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The Belt of Gold: A Novel of Byzantium
by Cecelia HollandIn an exotic ancient land, a foreign stranger&’s sworn mission of vengeance leads him into the perilous circle of a ruthless Byzantine empress In the early years of the ninth century, the road home from Jerusalem winds through Constantinople for two Frankish noblemen-warriors. But when an encounter with a young woman running for her life results in the murder of Hagen the White&’s brother, he vows to find the perpetrators, no matter how highborn or powerful, and take his revenge. His hunt will carry him into the royal circle of the Basileus Irene, a ruthless despot who blinded her own son to force him off the throne. The beautiful and calculating empress is fascinated by this supposed barbarian who has sworn allegiance to the great Charlemagne, and she welcomes him into the imperial court—and into the dangerous fires of countless royal conspiracies. Suddenly Hagen must tread carefully through a vipers&’ nest of plots, lies, and bloodthirsty power plays, for if the stranger trusts the wrong serpent, he will certainly die. One of the world&’s premier purveyors of historical fiction, acclaimed novelist Cecelia Holland ushers the reader into a thrilling, exotic, and colorful world ruled by one of history&’s most complex and fascinating women. The Belt of Gold is a stunning tale of power and vengeance set against a breathtaking backdrop of Byzantine opulence, from the conspiracies of the empress&’s court and the intrigues of the bedchamber to the heart-racing clashes of champions in the public arenas where famed charioteers seek ultimate glory before the eyes of an adoring populace.
Babbitt: Collector's Edition - Sinclair Lewis
by Sinclair LewisSinclair Lewis&’s Nobel Prize–winning satire of the American middle class Zenith is like many American cities in the wake of the First World War: midsize, industrial, booming with opportunities for enterprising capitalists. But Zenith is unique as a middling metropolis; within its wandering streets walks one George Babbitt, world-class realtor, American dreamer, social climber, and civic booster. But unexpectedly, dark clouds appear on Babbitt&’s horizon: his best friend, a convicted murderer? His eldest daughter, a wretched socialist? Coddled by the trappings of his professional and personal success, how can Babbitt become stricken with loneliness, dissatisfaction, and frustration? First published in 1922, Lewis Sinclair&’s contentious bestselling satire of middle-class America is more relevant than ever. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
Ice Brothers: A Novel
by Sloan WilsonThe bestselling World War II adventure story based on Sloan Wilson&’s experiences as a Coast Guard officer on the Greenland patrol After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Paul Schuman, a college senior and summer sailor, enlists in the Coast Guard. His beautiful, mercurial wife, Sylvia, wants him to stay at home in Massachusetts, but Paul is ready for adventure and eager to serve his country. His active duty begins when, without a day of training, he is assigned to be the executive officer aboard the Arluk, a converted fishing trawler patrolling the coast of Greenland for secret German weather bases. At the helm of the Arluk is Lt. Cdr. &“Mad&” Mowry, the finest ice pilot and meanest drunk in the Coast Guard. Paul has a lot to learn from his captain, but not as much as communications officer Nathan Greenberg does. A Brooklyn engineer, Nathan does not know the difference between a ship&’s bow and its stern. No matter how nasty Mowry might be, Schuman and Greenberg have to pay close attention, because deadly icebergs, dangerous blizzards, and menacing Nazi gunboats lurk along the frigid Arctic coastline. Surviving the war, Schuman soon realizes, will require every ounce of courage and intelligence he possesses—and that is before Mowry breaks down and the young officer is forced to take command of the Arluk and its crew at the worst possible moment. A masterful blend of high drama and convincing realism, Ice Brothers is a true classic of World War II and one of Sloan Wilson&’s finest novels.
See No Evil
by B. A. ShapiroA New England academic uncovers a dangerous world of witches in this &“engrossing&” thriller from the New York Times–bestselling author of The Art Forger (Mystery News).See No Evil is a supernatural thriller about witchcraft, reincarnation, and murder in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The story opens as Lauren Freeman touches the worn leather binding of The Chronicle of the Coven. She sees a flash of knives and hears a strange chorus of voices in her head. Lauren is undeterred. A newly divorced single mother, she is a graduate student in history writing a book about American witch trials with her professor Jackie Pappas. Lauren needs the money the book will bring. Its focus is a mysterious event that took place in 1692 when seven convicted &“witches&” vanished from their prison cells on the eve of their executions and were never seen again. Lauren and Jackie&’s research begins to uncover bizarre reports. Then, suddenly, Jackie is dead, and Lauren is left to write their book alone. Lauren knows that Jackie was murdered and that if she is not careful, she will be next. Lauren&’s battle to avenge Jackie&’s death and save her own life takes her from Wiccan festivals to ancient cemeteries to the bowels of dark libraries. After her son&’s kidnapping, multiple murder attempts, and a chase through labyrinthine subway tunnels, Lauren finally confronts the perpetrator of these horrific events and acknowledges that, even in the everyday, things are often not as they seem.
Nice Girls Finish Last (The Robin Hudson Mysteries #2)
by Sparkle HayterReporter Robin Hudson gets the scoop on a DOA OB/GYN in this &“hilarious, keenly written romp&” from the author of What&’s a Girl Gotta Do? (Entertainment Weekly). A nice girl like Robin Hudson never expected to find herself at an S&M club, but as a third-string reporter for a tabloid TV news show, she must pursue all the sleazy leads her jerk boss hurls her way with a smile on her face—at least on camera. But this time the story hits close to home. Robin&’s always thought a person has to be a little sadistic to become a gynecologist, but when her new OB/GYN is shot through the heart and handcuffed to his office chair, a matchbook from an S&M establishment is the only clue. Much to the delight of Robin&’s muckraking boss, the not-so-good doctor had his hands in all sorts of sordid activities. But Robin, on the other hand, is having a hard time whipping up any enthusiasm to interview the dominatrix who runs the club. It&’s also the worst time for her Bible-toting Aunt Mo to visit New York City—aka Sodom and Gomorrah—to set Robin on the straight and narrow. Aunt Mo is convinced the streets aren&’t safe—and maybe she&’s right. A sniper is taking potshots at anxious All News Network anchormen, and it&’s starting to look like the target practice is connected to the dead doc. Now, it&’s up to Robin to dodge the bullets—not to mention Aunt Mo—and get the killer in her sights. And then she needs to find a new gynecologist! Nice Girls Finish Last is &“a rollicking blend of deftly aimed satire and neatly plotted murder mystery&” from award-winning author and former CNN journalist Sparkle Hayter, winner of the Sherlock Award for Best Comic Detective as well as an Arthur Ellis Award for best first mystery novel (The Philadelphia Inquirer). The Robin Hudson Mystery series is a winner of the Sherlock Award for Best Comic Detective. Nice Girls Finish Last is the 2nd book in the Robin Hudson Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
James the Connoisseur Cat: A Novel (The Connoisseur Cat #1)
by Harriet HahnThe delightful crime-solving and aristocratic social adventures of an American antiques expert and a British feline with finesse It&’s love at first sight when a businessman visiting London meets a silver-gray cat named James in the lobby of his apartment house. The two begin meeting regularly for cocktails—single-malt whiskey, neat, for James—and attending posh parties, where James first makes a name for himself by cracking the case of a priceless jewel scam. Soon James is on the prowl, deterring pickpockets on the subway and ferreting out stamp forgeries and counterfeit paintings. In between crime capers, he screens potential tenants, spends the holidays at an ancestral estate in Devon where the crème de la crème of British society anoints him Sir James, and indulges in his penchants for pâté de fois gras and matchmaking with inimitable panache.James the Connoisseur Cat is the 1st book in the Connoisseur Cat novels, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
A Road Through the Mountains: A Novel
by Elizabeth CookeAn accident victim desperate to return to her family, a child with Asperger&’s syndrome, and a man discovering the daughter he never knew are brought together by love in this suspenseful, moving novel by acclaimed author Elizabeth Cooke After a car accident, single mother and painter Anna Russell lies in a coma in a Boston hospital. Her ten-year-old daughter, Rachel, who has Asperger&’s syndrome, a mild form of autism, is in the next room with a fractured arm. Botanist David Mortimer can name any tree or form of plant life, but he can&’t commit to anything—not even to writing his masterpiece about the rare flowers that fascinate him in the mountains of China. But almost as soon as he gets the call from Anna&’s mother, he&’s flying across the Atlantic to meet the daughter he never knew he had. Anna left him eleven years ago when he was mapping out an exotic journey for them, but David has never forgotten her. With help from Rachel, he comes up with a plan that might help Anna find her way back to them.
Sargasso of Space (Solar Queen #1)
by Andre NortonStellar exploration—and depredation—in the exciting first novel in the Solar Queen series from a &“superb storyteller&” (The New York Times). In the future, venturing out into the stars is more than a way for humanity to chart the cosmos—it&’s big business. Every time a new planet is discovered, the highest bidder gets first dibs with exclusive property rights for a year. Anything they can find, they can keep. The planet Limbo was considered a waste of rock to most, which is the only reason apprentice cargo master Dane Thorson and the rest of the crew of the Solar Queen could afford to bid on it. But they soon discover that Limbo is far from uninhabited, the Solar Queen is far from the first ship to explore it—and they can never leave . . . With her many beloved series, including the Solar Queen novels, Science Fiction Writers of America Grand Master Andre Norton remains &“one of the most popular authors of our time&” (Publishers Weekly). Sargasso of Space is the 1st book in the Solar Queen Series, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
Doctor Cobb's Game: A Novel
by R. V. CassillA brilliant, bewitching novel inspired by one of the twentieth century&’s most infamous sex scandals Michael Cobb is a skilled osteopath, a gifted painter, and a lover extraordinaire. In 1960s England, the good doctor makes a startling diagnosis: the nation is sick, fast approaching its demise, and the only hope for a cure is a sexual awakening so potent it reaches into the highest corridors of power. To put his plan in motion, Cobb indoctrinates a bevy of hip young Londoners in an intoxicating blend of ancient myths, occult beliefs, and erotic arts. His most promising student is Cecile Banner, a beautiful and beguiling temptress for whom Cobb has in mind a very special target: Richard Derwent, the minister of war. The fallout from Doctor Cobb&’s game reaches all the way across the Atlantic to upstate New York, where Norman Scholes, an investigator for a powerful American think tank, reads between the lines of the official British government report on the scandal. Was Cobb a Soviet spy? A master of black magic, as he sometimes claimed? Or, as the prosecutors accused, a pimp operating in a delirious time and place? Based on the outrageous events of the Profumo affair, R. V. Cassill&’s bestselling novel is an unforgettable story of a lust powerful enough to topple a nation.
A Wave: Poems
by John AshberyOne of Ashbery&’s most acclaimed and beloved collections since Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror, filled with his signature wit and generous intelligenceThe poems in John Ashbery&’s award-winning 1984 collection A Wave address the impermanence of language, the nature of mortality, and the fluidity of consciousness—matters of life and death that in other hands might run the risk of sentimentality. For John Ashbery, however, these considerations provide an opportunity to display his prodigious poetic gifts: the unerring ear for our evolving modern language and its ever-expanding universe of meanings, the fierce eye trained on glimmers underwater, and the wry humor that runs through observations both surprising and familiar. As the poem &“The Path to the White Moon&” has it, &“We know what is coming, that we are moving / Dangerously and gracefully / Toward the resolution of time / Blurred but alive with many separate meanings / Inside this conversation.&” The long title poem of A Wave, which closes the book, is considered one of Ashbery&’s most distinguished works, praised by critic Helen Vendler for its &“genius for a free and accurate American rendition of very elusive inner feelings, and especially for transitive states between feelings.&” Winner of both the Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize and the Bollingen Prize, this book is one to be read, reread, and remembered.
Come Back Dead (The Scott Elliott Mysteries #2)
by Terence FahertyA disgraced director wants a comeback, but a rival wants him dead Carson Drury&’s first movie was a smash hit that raised his reputation from that of boy genius to greatest director of all time. His second film, The Imperial Albertsons, was even more ambitious, but aggressive editing from the suits at RKO Pictures ruined the movie, and Drury&’s career with it. Now RKO is dead—killed by the upstart medium known as television—and Drury wants to buy his movie and reedit it, his way. It&’s up to Scott Elliott to make sure Drury lives to see the final cut. A detective working for the ultraexclusive Hollywood Security Agency, Elliott spends his days and nights helping the stars keep their private lives private. There is someone out there who will kill to keep the new version of The ImperialAlbertsons from ever seeing the light of day, and Elliott will turn Hollywood upside down to find him.
The After House
by Mary Roberts RinehartLooking for adventure, an erstwhile medical student joins the crew of a yacht and finds himself adrift in a sea of murder Medical school left Leslie with a diploma, a new dress suit, and an incipient case of typhoid fever. While convalescing, he hatches a plan to postpone embarking on a career as a surgeon by launching instead on an epic voyage of adventure, mystery, and romance on the high seas. When Leslie signs up as a steward aboard the private yacht Ella, he expects to swab decks and polish brass. Instead, he ends up trying to solve a murder case. Everyone onboard is a suspect—the volatile captain, the beguiling but aloof Miss Elsa Lee, the twitchy Mr. Turner, the second mate who disappears early in the voyage and is assumed lost at sea—and all are trapped in the middle of the ocean with the real killer. This ebook features a new introduction by Otto Penzler and has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
Masquerade: A True Story of Seduction, Compulsion, and Murder (A\true Story Of Seduction, Compulsion, And Murder Ser.)
by Lowell CauffielA psychologist&’s secret life on the seedy side of Detroit gets him entangled with a prostitute—and her murderous pimp—in a &“compelling work of true crime&” (Detroit Free Press). In the exclusive suburb of Grosse Pointe, Alan Canty was a respected psychologist, with clients drawn from wealthy families across Detroit. But at night, he ventured into the city&’s seedy south side, where, under the name Dr. Al Miller, he met with prostitutes. One girl in particular caught Dr. Al&’s eye: a skinny teenage drug addict named Dawn, an ex-honor student who had fallen under the spell of a pimp named Lucky. Canty became their sugar daddy, spending thousands to buy them clothes, cars, and gifts. But when the money ran out, Canty&’s luck went with it—and he was soon found hacked to pieces, his body scattered across Michigan. Covering the trial for the local press, Lowell Cauffiel became enthralled by this story of double lives and double crosses. In this thrilling true crime tale, Cauffiel shows what happens when deception turns fatal.
The Beetle: Large Print (The\penguin English Library)
by Richard MarshThe thrilling classic tale of a strange and sinister creature that stalks its prey mercilessly and changes shape at will From the mysterious depths of Egypt comes a creature &“born neither of God nor man.&” This shape-shifting being has made its way to London seeking revenge for the crimes that have been committed against the order of its ancient religion—and the primary target of this merciless and relentless terror is politician Paul Lessingham. As panic spreads throughout the city, it falls to Paul and his friends to stop the beast once and for all. Published the same year as the horror classic Dracula, The Beetle originally outsold Bram Stoker&’s famous book. Richard Marsh&’s story is a dark mirror of England at the end of the century, a tale of Victorian horror and mystery with a monster as dreadful and elusive as any in literature. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
The Adolescence of Zhenya Luvers
by Boris PasternakAn enthralling novelette by Boris Pasternak, the author of Dr. Zhivago, The Adolescence of Zhenya Luvers explores how a thirteen-year-old girl ceases to be a child and becomes a woman in Russia just before the Communist Revolution. The story examines the world through the reminiscences of a young girl and explores such themes as nature and how we are able to shape the world around us by how we perceive it. The novelette gives readers a prime example of Pasternak&’s signature style and use of poetics, imagery, and lyricism in prose. The Adolescence of Zhenya Luvers is one of Pasternak&’s very first stories, and it originally appeared in a collection by the same name, published in 1925.
Crucial Conversations: A Novel
by May Sarton&“May Sarton&’s provocative novel is about a wife who has outgrown her husband, and after twenty-seven years of marriage decides that she has had enough. . . . [Poppy] is altogether believable.&” —The Atlantic To their close friend Philip, Poppy and Reed Whitelaw&’s marriage appears stable and happy. Their ritual Sunday tennis matches and dinners are a highlight of his week, and the Whitelaws&’ repartee is an object of wonder and admiration. But beneath the surface, the marriage has slowly been unraveling for years. An artist, Poppy feels the weight of time, calculating that she has twenty good years left for her work and little remaining tolerance for her diminishing marriage. And so, as newscasts about Vietnam and Watergate issue nightly warnings about the dangers of deceit and delusion, Poppy has decided to leave. The separation guts Philip, who finds that his investment in the affairs of his friends outweighs his investment in his own. The relationship between the three friends had often been riven by jealousy, and the cataclysm of the Whitelaws&’ separation does little to lessen anxieties roiling beneath the surface. As those in the Whitelaws&’ orbit struggle to adjust to their new reality, a world of buried feelings rise inevitably to the fore.
The Philosophy of Poetry: The Genius of Lucretius
by Henri BergsonThis is a partial translation by Wade Baskin of the original French work Ecrits et Paroles (a 3 volume set, 665 pages) published between 1957 and 1959 by Henri Bergson. It includes the translation from Bergson&’s introduction to a French ed. of De rerum natura, by Lucretius published in 1884 under the title: Extraits de Lucre`ce.
Joe Dallesandro: Warhol Superstar, Underground Film Icon, Actor
by Michael FergusonThe story of Warhol&’s greatest superstar The renowned photographer Francesco Scavullo has called Joe Dallesandro &“one of the ten most photogenic men in the world.&” Springing to fame at the beginning of the sexual revolution in films such as Flesh, Trash, and Heat, Dallesandro, with the help of his mentor, Paul Morrissey, and pop artist Andy Warhol, became a male sex symbol in the film world unlike any before him. His casual nakedness and characteristic cool in the Warhol Factory&’s irreverent, now-classic films earned attention that crossed gender lines and liberated the male nude as an object of beauty in the cinema. In this biofilmography, an update and revision of Little Joe, Superstar, Michael Ferguson explores not only Dallesandro&’s Warhol years, but his troubled childhood on the streets of New York, in juvenile detention, as physique model, and on the run. Ferguson examines all of Dallesandro&’s films: the eight made with Warhol and Morrissey, including the X-rated Frankenstein and Dracula, the post-Factory career in both art-world and low-budget films abroad, and his works as character actor upon his return to America. Including new interviews with Dallesandro, photographs from the actor&’s personal collection, and an extensive biographical section, Joe Dallesandro is the ultimate guide to an underground film icon who, according to Andy Warhol, &“everyone was in love with.&”
Once in Golconda: A True Drama of Wall Street, 1920–1938 (Pelican Ser.)
by John BrooksFrom the New York Times–bestselling author of Business Adventures comes the chronicle of the stock market crash of 1929 and its aftermathLegend had it that anyone who passed through Golconda, a city in southern India, attained tremendous wealth. But Golconda, now in ruins, ran out of riches, and its glory vanished forever. Some have painted a similar picture of Wall Street between the two world wars. But there is more to the story of the bull market of the 1920s and the ensuing economic devastation that befell the United States.In fascinating detail, distinguished journalist John Brooks recounts the euphoric financial climb of the twenties as well as the vertiginous crash of 1929. From the heady days of economic prosperity to the sobering time after the collapse, Brooks&’s rendering of this tale of vast fortune and then tragic misfortune is both dramatic and percipient. Profiling some of the era&’s most famous—and infamous—bankers, traders, and hucksters, Brooks gives a stunning and colorful account of this period of boom and bust.
A Short History of Greek Philosophy
by John MarshallAn overview of the works that form the foundation of Western philosophy The writings of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle have resonated through the millennia and continue to influence the lives of people today. In A Short History of Greek Philosophy, renowned British classicist John Marshall provides a thorough yet engaging account of the seminal philosophical movements of ancient Greece, from the Sophists to the Sceptics to the Stoics. For readers looking to dip their toes into the vast ocean of Western philosophy, Marshall&’s history provides the perfect springboard. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
Skeleton Hand
by Paul LedererIn a desolate mountain shack, three ranchers find a hidden treasure On a freezing mountainside, three out-of-work cowboys are near death when one of them spies a long-abandoned trapper&’s shack. It is little more than a pile of old logs, but it has a hearth and a chimney where they can build the fire that will save their lives. Before he lights the wood, Cody Hawk checks the chimney to make sure it&’s clear. Inside he finds a pair of saddlebags, filled to the brim with gold. In the corner of the shack, underneath a pile of old furs, he discovers the gold&’s former owner, whom time has reduced to a pile of bones. The coins are fifteen years old, stolen in some forgotten robbery, and the desperate men believe they can claim them as their own. But dead man&’s gold is always cursed, and these coins will buy nothing but heartache, danger, and death.
Rumors from the Cauldron: Selected Essays, Reviews, and Reportage
by Valerie MinerAn indispensable collection of essays reflecting on the historical and cultural relevance of feminist movements across the globe In these remarkably far-reaching writings, author and journalist Valerie Miner delivers a complex and engaging volume of essential reading. This book touches on topics ranging from suburban housewives to lesbian identity to feminist thought. Miner provides an important perspective on the interrelated concepts of authorship, gender identity, and social criticism. Included are examinations of the works of Grace Paley, Margaret Atwood, and May Sarton, meditations on writing, and reflections on the cultural legacy of feminism.Miner&’s insights are both perspicacious and thought provoking. Written with profound passion and knowledge, these tracts are of tremendous value to all readers engaged with the politics of equality.
John Thorndyke's Cases (The Dr. Thorndyke Mysteries #2)
by R. Austin Freeman&“It would be difficult to find anywhere more nearly perfect stories of scientific deduction than the Dr. Thorndyke tales of R. Austin Freeman.&” —The New York Times Visiting a lonely hamlet perched on a cliff above the English coast, forensic detective Dr. John Thorndyke goes for a walk on the long, deserted beach. In the sand he finds two sets of footprints, made some hours apart. They lead to a crime scene. A man has been found stabbed through the heart, his body thrown from the cliffs above. The local police are on the hunt for clues, but Thorndyke is certain the killer&’s identity can be determined from the footprints in the sand. With the tide coming in, he has only a few hours to catch his man. Packed with clever tales of crime and science, John Thorndyke&’s Cases is an indispensible entry in one of the mystery genre&’s most popular and influential series. This ebook features a new introduction by Otto Penzler and has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
Heartland: A Memoir
by Neil CrossFrom the creator of Luther: Told with absolute veracity and unsparing candor, Heartland is the memoir of an isolated little boy and the brutish stepfather he couldn&’t help but love When Neil Cross was born, his mother suffered from severe postpartum depression and later admitted to trying to kill herself and her baby son. Then, when he was five, she &“went out and didn&’t come back,&” leaving behind her children and their heartbroken father. Two years later she returns and gains custody of Neil, taking him to live with her new partner, Derek Cross, who showers him with attention and love in a way that Neil has never known. Derek teaches him about music and books; he is patient but firm, and more reliable than Neil&’s mother. But as Neil grows older he realizes his stepfather is more complicated than he seems. For all his love, Derek is a manipulator, an adulterer, a racist, and a con man. And he is the father whom Neil now loves. With devastating honesty, Neil Cross explores the circumstances of this love—one of pleasant rewards but consequences too dire to predict.
The Collar: Stories of Irish Priests
by Frank O'ConnorCompelling tales of the clergy from the renowned author. &“The work of Frank O&’Connor lies at the very heart of the modern story in Ireland&” (The Washington Post). Over the course of his long and distinguished career, Frank O&’Connor wrote many stories about priests. Some of his most iconic characters are men of the cloth, and few writers have portrayed the unique demands of the priesthood with as much empathy, honesty, and wit. This collection, edited and introduced by his widow, Harriet O&’Donovan Sheehy, brings together the best of O&’Connor&’s short fiction on the subject. From &“An Act of Charity,&” the ironically titled tale of church efforts to cover up a curate&’s suicide, to &“The Sentry,&” an exquisite blend of drama and satire sparked by the British army&’s invasion of a priest&’s onion patch, these sixteen stories capture the full range of pressures visited on the Irish clergy. &“Peasants&” is a lesson in what happens when a man of God places law and order above compassion, while &“Achilles&’ Heel&” reveals that even a bishop can be rendered powerless by his housekeeper. &“The Frying-pan&” and &“The Wreath&” are sad and lovely portraits of priests caught between their vows of celibacy and their natural desire for human connection. In the rituals and contradictions of the priesthood, Frank O&’Connor found one of his greatest motifs. The Collar showcases an artist at the peak of his powers and shines a brilliant light on a fascinating world too often hidden in shadow and sentiment.