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Blake and Antiquity (The A. W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts #11)
by Kathleen RaineThe classic book on William Blake as prophet of the New AgeWilliam Blake (1757–1827) inhabited a remarkable inner world, one that he brought vividly to life in his poetry, painting, and printmaking. Blake and Antiquity situates this brilliant and enigmatic artist within the Western esoteric canon, revealing his indebtedness to Neoplatonism, the Gnostics, alchemy, and astrology. In this book, Kathleen Raine demonstrates how Blake rejected conventional orthodoxy and went in search among the occult traditions of antiquity for symbols that might expand the mind’s awareness into a spiritual state where space, time, and even death are transcended.
Blame It on the Rain: How the Weather Has Changed History
by Laura LeeAn amazing, enlightening, and endlessly entertaining look at how weather has shaped our world.Throughout history, great leaders have fallen, the outcomes of mighty battles have been determined, and the tides of earth-shattering events have been turned by a powerful, inscrutable force of nature: the weather. In Blame It on the Rain, author Laura Lee explores the amazing and sometimes bizarre ways in which weather has influenced our history and helped to bring about sweeping cultural change. She also delights us with a plethora of fascinating weather-related facts (Did you know that more Britons die of sunburn every year than Australians?), while offering readers a hilarious overview of humankind's many absurd attempts to control the elements.If a weather-produced blight hadn't severely damaged French vineyards, there might never have been a California wine industry. . . .What weather phenomenon was responsible for the sound of the Stradivarius?If there had been a late autumn in Russia, Hitler could have won World War II. . . .Did weather play a part in Truman's victory over Dewey?Eye-opening, edifying, and totally unexpected, Blame It on the Rain is a fascinating appreciation of the destiny-altering vagaries of mother nature—and it's even more fun than watching the Weather Channel!
Blaming No One: Blog Postings on Arts, Letters, and Policy
by Dan WhitmanPersonal and professional reflections from a former US Foreign Service officer.This book is a series of reflections at the point of retirement from the U.S. Foreign Service after a career spent in locations around the globe. The collection of public blog postings, all colored by the author’s experience, include short essays on the following themes: personal anecdote, people/profiles, foreign policy as seen by a mid-level official, human nature, government functions, and “other”—ranging from music to immigration to condominium rules on dog comportment. Marked by a tone of light humor and social and institutional criticism, Blaming No One is an easy, entertaining read that also questions and challenges facile suppositions and notes many historic moments of interest.
Blanche: The Life and Times of Tennessee Williams's Greatest Creation
by Nancy SchoenbergerA penetrating consideration of Tennessee Williams’s most enduring character—Blanche DuBois from A Streetcar Named Desire—written by the co-author of The Fabulous Bouvier Sisters and Furious Love.Ever since Jessica Tandy glided onto the stage in Tennessee Williams’s A Streetcar Named Desire at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre in 1947, Blanche DuBois has fascinated generations of audiences worldwide and secured a place in the history of literature, theater, and film. One of Williams’s greatest creations, Blanche has bedazzled, amused, and broken the hearts of generations of audiences. Before the Covid pandemic, the stage classic was performed somewhere in the world every hour. It has been adapted into a ballet and an opera, and it was satirized in an episode of The Simpsons. The final twelve words Blanche utters at the play’s end—“I have always depended on the kindness of strangers”—have taken on a life of their own. Endlessly fascinating, this indelible figment of one of America’s greatest midcentury playwrights garners nearly universal interest—but why?In Blanche, Nancy Schoenberger searches for the answer. An exploration of the cultural impact of Blanche DuBois, Schoenberger’s absorbing study examines Tennessee Williams's most enduring creation through the performances of seven brilliant actresses who have taken on the role—Jessica Tandy, Vivien Leigh, Ann-Margret, Jessica Lange, Patricia Clarkson, Cate Blanchett, and Jemier Jackson—as well as the influence of the playwright's tragic sister, Rose Williams, the person he was most haunted and inspired by. In examining various Blanches from throughout the decades and their critical reception, Schoenberger analyzes how our perception and understanding of this mesmerizing figure has altered and deepened over time. Exploring themes of womanhood, sexuality, mental illness, and the idealized South, Blanche is an engrossing cultural history of a rich and complex character that sheds light on who we are.Blanche includes 20-30 color and black-and-white photographs.
Blanco
by Bret Easton EllisLas memorias del creador de American Psycho: después de una década regresa el autor más controvertido de los 90 con su libro más polémico. «Hemos entrado en una peligrosa suerte de totalitarismo que en realidad aborrece la libre expresión y castiga a la gente por mostrarse tal cual es.» Bret Easton Ellis Bret Easton Ellis creó a Patrick Bateman, el célebre ejecutivo de Wall Street que, en la obra maestra American Psycho, mejor describió los delirios de toda una época. Después de una brillante carrera novelística, el enfant terrible de la literatura norteamericana vuelve a la carga con su aclamado primer libro de no ficción: una autobiografía que recorre su infancia, su polémica carrera y las referencias literarias, cinematográficas y de la cultura popular de los setenta y los ochenta que marcaron su vida. Pero Bret Easton Ellis no se queda en el pasado, y lleva a cabo un análisis perspicaz ytotalmente libre de autocensura de la sociedad del presente, preguntándose qué demonios ha ocurrido en estas últimas cuatro décadas. Blanco es una defensa del derecho a la libertad de expresión y una crítica a la dictadura del neopuritanismo, a la hipersensibilidad millennial y a lo políticamente correcto en la era de las redes sociales. Bret Easton Ellis reivindica el humor y la sátira como herramientas de provocación y, por encima de todo, reclama una libertad que se desvanece. Las agudas reflexiones que pone sobre la mesa vienen a revolucionar la actualidad con una honestidad provocadora y corrosiva. Críticas:«Ellis irradia el mismo espíritu joven de siempre: diversión irreverente, una fina ironía y una curiosidad artística incansable. Es la encarnación de cómo todo y nada ha cambiado entre el mundo predigital de 1985 y la actualidad.»Lauren Christensen, The New York Times «Bret Easton Ellis no pierde el punch de enfant terrible.»Laura Fernández, El País «Unas páginas magníficas.»Michel Guerrin, Le Monde «La mejor descripción de Blanco es decir que se trata de una provocación, aunque es mucho más que eso, si te molestas en leerlo.»Rachel Cooke, The Guardian «Un golpe a la corrección política de nuestro tiempo y una gran muestra de literatura.»Hannah Lühmann, Welt am Sonntag «Un autoretrato lleno de revelaciones.»Nelly Kaprièlian, Les Inrockuptibles «Blanco demuestra que el autor no ha perdido su garra, talento y singularidad.»Alexandre Fillon, Sud Ouest «Alegremente provocadora [...] un extenso alarido, con memoria y análisis sociopolítico a partes iguales, que te enfurecerá o deleitará [...] Ellis critica de manera feroz los dictados de lo políticamente correcto.»Charles Arrowsmith, The Washington Post«El mundo que describe Ellis es familiar y distópico a la vez: un sistema que nos condena a moderar nuestra imagen como solo las celebridades lo hacían en otro tiempo, a convertirnos en un "robot virtuoso" que censura sus emociones y sus opiniones para reducirlas al triste denominador común del "like".»Adrienne Boutang, Le Monde «Un antídoto al discurso de la virtud.»Mathieu Laine, Le Figaro «Uno de los más grandes novelistas americanos, autor de libros visionarios sobre nuestra época.»Le Monde «Un ensayo brillante contra lo políticamente correcto.»Le Figaro Littéraire. «Controvertido, Ellis se entrega a una defensa de la libertad de expresión.»Le Journal du Dimanche
Blanco móvil: Crónica del nómada que lo apostó todo por un sueño
by Sergi BellverEl relato de un hombre nómada que vive de manera itinerante desde hace más de una década. Una historia acerca de perseguir tu pasión al margen de las convenciones. Sergi Bellver es escritor y no tiene casa, aunque tampoco vive en la calle. Hace ya más de una década -primero empujado por la necesidad, pero pronto convencido de su elección-, comenzó a habitar en viviendas prestadas. Desde pisos vacíos en barrios obreros a verdaderas mansiones, o de humildes cabañas a los lugares más insólitos, su singular viaje a lo largo de los años nos muestra otros caminos posibles y nos anima a no renunciar a nuestros sueños ante las dificultades. Y es que esta crónica apasionada y reflexiva de una asombrosa vida nómada es, sobre todo, una historia acerca de la libertad personal y creativa, una mirada crítica a los oficios de la cultura y un alegato a favor del arte como fuerza transformadora de la realidad. «Desde aquel primer sofá prestado, he dormido en sitios que van de lo precario a lo opulento y de lo onírico a lo insólito. (...) no siempre he sido más feliz, ni he estado más a gusto, ni he podido escribir mejor en los lugares a priori más atractivos de ese peculiar listado, sino en aquellos en los que sentí haber encontrado de veras un refugio». «[...] la belleza y la maravilla no nos necesitan para suceder cada día. Lo único que podemos hacer todos, artistas o no, es permanecer atentos y seguir dispuestos a percibirlas. La próxima vez que te conectes a la red, recuerda que tu descarga viaja a toda velocidad por enormes cables submarinos de fibra óptica, pero también que justo encima de ellos, en la profundidad del océano, los cachalotes siguen cazando calamares gigantes o migran todavía algunas ballenas que ya estaban vivas el año que Herman Melville publicó Moby Dick. Y cuando un petirrojo venga a darte los buenos días, las gaviotas armen su escándalo en la playa o, al caer el sol, los mirlos te alegren la tarde con su conversación, piensa que los dinosaurios no desaparecieron, sino que aprendieron a estar en el mundo de otra manera. Una bastante hermosa, además, tan diversa como las moradas de un nómada y tan ligera como su equipaje». Reseñas:«Blanco móvil es la bella, divertida, ácida y emocionante crónica de un nómada que escribe, ama y acampa en los libros. Leed y disfrutad».Carlos Bardem «Sergi Bellver afronta la vida como la escritura: como un acto de resistencia ante el curso de los tiempos. En este libro, vida y escritura son la misma cosa».Juan Soto Ivars
Blanco ni el orujo: Las cuatro vidas de San Román
by José Antonio Martín Otín (Petón)Un recorrido histórico de la mano de Miguel San Román, una las figuras más importantes del Atlético de Madrid. El libro utiliza la vida y aventuras de Miguel San Román para hablar de la historia del Atlético de Madrid. El Pechuga San Román fue portero del Atleti en los años 60. Está considerado como «el alma del Atleti», y toda una leyenda aunque en pocas ocasiones fue el portero titular.San Roman cuenta en el libro las mejores historias del Atleti, los partidos, habla de los jugadores emblemáticos de la época (Luis Aragones, etc) y también narra las historias del entorno social en el que vivió. Gran vividor y de buena planta, narra su relación con las figuras del espectáculo del momento. Sus enfrentamientos a periodistas emblemáticos, su relación con jugadores famosos de la época, no solo del Atleti, sino también del equipo contrario, el Real Madrid... También narra sus encuentros y charlas jugosas con políticos como Juan Domingo Perón, exiliado en Madrid en aquella epoca. Historias de futbol y de vida tratando de recrear la atmósfera del momento y hablando del Atleti actual con la perspectiva de quien ha sido uno de sus grandes referentes, uno de los representantes máximos del llamado sentimiento atlético.
Blank: Essays and Interviews
by M. Nourbese PhilipBlank is a collection of previously out-of-print essays and new works by one of Canada's most important contemporary writers and thinkers.Through an engagement with her earlier work, M. NourbeSe Philip comes to realize the existence of a repetition in the world: the return of something that, while still present, has become unembedded from the world, disappeared. Her imperative becomes to make us see what has gone unseen, by writing memory upon the margin of history, in the shadow of empire and at the frontier of silence.In heretical writings that work to make the disappeared perceptible, Blank explores questions of race, the body politic, timeliness, recurrence, ongoingness, art, and the so-called multicultural nation. Through these considerations, Philip creates a linguistic form that registers the presence of what has seemingly dissolved, a form that also imprints the loss and the silence surrounding those disappearances in its very presence.
Blanket Toss Under Midnight Sun: Portraits of Everyday Life in Eight Indigenous Communities
by Paul SeesequasisA revelatory portrait of eight Indigenous communities from across North America, shown through never-before-published archival photographs--a gorgeous extension of Paul Seesequasis's popular social media project.In 2015, writer and journalist Paul Seesequasis found himself grappling with the devastating findings of Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission report on the residential school system. He sought understanding and inspiration in the stories of his mother, herself a residential school survivor. Gradually, Paul realized that another, mostly untold history existed alongside the official one: that of how Indigenous peoples and communities had held together during even the most difficult times. He embarked on a social media project to collect archival photos capturing everyday life in First Nations, Metis and Inuit communities from the 1920s through the 1970s. As he scoured archives and libraries, Paul uncovered a trove of candid images and began to post these on social media, where they sparked an extraordinary reaction. Friends and relatives of the individuals in the photographs commented online, and through this dialogue, rich histories came to light for the first time.Blanket Toss Under Midnight Sun collects some of the most arresting images and stories from Paul's project. While many of the photographs live in public archives, most have never been shown to the people in the communities they represent. As such, Blanket Toss is not only an invaluable historical record, it is a meaningful act of reclamation, showing the ongoing resilience of Indigenous communities, past, present--and future.
Blasphemy: Sentenced to Death Over a Cup of Water
by Asia Bibi Anne-Isabelle TolletIn June 2009 a Pakistani mother of five, Asia Bibi, was out picking fruit in the fields. At midday she went to the nearest well, picked up a cup, and took a drink of cool water, and then offered it to another woman. Suddenly, one of her fellow workers cried out that the water belonged to Muslim women and that Bibi--who is Christian--had contaminated it. "Blasphemy!" someone shouted, a crime punishable by death in Pakistan. In that instant, with one word, Bibi's fate was sealed. First attacked by a mob, Bibi was then thrown into prison and sentenced to be hanged. Since that day, Asia Bibi has been held in appalling conditions, her family members have had to flee their village under threat from vengeful extremists, and the two brave public figures who came to Bibi's defense--the Muslim governor of the Punjab and Pakistan's Christian Minister for Minorities--have been brutally murdered. In Blasphemy, Asia Bibi, who has become a symbol for everyone concerned with ending an unjust law that allows people to settle personal scores and that kills Christians and Muslims alike indiscriminately, bravely tells her shocking and inspiring story and makes a last cry for help from her prison cell. Proceeds from the sale of this book support Asia Bibi's family, which has been forced into hiding.
Blasphemy: The true, heartbreaking story of the woman sentenced to death over a cup of water
by Asia BibiPunjab, Pakistan, June 2009. The temperature is 45° and Asia has been out picking fruit for several hours. It's exhausting, sweaty work, but Asia and her husband have five children to feed. At midday she goes to the nearest well, picks up a cup and takes a long drink of cool water. She refills the cup, drinks some more and then offers it to another woman.Suddenly one of her fellow workers cries out that the water belongs to the Muslim women and that with her actions, Asia - who is Christian - has contaminated it. An argument ignites and in an instant, with one word, Asia's fate is sealed. 'Blasphemy!' someone shouts. In Pakistan this is a charge punishable by death.First attacked by a mob, Asia was soon after thrown into prison and then sentenced to be hanged. Since then she has been kept in a windowless cell. Her family have had to flee their village, under threat from vengeful extremists. In the wave of accusation that followed, only two public figures came to Asia's defence: the Muslim governor of the Punjab and Pakistan's Christian Minister for Minorities. Both have since been brutally murdered. Here, in equal measures shocking and inspiring, Asia Bibi, who has become a symbol for everyone concerned with ending the violence committed in the name of religion, bravely speaks to us from her prison cell.
Blasphemy: The true, heartbreaking story of the woman sentenced to death over a cup of water
by Asia BibiPunjab, Pakistan, June 2009. The temperature is 45° and Asia has been out picking fruit for several hours. It's exhausting, sweaty work, but Asia and her husband have five children to feed. At midday she goes to the nearest well, picks up a cup and takes a long drink of cool water. She refills the cup, drinks some more and then offers it to another woman.Suddenly one of her fellow workers cries out that the water belongs to the Muslim women and that with her actions, Asia - who is Christian - has contaminated it. An argument ignites and in an instant, with one word, Asia's fate is sealed. 'Blasphemy!' someone shouts. In Pakistan this is a charge punishable by death.First attacked by a mob, Asia was soon after thrown into prison and then sentenced to be hanged. Since then she has been kept in a windowless cell. Her family have had to flee their village, under threat from vengeful extremists. In the wave of accusation that followed, only two public figures came to Asia's defence: the Muslim governor of the Punjab and Pakistan's Christian Minister for Minorities. Both have since been brutally murdered. Here, in equal measures shocking and inspiring, Asia Bibi, who has become a symbol for everyone concerned with ending the violence committed in the name of religion, bravely speaks to us from her prison cell.
Blasphemy: ब्लास्फेमी
by Tehmina Durrani"ब्लास्फेमी" ही एक कादंबरी आहे जी लेखिका तहमीना दुर्रानी यांनी लिहिली आहे. ही कादंबरी एका ग्रामीण पाकिस्तानात घडणाऱ्या कथानकावर आधारित आहे, जिथे धार्मिक अधिकारी आणि पितृसत्ताक संरचना महिलांच्या शोषणाला समर्थन देतात. कथेची नायिका हीर हिच्या दृष्टिकोनातून ही कथा सांगितली जाते. हीरला तिचा पती, पिर साईं, जो एक प्रतिष्ठित धार्मिक नेता आहे, त्याच्याकडून शारीरिक आणि मानसिक अत्याचार सहन करावे लागतात. कादंबरीत सामाजिक आणि धार्मिक व्यवस्थांचा कठोरपणे परामर्श घेतला आहे, ज्यामुळे महिलांना बोलण्याची आणि स्वतःच्या अधिकारासाठी लढण्याची संधी मिळत नाही. ही कादंबरी महिलांवरील अत्याचार आणि धार्मिक दुरुपयोगावर भाष्य करते. विशेषतः, पितृसत्ताक व्यवस्थेच्या दुष्परिणामांवर आणि धार्मिक नेतृत्वाच्या गैरवापरावर ती नकारात्मक प्रकाश टाकते. "ब्लास्फेमी" एक अशी कथा आहे जी समाजातील अन्याय आणि स्त्रीशक्तीच्या संघर्षावर लक्ष केंद्रित करते.
Blast Off!: How Mary Sherman Morgan Fueled America into Space
by Suzanne SladeThe inspirational story of Mary Sherman, the world's first female rocket scientist, who overcame gender barriers and many failures to succeed.Growing up in the 1920s on a dirt-poor farm in North Dakota, Mary Sherman's life was filled with chores--until she finally began school and discovered she loved to learn. Mary excelled at science, especially chemistry, and leaped at the chance to work in a laboratory during World War II designing rocket fuels. And when the US decided to enter the space race, Mary was chosen over her male colleagues to create the fuel to launch a rocket carrying America's first satellite. With courage and perseverance, Mary's hard work and calculations paid off, opening up a brand-new frontier for exploration. This STEM biography of an unsung and courageous woman in science will inspire and motivate young readers.
Blatant Injustice: The Story of a Jewish Refugee from Nazi Germany Imprisoned in Britain and Canada during World War II (Footprints Series #1)
by Walter W. IgersheimerGrossly unsanitary living conditions, cruel and abusive treatment by camp officials, the withholding of medical treatment - these were common experiences for refugees imprisoned at internment camps in Britain and Canada. Walter Igersheimer's memoir exposes this bleak period in the British and Canadian war record.After escaping from Nazi Germany with his family, Igersheimer was completing his medical studies when he was caught in the panic that led to the internment of 30,000 German citizens living in Britain. They were placed behind barbed wire and treated as enemies. Many of the Jewish refugees were then sent to prisons in Canada, but the internees did not let the authorities crush their creativity or desire for an education: they started a free university, mounted plays, and wrote musicals. Laced with black humour, Blatant Injustice is a story of resilience and determination.This title is available in ePUB, ePDF, and audiobook (Audible).
Blaze of Light: The Inspiring True Story of Green Beret Medic Gary Beikirch, Medal of Honor Recipient
by Marcus BrothertonFor fans of Unbroken and Hacksaw Ridge comes the powerful true story of a Medal of Honor recipient who faced more than his fair share of battles—and overcame them through perseverance and faith. &“What Gary Beikirch did to receive his medal is unforgettable—and the story of what he overcame afterward is as big and moving as they come.&”—Gary Sinise After dawn the siege began. It was April 1, 1970, and Army Green Beret medic Gary Beikirch knew the odds were stacked against their survival. Some 10,000 enemy soldiers sought to obliterate the twelve American Special Forces troops and 400 indigenous fighters who stood fast to defend 2,300 women and children inside the village of Dak Seang. For his valor and selflessness during the ruthless siege, Beikirch would be awarded a Medal of Honor, the nation&’s highest and most prestigious military decoration. But Gary returned home wounded in body, mind, and soul. To find himself again, Gary retreated to a cave in the mountains of New England, where a redemptive encounter with God allowed Gary to find peace. New York Times best-selling author Marcus Brotherton chronicles the incredible true story of a person who changed from lost to found. Gripping and unforgettable, and written with a rich and vivid narrative voice, Blaze of Light will inspire you to answer hurt with ingenuity, to reach for faith, and to find clarity and peace within any season of storm.
Blazing Splendor: The Memoirs of the Dzogchen Yogi Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche
by Tulku Urgyen RinpocheAn insightful memoir illuminating the profound experiences and magical world of a Tibetan Buddhist master.&“Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche was among Tibetan Buddhism&’s greatest teachers of the twentieth century. His memoir, Blazing Splendor, invites us to join him as he looks back over a life that put him at the center of an unparalleled spiritual abundance. Through his unblinking eyes we meet remarkable contemplative adepts. And through the lens of his awakened awareness, we see the world from a fresh, eye-opening perspective. It is a sweeping account that shares with readers a world where miracles, mystery, and deep insight are the order of the day—a world as reflected through the open, lucid quality of Tulku Urgyen&’s mind.&” —from the foreword by Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence Blazing Splendor is a rare and profound gift: an intimate view into the world of one of the most celebrated and influential meditation masters of the last century. In these memoirs, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche (1920–96) recounts with incredible lucidity and humility his unique spiritual and familial heritage, his training in Tibetan Buddhism, and remarkable encounters with some of the most renowned masters of Tibet. This wide-reaching narrative stretches across generations to provide insight into the lived experience of contemplative adepts and into life before and after the Cultural Revolution, which left Tibet changed forever. Born the great-grandson of the seminal terma-revealer Chokgyur Lingpa and a holder of both Nyingma and Kagyu lineages, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche tells us of his unique family legacy, in which each generation has been saturated with spiritual accomplishments. He tells of how he, in time, became responsible for learning and then transmitting this lineage of Buddhist teachings, which continues today in the flourishing activities of his surviving sons Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, and Tsoknyi Rinpoche. Blazing Splendor is a window into the life of a Mahamudra and Dzogchen master that illuminates the transmission of sacred teachings in a modern world—a world we inhabit too, where the miraculous and the mundane exist side by side.
Bleachy-Haired Honky Bitch: Tales from a Bad Neighborhood
by Hollis GillespieDrawing on her peripatetic childhood as the daughter of a travelling salesman, and her adult residence in one of Atlanta's seedier crack neighbourhoods, columnist and NPR commentator Hollis Gillespie has assembled a comic, poignant memoir about her life, starring her unusual family and her crazy friends.NPR commentator Hollis Gillespie's outrageously funny–and equally heartbreaking–collection of autobiographical tales chronicles her journey through self–reckoning and the worst neighbourhoods in Atlanta in search of a home she can call her own. The daughter of a missile scientist and an alcoholic travelling trailer salesman, Gillespie was nine before she realized not everybody's mother made bombs, and thirty before she realized it was possible to live in one place longer than a six–month lease allows. Supporting her are the social outcasts she calls her best friends: Daniel, a talented and eccentric artist; Grant, who makes his living peddling folk art by a denounced nun who paints plywood signs with twisted evangelical sayings; and Lary, who often, out of compassion, offers to shoot her like a lame horse.Hollis's friends help her battle the mess of obstacles that stand in her way–including her warped childhood, in which her parents moved her and her siblings around the country like carnival barkers, chasing missile–building contracts and other whimsies, such as her father's dream to patent and sell door–to–door the world's most wondrous key–chain. A past like this will make you doubt you'll ever have a future, much less roots. Miraculously, though, Gillespie manages to plant exactly that: roots, as wrested and dubious as they are.As Gillespie says, "Life is too damn short to remain trapped in your own Alcatraz." Follow her on this wickedly funny journey as she manages to escape again and again.
Bleak House: In Four Volumes, Volume 1...
by Charles DickensA tale of family secrets and the damaging corruption of the British legal system from the author of Great Expectations and Oliver Twist. In Bleak House, Charles Dickens not only pries apart the stultifying and ponderous conduct and contracts of British moneyed society, but also takes specific aim at an English judicial system in desperate need of modernization and reform. Featuring the voice of Esther Summerson—Dickens&’s only female narrator—the story unfolds around a generations-old legal case involving numerous inheritances. It is Esther&’s hidden birthright that sparks the drama, bringing to light such memorable characters as the Lady Dedlock, haunted by her shameful past; John Jarndyce, whose seemingly infinite kindness is driven by hidden guilt; and the sly lawyer Mr. Tulkinghorn, who secretly relishes the power his position gives him over his clients. Weaving a complex web of plots and subplots, Dickens created one of his most dramatically satisfying and boldly ambitious narratives in Bleak House, as the novel offers a scathing indictment of the mores and moral injustices of his time. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
Bleaker House: Chasing My Novel to the End of the World
by Nell StevensOn a frozen island in the Falklands, with only penguins for company, a young would-be writer struggles to craft a debut novel...and instead writes a funny, clever, moving memoir that heralds the arrival of a fresh new literary talent.Twenty-seven-year-old Nell Stevens was determined to write a novel, but somehow life kept getting in the way. Then came an irresistible opportunity: she won a fellowship to spend three months, all expenses paid, anywhere in the world to research and write a book. Did she choose a glittering metropolis, a romantic village, an exotic paradise? Um, no. Nell chose Bleaker Island, a snowy, windswept pile of rock off the Falklands. There, in a guesthouse where she would be the only guest, she imagined she could finally rid herself of distractions and write her 2,500 words a day. In three months, surely she'd have a novel, right? It's true that there aren't many distractions on Bleaker, other than sheep, penguins, paranoia and the weather. But as Nell gets to work on her novel--a delightful Dickensian fiction she calls Bleaker House--she discovers that an excruciatingly erratic Internet connection and 1100 calories a day (as much food as she could carry in her suitcase, budgeted to the raisin) are far from ideal conditions for literary production. With deft humour, this memoir traces Nell's island days and slowly reveals details of the life and people she has left behind in pursuit of her art. They pop up in her novel, as well, as memoir and novel start to reflect one another. It seems that there is nowhere Nell can run--neither a remote island nor the pages of her notebook--to escape herself. A whimsical, entertaining, thought-provoking blend of memoir and travelogue, laced with tongue-in-cheek writing advice, Bleaker House brilliantly captures the hopes, fears, self-torture and humour of being young and yearning to make a creative life. With winning honesty and wit, Nell's race to finish her book emerges as a fascinating narrative in its own right.
Bleaker House: Chasing My Novel to the End of the World
by Nell StevensA girl, a laptop, and a waddle of penguins. In this witty and genre-defying memoir, a young writer can travel anywhere she wants to finally finish her novel—and ends up on a frozen island at the bottom of the world. Twenty-seven-year-old Nell Stevens was determined to write a novel, but life kept getting in the way. Then came a game-changing opportunity: she won a fellowship that would let her live, all expenses paid, anywhere in the world to research and write a book. Would she choose a glittering metropolis, a romantic village, an exotic paradise? Not exactly. Nell picked Bleaker Island, a snowy, windswept pile of rock in the Falklands. There, in a guesthouse where she would be the only guest, she could finally rid herself of distractions and write. Before the spring thaw, surely she’d have a novel. And indeed, other than sheep, penguins, paranoia, and the weather, there aren’t many distractions on Bleaker. Nell gets to work on a charming Dickensian fiction she calls Bleaker House—only to discover that total isolation and 1,085 calories a day are far from ideal conditions for literary production. With deft humor, the memoir traces Nell’s island days and slowly reveals details of the life and people she has left behind in pursuit of her writing. They pop up in her novel, too, and in other fictional pieces that dot the book. It seems that there is nowhere Nell can run—an island or the pages of her notebook—to escape the big questions of love, art and ambition. Terrifically smart, full of wry writing advice, and with a clever puzzle of a structure, Bleaker House marks the arrival of a fresh new voice in creative nonfiction.
Bleeding Blue: Giving My All for the Game
by Jim Lang Wendel ClarkFunny, fierce, and gritty, Bleeding Blue recounts every struggle and success of Wendel Clark's rough-and-tumble journey to becoming one of hockey's greatest heroes.As a young boy growing up in Kelvington, Saskatchewan, Wendel Clark never dreamed of an NHL career. The pro league just seemed too far away from the young man's small-town life in the Prairies. But Wendel had a talent for hockey that was surpassed only by his love for the sport, and it wasn't long before he embarked on a path that would take him away from his hometown to a new life. Wendel honed his talents in cities across western Canada and earned a reputation as a force to be reckoned with on the ice. Drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs first overall in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft, Wendel burst onto the pro scene and immediately made an impact, all the while staying true to his roots. As he learned from the players around him, Wendel steadily matured into a respected leader. He soon assumed the mantle as the Leafs captain, and his willingness to lay it all on the line transformed him into a player who could inspire courage in his teammates and fear in his opponents in equal measure. The future seemed limitless for the young star. But just as Wendel's talents were set to peak, everything unraveled. Years of no-holds-barred, physical play were taking their toll, and soon his greatest competitor wasn't anyone on the ice, but his own body. Every movement brought agony, every shift was a challenge, and every game meant the decision to keep fighting. But as Wendel's body broke down, his resolve only grew. Determined to succeed no matter what the cost, Wendel set out on a course that would allow him to keep doing what he loved and that would turn him into one of the most beloved hockey players of all time. Emotional and uplifting, Bleeding Blue is the story of a man who refused to say no, who wore his heart on his sleeve, and who would do anything to keep going, even when everything told him to quit.
Bleeding Orange: Fifty Years of Blind Referees, Screaming Fans, Beasts of the East, and Syracuse Basketball
by Jim Boeheim Jack McCallumNew York Times BestsellerIn this candid autobiography, Syracuse head coach and long time college basketball fixture Jim Boeheim reflects on his life, his teachers, and the game he loves.Jim Boeheim walked onto the Syracuse campus as a freshman in 1963 . . . and never walked off. A man who has been written off at various stages of his career and criticized for being disagreeable, Boeheim has experienced it all—triumph, despair, redemption; controversy, heartbreak, and scandal; championships, epic disappointments, colorful personalities, NCAA investigations.His combative personality helped ignite what was arguably the most competitive college basketball conference ever: the Big East of the 1980s, when he and Syracuse battled with Big John Thompson of Georgetown, roly-poly Rollie Massimino of Villanova, feisty Jim Calhoun of Connecticut, and beloved Looie Carnesecca of St. John’s, turning the Big East into a Coaches Conference and the Best Show in College Basketball. Boeheim talks about those days and the coming battles with powerhouses North Carolina and Duke, now that Syracuse has joined the Atlantic Coast Conference.From his association with Syracuse greats Dave Bing (a college teammate), Pearl Washington, and Derrick Coleman, to the Olympics—where he coached players such as LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Kevin Durant—Boeheim has learned many lessons that have helped his team and continue to encourage him now as he nears seventy.His unprecedented fifty-year career as a player, assistant, head coach and icon has given him unique insight into coaching and the college game, knowledge he now shares.
Bless the Birds: Living with Love in a Time of Dying
by Susan J. TweitWriter Susan Tweit and her economist-turned-sculptor husband Richard Cabe had just settled into their version of a &“good life&” when Richard saw thousands of birds one day—harbingers of the brain cancer that would kill him two years later. This compelling and intimate memoir chronicles their journey into the end of his life, framed by their final trip together, a 4,000-mile-long delayed honeymoon road trip. As Susan and Richard navigate the unfamiliar territory of brain cancer treatment and learn a whole new vocabulary—craniotomies, adjuvant chemotherapy, and brain geography—they also develop new routines for a mindful existence, relying on each other and their connection to nature, including the real birds Richard enjoys watching. Their determination to walk hand in hand, with open hearts, results in profound and difficult adjustments in their roles. Bless the Birds is not a sad story. It is both prayer and love song, a guide to how to thrive in a world where all we hold dear seems to be eroding, whether simple civility and respect, our health and safety, or the Earth itself. It&’s an exploration of living with love in a time of dying—whether personal or global—with humor, unflinching courage, and grace. And it is an invitation to choose to live in light of what we love, rather than what we fear.
Bless the Blood: A Cancer Memoir
by Walela NehandaA searing debut YA poetry and essay collection about a Black cancer patient who faces medical racism after being diagnosed with leukemia in their early twenties, for fans of Audre Lorde's The Cancer Journals and Laurie Halse Anderson's Shout.When Walela is diagnosed at twenty-three with advanced stage blood cancer, they're suddenly thrust into the unsympathetic world of tubes and pills, doctors who don&’t use their correct pronouns, and hordes of "well-meaning" but patronizing people offering unsolicited advice as they navigate rocky personal relationships and share their story online.But this experience also deepens their relationship to their ancestors, providing added support from another realm. Walela's diagnosis becomes a catalyst for their self-realization. As they fill out forms in the insurance office in downtown Los Angeles or travel to therapy in wealthier neighborhoods, they begin to understand that cancer is where all forms of their oppression intersect: Disabled. Fat. Black. Queer. Nonbinary.In Bless the Blood: A Cancer Memoir, the author details a galvanizing account of their survival despite the U.S. medical system, and of the struggle to face death unafraid.