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Letters from a Slave Boy
by Mary E. LyonsLike his mother and grandmother before him, Joseph Jacobs was born into slavery. Joseph lives with his grandmother and sister in North Carolina, but he has not seen his mother for more than seven years. Unbeknownst to Joseph, his mother, Harriet, has been hiding from her owner in the attic of the house that Joseph lives in. But when Harriet's hiding place is in danger of being revealed, she is forced to flee north to safety only moments after being reunited with her family.Devastated by losing his mother for the second time, Joseph begins to ponder the nature of the world he lives in. Soon Joseph, seeking freedom and a place where he can be himself, follows his mother north. As he searches for answers, Joseph experiences life in Massachusetts, California, Australia, and aboard a whaling ship--but there's no place where Joseph feels that he can truly be free.In this companion novel to Letters from a Slave Girl, Joseph's stirring quest for freedom and identity is told through letters imagined by the author. Based on the real-life stories of Harriet and Joseph Jacobs, Letters from a Slave Boy is set against the backdrop of some of the most exciting and turbulent times in American history.
Letters from a Young Emigrant in Manitoba
by Norman SchmidtLetters from a Young Emigrant in Manitoba first published in 1883 and long out of print, is one of the best records of Canadian immigrant life. The letters were written by Edward ffolkes, who left England in 1880 to study at the Ontario Agricultural College in Guelph and later to homestead in southern Manitoba. They describe with rare insight the daily struggles and expectations of an “ordinary” man who had the courage to take up a new life on the frontier. Ronald A. Wells has introduced the volume with a wide-ranging essay on the role of popular knowledge about Canada in Britain and the significant shift of British migration from the United States for Canada at the end of the nineteenth century. This edition has been designed in the style of the original, with the addition of Norman Schmidt’s evocative line drawings.
Letters from America: Alexis de Tocqueville
by Alexis De Tocqueville Frederick BrownYoung Alexis de Tocqueville arrived in the United States for the first time in May 1831, commissioned by the French government to study the American prison system. For the next nine months he and his companion, Gustave de Beaumont, traveled and observed not only prisons but also the political, economic, and social systems of the early republic. Along the way, they frequently reported back to friends and family members in France. This book presents the first translation of the complete letters Tocqueville wrote during that seminal journey, accompanied by excerpts from Beaumont’s correspondence that provide details or different perspectives on the places, people, and American life and attitudes the travelers encountered. These delightful letters provide an intimate portrait of the complicated, talented Tocqueville, who opened himself without prejudice to the world of Jacksonian America. Moreover, they contain many of the impressions and ideas that served as preliminary sketches for Democracy in America, his classic account of the American democratic system that remains an important reference work to this day. Accessible, witty, and charming, the letters Tocqueville penned while in America are of major interest to general readers, scholars, and students alike.
Letters From An American Soldier To His Father, By Curtis Wheeler, Second Lieutenant Of Field, Artillery, U. S. R.
by Second Lieutenant Curtis WheelerLieutenant Wheeler was one of the contingent selected from the first Plattsburg camp to be sent abroad for three months' study, close up, of modern warfare. Prior to his Plattsburg experience he had spent four months on the Texas border in Battery C of the First Illinois Field Artillery. Before that, while a student at Yale (class of 1911), he had joined a troop of cavalry then in. training in New Haven, maintaining his connection with it for two years while still pursuing his academic course.These letters were written with no thought in the mind of the writer of their being published. The personal note is obvious in them and no attempt has been made to edit it out. The editing, in fact, has been of the slightest. About all that has been done is to give initials in place of names where persons are mentioned by name, to give a heading to each letter, and to eliminate here and there a personal reference that would be blind to the reader. Otherwise the letters are just as written-the fresh, spontaneous, unconstrained narrative of personal experiences that link themselves up closely to a million American homes from which boys have gone to prepare themselves for similar experiences.
Letters from Amherst: Five Narrative Letters
by Samuel R. DelanyFive substantial letters written from 1989 to 1991 bring readers into conversation with Hugo and Nebula Award winning-author Samuel Delany. With engaging prose, Delany shares details about his work, his relationships, and the thoughts he had while living in Amherst and teaching as a professor at the UMASS campus just outside of town, in contrast to the more chaotic life of New York City. Along with commentary on his own work and the work of other writers, he ponders the state of America, discusses friends who are facing AIDS and other ailments, and comments on the politics of working in academia. Two of the letters, which tell the story of his meeting his life partner Dennis, became the basis of his 1995 graphic novel, Bread & Wine. Another letter describes the funeral of his uncle Hubert T. Delany, former judge and well-known civil rights activist, and leads to reflections on his family's life in 1950s Harlem. Another details a visit from science fiction writer and critic Judith Merrill, and in another he gives a portrait of his one-time student Octavia E. Butler, who by then has become his colleague. In addition, an appendix shares ten letters Delany sent to his daughter while she attended summer camp between 1984 and 1988. These letters describe Delany's daily life, including visitors to his upper-west-side apartment, his travels for work and pleasure, lectures attended, movies viewed, and exhibits seen.
Letters from an American Farmer and Sketches of Eighteenth-Century Ameri
by J. Hector Crevecoeur Albert E. StoneAmerica's physical and cultural landscape is captured in these two classics of American history. Letters provides an invaluable view of the pre-Revolutionary and Revolutionary eras; Sketches details in vivid prose the physical setting in which American settlers created their history.
Letters from an Astrophysicist
by Neil DeGrasse TysonA luminous companion to the phenomenal bestseller Astrophysics for People in a Hurry. <P><P>Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson has attracted one of the world’s largest online followings with his fascinating, widely accessible insights into science and our universe. Now, Tyson invites us to go behind the scenes of his public fame by revealing his correspondence with people across the globe who have sought him out in search of answers. In this hand-picked collection of 101 letters, Tyson draws upon cosmic perspectives to address a vast array of questions about science, faith, philosophy, life, and of course, Pluto. His succinct, opinionated, passionate, and often funny responses reflect his popularity and standing as a leading educator. <P><P>Tyson’s 2017 bestseller Astrophysics for People in a Hurry offered more than one million readers an insightful and accessible understanding of the universe. Tyson’s most candid and heartfelt writing yet, Letters from an Astrophysicist introduces us to a newly personal dimension of Tyson’s quest to explore our place in the cosmos. <P><P><b>A New York Times Bestseller</b>
Letters from Attica: 50th Anniversary Annotated Edition
by Sam Melville Joshua MelvilleNow presented with a son's thirty years of research to provide new context. In June 1970, Sam Melville pleaded guilty to a series of politically motivated bombings in New York City and was sentenced to thirteen to eighteen years in jail. His imprisonment took him to Attica, where he helped lead the massive rebellion of September 9, 1971—and where, four days later, he was shot to death by state police. During nearly two years in prison, Melville wrote letters to his friends, his attorneys, his former wife, and his young son. To read them is to eavesdrop on a man's soul. Determinedly honest and deeply moving, they reveal much about Sam and evoke the suffering of prisoners in America. Collected after his death, the letters were originally published with material by Jane Alpert, who was living with Sam when both were arrested on bombing charges, and John Cohen, a close friend who visited Sam in jail. Sam's letters begin with despair but end in hope and defiance. He became a leader of the prisoners' struggle for justice and humane treatment. At Attica he fought against and was a victim of the state's brutality. Those who knew Sam found him a man of extraordinary courage and determination, who rather than accede or submit to injustice and racism chose to fight against them.
Letters From Brenda: Two suitcases. 75 lost letters. One mother.
by Emma Kennedy'A beautiful, hilarious and bittersweet book' Mel Giedroyc'This book made me cry' Sara CoxAfter her mother, Brenda, passed away and her father sold the family home, broadcaster and writer Emma Kennedy found herself floundering, unable to make peace with the complex, charismatic woman who had been her mum. And then they found the letters . . .This heartbreakingly funny book about the impact of discovering lost letters is a celebration of correspondence; those lost acts of penned love, the vivid snapshots in time scattered back through a life.It is also about a childhood shrouded in shame, the lies Brenda told her family, the madness that set in, and ultimately what it means to be a daughter and a mother. Finally, Emma allows herself to explore what she couldn't while she was growing up: the question of who her mother really was.'Beautiful . . . insightful, fascinating and moving. It's a lovely LOVELY book' Marian Keyes'Remarkable' Dawn French
Letters From Brenda: Two suitcases. 75 lost letters. One mother.
by Emma Kennedy'A beautiful, hilarious and bittersweet book' Mel Giedroyc'This book made me cry' Sara CoxAfter her mother, Brenda, passed away and her father sold the family home, broadcaster and writer Emma Kennedy found herself floundering, unable to make peace with the complex, charismatic woman who had been her mum. And then they found the letters . . .This heartbreakingly funny book about the impact of discovering lost letters is a celebration of correspondence; those lost acts of penned love, the vivid snapshots in time scattered back through a life.It is also about a childhood shrouded in shame, the lies Brenda told her family, the madness that set in, and ultimately what it means to be a daughter and a mother. Finally, Emma allows herself to explore what she couldn't while she was growing up: the question of who her mother really was.'Beautiful . . . insightful, fascinating and moving. It's a lovely LOVELY book' Marian Keyes'Remarkable' Dawn French
Letters From Brenda: Two suitcases. 75 lost letters. One mother.
by Emma KennedyAfter her mother, Brenda, passed away and her father sold the family home, broadcaster and writer Emma Kennedy found herself floundering, unable to make peace with the complex, charismatic woman who had been her mum. And then they found the letters . . .This heartbreakingly funny book about the impact of discovering lost letters is a celebration of correspondence; those lost acts of penned love, the vivid snapshots in time scattered back through a life.It is also about a childhood shrouded in shame, the lies Brenda told her family, the madness that set in, and ultimately what it means to be a daughter and a mother. Finally, Emma allows herself to explore what she couldn't while she was growing up: the question of who her mother really was.(P) 2022 Hodder & Stoughton Limited
Letters From Burma
by Aung San Suu KyiLetters from Burma - an unforgettable collection from the Nobel Peace prize winner Aung San Suu KyiIn these astonishing letters, Aung San Suu Kyi reaches out beyond Burma's borders to paint for her readers a vivid and poignant picture of her native land.Here she celebrates the courageous army officers, academics, actors and everyday people who have supported the National League for Democracy, often at great risk to their own lives. She reveals the impact of political decisions on the people of Burma, from the terrible cost to the children of imprisoned dissidents - allowed to see their parents for only fifteen minutes every fortnight - to the effect of inflation on the national diet and of state repression on traditions of hospitality. She also evokes the beauty of the country's seasons and scenery, customs and festivities that remain so close to her heart.Through these remarkable letters, the reader catches a glimpse of exactly what is at stake as Suu Kyi fights on for freedom in Burma, and of the love for her homeland that sustains her non-violent battle.Includes an introduction from Fergal Keane'Aung San Suu Kyi has become a global symbol of peaceful resistance, courage and apparently endless endurance' Guardian'A real hero in an age of phony phone-in celebrity, which hands out that title freely to the most spoiled and underqualified' Bono, TimeAung San Suu Kyi is the leader of Burma's National League for Democracy. She was placed under house arrest in Rangoon in 1989, where she remained for almost 15 of the 21 years until her release in 2010, becoming one of the world's most prominent political prisoners. She is also the author of the collection of writings Freedom from Fear.
Letters from Cairo
by Anne SpeakeA woman recounts her adventures in Egypt, the Middle East, and beyond in this absorbing memoir. Imbued with a love of travel and adventure as a child through books her parents bought her during the Great Depression, Anne Speake would eventually go on to journey to many destinations in her adult life, from Paris to Thailand to Greece—but she particularly fell in love with the Middle East, especially the city of Cairo—to which she&’s returned at least thirty times over the decades. This memoir of her times in Egypt, from sailing the Nile to visiting with the Sadats to living for a while in her beloved Cairo—as well as trips to Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Turkey, Syria, Palestine and Israel and more—is an in-depth, wide-ranging account of a well-traveled life that also provides a close-up view of late-twentieth-century history in the region, as well as the ways the Middle East has changed, and the ways it hasn&’t, over time.
Letters From Flanders Written By 2nd Lieut. A. D. Gillespie, Argyll And Sutherland Highlanders
by Lieutenant Alexander Douglas GillespieThe sight of the kilted Highland regiment has always struck such fear into their Germans opponents of both World Wars; known to their Teutonic foes as the "Ladies from Hell" for their attire and fighting prowess. The memories of those brave Celtic Warriors fighting across the mud of Flanders remains in the swirl of the bagpipe laments, faded pictures and memoirs from their ranks. The letters of two brothers Alexander and Thomas Gillespie still do survive, from the lowlands of Scotland, volunteered to serve in the British Army almost as soon as the war broke out leaving behind a career in law and academia respectively. They did not long have to wait to be thrown into the holocaust of the front lines; Tom was posted to the King's Own Scottish Borderers and was immediately under the shellfire of the battle of the Marne and the Race to the sea before he was killed in action on October 18 1914 near La Bassée. Despite his brother's ultimate sacrifice Alexander went forward to the front in February 1915 with the 2nd Battalion of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. He led his men forward, as part of the first wave of the great push of the 19th Brigade on Cambrin Road, into the horrific shellfire and gas at the opening of the battle of Loos on the 25th September 1915. He was the only officer that made it to the German position that was their objective, but there he fell beneath the German fire.A fine set of letters from the front lines of Flanders by two Scottish officers.
Letters from Hollywood: Inside the Private World of Classic American Moviemaking
by Rocky Lang; Barbara HallRare correspondence from Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn, Frank Sinatra, Jane Fonda, and other Hollywood luminaries from the silent film era to the 1970s. Letters from Hollywood reproduces in full color scores of entertaining and insightful pieces of correspondence from some of the most notable and talented film industry names of all time—from the silent era to the golden age, and up through the pre-email days of the 1970s. Culled from libraries, archives, and personal collections, the 135 letters, memos, and telegrams are organized chronologically and are annotated by the authors to provide backstories and further context. While each piece reveals a specific moment in time, taken together, the letters convey a bigger picture of Hollywood history. Contributors include celebrities like Greta Garbo, Alfred Hitchcock, Humphrey Bogart, Frank Sinatra, Katharine Hepburn, Marlon Brando, Elia Kazan, Cary Grant, Francis Ford Coppola, Tom Hanks, and Jane Fonda. This is the gift book of the season for fans of classic Hollywood.With a foreword by Peter Bogdanovitch.“This is, quite simply, one of the finest books I’ve ever read about Hollywood.” —Leonard Maltin
Letters from Kimberly: Etewitness Accounts from the South African War
by Edward Spiers'Full of new material, fresh insights and perceptive analysis.' Ian KnightThe defence of Kimberley and the mission to relieve it was one of the great dramatic sagas of the South African War. The actual relief, following a spectacular cavalry charge, represented the first decisive upturn in the fortunes of the British war effort, soon followed by a crushing defeat of the Boers at the battle of Paardeberg. Within Kimberley citizens suffered from dwindling food stocks and enemy shelling, but even more controversial were the tensions that erupted between the siege commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Kekewich, and Kimberley's leading citizen, Cecil Rhodes. In this illuminating new history, Edward Spiers, presents a selection of first-hand accounts of this epic siege. The 260 letters were published originally in British metropolitan and provincial newspapers and they provide crucial insights into the perceptions of civilians caught up in the siege; the desperate and bloody attempts to relieve the town; and the experiences of junior officers and other ranks as they struggled to cope with the demands of modern warfare. Full of human incident, drama and pathos, these fascinating eyewitness testimonies make for compelling reading and add richly to our understanding of the events in Cape Colony.
Letters From A Liasion Officer
by Captain Ferdinand Frazier JelkeIt goes without saying that the letters here gathered were not written with any idea of being permanently preserved. They were merely a progressive recital, in a most informal and unstudied vein, of circumstances and scenes with which the writer came in touch in the course of his work, first in the ranks of the Marine Corps, and afterward as a Lieutenant of Infantry in the Liaison Service, in France.But since the author's return from "Over There"--and in view of the gigantic scale of World War and the epochal character of the events and situations touched upon in the correspondence--members of his family have urged that the series of letters written from the scenes of his activities during 1917-'19, be made into a handy volume for the use of such friends as may find in them some personal appeal and interest.In preparing the letters for publication an attempt has been made to omit the more private and intimate details, while retaining such of the descriptive text as would aid the reader in gaining some lasting impressions of the scenes and incidents which rushed by, like an animated panorama, in those days of frenzied endeavour and kaleidoscopic change, beginning shortly after America's entrance into the war and continuing until after the signing of the Armistice, and the return of the writer to America, early in 1919.
Letters from Lockdown: A Selection of Covid Chronicles from BBC Radio 4’s PM Programme
by Evan DavisA remarkable collection of 'Covid Chronicles' -- stories from lockdown sent in from listeners to BBC Radio 4 -- making a deeply moving people's history of the pandemic. On 23 March 2020, as the deadly virus spread around the world, the UK went into lockdown. In the following weeks and months, it became clear that in many ways we were all in this together, but the illness and the long period of isolation would hit people in entirely different ways.When BBC Radio 4's PM Programme launched the 'Covid Chronicles' series, listeners from across the country - and beyond - began sending in their lockdown stories to be aired on the show. The results are astonishing: moving, profound, funny, powerful and an invaluable record of our collective experiences. Ranging from the everyday (the thrill of booking a food delivery) to the momentous (a wedding on Zoom), we hear about birth and death, loneliness and loss, community and kindness, as well as remarkable stories from those working in the NHS on the front line.This book is a collection of some of these Chronicles, written in the midst of one of the most unexpected and intense moments in our history. Together they give us an unforgettable portrait of ordinary people caught in extraordinary times, with all the humour and tragedy and uncertainty we've been through. 'It's inspiring that so many people have shared their stories - some everyday, some life-changing, but all very human. This is a wonderful collection of experiences, to record and remember this devastating year' Christie Watson, bestselling author of The Language of Kindness
Letters From Lockdown: Famous faces, frontline workers and stay-at-home heroes reflect on the year everything changed
by Natasha KaplinskyIntroduced by newsreader, presenter, and Barnardo's president Natasha Kaplinsky, Letters From Lockdown features 100+ letters from celebrity names, COVID heroes, and a diverse range of members of the public, all answering the question - 'What was lockdown like for you?'Contributors include: Paul McCartney · Joe Wicks · Malala · Ed Sheeran · Helen Mirren · Mary Berry · Richard Branson · Andy Murray · Helena Bonham Carter · Lenny Henry · Romesh Ranganathan · The family of Captain Tom · Bear Grylls · Dr Alex George · Jacqueline Wilson · Matt Lucas · Bill Gates · Sir Mo Farah and many more.The publisher will donate all profits, which will be a minimum of £1.50 for each copy of the book sold, to Barnardo's (registered charity in England and Wales no. 216250), who do important work to protect and support the UK's most vulnerable children.The letter writers include doctors and nurses, care home staff and vaccinators, train drivers, teachers and environmentalists - people who have been on the frontline tackling the pandemic, or in trying to get the world back on its feet. Other letters document the unforgettable lighter moments of the past year: interviews crashed by children, TikTok disasters, and goats joining Zoom meetings. Each offers their unique perspective on the year everything changed. As we keep our fingers crossed that this summer will bring a safe end to restrictions, this mixture of funny, sad, heart-warming, heroic and honest experiences will mark the start of a period of reflection.Adrian Packer, Al Gore, Alex George, Alexandra Shulman, Ali Mercer, Alice M Greenwald, Ali Joy, Andy Murray, Antony Cauvin, Anushua Gupta, Bear Grylls, Benjie and Georgia Ingram-Moore, Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates, Bob Wilson, Boris Johnson, Bruno Tonioli, Buckingham Palace, Charly Cox, Chimwemwe Chiweza, Chris and Vicki Agar, Chris Van Dusen, Clare Wenham, Colette Moreira-Henocq, Cressida Cowell, Davey Glover, Davina McCall, Dawn Bilbrough, Dot McCarthy, Ed Balls, Ed Sheeran, Elliot Jacobs, Emma Freud and Richard Curtis, Fergus Llewellyn, George Alagiah, Gill Edwards, Hayden Kays, Helen Mirren, Helena Bonham Carter, Hollie Long, HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Jacqueline Wilson, Jacquie Jenkins, James Graham, Jenny Messenger, Jo Malone, Joan Collins, Joe Wicks, John Vincent, Josie Naughton, Kathryn England, Karen Pollock, Karl Jones, Keir Starmer, Kelly Holmes, Laura Elliott, Lenny Henry, Lindsay Hoyle, Maff Potts, Maia Elliott, Malala Yousafzai, Margaret Keenan, Marie Benton, Mark Ronson, Maro Itoje, The Marsh Family, Mary Berry, Matt Lucas, Meggie Foster, Michele Walter, Mo Farah, Monica Galetti, Mr Men's Mr Happy, Neera Butt, Nicola Adams, Nina Raingold, Patricia Daley, Paul Atherton, Paul McCartney, Paul Morrison, Paula Talman, Peppa Pig, Philippa Craddock, Raymond Blanc, Rene Germain, Richard Branson, Roja Dove, Romesh Ranganathan, Rosie Jones, Rosie Mitchell, Sandi Procter, Scott Evans, Sean Fitzpatrick, Sharna Jackson, Sita Brahmachari, Sophie Gonzales, Tamara Rojo, Tanni Grey-Thompson, Tessa Mattholie Butunoi, Tim Peake, Tim Steiner, Toby Regbo, Trevor McDonald, Will Shu, Woody, Zoe Burke
Letters From A Lost Generation: First World War Letters of Vera Brittain and Four Friends
by Mark BostridgeNothing in the papers, not the most vivid and heart-rending descriptions, have made me realise war like your letters' Vera Brittain to Roland Leighton, 17 April 1915.This selection of letters, written between 1913 & 1918, between Vera Brittain and four young men - her fiance Roland Leighton, her brother Edward and their close friends Victor Richardson & Geoffrey Thurlow present a remarkable and profoundly moving portrait of five young people caught up in the cataclysm of total war. Roland, 'Monseigneur', is the 'leader' & his letters most clearly trace the path leading from idealism to disillusionment. Edward, ' Immaculate of the Trenches', was orderly & controlled, down even to his attire. Geoffrey, the 'non-militarist at heart' had not rushed to enlist but put aside his objections to the war for patriotism's sake. Victor on the other hand, possessed a very sweet character and was known as 'Father Confessor'. An important historical testimony telling a powerful story of idealism, disillusionment and personal tragedy.
Letters From A Lost Generation: First World War Letters of Vera Brittain and Four Friends
by Mark BostridgeNothing in the papers, not the most vivid and heart-rending descriptions, have made me realise war like your letters' Vera Brittain to Roland Leighton, 17 April 1915.This selection of letters, written between 1913 & 1918, between Vera Brittain and four young men - her fiance Roland Leighton, her brother Edward and their close friends Victor Richardson & Geoffrey Thurlow present a remarkable and profoundly moving portrait of five young people caught up in the cataclysm of total war. Roland, 'Monseigneur', is the 'leader' & his letters most clearly trace the path leading from idealism to disillusionment. Edward, ' Immaculate of the Trenches', was orderly & controlled, down even to his attire. Geoffrey, the 'non-militarist at heart' had not rushed to enlist but put aside his objections to the war for patriotism's sake. Victor on the other hand, possessed a very sweet character and was known as 'Father Confessor'. An important historical testimony telling a powerful story of idealism, disillusionment and personal tragedy.
Letters from Madelyn: Chronicles of a Caregiver
by Elaine SanchezMadelyn Kubin is a 70-year-old Kansas farm wife. She appears to be fragile because of her thinning white hair, macular degeneration, osteoporosis, congestive heart failure, and severe hearing loss. But when her husband Quentin suffers a debilitating stroke, she is forced to summon all of her physical, emotional, and spiritual strengths in order to care for him at home.Madelyn manages her isolation, loneliness, and stress by going to her computer, disengaging her emotional monitor, and writing letters to her daughter Elaine.Madelyn's story of faith, courage, and love is told through her unflinching honest and surprisingly funny letters written in real time over the course of six-and-a-half years. Although she prays ever day that she will be a willing channel for God's love and compassion, there are plenty of days she feels like telling God to go find himself another servant. Madelyn writes unabashedly about her anger, guilt, depression, and grief. When Quentin displays dementia-related inappropriate sexual behavior, Madelyn eventually learns how to handle it with grace and humor. She shows how it is possible, even in the very worst end-of-life situations, to experience mental and spiritual growth.
Letters from Max: A Poet, a Teacher, a Friendship
by Sarah Ruhl Max RitvoA real professor and her student forge a friendship through correspondence as they discuss love, art, life, cancer, and death. In 2012, Sarah Ruhl was a distinguished author and playwright, twice a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Max Ritvo, a student in her playwriting class at Yale University, was an exuberant, opinionated, and highly gifted poet. He was also in remission from pediatric cancer. Over the next four years—in which Ritvo&’s illness returned and his health declined, even as his productivity bloomed—the two exchanged letters that spark with urgency, humor, and the desire for connection. Reincarnation, books, the afterlife as an Amtrak quiet car, good soup: in Ruhl and Ritvo&’s exchanges, all ideas are fair, nourishing game, shared and debated in a spirit of generosity and love. &“We&’ll always know one another forever, however long ever is,&” Ritvo writes. &“And that&’s all I want—is to know you forever.&” Studded with poems and songs, Letters from Max is a deeply moving portrait of a friendship, and a shimmering exploration of love, art, mortality, and the afterlife.Praise for Letters from Max &“An unusual, beautiful book about nothing less than the necessity of art in our lives. Two big-hearted, big-brained writers have allowed us to eavesdrop on their friendship: jokes and heartbreaks, admiration, hard work, tender work.&” —Elizabeth McCracken, author of Bowlaway &“Immediate comparisons will be made to Rainer Maria Rilke&’s Letters to a Young Artist . . . this book is a nuanced look at the evolution of an incredible talent facing mortality and the mentor, never condescending, who recognizes his gift. Their infectious letters shine with a love of words and beauty.&” —The Observer &“Deeply moving, often heartbreaking. . . . A captivating celebration of life and love.&” —Kirkus Reviews &“Moving and erudite . . . devastating and lyrical . . . Ruhl draws a comparison between their correspondence and that between poets Robert Lowell and Elizabeth Bishop, and indeed, with the depth and intelligence displayed, one feels in the presence of literary titans.&” —Publishers Weekly
Letters from My Father's Murderer: A Journey of Forgiveness
by Laurie A. CoombsAn extraordinary true story of grace, mercy, and the redemptive power of God.When her father was murdered, Laurie Coombs and her family sought justice--and found it. Yet, despite the swift punishment of the killer, Laurie found herself increasingly full of pain, bitterness, and anger she couldn't control. It was the call to love and forgive her father's murderer that set her, the murderer, and several other inmates on the journey that would truly change their lives forever.This compelling story of transformation will touch the deepest wounds and show how God can redeem what seems unredeemable.
Letters from My Sister: On Life, Love and Hair Removal
by Eve Lederman Faye LedermanEve and Faye's correspondence began with a simple letter about a bad job interview or bad hair day, seeking comfort from hundreds of miles away. As their adult lives unfolded, gender roles, career choices, and family relationships became fair game, subject to both scrutiny and hilarity as the Ledermans lovingly ridicule everyone in their path.In one letter, Faye laments, "Every time I apply mascara before an interview my eyelashes get all clumped together. I'm afraid if the interviewer catches my profile he'll think I'm applying for the position of prostitute." In another, Eve ponders their father's ineptness. "If Mom left for the weekend, she'd return home to find Dad emaciated on the floor, tin cans strewn around with bite marks."Ultimately, the sisters reassure each other that they are not alone in their search for the ultimate man ("a big, buff, macho, kind, sensitive, feminist"), the ideal job, or the perfect hair removal method. The Ledermans emerge as feisty, independent women who confront their femininity but aren't confined by it. Instead, they are able to laugh long and hard at themselves, enticing and empowering readers to do the same.