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A Brightness Long Ago
by Guy Gavriel KayInternationally bestselling author Guy Gavriel Kay's latest work is set in a world evoking early Renaissance Italy, with an extraordinary cast of characters.In a chamber overlooking the nighttime waterways of a maritime city, a man looks back on his youth and the people who shaped his life. Danio Cerra's intelligence won him entry to a renowned school, though he was only the son of a tailor. He took service at the court of a ruling count - and soon learned why that man was known as The Beast.Danio's fate changed the moment he recognized Adria Ripoli as she entered the count's chambers one night - intending to kill. Born to power, Adria had chosen a life of danger - and freedom - instead.Other vivid figures share the story: a healer determined to defy her expected lot; a charming, frivolous son of immense wealth; a religious leader more decadent than devout; and, affecting these lives and many more, two mercenary commanders, whose rivalry puts a world in the balance. A Brightness Long Ago offers both compelling drama and deeply moving reflections on the nature of memory, the choices we make in life, and the role played by the turning of Fortune's wheel.(P)2019 Hodder & Stoughton LimitedPraise for Guy Gavriel KayPraise for Guy Gavriel Kay 'The greatest living author of epic fantasy' Brandon Sanderson 'Contemporary fiction's finest fantasist' Tor.com 'History and fantasy rarely come together as gracefully or readably as they do in the novels of Guy Gavriel Kay' Washington Post 'One of the (if not the) premiere fantasists of our time' The Financial Times 'Compulsively readable . . . Kay is a global phenomenon . . . a storyteller on the grandest scale' Time Magazine (Canada)(P) 2019 Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
A Bushel of Beans and a Peck of Tomatoes: The Life and Times of "The Funniest Man in America"
by James GregoryThe life story of the &“Funniest Man in America&” as only he could tell it.James Gregory is beloved by millions…but the story of his astonishing rise to success has never been told—until now.One of the most successful nightclub and theater comedians in America started out a long way from the stage, in the tiny farming community of Lithonia, Georgia. James was born into a family with lots of love but little money. His parents paid the doctor for his delivery with &“a bushel of beans and a peck of tomatoes.&”Before he became &“The Funniest Man in America,&” James was a successful salesman of everything from encyclopedias to log homes. His philosophy: take care of yourself so nobody has to take care of you. When he started over as a comedian, this commitment to hard work and honest dealing would be the key to his &“business&” of comedy. James loves working people—because that&’s what he is, too.James was quickly discovered—not just in the South, but across America—by folks who love down-home, wholesome humor. He became the court jester of country music royalty, too, from Randy Travis to &“Whispering&” Bill Anderson to the Possum himself, George Jones.Whether it&’s entertaining our troops in the Persian Gulf after 9/11, working the road with greats like Steven Wright and Jay Leno, or facing a heart-stopping emergency that sent him into a coma, James has squeezed a dozen lifetimes into a half-century of comedy. This book is the best James Gregory story yet—as only he can tell it.
A Career in Radio: Understanding the Key Building Blocks
by Sayed Mohammad AmirThis book gives an overview of the development, significance, and impact of radio as a medium of mass communication in modern society. It provides a thorough understanding of the various wings and functionaries of the radio industry. The book also covers aspects of commercial radio, the basics of understanding the pulse of radio listeners, formatting radio programming, making an effective sales pitch and producing great commercials to exhaustive advice on presenting a show, appearing for interviews, and public speaking. It also gives insight into the changes brought in by technology in terms of traditional radio broadcasts, such as digital radio, highlighting its advancements in audio quality and the diversity of programming options available, and satellite radio, subscription-based services, and exclusive access to specialised programming. An outcome of the author’s vast experience of working as a radio jockey and programme manager for over 17 years, his book will be an ideal textbook for undergraduate and postgraduate students of journalism and mass communication, taking courses on radio, audio and podcasting, media production and digital media. Additionally, this book will be an invaluable companion to existing radio professionals as a resource-book for their professional development.
A Carlin Home Companion: Growing Up with George
by Kelly CarlinFrom the daughter of the iconoclastic comedic performer, Kelly Carlin’s memoir A Carlin Home Companion: Growing Up with George “is written in the DNA of a Carlin, honest, biting, savage, funny, sad, dark, and profound…Hold on; like George Carlin, this book gives you a hell of a ride” (New York Times bestselling author and multi-award-winning comedian Lewis Black).Truly the voice of a generation, George Carlin gave the world some of the most hysterical and iconic comedy routines of the last fifty years. From the “Seven Dirty Words” and “A Place for My Stuff”, to “Religion is Bullshit” and “The American Dream”, he perfected the art of making audiences double over with laughter while simultaneously making people wake up to the realities (and insanities) of life in the twentieth century.Few people glimpsed the inner life of this beloved comedian, but his only child, Kelly, was there to see it all. Born at the very beginning of his decades-long career in comedy, she slid around the “old Dodge Dart,” as he and wife Brenda drove around the country to “hell gigs.” She witnessed his transformation in the ’70s, as he fought back against—and talked back to—the establishment; she even talked him down from a really bad acid trip a time or two (“Kelly, the sun has exploded and we have eight, no-seven and a half minutes to live!”).Kelly not only watched her father constantly reinvent himself and his comedy, but also had a front row seat to the roller coaster turmoil of her family’s inner life—alcoholism, cocaine addiction, life-threatening health scares, and a crushing debt to the IRS. But having been the only “adult” in her family prepared her little for the task of her own adulthood. All the while, Kelly sought to define her own voice as she separated from the shadow of her father’s genius.With rich humor and deep insight, Kelly Carlin pulls back the curtain on what it was like to grow up as the daughter of one of the most recognizable comedians of our time, and become a woman in her own right. This vivid, hilarious, heartbreaking story is at once singular and universal—it is a contemplation of what it takes to move beyond the legacy of childhood, and forge a life of your own.
A Carnival of Snackery: Diaries: Volume Two
by David SedarisThere's no right way to keep a diary, but if there's an entertaining way, David Sedaris seems to have mastered it.If it's navel-gazing you're after, you've come to the wrong place; ditto treacly self-examination. Rather, his observations turn outward: a fight between two men on a bus, a fight between two men on the street; collecting Romanian insults, or being taken round a Japanese parasite museum. There's a dirty joke shared at a book signing, then a dirtier one told at a dinner party-lots of jokes here. Plenty of laughs.These diaries remind you that you once really hated George W. Bush, and that not too long ago, Donald Trump was a harmless laughingstock, at least on French TV. Time marches on, and Sedaris, at his desk or on planes, in fine hotel dining rooms and Serbian motels, records it. The entries here reflect an ever-changing background-new administrations, new restrictions on speech and conduct. What you can say at the start of the book, you can't by the end.Sedaris has been compared to Truman Capote and Tennessee Williams, Lewis Carroll and a 'sexy Alan Bennett'. A Carnival of Snackery illustrates that he is very much his own, singular self.
A Carnival of Snackery: Diaries: Volume Two (Language Acts and Worldmaking #31)
by David SedarisThere's no right way to keep a diary, but if there's an entertaining way, David Sedaris seems to have mastered it.If it's navel-gazing you're after, you've come to the wrong place; ditto treacly self-examination. Rather, his observations turn outward: a fight between two men on a bus, a fight between two men on the street; collecting Romanian insults, or being taken round a Japanese parasite museum. There's a dirty joke shared at a book signing, then a dirtier one told at a dinner party-lots of jokes here. Plenty of laughs.These diaries remind you that you once really hated George W. Bush, and that not too long ago, Donald Trump was a harmless laughingstock, at least on French TV. Time marches on, and Sedaris, at his desk or on planes, in fine hotel dining rooms and Serbian motels, records it. The entries here reflect an ever-changing background-new administrations, new restrictions on speech and conduct. What you can say at the start of the book, you can't by the end.Sedaris has been compared to Truman Capote and Tennessee Williams, Lewis Carroll and a 'sexy Alan Bennett'. A Carnival of Snackery illustrates that he is very much his own, singular self.
A Catalogue of the Shaw-Hellier Collection (Routledge Revivals)
by Ian LedshamIn this compilation, first published in 1999, Ian Ledsham compiles an extensive catalogue of the Shaw-Hellier Collection, complete with diagrams regarding how we use text.
A Certain Tendency of the Hollywood Cinema, 1930-1980
by Robert B. RayRobert B. Ray examines the ideology of the most enduringly popular cinema in the world--the Hollywood movie. Aided by 364 frame enlargements, he describes the development of that historically overdetermined form, giving close readings of five typical instances: Casablanca, It's a Wonderful Life, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The Godfather, and Taxi Driver. Like the heroes of these movies, American filmmaking has avoided commitment, in both plot and technique. Instead of choosing left or right, avant-garde or tradition, American cinema tries to have it both ways.Although Hollywood's commercial success has led the world audience to equate the American cinema with film itself, Hollywood filmmaking is a particular strategy designed to respond to specific historical situations. As an art restricted in theoretical scope but rich in individual variations, the American cinema poses the most interesting question of popular culture: Do dissident forms have any chance of remaining free of a mass medium seeking to co-opt them?
A Challenge for the Actor
by Uta HagenIt takes talent, TALENT is defined in the dictionary as "the natural endowment of a person with special or creative aptitudes."
A Chance to Shine: Independent Reading 18 (Reading Champion #457)
by Jill AtkinsLily hates her athletics training but wants to please her parents, though she'll never be as good as her brother, Abe. One day she spots an audition poster at school and discovers her chance to shine lies on the stage, not on the athletics track ... This first colour chapter book is a perfectly levelled, accessible text for Key stage 2 readers aged 10-11 or in year 6. Reading Champion offers independent reading books for children to practise and reinforce their developing reading skills.Fantastic, original stories are accompanied by engaging artwork and activities to provoke deeper response and encourage writing. Each book has been carefully graded so that it can be matched to a child's reading ability, encouraging reading for pleasure.The Key Stage 2 Reading Champion Books are suggested for use as follows:Independent Reading 11: start of Year 3 or age 7+Independent Reading 12: end of Year 3 or age 7+Independent Reading 13: start of Year 4 or age 8+Independent Reading 14: end of Year 4 or age 8+Independent Reading 15: start of Year 5 or age 9+Independent Reading 16: end of Year 5 or age 9+Independent Reading 17: start of Year 6 or age 10+Independent Reading 18: end of Year 6 or age 10+
A Change of Plans for Elmo!: Sesame Street Monster Meditation in collaboration with Headspace
by Random HouseElmo is all set to have a playdate, until it gets cancelled. Luckily, he learns fun breathing activities and a game to help get over his disappointment—based on the popular "Sesame Street Monster Meditation" video on YouTube, made in collaboration with the mindfulness app Headspace.When Abby gets the sniffles and can't have a playdate with Elmo, the furry red monster becomes rather disappointed. But he learns a game called 1, 2, 3, Freeze and discovers that a change of plans doesn't have to ruin his day! Preschoolers will love learning some Monster Meditation exercises along with Elmo in this colorful board book. Plus, there's an offer in the book for a free month of the Headspace app! This book is inspired by the popular Sesame Street Monster Meditation videos on YouTube that help young children learn mindfulness techniques along with their favorite characters. The videos are made in collaboration with Headspace, the mindfulness app. The art style in the books is the same as in the videos--bright and simple, to appeal to the youngest Sesame Street fans.Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, aims to help kids grow smarter, stronger, and kinder through its many unique domestic and international initiatives. These projects cover a wide array of topics for families around the world.
A Character Named Cervantes: On Screen, on Stage, and on the Page (Toronto Iberic #95)
by Howard Mancing Tatevik GyulamiryanMiguel de Cervantes, writer of Don Quixote, has frequently been portrayed in fictionalized contexts across various mediums. In A Character Named Cervantes, Howard Mancing and Tatevik Gyulamiryan explore how Cervantes’s life is depicted in biographies and fiction and how he, as a (bio)fictional character, contributes to our understanding of reality and fiction, fact and invention, history and imagination, and above all, our perceptions of these concepts.The book reveals that Cervantes’s life was unlike anyone else’s. Characterized by an array of extraordinary experiences – both triumphant and tumultuous, adventurous and misfortunate, impassioned and disillusioned – his life events mirror the quixotic spirit he famously imbued in his iconic character. Despite the wealth of documented events, a lot about Cervantes remains uncovered, which allows for human imagination, interpretation, and creation to intervene, attempting to provide a more comprehensive biography. The book highlights how Cervantes’s life has inspired multiple interpretations and recreations by historians, biographers, and novelists alike. It emphasizes the crucial role of human imagination in the crafting of biographies, particularly within literary and scholarly traditions. Ultimately, A Character Named Cervantes examines Cervantes through the dual lenses of fiction and fictionalized history.
A Child of the Century
by Ben HechtFirst published in 1954, in this quintessential autobiography Ben Hecht recounts his childhood, education, and career as journalist, playwright, and screenwriter, describes famous political and literary acquaintances, and examines U.S. efforts to aid Jews in Nazi Germany and, after the war, in Israel.A remarkable memoir.
A Child of the Century
by Ben HechtBen Hecht’s critically acclaimed autobiographical memoir, first published in 1954, offers incomparably pungent evocations of Chicago in the 1910s and 1920s, Hollywood in the 1930s, and New York during the Second World War and after. “His manners are not always nice, but then nice manners do not always make interesting autobiographies, and this autobiography has the merit of being intensely interesting.”—Saul Bellow, New York Times Named to Time’s list of All-Time 100 Nonfiction Books, which deems it “the un-put-downable testament of the era’s great multimedia entertainer.”
A Child's Introduction to Ballet: The Stories, Music, and Magic of Classical Dance (Child's Introduction Series)
by Laura LeeThis enchanting introduction to the wonderful world of ballet has been updated to include a removable poster and access to 25 downloadable music tracks. Young dancers have fallen in love with this charming, illustrated exploration of the world's great ballets. Featuring twenty-five famous and beloved pieces such as Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Peter and the Wolf and Fancy Free, these stories bring iconic performances to life, and inspire readers to listen and dance along to the music that has made them enduring classics. Woven into these tales is a captivating history of ballet, filled with information and profiles of the world's greatest dancers, choreographers, and composers. Young readers will also enjoy fun facts and dancing how-tos all while listening to excerpts of classical music. Also included is a removable, fold-out poster depicting the five positions of ballet.
A Child's Introduction to the Nutcracker: The Story, Music, Costumes, and Choreography of the Fairy Tale Ballet (A Child's Introduction Series)
by Heather AlexanderBallet enthusiasts of all ages will delight in the magical story of The Nutcracker and the magnificent ballet it inspired in this enchanted book packed with colorful illustrations, fun facts, history, music, and the love of dance. Whether The Nutcracker is your first ballet experience or you&’re already a master dancer, everything you love and want to know about this special, sugar-spun, snow-dusted ballet can be found in these delightful pages. Follow The Nutcracker as it makes its way from page to stage to become the world&’s most popular holiday ballet. Learn all about the dazzling steps, spins, and jumps choreographed by Petipa, Ivanov, and Balanchine, and meet the famed composer Tchaikovsky. Special sections highlight some of the most famous dancers and companies that have brought the performance and the magic of this ballet to life.Packed with charming illustrations showcasing the beautiful costumes and lavish sets, plus removable poster for you to color, A Child&’s Introduction to the Nutcracker lets you to enjoy this magical ballet all year round!
A Choreographer's Handbook
by Jonathan BurrowsOn choreography: "Choreography is a negotiation with the patterns your body is thinking" On rules: "Try breaking the rules on a need to break the rules basis" A Choreographer’s Handbook invites the reader to investigate how and why to make a dance performance. In an inspiring and unusually empowering sequence of stories, ideas and paradoxes, internationally renowned dancer, choreographer and teacher Jonathan Burrows explains how it’s possible to navigate a course through this complex process. It is a stunning reflection on a personal practice and professional journey, and draws upon five years’ of workshop discussions, led by Burrows. Burrows’ open and honest prose gives the reader access to a range of exercises, meditations, principles and ideas on choreography that allow artists and dance-makers to find their own aesthetic process. It is a book for anyone interested in making performance, at whatever level and in whichever style.
A Choreographer's Handbook
by Jonathan BurrowsOn choreography: ‘Choreography is a negotiation with the patterns your body is thinking.’On rules: ‘Try breaking the rules on a need to break the rules basis.’The updated and revised edition of 'A Choreographer’s Handbook' invites the reader to investigate how and why to make a dance performance. In an inspiring and unusually empowering sequence of stories, questions, ideas and paradoxes, internationally renowned choreographer Jonathan Burrows explains how it’s possible to navigate a course through this complex process.It is a stunning reflection on a personal practice and professional journey, and draws upon many years of workshop discussions, led by Burrows.Burrows’ open and honest prose gives the reader access to a range of principles, exercises, meditations and ideas on choreography that allow artists and dance-makers to find their own aesthetic process.It is a book for anyone interested in making performance, at whatever level and in whichever style.
A Chosen Destiny: My Story
by Drew McIntyreIn this thrilling, no-holds-barred memoir that shows why he is &“an inspiration to millions of WWE fans around the world&” (Triple H), WWE Champion Drew McIntyre tells the incredible roller-coaster story of his life, from a small village in Ayrshire, Scotland, to the bright lights of WWE.From a young age, Drew McIntyre dreamed of becoming a WWE Champion and following in the footsteps of his heroes &“Stone Cold&” Steve Austin and The Undertaker. With his parents&’ support, he trained and paid his dues, proving himself to tiny crowds in the UK&’s Butlin circuit. At age twenty-two, McIntyre made his WWE debut and was touted by none other than WWE Chairman Vince McMahon as &“The Chosen One&” who would lead WWE into the future. With his destiny in the palms of his hands, Drew watched it all slip through his fingers. Via a series of ill-advised choices and family tragedy, Drew&’s life and career spiraled. As a surefire champ, he struggled under the pressure of expectations and was fired from the company. But the WWE Universe had not seen the last of this promising athlete. Facing a crossroads, the powerful Scotsman set a course to show the world the real Drew McIntyre. Buoyed by the support of his wife, Kaitlyn, and the memory of his beloved mother, Drew embarked on a mission to recharge, reinvent, and revitalize himself to fulfill his destiny. This is a story of grit, courage, and determination as a fallen Superstar discovers who he truly is and storms back to reclaim his dream.
A Christmas Story: Behind the Scenes of a Holiday Classic
by Caseen Gaines&“The definitive book about Bob Clark&’s 1983 classic holiday film. Filled with untold stories, unreleased photographs, and much more&” (Parade). This ultimate guide to everything fans want to know about A Christmas Story shares the inside scoop behind the film&’s production, release, and unlikely ascent to the top of popular culture. From Jean Shepherd&’s original radio broadcasts to Bob Clark&’s 1983 sleeper hit film and beyond, A Christmas Story has become a beloved Yuletide tradition over the last three decades. This is the untold story of the making of the film—and what happened afterwards. Ralphie Parker&’s quest for a Red Ryder air rifle didn&’t end with the movie&’s release; the tale inspired massive VHS sales, a Broadway production, and a mountain of merchandise. Complete with rare and previously unreleased photographs, now fans of the movie and film buffs alike can lean all they didn&’t know about the timeless classic. &“Entertainingly and exhaustively sheds new light on a movie that everyone loves and thinks they know inside and out. Engaging and packed with enlightening anecdotes, it&’s a perfect companion to the movie.&” —Richard Crouse, author of 100 Best Movies You&’ve Never Seen and Raising Hell: Ken Russell and the Unmaking of The Devils &“Caseen Gaines&’ comprehensive, insightful, and beautifully illustrated look at Ralphie Parker and his family will make perennial viewings of this beloved comedy an even richer and more entertaining tradition.&” —Jeremy Kinser, Queerty &“An iconic and brilliant part of Americana is brought back to life through Caseen Gaines&’ book. I couldn&’t stop smiling while reading it!&” —Noah Levy, cohost of VH1&’s The Gossip Table
A Cinema of Hopelessness: The Rhetoric of Rage in 21st Century Popular Culture (Rhetoric, Politics and Society)
by Kendall R. PhillipsThis book explores the circulation of anger and hostility in contemporary American culture with particular attention to the fantasy of refusal, a dream of rejecting all the structures of the contemporary political and economic system. Framing the question of public sentiment through the lens of rhetorical studies, this book traces the circulation of symbols that craft public feelings in contemporary popular cinema. Analyzing popular twenty-first century films as invitations to a particular way of feeling, the book delves into the way popular sentiments are circulated and intensified. The book examines dystopian films (The Purge, The Cabin in the Woods), science fiction (Snowpiercer), and superhero narratives (the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Joker). Across these varied films, an affective economy that emphasizes grief, betrayal, refusal, and an underlying rage at the seeming hopelessness of contemporary culture is uncovered. These examinations are framed in terms of ongoing political protests ranging from Occupy Wall Street, the Tea Party, Black Lives Matter, and the 6th January 2021 invasion of the US Capitol Building.
A Cinema of Poetry: Aesthetics of the Italian Art Film
by Joseph LuzziExplores the poetics and aesthetics of the Italian art film in Rossellini, Antonioni, Fellini, and other groundbreaking directors.A Cinema of Poetry brings Italian film studies into dialogue with fields outside its usual purview by showing how films can contribute to our understanding of aesthetic questions that stretch back to Homer. Joseph Luzzi considers the relation between film and literature, especially the cinematic adaptation of literary sources and, more generally, the fields of rhetoric, media studies, and modern Italian culture.The book balances theoretical inquiry with close readings of films by the masters of Italian cinema: Roberto Rossellini, Vittorio De Sica, Luchino Visconti, Michelangelo Antonioni, Federico Fellini, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Bernardo Bertolucci, and others. Luzzi's study is the first to show how Italian filmmakers address such crucial aesthetic issues as the nature of the chorus, the relation between symbol and allegory, the literary prehistory of montage, and the place of poetry in cinematic expression—what Pasolini called the "cinema of poetry." While Luzzi establishes how certain qualities of film—its link with technological processes, capacity for mass distribution, synthetic virtues (and vices) as the so-called total art—have reshaped centuries-long debates, A Cinema of Poetry also explores what is specific to the Italian art film and, more broadly, Italian cinematic history. In other words, what makes this version of the art film recognizably "Italian"?
A Circus Wish (Magic Kitten)
by Sue BentleyAfter she discovers she's good at acrobatics, Sadie can't wait to get involved with the local circus youth group. However, Sadie's best friend Jenny suddenly starts acting jealous toward her. Luckily, Sadie finds a lonely kitten that can make everything better.
A Comedian's Prayer Book
by Frank SkinnerA Comedian's Prayer Book. The title is a worry, isn't it?...God is a tough audience as far as audible response is concerned, but at least you don't have to explain the references. In this collection of prayers, much-loved comedian, broadcaster and radio host Frank Skinner has tried to retain the bare candour of the rehearsal-room improvisation - to show what faith feels like, from the inside - but infused it with all the production values required to make it a passable public entertainment. In it are his convictions, his questions, his fears, his doubts, his elations - all presented in an eavesdropper-friendly form. Hell, Judgement, atheism, money, faith and the X-Men all feature: it's a bit like reading the Bible, except you only get one side of the conversation, and all the jokes are left in.
A Companion to African Cinema (Wiley Blackwell Companions to National Cinemas)
by Kenneth W. HarrowAn authoritative guide to African cinema with contributions from a team of experts on the topic A Companion to African Cinema offers an overview of critical approaches to African cinema. With contributions from an international panel of experts, the Companion approaches the topic through the lens of cultural studies, contemporary transformations in the world order, the rise of globalization, film production, distribution, and exhibition. This volume represents a new approach to African cinema criticism that once stressed the sociological and sociopolitical aspects of a film. The text explores a wide range of broad topics including: cinematic economics, video movies, life in cinematic urban Africa, reframing human rights, as well as more targeted topics such as the linguistic domestication of Indian films in the Hausa language and the importance of female African filmmakers and their successes in overcoming limitations caused by gender inequality. The book also highlights a comparative perspective of African videoscapes of Southern Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Côte d’Ivoire and explores the rise of Nairobi-based Female Filmmakers. This important resource: Puts the focus on critical analyses that take into account manifestations of the political changes brought by neocolonialism and the waning of the cold war Explores Examines the urgent questions raised by commercial video about globalization Addresses issues such as funding, the acquisition of adequate production technologies and apparatuses, and the development of adequately trained actors Written for film students and scholars, A Companion to African Cinema offers a look at new critical approaches to African cinema.