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My Name Is Long as a River
by Suma SubramaniamIn this sweeping picture book, an Indian girl discovers the power of her name as she travels along the river she was named after.What&’s so special about your name? Kaveri Thanjavur Jayalakshmi Ganesan doesn&’t think there is anything special about her very long name—in fact, she would prefer to be called &“Kav.&” But Paati reminds Kaveri that her name was inspired by her family&’s heritage, where she was born, and the powerful river they journey across for the Pushkaram Festival. Along the way, Kaveri&’s eyes and heart are opened to the beauty and magic her name holds.Through Suma Subramaniam&’s lyrical and tender writing and Tara Anand&’s radiant illustrations, My Name Is Long as a River offers messages of cultural pride, self-confidence, and empowerment.
My Mother, My Teacher: A Memoir from Western Sahara (MLA Texts and Translations)
by null Bahia Mahmud AwahSeparated from his family in the aftermath of the failed decolonization process in Western Sahara, Bahia Mahmud Awah was sustained by recollections of his mother. In this memoir, he describes her sacrifices, her optimism, and her deep love. His family's experiences exemplify the larger story of loss and displacement in the region even as his story shows how shared memories can nourish community and culture across generations, even in exile. Incorporating poetry in Hassaniya, the traditional Saharawi language, the work highlights the role of language in shaping identity and resisting colonialism.First published in 2011 as La maestra que me enseñó en una tabla de madera (The Woman Who Taught Me on a Wooden Slate), this edition includes the first complete English translation and a new epilogue by the author featuring further remembrances of his mother and examples of her poetry.
My Lighthouse: A Story of Finding Your Way Home
by Ali GilkesonJoin a reluctant young lighthouse keeper, his extremely round cat, and his trusty rowboat Rockshore in a whimsical and tender tale of finding adventure, losing your way, and learning to appreciate what you already have.Fynn has always lived in a lighthouse—just like his father, and his father, and his father before him. His dad insists that living in a round house with a big lightbulb on top is special, but Fynn doesn't see how. All he knows is that it's weird—and often inconvenient.Exasperated by trying to fit all his favorite things in a round house and tired of being so different from everyone else, Fynn runs away from his lighthouse, seeking adventure on the sea. But when the winds and waves rise and things get very, very dark, Fynn finds that the light he needs most is the one that he's known all his life. Inspired by Rend Collective&’s hit song of the same name and paired with whimsical illustrations by New York Times bestselling illustrator Lee Wildish, this is a tale families will return to again and again.
My Life with Bob: Flawed Heroine Keeps Book of Books, Plot Ensues
by Pamela PaulPeople Pick • O Magazine Title to Pick Up Now • Vanity Fair Hot Type • Glamour New Book You’re Guaranteed to Love This Summer • LitHub.com Best Book about Books • Buzzfeed Book You Need to Read This Summer •Seattle Times Book for Summer Reading • Warby Parker Blog Book Pick• Google Talks • Harper’s Bazaar • Vogue •The Washington Post • TheEconomist • The Christian Science Monitor • Salon • The AtlanticImagine keeping a record of every book you’ve ever read. What would this reading trajectory say about you? With passion, humor, and insight, the editor of The New York Times Book Review shares the stories that have shaped her life.Pamela Paul has kept a single book by her side for twenty-eight years – carried throughout high school and college, hauled from Paris to London to Thailand, from job to job, safely packed away and then carefully removed from apartment to house to its current perch on a shelf over her desk – reliable if frayed, anonymous-looking yet deeply personal. This book has a name: Bob.Bob is Paul’s Book of Books, a journal that records every book she’s ever read, from Sweet Valley High to Anna Karenina, from Catch-22 to Swimming to Cambodia, a journey in reading that reflects her inner life – her fantasies and hopes, her mistakes and missteps, her dreams and her ideas, both half-baked and wholehearted. Her life, in turn, influences the books she chooses, whether for solace or escape, information or sheer entertainment. But My Life with Bob isn’t really about those books. It’s about the deep and powerful relationship between book and reader. It’s about the way books provide each of us the perspective, courage, companionship, and imperfect self-knowledge to forge our own path. It’s about why we read what we read and how those choices make us who we are. It’s about how we make our own stories.
My Life in the Wild Cheetah (Animal Planet Ser.)
by Meredith CostainA newborn cheetah cub greets readers at the beginning of this immersive book and leads them on a fascinating journey through the life cycle of the world's fastest cats. This playful, first-person narrative introduces readers to important science curriculum topics including the cheetah's camouflage coat, its hot habitat, and its place in the cat family. Gorgeous illustrations will further captivate readers and an extensive "Did You Know?" section will invite readers to engage in critical thinking. The fun quiz allows readers to test reading comprehension skills for an independent learning experience.
My Life in Recipes: Food, Family, and Memories: A Cookbook
by Joan NathanA new cookbook from the best-selling and award-winning author that uses recipes to look back at her life and family history—and at her personal journey discovering Jewish cuisine from around the world"There is no greater authority on Jewish cooking than Joan Nathan." —Michael Solomonov, James Beard award-winning chef and author of ZahavBefore hummus was available in every grocery store—before shakshuka was a dish on every brunch menu—Joan Nathan taught home cooks how and why they should make these now-beloved staples themselves. Here, in her most personal book yet, the beloved authority on global Jewish cuisine uses recipes to look back at her own family&’s history— their arrival in America from Germany; her childhood in postwar New York and Rhode Island; her years in Paris, New York, Israel, and Washington, DC. Nathan shares her story—of marriage, motherhood, and a career as a food writer; of a life well-lived and centered around meals—and she punctuates it with all the foods she has come to love.With over 100 recipes from roast chicken to rugelach, from matzoh ball soup to challah and brisket, here are updated versions of her favorites. But here too are new favorites: Salmon with Preserved Lemon and Za&’atar; Fragrant Spiced Chicken with Rice, Eggplant, Peppers, and Zucchini; Mahammar (a Syrian pepper, pomegranate and walnut dip); Moroccan Chicken with Almonds, Cinnamon and Couscous; Joan&’s version of the perfect Black and White Cookies.This is a treasury of recipes and stories—and an invitation to a seat at Nathan's table.
My Life as an Explorer: Autobiography of the First Man to Reach the South Pole
by Roald Amundsen"My Life as an Explorer" by Roald Amundsen is a riveting autobiography that chronicles the life and adventures of one of history's greatest explorers. Published in 1927, this work provides an intimate glimpse into the experiences and achievements of the first man to reach the South Pole.Roald Amundsen, a Norwegian explorer renowned for his polar expeditions, narrates his journey from a young boy fascinated by the Arctic to becoming a pioneering figure in polar exploration. The book delves into Amundsen's early life, his inspirations, and the rigorous training that prepared him for the formidable challenges he would face.The heart of the autobiography focuses on Amundsen's historic 1911 expedition to the South Pole. Through vivid storytelling, he recounts the meticulous planning, the selection of his team, and the innovative strategies that set his expedition apart. Amundsen details the harsh conditions, the relentless cold, and the immense physical and mental endurance required to traverse the Antarctic landscape.Amundsen's narrative is not only a tale of adventure but also a study in leadership and resilience. He provides insights into the decision-making processes and the camaraderie among his team members that were crucial to their success. The autobiography also reflects on the scientific contributions of the expedition and the impact it had on our understanding of the polar regions."My Life as an Explorer" is an inspiring and engaging read, offering a firsthand look at the triumphs and tribulations of one of the most celebrated explorers of the 20th century. Roald Amundsen's autobiography is a testament to the power of determination, innovation, and the relentless pursuit of dreams, making it a must-read for anyone interested in the history of exploration and the indomitable human spirit.
My Left Foot: The Life That Inspired My Left Foot
by Christy BrownChristy Brown was born a victim of cerebral palsy. But the hapless, lolling baby concealed the brilliantly imaginative and sensitive mind of a writer who would take his place among the giants of Irish literature. This is Christy Brown's own story. He recounts his childhood struggle to learn to read, write, paint and finally type, with the toe of his left foot. In this manner he wrote his bestseller Down all the Days.
My Last Wishes . . .: A Journal of Life, Love, Laughs, & a Few Final Notes
by Joy MeredithIf you're like most people, you've probably wondered what will happen after you're gone. What will you wear to your funeral? What will your obituary say? Will the people in your life know that you loved them? Formatted like a journal and intermingled with charmingly helpful tips and witty, expert advice, My Last Wishes provides you with the chance to leave behind the answers to these questions and many more. It's the ultimate gift to give yourself and your loved ones. What's more, filling it out inspires you to treasure your life today, and look forward to the life you have yet to live.
My Lady Jane (The Lady Janies)
by Cynthia Hand Brodi Ashton Jodi MeadowsSoon to be a series on Prime Video!New York Times Bestseller * Publishers Weekly Best Young Adult Book of the Year * Bustle Best Young Adult Book of the Year * YALSA Best Fiction for Young AdultsThis comical, fantastical, romantical, New York Times bestselling, (not) entirely true story of Lady Jane Grey is “an uproarious historical fantasy that’s not to be missed” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).In My Lady Jane, coauthors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows have created a one-of-a-kind YA fantasy in the tradition of The Princess Bride, featuring a reluctant king, an even more reluctant queen, a noble steed, and only a passing resemblance to actual history—because sometimes history needs a little help.At sixteen, Lady Jane Grey is about to be married off to a stranger and caught up in a conspiracy to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But those trifling problems aren’t for Jane to worry about. Jane gets to be Queen of England.Like that could go wrong.And don't miss the authors' next fun read, My Plain Jane!
My Kind of Christmas: A Holiday Romance Novel (A Virgin River Novel #18)
by Robyn CarrLook for Robyn’s new book, The Best of Us, a story about family, second chances and choosing to live your best life—order your copy today!Celebrate another Virgin River holiday, only from #1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr.While the Riordan brothers have a reputation for being rough-and-tumble, Patrick has always been the gentle, sweet-natured one. But his easygoing manner is tested by his high-octane career as a navy pilot, and for the Riordan men, when the going gets toughthe tough find the love of a good woman. Angie LeCroix wants to spend Christmas in Virgin River relaxing, away from her well-intentioned but hovering mother. Yet instead of freedom, she gets her uncle, Jack Sheridan. If he had his way, she’d never go out at all. And certainly not with Patrick Riordan. But Angie has her own idea of the kind of Christmas she wants and the kind of man. Patrick and Angie thought they wanted to be left alone this Christmas until they met each other. Now they want to be left alone together. But the Sheridan and Riordan families have different plans for Patrick and Angie and for Christmas, Virgin River style!Originally published in 2012
My German Brother: A Novel
by Chico BuarqueAn uproarious novel about a man’s often sordid, lifelong search for his possibly imaginary half brotherMy German Brother is the renowned Brazilian musician and author Chico Buarque’s attempt to reconstruct through fiction his obsessive lifelong search for a lost sibling.In 1960s São Paulo, the teenage car thief and budding lothario Ciccio comes home each day to a house stuffed with books. His father, a journalist and scholar, has spent his life acquiring them; his mother, by necessity, has spent her life organizing this library. Ciccio feels like an afterthought in his own family, largely left to his own criminal devices. Forbidden to touch any of these books, Ciccio sneaks off with The Golden Bough one day to discover a decades-old letter hidden inside. The letter reveals an illicit affair his father carried on while posted in Nazi-era Berlin, an affair that resulted in the birth of a baby boy. The child, along with his mother, vanished into the chaos of the Second World War. Ciccio develops a fascination for his mysterious German brother: a fixation that becomes a mission, both comical and courageous, pursued over decades, through dead ends and embarrassments and cases of mistaken identity. My German Brother is the project of a lifetime, combining what was, what might have been, and outright fabrication, all in order to arrive at the truth.
My French Secrets: How Food Lovers Stay Slim
by Marlène DuleryMy French Secrets ‘You don’t need to be a chef to perform impressive feats in the kitchen. It’s just the art of mastering a few basics and learning to think like a French person; then, with the right ingredients, you can create amazing dishes in a short time. Those recipes have been written throughout my life, my career, my travels; some of them are from my mum, my grandad. It’s my everyday food: what I think is enjoyable, healthy, naughty sometimes... Good quality ingredients, added to some exercise, meditation, a lot of water and the right amount of wine: this is part of the secret. The other secret of French food is that we take our time. We take the time to cook our food from scratch, take the time to walk, take the time to drink our wine and coffee… In other words, we take time to live. This book will help you to stay healthy and slim while enjoying the food and wine you love. It is a bible for enjoyment, something that everybody could carry around in case they’re in need of inspiration for a last-minute dinner with friends, ideas for a weekly menu, a nice meal à deux or a delicious lunch just for yourself. To help you learn how to feel good whilst indulging in all these pleasures, I will guide you through your daily routine, your organisation in the kitchen and pantry and even your shopping list. So if you wish to keep an elegant silhouette without being frustrated and to eat what you like and drink wine, this book is just for you. Enjoy!’ Marlène Dulery
My Family and Other Seedlings: A Year on a Dorset Allotment
by Lalage SnowA few years ago Lally Snow moved to a Dorset village with her husband and three small children, having spent over a decade as a war photographer, foreign correspondent and film maker living in Kabul. She covered the conflict there as well as other wars from Gaza to Eastern Ukraine, and Iraq.In the late winter of 2021-22, Lally decided to rent an allotment, despite having only a rudimentary knowledge of gardening. She was starting from scratch and setting herself the dual challenge of growing an allotment at the same time as growing a family.This is a heart-warming, wry and at times tearful account of Lally's travails as a mother and novice allotment holder, counterpointing horticultural progress with the perils of parenting. Along the way she reflects on the drudgery of English rural domesticity after a professional life chasing war and adventure, the history of the allotment since Saxon times, and the wonderful moment when gardening becomes fun rather than just feeding a family.
My Family and Other Seedlings: A Year on a Dorset Allotment
by Lalage SnowA few years ago Lally Snow moved to a Dorset village with her husband and three small children, having spent over a decade as a war photographer, foreign correspondent and film maker living in Kabul. She covered the conflict there as well as other wars from Gaza to Eastern Ukraine, and Iraq.In the late winter of 2021-22, Lally decided to rent an allotment, despite having only a rudimentary knowledge of gardening. She was starting from scratch and setting herself the dual challenge of growing an allotment at the same time as growing a family.This is a heart-warming, wry and at times tearful account of Lally's travails as a mother and novice allotment holder, counterpointing horticultural progress with the perils of parenting. Along the way she reflects on the drudgery of English rural domesticity after a professional life chasing war and adventure, the history of the allotment since Saxon times, and the wonderful moment when gardening becomes fun rather than just feeding a family.
My Dearest Cecelia: A Novel of the Southern Belle Who Stole General Sherman's Heart
by Diane HaegerAs she enters the Commencement Ball at West Point Military Academy on a spring evening in 1837, in her pink gown with white silk roses and ropes of pearls, Cecelia Stovall looks---and feels---like the perfect, innocent Southern belle. Little does she know that at that dance she will meet the man who will change her life---and the lives of all her fellow Southerners---forever. Cecelia falls instantly in love with the dashing young Northern cadet, William Tecumseh Sherman, and they embark on a fiery, secret rendezvous despite their broad cultural differences and the expectation that they will marry others. Their love remains poignantly aflame and survives the worst obstacles over years of separation and longing. And then the long-threatened Civil War starts, and both Cecelia and William assume prominent positions on opposite sides of their country's deepest and fiercest rift, as William becomes the very same General Sherman who will be feared and hated throughout the South. Legend has it that Sherman's love for Cecelia was the reason he spared her hometown of Augusta during his infamous march to the sea, in which his troops cut a swath through nearly every other town in Georgia and burned Atlanta to the ground. Now Diane Haeger, the author of the acclaimed The Secret Wife of King George IV, has re-created this lost romance in a sweeping and lyrical novel that will be treasured by the history enthusiast---and hopeless romantic---in everyone. A multilayered historical saga spanning a quarter-century, Diane Haeger's My Dearest Cecelia is an epic novel of star-crossed lovers Cecelia Stovall and General William T. Sherman---a romance for the history books.
My Darling Boy: A gripping psychological thriller with a heart-stopping twist you won't see coming
by Helen CooperThe perfect night.I had been so excited for our big New Year's Eve party. Hosting with my best friend Alice and our two beautiful boys - my Leo and her Robbie, who had grown up together like brothers.A shocking death.But then I heard the terrible crash. I remember the flashing lights of the ambulance and how everyone then turned on Leo. Saying that Robbie was dead because of my son.Who is to blame?The boys had argued, but Leo still won't tell me why. I know he's keeping a secret from me. I need to find out the truth, need to clear the name of my darling boy before something terrible happens to him, too.But I also need to make sure no one finds out the truth about me...Praise for Helen Cooper:'An absolute must-read for all thriller fans: I LOVED it!' Sarah Bonner'Will have you salivating for more' Mira V Shah'Unrelenting tension' KL Slater'Smart writing . . . so clever, so engaging' L.V. Matthews'Gripping, teasing, intricately plotted' Cath Weeks
My Darling Boy: A gripping psychological thriller with a heart-stopping twist you won't see coming
by Helen Cooper'Twists and turns a plenty... A gripping read for your sunlounger this summer' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A brilliant read that had me gripped all the way through' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The perfect night.I had been so excited for our big New Year's Eve party. Hosting with my best friend Alice and our two beautiful boys - my Leo and her Robbie, who had grown up together like brothers.A shocking death.But then I heard the terrible crash. I remember the flashing lights of the ambulance and how everyone then turned on Leo. Saying that Robbie was dead because of my son.Who is to blame?The boys had argued, but Leo still won't tell me why. I know he's keeping a secret from me. I need to find out the truth, need to clear the name of my darling boy before something terrible happens to him, too.But I also need to make sure no one finds out the truth about me...Praise for Helen Cooper:'An absolute must-read for all thriller fans: I LOVED it!' Sarah Bonner'Will have you salivating for more' Mira V Shah'Unrelenting tension' KL Slater'Smart writing . . . so clever, so engaging' L.V. Matthews'Gripping, teasing, intricately plotted' Cath Weeks
My Dark Room: Spaces of the Inner Self in Eighteenth-Century England
by Julie ParkExamines spaces of inner life in eighteenth-century England to shed new light on interiority in literature and visual and material culture. In what kinds of spaces do we become most aware of the thoughts in our own heads? In My Dark Room, Julie Park explores places of solitude and enclosure that gave eighteenth-century subjects closer access to their inner worlds: grottos, writing closets, landscape follies, and the camera obscura, that beguiling “dark room” inside which the outside world in all its motion and color is projected. The camera obscura and its dreamlike projections within it served as a paradigm for the everyday spaces, whether in built environments or in imaginative writing, that generated the fleeting states of interiority eighteenth-century subjects were compelled to experience and inhabit.My Dark Room illuminates the spatial and physical dimensions of inner life in the long eighteenth century by synthesizing material analyses of diverse media, from optical devices and landscape architecture to women’s intimate dress, with close readings of literary texts not traditionally considered together, among them Andrew Marvell’s country house poem Upon Appleton House, Margaret Cavendish’s experimental epistolary work Sociable Letters, Alexander Pope’s heroic verse epistle Eloisa to Abelard, and Samuel Richardson’s novel Pamela. Park also analyzes letters and diaries, architectural plans, prints, drawings, paintings, and more, drawing our attention to the lively interactions between spaces and psyches in private environments. Park’s innovative method of “spatial formalism” reveals how physical settings enable psychic interiors to achieve vitality in lives both real and imagined.
My Beautiful Sisters: A Story of Courage, Hope and the Afghan Women’s Football Team
by Khalida PopalA FINANCIAL TIMES BEST SUMMER BOOKS OF 2024'Riveting, heart-wrenching and incredibly important . . . an inspirational story for girls and women everywhere' MALALA YOUSAFZAI, Nobel Peace Prize laureateA story of survival, sisterhood and the fight for feminism in the age of the Taliban.August 2021: Kabul falls to the Taliban.Overnight, life for women across Afghanistan changes.The national women's football team faces an imminent threat to their lives, just for playing sport. For Khalida Popal, the team's first captain and co-founder, this is not an unprecedented event. Born in Afghanistan, as a child she fled Taliban rule with her family and grew up in a refugee camp in Pakistan. On her return to Afghanistan, football gave her and her teammates power, comradeship and freedom. But advocating for women's rights in sport put Popal's life increasingly at risk, forcing her to flee the country, this time alone.As a refugee in Denmark, Popal worked to uncover widespread sexual abuse of players by the former president of the Afghanistan Football Federation - forcing FIFA and the government of Afghanistan to act. When Kabul falls Khalida is safe, but her teammates are left behind. Against all the odds, she and a small but mighty network of allies orchestrate an international evacuation strategy to save them. My Beautiful Sisters is a gripping memoir about courage, the power of teamwork against all odds and the existence of hope in dark times.
My Beautiful Sisters: A Story of Courage, Hope and the Afghan Women’s Football Team
by Khalida PopalA FINANCIAL TIMES BEST SUMMER BOOKS OF 2024'Riveting, heart-wrenching and incredibly important . . . an inspirational story for girls and women everywhere' MALALA YOUSAFZAI, Nobel Peace Prize laureateA story of survival, sisterhood and the fight for feminism in the age of the Taliban.August 2021: Kabul falls to the Taliban.Overnight, life for women across Afghanistan changes.The national women's football team faces an imminent threat to their lives, just for playing sport. For Khalida Popal, the team's first captain and co-founder, this is not an unprecedented event. Born in Afghanistan, as a child she fled Taliban rule with her family and grew up in a refugee camp in Pakistan. On her return to Afghanistan, football gave her and her teammates power, comradeship and freedom. But advocating for women's rights in sport put Popal's life increasingly at risk, forcing her to flee the country, this time alone.As a refugee in Denmark, Popal worked to uncover widespread sexual abuse of players by the former president of the Afghanistan Football Federation - forcing FIFA and the government of Afghanistan to act. When Kabul falls Khalida is safe, but her teammates are left behind. Against all the odds, she and a small but mighty network of allies orchestrate an international evacuation strategy to save them. My Beautiful Sisters is a gripping memoir about courage, the power of teamwork against all odds and the existence of hope in dark times.
My Adventures with Your Money: George Graham Rice and the Golden Age of the Con Artist
by T. D. ThorntonToday, we talk about Bernard Madoff, but in the early 20th century, they talked about George Graham Rice. Born Jacob Simon Herzig in 1870, he later changed his name - just as he would frequently change his swindles to make himself into one of the most colorfully successful villains in American history. T.D. Thornton now tells the story of Rice's life as it unfolded against the dark rise of American greed in the early 20th century. In the early 1900s, Rice made market-manipulation killings valued at billions in today's dollars by inventing fictitious boom towns in Death Valley and flagrantly exaggerating worthless mining claims throughout the West. As a shameless racetrack tipster, Rice cultivated a national following of 100,000 daily subscribers who paid for the privilege of being tipped to bet on hopeless nags.Vilified by securities regulators as the "Jackal of Wall Street," Rice sparked riots in Manhattan's financial district by perfecting the art of "bucket shop" trading with the sole purpose of bilking the public blind. He was capable of pulling off everything from street corner rip-offs for pocket change to elaborately scripted gambling hoaxes, all while being vilified by old-guard profiteers like J.P. Morgan and befriended by gangsters like Arnold Rothstein.In My Adventures With Your Money, T.D. Thornton has given us a real-life version of The Sting with one of America's most colorful con men at it's center.
Muthanna/Mirror Writing in Islamic Calligraphy: History, Theory, and Aesthetics
by Esra Akin-KivançMuthanna, also known as mirror writing, is a compelling style of Islamic calligraphy composed of a source text and its mirror image placed symmetrically on a horizontal or vertical axis. This style elaborates on various scripts such as Kufic, naskh, and muhaqqaq through compositional arrangements, including doubling, superimposing, and stacking. Muthanna is found in diverse media, ranging from architecture, textiles, and tiles to paper, metalwork, and woodwork. Yet despite its centuries-old history and popularity in countries from Iran to Spain, scholarship on the form has remained limited and flawed. Muthanna / Mirror Writing in Islamic Calligraphy provides a comprehensive study of the text and its forms, beginning with an explanation of the visual principles and techniques used in its creation. Author Esra Akin-Kivanc explores muthanna's relationship to similar forms of writing in Judaic and Christian contexts, as well as the specifically Islamic contexts within which symmetrically mirrored compositions reached full fruition, were assigned new meanings, and transformed into more complex visual forms. Throughout, Akin-Kivanc imaginatively plays on the implicit relationship between subject and object in muthanna by examining the point of view of the artist, the viewer, and the work of art. In doing so, this study elaborates on the vital links between outward form and inner meaning in Islamic calligraphy.
The Mutations: A Novel
by Jorge Comensal"Jorge Comensal's The Mutations oscillates masterfully between comedy and tragedy, gathering up in its pages a stupendous panoply of characters before whom the reader is never sure whether to smile in sympathy or pity."—Fernando Aramburu, author of HomelandRamón Martinez is a militant atheist, successful lawyer, and conventional family man. But all of that changes when cancer of the tongue deprives him of the source of his power and livelihood: speech.The Mutations, by Jorge Comensal, is a comedy tracing the metastasis of Ramón’s cancer through his body and in the lives of his family members, colleagues, and doctors, dissecting the experience of illness and mapping the relationships both strengthened and frayed by its wake. Mateo and Paulina, his teenage children, struggle with the temptations of masturbation and binge eating, respectively. Ramón’s melancholic oncologist is haunted by the memory of a young patient whom he was unable to save. His selfish pathologist believes Ramón’s tumor holds the key to a major scientific breakthrough. And then there’s Elodia, Ramón’s pious maid, who brings him a foulmouthed parrot as a birthday gift. This lewd bird becomes Ramón’s companion, confidant, and unlikely double.Paying homage to the works of forebears such as Sontag, Didion, Flaubert, and Tolstoy, and filled with a rough-hewn poetry of regret, rage, and finally resignation, The Mutations offers a profound but funny cross section of modern Mexican life, as well as a bold treatment of an unspeakable yet universal reality
Mutants & Mystics: Science Fiction, Superhero Comics, and the Paranormal
by Jeffrey J. KripalIn many ways, twentieth-century America was the land of superheroes and science fiction. From Superman and Batman to the Fantastic Four and the X-Men, these pop-culture juggernauts, with their "powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men," thrilled readers and audiences—and simultaneously embodied a host of our dreams and fears about modern life and the onrushing future. But that's just scratching the surface, says Jeffrey Kripal. In Mutants and Mystics, Kripal offers a brilliantly insightful account of how comic book heroes have helped their creators and fans alike explore and express a wealth of paranormal experiences ignored by mainstream science. Delving deeply into the work of major figures in the field—from Jack Kirby’s cosmic superhero sagas and Philip K. Dick’s futuristic head-trips to Alan Moore’s sex magic and Whitley Strieber’s communion with visitors—Kripal shows how creators turned to science fiction to convey the reality of the inexplicable and the paranormal they experienced in their lives. Expanded consciousness found its language in the metaphors of sci-fi—incredible powers, unprecedented mutations, time-loops and vast intergalactic intelligences—and the deeper influences of mythology and religion that these in turn drew from; the wildly creative work that followed caught the imaginations of millions. Moving deftly from Cold War science and Fredric Wertham's anticomics crusade to gnostic revelation and alien abduction, Kripal spins out a hidden history of American culture, rich with mythical themes and shot through with an awareness that there are other realities far beyond our everyday understanding. A bravura performance, beautifully illustrated in full color throughout and brimming over with incredible personal stories, Mutants and Mystics is that rarest of things: a book that is guaranteed to broaden—and maybe even blow—your mind.