether by describing what was built, or by resurrecting what was not, they are concerned, like him, with London’s conspicuous lack of monumentality.For Rasmussen, London was unique because, unlike the ‘concentrated’ cities of the Continent, it was spatially ‘scattered’, and thus characterised by unrestricted growth and organic development, by private enterprise and private property, by leasehold estates and one-family houses. In turn, this was explained by the conflict between Westminster (the bastion of the Crown) and the City (the stronghold of commerce), which, uniquely among European capitals, was emphatically resolved in London in favour of the latter. As a result, London was dominated by private wealth, individual freedom, political independence, commercial values and domestic virtues, rather than by absolutist power, tyrannical rulers, state interference, centralised bureaucracy and despotic grandeur. The defeat of Wren’s grandiose plan for reconstruction in 1666 symbolised the triumph of the citizen over the sovereign and was, for Rasmussen, a ‘good thing’. For him, the abiding English virtues were (in alphabetical order) balance, decency, fair play, refinement, reserve, reticence, simplicity, tolerance and understatement, all of which were exactly and fittingly reflected in the homely squares, the welcoming parks and the tidy Underground of London. At a time when the English seemed increasingly attracted by such alien and Continental notions as high-rise housing, Rasmussen sought to awaken them to the merits of their own capital, and to urge them to stay loyal to their national characteristics. ‘He who learns to know the English way,’ he concluded, ‘cannot but admire it.’Half a century on, this safe and cosy picture seems less convincing. Much of the city of which Rasmussen wrote so affectionately has been levelled by the bomb and the bulldozer. Problems of race, crime and violence make London today seem both more sombre and less unique than it did in the Thirties. It is no longer ‘a pleasure to go down into the stations of the Underground’. Rasmussen’s self-confessed Whiggism now seems more distorting than illuminating. Selectivity may be necessary in writing about London, but what conviction can a general argument about the city carry which is made by ignoring slums, suburbs and poverty, as well as churches, markets and great buildings, and also the docks, the railways and the government? And, in this revised edition, his attempt to prove that Milton Keynes is a direct descendant of Bloomsbury seems about as plausible as trying to show that Michael Foot speaks with the authentic voice of the Levellers. More fundamentally, the central argument of this book, that London’s homely architecture is the product and expression of Londoners’ homely virtues, is chronologically unsound. Most of the buildings whose praises Rasmussen sings were completed by 1800: but most of the characteristics whose merits he acclaims were, on his own admission, products of the Arnoldian public school, which did not come into its prime for another half-century or so.Any book that is fifty years old is likely to seem wrong-headed in some ways, and Rasmussen’s is no exception. But his interest in the relationship between political structure, social attitudes and architectural form, and his more specific concerns with leasehold estates and one-family houses, have been profoundly influential. One eloquent and stylish illustration of this is Donald Olsen’s book (another gratifying reprint), which begins where Rasmussen left off, by trying to assess the role of the great urban, aristocratic leasehold estates in the making of London’s fabric. Combining the power to plan with the inclination to do so, more interested in long-term appreciation than short-term profit, and preferring coherent planning to piecemeal development, these great estates exercised formidable power over the building, preservation and remaking of the urban environment, thereby influencing profoundly the social, economic and architectural character of certain parts of London. The way in which they did so is illustrated with reference to two such ventures: the Bedford estate, whose involvement in urban development ran from Inigo Jones’s highly innovative Covent Garden Piazza in the 1630s, via the creation of Bloomsbury’s Georgian delights, to the development of Figs Mead, a model lower-class suburb, in the 1830s; and the Foundling Hospital estate, to the east of Bloomsbury, developed from the 1780s to the 1820s, which reached its social and architectural summit in Brunswick Square, so beloved of Isabella Knightley.By giving equal weight to the limitations on such landowners’ powers, and by stressing that for them town-planning was very much the art of the possible, Olsen shows that the influence of the great urban estates on the making of London’s fabric was rather less than Rasmussen may have thought. Covent Garden, for instance, was conceived and begun as the Belgravia of its time. But the upper classes did not stay long; the lower classes followed them; and the establishment of the market there was merely a recognition that this trend could not be reversed. Likewise, in Bloomsbury, the high hopes initially entertained were proved vain. The upper classes preferred Mayfair; it took half a century to build and let the houses in Gordon Square; the siting of Euston Station close by did untold damage as heavy traffic invaded the hitherto sequestered streets; and ‘creeping decline’ proved irresistible, as houses were converted into tenements or just left vacant and decaying. Despite the very real power which urban landlords such as the Bedfords possessed, they could not force builders to build, tenants to come or occupants to stay. Contemporary radical polemicists may have depicted such great ground landlords as ‘Mogul monarchs’ and ‘Persian satraps’: but in many ways they were as frustrated and restricted in their building schemes as were the monarchs themselves.As Olsen explains in an admirably detached introduction to this second edition, this was a highly subversive message to preach in the 1960s, when the book was first published. At a time when the white-hot technological revolution was in full (if retrospectively feeble) blast, and when British, French and Americans were replanning and rebuilding their cities with the limitless funds and buoyant optimism of big-spending liberal governments, Olsen’s argument was one to which official ears were largely deaf. For if his history of the well-run and powerful Bedford estate had any contemporary lesson, it was this: however carefully thought out and vigorously executed any town-planning scheme might be, there were very real limits to what it might realistically accomplish. Today, however, the market is once more in the ascendant; government is in retreat; council houses are for sale; and planning is undermined from within and discredited from without. And, ironically, this makes Olsen’s second conclusion as subversive now as his first was a generation ago: planning may not achieve miracles, but it can, in the right circumstances and at the right time, achieve something. His great landowners may have been forced into ‘strategic retreats’: but there were also ‘partial victories’ and ‘minor triumphs’. Much of Bloomsbury, which Rasmussen evoked so beguilingly in Chapter Nine of The Unique City, is no more. But anyone walking round Bedford Square today, ‘the most complete and best preserved of all Georgian squares in London’, will instantly recognise the force of Olsen’s argument.The fact that this description derives from Muthesius’s book indicates his indebtedness to Olsen and, in turn, to Rasmussen. Again, he is interested in private, not public wealth, leasehold estates and control, and in the British preference for one-family houses rather than multi-storey living. And, although Muthesius rightly warns that architectural history has concentrated too much on London, he devotes much of his book to the great metropolis, arguing that fashion in housing, like taste in clothes, diffused downwards and outwards from there. So his starting place is familiar: Covent Garden and Bloomsbury, ‘the model for all later developments of terraces, squares and regularity in general’. Unlike Olsen’s, however, his book is a tract for the times, rather than against them. In the Thirties, Rasmussen urged the English not to be beguiled by flats. But for a generation after the Second World War, his warnings went unheeded: terraced houses were demolished as insults, eyesores, abominations, while tower blocks were constructed as progress, improvements, the future. The belated discovery that flats are often merely slums in the sky, combined with the revived appeal of smaller, warmer, safer houses in our bleaker, straitened world, means that the terrace is once again sought after as a past that does work, while flats are avoided as a future that does not. A decade ago, Muthesius’s well-disposed, elegantly-written and exquisitely-illustrated evocation of the terrace would have been inconceivable: now it will find itself adorning the bookshelves or coffee-tables of many a gentrified dwelling.As a pioneer in this subject, Muthesius rightly sets his own terms of reference. The terraced house originated in upper-class London, reaching its apogee in those early 19th-century extravaganzas in Belgravia, Regent’s Park and Carlton House Terrace. It was also adopted by the highly emulative middle classes, who produced their own provincial versions in spas like Bath, Clifton, Cheltenham and Leamington, and in resorts like Brighton, Folkestone, Eastbourne and St Leonards. By the mid-19th century, aristocratic demand had tailed off, and the middle classes had abandoned the terrace for suburban villadom. But for the working classes, the terraced house remained the principal form of residential accommodation until the end of the 19th century. Within this loosely woven narrative structure, Muthesius explores the ways in which landownership, development and the increased organisation of the building trade influenced the form and appearance of the terraced house; he investigates its stylistic evolution, from late 18th-century Classicism to mid-Victorian Gothic revival to Fin-de-Siècle eclecticism; and he describes the great array of building materials: stone in the South-West, stucco on the South Coast, and brick almost everywhere – silver-grey in Reading, purple in Luton and white in Cambridge.As these diverse and varied examples imply, the difficulty with the subject is that there is no such thing as the ideal type of terraced house, which makes it almost impossible to relate social change to architectural evolution in a convincing or comprehensive manner. There was so much local variation – from one-storey miners’ cottages in Sunderland to back-to-backs in Leeds to terraced flats in Tyne-side – that it is hard to generalise even about working-class homes. And while it may be true that a 20-room town house in Belgravia and a four-room dwelling in the Black Country were merely variations on the same basic theme, the buildings, locales, amenities and occupants had no more in common, for serious analytical purposes, than Upstairs Downstairs has with Coronation Street. The extensive discussion of bathrooms, kitchens, water-closets, gas-cookers and the like is very interesting: but it is not at all clear what it has to do with the majority of terraced houses, which, even in the early 20th century, were still lacking in many of these basic amenities. Why, otherwise, was so much slum clearance necessary after the Second World War?As Muthesius rightly notes, many extravagant schemes for terraces collapsed, as builders went bankrupt or supply exceeded demand. ‘We shall never learn,’ he notes, ‘of all those grandiose projects which remained entirely on paper.’ One such was for a terrace at Norwood in the 1850s, which is included in Baker and Hyde’s attractive anthology of London’s freaks, follies and fantasies from the 17th century to the present day. Of the many discarded designs and rejected plans, everyone will have their favourite. For grandeur, there is Wren’s abortive ‘Great Model’ for St Paul’s; Telford’s magnificent 600-foot single-span London Bridge; Waterhouse’s ‘skyscraper’ design for the Law Courts on the Embankment; and Seddon and Lamb’s 550-foot Gothic tower at Westminster commemorating Imperial worthies. For megalomania, there is Inigo Jones’s Whitehall Place for Charles I (a combination of the Escorial and the Baths of Caracalla); John Martin’s three-storey Thames-side quay (which looks like something out of Cleopatra); and a scheme for standing the Crystal Palace on its end as a 1,000-foot-high memorial to Albert (the ‘Towering Inferno’ before its time). For foolishness, there is a monument to Nelson in the form of an 89-foot-high trident (described by one contemporary as ‘a gigantic toasting fork’); an Eiffel Tower at Wembley (one version of which was to provide accommodation for a colony of ‘aerial vegetarians’); and a Tower Bridge encased in glass (so as to keep out the rain). And for long-running farce, there are the many abortive attempts to replan Piccadilly Circus.Like Muthesius’s Terraced House, this book is very much a product of our times. As the authors admit, in words reminiscent of Olsen’s, there has been a ‘lull’ in grand government schemes of city planning and improvement, so it seems an appropriate time to consider whether these unrealised dreams represent capital gains or losses. Clearly, if these palaces, squares, bridges, thoroughfares, memorials and churches had been constructed, London would be much more monumental than it actually is. The fact that it has not celebrated genius, grandeur and greatness to the extent that Paris, Rome and Vienna have is not owing to a lack of ideas or effort. Nevertheless, on the ground, if not on the drawing board, the terraced house has usually triumphed over the triumphal arch. In part, this is because of climate. Open squares and arcaded buildings need the sunshine of the Mediterranean rather than the grey, soggy skies of London to be set off to best advantage: umbrellas and monuments do not go well together. Moreover, many of the proposers of such schemes were frauds or fanatics, crooks or crackpots, inflexibly infatuated with their own unrealistic projects, men like Colonel Trench, the hero (or rather joker) of the book, whose schemes for a royal residence in Hyde Park, for a pyramid in Trafalgar Square the height of St Paul’s, and for a Thames-side elevated railway, earn him the prize of folly-maker-in-chief.But, as Muthesius, Olsen and Rasmussen have all implied, there is more to it than that. Quite simply, the English have never been very good at monumental architecture. One only has to look at the pompus, preposterous ponderosity of Sir John Soane’s numerous and unrealised designs for a Triumphal Bridge, a Royal Palace, a Temple of Victory, and a National Entry into the capital, most of which look like working drawings for the set of Ben Hur, to see the force of this. As Rasmussen himself put it half a century ago, ‘in almost all periods, English monumental architecture has been ordinary and conventional in character.’ And it has been thus because the opportunity for it has always been limited. Londoners may not exemplify all of those characteristics listed in Rasmussen’s A-to-Z guide to their virtues, but they are sufficiently cautious, conservative and sentimental to resent and oppose much large-scale tampering with their city’s fabric. As Barker and Hyde put it, ‘London is an architectural mess, but London likes it that way.’ So, perhaps, Rasmussen was right all along: certainly this survey of what was not built corroborates his explanation of what was. We are back where we began, with the triumph of individual initiative over goverment intervention.But are we? Is this really how it is and how it was? The timing of the publication and reissue of these four books suggests, on the contrary, that the values which they describe and celebrate are not the only ones which have influenced the making of urban London. They may have prevailed in the mid-18th and mid-19th centuries, and they may be in the ascendant again now. Hence, in part, the revival of Rasmussen and Olsen and the appearance of Muthesius and Barker and Hyde. But this has not always been so, as the earlier reception accorded to Rasmussen and Olsen makes clear. When the one wrote initially in the Thirties, it was in ineffectual protest against the impending trend towards high-rise monumentality; and when the other wrote in the Sixties, it was in an equally unsuccessful attempt to question the dominant belief in the power of government to re-plan our cities. From the 1940s to the 1970s, in building as in everything else, laissez-faire was out, and government intervention was in. And, in terms of the making of London’s fabric, this meant a period of state assertiveness directly comparable to such earlier episodes as Charles I and Inigo Jones in the 1630s, Charles II and Wren in the 1660s, George IV and John Nash in the 1810s and 1820s, Lord Esher and Aston Webb in the 1890s and 1900s.[*] Viewed in this light, the paternity suit concerning Milton Keynes should be resolved in favour, not of Bloomsbury, but of Wren.Whatever Rasmussen may say, there has always been, throughout London’s building history, a constant tension between state intervention (whether royal or democratic) and private initiative (whether aristocratic or individual). Sometimes the pendulum has swung from the one to the other; sometimes they have both flourished simultaneously. In other words, the conflict between state absolutism and individual initiative, which Rasmussen thought was so emphatically and consistently resolved in favour of the latter, was actually much more indecisive in its outcome. Sometimes the state won; sometimes the private sector. But the victories were rarely complete enough to justify writing the history of London’s buildings on the assumption that either one had prevailed for most of the time. And just as private initiative experienced those ‘strategic retreats’ and ‘partial victories’ which Donald Olsen outlined, so, too, did state-sponsored schemes. Both achieved something; neither achieved everything. Many schemes for terraces failed, just as some schemes for monuments did succeed. The Bedfords got a modified, partially successful Bloomsbury, and George IV got as modified, partially successful Regent’s Street. The approach pioneered by Rasmussen, and embodied to a lesser or greater extent in all these books, has had the effect of presenting one interpretation of London’s past as if it were the only interpretation, giving undue stress to private initiative while all but ignoring government activity. What is really needed now is a study of London’s fabric which does not embrace either of these views to the exclusion of the other. [*] Records of London’s streets and buildings are catalogued in Bernard Adams’s London Illustrated 1604-1851: A Survey and Index of Topographical Books and their Plates (Library Association, 586 pp., £68, 19 May, 0 85365 734 3). Vol. 5 No. 14 · 4 August 1983 » David Cannadine » Homely Virtues

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Other Drama Junior Classics Young Adult Classics NAB BLOG FACEBOOKTWITTERCONTACT US Performed by Samuel West, Toby Jones, Anna Maxwell Martin, Stephen Critchlow, Derek Jacobi & Daniel Mair Faust is one of the pillars of Western literature. This classic drama presents the story of the scholar Faust, tempted into a contract with the Devil in return for a life of sensuality and power. Enjoyment rules until Faust’s emotions are stirred by a meeting with Gretchen, and the tragic outcome brings Part 1 to an end. Part 2, written much later in Goethe’s life, places his eponymous hero in a variety of unexpected circumstances, causing him to reflect on humanity and its attitudes to life and death. 4 CDs Running Time: 3 h 59 m Digital ISBN:978-1-84379-550-6 Cat. no.:NA0068 CD RRP: $28.98 USD Download size:114 MB Produced by:Nicolas Soames Directed by:David Timson Edited by:Norman Goodman Translated by:John R. Williams BISAC:DRA004020 Buy Download £ 11.00 Buy Download € 10.42 + VAT Buy Download $ See Download Shop – How It Works Downloading on a mobile device? Currently, restrictions on the delivery of files to mobile devices mean our download titles must be downloaded to a desktop computer and then transferred to the mobile device. Download links are also delivered to you via e-mail: see Download Shop – How It Works for more details. Buy on CD at NaxosDirect.com Due to copyright, this title is not currently available in your region. Krapp’s Last Tape Samuel West was widely praised for his performance as Leonard Bast in the Merchant Ivory film, Howard’s End. Other film credits include Carrington and Reunion and he has appeared on TV in Persuasion and Heavy Weather. Theatrical roles have included Valentine in Arcadia and Algernon in The Importance of Being Earnest. He also reads Great Narrative Poems of the Romantic Age, Great Speeches in History, Peter Pan and Lady Windermere’s Fan for Naxos AudioBooks. Titles read by Samuel West Cousin Kate (unabridged) Faust (abridged) Great Narrative Poems of the Romantic Age (unabridged) Great Speeches in History (compilation) Henry V (unabridged) The Great Poets – John Keats (selections) Lady Windermere's Fan (unabridged) Peter Pan (abridged) Realms of Gold (unabridged) A Shropshire Lad (unabridged) Toby Jones is a well known face in television, film and theatre. Films include Frost/Nixon and The Painted Veil and he has appeared in Doctor Who and Tom Hooper’s Elizabeth I. He has performed in numerous plays including The Play What I Wrote, for which he won an Olivier award for Best Supporting Actor. Titles read by Toby Jones Othello (abridged) Anna Maxwell Martin Anna Maxwell Martin trained at LAMDA and is the winner of two Best Actress awards for her performances in Poppy Shakespeare and Bleak House. Her theatre appearances include Measure for Measure and His Dark Materials and she has performed in a number of radio productions, including The White Devil for BBC Radio 4. Titles read by Anna Maxwell Martin Stephen Critchlow Stephen Critchlow is a popular and versatile actor who has enjoyed a wide variety of work, including Hamlet and Pygmalion in The West End, Cyrano De Bergerac at The Royal National Theatre and playing Kenneth Horne in Round The Horne Revisited on Tour. Television and film work includes Cider with Rosie, Little Lord Fauntleroy, The Prince and The Pauper, Heartbeat, Monarch of The Glen, Fantabulosa, Trial and Retribution, The Calcium Kid and Churchill The Hollywood Years. He has been in over two hundred productions as a member of the BBC Radio Drama Company. Titles read by Stephen Critchlow The Great Poets – William Blake (selections) Classic Ghost Stories (selections) Ghost Stories of an Antiquary (unabridged) Great Historical Shakespeare Recordings (selections) Julius Caesar (unabridged) Life & Works – Franz Schubert (unabridged) Derek Jacobi is one of Britain’s leading actors, having made his mark on stage, film and television – and notably on audiobook. He is particularly known for the roles of I Claudius and Brother Caedfael, both of which he has recorded for audiobook. His extensive theatrical credits, from London’s West End to Broadway, include numerous roles encompassing the whole range of theatre. He also reads The History of Theatre, The History of English Literature and Lives of the Twelve Caesars for Naxos AudioBooks. Titles read by Derek Jacobi The Finest Nonsense of Edward Lear (selections) The History of English Literature (unabridged) The History of English Poetry (unabridged) The History of Theatre (unabridged) The Lives of the Twelve Caesars (abridged) The Great Poets – John Milton (selections) The Essential John Milton (selections) Daniel Mair Titles read by Daniel Mair Titles by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe David Timson on Faust – Part 1 David Timson on his remarkable production of Faust – Part 1. Listen below, or (download the podcast). http://audio.naxosaudiobooks.com/Faust_Interview_Part_1.mp3 Euphorion Gunnar Cauthery Raphael/Male Monkey/Will O’The Wisp (Pt 1) Emperor/2 Knight/Chiron/Proteus/Angel (Pt 2) Peter Kenny Gabriel/Valentin (Pt 1) Herald/Steward/Poet/Dryad/Lynceus/Angel (Pt 2) Michael/Spirit Of The Earth/Old Peasant (Pt 1) Nobleman/Commander/Courtier/ Famulus/Thales./Angel (Pt 2) Gerard Horan 2 Nobleman/Treasurer/Diplomat/ Gryphon/Nereus Anne-Marie Piazza Female Monkey/Lieschen/Pedlar-Witch (Sc.18)/ Young Witch (Sc.18 ) (Pt 1) 1 & 4 Lady/Homunculus/Lamiae1/Phorkyad1/ Greek Chorus/Want./Angel (Pt 2) Joannah Tincey Martha/Witch (Sc.5)/Witch (Sc.18) (Pt 1) 2 & 5 Lady/1 Sphinx/Lamiae 2/Phorkyad 2/ Greek Chorus/Debt./Angel (Pt 2) Auriol Smith 3 & 6 Lady/2 Sphinx/Manto/Lamiae 3/Phorkyad 3/ Panthalis/Need/Mater Gloriosa. (Pt 2) Hugh Dickson Chancellor/Astrologer/1 Knight/ Anaxagoras (Pt 2) Emily Raymond Helen/Care/Angel (Pt 2) Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award If it’s been a while since you tackled Goethe’s Faust – like, forever – don’t wait a moment longer. John R. Williams’s sparkling English translation is delightful, full of wit and delicious rhymes, and would be reason enough to fling yourself at it, but this full-cast production more than doubles the pleasure. The actors play it as if we were all Faust and hell were going to be a lot worse than other people. The performances are marvellous, and the sound effects clever and often gorgeous (the choir!). After this rendering of ’Walpurgisnacht,’ you’ll never see Hallowe’en the same again. One might call this Harry Potter for grown-ups, except that the good guys – well, I wouldn’t want to give away the ending. What a great theatrical experience. B.G., AudioFile Goethe’s classic tragedy is here vividly enacted by a talented cast, including Samuel West (Faust), Toby Jones (Mephistopheles) and Derek Jacobi (The Lord). Frustrated with the limitations of mankind, Faust is given the ultimate offer by the Devil incarnate and must live with the consequences of accepting such a bargain. Despite the abridgement, the production is well contained, clear, and nicely executed. Verdict: The performances all shine, with the only faltering owing to the sound mixing. At times, the music and limited sound effects interfere with one’s ability to hear the cast clearly, especially given the word patterns of the rhyming schemes. Recommended for fans of dramatisations, classics and plays. Lance Eaton, Library Journal Booklet Notes Though Goethe’s Faust is considered internationally to be his greatest work, there have been relatively few performances in English since its publication in 1832, and its literary eminence in Great Britain has been maintained by reputation rather than theatrical experience. The problem has partly been its translation into English; all translations date, and none more so than those of verse drama. After a time, the accepted style of one era renders the words unperformable in another, and actors struggle to make them sound believable. Therefore, when the BBC commiss-ioned me to direct and adapt a production of Faust for Radio 3, my first consideration was to find a translation that actors could bring to life in the 21st century, without compromising Goethe’s original. I first looked at Louis MacNeice’s translation, a ground-breaking BBC broadcast in the 1940s, but sadly suffering now from MacNeice’s own poetic intervention. It sounds florid and false, even though it was still an improvement on many others I read. The version completed by John R. Williams in 2000, however, proved to be lean, colloquial and contemporary without destroying the integrity of Goethe’s verse. Above all, it is actor-friendly. My second consideration was the adaptation. Goethe spent 60 years on his masterpiece, beginning in the 1770s when he was in his 20s, and continuing to tinker with it in his 80s, in the months before his death in 1832. The result is a sprawling epic that touches on all aspects of the human condition as Goethe perceived them throughout his long life. It was a vision evolving from the Age of Enlightenment to the Romantic era. If performed in their entirety, both parts of Faust would last more than ten hours, and the BBC required a version lasting no more than four hours. Of necessity, therefore, much had to go: scenes of topical or purely literary interest were cut, and my criterion was to maintain, as far as possible, a narrative thread throughout. It is a distinctly un-Christian despite Goethe creating a heaven and a ‘Lord’ that are recognisably Christian in Faust is a piece that shows us the workings and development of a great artist’s mind. Many of Goethe’s ideas have a resonance for our time as well as his, not least of which his views on man’s relationship to his environment and nature. Throughout, the drama is vividly imagined, and any production must rise to Goethe’s level of infinite and varied expression. By the time he completed Faust, Goethe had ceased to believe it could be performed on the stage, and was writing purely for the reader’s imagination – the theatre of the mind. This could be a definition of radio drama itself, and with the aid of atmospheric choral and vocal music sensitively composed by Roger Marsh, and a soundscape brilliantly conceived by Norman Goodman, I hope this interpretation will take a great literary work off the library shelf and bring it to life for the 21st century. Goethe took the 15th century German legend of Faust, which in its folk version is a simple tale of good versus evil, and added ingredients that were uniquely his own. He introduced a love interest in the character of a young girl, Gretchen, and the characterisation of the devil Mephistopheles, who is at times presented as a grossly comic and cynical commentator on the human condition. To an age that exalted rational thinking, the Gretchen love story, showing the tragic fate of the innocent heroine, illustrated the destructive power of our earthly desires when not controlled by reason. In the 1770s, this modern theme of the spoiling of simplicity appealed greatly to the young Goethe, recalling many folk-tales and songs from earlier times, with heroines like Gretchen. However, the Gretchen section, which is presented as a domestic tragedy, distracts Goethe from his main theme: the pact between Faust and Mephistopheles and its consequences. Goethe instead develops a terse and sharp relationship between the two. Mephistopheles is eternally cynical and destructive in character, Faust increasingly idealistic and optimistic; it is their verbal fencing that, if anything, gives a unity to both parts of Faust. Mephistopheles is a cynic, a cosmic mocker, a ‘spirit of denial’ who becomes a catalyst to rouse Faust to action. In the pact, Faust literally bets his life that Mephistopheles cannot make him cease his intellectual striving and become complacent and inactive. Mephistopheles endeavours to hold Faust to his bargain through demonstrations of magic and witchcraft that offer him powers untold; yet it is the innocent Gretchen’s death and destruction that transforms Faust’s understanding of humanity, as he appreciates his own responsibility for the tragedy. This tragic/Romantic love theme is typical of the German Romantic writers who were emerging whilst Goethe was writing Faust, such as Heinrich Heine. By the end of Part 1, Faust is represented as possessing dignity, a stance that was to become the epitome of the 19th century hero/villain as created by writers such as Byron and Pushkin. Goethe himself had created the first romantic hero in his novel The Sorrows of Young Werther. The second part of Faust seems to have very little in common with the first. It is not strictly a sequel, but rather a separate play offering another view of Faust’s struggle to achieve eternity. Part 1 inhabited a small world; Part 2 inhabited the wider world and beyond, and by the time Goethe came to write it (not until he was in his fifties) he was probably taking the project less seriously, referring to his Faust as ‘these tom-fooleries’. He had also realised, from having worked in the theatre for 42 years as a director and writer in Weimar, that his play could not be staged due to the limitations of the theatre of his time. So instead he continued Faust as a dramatic poem that expressed his philosophy of life and, freed from any idea of staging this epic, Goethe conjured up every possible or impossible device to bring his scenes to life. The result is a multi-faceted, multi-styled piece incorporating the medieval pageant and festival, Greek tragedy, bawdy comedy, romantic passion, mystical Arabian Nights-esque fantasy, even pantomime; and the subject matter is just as diverse. Goethe, as his first English biographer G.H. Lewes wrote, ‘had a mind… swayed by every gust’ – and those gusts of often short-lived enthusiasm are evident in Faust: mythology, antiquities, law, philosophy, poetry, politics, science, alchemy and religion are all subjects that fascinated Goethe at different times of his life. Linking these disparate ideas is an ever-developing strand of humour, beginning with the emperor’s pantomime court, satirising man’s greed for money, through to the surprise ending, in which Mephistopheles is tricked and Faust’s guilty soul is saved by angels and transported by them to eternal life. Here, Mephistopheles virtually reverts to the bawdy, low comedic character of the Devil as pictured in the Medieval Mysteries. Influenced by his reading, in 1825, of a translation of The Arabian Nights, Goethe explores oriental mysticism in the extraordinary sub-plot of Homunculus. Homunculus, literally an embryo/genie in a bottle, represents the essential spirit and mind of man, and mirrors Faust’s search for salvation. Homunculus’ quest is for a physical form, which is only realised in his union with the sea from whence all life comes, in a scene that is practically operatic in its structure. The frequency of musical excerpts in Faust shows Goethe’s passing curiosity with this art form. Goethe goes on to re-interpret classical Greek tragedy, linking it to the new Romantic fascination for the medieval past and its code of chivalry. This enables Faust (the Romantic) to meet Helen of Troy (the classical), in a magical encounter, Goethe showing how modern culture can learn from the past. In the character of Euphorion, Goethe pays tribute to Lord Byron, whom he saw as the leading figure of the Romantic age. Just as he recreates the classical world of the Greeks on his own terms, and draws his own conclusions from the science of his day, so too does Goethe re-invent the Christian religion. Faust mirrors Goethe’s struggle with theology; how can an intellectual, a superman even, be confined within the scope of a religious doctrine like Christianity? Goethe came largely to reject orthodox Christianity in favour of a more enlightened humanism, which is why it is possible for Faust to be saved through his own efforts and struggles, rather than through leading an exemplary life. Faust must earn his ‘salvation’ through the growth of his inner consciousness towards maturity and enlightenment, i.e. an understanding of man’s role on earth. The struggle to understand this alone would, in Goethe’s eyes, make him worthy of being saved. The striving for ultimately unachievable perfection is enough. Effort alone has its own rewards. Humanity is his saving grace; in his old age, Faust begins a project to reclaim land from the sea. Though begun at first from selfish motives of power, he at last discovers, through this project, the key to his (and man’s) salvation. He realises that there must be a balance between nature and man, a mutual co-operation and not a one-sided exploitation. His spoken vision of a future state of bliss fulfils his contract with Mephistopheles and brings about his death. It is Faust’s willingness to strive for this balance that wins him his chance of salvation. It is a distinctly un-Christian salvation, despite Goethe creating a heaven and a ‘Lord’ that are recognisably Christian in structure, because he felt that the 18th century reader would not relate to any other idea of spiritual existence. But Goethe’s God is not defined by purely Christian theology: it is a humanist’s heaven where his own striving, and the intercession of the spirit of Gretchen, in an act of grace and mercy, assures Faust’s ultimate salvation. Her grounds for her appeal is the love she still feels for Faust, and it is the redemptive power of the love of a good woman that wins Faust his place among the saved. It is this concept we are left with at the end of Faust: ‘Eternal womanhood draws us all on.’ Goethe is a major figure in German, and indeed world, literature. He was a poet, playwright, novelist and philosopher, whose endless striving for knowledge led him to be, as his first English biographer G.H. Lewes wrote, a ‘dilettante’: ‘a lover of all things’. Goethe was born in Frankfurt in 1749. His father was a lawyer, and his early years with his mother’s encouragement of his literary ambitions were comfortable. At 16 he went to Leipzig to study law and drawing. Whilst pursuing his legal studies both there and in Strasburg, he developed an interest in the theatre. An unhappy love affair led him to write a play, The Lover’s Caprice, in 1767, but his unrequited passions were to find better expression in the new medium of the novel. In The Sorrows of Young Werther, written in 1774, Goethe created the prototype of the Romantic hero so prevalent in novels of the next century. It was an international success, and on the strength of it Goethe was invited to join the court of the Duke of Weimar. He found he was expected to fulfill numerous governmental posts which left him little time to pursue his literary ambitions; but eventually he was released from day-to-day governmental duties to concentrate on writing. He remained general supervisor for the arts and sciences, and director of the court theatres. He wrote and directed plays in Weimar for the next 40 years. Here he was joined by his friend, the playwright Friedrich von Schiller. It was Schiller who encouraged Goethe to persevere with Faust; it was to occupy him for the rest of his life, and is his most famous work. In 1786–88, Goethe journeyed to Italy. The ancient monuments he saw there significantly influenced his growing commitment to a classical view of art. In Weimar his growing fame as a writer and natural philosopher encouraged other philosophers, such as Hegel, and creative artists such as Beethoven, to visit him. Beethoven composed several works based on the author’s texts, among them Egmont. Franz Schubert’s (1797–1828) first Lieder masterpiece, Gretchen am Spinnrade, took the words from Faust. In his final years, Goethe continued to be creative, writing his autobiography, Poetry and Truth (1811–1833), and completing his novel Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship (1795–1796), as well as continuing his life-long interest in science, (he had made important discoveries in connection with plant and animal life). In 1810 he wrote a treatise on the nature of colour, which he considered one of his most important works. Goethe died in Weimar on 22 March, 1832. Notes by David Timson See more Drama NAB Articles The NAB Blog – The Go-Between: A Coming-of-Age Story iTunes Tips & Tricks Headphones for Audiobook Listening Ted Simon’s Jupiter’s Travels Proust on Naxos AudioBooks Download Shop News/Blogs The NAB Blog Help/Information © 2006–2016 Naxos AudioBooks (UK) Limited, 3 Wells Place, Redhill, Surrey, RH1 3SL, UK

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Home>Literature>AfricanCountry of Burundi Term Paper Length: 6 pagesSubject: Literature - AfricanType: Term PaperPaper: #6118066 Excerpt from Term Paper:Burundi The Republic of Burundi is a small country in central equitorial Africa facing many challenges including a growing population of individuals with AIDS and an ongoing problem with tribal warfare. With an inflation rate of over 12% and the constant upheaval from internal turbulence, Burundi faces many challenges as it attempts trade with the rest of the world. Burundi's population was about 6 million people in 2003 (CIA, 2003), with a high death rate due to AIDS and infant mortality. One population factor affecting Burundi's economy is that nearly 50% of the population is 14 years old or under (CIA, 2003). The birth rate is markedly high at nearly 40 per 1,000 population (CIA, 2003). The death rate is just under 18 per 1,000, giving a rapid growth in the number of children. Partly because of AIDS, which over 8% of the adults have, life expectancy is about 43 years (CIA, 2003). About 59% of males over the age of 15 are literate, compared to about 45% of the women (CIA, 2003). The country is about 38,000 sq km in size, or not quite as big as the state of Maryland. It is landlocked and bordered by Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Rwanda. Much of Burundi is hilly or low mountains, with some plains. The country receives about 150 cm of rain yearly although drought is sometimes a problem (CIA, 2003). Natural resources including some minerals including copper, vanadium, cobalt, copper, and platinum, which has not been mined yet (CIA, 2003). Burundi does not have easy access to the rest of the world both because of physical barriers and the internal strife that has made the country a dangerous place to visit (CIA, 2003). This paper will look at the elements of Burundi's economic, political and social history and realities to consider what economic opportunities exist for the country. The information will be gathered from sources that catalog statistics on countries and articles by experts on Burundi. This information will be looked at from a dependency theory framework in an attempt to present the information in an organized way. Dependency theory argues that because of exploitation by outside economies, the economy of the developing country has been negatively affected, hindering growth (Clark, 1998). One of the outside influences on Burundi has been the tendency toward urbanization without an urban economic base to support it. Positive outside influences such as access to electricity, along with clothing, home appliances and efficient tools have been a draw, but in addition urban life brings negatives such as poor housing and even drug trafficking (Clark, 1998). Burundi, like many third world countries today, is experiencing urbanization without the employment and industrial structures to support the people who move to the larger towns and cities. Politically, Burundi has experienced great turmoil and continues to face significant challenges in the near future. First governed by Germany and then Belgium after the end of World War I, Burundi became independent in 1962. Since then it has been through multiple forms of government including a monarchy overthrown by a military coup, a military dictatorship, and an ongoing struggle to establish a democracy (Clark, 1998). Throughout this period have been periods of internal warfare between the two major ethnic groups, the Tutsi and the Hutu (Rwantabagu, 2001). The country's first elected President was assassinated shortly after he took office in 1992, which plunged the country into yet more ethnic war (CIA, 2003). A transitional government established in 2001 was supposed to lead to a cease-fire between the warring group, but one group refused to honor the agreement, and the country remains in turmoil (CIA, 2003). A new transitional government, inaugurated on 1 November 2001, was to be the first step toward holding national elections in three years. While the Government of Burundi signed a cease-fire agreement in December 2002 with three of Burundi's four Hutu rebel groups, implementation of the agreement has been problematic and one rebel group refuses to sign on, clouding prospects for a sustainable peace (CIA, 2003). In the view of some Burundi experts, attempts by foreign nations to help have only made things worse (Rwantabagu, 2001). Some Western countries chose sides in the Burundian conflicts, supporting the Hutu, while some believe the Tutsi sought support from Eastern countries. Other factors include Rwanda becoming an exclusively Hutu country, and other nearby countries including Tanzania and Zaire supported some extremist elements, complicating Burundi's internal problems (Rwantabagu, 2001). The ethnic violence has an historical colonial past, because some Colonial rulers encouraged friction between tribes as a way to divide and weaken them (Rwantabagu, 2001). Some theorists see such a history as creating a country that will have marked difficulty establishing a strong government, which further contributes to an atmosphere where turmoil can prevail (Rwantabagu, 2001). The warring factions are divided along tribal lines. The Hutu make up about 95% of the population while the Tutsi make up 14%, with small numbers of Pygmies, Europeans and Asians making up the rest of the population (CIA, 2003). Although the Tutsi are a minority they hold an inordinate amount of power in the country, contributing to the friction. Various groups and loose associations all want to gain control of the areas containing the most population and natural resources. Religion is not a source of conflict for this country. 67% are Christian, 10% Muslim, and about 23% keep their tribal religious beliefs (CIA, 2003). In a society filled with such turmoil, it is to be expected that those who are more vulnerable, the women and children, may suffer more than the adult males who wage the war. But beyond such cultural chaos, the intent if for some degree of equality between the sexes, and both men and women have the right to vote (CIA, 2003). Burundi is largely an agricultural country at a subsistence level, although only about 30% of the country can be farmed. About 90% of the population lives in this way. They make small use of irrigation. Natural disasters center around the unpredictability of rain, which makes drought, flood and landslide all potential hazards (CIA, 2003). The country has experienced significant erosion of soil because it has been overgrazed, and much of the natural forest has been cut down to be used as fuel (CIA, 2003). In fact, Burundi has not been able yet to establish a government free of the cultural pressures that keep leading the country into mayhem and bloodshed. Both political leaders and military leaders affiliate themselves with one group or the other. There is currently no realistic expectation that either the leaders or the citizens can set their recent history aside to forge a stronger government (CIA, 2003). Since the newly elected president was assassinated in 1992, ethnic violence has claimed over 200,000 lives. Many more have become refugees either in their own or in neighboring countries. Burundi's military response to this situation led to more difficulties as they attempted to intervene in an ongoing internal problem in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The have since called back to deal with rebel uprisings within Burundi (CIA, 2003). All of this could be viewed as an example of the Dependency Model of development, because past events are still having a profound effect on the country. Some theorists see the tribal differences as the inevitable outcome of dividing Africa up based on European politics instead of African realities, thus forcing people who have been long-term enemies to have to live together (Rwantabagu, 2001). The long-standing ethnic conflict in Burundi has had economic as well as political effects. The country has few opportunities for investment, and when one group holds most of the power, there is little chance for the other group to begin to advance themselves. The Tutsi resist efforts to bring the Hutu in to civil service positions. The Tutsi have acquired the rights to the best residential sections in towns, and government leaders align themselves with groups in order to maintain power and privilege, which leads to wealth. They form alliances in order to shut others out and to maintain the status quo (Rwantabagu, 2001). Experts in the region suggest that the people of Burundi work with other African countries as well as other countries around the world to find a way to break the cycle of power-grabs, rebellion, and repressive reaction to the rebellions. They note that this will also require functional improvements in the Burundian justice system, which currently does not prosecute some individuals even when they have committed horrific atrocities against other people (Ngaruko & Nkurunziza, 2000). However, given the last several decades, such a joint effort may be very hard to achieve. Tanzania currently houses 800,000 Burundian refugees. Over 500,000 have been forced from their lands to other places in Burundi. These groups of people no doubt harbor great anger and resentment against the opposing group of people. We can see from the situation in the Middle East that the longer this situation persists, the more such anger…[continue] "Country Of Burundi" (2004, March 02) Retrieved October 25, 2016, from http://www.paperdue.com/essay/country-of-burundi-163797"Country Of Burundi" 02 March 2004. Web.25 October. 2016. <http://www.paperdue.com/essay/country-of-burundi-163797>"Country Of Burundi", 02 March 2004, Accessed.25 October. 2016, http://www.paperdue.com/essay/country-of-burundi-163797 Child Soldiers in Burundi and The Convention on the Rights of the Child, established a legal and ethical instrument for promoting and protecting the rights of children. The International Community responded enthusiastically to the Convention, and that type of broad participating "symbolizes something very special about the Convention, something that gives it unique importance and authority." Carol Bellamy with UNICEF believes that this support for the Convention suggests that human rights, particularly child rights, have gained Words: 7303Pages: 20 Growth Within a Country the Issue of Growth Within a Country The issue of development and growth within a country or across countries is such that attracts that attention across board. There are screaming headlines of different economic measures taken by economists and financial analysts of countries concerned. Tracking and recording growth in any country or comparing growth amongst country necessitates using diverse measures. Many measures in the name of models have been propounded of which some Words: 1915Pages: 7 Military in Less Developed Countries From Archaeological Military in Less Developed Countries From archaeological records, we can tell that warfare and aggression have been part of human history for thousands of years. Since the rise of urbanization about 5,000 years ago, war has been part of most every civilization. One source, in fact, notes: " . . . 14,500 wards have taken place between 3500 BC and the late 20th century, killing 3.5 billion people and leaving Words: 758Pages: 2 Local Central African Banks Burundi Rwanda & local central African banks: Burundi, Rwanda & DRC can learn from the way European banks operate Short description of the issue: Description of how local central African banks operate: In Africa Description of how European banks operate How and what can central African banks learn from European banks? This dissertation (Thesis) is a description, how and what local central African Words: 4930Pages: 17 Globalization on Developing Countries Globalization India was also part of this globalized trading world. The cities within the Indus Valley were well planned and included a trading system that was managed much in the same way as that in the Middle East. Indian socialism, combined with an economy of private managers played a significant role in the success of their trading endeavors. Moore & Lewis note that ancient India could well have been the inventor of Words: 6090Pages: 20 Africa Countries Are One of Companies in sub-Saharan Africa cannot simply afford to reuse provision of AIDS drugs to its workforce. As a socially responsible organization Heineken has taken the issue seriously and issues are being considered at corporate level within its subsidiaries as well as in headquarters. They are aware of the complexities of issues at hand. The management has not only identified the issues but they are looking for ways for the Words: 598Pages: 2 Literature Australia in a Sunburned Country Sunburned Country is typical warm, humorous and engaging Bill Bryson fare. Bryson is one of those rare travel writers that can almost literally pull you from the comfort of your couch, and into the place that they describe. Unlike other books that often read like an itinerary of hotels, sights, and restaurants, In A Sunburned County will seemingly transport you to the sunny island itself. Bryson's affection for Australia is Words: 621Pages: 2 Read Full Term Paper

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Zora Neale Hurston comes to life at Pasadena Playhouse Vanessa Bell Calloway stars as Zora Neale Hurston in "Letters From Zora" at the Pasadena Playhouse Aug. 15-18. Photo by Chris Roman. Michelle Mills, San Gabriel Valley Tribune LETTERS FROM ZORA When: 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, as well as 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Aug. 17 and 2 p.m. Aug. 18Where: Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Ave., PasadenaTickets: $30-$75Information: 626-356-7529; www.pasadenaplayhouse.org Art often imitates life and many times it can also teach us about an intriguing part of history. Such is “Letters From Zora,” a play about anthropologist, folklorist, writer and voodoo priestess Zora Neale Hurston, at the Pasadena Playhouse Thursday through Aug. 18. Here, however, art also intertwines closely with life, as the show about a tenacious, smart, beautiful African American woman stars a tenacious, smart, beautiful African American woman.“She was a very strong woman like I am, full of life,” Vanessa Bell Calloway said of Hurston. “She loved deeply, as I do, and she wanted to succeed. She was always working hard and trying to get that next thing going. As an artist and an African American woman in this town, I identify with her because I am always working hard.” Calloway began her career as a dancer in the original Broadway production of “Dreamgirls” and went on to act, first in the soap opera, “All My Children.” The Los Angeles resident has been in many television shows from “Dexter” to “The Closer,” “China Beach” and “Father Dowling Mysteries,” as well as films like “The Obama Effect,” “Cheaper by the Dozen” and “What’s Love Got to do with It.”“Zora was a very prolific writer, ahead of her time,” Calloway said. “She came to notoriety during the Harlem Renaissance along with the likes of Langston Hughes and Richard Wright, the prominent black writers of the time. What a lot of people don’t know, they know her body of works of fiction, but she wrote over a thousand letters before she died.” Hurston is best known for her 1937 novel, “Their Eyes Were Watching God.” She wrote a total of four novels and published more than 50 short stories, plays and essays.In her letters, Hurston wrote to many famous people as well as her lovers and the play uses her actual letters to weave the story of her life and career, explaining why she wrote the letters. “She didn’t want to give up who she was. She wasn’t willing to surrender being an artist and writer for a man and she speaks about that,” Calloway said. Although Hurston was a vital part of the Harlem Renaissance, her work all but disappeared until Alice Walker’s essay, “In Search of Zora Neale Hurston,” was published in Ms. Magazine in 1975. That revived interest in the author. Hurston’s style of writing is colloquial, and she incorporated slang and regional dialect into the sentences spoken by her characters. This was sometimes seen as Hurston pandering her stories for white society, but actually, Calloway said, her goal was to add authenticity and realism to her work. Advertisement “She was an important part of our history,” Calloway said. “She was misunderstood, but now we understand her better because we can sit back and look at the past and dissect it.”Calloway originally performed this role in March 2012 at USC for its Visions and Voices: The USC Arts and Humanities Initiative. Still, as a one-woman play, it can be daunting.“The biggest challenge initially is I have 30-something pages of dialog,” Calloway said. “In a sense it’s a challenge, but in a sense it isn’t because it’s written so beautifully that it wasn’t hard to learn.” Calloway hosts the Internet talk show, “That’s So Very Vanessa,” at 3 p.m Sundays on blogtalkradio.com and is preparing for her role in Showtime’s “Shameless” set to resume in September. Also in the fall, Calloway is planning to launch “In The Company of Friends,” a web series featuring Calloway cooking for and entertaining friends and the discussions that ensue.Hurston was a huge letter writer, so does Calloway find time to write, too?“I used to do a lot of cards back in the day and I still enforce that in my children,” Calloway said. “Thank you notes are my thing. I’m not so much a letter writer, but I do believe in the beauty of a handwritten note. I think, unfortunately, that is one of the things that we’re losing in our society today.” Click here to subscribe to Digital & Home Delivery - 50% off Reach the author at [email protected] or follow Michelle on Twitter: @mickieszoo. Full bio and more articles by Michelle Mills

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remixed fairytales (Cinderella) Snow White and the Seven "Little People" Page published by RouxEdwards on March 19, 2011. Recommend Favourite Share Send to a fan or friend Short link: There once was a woman known to all her friends as Snow White, now this was only because she only ever wore a huge fluffy wedding dress because she was a hopeless romantic. Not that it was very white any more because she worked for the Queen and the chemicals and bleach had made it mottled and grey, but she kept the name because she liked it. She eventually changed it by deed poll. One day, she was speaking to the butler at the castle and he thought he only whispered but he said "Snow White, you're so much more beautiful than the Queen - Her fiancé is blind not to see that." Unbeknownst to Snow White both the Queen and her fiancé heard and she asked him every night. Every time her renounced his love for her but every night she knew he was lying because he caught him one day looking up Snow White's dress. So she hired a hit-man known only as "The Woodsman" because he used a special type of bullet with wooden splinters inside as calling card. His job was to kill Snow White. The Woodsman took Snow White out on dates, befriended her - knowing his gruesome task. But while on a walk through the forests he got down on one knee and told her - "I love you Snowy, I was originally hired to kill you and to do that I was to get you to trust me. But I grew to like you, in fact, I love you - Will you marry me?" Snow White was originally taken aback but said yes. They devised a plan to hide Snow White until he could assassinate the Queen. He took her into the forest and told her of an old cottage that was abandoned, he bought her food and blankets so she wouldn't die. Snow White made her way to the cottage and let herself in with a key she was told underneath the doormat. She was very tired so she fell asleep immediately on the bed. suddenly she was shaken and awoke to 7 faces staring at her. "Who are you?" "We're the owners of this house you're in." "Can I stay?" "No." "But I need to - The Queen wants me dead!" The little men conferred and eventually told her she can cook and clean and mend our clothes while they work. "And we'll have £100 in rent a month too! We'll be home at 6pm and we'll get ready for dinner and expect it on the table." "Thank you. But you're all identical septuples - how will I tell you apart? I can't call you all midget." "We aren't midgets!" said the one with glasses, "we're little people!" "Sorry." "Well I'm Stephen, and I'm a doctor, so call me Steve the Doc." said the one in glasses. "I'm Robert, and I have terrible hayfever, so if you want me just shout for Bob the Sneezy." "Can I just use your nicknames? Like Doc and Sneezy?" "Sure." Said Doc. "Excuse me I'm the next oldest I should go next!- I'm George and..." He was cut off. "He's a grumpy old bugger - just call him misery guts." "Hey! I'm a - who cares? Just call me Grumpy." "JUgygduifgjfghjfggf." "What was that?" "Oh that's Kevin , he has such severe learning difficulties he can't speak - we all call him Dopey, mother specifically said Retard wasn't nice." "My turn - I'm Dave, and erm, erm - You're pretty." He blushed bright red. "He's is so bashful - you're lucky he even spoke let alone stuttered!" Grumpy said. "I'll call him Bashful then." "Suit yourself. We all called him Dave." "Anyway I'm *yawn* zzzzzzzzzzzzz" "he's Fred - he's narcoleptic, Just call him Sleepy." "Hiya - wow you're so nice, the sky is so pretty - is that a double rainbow?" "That's Victor - He's on some sort of anti-depressant pill and he's just Happy." So - It's Doc, Sneezy, Grumpy, Sleepy, Dopey, Bashful and Happy." "Yep. That's about it." "I can remember those." "Good - Now make us some dinner." Grumpy muttered. Snow White cleaned and cooked, fixed clothes and paid her rent to the "little people". Meanwhile, The Queen was delighted that Snow White was dead and married her philandering fiancé. The woodsman was visiting Snow White one day and saw all the men. He was so jealous he killed them all. Snow White and he lived in the house together and had many children. The End. Page: Add a new page to this story No one's written this page yet! The End View story summary » Story summary write your own remixed fairy tales Filed under Children's Tales, Fan Fiction, Humour You're currently reading the story remixed fairytales (Cinderella), which was posted on February 26, 2011 by TurnOutTheLight. 3pages 150views 0recs 0faves Author guidance Tags fairytalesremixed all you need to do is to write a remixed or messed up fair tales anything at all Submit report Close Cancel Would you like to recommend the story "remixed fairytales (Cinderella)"?

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Yuto Tsukuda Yuto Tsukuda won the 34th Jump Juniketsu Newcomers' Manga Award for his one-shot story Kiba ni Naru. He made his Weekly Shonen Jump debut in 2010 with the series Shonen Shikku. His follow-up series, Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, is his first English-language release. Get updates about Yuto Tsukuda and recommended reads from Simon & Schuster. Plus, get a FREE eBook when you sign up! Food Wars!, Vol. 5 By Yuto TsukudaBy Yuto Tsukuda Plus, receive updates about Yuto Tsukuda,recommended reads and more from Simon & Schuster.

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Mello is man behind the masks By PHIL DEVITT By PHIL DEVITTFall River Spirit EditorDavid Mello creates the company he keeps — and he keeps plenty.His house guests come with their own personalities: happy, sad, stoic, tortured, strong, confused, defeated, to name a few. But you can't figure all that out based on their voices or their bodies because they have neither. When you're a mask, the only tool you have to tell your story is the face the artist gives you."My wife is nice — she tolerates the masks, those empty eyes staring back at her," Mello says. "You never feel alone in my house."Now the artist wants to spread that feeling.Mello, who says he has made easily hundreds of masks over the years, has temporarily populated Fall River's Cherry & Webb Gallery with about 50 of his favorites. "Secret Faces" is open until March 15, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.You won't find any framed paintings or photographs in this exhibit. Instead, plaster, wood, metal and a horseshoe crab shell are among the canvases Mello uses to craft three-dimensional faces, a talent sparked by his earliest memories of Halloween in Fall River."It's always been with me," Mello says. "I've always loved the idea of changing your appearance, the disguise, becoming something else. But to me, it's more about revealing rather than hiding."For 30 years, Mello also has created masks for Bristol Community College theater students to use on stage. He says he is always amazed by the transformations he sees."The masks give a sense of freedom, the ability to become more than what you are and discover parts of yourself you didn't know you had," he says. "Masks let you do all of that."The masks hanging at 139 South Main St. portray royalty, mythological figures, everyday people and animals. A series of "green men" shows faces emerging from and surrounded by leaves. Detailed masks of writer Edgar Allen Poe and artist Vincent van Gogh are unmistakable. There's a gargoyle adorned with horsetail hair, a king adorned with Mello's hair.Every piece has a story behind it. The colorful Barcelos Rooster, for example, was inspired by a tale Mello's Portuguese grandmother used to tell him. Around the corner, you'll find Bottom, a popular Shakespeare figure, and Odin, a Norse god."I love to take a character and then give them their own life," Mello says. "They all have two eyes, a nose, a mouth, yet by tweaking the shapes of the objects — the curve of the lip, the indenture of the eyes — you make a major difference. No two are alike. There's so much expression."Mello last exhibited his masks at Cherry & Webb in 2008. He says he was honored to be asked back by curator Victoria Mathiesen."As wonderful as it is to sell a piece, the thing I love most about being an artist is getting to show my work, share my thoughts and see people's reactions," Mello says.Mello says the downtown gallery is a "wonderful space" to show his art."Fall River is where I grew up, my home, so it's a pleasure to display my work here, where people can see it."Mello's masks sometimes end up in private collections around the country — and some of them find their way back."Occasionally I'll get one back that's been broken and someone will ask me to fix it," he says. "They're still my babies, so I take care of them."Mello occasionally finds ways to work his art into his full-time job as children's librarian at Fall River Public Library, where he has worked for 30 years. An annual performance of "The Dragon Gate," an ancient folktale, stars shadow puppets Mello created."I'm a librarian by profession, but I'm an artist first," Mello says. "It's something that's in my blood."The artist's work most recently appeared on stage in Little Theatre of Fall River's production of "The Wizard of Oz." Mello says the wizard mask, measuring 7 feet by 7 feet, is the largest mask he has ever created.Not all the masks come easy.Mello, a 1983 graduate of Southeastern Massachusetts University (now UMass Dartmouth), says some masks pose bigger challenges than others and take longer to complete. He says he keeps a sketch pad by his bed in case ideas come late at night.The ideas do come, but Mello says he doesn't always understand where they come from or why. He has questions, but he tries not to let them get in the way of the work."I go with the flow," he says. "It's all a part of the mystery. Maybe someday I will know."Phil Devitt can be reached at [email protected] or (508) 979-4492.

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Home My Profile Profile Gallery Saved Searches Contact Us IPSO My Profile Saved Searches Contact Us IPSO Out & About Events Walks Pets Events Walks Pets Food & Drink Recipes Recipes Homes & Gardens Property for Sale Property for Sale People Weddings Weddings Style Motoring Photos Upload a Photo Upload a Photo Competitions & Offers Directory Magazines Advertise Ezine Advertise Ezine Weddings Weddings Edward Bennet: David Tennant's Understudy in Hamlet PHOTOGRAPH: KATE EASTMAN When Dr Who actor David Tennant announced that he was to play Hamlet at the RSC in Stratford and then London, fans queued for hours to buy the precious tickets. Imagine their dismay when Mr Tennant was indisposed and his understudy, Edward Benn... Edward Bennett is taking a break from rehearsing alongside Diana Rigg in a production of Noel Coward's Hay Fever at the Festival Theatre, Chichester. As he spills some family secrets, it's rather like listening to the script for the popular BBC series Who Do You Think You Are?""Nobody in the family told me we'd got this theatrical heritage until I got to RADA, I think it was a good thing that I didn't know, it's very strange, but I like it as well because it means I chose acting because I wanted to not because of family," he confides. Edward comes from a long line of theatre impresarios and actors.Growing up in Honeybourne, Worcestershire, he hadn't the faintest inkling of a family connection with theatre. His interest was sparked quite independently when, at the age of 14, he moved from RGS (the Royal Grammar School) in Worcester to Chipping Camden School where he discovered a thriving drama department, and an inspirational teacher David Penhale"My dream from the time I was a Chipping Campden was always to work at the RSC. Mr Penhale took us to see a few plays at Stratford and I just completely loved the place, the actors there were like super heroes, to me they were celebrities!" he recalls.The dream was put on hold whilst he completed a degree in History and Politics at Cardiff - something to fall back on. After university he was accepted by RADA and it was only then that he was told of his link to the past when he was given a box he'd never seen before."In it were old playbills, and plans for the Coventry Royal Opera House which my great-grandfather built, and all these other things, programmes photos and books and logs and sketches - just incredible stuff and I was absolutely absorbed by it."Delving through the contents he discovered that his Warwickshire-based paternal ancestors were theatrical impresarios, with theatres around the country. His great-grandfather William took over the Coventry's Theatre Royal (later relaunched as the Empire Theatre of Varieties) in 1880, and built both the Coventry Royal Opera House and the old Theatre Royal in Warwick.There were performers in the family too - his great-grandmother Florence Forster was an actress well-known for playing the principal boy in productions such as Peter Pan."I'd like to see how far it goes back, because as far as I know it goes back to around 1840 when my great-great-great-grandfather persuaded 'Patch' his co-owner of a travelling theatre to sell his share," he continues, adding that the family's theatrical association came to an abrupt, and slightly mysterious end around 100 years later."In the 1940s they sold the theatres and made a pack of money. I don't know exactly what happened, it's a bit of a family secret, but there was a rift of some kind, probably to do with money and personality. Half the family went to Australia and half the family stayed here."In the decades that followed the family transferred their attentions to other occupations and the history was obscured under a veneer of 'respectability' until Edward's emergence as an actor."Since I've been acting a lot of my aunts and uncles, who have got their own little boxes from years gone by, have framed playbills and put them on their walls so it's kind of seeped back into the family a little bit."After RADA Edward trod the familiar path of aspiring actors, working in regional theatres testing his craft and honing his skills, but it wasn't long before higher profile opportunities arrived.Parts in Little Nell and Pygmalion, part of the Peter Hall Company Season at the Theatre Royal Bath in the summer of 2007, were followed by role of Roderigo in Michael Grandage's acclaimed production of Othello at the Donmar Warehouse in London.Then came the longed for invitation to audition for the RSC."I went for Lysander, came out and thought it went alright. An audition is up to two weeks of constant work and pressure, thinking about it, hoping about it, praying about it, submitting your heart to fate hoping it won't deal you too cruel a blow, then 5 minutes in a room and it's all over. It's the weirdest anti-climax."My agent Jeremy left a message saying: 'You might want to call me,' remembers Edward"I eventually managed to get hold of him and he said: 'The RSC have offered you a fairy in Midsummer Night's Dream, a spear carrier in Loves Labours Lost and understudying a part I don't really know and in Hamlet you're playing or understudying Barnado, but as you say it's the RSC and you start out as small fry and work your way up the ladder and that's what you have to do.' So I said: 'Yes that's fine.' and he replied: 'Only joking it's Navarre [in Love's Labour's Lost] and understudying Hamlet, how do you feel about that?" - it's the only time I've ever called him a rude word!"The rest is history really, I had an amazing six months in Stratford and then what happened, happened."What happened, of course, was the announcement that the star of Hamlet, David Tennant has been forced to pull out of the final preview performance of Hamlet's London run. Edward was 'on'.Stepping into another actor's shoes brings with it the obvious temptations for the understudy to incorporate their own interpretation of the role, but there's also a responsibility to ensure that the rest of the cast are not wrong-footed."This is your opportunity to be a star, this is your opportunity to take Hamlet and make it your own, but there were 24 other people on the stage who'd rehearsed a part and played it for four months with him, with the moves that he'd done, the intonation he'd done, the character he'd created and the relationships that had been established over time and you can't blow that out of the water. Part of the job of an understudy is not to go on and say 'this is me now' - you have to go on and be in the same place and do the same kind of a thing and changes have to be gradual.""We did as much work as we could on the Monday, and got through it, it was an incredible night," he says. "I went to the pub had a few whiskies with friends celebrated that I'd done Hamlet in the West End and thought that'll do thanks very much I've had a crack at it."In the run up to the Monday night performance, the cast were unaware of the extent of Tennant's injury, but by the next day it was clear that a prolapsed disc meant he was out for press night and the foreseeable future.Catapulted to centre stage Edward continued as Hamlet until Tennant's return for the last week of the London run.Given the critics accolades for the Stratford staging of the production, the huge acclaim for David Tennant's interpretation of the Hamlet, and the 'Doctor Who plays Hamlet' factor which had proved so magnetic to a non-traditional audience, the pressure on Edward was magnified."I remember someone telling me that he'd understudied at the RSC, and he said when the announcement went out that he'd be playing the role he heard a sigh. He said there are two possible responses to that, either you take it badly or you go 'right watch this'," says Edward.In the event the critics were positive, the audience, far from disappearing in disappointed droves, rewarded him with a standing ovation."It's been an amazing thing, I only hope it's the foundation of my career and not the legacy," he reflects. "That's my only fear. I'm scared that everyone will think: 'Oh he's the guy that played Hamlet he won't need to do anything else for a few years', so I don't know what's going to happen really."There are no certainties, Hay Fever finished on the 3rd of May when we met Edward admitted he didn't know what he would be doing afterwards."There might be a film of Hamlet made, but we haven't been checked for it yet, and I'm not sure if they've got the money together for it, but if it happens that should be in June. Fingers crossed that will happen - if I had the money I'd invest in it!"He's also recently filmed an episode of the BBC show Doctors due to be screened this month. In it he plays a conniving son of rich man who has married a younger woman"It's my first proper part on telly. It's almost like playing a baddy in a Bond film," he adds with a certain degree of relish. "I'd like to do more TV and film, I've not done much of that, it's not about forging a big career but it's about getting the experience, it's far more technical than I thought it was."There's a palpable sense of disappointment, as he confides that although he would have liked to have returned to the RSC for a follow up season that he hasn't been called up.He counters the disappointment with a huge enthusiasm for the way in which the RSC is now evolving under Artistic Director Michael Boyd; and predicts a return to the 'golden age of the 70s and 80s' with an emphasis on ensemble work with people remaining with the RSC for long periods of time."Shakespeare is something that the more you immerse yourself in it the easier it becomes, the more natural it becomes, and the better it becomes . . . long contracts, ensemble work, company work, is the only way Stratford works."Realistically he knows that an actor's life will always be a precarious one, and in the meantime, inspired by his eccentric great-uncle Jack Bennett, renowned in family folklore for travelling by train from Warwick to London in dressing gown and slippers with a hawk on his arm, he has another project in mind.Eschewing a future in theatre, 18-year-old Jack planned instead to farm, and set out on a grand tour with the plan of learning more about agricultural practices around the world. Attempting to cross the Canadian Rockies in the winter of 1930 he perished and was eaten by wolves."I know where he died from all the media coverage, and I've got all his letters, maps, and diary that he wrote until just before he died," says Edward who plans to replicate the journey complete with backpack and pony - obviously missing out the encounter with the wolves!"That's my Plan B," he announces. "In case I don't work for a while. I've always needed to have a dream that is totally separate from acting, something you can go and do that puts a sense of purpose inside you so that you don't mind working in a shoe shop for four months to achieve it. For me the worst fear is not being able to act, doing a job I don't enjoy, and not seeing any end to it - that is my ultimate professional fear and I don't never want to get to that!" 0 comments More from People REVIEW: The Dresser at Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham: September 27-October 1 Wednesday, September 28, 2016 Candia Mckormack Candia McKormack experiences the extreme highs and lows of an astonishing comedy with a dark – but warm – heart at Cheltenham’s Everyman Theatre Read more To Sir, with love: 5-min interview with Reece Shearsmith Monday, September 26, 2016 Reece Shearsmith and Ken Stott are starring in The Dresser at Cheltenham’s Everyman Theatre, from Sept 27 to Oct 1, 2016 Read more Charlotte Dujardin retains her Olympic title Tuesday, August 16, 2016 Gloucestershire’s Charlotte Dujardin retains her Olympic title, whilst posting a new Olympic record with her dancing partner Valegro at Rio 2016 Read more An interview with James Morrison Thursday, June 23, 2016 Katie Jarvis A tough childhood; family tragedy; and four years in the wilderness. But for Stroud-based singer-songwriter James Morrison, falling is the way you learn how to fly, he tells Katie Jarvis, ahead of his appearance at Cornbury Music Festival. Read more Urgent appeal for Cotswolds wildlife rescue centre Wednesday, June 15, 2016 Oak and Furrows rescue centre appeals for aid as a large number of sick and injured wildlife arrive for urgent care Read more HRH The Prince of Wales at Malmesbury Abbey Wednesday, May 25, 2016 HRH The Prince of Wales, patron of Music in Country Churches, attended a concert at Malmesbury Abbey, Wiltshire, on Saturday, May 21, 2016. The concert was performed by the English Chamber Orchestra and featured British cellist, Caroline Dale. Read more Ready, sheddy, go Monday, March 7, 2016 There’s a new contender for the quirky Cotswold crown... Read more Special preview of National Trust book Wednesday, March 2, 2016 PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANTONY THOMPSON Read more Taking the Chelsea challenge Friday, February 26, 2016 Cotswold gardeners will be well represented at this year’s Chelsea. Mandy Bradshaw has been talking to them about their plans Read more New Year’s Honour for Three Choirs Festival Society chairman Wednesday, December 30, 2015 Jeremy Wilding, chairman of the Trustees of the Three Choirs Festival Society, has been appointed MBE for services to the Hereford Three Choirs Festival in the New Year’s Honours list for 2016 Read more Mug life: an interview with designer & tea-lover Katrina Ives Wednesday, November 4, 2015 Daisy McCorgray An infatuation with the letter Q and a deep-seated love of pottery led Katrina Ives to launch Qtique – a range of beautifully crafted English pottery mugs with a fun-loving edge, designed right here in the Cotswolds. We caught up with her to find out more about the lovable kawaii-inspired ‘Muggsies’ and running a successful homeware business Read more Warwickshire's trusted business finder

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HomeUncategorizedWaupaca woman publishes poetry Previous Waupaca woman publishes poetry Some 30 years ago, Barbara Gutho began writing poems about such subjects as family, summer and pets. January 25, 2012 Some 30 years ago, Barbara Gutho began writing poems about such subjects as family, summer and pets. Last year, she self-published a book filled with some of those poems. The book, called Poetry Emotions, is available at restaurants and gift shops in Waupaca and Iola. The cost is $7. She plans to seek additional outlets in the area for her books and to publish a second book of poems this year. “I found another 20 poems,” said Gutho, who lives in rural Waupaca with her husband Mike. She worked with Waupaca Color Graphics on her first project and said her next book of poems will be published through Author House in Indiana. Her husband thought it would be nice for her to have a hard-covered book, which is why she will work with Author House on her latest project, she explained. Gutho and her husband were living outside of Iola, raising their family, when she first began writing poems. “I think I started writing when my father got cancer in the 1980s,” she said. “It was just a release.” She also found herself putting thoughts onto paper when things were bothering her and said some of the poems are songs. Gutho, who wrote for the County Post in the 1980s, said she did not publish her poems until now because she was insecure about many things. As an example, she cited not knowing how to do certain things, such as email something as an attachment. Gutho turned feelings of frustration into a poem. One evening, she decided to write a poem about those feelings before going to bed. She titled that particular poem “Tired out.” Poetry Emotions also includes several poems that were written by her late mother-in-law, Phyllis Gutho. Of her own work, Gutho said, “It’s amazing how when you make up your mind, things come together.” After she completes her next book of poetry, she plans to write a devotional book about healing. Gutho said if someone wants her to speak or share her poems with a women’s group or a church group, she may be contacted at 715-942-7217 or via email at [email protected]. “If felt really great when it was done,” she said of her first book. “It’s just something that I knew had to be done.

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Home Art & Books Books Brand new by Susan G. Cole January 20, 2005 × buy this @ amazon.ca WHAT WE ALL LONG FOR by Dionne Brand (Knopf), 319 pages, $29.95 cloth. Rating: NNNN Rating: NNNN Wanna bliss out? Read Dionne Brand writing about Toronto. The opening of What We All Long For - in which she describes riding the TTC on a Monday morning in spring - is so vivid, so convincing, you wish it would go on for pages. But this is a novel, and characters intrude. You do wish occasionally that the 20-something artists, poets and store operators trying to live and love in downtown T.O. during the 2002 World Cup would just disappear for a while so Brand could keep unleashing the poet inside. It's not that these characters aren't interesting. They're diverse, talented, bristling with rage, regret and guilt. Oku, a poet with culinary flair, hasn't told his demanding father - who has footed the bill - that he's dropping out of school. Bike courier Carla is still reeling from her mother's suicide over a decade ago and her brother's chronic delinquency. Jackie, whose parents moved to Toronto from Halifax's black community, runs a clothing store on Queen West and has a thing for white men. As a young child, photo artist Tuyen came to the city from Vietnam with her family, minus her brother Quy, who was lost on the journey. Every member of her family feels his absence all the time. We learn how Quy survived in episodes written in the first person as he decides whether to make his way to Toronto to rejoin his family. As in Brand's previous novels, the experience of displacement figures prominently, but the narrative is less episodic and there isn't really a single moment you could call experimental. This is a straight-ahead narrative, craftily conceived so that the relationships morph and the tensions build. True, you'll feel like you're reading poetry compromised by characters. But it's some of the best writing you'll see this year. Tags

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ButlerSearch this site Butler County Place NamesIntroductionABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPRSTUVWYSitemap Butler County Place Names‎ > ‎C‎ > ‎ City of Sculpture, Hamilton City of Sculpture, Hamilton. The name was suggested in March 2000 by Harry T. Wilks, developer of the Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park and Museum, and adopted a month later by Hamilton City Council. Aug. 16, 2000, during dedication of One Renaissance Center, Gov. Bob Taft, recognized the City of Hamilton as the City of Sculpture and commended "the people of Hamilton and Butler County for your dedication to preserving and promoting the arts." "Among the legacies of Hamilton's success is an accessible assortment of architectural and historic treasures. Hamiltonians, proud of their history, have preserved and polished structures, which represent a cross section of the city's cultural and economic past," explains a City of Sculpture web site. "A positive commentary on life in Hamilton is reflected by the strong support shown for the arts. Embodying this zeal is the $5 million Fitton Center for Creative Arts, a multi-arts facility given as a gift to the city by community members. This facility was singled out for the Institutional Excellence Award for the State of Ohio and has won statewide recognition through the Governor's Arts Awards in six categories." The City of Sculpture office is at 1 High Street at the southeast corner of High Street and Monument Avenue.

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Weyland, Jack What do you get when you take two girls and three guys with great voices and lively personalities and combine them with some good old songs like 'Boardwalk' and 'Stand by Me'? In Rexburg, Idaho, it all adds up to Fast Forward, the a cappella group that features lead singer Amber Whittaker, and the strong, supportive bass, Greg Foster. Best friends Amber and Greg exchange advice on everything best friends can - dating, music, friends, etc. In Jack Weyland's new novel, Lean on Me, Greg finds himself falling for Amber, who thinks of him only as a buddy. The best-selling author recounts the story of their relationship as they mature, perform in a popular musical group, and learn to cope with the changing dynamics in their relationship. Written in Jack Weyland's breezy and entertaining style, the novel moves quickly through time, progressing to the months following Greg's mission. Still in love with Amber, Greg finally reveals his feelings to her with an engagement ring, but she thinks it's a joke. Everything that follows is a delight in both humorous and poignant ways. Jack Weyland chalks up another winner with this lively story of young love. Buy the eBook Close Lean on Me by Weyland,Jack Deseret Book Company, December 2009

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Fiction - YA (58) “" phil "” The Memoir Phil Collins Phil Collins pulls no punches—about himself, his life, or the ecstasy and heartbreak that’s inspired his music. In his much-awaited memoir, Not Dead Yet, he tells the story of his epic career, with an auspicious debut at age 11 in a crowd shot from the Beatles’ legendary film A Hard Day’s Night. A drummer since almost before he could walk, Collins received on the job training in the seedy,...Read more The Apologetics Study Bible Ted Cabal, Chuck Colson, Norm Geisler, Hank Hanegraaff, Josh McDowell, Albert Mohler, Ravi Zacharias, J.P. Moreland, Phil Johnson Apologetics Bible The Apologetics Study Bible will help today's Christian better understand, defend and proclaim their beliefs in this age of increasing moral and spiritual relativism. More than one-hundred key questions and articles placed throughout the volume about faith and science prompt a rewarding study experience at every reading. Highlights of this new thinking person’s edition of God’s Word...Read more A Pleasure and a Calling Phil Hogan A DELICIOUSLY UNSETTLING TALE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE THAT DELVES INTO THE MIND OF A MAN WITH A CHILLING DOUBLE LIFE.Mr. Heming loves the leafy English village where he lives. As a local real estate agent, he knows every square inch of the town and sees himself as its protector, diligent in enforcing its quaint charm. Most people don't pay much attention to Mr. Heming; he is someone who fades...Read more No. 133 (Eagle) Squadron Phil H. Listemann The purpose of this study is to provide aviation historians and enthusiasts with a range of information relative to each of the Commonwealth squadrons that saw combat during World War II. Each record will comprise a short history, complete with illustrations and artwork, and accompanied by the following appendices:Appendix I: Squadron Commanders and Flight CommandersAppendix II: Major...Read more New Rules for the Real World Dr. Phil McGraw The rules for living in the real world have changed, because the world we live in has changed. Much of the conventional wisdom the last generation has passed on just doesn’t apply like it once did. If you want to win, and win big, and, more importantly, keep what you work so hard for, you need a crystal-clear view of how the real world works — not how you wish it worked, but how it actually works....Read more Happy, Happy, Happy My Life and Legacy as the Duck Commander Phil Robertson, Mark Schlabach This no-holds-barred autobiography chronicles the remarkable life of Phil Robertson, the original Duck Commander and Duck Dynasty® star, from early childhood through the founding of a family business.LIVING THE DREAMDuck calls—though the source of his livelihood—are not what makes Phil Robertson the man he is today. When asked what matters in his life, he’s quick to say, “Faith, family, ducks—in...Read more Redeployment Phil Klay Winner of the 2014 National Book Award for Fiction · Winner of the John Leonard First Book Prize · Selected as one of the best books of the year by The New York Times Book Review, Time, Newsweek, The Washington Post Book World, Amazon, and more Phil Klay's Redeployment takes readers to the frontlines of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, asking us to understand what happened there, and what...Read more The 20/20 Diet Turn Your Weight Loss Vision Into Reality Phil McGraw In The 20/20 Diet, Dr. Phil McGraw identifies seven reasons other diets fail people over and over again: hunger, cravings, feeling of restriction, impracticality and expense, boredom, temptations, and disappointing results or plateaus. Then, he addresses each of these roadblocks by applying the latest research and theories that have emerged since his last best seller on the same topic, The Ultimate...Read more Eleven Rings The Soul of Success Phil Jackson, Hugh Delehanty During his storied career as head coach of the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson won more championships than any coach in the history of professional sports. Even more important, he succeeded in never wavering from coaching his way, from a place of deep values. Jackson was tagged as the “Zen master” half in jest by sportswriters, but the nickname speaks to an important truth: this...Read more Creating Your Life from the Inside Out Dr. Phil McGraw What if there is a You that has never seen the light of day, has never got to say, “Hey, what about me?” What if there is a You that you have never even met and certainly never permitted to just be, without fear of judgment or condemnation? What if you live your life on the sidelines in constant fear of failing to please those who forever seem to stand in judgment of you and your life? What if you...Read more The Ultimate Weight Solution The 7 Keys to Weight Loss Freedom Dr. Phil McGraw You have a decision to make. Those are the opening words Dr. Phil uses in his new and groundbreaking weight loss book. You know he is talking to you if you are among the millions who have chased one fad diet after another, none of which ever works. Dr. Phil is talking about the decision you have to make to change all of that. You know those crash diets never last, and you have to quit lying to...Read more 5 Tools to Help You Find Courage, Creativity, and Willpower--and Inspire You to Live Life in Forward Motion Phil Stutz, Barry Michels NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A groundbreaking book about personal growth that presents a uniquely effective set of five tools that bring about dynamic change—as seen on Goop and The Dr. Oz Show Change can begin right now. The Tools is a dynamic, results-oriented practice that defies the traditional approach to therapy. Instead of focusing on the past, this groundbreaking method aims to deliver...Read more

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GamesSpectrobes Follow/FavClose Your Eyes By: Rahi-1 Twoshot, Rallen x Jeena. On an impulse, Rallen makes a decision that will completely alter his relationship with Jeena... Rated: Fiction T - English - Chapters: 2 - Words: 2,318 - Reviews: 15 - Favs: 19 - Follows: 1 - Updated: 8/25/2009 - Published: 8/17/2009 - Status: Complete - id: 5309859 + - Full 3/4 1/2 Expand Tighten < Prev 1. Chapter 12. Chapter 2 Sorry for taking a week longer then I expected to get this out. You can blame Spectrobe: Origins, my mom, and the starting of school for that. Enjoy.Disclaimer: I don't own Spectrobes or the characters I use in here.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Sitting in the cockpit of their patrol cruiser, Jeena gave an annoyed sigh, before stealing another glance at her partner, who seemed oblivious to her inner turmoil.Two days had passed.Two days since Jeena had experienced her first kiss at the hands of Rallen.In that time, there had surprisingly not been another Krawl sighting. As they were the best at taking care of them, Rallen and Jeena had mostly been on standby the last few months, so that they could head out at a moment's notice. With the lack of activity, Commander Grant had seen fit to place them back on Patrol Missions; what they would've been doing anyway had they never located that distress beacon. Rallen, naturally, had complained loudly at that, before Grant yelled at him and reminded him of the importance of such missions, and why they were done at all.Jeena had been so immersed in her own thoughts, and watching Rallen, that she barely heard a word of the argument until Grant addressed her directly. She had nodded in acknowledgment of the patrol mission before heading towards the cruiser with Rallen in tow.Jeena sighed again, as the vessel exited Kollin's atmosphere and headed towards Sector T. She wasn't sure what she was going to do about it. Sure, she could talk to him, but that was too direct. She had questions that she wasn't sure if she wanted the answers to."Is something wrong?" asked Rallen suddenly. He'd been getting steadily more nervous as she continued giving him the silent treatment over the last two days. Sure, it wasn't actually the silent treatment (she answered whatever questions she had, as always, and talked when she was talked to), but she never started up a conversation. With anybody really, now that he thought about it."No," Jeena answered honestly. It technically wasn't wrong. It was just a kiss…but it was her first kiss. What alarmed her the most was that she didn't think she minded."Is something bothering you?" continued Rallen. Jeena turned to face her red-haired partner, scanning his face for something, and only finding curiosity and concern. Jeena continued to stare, and Rallen continued to stare back, but he was a little unnerved at how she suddenly didn't have the need to blink.Finally, "Why did you kiss me?"Almost instantly his cockiness kicked in, "'Cause I felt like it," he said shrugging. As the words left his mouth, he knew that was definitely not what he should have said.Jeena stiffened. Then, "Was that the only reason?""Well," started Rallen, grateful for a chance to save himself, "I had been thinking about doing it for a few days before. It was only two days ago that I finally got the courage to do it. And even then…I..." he struggled to find the right words before settling on, "wasn't sure what you would think." He turned towards her with a cocky grin and asked, "Why, want another one?""Yes, actually," replied Jeena after a brief moment of thought.Rallen's grin transformed into a look of surprise, "I mean a kiss," he said"I know," replied Jeena, raising an eyebrow at him.Rallen's face grew serious as he stared at her for several seconds, before standing up. As he walked over, Jeena noted that this was the most serious she'd seen him in the entire time she'd known him. Her heart nearly skipped a beat as he kneeled in front of her.Staring into her eyes, Rallen wasn't sure what he was looking for, or if he was just looking. He brought his left hand up and cupped her cheek and smiled in satisfaction at the small shiver it incited from her. As he inched forward, he saw her lick her lips in anticipation. After an eternity, their lips finally connected.Rallen gave a second to enjoy the initial connection before tilting his head further to the side and deepening the kiss, his hand snaking from her cheek to the back of her neck, pushing her closer ever so slightly. He wasn't stealing a kiss this time. No, this time he had been given permission, and he was going to make sure she enjoyed it.Letting his knees hit the floor to relieve the pain that had been growing in his ankles from kneeling, he wrapped his other arm around her waist as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling each other closer.After almost a minute of this, with Rallen going so far as to nibble lightly on her lower lip, Rallen finally pulled away. Taking a few seconds to breath, he said, "Anything else you want?"Jeena, slightly more out of breath then he was, merely shook her head. But as he stood back up and turned away she said, "wait," turning back to face her, he was pleasantly surprised to find her standing, with her hands on his cheeks and her lips on his mouth.A half second later she pulled away with a blush and a satisfied smile, "Ok, I think I'm satisfied now," before sitting back down."Alright, I'll…I'm just going to check on the incubator real quick, but I'll be right back." Jeena stared at him as he exited the cockpit, concern and anxiety building up inside of her. 'Did I do something wrong? What was it? How could I screw up now?'She needn't have worried as a few seconds later she heard Rallen yell, "YES! BOO-YAH!"The giggling from the cockpit told Rallen he hadn't said that quite as quietly as he had intented.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------AN: voila. It's done, and I now have Spectrobes: Origins! Awesomeness all around!I ended up rewriting this two times. The first time, was because I forgot all about Aldous and had to include him. The second time, was because I realized Aldous isn't around anymore, and the first rewrite wasn't very good anyway.Moving on…I'm honestly surprised at the response I got to writing this. I give you guys a week and I get three reviews, two story alerts, and one favorite…which is about a fifth as much as I got for my other story that's twelve times longer and has been around for three years.Then again, I personally consider this story much better. I didn't murk it up towards the end, and I feel better after writing it.Oh, and review. It makes me feel better about myself, to know I'm not a total loser. Not that I am. Definitely not. I got a twoshot completed afterall. < Prev 1. Chapter 12. Chapter 2 The author would like to thank you for your continued support. Your review has been posted.

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A New York Times bestselling author of twenty-two novels for Avon Books, Julia Quinn is a graduate of Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges and lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest.New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James is a professor of English literature who lives with her family in New York but can sometimes be found in Italy. Connie Brockway, the New York Times bestselling author of twenty-two books, is an eight-time finalist and two-time winner of the RITA® Award. She lives in Minnesota with her husband and two spoiled mutts. *This is a promotional service of HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007, providing information about the products of HarperCollins and its affiliates. By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bookperk and other HarperCollins services. You may unsubscribe from these email communications at any time. If you have any questions, please review our privacy policy or email us at [email protected]. Works by Connie Brockway

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Don’t miss Kevin Costner & Modern West at Historic Park Theatre Since the Park Theatre announced in early February that Kevin Costner and Modern West will be performing at the revitalized facility on Saturday, April 7, the phones at the state’s newest performing arts center haven’t stopped ringing. With the calendar turning to March, and the show drawing closer, tickets to this intimate, once-in-a-lifetime concert are in high-demand and selling fast. Those interested in attending are encouraged to purchase their tickets now as the theatre anticipates the show to sell out prior to the performance date. Further, patrons of the Park Theatre can enjoy affordably priced tickets for the show as most other venues around the country have priced Kevin Costner and Modern West tickets between 50 and 80 percent higher. “The response that we’ve received from the community about Kevin Costner’s upcoming performance at the Park Theatre has been nothing short of amazing,” said Piyush Patel, owner of the Park Theatre. “Hosting this show is a major accomplishment for the theatre as we work to further establish ourselves as one of the premier performing arts centers in the area.” Famous throughout the world for his successful acting career, Kevin’s first love has always been music – a talent he’s now bringing to the Ocean State. The history of Kevin’s music career goes back over 20 years when he met John Coinman in a dirty, downtown warehouse in Los Angeles during an acting workshop. John was a musician with an intense interest in acting and Kevin was an actor with an intense interest in music. Together with guitarist/producer Teddy Morgan and drummer Larry Cobb, the men formed Kevin Costner and Modern West, and the rest is history. As Kevin’s star began to rise, the band continued behind-the-scenes playing, writing and recording anytime they could. Born from a shared love of music and comprised of a tight-knit group of longtime friends, Kevin Costner and Modern West draw their influences from a broad tapestry of American music and beyond. Their shows flow from original material to cover songs written by some of music’s giants. Kevin Costner and Modern West are scheduled to perform at 8 p.m. on April 7. Tickets are priced at $35, $45 and $55. For an additional $25 per person, patrons can add a pre-performance dinner package at the Stage Door Restaurant & Lounge adjacent to the theatre. Tickets may be purchased at the theatre’s secure website, www.ParkTheatreRI.com, or by calling the Box Office at 467-7275. The Park Theatre was built in 1924 and served as a cultural landmark for nearly eight decades until its closing in 2002. Following seven years and nearly $10 million in renovations, the Park Theatre was reborn in October 2009 as Rhode Island’s newest theatre and performing arts center. As a fully-equipped state-of-the-art multi-purpose performing arts center, the Park Theatre features concerts, comedy, theatrical performances, opera, dance recitals, children’s and family shows, movies, and more. Through its extensive renovations, the Park Theatre boasts a larger, deeper stage and 1,000 plush seats that feature arm rests with cup holders and significantly more legroom between rows than most theatres. The facility also includes the Stage Door Restaurant and Lounge, as well as a free parking for all events behind City Hall with professional valet service. For more information visit www.ParkTheatreRI.com.

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Arts & Entertainment Music Lyric Opera of Chicago season full of greatest hits Johan Botha E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune Johan Botha, seen in Lyric Opera of Chicago's production of Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg," will perform in the upcoming "Otello." Johan Botha, seen in Lyric Opera of Chicago's production of Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg," will perform in the upcoming "Otello." (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) Lyric Opera's 2013-14 season will be given over almost entirely to bread-and-butter repertory designed, at least in part, to ensure the company's sizable ticket sales don't flag in a still-weakened economy.Although Lyric enjoys the largest subscription rolls of any opera company in North America, and sold 88 percent of capacity last season, the push to install more warm bodies in seats continues as the cost of mounting world-class opera continues to rise. The season schedule, which will run from Oct. 5 to March 23, is built around familiar works by Verdi, Puccini, Wagner, Rossini and Mozart. It was announced by general director Anthony Freud at a news conference Thursday afternoon at the Civic Opera House. Also present to comment on the season were soprano Renee Fleming, Lyric's creative consultant; music director Andrew Davis; and Ted Chapin, president of the Rodgers & Hammerstein organization.Four of the eight operas will be seen in new productions, and three more productions will be new to Chicago. There will be only one revival, Verdi's “Otello,” which will begin the season. There will be 68 performances over the 24-week subscription season. One striking aspect of Lyric's 59th season is the large number of stage directors and designers appearing here for the first time. The fact that several bring with them notable reputations in the legitimate theater and Broadway means audiences will be exposed to a wider-than-usual array of theatrical styles.In an interview with the Tribune before the news conference, Freud conceded the absence of 20th- and 21st-century works in the season he inherited from his Lyric predecessor, William Mason, but explained that he takes the long view when it comes to the repertory Lyric presents.“With an eight-opera season, inevitably what we can't do is encompass the full range of repertory every time,” said Freud, whose repertory and casting decisions won't take full effect until the 2015-16 season. “That's why I believe very strongly in a rolling, 10-year repertory plan that allows us to get the right range of operas and musical and theatrical styles that I hope will both satisfy our audience and broaden its horizons.”Lyric will extend its celebration of the 2013 Verdi and Wagner bicentennials into next season. Representing Verdi will be “Otello,” with Johan Botha, Ana Maria Martinez and Falk Struckmann; and a new production of “La Traviata” staged by American theater director Arin Arbus, conducted by Massimo Zanetti and starring Marina Rebeka, Joseph Calleja and Quinn Kelsey. The season's Wagner entry will be “Parsifal,” also a new production, with Davis conducting, Britain's John Caird directing and a cast headed by Paul Groves, Thomas Hampson and Kwangchoul Youn.Another new production will be Rossini's “The Barber of Seville,” which will star Nathan Gunn, Isabel Leonard, Alec Shrader and Alessandro Corbelli, in a staging by Broadway director Rob Ashford. Rounding out the season's new productions will be a romantic rarity, Antonin Dvorak's “Rusalka,” in its company premiere.Other operas to be given next season are Puccini's “Madama Butterfly,” with Amanda Echalaz and Patricia Racette sharing the title role; Johann Strauss Jr.'s “Die Fledermaus”; and Mozart's “La Clemenza di Tito.”Although commitments elsewhere will prevent Fleming from appearing in any staged opera here next season, the diva will favor Lyric with another subscriber appreciation concert, this time partnered by the renowned German tenor Jonas Kaufmann, who has been absent from the Lyric roster since 2008. Davis will conduct the event, which is set for March 19, 2014, at the Opera House.Lyric's efforts to build new audiences are ongoing. Subscribers will get first choice of seats and special pricing for post-season performances of Rodgers and Hammerstein's “The Sound of Music,” the next entry in Lyric's American musical theater initiative, scheduled for May 2014. The show will be the second installment (after “Oklahoma!” here this spring) of a Rodgers and Hammerstein cycle that is to include “Carousel” in 2015, “The King and I” in 2016 and “South Pacific” in 2017. Castings and production details are to be announced.The season will bring an increase in ticket prices of about 2 percent overall, although prices have been lowered or frozen in parts of the main floor, balcony and upper balcony. For the first time, subscribers can save up to 40 percent over single ticket prices in every series, every day of the week. There will be 24 different subscription packages.“We're being extremely careful not to increase ticket prices across the board,” Freud said. “Rather, we are identifying areas of the house we believe can sustain small ticket price increases. There are more significant chunks of the theater in which prices hopefully will make us more accessible to more people.”Season brochures for renewing subscribers will be mailed [email protected] @jvonrhein The Sound of Music (movie) Lyric Opera of Chicago 2013-14 season at a glance Lyric Opera actor burned during rehearsal leaves hospital Lyric Opera actor catches fire

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Views Unlimited Opinion » Columns » M.V. Ramakrishnan Updated: January 8, 2010 13:13 IST Inheriting a legacy M. V. Ramakrishnan Dr. M. Narmadha. Photo: N. Sridharan Chennai Margazhi Season Tamil Nadu Chennai music Carnatic Classical music festival arts, culture and entertainment On how Narmadha has adopted and adapted her father's style. Narmadha is a fine example of legacy being passed on. The daughter of M.S. Gopalakrishnan, well-accomplished in Hindustani music as well as being essentially a Carnatic musician, there are several different settings in which she performs, frequently or occasionally – as an accompanist in Carnatic music; as MSG's partner in violin recitals; as a soloist in Carnatic and Hindustani music; and as a participant in jugalbandis. The characteristic features of MSG's distinct style in Carnatic music are the following: (a) a smooth texture which can be as light as silk and as weighty as velvet; (b) certain dashing strokes and gliding flourishes of sound which are like swishing darts in short flight; and (c) a strong flair for importing attractive Northern colours from Hindustani music (inherited from his father and guru, Parur Sundaram Iyer). Of these, Narmadha has assimilated the first two elements remarkably well, though she doesn't use the flashing technique obsessively. But although she's perfectly capable of making her Carnatic music glow with Hindustani overtones, she usually prefers not to do so. In her role as an accompanist in Carnatic music, Narmadha adopts a restrained approach, faithfully reflecting and enhancing the main artist's style. And even in her solo violin recitals in Carnatic music, she adopts strikingly different postures, depending on the nature of the given venue and audience. These basic facts were clearly evident in different concerts in the ongoing music season, as when she accompanied the highly popular vocalist S. Sowmya at the Mylapore Fine Arts Club, and gave solo recitals in the Meenakshi College in Kodambakkam and the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in Mylapore (for Kartik Fine Arts).Sparkling and sereneAlthough it was rainy day, the atmosphere in the Meenakshi College campus was quite bustling, with a large number of young students and elderly rasikas were present. That was a great incentive for the violinist to adopt a vibrant and vivacious approach. Accompanied by a vigorous set of percussionists (B.S. Narayanan, S. Narasimhan and R.V.B. Balachandran, on the mridangam, ghatam and morsing respectively), Narmadha embarked on a dazzling display of virtuosity and set the sparks flying.The recital, however, had some delicate spells also. The song ‘Enai Nee Maravaade, Angayarkanninaai!' in the raga Amritavarshini had a subtle fragrance which stayed with you for several days. On the other occasion, the setting in the mini-hall of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan was intimate, with a small number of seasoned and serious rasikas. And that induced Narmadha to adopt a far less animated approach, well assisted by Sherthalai Ananthakrishnan on the mridangam and M. Guruprasad on the ghatam. Quite significantly, it was in this serene setting that Narmadha's violin often tended to sound almost like her father's, with all those lovely dart-like flashes! But given Narmada's natural vivacity, the concert did have some sparkling spells too. Keywords: Dr. M. Narmadha, Carnatic music, violin, M.S. Gopalakrishnan More In: M.V. Ramakrishnan | Columns | Music | Friday Review | Music | Entertainment Tweet Columnists Listing c.r.l. narasimhan c. p. chandrasekhar david shariatmadari kalpana sharma makarand waingankar nirmal shekar a.s. panneerselvan t. m. krishna Today's Paper ePaper

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Virtual Voices Sorting our inheritance Books By Warren Cole SmithPosted Aug. 3, 2010, 03:11 p.m. Flannery O'Connor died on August 3, 1964---46 years ago today. Had she lived, she would be 85 years old now. To memorialize the event, I would like to share an article I wrote in 2006 about a trip I made to Flannery O'Connor's grave in Milledgeville, Ga. This article also honors Marion Montgomery, who was a friend to O'Connor and a mentor to me---and who celebrates his 85th birthday this year. I hope you enjoy this story. We see you’ve been enjoying the content on our exclusive member website. Ready to get unlimited access to all of WORLD’s member content? Forty-two years ago, in August of 1964, Flannery O'Connor died of complications from lupus erythematosus, a genetic disease that also took the life of her father. Flannery O'Connor was just 39 years old. Marion Montgomery was also 39 years old in 1964. He had been a friend of Flannery O'Connor, so of course he made the trip down from Athens, Ga., where he was teaching English at the University of Georgia, to Milledgeville, where O'Connor was buried. In August of 2006, he made the trip again. But before I tell you about that, a little background is probably in order. If we lived in a nobler age, I probably wouldn't have to explain how remarkable Flannery O'Connor's literary output was. The two-dozen or so short stories she left us are uniformly excellent. But if measured by weight, even including the stories, her literary output doesn't amount to much. Two novels. Some essays and book reviews. And, of course, her collected letters, one of the most beautiful collections of letters ever produced. In that book of letters, The Habit of Being, are several to her friend Marion Montgomery. As I said, Montgomery---like O'Connor---was born in 1925. O'Connor's birthplace was Savannah; Montgomery was born across the state in Thomasville. There are other remarkable coincidences in their biographies. O'Connor had attended the famous Iowa Writers' Workshop, finishing a master's degree there. Montgomery took his master's degree at Georgia, but was also drawn to Iowa several years later, where he had some of the same teachers who had mentored Flannery just a few years before. So even though they covered much of the same ground, and they knew of each other for years, it was only in the last few years of O'Connor's life that they became friends. But that short friendship yielded much. For one thing, it helped Montgomery to see much earlier---and more deeply---than most anybody else the real nature and genius of O'Connor's work. Montgomery, especially in the last 20 years, has used O'Connor as a "jumping off point" to write some of the truly great literary and cultural criticism of the last half-century. Today, no student of O'Connor, Walker Percy, Eudora Welty, Eliot, Poe, or Hawthorne can call himself truly educated about these writers without spending some time with what Montgomery has had to say about them. And, ironically, these two writers yielded one of the great sound-bites of modern literary history. I say this is ironic because both O'Connor and Montgomery disdain sound-bites. These are two writers who tend to dive deep, whose work defies summary. Yet they rubbed up against each other in a way that produced perhaps the greatest definition of Southern literature anyone has so far come up with, certainly one of the most quoted. It came after O'Connor read Montgomery's first novel, The Wandering of Desire. She wrote Montgomery: "The Southern writer can out-write anybody in the country because he has the Bible, and a little history." She went on to say of Montgomery's novel: "You have more than your share of both, and a splendid gift besides." It was just two years after she wrote that letter that she died, and Marion Montgomery made that first trip to her grave on the day of her burial. Montgomery started teaching at the University of Georgia in the 1960s, and he continued there until the late 1980s, when he retired from teaching to write books full-time. (He's published about a book a year since his retirement.) I had the privilege of studying under Mr. Montgomery more than 20 years ago, and today I am presumptuous enough to call him a friend. So when my daughter Brittany, now a college English major herself, started asking me questions about O'Connor and about my time studying with Mr. Montgomery, I knew the time had come for a literary pilgrimage. We left our home in North Carolina and drove to Montgomery's home in Crawford, just outside of Athens. I was delighted that Mr. Montgomery, now 81, wanted to make the last couple of hours of the trip with us. It was this trip that would be, more than 40 years later, just his second trip to her grave. There and back, Mr. Montgomery filled us with stories of his previous trips to Andalusia, as O'Connor's home is called, and of times they spent together, sitting on her home's front porch. Or, for that matter, time spent apart, but concerned about the same things: St. Thomas Aquinas and a cow-pond down the way. God as both transcendent and immanent. Sin, grace, and open fields not like those they had both seen in Iowa, fields that stretched to the horizon. No, these were Southern fields, cleared by human hands, but cleared only tentatively, temporarily, constantly threatened by creeping vine and encroaching pine trees, and so were surrounded by mysterious thicket and woods. These were the concerns and this was the homeland they shared, Marion Montgomery and Flannery O'Connor. They were the concerns that occupied O'Connor for 39 years, and that have occupied Montgomery for those 39, and 39 plus a few more. This Georgia landscape was the ground they both explored, apart and together. These disparate concerns that in the end all amounted to the same thing: a "sorting of one's inheritance"---literary, spiritual, and otherwise---as Mr. Montgomery has come to call it. Of course, I am now past middle age myself, older certainly than Flannery when she died. And as I make this trip to Flannery's grave, with Mr. Montgomery and with my daughter Brittany, I am aware that I myself stand between my inheritor and my inheritance. So after a bit of wandering around Milledgeville looking for the cemetery (the city had changed since my last trip there, 20 years earlier), I pulled out the map they had supplied us at Andalusia, now a museum, and within a few minute we were there. We found the grave itself soon enough, and the three of us stood over it together. It is hard by the road, and the traffic is loud. Mr. Montgomery thought back to the last time he stood on that spot and said he thought it was loud then, too. It was mid-afternoon, and the day was hot, though not unbearably so. Mr. Montgomery said, "I seem to remember that it was a hot day then, too." Her grave was next to her father's, who had also died of lupus. Mr. Montgomery read the dates on his grave and observed, "He didn't live much longer than she did." We were all three quiet for a few seconds. Much less than a minute. As we prepared to walk away, Mr. Montgomery made a motion with his hand that was something like a wave good-bye. But then again it was not quite that. His palm faced down, not out, more of a benediction than a wave. And then, as we were walking away, he said, "I miss her." I never got to know her, but I miss her too. I miss her precisely because I didn't get to know her. I miss her because it is so easy to imagine this day differently. We would not be standing over Flannery O'Connor's grave. We would be sitting with her on the front porch of Andalusia. Brittany and I listening to two old, dear friends---Flannery O'Connor and Marion Montgomery---share stories from lives dedicated to the proper telling of stories. I miss her because it is the three of us, and not the four of us. But what a foolish game that is, this wondering what might have been. It is foolish not just because it can never be, but because it prevents us from seeing what is. After all, why should I waste time on what would never be when I had my good friend and teacher Marion Montgomery---this man Flannery O'Connor her own self said has the Bible and more than a little history---in the seat right here beside me? And my daughter Brittany, flesh of my flesh, in the seat behind me, listening carefully, as I hoped she would? And the same Georgia country that Flannery O'Connor saw---and saw beyond---all around me? All of this, surely, is enough. So, yes, I miss her, too. Not, perhaps, as Mr. Montgomery does, but I miss her nonetheless. Yet there was also much, I'm pleased to report and perhaps you can now see too, that we didn't miss, being in possession (as we all three were) of a goodly inheritance indeed to sort through on this not too hot August day, in the year of our Lord 2006. 12 Copyright © 2014 WORLD News Group. All rights reserved. Web Reads: Is your church building ugly?Glorifying God in buildings. Urbanologist Aaron Renn suggests eight reasons Protestants tend to “place a low…Weekend Reads: Fulfilled promises, public worship, and PKsEpic: The Storyline of the Bible By James Nicodem Epic: The Storyline of the Bible Mars Hill cancels Resurgence ConferenceDecision caps an eventful week at besieged Seattle megachurch Christian author Davis Bunn on what it’s like to write for your breadDavis Bunn began his career not as a writer, but as a business consultant. But while…Fearing the return of JesusMaybe you weren’t a kid when the Left Behind books came out—but I was, and… Related Topics Books Quick Links

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Alkek Library News & Research Tips Alkek Saves You Time, Expands Your Mind Oscar Hijuelos (The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love), 1951-2013 Posted on October 14, 2013 by Charles Allan Novelist Oscar Hijuelos, best known for his Pulitzer prize-winning novel The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love, has died. From Literature Resorce Center Since publishing his first novel, Our House in the Last World, in 1983, Oscar Hijuelos has become an increasingly popular figure in contemporary American literature. Our House tells the story of the Santinio family coming to New York City from Cuba in the 1940s. Hijuelos didn’t have to look far to find the inspiration for his tale of Cuban immigrants; his parents emigrated from Cuba and settled in New York City, where Hijuelos was born in 1951. At the center of Our House is Hector Santinio, who must attempt to come to terms with the inability of his mother and father to adjust easily to life in America. The struggle of this family to deal with the memories of Cuba (“the last world”) is at the center of this tragic story of love and loss. Cultural identity is another theme in this novel. Santinio family members must try to maintain their Cuban heritage while assimilating into American culture. Critics have applauded Hijuelos’s rich descriptions of life in Cuba and his ability to incorporate elements of magical realism (a Latin literary tradition) into the novel. Despite the initial positive critical attention given to Hijuelos for this novel, Our House in the Last World achieved only spotty commercial success. Published in 1989, The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love provided Hijuelos with both commercial and critical success. Most notably, the novel was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1990, the first time a Cuban-American was awarded the prize. The Mambo Kings continues the theme of the search for cultural identity that is present in Our House in the Last World. The reader is introduced to the Castillo brothers, Nestor and Cesar, who have emigrated to New York City. Framed by the narrative of Nestor’s son, Eugenio, we are told the story of Nestor and Cesar’s immigration from Havana and their search for the American dream in the 1950s. Driven by a desire to preserve some sense of their Cuban identity, the brothers form an orchestra known as the Mambo Kings. Through this orchestra Cesar and Nestor gain some fame, but the success isn’t enough to help them overcome their sense of longing for their native Cuba. Critics had plenty of good words for this novel; Hijuelos was praised, particularly, for his romantic descriptions of Cuban culture and for the sometimes lyrical language of the novel. The novel gained further attention when it was made into a motion picture (in both English and Spanish). This entry was posted in Books by Charles Allan. Bookmark the permalink. Proudly powered by WordPress Official Texas State University DisclaimerComments on the contents of this site should be directed to Charles Allan, Lisa Ancelet, or Tara Smith.

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Photo Credit: John Nathan John Nathan is an author, translator, Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker, and cultural critic who has devoted a long and rich lifetime to removing the cloak of enigma that surrounds the Japanese. Born in New York City, he spent part of his childhood in Tucson, Arizona, and now lives with his family in Santa Barbara, California. Get updates about John Nathan and recommended reads from Simon & Schuster. Plus, get a FREE eBook when you sign up! Living Carelessly in Tokyo and Elsewhere By John Nathan "John Nathan's wry, witty memoir about the highs and lows of an extraordinary career -- as literary translator and filmmaker -- shows how a fine writer can turn life's screw-ups into a source of humor, insight, and enlightenment. Never have I seen the precarious relationship between translator and author so beautifully described." – Ian Buruma, author of Murder in Amsterdam Plus, receive updates about John Nathan,recommended reads and more from Simon & Schuster. John Nathan in the News

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Colindale Reading Room Americas studies blog All our blogs Latest posts Online Resources, Guides and Bibliographies 7 posts from April 2012 They were happy, these Americans, to be in Paris James Joyce with Sylvia Beach at Shakespeare & Co, Paris, 1920, Image Yale University, via Wiki Commons This week I’ve been researching Hemingway’s life during the Second World War and I’ve come across two treasures in the British Library: Sylvia Beach’s memoirs, and the catalogue to a 1959 Paris exhibition of Beach’s collections. Hemingway and Sylvia Beach were firm and fast friends. This was unusual enough in two ways: first, that he didn’t sleep with her, and second, that their friendship continued uninterrupted until his death. In her memoir, called Shakespeare and Company, Sylvia writes, ‘I felt the warmest friendship for Ernest Hemingway from the day we met’. Sylvia had managed to keep her famous bookshop open during the Paris occupation until one day in 1941 when a German officer demanded her last copy of Joyce’s Finnegans Wake. Sylvia did see the funny side of the fascist’s interest in this decadent book, but she told the officer it was not for sale. She was keeping it. For whom? asked the officer. ‘For myself,’ she said. Peeved, the officer advised her he would be back in two hours to close down the shop. In those two hours Sylvia Beach completely emptied out her bookshop. Using boxes and baskets, she transported 5000 books, letters and all of the shop fittings up three flights of stairs. When the German officer returned a couple of hours later, even the shop sign had been painted over. Everything had gone. The books ‘remained hidden, a secret until after the liberation.’ Three years later, in 1944, Hemingway returned to Paris as the city welcomed its liberators. Sylvia remembers, ‘We asked [Hemingway] if he could do something about the Nazi snipers on the roof tops in our street… He got his company out of the jeeps and took them up to the roof. We heard firing for the last time in the rue de l’Odéon. Hemingway and his men came down again and rode off in their jeeps – “to liberate” according to Hemingway, “the cellar at the Ritz.”’ Countless photographs and souvenirs were saved from the war up these three flights of stairs. A sample of these were shown at an exhibition in Paris in 1959: Les Années Vingt: Les Ecrivains Américains A Paris et Leurs Amis – the catalogue of which is available at the British Library. As well as wonderful photographs of Sylvia’s coterie, including T.S. Eliot, Djuna Barnes and William Carlos Williams, we also get another view on the Lost Generation Sylvia fostered in Paris. ‘Ils étaient heureux, ces Américains, d’être à Paris,’ Sylvia writes in the preface to the catalogue – ‘They were happy, these Americans, to be in Paris.’ She continues, ‘I do not understand why we still call them the “Lost Generation”. It seems to me that after thirty years, that this generation of authors were the most recognized.’ Whether it is Gertrude and Alice sitting morosely under a Picasso, Joyce discussing Ulysses with his editors, or the original letter of introduction that shepherded an unknown couple called Mr and Mrs Hemingway from Chicago to Paris in 1921, the catalogue illuminates the woman and her world in les années vingts. For me, Sylvia Beach carries extra interest because it is highly likely she met all four Mrs Hemingways, and because she was the only woman – and only friend – with whom Ernest had no serious bust-ups. It seems she knew how to temper some of Ernest’s more bullish moods, and that she understood the quick of him. As she so smartly put it: ‘the first trouble is he wants to marry everybody.’ Not only is Sylvia an interesting character who doesn’t globe-hop too much, she also provides me with a character who, through virtue of her own, has stayed in everybody’s good books. One of the hurdles I’ve had in writing about this era for my novel, Mrs Hemingway, is that spats ruin friendships every decade or so; that, or people die. Moving the chapters on with the same cast of people has proved difficult. And so constant Sylvia has proved a bit of a hidden treasure herself. [NW] Naomi Wood is one of the British Library's Eccles Centre Writers in Residence for 2012. Posted by Naomi Wood at 5:29 PM Eccles Centre, Eccles Writer in Residence, Literature Ernest Hemingway, Sylvia Beach Sports Day at the British Library Luther H. Porter, Cycling for Health and Leisure, New York, 1895, cover On 21 May 2012, The Library is hosting a Sports Studies Day (and, no, we won't be wearing just our pants and vests and holding eggs and spoons). It's titled 'Sourcing Sport: Current Research; British Library Resources',and I've been starting to do some work in advance of the section on the right hand side of that semi-colon. Rather than cover all of U.S. related sports, from basketball to Ultimate Frisbee (we have an ex-Royal Holloway Blue on Team Americas for the latter, btw), I've opted for what I thought would be a little more focused: bicycling. I was mistaken, since that sport has generated a vast literature and, of course, dates back to the second half of the nineteenth century. It also encompases a great range of disciplines, from multi-day track racing at the heart of Madison Square Gardens, the monuments of the Spring Classics and the Grand Tours to modern-day mountain biking and BMX. And this is putting aside the history of leisure, class, and gender, all of which have been influenced by that world-changing two-wheeled invention. This will all be boiled down to a short overview, with some pictures, too. But since the London Tweed Run is not so very long away, I was particularly struck by this collection of wool fabric samples contained in a pamhlet of uniform regulations produced by the Cyclists' Touring Club in 1888 (recently renamed from the bicyclists' touring club because of the growth in popularity of tricycles). Cyclists' Touring Club, Uniform rules & regulations, London, 1888. Wool samples. These could be run up into some rather natty outfits: The American author, Luther H. Porter (whose book on the health benefits of cycling's cover has been meddled with at the top of this post) also offered advice on clothing, particularly on the liberating bloomers and other 'rational' female costumes. Men were also advised: 'Stockings of dark gray or some plaid look best in the long run; black ones are more dressy, but show dust badly'. Sadly, rain rather than dust is our current environmental enemy of sartorial success. Bloomers below: You can find out more about the consequences for life in America (and elsewhere) of such clothing in Sarah A. Gordon, 'Any Desired Length': Negotiating Gender Through Sports Clothing, 1870-1925', in P. Scranton, ed., Beauty and Business: Commerce, Gender, and Culture in Modern America, New York & London, 2001, as well as on the Annie Londonderry website (She's also graced the Team Americas blog). Younger readers may also appreciate Shana Corey, You Forgot Your Skirt, Amelia Bloomer!, New York, 2000. Expect all this, and more, on the 21st. Including the Wheelmen's Patrol songbook cover: And possibly cheerleaders. Here's the blurb from the Library's What's On page (more also on the Sport and Society pages, which are also charting the summer Olympics): If you are a sports researcher, a historian or simply interested in sport and its background join British Library curators and academic experts as they unlock the secrets of the Library's sports collections and showcase their explorations into the world of sports research. Participants will be given the opportunity to discover a wide range of sports resources: from sound files, ephemera, images and historical materials to publications from other countries including Russia and the USA. Speakers include Professor John Horne, Professor Andrew Sparks, Professor Matthew Taylor and Professor Kath Woodward. It should be enlightening, fun; and the £10 registration charge includes Peyton & Byrne sandwich lunch and refreshments (and, for the cyclists, possibly a cakestop). [MS] Posted by Web Editor at 3:08 PM Events, Social Sciences, Sports Malaria in Ontario: a World Malaria Day post Route of the Rideau Canal, insert from the map, Map of the District of Montreal, Lower Canada [Shelfmark: Maps 70715.(2.)] Today is World Malaria Day so it seemed appropriate to do a short post related to one of the world's most prevalent diseases. Regarding the collections, there are a number of items which could drive interesting narratives here but this piece focuses on malaria in Canada. This might seem odd but malaria is not solely a tropical disease, coming in two main strains one of which is tolerant of temperate climates. Indeed the P. vivax strain of malaria was long endemic in parts of England, as this blog post from the Wellcome Library points out. Scientific evidence illustrates that malaria in all its forms was introduced to the Americas subsequent to Columbian contact. Malaria was established in many parts of North America before the nineteenth century and Canada was no exception, but the construction sites of the Rideau Canal provided a particularly strong foothold. The construction of the canal led to the creation of semi-drained, marshy areas into which dense populations of workers were added, an ideal environment for mosquitoes and malaria transmission. Rideau Canal significant works, plate from, Papers on Subjects Connected with the Duties of the Corps of Royal Engineers [Shelfmark: P.P.4050.i] As a result parts of the canal's construction were dogged by significant malarial sickness, as described by the engineer John MacTaggart in 1829, “In the summer of 1828 the sickness in Upper Canada raged like a plague; all along the banks of the lakes, nothing but languid fevers; and at the Rideau Canal few could work with fever and ague; at Jones Falls and Kingston Mills, no one was able to carry a draught of water to a friend; doctors and all were laid down together.” [from Three Years in Canada, Vol. II, p. 21, Shelfmark: 792.f.8]. While today malaria is almost unheard of in this part of North America, these nineteenth century outbreaks resulted in many deaths in the project's labour camps. Away from Canada, malaria is still a source of misery for millions around the world. The Library contains a significant amount of published material relating to malaria, largely as a result of the significant twentieth century developments in understanding how the disease was transmitted and could be treated. There is also a large amount of material online, especially because the drive to reduce the incidence of malaria is one of the Millennium Development Goals. [PJH] Posted by Philip Hatfield at 3:40 PM Official Publications, 1812, Canada, Collections, Geography, History, Maps Malaria, Ontario, Rideau Canal, War of 1812, World Malaria Day Sheila Rowbotham, Writer in Residence: From Whitman to The Wire Sheila Rowbotham’s non-fiction Rebel Crossings: New Women, Free Lovers and Radicals in the US and Britain 1880 to 1910, will trace a small network of British and American radicals during the turn of the century Prof. Rowbotham Sheila Rowbotham is one of the two Eccles Centre Writers in Residence at the British Library for 2012. Professor Rowbotham has written widely on women's history and is working on her next book, Rebel Crossings: New Women, Free Lovers and Radicals in the US and Britain 1880 to 1910, which will trace a small network of British and American radicals during the turn of the century. Together with the other Writer in Residence, Naomi Wood, she will be posting to the Team Americas blog during her stay. Four decades ago I discovered a book in the Reader’s Room of the British Museum, as it was then, edited by an American anarchist and Whitman enthusiast, Helen Tufts, in memory of her English friend from Bristol, Helena Born. It was called Helena Born: Whitman’s Ideal Democracy and printed in Boston in 1902. Helen Tufts had only 500 copies done. Her friend was not a celebrity, but she was determined that a memory would live on. I was researching the British socialist campaigner for homosexual rights, Edward Carpenter, and was intrigued by the account of how Helena Born bees-waxed her home in 9 Louisa Street, St Phillips, a poor working class area where she had chosen to live when Carpenter visited early in 1890. She was trying to live simply, absorbed in a great surge of union militancy in the city which brought women cotton workers out on strike. Later that year Born migrated to Boston with her friend Miriam Daniell, along with Daniell’s lover Robert Allan Nicol . Their baby, ‘Sunrise’ was born out of wedlock in the US and they became involved in a circle of Individualist anarchists around the journal Liberty. I could not imagine back in the 1970s that so many years on I would still be pursuing them as an Eccles Centre/British Library Writer in Residence and writing a book about them called Rebel Crossings for Verso Books. I kept coming across small pieces of information about Helena Born, Miriam Daniell and other new women who joined the socialist movement in Bristol in the late 1880s and 90s. They would re-enter my life through Carpenter again when I began writing a biography of him. But even when Edward Carpenter: A Life of Liberty and Love was published I had no plan to write about the Bristol rebels who migrated to the States. I was pulled in gradually, intrigued by the growing files I was accumulating on them and encouraged by the enthusiasm and help of friends in both countries. The drama of their lives fascinated me, so did the ‘crossings’ between countries, political boundaries, social classes and conventions. Ideas as well as people migrated, travelling by word of mouth, letters, journals, books. Since I became a Writer in Residence this January I have been discovering the extent of the British Library’s North American holdings which the Eccles Centre for American Studies aims to promote. These are vast. Along with newspapers and periodicals there are collections on women, immigration, Anti-Slavery, the West... the list could go on and on. At first I roamed through catalogues, eventually settling down to explore the broader context of Boston in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Jean Petrovic’s Selective Guide to Materials at the British Library, 'The American City in the Twentieth Century' proved invaluable. See http://www.bl.uk/eccles/americancity.html. I have embarked on the geography, social composition, architecture, race relations, politics and culture of the city my rebels migrated into through reading books and Boston newspapers online. When not travelling in my head to Boston, I have been checking into Baltimore. Belatedly through my son I have become a fan of ‘The Wire’. I resisted when everyone else was watching it. No, I wasn’t interested in cops and robbers stories. I struggled with the plots and difficult sentence construction at first but then was hooked. These police in ‘The Wire’ are just like historians after all slowly piecing together all those bits of information. Oh for a Wire on nineteenth century Bostons anarchists, socialists, new women and Whitmanites! [SR] Posted by Web Editor at 10:23 AM Eccles Writer in Residence, Guides, History American Studies, Eccles Centre, History, Research, Whitman, Wire The Sinking of the RMS Titanic Today marks the centenary of the sinking of the White Star Liner RMS Titanic. The shock waves of the incident radiated through the world in a number of ways. It marked the beginning of the end for the Edwardian period’s “age of innocence”. Since that fateful night in the north Atlantic Ocean where the Titanic collided with an iceberg during its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York, it has embedded itself deeply into our collective imagination. Even after a century, and with the passing of the last survivors and the fading of their stories, the Titanic continues to hold a mass appeal. From the perspective of Official Publications, the Titanic disaster provides us with two inquiries into the sinking - the U.S. Senate Inquiry: "Titanic" disaster hearings before a Subcommittee of the Committee on Commerce, United States Senate, Sixty-second congress, second session, pursuant to S. Res. 283 directing the Committee on Commerce to investigate the causes leading to the wreck of the White Star liner "Titanic".[shelfmark AS.10/4] This was convened in New York on the 19th April, just a day after the SS Carpathia had docked with the survivors, in order to get their testimony at the earliest opportunity. Following this the British Wreak Commissars Inquiry got underway on the 1st May 1912. The subsequent report Shipping casualties, (loss of the steamship "Titanic"). Report of a formal investigation into the circumstances attending the foundering on 15th April, 1912. [shelfmark B.S.Ref.1 Cd. 6352] was published in July. Unusually there is, in pencil, an annotated cross reference the the U.S. inquiry added to the entry for the British inquiry in our Reading Room copy of the General Index to the Bills, Reports and Papers of the House of Commons. While both inquiries are available in the library’s collections in various formats there are also digital editions freely accessible online via the Titanic Inquiry website. The U.S. and U.K. inquiries were criticized at the time for their short comings. Nevertheless, broadly speaking the recommendations for the two reports resulted in the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (shelfmark A.S.10/4) which continues to govern maritime safety today. In addition, the inquiries offer us verbatim transcripts of the examination of the survivors from the Titanic’s passengers and crew, providing an insight into the events of that night from the perspective of those who went through the ordeal. The Library’s collections are peppered with material relating to the Titanic – some of the most famous contemporary depictions and portraits from publications of the day can be viewed in Images Online . Use the search term “Titanic”. Some of the more unusual items to be found in the catalogue include sermons and religious tracts relating to the disaster. Of particular interest is a copy of Some reflexions, seamanlike and otherwise, on the loss of the Titanic [shelmark Ashley 484] by the writer Joseph Conrad, who was also an experienced seaman. It is one of only twenty-five copies printed. Conrad also commented on the inquiry in Some Aspects of the Admirable Inquiry into the Loss of the Titanic [shelfmark Ashley 485], another limited edition of twenty-five copies . We also have a strong collection of musical scores which where composed following the sinking to commemorate the events of that tragic night a century ago. [J.J.] Posted by Carole Holden at 2:20 AM Official Publications, History, USA There will never be anything more interesting than that American civil war There has been much in the press over the last week or so concerning revised estimates of the death toll during the American Civil War so we've dusted off and updated an earlier blog on the subject. A couple of years ago I started to follow Professor David Blight's Yale course on the American Civil War on the wonderful Academic Earth (we can all have a Yale education now!). The right statistics can really help to focus the mind - I had known that around 620,000 Americans had died during the Civil War, but when I heard Professor Blight say that if you applied the same death rate per capita to the Vietnam war, some 4 million American soldiers would have died in Vietnam (as opposed to the actual –and still staggering figure of c.58,000), that really helped to bring home to me the enormity of the conflict. And now we learn that those figures may have been underestimated by as much as 20% and that the real figure is likely to be between 650,000 and 850,000. The revising of the estimate is due to the work of J. David Hacker, an historian at Binghamton University, who has been examining newly digitised census data for the Nineteenth Century. For more information on this important work, see an article in the New York Times and a piece on the BBC News website. You can also read Hacker's full article A Census-based Count of the Civil War Dead in Civil War History (Vol. LVII No.4, 2011). These days we are all too used to seeing images of war in the papers or on our TV screens but photography was still relatively new at the time of the Civil War. Roger Fenton’s photographs from the Crimea in 1855 represent one of the earliest attempts to document war, but although he recorded the landscape and the military personnel etc, there are no battle scenes. Not really surprising since the cumbersome equipment and laborious wet-plate photographic process made it much too difficult and dangerous to photograph actual fighting. But Fenton also deliberately chose not to record the bloody aftermath of battle. Alexander Gardner, a Scot who worked for Matthew Brady, went to photograph the Civil War in 1861 and, unlike Fenton, he did record the resulting carnage. This included the aftermath of one of the bloodiest days in American history at Antietam, Maryland, in September 1862, when McClellan’s Army of the Potomac faced Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. And here’s another statistic from Professor Blight- each year 23,000 candle lamps are placed on the battlefield at a ceremony held to commemorate the number of casualties that fell there over the course of the almost day long battle. Gardner’s photographs of the dead at Antietam were exhibited at Brady’s New York gallery and understandably caused a sensation. But he was soon to part company with Brady (who often took the credit for the photos of others) and set up his own studio. More of Brady’s photographers joined him and together they continued to document the encampments, soldiers and battle fields. Gardner's Photographic Sketch Book of the War appeared in 2 editions -one in 1865 and one in 1866, both consisting of 2 volumes, each volume containing 50 albumen print photographs, and each photograph accompanied by a descriptive caption. Of course, much has been written on Gardner's 'staging' of some of the scenes and bodies, not to mention the veracity of some of the descriptions (for some examples see our Points of View webpages and also the Library of Congress), but the Sketch Book still represents one of the earliest visual evocations of the horrors of war. Another statistic that I learnt from Professor Blight, equally staggering but in a different way, was that over 65,000 books have been written on the Civil War, which would tend to give credence to Gertrude Stein’s comment (at the top of the blog) on its enduring interest. And no doubt that figure also now needs to be revised upwards. I certainly don’t think that the Library can claim to have all of the books on the subject, although our holdings are strong. And Matthew is still beavering away on a feature on the Civil War for the Library's online gallery. Quite a bit of material has already been digitised (we're focussing on our rare and unique items) and Matthew has been blogging about his activities and discoveries over the last year. You can find his updates on the project by clicking on Civil War in the categories section which appears on the left-hand side of the blog. We're keeping our fingers tightly crossed that the feature will see the light of day in the next couple of months. [C.H.] Posted by Carole Holden at 12:44 PM Civil War, Digitisation project, History, Photography, USA From the collections: twelve (very similar) views of Jamaica Louis Belanger (1800), ‘View of the Bridge Across the Roaring River near Bath, Jamaica’ Last week Team Americas had to do a little bit of digging to find out more about the French landscape artist Louis Belanger and six views of the Caribbean he painted. Cutting to the chase, and after several hours of source searching and collection digging, Belanger’s Caribbean views seemed incongruous to his wider body of work. He was employed as a painter in Europe and during the course of his life worked for various members of the British and Swedish establishment, producing many views of the European landscape. However, no existing sources mention Belanger being commissioned to travel to the Caribbean. It seemed, therefore, that the process through which the views were created would remain unclear to us; until Beth found a reference to Belanger’s work in a article from 1936 in The Saturday Review of Politics, Literature, Science and Art, entitled, ‘Early Prints of Jamaica’ (26th December 1936, pp. 826-27) which provides a short art-history of the depiction of the Jamaican landscape. Within the main argument the following jumps out: “L. Belanger made six drawings of Jamaica, evidently copies from those of George Robertson. They were acquatinted by J. Merigot and published in 1800. These views are signed, ‘Louis Belanger, le Romain’. The untropical nature of his colour leads one to believe he never visited Jamaica.” George Robertson (1778), ‘A View in the Island of Jamaica, of Fort William Estate, With Part of the Roaring River Belonging to William Beckford Esq., Near Savannah La Marr’ The two pieces shown here are from the Library’s ‘Caribbean Views’ gallery and they illustrate the author’s point. Unfortunately, for the most striking examples, ‘View of the Bridge Across Cabaritta River’ and ‘View of the Bridge Across Rio Cobre’, the Robertson views are not available online but a comparison of the physical copies suggests a strong affinity between the two sets of work. Indeed if you look at the Library’s copies of Belanger and Robertson’s works, it does seem that Belanger’s versions are exaggerated and romanticised reproductions of Robertson’s landscapes. All six views by both artists are part of the King’s Topographical Collection; Belanger, Maps K. Top. 123.55; Robertson, Maps K. Top. 123.54. Interestingly these two sets of work have been sharing a volume in the King’s Topographical Collection for some time, separated by just a few sheets of intervening material; funny to think their history could be as intimate as their place in the collections. [ENC & PJH] Posted by Carole Holden at 11:00 AM Caribbean, Collections Americas studies blog recent posts Americas studies Twitter Tweets by @_Americas Comics-Unmasked Digitisation project Eccles Centre Eccles Photographs Eccles Writer in Residence Fine Press Franklin Fridays American studies links Americas Collections on Twitter Eccles Centre for American Studies Help for Researchers UEA American Studies Blog Fordham American Studies Institute for the Study of the Americas British Library Americas collections American Resources E-Resources Other British Library blogs Innovation and enterprise Maps and views

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HomeThe Waste LandQ & A"the waste land as modern myth" ... "the waste land as modern myth" elaborate. i want to know can we say 'the waste land' as a modern myth?if yes than please explain the myths which are used in 'the waste land'. virendrasinh t #232607 shivaya r #360432 The underlying myths that Eliot uses to provide a framework for "The Waste Land" are those of the Fisher King and the Grail Quest. Both of these myths come to Christian civilization through the ancient Gaelic tradition. Neither is found in the Bible, but both were important enough to Europeans that there was a need to incorporate them into the new European mythology, and so the stories became centered on the story of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Other examples of these myths can be found in Eschenbach's Parsifal, in de Troyes' Quest of the Grail, and in the various stories of the grail quest surrounding King Arthur and his knights. It is described in works of anthropology, as well, two of which Eliot recommends to readers: Jessie L. Weston's From Ritual to Romance and Sir James Frazier's Golden Bough. Please check out the rest of this at the source-link below. http://www.enotes.com/waste-land/q-and-a/describe-use-myth-modernism-waste-land-257375 here is more,Perhaps the most important way that Eliot uses these underlying myths in "The Waste Land" to comment on the modern world is to describe modern cultural emptiness within the context of ancient myths of a heroic quest that gives meaning and relevance to life. By doing so, Eliot points out the simple fact of this cultural emptiness and its accompanying spiritual dryness and gives hints throughout the poem of where an individual can search for remedies to it. "These fragments I have shored against my ruins," writes Eliot in line 431. The entire poem can be seen as a collection of "fragments" which provide hints in various ways, especially through the many and diverse literary references that Eliot uses to suggest works that the reader can examine to see how others have attempted their own heroic quests for meaningful existence. Eliot uses the fragmentary descriptions of cultural emptiness and many juxtapositions with descriptions of past cultural richness to point to what he calls the "disassociation of sensibilities" -- the unhinging of the connection of heart and mind in, for instance, modern science. In 'The Waste Land' T.S Eliot projects several levels of modern experience and these are related to various symbolic wastelands in modern times, such as,(a) The wasteland of religion (b) the wasteland of spirit (c) the wasteland of the reproductive instinst,sex has become a means of physical satisfaction rather than a source of regeneration.The poet communicates to the reader his own sense of anarchy and futility that he finds everywhere in the contemporary world. The poem is an important document of social criticism of the world to which Eliot belonged. The land having lost its fertility, nothing useful can grow in it; the animals and crops have forgotten the significance of their reproductive function which was meant to rejuvenate the land.The negative condition of the is closely related to that of its lord, the Fisher King, who too, through illness and maiming , has lost his procreative power. This idea links The Waste Land to the legend of the quest of the Christian Knights for the Holy Grail which has been a recurring theme in the literatures of the Christian nations. I took help from the study materials provided in M A English (IGNOU)

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HomeLiterature EssaysThe Winter's TaleTrial by Ire: Hermione’s Inquisition Trial by Ire: Hermione’s Inquisition Aaron Hintz The trial of Hermione (Act III, Scene 2), Queen of Sicily is the pivotal moment in William Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale. It effectively closes the tragic chapter of the play, making way for the short comedy that follows. It sets up the unbelievably improbable ending, and leads into the scene that establishes the basis for the action in the following acts. Perhaps most important of all, it is in this scene that we are shown the full extent of King Leontes’ degeneration, which brings the very identity of the play into question. The Winter’s Tale is effectively two plays in one. The first three acts comprise a mini-tragedy, for which the trial scene is the climax. The two following acts appear to belong to one of Shakespeare’s comedies. It is this dual-nature that requires such a monumental event to take place so early in the play. Structurally, this scene gives the play a sense of cohesion when it would otherwise be a jumbled, polarized mess. However, this scene does more than successfully separate two contrasting portions of the same story. The deaths of Hermione and Mamillius set up the action that fills the rest of the play, as well as the play’s joyous, yet impossible conclusion. After Mamillius dies, Leontes is forced to... Essays About The Winter’s Tale Transgenerational Redemption in The Winter's Tale 'Tis Time The Circle of Life: Art vs. Nature in Achieving Natural Order in the Winter's Tale A Meeting of the Petty Gods Leontes' Jealousy in The Winter's Tale Marginal Female Roles and the Development of Plot in "The Winter's Tale" and "Gawain and the Green Knight" Structure and Absurdity in The Winter's Tale An End and a Means to an End in Titus Andronicus and The Winter's Tale

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British Library to celebrate 20 years since Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone​The exhibition in 2017 will feature archive material from JK Rowling plus manuscripts on magic from around the world Rebecca Cope Next year marks 20 years since JK Rowling published the first Harry Potter novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, so to celebrate, the British Library is hosting an exhibition dedicated to the wizarding world.A stone's throw from one of the novel's most famous locations - platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross station - the museum will use archive material plus other manuscripts dedicated to magic to recreate Rowling's universe. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below"The British Library is a magical place for book lovers," said Bloomsbury Children's Books publishing director, Rebecca McNally."They are the perfect partners for a once-in-a-lifetime exhibition exploring a once-in-a-lifetime cultural phenomenon, a thrilling celebration of magic and imagination with Harry Potter at its heart." The exhibition marks the first time that the British Library has staged a show dedicated solely to one book series. "We at the British Library are thrilled to be working with JK Rowling and with Bloomsbury to mark the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter, and to inspire fans with the magic of our own British Library collections," said the library's head of culture and learning Jamie Andrews.Rowling's novels about the adventures of a boy wizard and his friends took the world by storm when they were released in 1997, with a series of films starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint increasing their popularity. Interest in the characters shows no sign of slowing since the last novel was published in 2007, with a stage show, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, currently showing in London, and the accompanying playscript becoming the fastest-selling book of the decade. The exhibition is set to run from 20 October 2017 until 28 February 2018. ***MORE LIKE THIS Related ArticleNew trailer for 'Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them' unveiled at Comic-Con Related GalleryMeet the full cast of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Related ArticleNew pictures of the cast of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play New Harry Potter book out this summer 5 'Fantastic Beasts' films are coming JK Rowling to release three new 'Harry Potter'... Harry Potter and the Cursed Child breaks sales...

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Gabriele Annan August 14, 2003 Issue The King in the Tree by Steven Millhauser Knopf, 242 pp., $23.00 Steven Millhauser; drawing by David Levine More than any other current fiction writer I can think of, Steven Millhauser seems to really enjoy writing. He wallows in it, but in a dignified manner—if such combination can exist; and if it never has, then it does now and he invented it. You sense a thrill of triumph after each word or juxtaposition of words that have been meticulously chosen and licked into shape by a voluptuous tongue. In his book of three novellas, that applies particularly to the second two, both set in sumptuous evocations of past centuries. The title story, “The King in the Tree,” is the tale of Tristan and Isolde (Ysolt, in this version). The second, “An Adventure of Don Juan,” describes an uncharacteristically unsuccessful adventure the Don never had and gives the largest scope to Millhauser’s predilection for solitary rambles. In his Pulitzer Prize–winning novel, Martin Dressler (1996), the eponymous hero rambled through New York in search of sites for the luxury hotels he intended to build. By the time he has bought the third site, what he builds there is more than just a hotel: he creates a stately pleasure dome with seven underground levels containing winding paths through beautiful, exotic gardens and woods and past lakes and seashores. The fact that they are underground gives them a creepy, surreal magic. One suspects there might even be an eighth subterranean level, a foundation of madness. “An Adventure of Don Juan” opens in Venice, a city whose canals have enchanted and seduced so many writers that they must present quite a challenge by now. Millhauser meets it with aplomb: What bound him [Don Juan] was the shimmer of the place, the sense of a world given over to duplication and dissolution: the stone steps going down into the water and joining their own reflection seemed to invite you down into a watery kingdom of forbidden desires, while the water trembling in ripples of light on the stone façades and the arches of ancient bridges turned the solid world into nothing but air and light, an illusion, a wizard’s spell. In spite of all this, Don Juan is dissatisfied with what he sees as the oversexiness of Venice, the too easy availability of its women, and he decides to follow the invitation of an English fellow traveler to visit him in Somerset. The man is called Augustus Hood and he owns a beautiful house on a vast, beautiful estate. He lives there with his beautiful wife, Mary; her equally beautiful sister, Georgina, is staying with them—two beautiful Gainsborough ladies “each wearing a flat straw hat with a low crown tied round with silk ribbons…. The front and back of the wide hat-brims were turned up, and the edges of the lace undercaps showed beneath.” Augustus Hood himself is a William Beckford type, a fanatical amateur of parks and gardens with ponds and lakes… —— August 14, 2003 —— In Search of Sappho Daniel Mendelsohn Three Men in a Boat Robert Malley What’s Not in Your Genes H. Allen Orr Bush & Terror: An Exchange with Norman Mailer Ronald Tiersky Dreaming of Corsica Jeremy Bernstein More ‘Men Without Work’: An Exchange

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Ship Portraits in Art History Perhaps the most significant aspect of marine art is that it was client-driven. Ship portraitsShip portraitMarine painting featuring an accurate depiction of a vessel, usually commissioned by the owner or captain. in particular were not done for art’s sake or for collectors of fine art, but rather for buyers with a personal interest in the subject. Today we value both signed and unsigned examples for their unique history and their attractiveness. For people interested in maritime history, these works are sources of information about the past, as well as works of art.Marine art reflects early European influences. In the 16th century, ex voto paintingEx voto paintingA religious painting commissioned out of thanks for delivery from a dangerous situation. were often commissioned by religious seafarers who were thankful after surviving maritime disasters. As artists moved away from religious and heroic paintings in the seventeenth century, towards painting the world around them, marine art flourished in the Netherlands. Hendrick Vroom (1566-1640), an important early Dutch marine artist, created commemorative paintings of Dutch and English naval battles and vessels. He influenced other artists in Holland, including the Van de Veldes, father and son, who emigrated to England in 1672 and influenced a growing school of marine art in Britain.Both Holland and England were sea powers, linked to the oceans of the world for their wealth, power, and food supplies. Their identities were tied to the sea. Seascapes reflected their maritime interests.These paintings of the Greenland whale fishery by Joghem de Vries, done in 1769, show a highly developed Dutch marine art tradition.In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Dutch had a major whale fishery, and Dutch marine artists painted it. These paintings may have been designed for a house or hall. They are in pairs and could fit around tall narrow windows. The setting presents a complete view of the Greenland whale fishery, one that the artist must have seen.One of the museum’s founders purchased these paintings from the Hearst Collection in California. After his family left Searsport, they were in the whaling business and collected whaling art. Other markets influenced sea paintings, such as printed books that could be illustrated with woodcutsWoodcutA relief printing surface consisting of a wooden block with a design cut into the surface. It is inked and then paper is pressed on the surface to transfer the design. and engravingsEngravingThe art of making designs by cutting, corrosion with acid, or other process on the surface of a metal or wood plate, used for printing design.. Seventeenth century maps and chartsChartA nautical map giving navigation information, including: water depth; shoals, rocks, and other dangers; and aids to navigation such as lighthouses, buoys, and beacons. Charts use special symbols and abbreviations to convey information for mariners. were often well illustrated with ships and seafaring scenes. A growing market for realistic portraits and landscapes extended to the marine world. Less trained artists, who painted on banners, carriages, murals, wallpaper, and objects; and seamen themselves, tried their hands at ship portraits. Naval officers in training were taught to use precise penmanship while learning about navigation, keeping logsLog logbook 1. Short for logbook, a document required to be kept by merchant and naval vessels. In the log must be recorded specific information relating to the navigation of the ship, the organization of her crew, and other activities on board.Read More, and dead reckoningDead reckoningNavigating by applying courses and distances made through the water from the last known observed position. The term dead could be a form of "ded" from "deduced" reckoning.. Many of their practice books featured drawings of ships, shorelines, the compass roseCompass roseOuter and two inner circles engraved on a nautical chart, used for laying off courses or bearings.Read More, and other nautical motifs. An artistically talented seafarer might progress to ship portraiture. Marine Art Around the WorldBy the latter part of the 19th century, marine artists or pierhead paintersPierhead painter port painter Slang expression for the ship portrait painters that were found in many major ports in the 19th century. could be found in Europe, the Mediterranean, ChinaChinaDuring the period of the China Trade, when Mainers were sailing to ports in China, the Qing (or Ch'ing) Dynasty (1644-1911) was in power. The Qing Dynasty was established by the Manchus in northeastern China, and expanded to surrounding territories of Inner Asia, establishing the Empire of the Great Qing.Read more., and the Northeast United States. Penobscot Marine Museum has examples of ship portraits done in cities around the world.The Clarissa B. Carver, built in Searsport in 1876, was painted by an unknown artist in China. It shows the ship off Lintin Island at the mouth of the Pearl River, near Macao.The ship Nancy Pendleton (below) was painted in Bremerhaven, Germany, by Carl Fedeler (1799-1858). The Bark Elberta (below) of Prospect, Maine, was painted in Marseilles, France, by Joseph Honoré Maxime Pellegrin (1793-1869). Marie Edouard Adam (1847-1929) of Le Havre, France, is a well-regarded marine artist. He painted the ship Oneida in 1877. The Oneida was built in Searsport at the McGilvery Yard, by master builder Marlboro Packard. She was built for Captain McGilvery and some partners, who sold her in 1888 for the Alaskan salmon cannery trade. Italian painter Luigi Renault (active 1858-1880) painted the barkentineMary Jenness entering Livorno (Leghorn), Italy in 1876.Captain George Harrison Oakes took the Mary Jenness on her first voyage down to New York, and there loaded and sailed her to Livorno. He was proud of the new ship, the 505 ton, 132’ product of his father Joseph’s yard in Brewer. He hired Renault to paint her. Renault was a good choice for he would be appointed marine artist to the King of Italy.The museum library has the journal kept by thirteen-year-old Margaret Oakes who sailed with her father on the second voyage of the Jenness in 1880. ‹ Types of Marine Art Liverpool Painters › Search » Advanced Search Options User Guide Marine Art: Introduction Types of Marine Art Ship Portraits in Art History Liverpool Painters Marine Artists in America Stories Told by Marine Paintings Prominent Maine Marine Painters The Buttersworths Non-paint Media For Educators K-2 Learning Results K-2 Activities 3-4 Learning Results 3-4 Activities 5-8 Learning Results 5-8 Activities 9-12 Learning Results 9-12 Activities Resources Children's Books High School & Adult Level Books Websites ©Penobscot Marine Museum 2012

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Comics Blog Jamiaca's sunken city seeks world heritage designation By DAVID McFADDEN, Associated Press KINGSTON, Jamaica - Archaeologists will ask the United Nations' cultural agency to bestow world heritage status on Port Royal, the mostly submerged remains of a historic Jamaican port known three centuries ago as the "wickedest city on Earth." The designation from UNESCO would place Port Royal in the company of global marvels such as Cambodia's Angkor temple complex and India's Taj Mahal. The sunken 17th century city was once a bustling place where buccaneers including Henry Morgan docked in search of rum, women and boat repairs. In recent days, international consultants have conducted surveys to mark the old city's land and sea boundaries to apply for the world heritage designation by June 2014, said Dorrick Gray, a technical director with the Jamaican National Heritage Trust, a government agency responsible for preserving and developing the island's cultural spots. Port Royal was the main city of the British colony of Jamaica in the 17th century until an earthquake and tsunami submerged two-thirds of the settlement in 1692. It boasted a well-to-do population of roughly 7,000 at the time, and was comparable to Boston during the same period. After the quake, the town served as a British royal navy base for two centuries, even as it was periodically ravaged by fires and hurricanes. In his book "Caribbean," American author James Michener described Port Royal having "no restraints of any kind, and the soldiers stationed in the fort seemed as undisciplined as the pirates who roared ashore to take over the place night after night. They were of all breeds, all with nefarious occupations." Now, it's a depressed fishing village at the tip of a spit of land near Kingston's airport. It has little to attract visitors except some restaurants offering seafood and a few dilapidated historic buildings. The sunken, algae-covered remnants of the city are in murky waters in an archaeological preserve closed to divers without a permit. But in recent decades, underwater excavations have turned up artifacts including cannonballs, wine glasses, ornate pipes, pewter plates and ceramic plates dredged from the muck just offshore. The partial skeleton of a child was found in 1998. Experts said it's among the top British archaeological sites in the Western Hemisphere and should be protected for future generations. "There is outstanding potential here. Submerged towns like this just do not exist anywhere else in the Americas," said Robert Grenier, a Canadian underwater archaeologist who has worked closely with UNESCO. Texas A&M University nautical archaeologist Donny Hamilton said Port Royal could become a sustainable attraction for tourists but first "there's got to be something above the ground that people are going to want to come and see." Jamaican officials and businessmen have announced various strategies to renovate the ramshackle town over the years, including plans for modern cruise liners and a Disney-style theme park featuring actors dressed as pirates. Some are exasperated with the slow pace of development. "Somebody has to act with a certain measure of dispatch," said Marvin D. Goodman, an architect with offices in Kingston, across the bay from Port Royal.

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The Wisdom of Tagore Tagore - The Big Vision by Satish Kumar Cover: Image courtesy: British Museum © Artist's Estate/Bridgeman Art Library Resurgence has always been inspired by the life and work of Rabindranath Tagore. In this special issue we pay tribute to Rabindranath Tagore on the 150th anniversary of his birth and take the opportunity to acknowledge the inspiration we still get from him – an inspiration that has always been the guiding presence behind the scenes at Resurgence, but never before articulated. And we do more than that. We recognise the relevance of Tagore’s wisdom for our time; we celebrate and share his ideals and aspirations of harmony, wholeness and integrity to which he dedicated his whole life, and we introduce his poetry, his plays and his paintings. Tagore’s many songs and stories inspired courage and commitment to act and transform human consciousness and can do the same today. He practised art not for art’s sake, not even as a way of self-expression, least of all just for entertainment. His art was an offering to elucidate the deep meaning of life and to heal the soul. As a master of his craft, Tagore combined the purity of poetry with a purpose for living. He not only healed the sorrow and suffering which he had experienced due to death, depression and disappointment in his own life but he worked too to heal the wounds of injustice and inequality within Indian society. For Tagore there was no point in writing if it did not lift the human spirit and restore human dignity. Like an alchemist, he turned his base emotions of anger, irritation and rage into the gold of poetry, and through his inspiring songs he transformed social inertia into hope and action. He urged us to rise above our petty identity of race, colour, religion and nation and to identify with our common humanity. He travelled tirelessly from America to Russia, from China to Argentina, proclaiming the oneness of humanity and the paramount importance of freedom, justice and peace. He inspired millions of his countrymen and women to renounce their narrow self-interest and throw away their caste prejudices in order to embrace equality, solidarity and morality. He shunned self-indulgence and worked tirelessly as a healer of social divisions. In particular he tried to heal the split between science and spirituality. Tagore articulated perennial wisdom and timeless values in word and in action, while seeking truth through science and reason. One of his greatest insights was to affirm that there really is no rift or conflict between reason and religion. He questioned the wisdom of restricting ourselves to one discipline or another – either to reason or religion – when we can enjoy the benefits of both. That is why he was in dialogue with the physicists Heisenberg and Einstein, whilst continuing to study the Upanishads. For Tagore science and spirituality were two sides of the same coin. He worked for the outer development of human communities through improved agriculture, good schools, comfortable economic conditions, and a better standard of life, but at the same time he emphasised inner development through the renewal of the spirit, caring for the soul, nourishing the heart and nurturing the imagination. In Tagore’s vision, growth in science, technology and material wellbeing should go hand in hand with spiritual growth. One without the other is like walking on one leg. This balanced and holistic worldview is needed now more than ever, as it is a prerequisite for a sustainable and resilient future for us and for coming generations. Pure reason and pure materialism are as doomed as the pursuit of purely personal salvation. The worldview of Tagore is seeing the unity of reason and religion, spirit and matter and letting them dance together. This is the big vision where science complements spirituality, art complements ecology and freedom complements equality. Shelley wrote, “Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world.” Tagore was that. His vision has inspired Resurgence for the past 45 years. Rather than being a single-issue magazine, Resurgence has always integrated the multi faceted nature of human existence. This is why we publish poetry alongside politics, imagination alongside economics and criticism alongside creativity. While we report the actions and thoughts of the activists engaged in the care of the outer landscape, we also highlight the practice and philosophy of people engaged in the enhancement of the inner landscape. We have been and will always be inspired by the life and work of Tagore, and we are proud to celebrate that life and its continued relevance in the pages of this special issue of the magazine. Satish Kumar is Editor-in-Chief at Resurgence

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All Aboard!: Elijah McCoy's Steam Engine (Hardcover) By Monica Kulling, Bill Slavin (Illustrator) $17.95 Usually Ships in 1-5 Days In the second of Tundra's Great Idea series, biographies for children who are just starting to read, Monica Kulling presents the life of an extraordinary man.There were few opportunities for the son of slaves, but Elijah McCoy's dreams led him to study mechanical engineering in Scotland. He learned everything there was to know about engines - how to design them and how to build them. But when he returned to the United States to look for work at the Michigan Central Railroad, the only job Elijah could get was shoveling coal into a train's firebox.Undaunted, he went on to invent a means of oiling the engine while the train was running, changing the face of travel around the world.With playful text and lively illustrations, All Aboard! Elijah McCoy's Steam Engine may be the first biography a child discovers, and it will whet the appetite for many more. About the Author MONICA KULLING was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. A poet, she has also published many books for children. Best known for her clear and engaging biographies, she has tackled subjects ranging from Harriet Tubman and Eleanor Roosevelt to Harry Houdini. Her book It's A Snap! George Eastman's First Photo, illustrated by Bill Slavin, was the first in Tundra's Great Idea Series. Monica Kulling lives in Toronto.BILL SLAVIN has garnered many awards for the over seventy books for children he has illustrated, including The Big Book of Canada by Christopher Moore and The Library Book: The Story of Libraries from Camels to Computers by Maureen Sawa. Among his many honors, he has won the Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator's Award, andThe Blue Spruce Children's Choice Award." Praise For… "When I read Monica Kulling's retelling of the life of Elijah McCoy I felt the same sense of wonder and curiosity that I first experienced when I was initially introduced to this enigmatic, inventive, and charismatic figure. Bill Slavin's images are absolutely beautiful. My daughters LOVE it." — Andrew Moodie, author of The Real McCoy“an engaging biography of the African-American inventor . . . The narrative includes fictionalized dialogue and clear explanations about how the machinery works and concludes with an inspiring message . . .” — School Library Journal Product Details Publisher: Tundra Books (NY) Series: Great Idea (Tundra Books) Minimum Grade Level: K Related Editions (all) Kobo eBook (November 16th, 2011): $6.99 Paperback (August 6th, 2013): $7.95

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Jennifer Estep holds a bachelor’s degree in English and journalism and a master’s in professional communications. Southern-born and raised, Jennifer admits to a love of food and a preference for honey on her corn bread.Jennifer debuted in the world of published books with what would become the Bigtime books, a paranormal romance series set in fictional Bigtime, N.Y. The author likens the series to “female-centered comic books without the art.” The Elemental Assassin series takes place in the Southern metropolis of Ashland, a community rife with giants, dwarves, vampires, and elementals – including assassin and restaurant owner Gin Blanco, with the power to control stone and ice, and a love of sharp objects. Both of these series are for the over-18 reader. For the young adult (YA) reader, Jennifer developed the Mythos Academy urban fantasy series. The stories focus on 17-year-old gypsy Gwen Frost, who has the gift of psychometry, and her education at the Mythos Academy, a school for descendants of ancient warrior societies. “Crimson Frost,” the fourth book in the Mythos Academy series, is Jennifer’s latest release. The story features a potential relationship between Gwen and handsome Logan Quinn. The fact Logan’s father would just as soon see Gwen become a soon forgotten memory of life might be a bit of a stumbling block. Landing in jail on their first date for allegedly helping the sadistic Loki escape from prison. … Sure beats dinner and a movie, but how do you plan a second date from behind bars?Jennifer employs an easy-to-read style of writing in all of her work. Her characters are well-drawn and interesting, and the plots original with just enough twist to keep readers turning the page.http://www.jenniferestep.com/Q. What was the inspiration behind the Mythos Academy series?A. I’ve always enjoyed mythology and all the stories of the gods, goddesses, warriors, and creatures battling each other and going on these epic quests. I remember watching the old “Clash of the Titans” movie whenever we would have movie days in school, and I read things like “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey” for class assignments over the years.One day, I thought it would be cool to write my own mythology story with my own characters and magic, put my own spin on things, and tell the story that I wanted to tell. So that’s what I did, and that was sort of the beginning of my Mythos Academy series. So far, I’m having a blast writing the books.Q. The assassin Gin Blanco began as a killer for hire, but seems to be evolving into more of a vigilante or seeker of vengeance. Why did you decide to change her motivation for killing?A. I’ve always enjoyed reading about assassin characters in fantasy literature because they can be everything from cold to calculating to crazy. It just seems like there are so many different stories that you can tell with assassin characters.With Gin Blanco, I wanted to start out with a character who was cold, reserved, and closed off, even from her friends and family. But as my Elemental Assassin series has progressed, Gin has opened herself up more to her friends and family, and that’s one of the things that has changed her focus a bit. Gin is still an assassin, but now she’s more of an assassin-with-a-heart-of-gold who helps folks who can’t help themselves.Q. Fantasy stories require worldbuilding - the construction of the locale, environment, demographics, society the characters interact in. You have stated that you sometimes find authors spend too much time on worldbuilding and not enough on the plot. What do you think the proper balance is?A. Worldbuilding is a big part of any fantasy book. I think one of the fun things about writing fantasy books is coming up with a town, city, castle, or whatever and then dreaming up all of the magic, creatures, and more that live in that place and how they interact with each other.However, plot is equally important. You can have a really creative magic world/system, but without strong characters and a strong plot, it’s really just an empty town, city, or castle. It’s important to strike a good balance between your worldbuilding and the characters who drive your plots forward and hopefully keep readers engaged in their adventures.Q. With three active series, are you planning to branch out into other stories in other worlds? If so, what do you have in mind?A. I have a couple of ideas for new fantasy books/characters/series that I would like to explore. I think it would be cool to maybe write a YA series with more of a fairy tale or epic fantasy feel. I’d also like to write in some different genres and maybe try my hand at a spy thriller, a heist book, or maybe even a Western someday. I have more ideas than I could ever possibly have time to write.DA Kentner is an award-winning author. www.kevad.net

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Details Project By: Dana McHutchion, 1st Period Frida Kahlo de Rivera was born on July 6th of 1910 and raised in Mexico City. Her work has been celebrated in Mexico as symbolism of indigenous and national tradition. Her work is often categorized as folk art, because Amerindian and Mexican cultural tradition are important in her paintings. Her work has also been labeled as "surrealist." She survived a traffic accident when she was a teenager, resulting in many lifelong health problems. Her spinal column was broken in three places in the lumbar region. Her collarbone was broken and her third and fourth ribs. Her right leg had eleven fractures and her right foot was dislocated and crushed. Her left shoulder was out of joint, her pelvis broken in three places. Through the recovery process of her injuries, she was a recluse to the world around her which inspired her works, most of which are self portraits depicting her depression and lonesome. Though she never fully recovered. She married Diego Rivera, a world famous painter, who was 21 years older then her, on August 21st, 1929. Their marriage offered Frida to become involved with a lot of the elite Mexican artists and intellectual circles. But it also offered her a lot of heartbreak. She often claimed him to be the second accident that she had gotten into. They divorced once and remarried a year later; they were separated several times. Diego filed for divorce on November 6th, 1939. Sylvia Plath was born on October 27th of 1932, in Boston, Massachusetts. She was a daughter of a German immigrant college professor, Otto Plath, and one of his students, Aurelia Schober. The poet's early years were spent near the seashore, but her life changed abruptly when her father died in 1940. Some of her most vivid poems, including the well-known "Daddy," concern her troubled relationship with her father and her feelings of betrayal when he died. Plath was a gifted student who had won numerous awards and had published stories and poetry in national magazines while still in her teens. She attended Smith College on scholarship and continued to excel, winning a Mademoiselle fiction contest one year and achieved a guest editorship of the magazine the following summer. It was during her undergraduate years that Plath began to suffer the symptoms of severe depression that would ultimately lead to her death. In August of 1953, at the age of nineteen, Plath attempted suicide by swallowing sleeping pills. She survived the attempt and was hospitalized, receiving treatment with electro-shock therapy. She was married to a British poet, Ted Hughes, who soon left her in 1962 for another woman which caused her to fall into a deeper depression. In order to cope with her "mental illness" she wrote her only novel, The Bell Jar, in 1963. She also created a collection of poems called "Ariel," (1965) that was released after her death. She committed suicide on February 11, 1963. Frida Kahlo, Self-portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird (1940) In this painting, Frida is in a frontal position, enhancing her over-all prescence in the painting. The thorns she has piercing into her neck resemble a lot of what she is going through at that time; the sudden divorce with her husband that has caused her much pain. Hanging from the thorny necklace is a dead hummingbird. Dead hummingbirds were used as charms to bring luck in love. In contrast with the black cat that is over her left shoulder, which signifys bad luck and death, and appears to be preparing to pounce on top of the hummingbird, or to take her good luck away. Over her right shoulder is her pet monkey, or the "devil" is what they would call it in mexican culture, that was given to her by her ex husband Diego. The butterflies around her hair represent resurrection. The standard, straight-forward, interpretation of the poem simply says that it is about several suicide attempts. The first one being an accident, the second and third one being purposely done, each attempt occurring within a different decade. After surviving her most recent attempt, she describes her recovery almost as a failure. As if each suicide attempt was presented as an accomplishment. "Dying is an art" that she performs "excepetionally well," believeing that she will reach the type of perfection she wishes to achieve only by dying. In a larger perspective, she kills herself to punish those around her for driving her to do it in the first place, the eager "peanut-crunching crowd." She compares this crowd to the Germans who stood aside while the Jews were being thrown into concentration camps. The crowd views Lady Lazarus/the poet/Plath as an object, and therefore does not recognize her as a human being. Plath reflects this through her multiple references to body parts separated from the whole. From this interpretation, Lady Lazarus's suicide then becomes "an assertion of wholeness, an act of self-definition, and a last desperate act of contempt toward the peanut-crunching crowd." Connection between the poem and the painting... The connection between the poem and the painting is based on the many similarities that both Frida Kahlo and Sylvia Plath are going through during the time of their creation. Sylvia Plath wrote Lady Lazarus, among many other poems, after the divorce of her husband Ted Hughes, who left her for another woman. Similar to Frida Kahlo who had found out that her husband was having an affair with her sister, Cristina Kahlo. He did have many affairs before Cristina, but Frida didn't care. Her reasoning was "How could I love someone who wasn't attractive to other women?" But when she found out that the two people she had loved the most betrayed her, she felt like she had been "murdered by life." Both of the artists resemble the same sort of depression within their works. In Fridas self portrait above, she has a dead hummingbird hanging from her neck symbolizing good luck in love, and a black cat getting ready to pounce on top of the bird as if to demolish all of its "luck." Sylvia Plath going through a similar situation with her ex husband, and even with life itself, shows an image similar to the painting. Her suicide attempts are almost like a wish for luck each time, only to be denied and brought back to earth to be "dying" again. Comment Stream

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White Mughals: Love and Betrayal in 18th-Century IndiaBegums, Thugs and White Mughals: v. 8The Last Mughal: The Fall of a Dynasty: Delhi, 1857India Before EuropeThe Making of the Raj: India Under the East India CompanyLady Nugent's East India JournalThe British Raj in IndiaA Concise History of Modern IndiaSahib: The British Soldier in India 1750-1914The Travels of Dean Mahomet: An Eighteenth-Century Journey Through India Download EBOOK White Mughals: Love and Betrayal in Eighteenth-Century India PDF for free The author of the book: William Dalrymple Edition: Penguin Books Date of issue: 27 April 2004 Description of the book "White Mughals: Love and Betrayal in Eighteenth-Century India": White Mughals is the romantic and ultimately tragic tale of a passionate love affair that crossed and transcended all the cultural, religious and political boundaries of its time.James Achilles Kirkpatrick was the British Resident at the court of the Nizam of Hyderabad when in 1798 he glimpsed Kahir un-Nissa--'Most excellent among Women'--the great-niece of the Nizam's Prime Minister and a descendant of the Prophet. Kirkpatrick had gone out to India as an ambitious soldier in the army of the East India Company, eager to make his name in the conquest and subjection of the subcontinent. Instead PDF, he fell in love with Khair and overcame many obstacles to marry her--not least of which was the fact that she was locked away in purdah and engaged to a local nobleman. Eventually, while remaining Resident, Kirkpatrick converted to Islam, and according to Indian sources even became a double-agent working for the Hyderabadis against the East India Company.It is a remarkable story, involving secret assignations, court intrigue, harem politics, religious and family disputes. But such things were not unknown; from the early sixteenth century, when the Inquisition banned the Portuguese in Goa from wearing the dhoti ePub, to the eve of the Indian mutiny, the 'white Mughals' who wore local dress and adopted Indian ways were a source of embarrassments to successive colonial administrations. William Dalrymple unearths such colourful figures as 'Hindoo Stuart', who travelled with his own team of Brahmins to maintain his temple of idols, and who spent many years trying to persuade the memsahibs of Calcutta to adopt the sari; and Sir David Ochterlony, Kirkpatrick's counterpart in Delhi, who took all thirteen of his wives out for evening promenades, each on the back of their own elephant.In White Mughals PDF, William Dalrymple discovers a world almost entirely unexplored by history, and places at its centre a compelling tale of love, seduction and betrayal. It possesses all the sweep and resonance of a great nineteenth-century novel, set against a background of shifting alliances and the manoeuvring of the great powers, the mercantile ambitions of the British and the imperial dreams of Napoleon. White Mughals, the product of five years' writing and research, triumphantly confirms Dalrymple's reputation as one of the finest writers at work today. Reviews of the White Mughals: Love and Betrayal in Eighteenth-Century India Thus far about the ebook we have now White Mughals: Love and Betrayal in Eighteenth-Century India responses end users have never however remaining their particular review of the experience, you aren't read it nevertheless. Nevertheless, for those who have previously read this publication and you are therefore wanting to help make the discoveries convincingly request you to spend time to exit an overview on our site (we will release equally negative and positive opinions). Basically, "freedom associated with speech" All of us completely recognized. Your suggestions to lease White Mughals: Love and Betrayal in Eighteenth-Century India -- some other readers can choose in regards to ebook. This kind of guidance could make people a lot more U . s .! Sadly, at the moment and we don't have got details about the actual musician William Dalrymple. On the other hand, we would enjoy in case you have almost any info on the item, and they are wanting to supply that. Send out that to us! We have all the verify, and when all the details are generally correct, we will release on the web site. It's very important for people that each one accurate with regards to William Dalrymple. We thanks a lot beforehand to be able to head over to satisfy all of us! Download EBOOK White Mughals: Love and Betrayal in Eighteenth-Century India for free Download PDF: white-mughals-love-and-betrayal-in-eighteenth-century-india.pdf Download ePUB: white-mughals-love-and-betrayal-in-eighteenth-century-india.epub Download TXT: white-mughals-love-and-betrayal-in-eighteenth-century-india.txt Download DOCX: white-mughals-love-and-betrayal-in-eighteenth-century-india.docx Leave a Comment White Mughals: Love and Betrayal in Eighteenth-Century India

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The Woodman - by Thomas Barker (1769-1847, United Kingdom) All 145 paintings from Thomas Barker All 145 Artworks from Thomas Barker Designs And Sketches Thomas Barker (1769 - 11 December 1847), (known as 'Barker of Bath,') was a British painter of landscape and rural life. Barker was born in 1769, at Trosnant near the village of Pontypool, in Monmouthshire. His father, Benjamin Barker, was the son of a barrister, and practiced as an artist, but never attempted more than the portraits of horses. He eventually took up employment as a Japanware decorator. From an early age Barker showed a remarkable talent for drawing figures and designing landscapes; although he never took a lesson in either drawing or painting and was entirely self-taught. When he was sixteen his family moved to Bath where the patronage of an opulent coach-builder named Spackman, allowed him to follow his talent as an artist. During the first four years he employed himself in copying the works of the old Dutch and Flemish masters. At the age of twenty-one he was sent to Rome, with ample funds to maintain his position there as a gentleman. While there he painted very little, contenting himself with society life. Barker was an occasional exhibitor at the Royal Academy and the British Institution for almost fifty years, during which period he exhibited nearly one hundred pictures. He was a prolific artist, and painted a wide range of subjects. Few pictures of the English school are more generally known and appreciated than The Woodman, of which it appears two were painted, both of them from nature, and of life size: the first was sold to Mr. Macklin for 500 guineas; the second, for the same amount, became the property of Lord W. Paulett. In 1821 he painted the Trial of Queen Caroline, which included portraits of many celebrated men; but perhaps the best effort of Barker's pencil skill was the fresco, 30 feet in length, and 12 feet in height, representing The Inroad of the Turks upon Scio, in April, 1822, painted on the wall of his residence, Sion Hill, Bath. While Barker's talents were in full vigour, no artist of his time had a greater hold on popular favour; his pictures of The Woodman, Old Tom (painted before he was seventeen years of age), and gipsy groups and rustic figures, were copied onto almost every possible material: Staffordshire pottery, Worcester china, Manchester cottons, and Glasgow linens. At one time he amassed considerable property by the sale of his works, and spent a large sum in building a mansion for his residence, enriching it with sculpture and other works of art. He died at Bath in 1847. There are six paintings by Barker in the Tate Gallery, including A Woodman and his Dog in a Storm (originally presented to the National Gallery in 1868) and several landscapes. As well as Thomas Barker, the Barker family produced several artists of note. As well as his father's ability, Thomas' younger brother Benjamin Barker II (1776-1838) was also a talented artist known for his landscape work. Benjamin II exhibited at the Royal Academy and many of his works were engraved by Thales Fielding in aquatint. Barker's son, Thomas Jones Barker (1815-1882), followed his father and uncle into painting, studying at the studio of Horace Vernet in Paris. Many of Jones Barker's works were of a military nature, including Lord Clive's relief of Lucknow and The Allied generals before Sebastopol. This article incorporates text from the article "BARKER, Thomas" in Bryan's Dictionary of Painters and Engravers by Michael Bryan, edited by Robert Edmund Graves and Sir Walter Armstrong, an 1886–1889 publication now in the public domain. Thomas Barker, gelegentlich auch Barker of Bath, (* Mai 1767 in Trosnant, Pontypool, Monmouthshire † 11. Dezember 1847 in Bath) war ein englischer Maler. Barker war der Sohn des Tiermalers Benjamin Barker († 1793) und Bruder des Landschaftsmalers Benjamin Barker (1776–1838). Schon früh bekam Barker durch seinen Vater Malunterricht und durch diese ...

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Party Girl by Pat Tucker An unforgettable novel with ripped-from-the-headlines appeal: is being at the wrong place at the wrong time reason enough to ruin your life?Twenty-nine-year-old Hope Reed didn’t pull the trigger….But a simple choice landed her behind bars, and now she is literally fighting for her life. After her car broke down, Hope accepted a ride from two neighborhood thugs. Later they were pulled over and arrested for a deadly convenience store robbery—and Hope was arrested too. Brendon Reed stood by his wife after her arrest. He took out a second mortgage on their house and wiped out the family’s savings for her defense. But as Hope’s case dragged on, he was forced to consider other options. Hope’s best friend Katina vowed to step in and help out with Hope’s children. But that was when everyone thought Hope would get out of jail and be able to pick up where she left off. Now as years passed and Hope’s chances of acquittal began to look grim, Katina is torn, and the feelings she’s developed for Hope’s husband have thrown her loyalty into question. About Pat Tucker Many of Pat Tucker's stories are ripped from the headlines and focus on socially conscious themes. Pat’s work has generated tons of media coverage and has been featured on the nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show, Essence.com, Yahoo Shine, Hello Beautiful, Ebony magazine, and a slew of local TV and radio stations. By day, Pat works as a radio news director in Houston. By night, she is a talented writer with a knack for telling page-turning stories. A former television news reporter, she draws on her background to craft stories readers will love. With more than fifteen years of media experience, the award-winning broadcast journalist has worked as a reporter for ABC, NBC, and Fox-affiliate TV stations and radio stations in California and Texas. by Strebor Books. Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Literature & Fiction. Reader Rating for Party Girl

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Amazon $10.5 The Good Women of China by Xinran Hidden Voices When Deng Xiaoping’s efforts to “open up” China took root in the late 1980s, Xinran recognized an invaluable opportunity. As an employee for the state radio system, she had long wanted to help improve the lives of Chinese women. But when she was given clearance to host a radio call-in show, she barely anticipated the enthusiasm it would quickly generate. Operating within the constraints imposed by government censors, “Words on the Night Breeze” sparked a tremendous outpouring, and the hours of tape on her answering machines were soon filled every night. Whether angry or muted, posing questions or simply relating experiences, these anonymous women bore witness to decades of civil strife, and of halting attempts at self-understanding in a painfully restrictive society. In this collection, by turns heartrending and inspiring, Xinran brings us the stories that affected her most, and offers a graphically detailed, altogether unprecedented work of oral history.From the Trade Paperback edition. About Xinran Xinran was born in Beijing in 1958. In 1997 she moved to London. This is her first book. by Anchor. History, Travel, Political & Social Sciences, Biographies & Memoirs, Literature & Fiction. Unrated Critic Reviews for The Good Women of China In 1989, as the Chinese authorities cautiously began opening up to the West, Xinran presented a new radio program in Nanjing called “Words on the Night Breeze.” It provided a forum to discuss various aspects of daily life, using her own experiences “to win the listeners’ trust and suggest ways of... | Read Full Review of The Good Women of China: Hidd... Apparently designed to bring the women's horrific stories to light, the book doesn't do enough to situate them clearly in the context of the show as a state-produced product, or within Xinran's own difficulties in processing and presenting the material on the air (or in this book). Xinran leaves us wanting to know more about ordinary Chinese women — women like herself. Oct 20 2002 | Read Full Review of The Good Women of China: Hidd... Setting out with the goal of discovering what a woman's life is worth in China, Xinran recounts stories that help raise the veil that has long cloaked Chinese women in secrecy. Reader Rating for The Good Women of China

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Seven Kingdoms: Seowyn's Crossing Shaiiahan Shaiiahan is the title given to the nominal leader of the elven “kingdom” of Faerinwold. The title, which translates as “Eldest One”, is given to a leader, elected by a simple majority of votes by members of the Elven Council. Each council member, in turn, is elected by a simple majority of votes by the people of a specific region or village. The title of Shaiiahan was created when Shalana Silvermyst called the first Conclave of the Seven Kingdoms; in need of a single leader to represent them at the Conclave, the Elven Council elected one member to speak for them, and the tradition continued. Most shaiiahani hold the office until they wish to step down, but one could be simply removed from office by a vote called by the Elven Council. This has never happened. Rumor has it that the current shaiiahan, Thesin Ravenhair, is soon to retire. With the elves of Faerinwold somewhat more scattered following the Second Witching War, there hasn’t really been an Elven Council convened. How a successor would be chosen, or whether one would be, is a matter of some speculation. If the elves chose to discard the practice of electing a shaiiahan, it would definitely be a blow to those who hope that the Seven Kingdoms might someday unite again. aethan

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Paranormal Site Deena Budd BellaOnline's Paranormal Editor Review: Exposed, Uncovered, and Declassified In the book Exposed, Uncovered, and Declassified: Ghosts, Spirits & Hauntings, Michael Pye and Kirsten Dalley have edited a fascinating collection of essays written by several experts in the paranormal field including Raymond Buckland, Dr. Bob Curran, Joshua P. Warren, Larry Flaxman, Dr. Andrew Nichols, and Micah Hanks among others. Dr. Nichols is a psychologist, parapsychologist, hypnotherapist, and experienced investigator of the paranormal. In this book, he talks about the more common locations and types of paranormal experiences. He also addresses three major theories for one of my very favorite types of paranormal activity: haunted houses. Larry Flaxman and Marie D. Jones offer seven intriguing theories regarding the definition of �ghost.� Mr. Flaxman is an author and founder, president and senior researcher of ARPAST, the Arkansas Paranormal and Anomalous Studies Team. Ms. Jones is a bestselling author of many paranormal books, and runs paraexplorers.com, dedicated to exploring unsolved mysteries, with Mr. Flaxman. Joshua P. Warren, author of a dozen books on the paranormal, discusses some of the most fascinating topics in the book. This was one of my favorites. He talks about various accounts of full body apparitions including captured images. He shows us an interesting photo taken from the renovation period of the White House, explains the bio-energy field of life, provides an amazing story of Kirlian photography, and talks about the quantum effects in our daily lives including the concept of thought as a physical power. Author Raymond Buckland is very well known in the paranormal field. His chapter in the book is entitled �Talking to Ghosts,� and he not only gives us the history of communicating with spirits, but details the enthralling story of Hydesville in upstate New York founded by Dr. Henry Hyde in 1815. His chapter is also one of my very favorites, and I have taken copious notes for further research into the information Mr. Buckland has provided. Journalist Michael Tymn serves as vice president of the Academy of Spirituality and Paranormal Studies. His contribution to this informative book explores the afterlife, guides us to passages in the New Testament encouraging spirit communication, and teaches us about Spirit Release Therapy. Micah A. Hanks is also a journalist and investigator of the unexplained. He has a column featured in UFO Magazine. He discusses the biological aspects of the paranormal including the relationship between schizophrenia and the paranormal. He also talks about DMT, the spirit molecule. Nick Redfern is a journalist and author interested in the cryptozoological aspects of the supernatural. He runs the American office of the British-based Center for Fortean Zoology. He offers the possibility that Bigfoot and Loch Ness might actually be ghosts. He also explores the Man Monkey sightings in England which took place from 1879 until 2008. He also discusses the Black Dog of Newgate, and other cryptid sightings. Ursula Bielski�s chapter is about phantom hitchhikers, around since Biblical times. She also discusses Chicago�s Resurrection Mary who first appeared in the 1930s; and, the Phantom of Blue Bell Hill. Ursula is an author, and the founder of Chicago Hauntings, Inc. Loyd Auerbach, MS, is the director of the Office of Paranormal Investigations. He is known as �Professor Paranormal,� and has interestingly added chocolatier to his repertoire (www.hauntedbychocolate.com). Auerbach�s chapter is specifically designed to guide ghost hunters in their investigations. This book is a must-have for anyone interested in furthering their education in paranormal research. I am so excited to have found a book with so many contributions by such experts in the paranormal field. I have learned an incredible amount of information, and will be kept busy for weeks researching for more details about these mesmerizing subjects and stories. | Related Articles | Editor's Picks Articles | Top Ten Articles | Previous Features | Site Map For FREE email updates, subscribe to the Paranormal Newsletter Tell a FriendForumTalk to Editor Content copyright © 2015 by Deena Budd. All rights reserved. This content was written by Deena Budd. If you wish to use this content in any manner, you need written permission. Contact Haunted Story, IndianaHaunted Hawaii Plantation VillageGhosts of Garnet, Montana

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Get The Name of the Rose from Amazon.com The Name of the Rose SummaryUmberto Eco The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco. The Name of the Rose Summary & Study Guide 1 Encyclopedia Article 8 Literature Criticisms 30 The Name of the Rose Lessons The Name of the Rose Summary First published in Italy in 1980 as Il nome della rosa, William Weaver's English translation of author Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose appeared in the United States in 1983, and in England in 1984. The novel, with its labyrinthine plot, deep philosophical discussions, and medieval setting, seemed an unlikely candidate for worldwide success. Yet by 2004, the book had sold more than nine million copies and had never been out of print. Critics and readers... The The Name of the Rose Study Pack contains: The Name of the Rose Study Guide Encyclopedia Articles (1) by Umberto Eco Umberto Eco was born in 1932 in the Italian province of Piedmont. He began his academic career in the 1950s as a medieval scholar but soon became interested in t... Umberto Eco Biographies (3) Umberto Eco (born 1932) is a best-selling author of mystery novels that reflect his many intellectual interests and wide-ranging knowledge of philosophy, literature, medieval history, religion, and po... The long list of Umberto Eco's books and publications contains only three novels, Il nome della rosa (1980; translated as The Name of the Rose, 1983), Il pendolo di Foucault (1988; translated as Fouca... As a semiotician, novelist, medieval scholar, journalist, and parodist, Umberto Eco has produced an amazingly diverse and influential body of work since the 1950s, and he is certainly one of the most ... Essays & Analysis (9) Critical Essay by Masolino D'amico Critical Essay by Gian-paolo Biasin Critical Essay by Franco Ferrucci Critical Essay by Michael Dirda Critical Essay by Jeffrey Schaire Critical Essay by Leo Corry Mark Parker Critical Essay by Jeffrey Garrett Name of the Rose A religious hypocrisy, Name of The Rose was directed by Jean Jacques Annaud and produced by 20th Century Fox. The main characters are Brother William of Baskerville and, his novice, Adso. The other ... The Name of the Rose Lesson Plans contain 93 pages of teaching material, including: The Name of the Rose Lesson Plans

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Get Archibald MacLeish from Amazon.com Archibald MacLeish Biography This Biography consists of approximately 9 pages of information about the life of Archibald MacLeish. Dictionary of Literary Biography on Archibald MacLeish Unlike many members of the American expatriate community in France between the World Wars, Archibald MacLeish is best known not as an alienated modernist, but as the continuator of the nineteenth-century American tradition of the man of letters as a public man, even government official, and as the advocate of a "public poetry" that he feels has not yet been achieved in the contemporary world.Even during the twenties in Paris MacLeish never thought of himself as an expatriate. Born in Glencoe, Illinois, he was a distinguished graduate of Harvard Law School, a teacher at Harvard College, and a successful lawyer in a traditional Boston firm before he decided to take his family abroad in 1923. Later he was to become Librarian of Congress (1939-1944) and Assistant Secretary of State (1944-1945) during the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Even the period between the summers of 1923 and 1928 that he spent... More summaries and resources for teaching or studying Archibald MacLeish. Archibald MacLeish from Gale. ©2005-2006 Thomson Gale, a part of the Thomson Corporation. All rights reserved. English & Literature,Archibald_MacLeish,J. B. | Archibald MacLeish,What Did Archibald MacLeish Write?,Archibald MacLeish Wrote J. B..

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Get The River Niger from Amazon.com Order our The River Niger Study Guide The River Niger Characters Joseph A. Walker everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of The River Niger. Al is one of "Mo's men," a black revolutionary organization. He is described as a "closet homosexual, capable, determined, very young." In the end of the play, Al turns out to be the informer who has betrayed his fellow revolutionaries. In a scuffle that ensues, Al and John simultaneously shoot one another, and they both die.Grandma Wilhemina Brown Grandma Wilhemina Brown is Mattie's mother, Jeff's grandmother. She is described as "a stately, fair-skinned black woman in her middle eighties" and "very alive." Grandma is drunk just about all the time, from the liquor bottles she hides in the kitchen. She often sings or hums "Rock of Ages" and other hymns. She also frequently mentions her deceased husband, whom she idealizes as a model man. Grandma immediately disapproves of Ann, whom she perceives to be roping Jeff into marriage.Chips Chips, in his early twenties, is one of... More summaries and resources for teaching or studying The River Niger. The River Niger from Gale. ©2005-2006 Thomson Gale, a part of the Thomson Corporation. All rights reserved. What Is the Theme in The River Niger By Joseph A. Walker? What Is the Setting of The River Niger By Joseph A. Walker? Who Is the Protagonist in The River Niger By Joseph A. Walker? What Are the Motifs in The River Niger By Joseph A. Walker? What Metaphors Are Used in The River Niger By Joseph A. Walker?

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author and writer Books by David Long Well-received by reviewers and readers alike, David Long's engaging, imaginative and well-informed books reflect an unquenchable thirst for those events and personalities that illuminate the past. An author and writer since leaving a first class university with a second class degree, his work has appeared in the Sunday Times, in countless magazines and London’s Evening Standard. Whilst a columnist on the Sunday People, he created a popular cartoon strip which ran for several years in the weekend edition of the Times. He has also ghostwritten books for other authors – one of which won the Independent Publisher's Book Award - and for publishers in Britain and the US. Under his own name he continues to write the kind of stuff he likes to read – for both adults and children. ‘The Book of the Week.’ - Evening Standard ‘Children and adults alike will fall in love with these real-life stories.’ - Daily Telegraph ‘A mass of useless but invariably absorbing information. What a fascinating book.’ - Sunday Times ‘Handsome and informative. It’s a book I think everyone should have.’ – BBC Radio London ‘The superbly talented David Long’ – Sunday Express ‘The author has a great reputation.’ – Guardian Contact David Long © 2007 - David Long

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> The Black Cat The Black Cat Summary Navigate Study Guiderows Summary Themes Critical Essays ▻ Critical Discussion Analysis eText ▻ The Black Cat In "The Black Cat," an unreliable first-person narrator relates how alcohol and self-deception led him to kill his pets and murder his wife. Feeling guilty after the murder of his beloved black cat Pluto, the narrator adopts another cat, but murders it in a fit of madness. In a drunken rage, the narrator hangs his beloved black cat Pluto. Wracked with guilt, the narrator adopts another black cat, but its markings remind him of Pluto and of his own evil deeds. In the end, the narrator murders his wife and is himself hanged, like Pluto was. Summary (Comprehensive Guide to Short Stories, Critical Edition) Told in the first person by an unreliable narrator (a term designating one who either consciously or unconsciously distorts the truth), the story can be seen to be divided into two parts, each of which builds toward a climactic physical catastrophe: in the first part, the narrator’s mutilation and later murder of a favorite pet, as well as a fire that destroys all he and his wife own; in the second part, the narrator’s ax murder of his wife, followed by his arrest and death sentence. Opening with both suspense and mystery in his revelation that he wants to “unburden” his soul because he will die the next day, the narrator gives details (with unwitting ironic ramifications) of his early love for animals and marriage to a woman of the same sentiments, who presents him with many pets. Among these is his favorite, a black cat, whose name, Pluto (Greek god of the underworld), foreshadows the narrator’s descent into the murky regions of alcoholism, self-deception, and violence. When he does later succumb to alcoholism, the narrator shortly thereafter begins maltreating his wife and pets, which gives a double meaning to his term for drinking, “Fiend Intemperance,” referring not only to alcohol abuse but also to intemperate transgression of rational thought and behavior. Eventually the narrator maltreats “even Pluto” (which implies that the cat was valued more than his wife, whom he has maltreated earlier). One night, presumably out of frustration, he seizes the cat, which has been avoiding him. When it bites him, the narrator says he became “possessed” by a “demon” and with his pocket knife cut out one of the cat’s eyes. At first grieved and then irritated by the consequences of his action, the narrator says that he was then “overthrown” by “the spirit of PERVERSENESS” (author’s capitalization), Edgar Allan Poe’s definition of which anticipates by a half century psychologist Sigmund Freud’s concepts of the id (unconscious desires to do all things, even wrongs, for pleasure’s sake) and the death wish (the impulse within all for self-destruction). The “spirit of PERVERSENESS” causes the narrator, even while weeping, to hang Pluto in a neighboring garden. That night a fire destroys his house and all his worldly wealth, and the next day the narrator discovers on the only wall that remains standing the raised gigantic image on its surface of a hanged cat. His alcoholism continuing, the narrator one night at a disreputable tavern discovers another black cat, which he befriends and adopts (by implication making a substitution out of guilt and remorse), as does his wife. For this double (a frequent motif in Poe’s works), however, the narrator rapidly develops a loathing. First, it has only one eye, which reminds him of his crimes against Pluto. Second, it is too friendly—an ironic inversion of the common complaint that cats are too aloof, as the narrator complained about Pluto. Third, it has a white patch on its breast that to the guilty narrator’s imagination looks more and more like a gallows, which points both backward to his hanging of Pluto and, unknown to him, forward to his hanging for the murder of his wife. One day, with his wife on an errand into the cellar of their decrepit old house, the narrator, infuriated when he is almost tripped on the stairs by the cat, starts to kill it with an ax, is stopped by his wife, and then instead kills her with the ax. With insane calmness and ratiocination, the narrator concocts and implements a plan of concealing the corpse in a cellar wall. Meanwhile, the cat, which has tormented his dreams, has vanished, allowing him to sleep—despite his wife’s murder. Inquiries are made about his missing wife, however, and on the fourth day after the murder, the police come for a thorough search. As they are about to leave the cellar, the narrator, apparently with taunting bravado but really with unconscious guilt that seeks to delay them so he may be arrested and punished, remarks to them on the solidity of the house’s walls, rapping with a cane the very spot of the concealed tomb. When a horrible scream is emitted from the wall, the police break down the bricks, discover the corpse with the black cat howling on its head, and arrest the criminal. Rationalizing to the end, the narrator blames the cat for his misdeeds and capture: “the hideous beast whose craft had seduced me into murder, and whose informing voice had consigned me to the hangman.” The Black Cat Extended Summary print Print First published on the front page of the Philadelphia Saturday Evening Post in August, 1843, "The Black Cat" is one of Poe's famous murder tales. The story is told by the murderer himself, the first-person narrator speaking to us on the eve of his execution for the crime of killing his wife. He begins his account in the remote past of his own childhood. The narrator says that he was an extremely sensitive boy, so passive that his schoolmates teased him. His parents provided him with a variety of household pets, and he found their unconditional affection and unselfish loyalty to be morally superior to that of mere humans. Leaping forward in time, the narrator tells us that he married when he was relatively young to a woman whose character complemented his own. She brought a small menagerie of pets into their home including a large, black cat that they named Pluto. The narrator formed an especially strong bond with Pluto, who became his constant companion. But as time passed, the narrator took to strong drink and his personality underwent a dramatic change for the worse. Under the influence of alcohol, he verbally and physically abused both his wife and their pets; in time, even Pluto was not spared the effects of his drunken rages and began to avoid his master. This irritated the narrator. One night after a drinking bout, he seized the cat by the throat and cut one of Pluto's eyes from its socket. On the morning after this episode, the narrator recalls feeling some remorse for his atrocious act, but he adds that this was an "equivocal" feeling that he drowned with wine. Pluto recovered, but ran away whenever the narrator approached. The narrator first grieved over this loss of companionship, but then his heart was afflicted by what he calls the spirit of "PERVERSENESS." Under its influence, he impulsively hung the cat from a tree outside his house. That very night, the house and all of the narrator's worldly possessions were destroyed by a fire. Even more remarkable, the outline of a gigantic cat with a noose around its neck appeared on the one wall of the house that remained standing. The narrator explained the appearance of this image as the result of a complex... Next:Themes The Black Cat Homework Help Questions What are the ironic elements in the story "The Black Cat"? Edgar Allan Poe's "The Black Cat" The link below is an excellent, detailed discussion of irony in this Poe short story, and I recommend you read it for a thorough examination of this topic. I'll simply highlight a few of the... In "The Black Cat," what do you think is the relationship between the narrator and the black cat? We are given no clear answer to this excellent question. Rather, the text seems to tantalise us by pointing towards a supernatural explanation of the relationship between Pluto and the narrator,... Edgar Allan Poe's influences on The Black Cat and critics of The Black Cat. Tell me specific... Edgar Allen Poe uses a very ironic tone for his narrator in his short story 'The Black Cat.' The narrator begins in a strangely offhand tone, which, given the horror of the rest of the story is... What features do Pluto and the black cat have in common in "The Black Cat" by Edgar Allan Poe? Pluto is the first cat that the narrator of "The Black Cat" by Edgar Allan Poe owns and claims to have loved. That narrator is obviously not a sane man, but we do get some information from him both... Please give me a brief summary of "The Black Cat." "The Black Cat" is yet another classic murder tale from Poe. The unreliable first person narrator is writing his account on the eve of his execution for murdering his wife. The story that unfolds... View More Questions » The Rocking-Horse Winner

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http://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Room-given-five-performances-in-downtown-5252256.php 'Room' given five performances in downtown Manhattan Published 12:53 pm, Thursday, February 20, 2014 Greenwich playwright Rocco Natale (left) and director Ross Evans at a rehearsal for "Room at the End of the Hall" which will be presented in New York March 6 to 8. In between his duties as the artistic director at the Greenwich Boys and Girls Club, Rocco Natale has devoted more than five years of his life to creating a new play, "Room at the End of the Hall." The play received a successful, script-in-hand reading in New York City this time last year, and now Natale will get to see his story move another big step closer to a full production, with five public workshop performances at the Fourth Street Theatre in Manhattan March 6 to 8. "All of the big pieces were there last year, but we've been going over it with a fine tooth comb, line by line," Natale said last week of the revisions that have been done with his director Ross Evans and with producer-actor Sean Hudock. "We've just been going over it meticulously for the past year." The March production will be done in a theater with a set and costumes and with no scripts in hand. While the five performances are, technically, a workshop situation, the added design elements will make it feel much more like a professional production than the February 2013 reading in a midtown studio space. "We were asking people to suspend their disbelief last year, but this time we have a beautifully designed set and costumes," he said. "And I will finally get sand," Natale added, laughing, of a more realistic presentation of the play's New England seaside home than he had last year. "Room at the End of the Hall" follows the reunion/road trip of brothers Malky and Doug, who return to their closed-up family home in search of a diary they hope will contain answers to a terrible tragedy in their past. As they try to get into the house -- their keys don't work properly -- we learn about the brothers' past relationship, which has consisted of Doug coping with Malky's mental illness and getting him out of one jam after another. At the March performances, Hudock will once again be playing Doug and Claybourne Elder will return as Malky. Natale said he considers himself very lucky to have kept his production team together for this new run of shows. "Room" is one of the first public ventures of the Wild Root company that Hudock formed recently to produce the work of new writers (he and Natale have been friends since they attended Greenwich High School together). "The play has been a dream come true for me and you rarely get the cast you imagined. I certainly had Sean in mind when I wrote it, but Claybourne is so great in this," the playwright said of the Drama Desk Award nominee. "All of the stars have aligned for me," Natale said of keeping his director and cast together for a year. "It's an intricate play and the relationship between the brothers gets tighter and deeper. ... It's such a simple story, but such a complex relationship. I think it is so much more complex now that the two actors know each other well," the playwright said of what Hudock and Elder have taught him about "Room at the End of the Hall." Visit www.wildroot.org. `Rent' honor Trumbull high school student Larissa Mark will receive the first Dramatists Guild of America, Inc. Defender Award on Monday, Feb. 24, for her work in support of the Thespian Society's production of "Rent." Mark will get the prize at the Lamb's Club in New York City as part of the Dramatists Guild's annual awards night. Mark is president of her school's Thespian Society, which had planned to stage Jonathan Larson's musical "Rent" in March 2014 until principal Marc Guarino put the show on hold last fall after he determined it was too controversial. Mark launched a petition drive, put up a website, spoke to the media and, in the words of the Drama Guild, "focused community resistance in a remarkably effective way." The school eventually agreed to reinstate the production on its original March schedule. According to DLDF president John Weidman, "When a provocative piece of theater is cancelled anywhere, it has a chilling effect on the production of provocative theater pieces everywhere. In this instance, it was Larissa Mark's effort, commitment and leadership that ensured Jonathan Larson's right to be heard." In last week's "Stage Buzz" column on the Greenwich actor Austin Cauldwell, appearing in the off Broadway play "Intimacy," I made a mistake on the director's name. He is Scott Elliott not "Ellis." [email protected]; Twitter: @joesview SHOP NOWSheIn Women's Butterfly Sleeveless Dress for $14 + free shippingSheInPosted 9 hr 35 min ago

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About Us, Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane free admission You are here: Home About Us related documents Code of Governance (pdf) Tender for Fundraiser (pdf) Strategic Plan (pdf) Hugh Lane Board of Directors (pdf) ALE Sub-Committee Members (pdf) Development Sub-Committee Members (pdf) About The Gallery Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane is a public gallery of modern and contemporary art. A registered charity, it is part of Dublin City Council. The gallery’s original collection of modern art was presented by Sir Hugh Lane in 1908 and, in the ethos of its founder the gallery continues to collect and exhibit modern and contemporary art. The role of the gallery is to enhance public engagement, enjoyment and appreciation of the visual arts by way of temporary exhibitions, exhibitions of the collections, education programmes and projects and publications, . As Dublin’s city gallery The Hugh Lane has a responsibility to give value added to the cultural life of the city through its engagement with the people of Dublin and beyond. The purpose of the gallery is to promote understanding and public engagement with modern and contemporary art and to contribute to public discourse on the creative arts especially visual art. The Hugh Lane’s role as a leading museum of modern and contemporary art has been enhanced over the years by notable bequests and gifts, including most recently, Francis Bacon’s Studio and Archive and Sean Scully’s gift of paintings. The Hugh Lane Gallery Trust Limited is a company which was established in 1998 under the Companies Act 1963. It is a wholly owned company of Dublin City Council. The Company (Members), under its Memorandum and Articles of Association, elects Trustees, who are the Board of Directors and who are charged with the strategic development and management of the gallery. The gallery is located in Charlemont House on Parnell Square North and is open to the public from Tuesday to Sunday. Closed Mondays. Dublin City Gallery The Hugh LaneCharlemont House, Parnell Square NorthDublin 1, D01 F2X9, Ireland

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James Monroe Hewlett (1868-1941), architect and artist, was a descendant of an old Long Island family for which the village of Hewlett was named. Hewlett graduated from Columbia University in 1890 and entered the architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White. After studying in Paris, Hewlett returned to New York in 1894 to help found the architectural firm of Lord & Hewlett that designed a number of buildings, notably Brooklyn Hospital (1920); Danbury, Connecticut Hospital, St. John's Hospital (now the Citicorp office building in Long Island City), Brooklyn Masonic Temple (1909), briefly the Medgar Evers Community College; and the Senator Clark mansion on Fifth Avenue. A mural and set designer as well as an architect, Hewlett painted murals for the Willard Straight Memorial at Cornell University, for the Elihu Root Memorial at Washington, D.C.; the eight historical murals for the Bank of New York and Trust Company building at William and Wall Streets; the George Washington Bicentennial frieze, Washington and His Friends at Mount Vernon (1932), at Mount Vernon; and the four murals in the Veterans' Memorial Hall at the Bronx County Building. Hewlett was president of the Architectural League of New York and headed the Society of Mural Painters. He was elected to the National Academy of Design, was a vice president of the American Institute of Architects, and a director of the Fontainebleau School in Paris. In 1932 Hewlett was appointed resident director of the American Academy in Rome. [View Art]

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Quilter Judy Jordan to discuss work at museum By Shari Pierce Photo courtesy Shari PierceFriends For Life. It is the reverse side of the quilt “Friends for Life,” by Pagosa quilter Judy Jordan and it shows the special work she puts into signing the reverse of her quilts so that future generations will know the history of the work. Jordan will be at the San Juan Historical Museum 9:30 a.m.-noon Friday and Saturday to discuss quilting, and her quilts, with visitors. You won’t want to miss Judy Jordan talking about quilts. Judy, a Pagosa Springs’ quilter, generously loaned several of her creations to the historical society museum for a display this summer season as part of the 2013 Stitches in Time display. Judy began quilting in 1994 and has made approximately 35 quilts. They range from traditional to contemporary and fun patterns. She has finished vintage blocks into quilts and even created a quilt to celebrate her cats. One of the quilts on display uses fabric from a line designed by former Pagosa Springs artist Claire Goldrick. Early in Judy’s quilting life she saw an article in a quilting magazine, which posed the question, “What was happening in your life when this quilt was made?” Judy took this question to heart and the reverse sides of her quilts are embellished with various types of information from the date the quilt was made to family genealogy to what was going on in the world when she was working on the quilt. On her last two quilts, Judy has documented the inauguration of Pope Francis and the birth of Prince George. Historians will certainly celebrate Judy’s attention to documentation in the future. Many quilts have left them making “best estimates” as to when quilts were created and who crafted them. All quilters should take note of Judy’s efforts. Friday and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to noon Judy will be at the museum to visit with guests about her quilts. This will be very informal and an opportunity to ask her questions and hear delightful stories about her quilts and the inspiration for making them. Don’t miss this unique treat. After you’ve toured the museum, be sure to spend some time browsing the gift shop. New merchandise, including flour sack towels, embroidery patterns and aprons, has arrived in the past two weeks. This supplements the regional history books, locally handcrafted items and the museum’s souvenir playing cards giving an excellent selection of merchandise for yourself or gifts. Souvenir playing cards were created by the society as a fund-raiser for the museum. The deck is a regular playing deck with photos of early Pagosa Springs that were sponsored by local individuals and businesses. The decks are available for $10 each. The museum is open daily from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and is located at the corner of U.S. 160 and Pagosa Street on the eastern end of town. Admission is free although donations are greatly appreciated and are used to offset the operating expenses of the museum. The museum is scheduled to close for the 2013 season on Sept. 21. You are invited to stop in to the museum and enjoy getting to know more about our community’s history. Follow these topics: Art, History This story was posted on September 5, 2013. e-Edition

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CalArts' 2014 REDCAT Gala Honoring Herb Alpert Raises More Than $600,000 for the Roy and Edna Disney / CalArts Theater Actor James Cromwell hosted the March 15th event which included a special performance by Herb Alpert and Lani Hall. Herb Alpert And Lani Hal REDCAT Gala March 14. Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for CalArts) Los Angeles (PRWEB) REDCAT (Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater) celebrated its role as one of the most influential cultural centers in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 15, 2014, with CalArts’ REDCAT Gala, a magnificent affair honoring legendary artist and philanthropist, Herb Alpert. The event raised more than $600,000 for programming at REDCAT, CalArts’ Downtown Center for Contemporary Arts. The evening began with the red carpet arrivals of art, stage and music world luminaries and philanthropists, who gathered for cocktails in REDCAT's Jack H. Skirball Lobby where DJ Carlos Nino of Spaceways Radio was spinning a collection of eclectic world music. The Gallery at REDCAT featured a performance installation by Pablo Bronstein, including solo dances by Jos McKain and Rebecca Bruno. Members of the CalArts’ New Millenium Brass Ensemble heralded the start of dinner as guests entered the theater, which was transformed into a grand dining hall. Guests were seated at tables under a large, three-dimensional art installation hovering in the center of the room, designed to resemble clouds and made of a variety of reflective materials onto which pastel colors were projected. Created by artists and architects Frank Escher and Ravi GuneWardena, the clouds represent the ephemeral, fleeting, and randomly structured formations found in all forms of creative thinking and to illustrate thought, change, movement and rhythm. Guests were greeted by Master of Ceremonies, Emmy Award-winning actor James Cromwell, who welcomed them and thanked event co-chairs Maria Arena Bell, Neda and Tim Disney, Jamie and Michael Lynton, and Malissa and Bobby Shriver. The menu, provided by Jackson Catering, consisted of a first course of braised and grilled heart of palm; summer corn, hazelnuts, butter lettuce, champagne, dijon mustard; followed by a main course of braised short ribs, cauliflower fondue, chickpea crusted green beans, gribiche sauce. There was also a Vegan alternate of Eggplant Napoleon, cauliflower fondue, chickpea crusted green beans, crushed basil sauce. While guests enjoyed their meal, Mr. Cromwell introduced CalArts President Steven Lavine, who presented the REDCAT Award to Herb Albert. After accepting the REDCAT Award, Herb Alpert acknowledged the special twenty-year partnership between the Herb Alpert Award in the Arts and CalArts, which has led to financial and creative support for over 100 mid-career, risk-taking artists. He took a moment to announce and congratulate the 2014 winners, who are: experimental documentary film maker Deborah Stratman (Film/Video), composer/avant-garde saxophonist/sound artist Matana Roberts (Music), theater artist Annie Dorsen (Theatre), post conceptual artist Daniel Joseph Martinez (Visual Arts) and tap dance choreographer Michelle Dorrance (Dance). Guests were then treated to a spectacular after dinner performance by Herb Alpert and Grammy Award-winning singer Lani Hall, who were joined by a three-piece band for a musical set featuring songs from their 2014 Grammy Award-winning album Stepping Out, as well as a medley of classic Herb Alpert hits, and more. Before the close of the program in the theater, REDCAT Executive Director Mark Murphy returned to the stage, announcing the gala had raised more than $600,000 and thanking the altruistic crowd of artists and arts patrons before inviting everyone back upstairs to the Jack H. Skirball Lobby, where DJ Carlos Nino was once again spinning in the Lounge. With lively music and dancing, the Gala After Party continued on into the night as guests extended the celebration of Herb Alpert, CalArts and REDCAT. About the REDCAT Award Each year, individuals who exemplify the generosity and talent that define and lead the field of contemporary art are presented with the REDCAT Award, designed by Frank Gehry and fabricated by Tiffany & Co. Celebrating the spirit of innovation and the transformation of ideas through creative acts, the award honors both philanthropists and artists, for together they embody the invaluable alliance that shapes eras and defines cultures. Herb Alpert’s profound passion for arts and culture has taken many forms and changed thousands of lives. His multi-faceted artistic career continues to contribute to contemporary culture, most notably through the gift of his music, including his rich performing partnership with Lani Hall. Through the Herb Alpert Foundation, his extraordinary generosity has empowered and transformed generations of young and mid-career artists. A close association with California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) for nearly 25 years has led to the establishment of The Herb Alpert School of Music at CalArts (2008), and building the endowment for the Community Arts Partnership (CAP), which serves youth in some of Los Angeles’ most underserved neighborhoods. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the Herb Alpert Award in the Arts has given annual prizes to mid-career, risk-taking artists working in Dance, Film/Video, Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts. The Herb Alpert Foundation’s significant contributions include the 2007 formation of the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, and its 2012 addition of The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance, creating a premier institution for the advancement of jazz. The Herb Alpert Scholarships for Emerging Young Artists provide recognition and support to talented California high school students, and at the other end of the spectrum, the P.S. ARTS/Lawndale Elementary School District Initiative has brought sequential and rigorous arts education into the elementary school classroom. The 2010 gift to theHarlem School of the Arts helped rebuild the school, and Alpert’s generosity was honored in a building renaming into “The Harlem School of the Arts – The Herb Alpert Center.” More recently, a substantial commitment to the L.A. City College Music Department established the Herb Alpert Scholars to attract exceptional music students, regardless of their background. In 2013, in recognition of his years of artistic and philanthropic contributions, Herb Alpert was presented the National Medal of Arts at the White House by President Barack Obama. Caroline Graham C4 Global Communications +1 (310) 899-2727 David Escobar-Cambay C4 Global Communications310-899-2727

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Home / Articles / Arts / Art Features / Miss Encaustic "Bison American Icon" by Marilyn Angel Wynn. Miss Encaustic How one artist minds her own beeswax By Enrique Limón Ask Marilyn Angel Wynn about the latest art trend—encaustic—and she’ll point out that the medium has been around for millennia. “It’s a process that dates back to the fifth century BC and it’s basically still the same—you mix beeswax with resin and add some color tint,” she tells SFR. “People used encaustic to paint their boats in the Mediterranean or paint images on coffins to represent what the person [inside of it] looked like.”Still, Wynn is aware the style has caught on and is now trendy. “I don’t know if it’s a word that artists really like to use,” she says, “but just being here in Santa Fe, I’m amazed at how many encaustic artists there are.”Encaustic gets its name from the Greek word enkaustikos, meaning to heat or burn. Art historians consider it to be the most opulent paint ever known, due to its stunning visual properties. Approaching it as a tool to add depth to her work, Wynn says encaustic used to give her pieces “a cloudy-like, ancient, ethereal look.” Now that the medium is mainstream, she says, “It gives it more of a contemporary look.”Coinciding with Saturday’s Passport to the Arts, Wynn opens the doors of her Canyon Road studio for her latest endeavor. Titled Bison & Beeswax, the exhibit focuses on both the creative process behind the pieces, and one of the country’s more famed symbols. “You know how artists go through phases? That’s what I’m into right now,” the fine art photographer jokes. “The bison, to me, is one of the most iconic symbols of America; I put it in the same category as the eagle.”Beeswax marks the second time Wynn has opened the doors of her artist’s studio to the public. The first was last Thanksgiving weekend, “in honor of Native American Heritage Month.” After the current opening, she says, the works will be on display by appointment through June 26. Her artwork’s Geronimo-meets-Warhol look, Wynn explains, is accidental. After she took one of her buffalo images to be enlarged, the printer misread the order and gave the photograph a tiled effect—nine repeats of the same shot. She calls the incident a “lucky fluke.” After some experimenting with different color tints per tile, her signature grid style was born. “It’s basically tree sap,” Wynn says of encaustic resin. She points out that because of the material’s “hard as nails” consistency, it immediately preserves whatever it’s applied to. Breathing fresh life into plain scenes of yore, the artist proves that, even in art, everything that’s old is new again. “It makes the piece archival,” she continues. “That’s why so much of encaustic artwork has lasted this long.”Bison & Beeswax 10 am-4 pm Saturday, May 11. Free. NativeStock Gallery, 1036 Canyon Road(888) 765-3332

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Digging for Jefferson's Lost Courthouse Archaeologists in Virginia found the footprint of a red brick building lost in the mid-19th century The third president left no specific drawing of his courthouse design, but archaeologists have found new clues to the Classical Revival structure. (Illustration by Stan Fellows) Clay Risen Bates has confirmed the original building's height from the size of column bases that he found scattered around the courthouse's front yard—and, in one case, in front of a church down the street. He says the courthouse was likely a two-story structure, 52 feet wide and 65 feet deep, with 20-foot-high walls. A courtroom, three jury rooms and a balcony fit inside. It had a 27-foot-deep portico in front. Two pavilions, one on each side, were added in consultation with Jefferson to provide additional office space. But Bates still didn't know how the building's back looked. The modern courthouse is squared off, but plans for another courthouse Jefferson designed had an apsidal end—in this case, resembling three sides of an octagon. The shape was common in Jefferson's work, and pops up at both Monticello and Poplar Forest. Bates and his co-workers went to find an answer this past May. After a week of painstaking excavation and, as it happens, on their final day of work, they found the northern end of the builder's trench filled with rubble—mostly bricks and pieces of mortar—two-and-a-half-feet-deep. The trench turned inward, suggesting that the building indeed had an apsidal end. "To actually get results that far exceeded my expectations was incredibly satisfying," Bates says. "Any evidence that we can find is important in reflecting how the preeminent architect of his age thought about such buildings." Over the course of his architectural career, Jefferson trained a small army of masons, carpenters and draftsmen in classical design—and encouraged friends and colleagues to hire his workers. Not surprisingly, other buildings near the Buckingham courthouse bear traces of Jefferson's design principles, such as brick walls (still rare at the time) instead of wood. "They were definitely influenced by Jefferson's design, and may have even been built by his builders," Bates says. In fact, Bates speculates that the designer of the replacement courthouse likely drew on those structures for inspiration: "It comes full circle." When the Shooting Started Put your hands together for our host, Eric Schulze, as he dives into history to answer your questions. Ask Smithsonian: What Is the Origin of Applause? Take a calming breath, then watch this video to find out Ask Smithsonian: Does Stress Turn Your Hair Gray?

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Marcus du Sautoy Quotes < 12 > Marcus du Sautoy If you can make yourself symmetrical, you're sending out a sign that you've got good genes, you've got a good upbringing and therefore you'll make a good mate. upbringing, therefore, sending, symmetrical Marcus du Sautoy The stage is like a laboratory where you can run theatrical experiments, imposing interesting conditions on the cast or story and seeing how they pan out. Each new play is like creating a tiny virtual universe enclosed by the confines of the stage. each, enclosed, experiments, conditions I think my primary audience is in some sense an adult audience, because I think that will then have a knock-on effect for children. adult, knock, children, sense The wonderful thing about maths is it's a totally logical subject, and a pathway has been marked out. I think a lot of these things can be crystallised in something quite essential, that people can get. If I can't explain it, I realise that's probably because I don't completely understand it myself. wonderful, logical, completely, myself The best mobile phone had the best mathematician. They know how to fit a huge amount of data into a small amount of space. How to do things efficiently, how to do them cleverly. data, huge, amount, mathematician We need scientists and mathematicians explaining why they are excited about their subjects but also why they are important for solving social problems, informing political debate and for the economy. need, explaining, excited, mathematicians The point is with good maths skills you have just wonderful opportunities and if you don't have good maths skills, there are just so many things that you won't be able to do. maths, opportunities, good, point It's important to me that no one can say I'm not pumping out high-level research. pumping, high, important, research I think science is a foreign land for many people, so I think of my role as an ambassador's job. people, science, role, think Artists realise that mathematicians have a way of looking at the world that can make them see things differently. world, mathematicians, artists, realise If I'm flying to China, I can sit and think about a problem. Other scientists have to go to the lab. I'm always thinking about maths, even when I'm doing other things. A lot of the time you're going up blind alleys and it's very frustrating, but then you have a sudden rush of ideas. You can live off that for quite some time. problem, blind, flying, frustrating Rather than opera, football is more like ballet or a chess game. You can really see it in a team like Arsenal, especially when Dennis Bergkamp was playing. He seemed to be able to read the game like a chessboard and knew where a player would be several seconds later and put the ball there for him. really, especially, ball, chess It's my belief that you can take everyone down a logical path if you take them slowly enough, and the trouble is that mathematical brains can get scrambled a little bit on the way. You get a bad teacher, it messes you up for the rest of the journey. path, trouble, down, enough My big thesis is that although the world looks messy and chaotic, if you translate it into the world of numbers and shapes, patterns emerge and you start to understand why things are the way they are. shapes, world, translate, emerge I'm obviously attuned to pick up mathematics whenever I can see it. But in Mozart there is a lot of conscious use of mathematical symbolism and numbers in order to try and give messages. pick, symbolism, mathematical, attuned Spencer BachusLouis FarrakhanJoe FlahertyFred SavageEric Stonestreet

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Divine Will Writings of Luisa Piccarreta “With these writings I pour out My love. I can call them the expression of the follies, the delirium, the excesses of My love with which I want to win the creatures to make them come back into My arms; to make them feel how much I love them.” —Vol.36 May 19, 1938 “You must know that, at each word I have you write on My Fiat, I double My love for you and towards those who will read them, to make them remain embalmed by My love.” —Vol.36 June 20, 1938 My sweet Jesus went on taking all the books written on His Divine Will; He united them together, then He pressed them to His Heart, and with unspeakable tenderness, He added: “I bless these writings from the Heart. I bless each word; I bless the effects and the value they contain. These writings are part of Myself.” —Vol.17 September 17, 1924 “Now, that which I manifest on My Divine Will, and which you write, can be called ‘the Gospel of the Kingdom of the Divine Will.’ In nothing does It oppose either Sacred Scriptures or the Gospel which I announced while being on Earth; on the contrary, It can be called the support of one and of the other.” —Vol.23 January 18, 1928 “I see that these writings will be for My Church like a new sun which will rise in Her midst; and drawn by its blazing light, creatures will apply themselves in order to be transformed into this light and become spiritualized and divinized, in such a way that, as the Church will be renewed, they will transform the face of the Earth.” —Vol.16 February 10, 1924 “My blessed daughter, courage, I am with you. I am so pleased when you write that, for each word you write, I give you a kiss, a hug and one of My divine lives, as a gift. Do you know why? Because I see, copied in these writings Our Life of Eternal love; the copy of Our operating Divine Will.” —Vol.36 July 11, 1938 The Volumes present the day-to-day dialogue between Jesus and the privileged soul Luisa Piccarreta on the science of Living in His Divine Will. Luisa (1865-1947) was a mystic and victim soul (confined to her bed) who lived only on the Eucharist and the Divine Will for 64 years. She was confided with the greatest Mission on Earth since Jesus and Our Blessed Mother, that is to herald the Kingdom of the Divine Will on Earth, a New Era in which man will live the life of Divine Holiness, as originally planned by God. Luisa's cause for Beatification was opened by Rome in 1994. In order to receive the sublime Gift of the Divine Will, you must read and study its doctrine. Place your your ORDER here for any of the 36 Volumes, which are in sets of 4 (about 350 pages) in 5½ by 8½ format, bound by plastic combs.

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Gordon Burn To the lighthouse Roni Horn's latest work, a converted library made of ice and water, is the culmination of her relationship with the solitary landscape of Iceland. Gordon Burn braves the elements Another form of light ... Roni Horn's installation Library of Water 'I go north," the American artist Roni Horn once wrote. "It's in my nature ... The desire to go north is an attraction to solitude, open space, subtle expressions of light and time ... Sometimes going north is about whiteness. Sometimes it's about darkness. I'm attracted to the darkness - it relieves me of the incessant call to visual attention, it opens interior spaces that offer untold possibilities of discovery. This darkness is another form of light." Horn has been a "permanent tourist" in Iceland from her home in New York for more than 30 years. Library of Water, her permanent installation in the small coastal town of Stykkisholmur, three hours from Reykjavik, has just opened to the public for the first time. Water has been "archived" from glacial sources in all parts of Iceland and decanted into a copse-like stand of transparent glass columns that have replaced the shelves where books were once stacked. Some of the columns are clear, others are opaque, with traces of ancient debris drifting in them. The debris is a reminder that the glaciers were formed many millennia ago and are rapidly receding. Horn describes Library of Water as "in some sense an end-game, since many of these sources will no longer exist in a matter of years". But Vatnasafn, to give it its Icelandic name, isn't primarily an ecological/political work; it isn't agitprop. Horn imagined Library of Water as a place for quiet observation and reflection, "a lighthouse in which the viewer becomes the light. A lighthouse in which the view becomes the light." This connects it to her work of the past 30 years, which has ranged across drawing and sculpture to photography and essays, and whose guiding principle has been anonymity on the part of the artist and minimum intervention in the work's execution. She has spoken many times of her "desire to be present and be a part of a place without changing it". Detachment, humility and surrender, that is the ambition. She's there, and then she isn't there, like the weather. American art historian Kirk Varnedoe, in Pictures of Nothing, the series of Mellon lectures on abstract art since Jackson Pollock that he delivered shortly before his death in 2003, made the sometimes overlooked point that not all abstraction has been about "its noisy, declarative protagonists"; that, in fact, almost "a quarter of contemporary abstraction ... is about whispers, innuendo, confidences exchanged intimately rather than publicly declared". "We don't want our personality in the art," Ellsworth Kelly once said. "We all had to get over Picasso, because his was 'great personality' art. We were trying to get away from the 'I', as in 'Look how well I do it.'" There is a noticeable strand of solitariness in recent American art, of city-born artists leaving the cities in pursuit of what might be thought of as anti-experience - attempts to quiet the mind. Kelly's great friend and contemporary Agnes Martin (an artist whom Horn acknowledges she has always had "the deepest respect for, both the work itself and the lifestyle she chose") fled the Manhattan of the 1950s for the flat, open spaces of New Mexico. There, for the next 40 years, she devoted herself to making paintings which, as she put it, "have neither object nor space nor time nor anything - no forms". The numinous quality of Martin's paintings - the way light seems to be stored up inside them - has inevitably evoked a spiritual experience. Such responses have been encouraged by Martin's writings, which extol the virtues of the solitary life. "I suggest to artists that you take every opportunity of being alone, that you give up having pets and unnecessary companions," she once wrote. "I suggest that people who like to be alone, who walk alone, will be serious workers in the art field." In the late 1970s, shortly after completing her masters in fine art at Yale, Horn took off for Iceland on her own. She had travelled there for the first time in 1975, hitchhiking and walking. Now she had a motorbike and a tent, and, for the whole of the wettest summer on record at that point, she immersed herself in all the nothingness and nowhereness Iceland had to offer, a solo traveller across the ice-and-ash desert interior of the island: "Big enough to get lost on; small enough to find myself." "There was a point early on in my visits when I was so taken with this landscape I wanted to experience everything here," Horn has said. "Every road, river, mountain and rock. When I was 22, I fantasised about retiring and doing a complete inventory of all the rocks. But short of that, I just went out." Often she found herself heading for the hot springs. They became a kind of shelter. "I found myself pool-hopping to these exquisite faraway places and spending a lot of time in the middle of nowhere, outside, in hot water. In the thick of it, so to speak, alone but protected." In retrospect, she says she reminds herself in those days of Burt Lancaster in the film of John Cheever's best-known story, "The Swimmer", about a middle-aged man on his own, swimming home, pool-to-pool, through the backyards of suburban America. "He was in a swimsuit throughout the whole film, and you felt his sensitivity to everything and his vulnerability." In 1982, Horn lived alone in a lighthouse in southern Iceland for two months. Her ambition, she says, was "to see if I could just let the sea lie before me. I was haunted by this desire - of seeing a landscape as it is when I am not there. I know this sounds absurd, and the effort was full of absurdity, but for me it was a completely new experience, a true adventure. Just being there. Not wanting to change there. This remains an elusive desire. In some sense, too simple to achieve. I come to Iceland to discover this possibility still." Starting in 1990, Horn began publishing a series of books of photographs, drawings and writings made in Iceland. They include Lava, Folds (pictures of earthworks, sheep folds), and Pooling Waters, a sequence of photographs of hot pots and swimming pools, all of them part of an ongoing work called To Place. The books struck James Lingwood, co-director of Art-angel, the London-based organisation responsible for Rachel Whiteread's House, Jeremy Deller's film The Battle of Orgreave and many other recent pioneering and otherwise unfundable art projects, as having "something of the quality of a secular devotional". Lingwood eventually met Horn in 1998 when she was in London working on a series of large-scale, roiling, uncharacteristically ominous photographs of the surface of the river Thames. There was brief talk about a project in England. But in time the talk turned from England to Iceland, and the possibility of Horn making a public project in her "open-air studio of unlimited scale and newness" there. Horn was born in 1955. There are now monuments to the achievement of artists just a generation older all over the United States. Following the model of the Rothko Chapel in Houston, the minimalist shrines range from James Turrell's Quaker meeting house in Houston, to Donald Judd's museumification of the entire town of Marfa, Texas, to Walter de Maria's mile-wide Lightning Field in Quemada, New Mexico. These are projects on a grand scale. Roni Horn's Library of Water in Stykkisholmur (population 1,100) on the north-west coast of Iceland, on the other hand, is modest, unassertive and intended to serve the community rather than coerce it into an appreciation (or even a viewing) of the work of one of the more recondite practitioners of conceptual art. In addition to the two installations of Horn's work - a rubber floor scattered with childishly rendered words in Icelandic and English, and the glacial water housed in its top-lit, floor-to-ceiling columns - the space will be used by the local community for activities ranging from yoga classes and AA meetings to gatherings of the local (women-only) chess association and reading groups. Library of Water was the Stykkisholmur lending library until two or three years ago. It stands on a bluff with a commanding view over the corrugated aluminium-clad buildings of the town and the boats in the harbour in one direction, and deep enveloping views of sea and sky in all the others. Horn first spotted it when she was driving through Stykkisholmur in the early 90s. "It wasn't just the look of the building with its gas-station/deco styling, or the fact that it reminded me of a lighthouse," she writes in the introduction to Weather Reports You, an "active archive" collecting Icelanders' stories of their weather, published to coincide with the opening of Library of Water. "What really caught my eye was the location at the highpoint of town." Freshly rendered and painted with the windows cut to the floor, Library of Water pokes up into the weather. It sets its face at everything the weather can throw at you, which in Iceland invariably means extremes of light and wind and cold; visibility often varies from minute to minute. You Are the Weather is the title of the dense, latex floor installation, which is randomly embedded with words such as "stormy", "temperate", "sunny" and "chilly", a kind of meteorological map of the mind. "The weather is constant in its indifference to us and unpredictable in every other way," Horn told students of the Iceland Academy of the Arts at their graduating ceremony last summer. "It keeps circumstance complex and beyond our final control. I think it is essential to have something that tells us who we are. And weather has a way of doing this. I have always taken the weather personally." Horn is passionate about wet weather in particular, and in fact about water in every state, from ice to condensation. She has a compulsive attraction to water. She luxuriates in it, rhapsodises about it, photographs it, collects it. At a celebration to mark the completion of Library of Water in Stykkisholmur two weeks ago, she was coaxed by Lingwood into performing a sort of Allen Ginsberg-like incantation on the theme of water, taken mainly from the Thames piece she had done in London but circumnavigating the grimmer themes ("The river is full of dead bodies and all kinds of darkness"), which she felt were inappropriate to the occasion and the location. "When you see your reflection in water, do you recognise the water in you? ... The deserts of our future will be deserts of water." It was 7pm and still light. The night wouldn't start to set in until around 11. The lava-heated and glacier-cooled water, stilled in its columns, did funny things with people's faces. It folded in the horizon and bottled the sky. Urine-coloured, sedimented, clear and cloudy, it made Miró-like shapes, a rich effect that complicated the room like swirly carpet. "Water is transparence derived from the presence of everything ... How does water remain so unfamiliar?" Like all of those present, some of whom had arrived by private plane from America and elsewhere, Horn was in stockinged feet, her shoes deposited in a cloakroom just inside the library door. After a few minutes of reading, she requested a glass of water. She kept her gaze locked on what Auden, her fellow Icelandophile, once described as "the most magical light of anywhere on earth", until the water was brought. The following morning, despite everybody's best efforts, the floor at Vatnasafn was soiled and sticky and imprinted with feet. Though there had been no drink at the opening, it looked like the aftermath of a teenage party. For years, Horn had kept the art world at bay from her island, carefully guarding what James Lingwood calls "the delicate ecology" of her relationship to the place. Vatnasafn on the morning after offered evidence of what Horn had told the art students in Reykjavik in the summer of 2006: that Iceland is no longer an island, economically, chemically, climatically, or even psychologically speaking. Lingwood spent much of the journey back to Reykjavik arranging to have a cleaner go to the Library of Water with bucket and mop. · For more information on Roni Horn's Library of Water, email [email protected] (Books)

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Collections and Anthologi... It Takes Balls: Dating Single Moms and Other Confessions from an Unprepared Single Dad By: Josh Wolf (author)Hardback In this book of raunchy, laugh-out-loud funny, and suprisingly poignant essays, comedian Josh Wolf gives a no-holds-barred acount of his life so far. In his inimitable voice, he recounts his years struggling to make it in Hollywood, his ups and downs with women, his experience being a (sometimes single) father to three children -- and the hard-won lessons he's learned along the way. Josh Wolf started doing comedy in Seattle 12 years ago. After he moved to Los Angeles, his unique, honest, and high energy style of storytelling made him an instant favorite at The Impov, The Laugh Factory, and The World Famous Comedy Store. He was cast in Last Comic Standing and was on the season finale as one of the Last Comics Downloaded. Since then he has had acting roles on "All of Us," a recurring role on "My Name is Earl," and he has done several hosting gigs for E! entertainment. He's currently a regular on the hit E! series "Chelsea Lately" and "After Lately" and tours with Larry The Cable Guy and Chelsea Handler. Josh also hosts "The College Experiment," a comedic weekly online college football show for Fox Sports. Collections and Anthologies Category: Collections and Anthologies» imprint: Grand Central Publishing»

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_ About E Contact D Digitized Maria Astrova papers Printable (PDF) version Contact the division Toggle Mini Map View as Network Astrova, Maria *T-Mss 1988-009 1 portfolio Maria Astrova papers, Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library Billy Rose Theatre Division Access to materials Collection is open to the public. Library policy on photography and photocopying will apply. Advance notice may be required. Maria Astrova, also known as Marie or Masha Solomonik, was an actress who studied with Stanislavki, toured Europe, then came to New York in 1940, where she and her husband Alexandre Solomonik were central figures in the Theatre of Russian Drama, a troupe which performed in Russian. During her time with the Moscow Art Theatre in the 1920s, Maria Astrova toured Europe as a member of the Prague Troupe. She left in 1930 to settle in Paris, and married Alexandre Solomonik there the following year. She continued acting with a troupe in Paris until she and her husband moved to Brussels. As the war approached, the couple moved to London, then emigrated to the United States in 1940. During the 1940s Maria Astrova and her husband staged Russian drama in New York, Astrova as an actress and Alexander Solomonik as producer and chief financial backer of the Theatre of Russian Drama. The Maria Astrova papers consist primarily of newspaper clippings from Russian language newspapers of the 1940s and 1950s, mostly Russky Golos as well as the Novoye Russkoye Slovo, in which the productions and activities of the Theatre of Russian Drama are described. In addition to the newspaper clippings, there are two programs from performances of works by Gogol, MARRIAGE (1944) and THE INSPECTOR GENERAL (1949), featuring Maria Astrova. Aside from one 1970 clipping, all other news material dates from between 1941 and 1952. There is one brief letter in Russian, dated 1952, from Vladimir Zelitsky, director of the Theatre of Russian Drama. There is a booklet dated 1946 with text in Russian and a number of pictures of dancers. There is also a watercolor of three costume designs, with two swatches of fabric attached. Source of acquisitionpapers: Gift, Friar, Natasha, 07/29/1988 Astrova, MariaSolomonik, AlexandreZelitsky, VladimirTheatre of Russian Drama (New York, N.Y.) Theater -- New York (State) -- New York LocationBilly Rose Theatre DivisionNew York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center40 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023-7498Third Floor Access to materialsCollection is open to the public. Library policy on photography and photocopying will apply. Advance notice may be required. Clear Filter (ESC Key) — Built by NYPL Labs

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The Library Edition of The Promise illustrates the tension between Aang and Zuko. The Promise is a graphic novel trilogy that continues the Avatar: The Last Airbender storyline. Written by Gene Yang with Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, the trilogy was released by Dark Horse Comics in collaboration with Nickelodeon in three separate installments throughout 2012. Mainly set one year after the conclusion of the original series, The Promise trilogy details the adventures of Avatar Aang and his friends soon after the Hundred Year War and provides a link to the sequel The Legend of Korra. The Promise trilogy includes: The Promise Part 1 Library Edition A compilation of the three novels, Avatar: The Last Airbender—The Promise Library Edition HC, was released on February 20, 2013. This re-release version of the trilogy features page-by-page sidebar commentary by Gene Yang and the Gurihiru team. Notable trivia from The Promise Library Edition that pertains in particular to the production of each respective novel can be found at: Library Edition reveals (Part 1) Trivia The plot developments of The Promise graphic novel series foreshadow many of the developments in the Avatar World, revealed at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con, which takes place before the time of The Legend of Korra. Via her founding of a school for metalbenders in The Promise, Toph becomes a wandering metalbending teacher and the founder of the Metalbending Police Force of Republic City; because of Earth King Kuei and Fire Lord Zuko's struggle to settle the issue of the Fire Nation colonies in the Earth Kingdom after the Hundred Year War's end, Republic City is eventually built; there are even hints at the tension which will eventually lead to the Equalist revolution against the bending population of the Avatar World in The Legend of Korra. The entirety of The Promise graphic novel series, excluding the beginning of the first novel (which takes place right after the series finale of Avatar: The Last Airbender), takes place one year after the defeat of Phoenix King Ozai, and in the span of one week. The cover of The Promise Library Edition was drawn by Gurihiru with the intent of "[expressing] the bond between Aang and Roku and the antagonism between Zuko and Ozai."[1] References ↑ DiMartino, Michael Dante; Konietzko, Bryan; Yang, Gene (writer), Sasaki of Gurihiru (penciling, inking), Kawano of Gurihiru (colorist), Heisler, Michael; Comicraft (letterer). The Promise Library Edition (February 20, 2013), Dark Horse Comics. See also Avatar Wiki has17 imagesrelated to The Promise. List of Avatar: The Last Airbender comics Discussions about The Promise What if 41 messages DarkNet1 SifuCheetah wrote:This is my main problem with Maiko. I think they just need to have a long discussion to work things out, and find a way... 2016-08-09T14:55:57Z Mai has always had to be the quiet girl because of her father's political career, so she can't be emotional. 2016-08-14T03:16:46Z What I hate about "The Promise" and other comics... 13 messages TheGreatMystery Personally, I like reading the comics; I like having those few blanks between ATLA and TLOK being filled step by step, and honestly, I like t... 2016-04-20T21:38:45Z The problem with trying to opine on the comics, I find, is that you can't necessarily disentangle the good parts from the bad parts. For instan... 2016-04-21T00:54:43Z Retrieved from "http://avatar.wikia.com/wiki/The_Promise?oldid=2681339"

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I'm not an "expert" on collecting children's books -- just someone with a hobby. This is a place for discussing older children's books, as well as sharing info and opinions on new books that might become collectable in the years ahead. Brunch for the Last Day of July July is nearly over. I just hope my job isn't.This past week the university where I work began lay offs. Two hundred positions were eliminated, including eighty that are currently filled.Word began trickling in on Thursday afternoon: two employees let go from the Law Library. One from the Medical Library. A department head from my building. At the end of the day, we received an e-mail from the university president stating, "Most of those affected have not been notified."Whew!Then we came in the next day and both my supervisors were laid-off and "escorted out of the building."Now we hear that more layoffs are coming on Monday.I was laid-off from a previous job about twenty years ago. It was the biggest nightmare of my life. I can only imagine how much worse it could be to lose one's job in this economy and at my current advanced age. It feels like my whole perspective on the world has changed in less than a week. A few nights ago I began hearing a tree frog broadcasting his distinctive two-beat croak from the umbrella tree across from my bedroom window. At first it sounded like he was sending me a cheery greeting: "Hey Pete, hey Pete, hey Pete, hey Pete." For the last couple nights it's sounded like he's saying, "Dead meat, dead meat, dead meat, dead meat."Bookstores closing, library workers being laid off.... I imagine gangs of unemployed book lovers running through the streets, smashing e-readers, dumpster diving for discarded books and magazines, and holding impromptu readathons around bonfires.A friend of mine says it feels as if we're entering a second dark ages.Maybe she's right.... VERSOSWhen I first started my job as a cataloger (please let me keep my job, please let me keep my job!), one of the first things I learned was that all the other catalogers referred to the copyright page of a book as the "title page verso." It's library lingo. In the past few days I've noticed these fun oddities on the versos of recent young adult and children's books:The publisher of Sue Corbett's THE LAST NEWSPAPER BOY IN AMERICA doesn't want to get sued if readers are directed to anything questionable through websites mentioned in the book: The publisher of THE SPACE BETWEEN TREES by Katie Williams "confirms to CPSIA 2008." What is that? The Consumer Product Safety Act of 2008.The novel ORCHARDS by Holly Thompson, as well as many other books published by the Random House group includes this thought-provoking quote:In the midst of the typeset warnings on the verso of CARTER FINALLY GETS IT by Brent Crawford, we get a special "no copying" notice: And I was sort of stunned by all the copyright and tradmark acknowedgements on the verso of BASS ACKWARDS AND BACK TO FRONT by Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain.I totally understand having to acknowledge the use of works by Amy Vanderbilt and D.H. Lawrence, but since when do we have to acknowledge a novel's use of trademarked products such as Chapstick, Tinactin, and Neosporin? Have you ever seen a product trademark acknowledged in a book?What is the strangest think you've ever seen on a copyright page...I mean verso?STUNG!I was just reading the book THE HIVE DETECTIVES : CHRONICLE OF A HONEYBEE CATASTROPHE by Loree Burns. On the backflap of the dustjacket, Dr. Burns says she was stung five times while writing this book -- once by accident, and for times while posing for this picture by photographer Emily Harasimowicz: This got me wondering how many other children's authors have been stung, bitten, or attacked while working on books. A British author named Ernie Gordon, who had written a children's book about a squirrel called THE ADVENTURES OF RUSTY RED COAT took in an injured squirrel whose bites caused the author to require a tetanus shot and antibiotics.Mary Casanova was bitten by fire ants while doing research in Belize -- and later had her protagaonist experience a similar painful event in her children's books JESSE.Many authors rely on secondhand accounts in writing their books. The central event in Betsy Byars' THE TV KID is a rattlesnake bite. The author recalls, "I had a friend who was bitten by a rattlesnake, and I knew how many shots she'd had and what colors her leg turned, etc, and when a writer gets stuff like that, she's going to use it. I was waiting for just the right character and situation, and when Lennie crawled under that house, I said, 'Sorry, Lennie, it's going to be you.'" In writing her "Horrible Harry" books, author Suzy Kline relied on a book called PAIN INDEX by professional sadist Justin O. Schmidt, stating that Schmidt "was a scientist who did fieldwork on insect bites. He went out and got bitten by all kinds of insects! Then he charted their sting—how much it hurt and for how long. I loved it! Harry and his classmates would be fascinated with this new information! I could have Professor Guo, who was leading Harry's class on a field trip to a local pond, share some of it. But only Norma Fox Mazer turned the tables on the insects. When researching the prehistoric novel SATURDAY THE TWELFTH OF OCTOBER, the late author ate live insects so she could learn about her protagonist's diet!RUTH WHITE TWOFERFor the past few decades, Ruth White has established a reputation for chronicling southern life in a series of well-regarded novels for young people. Although the Newbery Honor BELLE PRATER’S BOY is her best-known work, I’m partial to WAY DOWN DEEP, a feel-good novel with hints of magical realism. This is a banner year for Ruth White fans, as the author is publishing two novels in 2011.The just-published YOU’LL LIKE IT HERE (EVERYBODY DOES) is definitely an oddity in the author’s body of work. It starts in typical White fashion, with narrator Meggie Blue describing life in the small North Carolina town where she lives with her mother, brother, and grandfather. The setting may be pastoral --Meggie likes picking strawberries, discussing Taylor Swift with her best friend, and sleeping on the porch on hot summer nights -- but something strange is going on in town. There are rumors of UFOs and aliens. When a mob of neighbors shows up at their house in the middle of the night, the Blue family boards their “Carriage,” a space vehicle, and takes flight for a random planet. Turns out -- to the reader’s surprise -- that Meggie and her family are aliens “from the distant world of Chroma” who have secretly been living here on Earth. The Blues end up landing in a town called Fashion City on avplanet which appears to be an alternate Earth. In this highly-regimented society run by “the Fathers,” adults work factory jobs, kids are schooled via television, and everyone takes tranquilizing pills and abides by curfews. With all the harsh dystopian novels currently published for young adults, Ms. White fills a need with this tamer book for somewhat younger readers, but she doesn’t always seem in complete control of the genre. Though the Blues’ new home resembles Earth, people from various eras -- including Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Chief Seattle, and even Elvis -- all seem to exist in the same time period. And what are we to make of the alien hunter who tracks down Meggie on both Earth and in Fashion City? His presence isn’t really explained, so he seems more like a plot device than a fully-understood presence in the story. Though not fully successful, YOU’LL LIKE IT HERE contains action, excitement, and thoughtful commentary on utopian societies for middle grade readers, but it doesn’t hold up to the best of the genre, such as Lois Lowry’s THE GIVER. Some readers may wish the Blues never left Earth for Fashion City, but had instead stayed home and showed us what life was like for extraterrestrials hiding in a small southern town in the US of A. Ruth White returns to her more traditional narrative style in A MONTH OF SUNDAYS, due out in October. While her mother goes to seek work in Florida, fourteen-year-old Garnet is left with her father’s relatives in Virginia. Not only has Garnet never met her aunt, uncle, and cousins -- she has never met her father, who left town before she was born. Over the next several weeks, Garnet samples of variety of southern churches with her aunt Jane, falls for a boy preacher, and ultimately meets the father she has never known. Set in the mid-1950s, the book is strong in setting, character, and dialogue. Some aspects of the plot -- such as Aunt Jane’s miracle healing from terminal cancer -- seem rushed and facile, but an uncompromising ending gives the novel an unexpected depth, while its religious themes -- so often unexplored in children’s fiction -- add interest. RUTH WHITE'S UNKNOWN BOOKAlthough most of her work is known and widely-read, few readers know about Ruth White's very first book, THE CITY ROSE. She wrote the book as a young teacher: "The schools had just been integrated in North Carolina the year before I started teaching, and I had two black girls in one of my classes. When we would go to the library, I noticed that they didn't check any books out. I was trying to help them find books, and they finally told me that they couldn't find any books about black children -- about themselves -- so I decided that was something we would have to fix. I decided to write one. So that's how The City Rose was born. Of course, it was several years after that that it was finally published, and those children had grown up and gone away by that time. I was really lucky with it. I had a copy of Writer's Market. I don't remember where I got it; I just looked through it for addresses of publishers who published children's stories, and I decided to send it to McGraw Hill. I had heard of them --probably because they published textbooks -- and they bought it."The book was released in hardcover in 1977: and was later available in paperback:But it was eleven years before the author wrote her next novel. By then THE CITY ROSE was long of print and it's unlikely that even those who stumble across it in a library or used bookstore today realize that the "Ruth White Miller" who wrote THE CITY ROSE is now the critically-acclaimed and commercially-successful author Ruth White.THE MYSTERY OF THE GIRL IN THE PHOTOI haven't yet read it, but I'm excited by the new YA novel THE GIRL IS MURDER by Kathryn Miller Haines. This 1940s mystery concerns a teenage girl who gets involved in one of the cases her private investigator father is handling. I hope it has the same kind of fun and style as Sandra Scoppettone's 1940s mysteries (THIS DAME FOR HIRE; TOO DARNED HOT) which were published for adults, but also appealing to teenage readers.Here is the cover of THE GIRL IS MURDER:And here is a mystery!Is she the same girl featured on the cover of Judy Blundell's National Book Award winning novel WHAT I SAW AND HOW I LIED, also set in the forties?And is she also featured on Ms. Blundell's latest, NO STRINGS?I think it's the same girl, but perhaps I'm confused by similar appearances and similar photographic styles. Is the same model on all three books? Is she the go-to gal for noirish YA novels?NEVER TOO OLDTwo weeks ago I wrote about the new YA novel ON THE VOLCANO and my surprise at the author's birthdate in the cataloging-in-publication inforamtion on the copyri-- I mean, verso:According to the CIP, James Nelson was born in 1921, meaning he is turning ninety this year, and I wondered if this set a new record for a first-time young adult novelist. A few days later, Helen Schinske wrote to say, "It's possible the Library of Congress made a mistake -- James Nelson is of course a common name, and they may accidentally have used an old authority record. I think that's a lot more likely than an 89-year-old getting a book deal without it being big news."I thought about this and decided Helen was probably right. As mentioned above, I am a book cataloger in a library (please let me keep my job, please let me keep my job!) and work with CIP data every day. Although generally correct, I know that it's not unusual for the Library of Congress to make mistakes, especially involving a new author with a common name. However, I decided to do a bit more research and finally came across this internet interview with the EIGHTY-NINE-YEAR-OLD AUTHOR!Who would have guessed it!Though I have to agree with Ms. Schinske: it's surprising that the story of an 89-year-old getting a book deal (for a teenage novel, no less!) did not become bigger news.SAD NEWSSad to note the passing of Georgess McHargue, author of many wonderful children's books in the 1970s. Though she eventually left the field for other work, her award-nominated books remain a vivid testament to her talent. Some savvy publisher should snap up the rights to her classic STONEFLIGHT, making it available to a new generation of kids.IS IT 2012 YET?I've mentioned my work as a cataloger (please let me keep my...yeah, yeah, you've already heard it!) One of the traditions in our cataloging department has always been seeing who would discover the first book with NEXT YEAR'S date on the verso. It often happens as early as midsummer. You don't get a prize for finding such a book, but you do get to show it around the office and then have bragging rights for the whole year ("Remember when I found that book dated 2003 way back on June 15, 2002?" "Oh big deal, I was the first one to find a 1996 book all the way back on April 19, 1995." It obviously take much to entertain us.)I mention this because I have just seen my first 2012 book.This time it's not a hardcover book ready to be put on a library shelf, but an advance reading copy. This makes sense, as such volumes are printed way in advance of the actual publication date. The book is WHY WE BROKE UP:I think it will be a talked-about title because it's written by Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket) and illustrated by Maira Kalman. The artwork will in color too, which is unusual for a young adult novel.This ARC came shrinkwrapped in plastic and contains a number of postcards featuring Ms. Kalman's illustrations: What a collectable package!My friend also sent me some bookmarks:and some promotional pieces advertising forthcoming children's books:I'm so grateful to my friend for sharing these things.And grateful that I can share them with you here in this blog.And I'll be most grateful of all if I can hold onto my job!Thanks for visiting Collecting Children's Books. Hope you'll be back! Peter,I'm keeping my fingers crossed and thinking good thoughts. Brer Sad to hear about Georgess McHargue. Her "The Impossible People" was one of the first books I ever personally owned, as opposed to books belonging to the family. But I'm glad you tell us about it when these authors pass away; I don't know anywhere else I'd find this news.My prayers and hopes are for you in this trying time. I really really really hope you keep your job. Of interest: the same boy was used in cover art for Anita Silvey's 500 GREAT BOOKS FOR TEENS and Peter Cameron's SOMEDAY THIS PAIN...There's also a third book he's on, but I'm blocking on the title. Stock photos, stock photos. I really really really hope you keep your job. leda schubert Lisa Jenn Bigelow Thanks for another fascinating post, Peter. I hope you keep your job! Sending you good vibes. Daughter Number Three I hope you keep your job too!Thanks for the info on Ruth White's first book. It sounds like a fit with books from the same era like The Soul Brothers and Sister Lou, The Almost Year, and A Hero Ain't Nothing But a Sandwich. Wish I'd known about The City Rose when I was still a young adult YA reader, but never late than never! Peter, I'm sorry you and your colleagues are having to go through this agonizing experience. I hope you, and as many of your colleagues as possible, keep your jobs. You'll be in my thoughts. Laura Canon "Professional sadist?"Good luck and hope for the best. Thank you to everyone for your very kind thoughts about my job. It appears that, as of today, all the pink slips have been handed out...so my job is safe...at least for now. In the next couple days I'm going to write a blog about all the others who lost their positions. Thank you again!Peter Leda,I'm fascinated to learn about the same boy being on the cover of those volumes. I actually did some research work for Anita Silvey when she was writing 500 GREAT BOOKS... and my name is in the acknowledgements. And Peter Cameron's book is one of my favorite recent YA novels. So I'm very familiar with both books...yet never, ever noticed it was the same boy on both covers! Peter Daughter Number Three,I'm always so happy when someone mentions THE ALMOST YEAR. It's one of my all-time favorites and I wish someone would give it a chance in paperback. I think kids today would like it just as much as I did back in the 1970s!Peter Am sorry for your co-workers, but glad you were spared, Peter! Don't know if your workplace goes on seniority (ours does).re: YA noir covers -- girl #1 & 3 look like they might be the same, but #2 is definitely a different girl; the nose is more Roman, eye shape is different. They are all sharing the same lipstick, though. hschinske Thanks for tracking down that interview -- wow, that is cool. I hope the book is actually good. Will keep an eye out for it.Helen Schinske Jenny Schwartzberg The complex and intertwined history of the Albert Whitman Company, Whitman Publishing Company, Western Publishing Company, and Golden Press doesn't really have an authoritative account save for Leonard Marcus's books. You seem to be confusing books published by the Albert Whitman Company with those published by the Whitman Publishing company. As this blog explains, they are separate companies which happened to be founded by the same person: http://albertwhitman.wordpress.com/2010/12/20/a-tale-of-two-whitmans/ By the way, I really enjoyed your blog as always! I've been involved with children's books most of my life, from my earliest days working in the grade school library to my current job cataloging children's books for a university. I've published young adult fiction, as well as thousands of book reviews, and have contributed articles and essays to a number of magazines and reference volumes dealing with the topic of children's books. To see the books in my collection, please visit librarything.com/catalog/Psierut and click on "author" to get an alphabetical-by-author view. I can be reached at [email protected] Sunday Brunch : Looking Back at Library Cards, Loo... Sunday Brunch for July 10 Sunday Brunch Featuring Chipmunks, Mice, and Cucko... Courtesy of LibraryThing...

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X-Men Origins: Beast #1 Tweet Writer: Mike Carey Artist: J.K. Woodward Publisher: Marvel Comics Release Date: September 4, 2008 Cover Price: $3.99 Critic Reviews: 2 6.0Critic Rating Comics Bulletin - David Wallace Some readers might be disappointed by the fact that the more recognisable blue version of the Beast is almost entirely absent here: aside from a couple of images of the modern-day Beast that can be seen in a visual montage, the book deals exclusively with the pink-skinned, human-looking incarnation of the character. That said, Woodward does capture some facial expressions that evoke the modern-day Beast, and at least the cover accurately reflects that it's the original Lee/Kirby version of the character that is going to form the basis of this story, not the evolved version that is around today. This is hardly an essential comic, even for X-fans, but Carey's enjoyable script and Woodward's art combine to execute the series' concept very well, adding just enough to Beast's origin to make the issue worth picking up - even for those who are familiar with the story already. Read Full Review Comic Book Resources - Doug Zawisza Overall, this book is largely enjoyable, but to me, it also felt largely forgettable. I am not certain this was the best vehicle and/or time for such a project, but Marvel has their reasons for releasing this when they did. For fans of the Beast, this book is a great read. For fans of the X-Men in general, there might be better ways to invest the $3.99 this week. Read Full Review

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May you live in interesting times by alex Sun Jun 09 2002 at 7:07:24 This phrase is widely known as a Chinese expression, and is said to be a curse. Some sources describe it as an Egyptian or, as someone in this node stated, Scottish expression. The consensus is that it's Chinese. Several sources declare it to be but part of a longer expression, "may you live in interesting times and come to the attention of important people." Regardless to whom it's attributed, it's a mildly popular phrase used by the press, in literature, and in industry reports whose compilers' style guide tells them to commence with ancient wisdom and platitudes. Terry Pratchett's Interesting Times is probably the cause of the current and ongoing revival of its use. All fine and well. Until you ask a Chinese scholar, that is. Or any native Chinese-speaker. Torrey Whitman, president of the China Institute in New York and said to be a bit of an authority on Chinese proverbs, was asked about it, and here's what he is quoted as saying in response: "...what is most noteworthy about the expression is that it is not Chinese. There is no such expression, "May you live in interesting times," in Chinese. It is a non-Chinese creation, most probably American, that has been around for at least 30 or 40 years. It appears in book prefaces, newspapers (frequently in the New York Times) and speeches, as an eye- or ear-catcher, although I have not found it in Bartlett's Quotations or other quotation sourcebooks. I speculate that whoever it was who first coined it attempted to give the expression a mystique, and so decided to attribute it to the Chinese." The first time I encountered this phrase was in Frank Herbert's The Godmakers, where I'd say it's used as a warning rather than a curse. This book was published in 1973 and probably contributed to the spread of the expression, something which would hardly be unusual for a prolific meme-generator like Herbert. I also find it to be quite consistent with this author's penchant for inventing and using obscure, ambiguous and profound-sounding sayings. Mr. Whitman may not be far off the mark. As it turns out, this, too, is a nice theory but not true, except for the part about Whitman being on the mark. A habitual phrase-hunter by the name of Stephen Delong turned the quest for the phrase's origin into a life goal and came up with a lead for a story called U-Turn written by Eric Frank Russell (under the pseudonym of Duncan H. Munro) for the April 1950 issue of Astounding Science Fiction. In this story the phrase is described as an old Chinese curse turned modern-day blessing. Whether Herbert knew of it or not is debatable but likely given that quite often the audience of sci-fi writers was other sci-fi writers. It's highly likely that he added to whatever popularity the phrase had acquired before the 1970s. What does remain true about the above theory is the science fiction connection. Herbert of course, who seems to prefer very un-Chinese, Middle Eastern cultural references, must have added to the confusion by incorporating it into his work even if it was in use earlier. There is also a recorded speech from 1966 in which Robert F. Kennedy uses the phrase. The trail runs cold while trying to trace it back to Carl Jung in 1931, and I'll consider this false unless I get my hands on the German original of the text cited and see otherwise. The English translation does not contain the saying. Wikipedia's current wisdom on the topic states that an early occurrence of the phrase is found in the memoirs of Hughe Knatchbull-Hugessen, His Majesty's ambassador to China in the late 1930s. Indeed, this does appear to be the case bright and early on page ix. These memoirs were published in 1949. (Sir) Austen Chamberlain, Nobel peace laureate and elder half-brother of the appeaser-in-chief, is cited as having used the phrase in his correspondence, apparently attributing it to a British diplomat "many years ago." That was in 1936. I'd have to see that one. Since Chamberlain was quoted posthumously, he was not around to correct that particular author's memory. Phrased like that, Knatchbull-Hugessen can not have been his source since he was ambassador in 1936/7 and also attributes it to someone else. Perhaps Knatchbull-Hugessen and Chamberlain had the same source. I'll grant that Russell may not have been the originator but would suspect that he came across the saying independently and without the aid of the British diplomatic corps. The phrase is one that sticks in the reader's mind and could easily have been adopted by numerous smart alecks who proceeded to employ it in casual conversation. When used by people unfamiliar with its origin, it's easy to attribute a saying to some ancient school of wisdom, in which case Confucius, anonymous Celts, and long-dead pharaonic scribes serve the purpose admirably. I'll add my own, more substantiated, speculation to everyone else's and put forward the idea that it is, beyond reasonable doubt, contemporary, and all other theories are science fiction... or rather, the saying itself could well be science fiction and the colourful ethnography surrounding its origins is a myth. http://lalaland.cl.msu.edu/~vanhoose/quotes/0010.html http://www.chinasprout.com/html/column15.html http://hawk.fab2.albany.edu/sidebar/sidebar.htm http://www.rfksa.org/speeches/speech.php?id=1 Special thanks to alfimp 12 C!s by jessicaj Thu May 09 2013 at 19:19:50 The other night I was talking to a friend of mine about interesting people. I no longer remember how the conversation started, but it brought to mind another discussion I had had with a gentleman who coincidentally shares a name with the man I had been speaking with last night. On that spring evening of new beginnings we were talking about attractive women, people in general, and a woman we both knew in particular. I knew my friend was fond of her. I didn't blame him for she possessed a lot of what men like; youth, exceptional beauty, and intelligence. She was a friend of mine, and I was confused by his comparison of me, to her. It's of interest to me that in this day of instant communication we still find ways to wriggle out of relationships whose bonds have become restrictive. Last night I had to be careful when I was talking to my friend. He's told me that he admires me, if circumstances were different, maybe I could go out with him, but I don't have that freedom. During our interesting people dialogue I told him that I knew many fascinating people. Later, when I was alone again, I thought about how many interesting people I know, and how their lives have touched mine. In the dark, I contemplated gifts, the act of gift giving, and decided that receiving gifts graciously is an art. I had questioned my long lost friend after he gave me and another woman similar gifts. His response was peculiar, and although he's lied to me about various things in the past, few things resonate like true statements. He could have given more to her than to me, and maybe others think that he should have. I did at the time. Now my opinion has changed. His present had no monetary value, words are a deeper wisdom than anything a man could buy for me in a gift shop, that was his real gift to me. Last night's friend asked me about that gift I had received. I had to think about it for a while before I could answer him. Recently I read an article about being an interesting person. I have my own ideas about what makes people interesting. People who find me interesting are often interesting to me. Funny how that works, isn't it? I no longer have what I was given years ago, part of it I spent on him as a way to thank him for his generosity. This is ancient history now, he's acquired new interests, and I'm happy for him although I still treasure the memories I have of our conversations mainly because he was insightful which I still find interesting. It's taken me a ridiculously long time to recognize a truth I wasn't ready for when it was delivered. I didn't believe his comment that I was interesting when I first heard it. Because I was insecure, I thought he was just being nice, because he's a nice guy. Today I can no longer deny the truth of what he said. I love meeting interesting people. I collect them, and I remember them fondly even after we've each gone our separate ways. My final gift to you, and the two men with the same name, is the wish that you will live in the most interesting of times along with the most interesting of people. Cheers. The Chewbacca Defense Bread is the staff of the proletariat. Toast is a decadent capitalist luxury. The best time of day to node for maximum XP "iz" in the middle of a word Tips for geeks trying to pick up girls The World's Dullest Person Sometimes, my paranoia overtakes me and I find myself asking, "IS ONE OF THE E2 EDITORS OUT TO GET ME!?" Ernest Bramah Curses! Foiled again! World peace is a beautiful dream that will never be achieved by the human race Programming as art Time Is An Illusion The Godmakers Measuring time by setting fire to various things in the dark humming hours of the night Ancient Illuminated Seers of Bavaria

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By Neil Rajala Great Reads and More Pie Thursday, April 10 — My wonderful daughter was in town last weekend to celebrate her birthday. We had our usual great time getting caught up on current favorite reads and swapping piles of books. Yep, she's one of us. Here's what we're reading: THE INTERN'S HANDBOOKShane KuhnIt didn't surprise me at all to learn that Mr. Kuhn is deeply involved in the film industry. His debut novel reads like the kind of suspenseful action thriller that makes you forget to eat your popcorn when you're in the theater. John Lago works for HR, Inc., a company that provides interns for high-profile corporations. The twist is that HR, Inc. provides staff when someone wants one of these high-powered clients eliminated, and the "interns" are all trained assassins who work their way into the organization until they're close enough for a clean, untraceable kill. Lago is the best at what he does, and at twenty-five is ready to take his last assignment and retire in wealth and peace. The novel is the account of his last case, as well as his how-to instructions to new interns at HR. Of course, the last hit doesn't go smoothly, of course bullets, fists and sharp weapons fly freely and, of course, you'll stay up too late getting to the final credits. kobo eBook BOURBON: A HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN SPIRITDane HuckelbridgeMr. Huckelbridge deftly pulls off a neat (pun intended) concept with his fascinating history of the most American of spirits. Taking the reader on a lively and highly entertaining overview of 300 years of our history, he weaves the story of bourbon into the major plot lines we all know so well. From the first application of European distillation techniques to the new world's corn crop, to the Kentucky wilderness where bourbon gained its identity, through the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, the Industrial Age, Prohibition, and ending with today's technology explosion; bourbon's story is truly our story. It has affected, and been affected by, historical events every step of the way. kobo eBookTHE INNOCENTS ABROADMark Twain It's easy to forget that this book was not only Mr. Twain's first full-length publication, but it was by far his most popular book in his lifetime. It was published in 1869 by the American Publishing Company, who employed door-to-door salesmen able to sell great numbers of the massive hardcover. Our first best selling travel book, the work began as a series of articles commissioned by a local newspaper. The author was sent on a pleasure cruise aboard the steamship Quaker City to the Mediterranean, visiting cities in southern Europe, North Africa and the Holy Land. By all accounts, it was a huge and difficult undertaking to turn his dispatches from abroad into a coherent travelogue, requiring the help of other authors. At times skewering his arrogant and uninformed fellow passengers, at other times playing that role himself, the book is an unflinching look at the cultural clash between the tradition-rich old world and the brash, uncultured new one. There are many laugh out loud moments - Twain's biting humor was at that moment propelling him to his first national fame - but there are also many of the racial slights and bigotry that were a part of the American dialogue back then. So I'm offering my recommendation with a caution: this is an important book in our literary history, at times hilariously entertaining, but it's also a graphic representation of attitudes we have largely left behind. Remember last week's TEENY'S TOUR OF PIE? I dipped into it again for my daughter's birthday this past weekend. Turns out the Pear and Goat Cheese Tart is every bit as delicious as the Grapefruit and Pomegranate Pie I mentioned before. That is one dangerous book. Until next week, Neil NeilNeil Rajala is Currently Director of Community & Business Services for Schuler Books, Neil's decade with the company has included the wearing of many different hats - and lots and lots of reading.

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A talent for humanity By William J. Dean / LIKE the student in one of his short stories, Chekhov had a ``talent for humanity.'' This talent extended beyond his literary endeavors into his daily life. Prison reform was one of his deep interests. To his youngest brother who was studying for a civil-service examination on criminal law and prison management, he said: ``All our attention is centered on the criminal up to the moment when sentence is pronounced, but as soon as he is sent to prison, we forget about him entirely. But what happens in prison? I can imagine!''In the spring of 1890, at the age of 30, he set forth on a 6,500-mile journey from Moscow eastward across Russia, beyond Siberia, to the prison colony on Sakhalin Island in the Pacific Ocean. Over a three-month period he conducted interviews with several thousand convicts in connection with a census he undertook of the island population. His census included the 2,122 children on the island. They had either accompanied their parents to the penal colony or had been born there. The publication of his notes under the title, ``The Island: A Journey to Sakhalin,'' created a considerable stir. Government officials were sent there to investigate the terrible conditions. Donations, mainly for the welfare of the children, came in. Chekhov led a campaign to collect several thousand volumes for use in the schools on the island. He began a correspondence with convicts that continued over the years. The following winter, crop failures threatened the lives of millions of peasants in central and southeastern Russia. Chekhov supported a literary symposium, ``Aid to the Starving,'' to which he contributed a chapter from his future book on Sakhalin Island. He raised funds among his Moscow acquaintances to establish a fund for the famine sufferers. He asked that free dinners for schoolchildren be organized and promised to provide the necessary funds. He expressed his high regard for Tolstoy's extraordinary efforts to organize several hundred food kitchens: ``Tolstoy -- ah, that Tolstoy! In these days he is not a man but a superman, a Jupiter.'' He visited villages in the provinces of Nizhny Novgorod and Voronezh to encourage the hungry peasants not to destroy their horses, so that the animals would be available for the next year's plowing. On one such visit, Chekhov lost his way in a blizzard and nearly froze to death.Education was a life-long concern of his. Living at Melikhovo in the province of Moscow from 1892 to 1898, he provided funds for the building of new schools in the villages of Talezh and Novosyolky as well as in Melikhovo. For the latter effort, he assigned most of the income from his plays. In his book ``A New Life of Anton Chekhov,'' Ronald Hingley writes that, as ``architect, financer, and works supervisor, he visited the sites almost daily; ordered materials, hired carpenters, roofers, caulkers, glaziers, and the like.'' At the opening ceremony of the Talezh school, the grateful villagers presented him with the traditional bread and salt. Chekhov offered the hospitality of his home to the impoverished teachers of the district and gave them books and magazines.How appropriate that among the provisions in his handwritten will he wrote this simple instruction: ``Help the poor.'' And that in his short story ``Gooseber-ries,'' the storyteller implores his host: ``Don't quiet down, don't let yourself be lulled to sleep! As long as you are young, strong, alert, do not cease to do good!''Advising a young author, Chekhov told him that a writer ``must be humane to the tips of his fingers.'' In his daily life and in his art he was faithful to this precept. 3 new novels featuring risk-taking protagonists 'Winter Sleep' is a magnificent film that recalls Chekhov and Eugene O'Neill A Sense of Direction

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Elizabeth Berg visits Morenci 6.24.09 Written by David Green. Posted in Feature Stories By DAVID GREEN There were plenty of familiar faces in the crowd when author Elizabeth Berg visited Stair Public Library Saturday afternoon. But the appeal of the nationally-known novelist went far beyond Morenci. Every city in Lenawee County was represented, plus a few from Fulton County to the south. Albion to the west, Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and Saline to the north. Sylvania, Lambertville, Erie and Toledo to the east. Even as far away Auburn Hills, Royal Oak and Pinckney. Nearly 150 people came to hear Berg read from a book and answer questions, and many of them stood in line afterward to have her autograph a book. Berg read from her latest book, “Home Safe,” about a girl who grows up to become a prolific writer, while putting up with her meddling mother. “Now I had to do a lot of research to find out how mothers behave in that way,” Berg joked. Of course she never acted that way with her own daughters, she said. Berg described “Home Safe” as her most autobiographical book. It started off as a difficult story to produce because for the first time she was really having trouble writing. “It was driving me crazy,” she said. “It was like I had lost my best friend.” Eventually the story broke through and like all of her stories, she said, it contains a dose of pathos along with humor. Berg was asked when she first started writing and she traces that back to a poem she submitted to “American Girl” magazine. “It was rejected and it should have been rejected.” And she became dejected because at the time she thought it was a wonderful poem. She didn’t write again for 25 years, long after she was involved in a career in nursing. She sees the medical profession as great preparation for writing—an excellent way to get to know and understand people. An audience member asked Berg how she organizes her thoughts in the writing process. Once she gets the germ of an idea, the book tends to write itself, she said. She typically writes the first 20 or 30 pages, reads it over and notices that it appears somewhat “wobbly” at first. Before long, however, the story starts to flow and she feels like a secretary writing it all down. She thinks her first book, “Durable Goods,” is still her best and it took the least amount of time to write—just a few months. She urged writers in the audience to “honor the intent” of their story and take as much time as necessary to finish and finally let it go. But overwriting, she cautioned, can take the life out of a story. She once wrote an entire book and in the end, didn’t like it. She put it aside but eventually returned to it and reworked it. The story was “Open House,” the novel that became an Oprah Book Club selection. How did the Oprah choice change her life? She went from living in a small condo to buying a big house. It validates your work in a way, she said, but it’s a mistake to think that every subsequent book will sell. Many readers won’t remember your name, Berg said. It’s only the Oprah selection that drives readers to the store. Berg admitted, sadly, that she doesn’t write for herself anymore. No journals, few letters—everything is directed to her fiction. An audience member wondered if writers retire or if they simply run out of ideas. Berg believes the ideas always keep flowing. “You’re a writer because you have a different way of looking at the world,” she said. Writers continue to be observers. Once a writer, always a writer, she said. What did Katie Nash grow up to be? someone asked. Nash was the focus of Berg’s first book and made a later appearance in “Joy School” and then again in “True to Form.” Berg thought she directed readers to the girl’s future in “True to Form,” but it wasn’t clear to that audience member. “That second book came after someone asked for another book to follow up on Katie,” Berg said. “Well, maybe I’ll have to write another book.…”

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The Sidney Harman Writer-In-Residence Program CAROL MUSKE-DUKES Harman Writer-In-Residence, Spring 2006 photo by Robbie Kriences Carol Muske-Dukes is the author of seven books of poems (the most recent, Sparrow, published by Random House, was a finalist for the National Book Award in 2003), three novels, and two collections of essays. Her poems, novels, and essays have received numerous awards, including the Castagnola Award from the Poetry Society of America, six Pushcart Prizes, the Witter Bynner Fellowship from the Library of Congress, the Dylan Thomas Prize, the Yale Review Smart Foundation Prize and others. Many of her books have been named Notable Books by The New York Times. She has been awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship and has been a finalist for the Los Angeles Book Prize. Her most recent collection of essays, Married to the Icepick Killer: A Poet in Hollywood, was named a San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of the Year in 2002. She has been published extensively, anthologized widely, and reviewed in numerous publications including The New Yorker and Slate. She is a professor of English and creative writing at the University of Southern California and the founding director of the USC PhD Program in Creative Writing and Literature. Muske-Dukes contributes to the New York Times Book Review and writes a regular poetry column for The Los Angeles Times called Poet’s Corner. Two of her novels have been optioned for feature films. Her new novel, just completed for Random House, is called Channeling Mark Twain. She lives in New York City. (December 2005). "This is your passport I hold in my hand: A hemisphere, half red ink, half blue -- As yet untorched by terror, but polluted perhaps by the gaze of the future. For example, the shadow of the parachute of my desire, this rip-cord rip of your photo- blink, your eyes translated into these flashing sad idioms. Take this blank page for the remainder, the last boring national tattoos. Wave me through these invisible brackets of lightning. Stars shatter on the epaulets of all the uniforms, the hats and coats of countries that no longer exist. I wear your insignia, therefore I wear death's insignia. Which means that nothing can hurt me. And with these wings and flames, I pledge allegiance to nothing: I can go anywhere." — From “Passport: A Manifesto” in Sparrow Biographical Update Carol Muske-Dukes most recent collection, Channeling Mark Twain, appeared in 2007. She was appointed poet laureate of California in 2008. (June 2009). More on Carol Muske-Dukes in the news and in publication... Return to Sidney Harman Writer-in-Residence home page. About Sidney Harman Student Prizes Harman Writing Fellow Program Current Writers-in-Residence Monique Truong Marilyn Nelson Past Writers-in-Residence Edward Albee Agha Shahid Ali Hilton Als Yehuda Amichai Susan Choi Francisco Goldman Philip Gourevitch Eduardo Halfon Major Jackson Gish Jen Jane Kramer Adrian Nicole LeBlanc Colum McCann Sigrid Nunez Brenda Shaughnessy Laurie Sheck Katherine Vaz John Edgar Wideman

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DAS PANTSCHATANTRAClick- Here Teil -1 ABOUT PANCHATANTRA The Panchatantra may have been written down as early as the second century BC. It was written by Pandit Vishnu Sharma in Sanskrit. It has been translated until today into 57 languages of the world. The Panchatantra was also the first Indian book to roll out of the Gutenburg Press, way back in 1481, into a German translation (Das Der Buch Beyspiele.) Incidently Gutenburg Press was the first in the world to invent the art of printing/ books. PANCHATANTRA PANCHATANTRA in German was translated by Chandiramani, Professor Dr. S.B.Hudlikar (Heidelberg Germany). And Dr. A.Karl (Austria) Published by Eugen Diederichs Muenchen Germany Printed 5OOO copies. All sold. Please refer to my website www.chandiramani.com for complete information. You can also read the English, German and Indonesian versions of Panchatantra. According to the German translator Johannes Hertel of Das Panchatantra (1914), there are 200 versions of Panchatantra in fifty non Indian languages. Panchatantra started its journey before 570 AD with an initial version of Pehlavi (Persian) during the reign of Emperor Khosro Anushirvan (550-578 AD) of Iran. A Syriac version entitled "Kalilag Wa Dimnag," became available, followed by an Arabic version rendered by Abdallah Ibn al-Maqaffa with the same title in 570 AD. Like Arab numerals that were borrowed from Hindus, the Arabic version of Panchatantra became the parent of all European versions, known generally as the fables of Bidpai. Panchatantra was translated into Greek, Latin, Spanish, French, Armenian, English, Slavic languages, Hebrew, Malay etc., between eleventh century and eighteenth century As stated above, Panchatantra has been trans;ated into well over 50 languages of the world. Thomas North translated Panchatantra into Elizabethan English (The Fables of Bidpai) Thomas Irving translated it into English from the Arabic Kalila Wa Dimnah and it was published by Juan de la Cuesta, Newark, Delaware in 1980. Syriac Language : literature: Panchatantra* A noteworthy feature of the Sanskrit collections of fables and fairy tales is the insertion of a number of different stories within the frame of a book. Kidcentric - Did you know where our folktales come from? Panchatantra tales are available in Persian, Turkish, Hebrew, Latin, Greek (Aesop?s Tales), Spanish, French, English, Italian, German and Danish. Have you ever wondered about the origins of the popular folktales we all love? From where did this reservoir of Indian stories travel to the world? Here we tell you a story of all these stories. It feels very nice to know that Indian tales have been handed down to us by the oral tradition. These stories were compiled under various titles and passed on to the future generations. All ancient civilizations had their folktales, but it was only in India that story telling developed into an art. It was here that Persians learnt this art and passed it on to the Arabs. From the Middle East, they found their way to Constantinople and Venice. Finally, they appeared in England and France. Even as they changed hands and assumed different local colours, they did not lose the Indian touch. So we have seen how the Indian stories won their way into the literature of other nations.

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Explore Freedom » What’s More American Than an American Flag Made in China? FFF Articles What’s More American Than an American Flag Made in China? by Lois Kaneshiki In case you haven’t heard, many states are passing laws that make it illegal to sell American flags that were not made in the United States. I can hear the sound of labor unions cheering the deed as I write this. However, if America wishes to remain the great nation she is, she should celebrate American flags made in China and, for that matter, anything else foreigners make available to Americans at dirt-cheap prices. I have a vivid memory of attending the local circus a few years ago with my kids. A vendor was selling small American flags for $1. An older man yelled at the vendor, “Why aren’t these flags made in America?!” Printed on the flags was the familiar, all-American phrase “Made in China.” While American companies are busy increasing the technological capacity of the world through computers, iPhones, communications systems, and robotics, the Chinese are making flags, cheap toys, and other inexpensive goods that Americans purchase. The savings Americans realize from these purchases, estimated at more than $1,000 per year just from shopping at Wal-Mart, allow families to afford more luxuries than they otherwise could if every single product they bought had to be made in the United States. According to Richard Florida of George Mason University, in the next decade 10 million hi-tech jobs will be created in America in what he calls the “creative economy,” which includes the film industry. But Mr. “Made in America” wants his brethren stuck in factories making cheap American flags that will be sold at circuses. There is no way you would be able to buy an American flag for $1 if it were made in the United States. High worker wages, labor laws, unions, and burdensome regulations on business all add costs to doing business that are not a factor in Chinese-made products. So tell me, Mr. Made-in-America, do you want to pay $5 for that American flag at the circus or $1? Do you want to pay $500 for that television made with Chinese parts or that was put together in China, or do you want to pay $750 for the same one put together by American workers? Do you want Americans making little flags to sell at circ

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July 31st, 2014 / 2:02 pm Andreas Isenschmid Artists, Eccentrics, Solitaries, and Saints: On László Krasznahorkai’s Seiobo There Below Translated from the German by Michael Hulse Excerpts from Seiobo There Below translated by Ottilie Mulzet This article on László Krasznahorkai’s Seiobo There Below, a novel just released from New Directions Publishing, originally appeared in German in Die Zeit on September 2, 2010, and its translation was commissioned and published by Music & Literature Magazine on the occasion of their second issue, devoted entirely to the creative cosmos of Mr. Krasznahorkai. This special issue is available for purchase through their website. You can also read an interview with M&L editor-in-chief Taylor Davis-Van Atta here. Follow the editors of Music & Literature on Twitter at @musiclitmag and @CWTParis. These stories are about the sacred. Their high artistic character is not in question for a single moment: the flow of the sentences, frequently continuing over pages and broken up only by commas, is captivating; the stories’ forceful progression toward the moment when the sacred appears is masterly; the connection of the separate sections by a half-concealed group of motifs and their arrangement into a Fibonacci sequence are irresistible. As if this achievement were not enough, after two or three stories an unnameable, haunting quality, beyond all the beauty of mere appearance, emerges from the aesthetic pleasures offered by Krasznahorkai’s unusual prose. We sense how the stories challenge us as readers; we begin to argue and debate with them. Are they right, or are we? “They” are the Russian Orthodox monks under the spell of icons, the Japanese Buddhists under the spell of a Buddha statue, the despairing Westerner unexpectedly under the spell of a Renaissance Christ. With Krasznahorkai, something has returned to art that was taken for granted and considered essential by Dostoevsky, and that has since then become more than a little diluted: the question leading toward the truthfulness of life. Krasznahorkai brings his enlightened, relativist present-day Westerners, alienated to a greater or lesser degree, face-to-face with the absolute demands that the sacred makes of existence. The medium through which the sacred speaks in his work is the sacred art of the past, approached in stories that, by the author’s account, often have an autobiographical basis. Readers who may themselves be indifferent to religion will not find themselves repelled by this book, with its breathtaking diagnosis of the times. For Krasznahorkai is no preacher: the dimension in which he works is one of questing, inquiring, doubting. Any overweening earnestness is undercut with the irony that accompanies his often eccentric seekers on their path. And he evades the greatest danger of all, inflated pathos, with the most surprising of his stratagems: while he writes of art purely as an expression of the sacred, he does so in the unemotional key of a scholarly expert discoursing on the technical aspects of art history. Hence the Russian icons are, on the one hand, windows through which there shines a world beyond this one, and through which we may gain visions of the hereafter, yet, on the other hand, the religious narrative is directly confronted with a strikingly well-informed art-historical essay on the traditions and techniques of icon painting. The luminous inner view and the profane external perspective of the holy are assigned a particularly convincing opposition in the story “He Rises at Dawn.” It describes the work of mask-carver Ito Ryosuke over a period of almost two months completing a Hannya mask for the Noh play Aoi no Ue. We witness every one of the minute steps in this procedure, in great detail and with atmospheric intensity, from the transfer of the stencil lines onto a piece of hinoki cypress wood until the completion of the masterpiece, which marks “[that] his hands have brought a demon into the world, and that it will do harm.” For his work, the carver withdraws into a wooden box he has made, to have perfect silence and seclusion. And yet it is not altogether certain who exactly is performing the work. For the carver does not think or plan anything; “within him there is no desire for the exquisite”; “his head is as empty as if he had been stunned by something, only his hand knows, the chisel knows why this must happen.” Only his hand—and his eyes. Again and again, he holds the mask-in-progress at arm’s length, comparing it with the stencil and with two photographs inside his work box: “this is the model, the ideal to be sought, this is what he must, in his own way, be equal to.” A time comes when his hand and eyes are no longer equal to the task unaided, and he lends support to his eyes with a “system of mirrors,” tilting and revolving mirrors which he installs around the box. This gaze is contrasted with the external, intellectualized perspective of Western visitors, who pester the carver with “dreadfully tactless questions.” The Westerners want to know “what is the Noh, and what is the meaning of the hannya-mask, and how can there be ‘something sacred’ from a simple hinoki tree.” To the carver, their interrogation is a confusing tangle of questions, to which he can only stammer the briefest of replies: “…he does not occupy himself with such questions as what is the Noh, and what makes a mask ‘spell-binding,’ he merely occupies himself with doing the very best he can within the limits of his abilities, and with the aid of prayers recited secretly in shrines, he only knows movements, methods of work, chiseling, carving, polishing, that is to say, the method, the entire practical order of operations of tradition, but not the so-called ‘big questions.’” In this way, the story reflects a certain polarity of East and West, at once steeped in the ethnographic nature of a craft and at the same time religious. The hand and its unconscious actions appear in opposition to the head and its questions about meaning; we find here the contrast of intellectual reflection and the external reflection from the system of mirrors. Indeed, most of these stories revolve around fundamental issues in philosophy. One of Krasznahorkai’s protagonists, at loose ends, attempts by a superhuman effort of the will to see the Acropolis on a hot summer’s day. But he sees nothing at all, blinded by the glaring sunlight and his own sweat, and at the end of the story he decides to return to a group of Athenian friends who have renounced all strivings of willpower and individual endeavor and simply do nothing all day. The key philosophical motifs in these stories are of being overwhelmed, beaten down. Of one character’s response to an angel in an icon we read: “almost immediately at the sight he collapsed.” Of Baroque music: “it subdues one, breaks one’s heart to bits, knocks one to the ground.” A visitor to the Alhambra is “is so stunned by the beauty, by this beauty that is so, but so unbelievably beautiful that he thinks he is struck by vertigo,” where “a truth never before manifested reveals itself.” And a museum attendant who has been devoting his entire attention for decades to the Venus de Milo is “mesmerized,” “feet rooted to the ground.” Krasznahorkai does not shy away from superlatives when he aims to convey the presence of the “celestial realm.” But, despite the philosophical appurtenances and the essayistic appearance, these stories are not sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought. For the concepts and superlatives are no more than buoys bobbing on the mighty current of Krasznahorkai’s prose. This musical river of language is the true event of this book, and is overpowering in itself. The current lifts up the reader, drags him down, catches him in whirlpools, is caught still, races across rapids, and with all of these qualities generates an experience that bars us from any distanced reading of the stories but forces us to live at the most intense pitch. It is impossible not to identify with these lonely, despairing, tired-of-life or just plain eccentric characters led by Krasznahorkai toward their moment of truth. We are drawn so close to them that it continually astonishes us when we realize that the stories are told not in the first but in the third person. Of course, what we see here is yet one more balancing act by the great storyteller, László Krasznahorkai: just as he can be essayistic without slipping into didacticism, and emotional without turning bathetic, so too he remains wary of assigning the central position to his solitary and despairing characters, reserving that place to the current that tears everything with it—in one moment narrative, in the next meditative and interpretative—to the current of his prose. Andreas Isenschmid has been editorial director at Schweizer Rundfunk, head of Literaturchef der Weltwoche, literary editor at the Tage-Anzeiger, among other distinctions. He now writes for the Hamburg ZEIT and is a critic on the program Kulturzeit. Author Spotlight / 1 Comment October 3rd, 2013 / 11:00 am 25 More Pints: Revisiting The World's End How Many Movies Are There? Justin Marks: Why Should I Read YOUR Book ???? A "Conversation" with Rauan Klassnik (1)-- (Huh??) RUExperienced?

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JAHC bringing in consultant Posted: Wednesday, January 12, 2011 By JONATHAN�GRASS The Juneau Arts & Humanities Council is bringing in a nationally recognized expert to lend a hand with the council’s business plans, as well as to address local business factions. Craig Dreeszen, a national consultant on public policy and creative economic development, will aid the JAHC board in setting its strategic plan for the next several years. The board is hopeful his expertise will go a long way in shaping a plan to use the arts more economically in Juneau. “It’s at a juncture where it needs to set back and look at what it’s doing,” JAHC Executive Director Nancy DeCherney said of the board. She said the artistic community in Juneau has thrived to the point where it should be considered in more economic decisions, and she hopes Dreeszen can help with that. She said that Juneau is immersed in various creative works that can represent a good opportunity for companies that are recruiting for the area. She said Native art, local poetry, ballet, Juneau Lyric Opera, Juneau Symphony, Perseverance Theatre and other creative endeavors are unique to this area and are referred to when organizations are bringing in professionals to what Juneau has to offer. She said JAHC wants to build on and show “what we can do with these things” to provide even more commerce in the City and Borough of Juneau. “As the city’s arts agency, we want to see what we can do to capitalize on this creativity, she said, adding, “I’m called on for what cultural opportunities for families of professionals coming in are here. There are amazing amenities here and we’re asking ‘How do we maximize that?’” She said there’s a strong interest in creativity as an economic force and, unlike other services, this is one that is central to its area of origin and cannot be outsourced. She said the quality and quantity of the arts here represent a vast potential for cultural tourism. DeCherney said many people don’t think of the arts as an area of business, but it is and therefore needs to be managed as one, with proper care to budgets and planning. “I consider it a renewable resource, and it is something we can take advantage of in this community,” she said. She said the business plan is five years old and needs to be updated, although it’s reviewed every year. Dreeszen brings an impressive resume that DeCherney is confident will benefit the local arts council in becoming more of a business. He is a recognized expert on the role of arts and culture in communities and has authored books on the business of the arts. He directs the Arts Extension Service at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He also specializes in creative economies, or ways to embrace the arts to attract more people. DeCherney said he “literally wrote the book” she has relied on in her position, which is titled “Fundamentals of Arts Management.” While he’s in town, Dreeszen will also be a featured speaker over the weekend for local businesses, the Downtown Business Association, Chamber of Commerce, Rotary clubs and assembly members. “Because he was already coming to work with the board, we thought it would be a good idea for business leaders to work with him,” DeCherney said. Dreeszen’s work with JAHC is part of a Rasmuson Effective Organization grant, with additional support from the Alaska State Council on the Arts. • Contact reporter Jonathan Grass at 523-2276 or [email protected]. JUNEAU BOROUGH UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS, AMHERST JUNEAU LYRIC OPERA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JUNEAU LYRIC OPERA UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS JONATHAN GRASS JUNEAU ARTS & HUMANITIES COUNCIL DOWNTOWN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION JUNEAU SYMPHONY MASSACHUSETTS FEATURED SPEAKER 523-2276 RASMUSON EFFECTIVE ORGANIZATION CONTACT REPORTER [email protected] NATIONAL CONSULTANT ALASKA STATE COUNCIL ON THE ARTS ARTS EXTENSION SERVICE CONTACT US

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The Library of CongressThe American Folklife Center Home >> OHIO Ranked among the country's top fifteen art museums, the Toledo Museum of Art pleasantly surprises many visitors, who discover treasures from ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome; paintings by such Old Masters as El Greco, Rubens, Rembrandt, Gainsborough and Turner; decorative arts, African and Asian art; and works by modern masters as Matisse, Picasso, Hopper, and Nevelson. Edward Libbey, a successful businessman, and his wife Florence Scott Libbey founded the Toledo Art Museum in 1901 at a time when Americans were establishing cultural institutions fostering art, music, and literature to celebrate social and economic triumphs of the age. Community groups organized public art museums, which often included schools, some only for drawing and painting, others also for design and applied arts. Many of these have become great institutions, and include the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Art Institute of Chicago. The museum's first exhibitions were staged in rented rooms in a downtown building. The following year, Edward Libbey underwrote the remodeling of a house on Madison Avenue at 13th Street, walking distance to the courthouse, library and high school, to be used for the museum. George Stevens, a poet, amateur astronomer, painter, storyteller, journalist, and reputed by his contemporaries to be "the best beloved man in Toledo," shared Libbey's belief that an art museum could be made as useful to a community as its public library and public schools. In 1903 Stevens became the new museum's director. His wife, Nina Spalding Stevens, who had been educated at the School of Applied Design for Woman, and the Art Students League in New York, was named museum assistant The Stevenses threw themselves into building community support for the museum, encouraging newspapers to write articles about the museum and its art, speaking to civic groups, and developing programs with schools. Their goal and accomplishment was to create an understanding with the community that the art museum was vital to Toledo's health and welfare. "The first thing I want to do is remove from the minds of people the idea that The Toledo Museum of Art is an ultra-exclusive association or an expensive luxury....It is something to give that all the people want and we want them all with us," Stevens said. The collection began with sporadic gifts, and was initially influenced by the interests of its director and benefactor. Steven's wide ranging interests focused on the history of writing, printing, illustration, and binding, thus, the art of the book because a distinctive feature of Toledo's graphic-arts collection. Libbey, who owned the Libbey Glass Company, was determined to build a comprehensive glass collection that would show the development of the art from antiquity to the present. One benefactor, Arthur J. Secor, who was also vice president of the museum's board, is said to have told Stevens, "I watch the procession of people, men, women, and children passing by my house on Sunday, a never-ending file up the street to the museum, and I turn around and look at my collection of paintings and feel selfish." Secor donated his entire collection, which reached from 17th century Holland to 1890s America, with particular strength in 19th century. Libbey, who died in 1925, left his collection to the museum and generous endowment. Under museum directors, Blake-More Godwin (1927-1958), and Otto Wittman (1959-1977) continued the efforts to build a collection that would be known for the quality of its carefully selected works of art. By the time Wittman retired, the museum had tripled in size. Roger Mandle, director from 1977 to 1988, was responsible, working with curators, for a series of outstanding acquisitions in virtually every field in which the museum collect, with an emphasis on seeking major twentieth century works. David Steadman became director in Since its early years, the museum has actively showcased music, encouraged by Florence Libbey's own musical interests. In 1931, a peristyle auditorium was constructed in which musical programs, including concerts by the Toledo Symphony, have been presented. In 1995 a new association was forged between the museum and the symphony. The museum has always had a strong interest in art education. Since 1919, a part of the museum has been devoted to an art school, eventually working closely with the University of Toledo. The university's Center for the Visual Arts was built adjacent to the museum. Over the past 20 years, major components of the museum's collections have been published in scholarly catalogs. Project documentation several museum brochures and guides, nine slides, and the catalog, Toledo Treasures, which provides a short history of the museum. Originally submitted by: Marcy Kaptur, Representative (9th District). More Local Legacies... Additional Ohio Local Legacies Local Legacies for all U.S. States The Local Legacies project provides a "snapshot" of American Culture as it was expressed in spring of 2000. Consequently, it is not being updated with new or revised information with the exception of "Related Website" links. Home >> OHIO The Library of Congress The American Folklife Center

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HomeBe My GuestDear ReaderPearlismsPolicy August 1, 2011 · 8:15 am Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton In as few words as possible, the best way to describe Jo Walton’s Tooth and Claw (Orb Books, 2009) is to say that although it owes a great deal of its sensibility to the tropes of the Victorian novel, the main characters are all dragons. This is not in any sense a mash-up (do not, for example, think Abraham Lincoln and vampires), rather it’s a melding of two cultures—humanity and dragonity. (And as far as I can tell, the main difference between the two cultures is that dragons ritually eat their dead in order to share their wisdom, strength, and power.) As Walton herself put it, the novel is “the result of wondering what a world would be like if the axioms of the sentimental Victorian novel were inescapable laws of biology.” As a lover of both Anthony Trollope’s multitudinous works and fantasy novels, it was a natural choice for me to pick up. Walton begins with the bare outlines of the plot of Trollope’s Framley Parsonage: a father dies and the family begins a fight over his bequests. One son, a parson, hears his father’s last confession and learns a fact that he is not to divulge to the rest of the family; another son decides to contest the original will. Meanwhile, the two unmarried daughters become pawns of the male-dominated society. How will it all work out? Will the good get their just rewards and the evil be punished accordingly? Walton’s captivating tale is not to be missed. Tagged as fantasies July 19, 2011 · 5:43 pm The Coffins of Little Hope by Timothy Schaffert Schaffert’s fourth novel, The Coffins of Little Hope (Unbridled Books, 2011) is another triumph of storytelling, featuring quirky characters, humor, compassion, and insight into human strengths and foibles. The story revolves around its narrator, 83-year-old Essie Myles, who is the obituary writer for the County Paragraph, her grandson Doc’s small town Nebraska newspaper. In one of the many intersecting plotlines that make up the book, the paper has been contracted to print the last book in a fabulously successful series of teen novels called The Coffins of Little Hope (think A Series of Unfortunate Events and hope that Schaffert someday writes the series of children’s books he describes so appealingly). In another, a local woman claims that her teenage daughter Lenore (whom no one has ever seen) was kidnapped by her boyfriend Elvis, a ne’er-do-well photographer. And there’s more: Essie learns that her granddaughter, Ivy, long out of touch with the family, is planning to return home—news that is especially upsetting to Doc, who raised Tess, his niece, when her mother ran off to Paris when Tess was just a child. Things get very complicated when the national media learn about the (possible) kidnapping and descend on the small town, and pages of the top secret conclusion to the aforementioned series of novels start showing up. What anchors these multiple strands of plot and makes them work so well together is Essie herself—wry, self-aware, and with a secret or two of her own. This enchanting novel is perfect for readers looking for realism with a heart by an author who cares about his characters and wants you to, too. Here’s how it begins: I still use a manual typewriter (a 1953 Underwood portable, in a robin’s egg blue) because the soft pip-pip-pip of the typing of keys on a computer keyboard doesn’t quite fit with my sense of what writing sounds like. I need the hard metal clack, and I need those keys to sometimes catch so I can reach in and untangle them, turning my fingertips inky. Without slapping the return or turning the cylinder to release the paper with a sharp whip, without all that minor havoc, I feel I’ve paid no respect to the dead. What good is an obituary if it can be written so peaceably, so undisturbingly, in the dark of night? I don’t want to quote the last line, because it’s blow-your-mind perfection. July 7, 2011 · 1:43 pm Evening is the Whole Day by Preeta Samarasan Preeta Samarasan’s brilliantly executed first novel, Evening Is the Whole Day (Mariner, 2009), takes place in Malaysia. Samarasan focuses her writerly lens on the lives of the Rajasekharans: politically inclined Raju, the paterfamilias, whose grandfather came to Malaysia from India in 1899 and initiated the family’s inexorable rise to the upper classes; his wife, Visanthi, who cannot abide remembering her lower class upbringing; his elder daughter, Uma, who is excitedly looking forward to leaving Ipoh, Malaysia, for college at Columbia University; his son, Suresh; and six-year-old Aasha, who is desperately sad at the recent death of her grandmother and her beloved older sister’s imminent departure. As Uma’s departure approaches, different chapters explore both the family’s past—in vivid, fascinating, and often troubling detail—and the equally vivid, fascinating, and frequently troubling events that shaped Malaysian independence. Like Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children (which this novel made me want to reread), this is a book that begs to be read aloud. Here’s one sentence that gives a good sense of Samarasan’s style: “A wry sun was setting with a vengeance on the British Empire.” Don’t you love the adjective “wry”? It’s such an interesting way of describing the end of Britain’s colonial reign. June 30, 2011 · 8:01 pm The White Woman on the Green Bicycle by Monique Roffey Right after they marry in England in 1956, Sabine and George Harwood move to post-independence Trinidad for a job that George has been offered. Fifty years later they’re still there. Now both in their middle 70s, George is, as he’s always been, happy with his life and loving his adopted country, while Sabine has never been able to adjust to the oppressive heat and the culture of the island. Monique Roffey’s The White Woman on the Green Bicycle (Penguin, 2011), which was a finalist for the Orange Prize, switches back and forth between time periods and narrators (so that both husband and wife get their say). In 2006, when George finds a cache of Sabine’s old (and unsent) letters to Eric Williams, Trinidad’s charismatic prime minister, it sets off a series of events that will shake the foundations of their marriage. But the true main character in this novel is Trinidad itself: its people, its customs, and its contradictions. Roffey’s explorations of longtime marriages, race, and the lingering effects of colonialism are insightful and often painful to read. June 23, 2011 · 10:58 pm The Watery Part of the World by Michael Parker Oh my, it’s hard to describe how happy it makes me to find a novel like The Watery Part of the World by Michael Parker (Algonquin, 2011) in my piles of books to be read. It doesn’t happen often; and when it does, it’s transporting. Once I read the first paragraph or two, I found it all but impossible to put down. Parker’s novel takes flight from the two historical facts it’s grounded in: Theodosia, Aaron Burr’s beloved daughter, who was married to the governor of South Carolina, disappeared in 1813 off the coast of North Carolina while she was traveling by ship to New York to see her father. One hundred and fifty years later, the remaining three residents of a tiny North Carolina barrier island decide to leave their homes and property and move to the mainland. Through the lives of its characters, this elegantly written tale reflects on the nature of race, love, regret, dependence, fear, sorrow, honor, and envy—the eternal challenge of being human. The characters, even the minor ones, are fully formed; the setting is so vividly described that you feel you know it intimately, and Parker’s writing is purely wonderful. Here’s a brief quotation that will give you a sense of the way he makes words work: He said he knew she was sorry. He said in the way people say, “I know you’re sorry,” which makes you understand how pitiful you would be to them were they in the mind to pity you. June 14, 2011 · 7:37 am To Color the Wind Guest Blog by Jean Hays Mishler In the trilogy To Color the Wind: The Wolf Head Amulet, The Golden Stag, and King’s Capture, Barbara Glynn has created a fantastic world. The heroine, Jesipam, endears herself to the reader immediately with her quick wit, cunning, and outside-of-the-box thinking. Only a child, she is thrust into adult responsibilities when she and her sister are cast out of court, thanks to a tempestuous king who is also their father. Alone amid strangers, Jesipam must make new alliances, keep her sister safe and fed, and discover how to use and control her own strange magical powers. Along the way, she tirelessly works to regain the life to which she is entitled. Tirshaw, a rich world of desert, spices, and magic, where communication happens via “thread tubes,” will entice young readers with its unusual people and customs. Three “houses” of differing life values contend for power. Jesipam cleverly weaves her way among the houses, and in the process gives the reader a clear view of this complicated political landscape. This fantasy series gives an entertaining glimpse into a new world, but also serves as metaphor for many current events where politics and value clashes cast large shadows on individuals and their life opportunities. Even though I am an adult, I found Glynn’s writing captivating and could not put the books down. Her skillful suspense kept me turning the page and waiting at the mailbox for the next book delivery. I highly recommend these books, especially to young readers, as the heroine is such a great role model for that age group. Jean Hays Mishler is a writer and singer who primarily makes her living teaching private voice lessons. If you are interested in hearing her music, listen here: www.mosaicthecd.com. Tagged as fantasies, young adult June 6, 2011 · 10:38 am Castle Waiting by Linda Medley Castle Waiting, and its sequel, Castle Waiting 2 (Fantagraphics, 2006 and 2011), were originally available as a series of award-winning individual comic books. I’m hopeful that they’ll gain a much-deserved wider reading audience now that the collection has been brought together and republished in two beautifully produced volumes. Beginning with a Sleeping Beauty-like backstory of her cursed birth, the tale extends outward as the hobgoblin-infested castle where Sleeping Beauty grew up becomes a sanctuary for anyone in need. Each of the motley crew at the heart of these tales has sought out the confines of the castle looking for support, friendship, and comfort. They include Jain, a pregnant aristocrat on the run from an arranged marriage; Beakie, a merchant; a horse-headed knight named Sir Destrier; a group of bearded nuns (who were once part of a circus); as well as various other, equally distinctive characters. In the second collection, we continue to learn more about all the appealing characters before they came to Castle Waiting; we also follow their ongoing interactions with one another. The black and white drawings are precisely drawn, with small endearing touches that render each character entirely unique. The dialogue is clever and filled with subtle grace notes of drollness and humor. The set will be especially appealing to readers of all ages who enjoy seeing and reading traditional fairy tale tropes teased and played with, all with a sense of good-humored fun. Once you’ve read them, I know you’ll join those of us who are eagerly awaiting the appearance of Castle Waiting 3. Tagged as fairy tales, fantasies, graphic novels Nancy Pearl Literati Nancy Pearl's "Book Lust" Nancy Pearl's "Book Lust" on the Seattle Channel Nancy Pearl's Book Reviews on KUOW Public Radio Sasquatch Books Blog NW Indie Bookstores Eagle Harbor Book Co. Fremont Place Books Island Books Magus Books Seattle Queen Anne Books Santoro's Books The Elliott Bay Book Company Twice Sold Tales Become Nancy Pearl's friend on Goodreads.com Create & share an online library of your books at LibraryThing Guide to Online Schools Top 98 Literature Podcasts Nancy Pearl · Seattle librarian and author of the best-seller "Book Lust" shares recent picks. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. The Pilcrow Theme. Nancy Pearl Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. The Pilcrow Theme. Follow Follow “Nancy Pearl”

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Oh, Stuff Posted on Monday, January 14, 2013 So I was telling an innocent passerby that a recent donation had included an electronic device which, when opened, told me the correct time, date, and year. All I wanted, I said, was to see whether it worked, not be informed that it was more current than I was. “Do you get a lot of stuff besides books?” he inquired. “What do you do with it?” I assumed he did not mean records, tapes, magazines, and other such cultural artifacts for which the Book Fair is famous. I also assumed he didn’t want to hear the whole history of our donations, so I simply said, “Well, it all depends.” But you’re just sitting there, armed with a mouse which can click you to a collection of blithe poetry somewhere else. So I can tell you that, through the years, we’ve had a mattress (unused), a mangle, two pianos, eight strings of Christmas tree lights, four gold coins, an iPod, three snowglobes, Belgian license plates, about a dozen necklaces, an eyelash curler, a curling iron (with steam capabilities and five strands of hair still stuck to it), a pair of cut-offs, a hundred neckties, three rolls of fabric, a quilt, a sheet/comforter set, one pistol, one set of brass knuckles, a set of 3-D slides of women in heels and hose, a box of microscope slides, a box of glass insulators, a pasta machine, three different sets of wine glasses, nine pairs of candlesticks, three crocheted hula dancers, a silver tea set, a bottle of cherry brandy, a bottle of J&B, sixteen quarts of white wine, a Snoopy Sno-Cone Maker, two fur coats, a jar of cinnamon, and a squeaky toy in the shape of Michelangelo’s David. And that’s just what I could think of in a five minute period jotting down notes for this blog. I could go on. (I frequently do.) Now, as to “What do you do with it?”–well, it occurs to me, looking back across the list, that there is just one thing that got tossed in the garbage. Go ahead: guess. I’ll tell you later on. A lot of it, you might correctly decide, was sold on eBay. The gold coins, some of the candlesticks: it just made more sense than trying to decide what to charge and which subject to sort them into at the Book Fair. (And how many guards to post over them. No insult intended to my customers, but gold coins are way too portable. You, personally, wouldn’t have taken them outside to see how they looked in sunlight, but I’m not so sure about that person who was behind you in line. The orange jumpsuit kind of made me nervous.) The mangle and the mattress, though, were sold in-house. Better to deal with the matter among Newberry staff than try to mail somebody a mattress. It doesn’t always work that way: we sold both pianos (one baby grand, one player piano) on eBay. Two different people threatened to give us cars to sell, too, and I was planning to unload those via eBay. (They reconsidered, or I might be starring in late-night TV ads by now.) The gun and the brass knuckles can not be legally sold by Book Fair Managers in Illinois, so the police got those. I am also not licensed to sell booze, but a bottle makes a lovely gift. (That white wine, for example, went one bottle at a time to the December staff party until somebody told me they were reaching the vinegar stage.) Some of these WERE sold at the Book Fair, but you might have missed them: the hula dancers and the squeaky toy sold mere minutes after opening (I have seen what you like,pastrami sandwich cookie, and it’s a frightening picture). The wine glasses did sell, albeit more slowly, and one of our long-suffering volunteers actually wore one of the fur coats around the room to interest people in it. (Sometimes these ideas backfire: the one person who was interested saw her wearing it and withdrew the offer.) We did finally sell that fur coat. We sent the other one to an artist who made bears and bunnies out of old fur coats, and put the bear up for sale. We try to think of a use for what comes out way. No, the bear hasn’t quite SOLD yet, but it’s easier to store than the coat. And it will have more chances to sell, especially if it is accompanied by a small denim bunny made out of the cut-offs. Yeah, we threw away the eyelash curler. But that was before eBay. We might…no, don’t send me yours. Books are easier to stack. Of Talking About Books There Is No End Burbling Blurbs SUPERLATIVES IV REALLY Signed Books And Always During Lunch Fields Untrodden Not an Essay Question A Smile and a Song Second in the Series

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Lindisfarne Gospels show up for two awards LAST year’s Lindisfarne Gospels exhibition in the North-East is in the running for two national awards. The long-awaited attraction, which brought around 100,000 visitors to Durham University’s Palace Green Library during three months last summer, is up for two honours at May’s Museums and Heritage Awards for Excellence. It has been shortlisted in the marketing and educational initiative categories. Meanwhile, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council’s libraries and heritage service at Preston Park Museum and Grounds is shortlisted for the customer service award. East Durham Heritage Group is in the running for the restoration or conservation prize for The George Elmy Heritage Project, which has seen the lifeboat which capsized with the loss of nine lives in November 1962 restored and returned to Seaham as the centrepiece of a new tourist attraction. Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums’ Half Memory project is up for the innovations award. The winners will be announced at a ceremony in London on Wednesday, May 14.

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Jacqueline Noparstak Recently praised by the Houston Chronicle for her “vibrantly sung and dramatically persuasive” interpretation, American soprano Jacqueline Noparstak is quickly emerging as one of the most sought-after leading sopranos on American and European stages. Ms. Noparstak made her European debut involved with Opera Bilbao, Spain as the title role in Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah, and will be reprising the role in May of 2013, with Opera Idaho. She recently sang Hilde Vungel, in the premiere of Martin Halpern’s chamber opera, The Scaffolding and will be singing The Woman in Halpern’s two character chamber opera, The Hour Glass, in late May. Other recent Halpern chamber operas this season include Tsuneyo’s Wife, in The Dwarf Trees, Narrator II, in The Well of Immortality. Additional noted engagements have included Micaëla in Carmen at Natchez Opera Festival, First Lady in Die Zauberflöte with Baltimore Opera, Hanna Glawarî in Die lustige Witwe for New York’s Liederkranz Opera, Arminda in La Finta Giardiniera at Little Opera Theatre of New York and Contessa Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro with Saint Petersburg Opera, Opera in the Heights and Union Avenue Opera. She sang Giannetta in L’Elisir d’Amore for both Brooklyn Opera and Pine Mountain Music Festival and the Foreign Woman in Menotti’s The Consul at Glimmerglass Opera where the Wall Street Journal cited hers as one of the “standout performance of the evening.” Other operatic highlights include Pamina in Die Zauberflöte at New York Opera Forum, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte for O.S.H Opera, Louisa in the César Cui opera Feast in Time of a Plague heard at Little Opera Theater of New York. She has sung Antonia in Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Magda in Puccini’s La Rondine, Héro in Berlioz’s Béatrice et Bénédict and the title roles in Floyd’s Susannah and Strauss’s Arabella. For her portrayal as the title role in Massenet’s Manon with Opera in the Heights, the Houston Chronicle stated that she “presents a convincing and sympathetic Manon: vivacious, capricious and dangerously impulsive (sung while she) tosses off Manon's gay coloratura with brightness and dexterity.” An active concert performer, Ms. Noparstak has appeared as a soloist in Händel's Messiah with Rochester Chamber Orchestra, Mozart’s Mass in C for Delaware Valley Chorale and the Latin Lover’s Concert with Steven Blier at Glimmerglass Opera. She has also been heard in Haydn’s Creation, Mozart’s Requiem and Mendelssohn’s Elijah. Jacqueline has performed numerous solo recitals, opera gala concerts and most recently a fundraising benefit for the earthquakes victims in Haiti. The Eugene, Oregon native has been a winner of many prestigious competitions and awards, including the Licia Albanese-Puccini Competition, Liederkranz Opera Competition, and the Violetta Du Pont Competition. First place prizes were also awarded to Ms. Noparstak by the Marcella Sembrich Voice Competition, Rochester Oratorio Society's Classical Idol Competition, Marie E. Crump Vocal Arts Competition, Lois Alba Competition in Houston, and the Marcella Sembrich Competition-Kosciuszko Foundation. She was a finalist in the Gulio Gari Competition, the Gerald Lissner Competition, Opera Index and the Long Leaf Opera Competition. In addition, she was the Grand Prize Winner of the prestigious AIMS 25th Annual Meistersinger Competition in Graz, Austria. The Kleine Zeitung raved of her singing saying she “earned the grand prize with her soft, warm, flexible high notes, beauty in tone and superb phrasing.” Contact Email Jacqueline Jacqueline on Facebook Jacqueline on Soundcloud ©2016 Jacqueline Noparstak. All rights reserved.

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Conscientious Extended Conscientious: Visit Conscientious for regular, daily updates, including photographer profiles. A Conversation with Ute and Werner Mahler By Joerg Colberg Sep 12, 2011 I remember then when I saw portraits from “Mona Lisas of the suburbs” by Ute Mahler and Werner Mahler for the first time, I was blown away. Seemingly very simple photographs, the portraits reveal enormous depth, while at the same time they are incredibly beautiful. To make a long story short, there had been some plans to make a book, so after some discussions Ute and Werner decided to do it with Meier & Müller, the photobook publishing venture I’m part of. The book is now out (in Europe, US copies are in transit), so I asked the photographers some questions about this very special project - their first together, as a married couple, after each being a photographer for almost forty years. (more) Jörg Colberg: After many years of working as photographers separately, the Mona Lisas now are a major photo project as a married couple. How did this come about? You know each other so well - did that make work together easier? Ute Mahler: We have always lived with each other’s images. Werner has mentally participated in each of my works, he has always been the first to see results. And it’s the same the other way around. Therefore, it seems obvious to me that we would do a photo project together. JC: What is the idea behind the Mona Lisas? And how did it develop? UM: Originally I wanted to photograph portraits of women in landscape settings. I’m very interested in timeless faces: faces that do not speak of something that is en vogue, but that are very distint. And that linger in your memory because of that. At Ostkreuz every five years, we do a free project. When we planned “The City - Becoming and Decaying” we had the idea to photograph portraits of women in front of cityscapes. In many parts of the world, suburbs are similar. They are neither tranquil nor architecturally exciting. They are practical, but they hardly reveal character. The more I thought about the idea and the more I talked with Werner about how to do it, the more obvious it became that we should do it together. In the beginning, we weren’t used to creating a concept together and working on it. But once the project was on its way, by working together we developed a sense of security and ease, which made the work a lot of fun despite its difficulties. JC: I’m interested in the “selection” of models - how do we have to think of that? When you are waiting somewhere for models - what are you looking for? Werner Mahler: First, we are looking for the location. When we have made a decision about the background, we wait for a woman whose face interests us. The difficulty is to decide very quickly about contacting them because the women are on their way to work or to school, they are coming from the supermarket, or they brought their children to the kindergarten. We interrupt their daily life with our request to photograph them. And we try to photograph an expression of abandon, despite the noise and commotion around us. It’s hard to explain what kind of face we’re looking for. You simply see it, and when you’re lucky you get it on film. JC: I got to ask more here: What is important about the background? What are you looking for? And how do you get that expression of abandon on your models’ faces, what with all the background noise and commotion? WM: When we started the project, we spent a lot of time in each city to develop a feel for it (in our cases the suburbs). In order to find that which is special we also looked for the architectural general. So we avoided all unusual backgrounds. We did not want anything “exotic”. The same way we photographed the architectural photographs. In a sense, they are portraits of the cities. Maybe I need to expand the notion of “abandon” and say that the women are focused on themselves. They are very aware of the fact that the photo is about them, only about them and nothing else. We talked with them about it. Of course, you don’t always succeed. There are many additional factors: The sitter’s level of confidence, how persuasive we were, the situation around us. The most important factor: Can we develop trust between us? When everything works together, there will be a good photo. JC: Is there a “director” during the shoot? Or do you work very closely together? UM: There are parts of the process that we divided up. But the important decisions - where to shoot, how to do it, which woman to pick - are made together. We pose for each other. In terms of composition, the photo is set up before the real “Mona Lisa” sits down. That works very well. JC: Later, when you edit the work are there differences between you because of the female and male gaze? How do you decide about uncertain cases? WM: When we select contact sheets we have intense discussions. Of course, there is a big difference between our gazes. But that’s what makes the work together thrilling. Once you agree on something the result tends to be convincing. UM: For me, every face has a beauty that might not necessarily conform with today’s criteria of what is beautiful. I’m not interested in superficial beauty. That bores me quickly. Maybe it’s because I spent so much time in the 1980s doing fashion photography. JC: So how does it work dealing with the female and male gaze towards a woman? Do you need to compromise? UM: For Werner and me it was very clear what we were looking for, what we wanted to photograph. But already when selecting models we had different opinions. Of course, I was sometimes surprised to see how different our interpretations could be. It’s likely that we all connect the notion of beauty with different attributes. When photographing we allowed for these differences to exist, and we saw them as enhancing our work. We later had discussions when editing the photographs. Occasionally, they got heated. Sometimes, you have to compromise. But a good photographs always is a good photograph. That’s what it was always about. We both had to be convinced of the result. JC: If I may ask: Will you work on projects together in the future? WM: We have been on the road for a few months already, working on a new project. This time, it’s not portraits. And it’s in colour. We are also more open towards finding things. When you put together two people with forty years of photography experience, the result is sure to be very interesting. Mona Lisas of the Suburbs is now available in Europe, via Meier & Müller. Copies for the US market are currently in transit and expected to be available near the end of September, 2011. More from Joerg Colberg Joerg Colberg is the founder and editor of Conscientious. A Conversation with CPC 2011 Winner Nigel Bennet Sunder Remixed Steve Pyke: Los Muertos Joerg Colberg articles index »

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Your browser does not support iframes. Read a digital copy of the latest edition of The Oldham Era online. Veteran stained glass artist David W. Kent is Gallery 104’s featured artist for September -A A +A Monday, September 12, 2011 at 10:20 am (Updated: September 12, 10:27 am) A reason for tea It is the shimmering light and the colors of glass that continue to intrigue stained glass artist David W. Kent, even after working with the medium for more than 30 years. “I am always searching for that perfect relationship between natural light and the endless colors of glass,” he said. “Even after all these years, I love finding new ways to reveal the beauty and wonder of stained glass.” Kent worked with glass throughout college, mostly as a hobby. But he moved toward making it a career when he left college to serve an apprenticeship with a Louisville studio. He was hooked, although he did return to Hanover College and earned a bachelor of arts degree in English in 1982. Hoping to teach creative writing in college, he kept working with glass part-time during master’s degree work at the University of Louisville in 1984-87, and doctoral work at the University of Cincinnati in 1987-88. Finally realizing that he loved stained glass work more than teaching, he left academia and opened his own studio in 1988. “With every project, my goal is to unite the beauty of light and color in glass with the satisfaction that comes from true craftsmanship,” he said. Trained in traditional European methods, and embracing modern materials and techniques, his work has appeared in galleries and museum shows and can be seen in homes, churches and businesses throughout the region. David is married, and has one daughter, two dogs and two cats, so far. Kent’s artwork will be on featured at Gallery 104 in La Grange during the month of September. Gallery 104 is owned and operated by the Arts Association of Oldham County at 104 E. Main Street, La Grange. For information, visit www.gallery104.org. Add new comment

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Advice To The Litlorn (Since the beginnings of this website, there have been numerous suggestions and requests that it should include a section of advice for aspiring or beginning writers, or those still not quite certain that they know it all. However, I've always been dubious about that sort of thing; what works for one person might be disastrous for another. All I can offer, then, is a few scattered tips and observations, gathered over a quarter-century or so of writing for an alleged living, and set down in no particular order.) Never write yourself dry. When you knock off for the evening - or whenever you quit - always leave yourself a little; know what you're going to do next, and how you're going to do it. Then when you return to work you can start right up, and in this way you will never develop writer's block. (Except for getting started on a new one. There, I don't know the answer either.) Don't worry too much about originality. People have been telling stories for thousands of years; it's very unlikely that you - or anybody else - will come up with a totally new one. What is important is to tell it well. Of course you want to avoid the trite and the overfamiliar (though to be sure this is what most publishers prefer, but forget them for now, we're talking about what you want to do) but don't get too jammed up about it. After all, what could be more familiar and even formulaic than the story of a couple of young lovers torn apart by family opposition? Or a father who breaks his daughter's heart because he thinks her ungrateful? And yet from these we have two of our greatest masterpieces: Leader of the Pack and She'll Have Fun Fun Fun Till Her Daddy Takes Her T-Bird Away. Never believe a man who says he's never played this game before, or a married woman who says her husband's cool about it, or a publisher who says it's not spelled out in the contract but it's understood. Aspiring writers always seem to want to start off with a novel. I don't know why this is, but it is usually a mistake; most people will do better in the short form. Stories are tougher to write, more demanding in terms of style and technique, and therefore good training - the novel is more forgiving, and lets you get away with sloppiness and bad habits. It's also generally easier for a beginning writer to get a short story published (though the markets have dried up frighteningly in recent years) and there's more room for original work, since magazine editors are as a rule more willing to take chances. I started off with the novel, and only started doing stories much later on (see the bibliography page), but I'll always wish I'd gone at it the other way around. (All this refers strictly to writing speculative fiction; things are a bit different in the other genres - there is almost no market for Western short stories, for example - and I don't know anything about the so-called mainstream. Except that apparently if you write something that makes no sense whatever, about characters whom no one could possibly give a damn about, you might have a good shot at getting it into the New Yorker.) No, I won't look at your unpublished story/novel/poem/play/graffito/whatever. I'm sure it's very good and I'm sure you're a very nice person, but no. Every time I've made an exception, bad things have happened. So I stopped making exceptions. Don't ask. Please. The commonly-heard "write what you know about" is good or bad advice depending on how you interpret it. "Write only about what you know from personal experience" is obvious nonsense; very few mystery writers have ever killed anyone, and even fewer science fiction writers have ever been employed as astronauts. (There may be some horror and fantasy writers who have made pacts with Satanic powers; it would explain much. But I digress.) On the other hand, if you turn the line around to mean, "Find out what you need to know to write about your chosen topic" - or, more succintly, "Do your homework, damn it" - then this is not merely good advice but should be so obvious as not to need saying. Should be, but apparently isn't, at least for a lot of people. Some time ago I started reading a story that began with a scene on the Bataan Death March - in 1943! Good God...how much effort would it have required to pick up a book, or use an internet search system, and find out that the Death March took place in 1942? There's simply no excuse for that sort of laziness, and yet I see it all the time. When assigning a name to a major character in a novel, consider that you are going to be typing it a lot of times. You might even experiment to find out whether your tentative choice is readily typeable. I once named a character Devereaux and wound up killing him several chapters before I'd intended to, just because I got tired of typing his name. Don't be afraid to use the simple words, and to repeat them. For example, "said" is a perfectly good word and there is nothing wrong with using it, and using it again and again, when writing dialogue; yet a lot of aspiring writers, and even some experienced ones, get nervous and substitute various fancy verbs, or tack on superfluous adverbs. The result is no improvement and is likely to be distracting and even silly - what you might call the Tom Swifty Effect. Yet I have had editors complain about "too many 'saids'" and want to change them. Which just goes to show that editors, like everyone else, don't necessarily know what they're doing. It's surprisingly easy to get on food stamps in most states. * There is an old saying, often given as Sage Advice to aspiring writers: "You ain't gonna get rich, you ain't gonna get famous, and you ain't gonna get laid." #1 is almost certainly true. (It is very nearly statistically impossible even to make a minimum-wage living doing this.) But if you are willing to settle for reasonable and modest goals on #2, you can do pretty well on #3. Particularly at conventions. LIT STUFF INDEX

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Pauls Toutonghi Pub Date: May 23rd, 2006 Publisher: Shaye Areheart/Harmony A run-down section of Milwaukee, as well as the fall of communism, provide the backdrop for this coming-of-age novel.There’s a fine novella somewhere inside Toutonghi’s debut, which focuses on five months in the life of the Balodis family during the fall and winter of 1989. That’s the season when the Berlin Wall began to topple and eventually fell, but 16-year-old Yuri, bright and bookish, is more worried about life on the homefront. His father, an alcoholic with an unusual affinity for old-time country crooners, eagerly anticipates a visit from his cousin Ivan from his native Latvia, but when Ivan arrives, he’s accompanied by his wife, son and mother-in-law, crowding an already cramped apartment. Yuri’s biggest concern, though, is his growing crush on classmate Hannah, a would-be destroyer of the bourgeoisie who sells the Socialist Worker in front of a produce warehouse. The collision of ideologies between Yuri’s and Hannah’s families generates some tension, and Toutonghi makes room for some well-turned stories about the brutality of life in Latvia under Soviet rule. But the plot centers mainly on a relatively humdrum youthful indiscretion on Yuri’s part, involving a car borrowed from the dealership where his father works; alcohol; and Hannah, who proves a willing partner—it’s a crisis with little more heft than a TV teen dramedy. The author is more adept with character sketches: Eriks, Yuri’s cousin, the engaging and easy-going would-be rock star; Hammond King, the retired blues organist who offers some romantic guidance; and not least Yuri’s father, who speaks in richly tangled English and is a compelling mix of generosity and self-destructiveness. Toutonghi is an observant writer, but he stalks a demure middle ground, never offering outright humor or drama.

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