![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Piper’s friend Sapphire tells her “Don’t let noboby tell you who you are because of where you live” (119).ĭespite her own hardship, Piper grows to see the beauty in her predicament. Pyron’s book invites us all to see rather than to judge those who are different, to extend grace and understanding to those dealing with the plight of homelessness rather than branding them as lazy, crazy, careless, or deceitful. From Jewel and Baby, the reader learns to value what is really important: food, shelter, play, and love. Now, she and her family are homeless and living in a shelter in Idaho-experiencing new places and new people and learning that a rough patch can seem like a “football field full of briars” (39).īut this is only one plot thread in Stay by Bobbie Pyron, a novel targeted for middle grade readers that alternates between the story of Piper’s family and that of Jewel, a mentally challenged elderly woman, and her small dog, Baby. Like a tower built from Jenga blocks, eleven-year-old Piper Trudeau’s former life in Cypress Point, Texas, all comes crashing down after a series of unfortunate events: her parents’ job hours cut, lost jobs, unexpected medical bills, car trouble, bills piling up, and eventually an eviction. ![]()
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![]() Throughout, Rhodes comes to realize how much America's fingerprints are on a world it helped to shape: through the excesses of the post-Cold War embrace of unbridled capitalism, post-9/11 nationalism and militarism, mania for technology and social media, and the racism that shaped the backlash to the Obama presidency. Along the way, a Russian opposition leader he spends time with is poisoned, the Hong Kong protesters he comes to know see their movement snuffed out, and America itself reaches the precipice of losing democracy before giving itself a second chance.Īfter the Fall is a hugely ambitious and essential work of discovery. Over the next three years, he travelled to dozens of countries, meeting with politicians, activists, and dissidents confronting the same nationalism and authoritarianism that was tearing America apart. ![]() To understand what was happening in America, Rhodes decided to look outwards. In 2017, as Ben Rhodes was helping Barack Obama begin his next chapter, the legacy they worked to build for eight years was being taken apart. In the span of just thirty years, this assumption would come crashing down.Īfter the fall, we must determine what it means to be American again. To be born American in the late twentieth century was to take the fact of a particular kind of American exceptionalism as granted – a state of nature arrived at after all else had failed. ![]() ![]() 'A dystopian odyssey through the dark authoritarian landscape of the modern world' ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() The Seymours’ replacement, the Duke of Northumberland, seeks to circumvent Henry’s will, which provides for the succession of princesses Mary and Elizabeth. ![]() Frances’ plan to betroth Jane to Edward fizzles. After Katherine’s death, Jane narrowly escapes getting caught up in the doomed machinations of the Seymours, protectors of boy-king Edward VI. Frances brutally punishes her on the slightest pretext, and Jane is happy to escape to the household of Queen Katherine Parr, King Henry’s sixth wife. A Tudor Mommie Dearest, Frances hardens her heart against Jane for failing to be born male. A minor throughout, Jane is subject to the whims of corrupt and ambitious adults bent on exploiting her bloodline to advance their own agenda. ![]() In setting her first novel around Lady Jane, daughter of Henry VIII’s niece, Frances, Weir must surmount two major historical constraints first, that Jane’s fate is known, and second, that Jane, though precocious and unusually well-schooled for a girl of the time, is a necessarily passive character. Who better to rehabilitate her than Weir ( Queen Isabella, 2005, etc.), author of numerous works of popular history, five of which concern the Tudor dynasty. Lady Jane is often viewed as merely pathetic. Weir’s erudition in matters royal finds fictional expression in the story of England’s briefest reigning sovereign, Lady Jane Grey. ![]() ![]() Karen DeYoung is associate editor and senior national security correspondent for the Washington Post. She lives in Maryland with her husband, photographer Harry Mattison. She is a University Professor at Georgetown University. ![]() In 2017, she became one of the first two poets to receive the Windham-Campbell Prize. In 2013, Forché received the Academy of American Poets Fellowship given for distinguished poetic achievement. Her memoir, What You Have Heard is True, was published by Penguin Press in 2019. Her books of poetry are Blue Hour, The Angel of History, The Country Between Us, and Gathering the Tribes. Carolyn ForchéĬarolyn Forché is an American poet, translator, and memoirist. ![]() She will moderate a discussion with Forché, and discuss how this history colors the present crisis in Central America. ![]() Karen DeYoung was a correspondent in El Salvador at the same time. Many of the dynamics and dilemmas she so vividly portrays have re-emerged in Central America and U.S. Carolyn Forché was an acclaimed twenty-seven year old poet in 1977 when a stranger persuaded her to travel to El Salvador, a country on the brink of war. What she saw there, recounted in her recent memoir, What You Have Heard is True, changed her life and caused her to question everything she thought she knew about American foreign policy. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Connecting over books about the Black experience in America, the pair soon became professional collaborators. Recently, film adaptations of Wilson’s plays Fences and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom won Academy Awards, both of which (along with Gem) form Wilson’s magnum opus: The American Century Cycle, a series of ten plays, each a representation of the Black experience in America through the 20th century.īond met Wilson in the ’90s, when they both attended a Black theater festival in North Carolina. He was friends with August Wilson, the critically acclaimed playwright who penned Gem of the Ocean. However, due to COVID, audiences will only now finally have the opportunity to see his first production with the company.įor Bond, this performance will be deeply personal. In February of 2020, he became artistic director at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley. When you leave, you’re not the same person you were two hours ago.”īond would know-as an internationally renowned director, he’s had decades of experience putting on award-winning productions. “It welcomes people from all backgrounds into the same space. “Art is a connector and creates a platform for voices that haven’t always been heard,” says Bond ahead of TheatreWorks’ new production of August Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean. TheatreWorks director Tim Bond has been wondering something recently: how those of us “in the Bay Area can become more embracing and more inclusive.” It’s a challenge, he thinks, that can only be met through the transformative power of art. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() In this fifth edition of Basic Economics, Thomas Sowell revises and updates his popular book on common sense economics, bringing the world into clearer focus through a basic understanding of the fundamental economic principles and how they explain our lives. Here, he begins with the discussion of …īasic Economics 5th edition (9780465060733). Starting in the second chapter, Sowell begins Part 1 of the entire book, talking about prices and markets in economies. ![]() The Role of Prices Basic Economics by Thomas Sowell Ch. Applied Economics: Thinking Beyond Stage One Thomas Sowell WebBasic Economics: A Citizen’s Guide to the Economy Thomas Sowell New York: Basic Books, 2004, revised and expanded ed., 438 pp. As Sowell’s actual parting thoughts in the final paragraph of this book points out: Empirical questions are questions that must be asked, if we are truly interested in the well-being of others…Perhaps the most important distinction is between what sounds good and what works…For those who are willing to stop and think, basic economics.Parting Thoughts Basic Economics by Thomas Sowell Ch. ![]() ![]() Listening Woman had a number of things to recommend it-good characterization, evocative descriptions of the harsh and beautiful landscape of the Navajo Reservation where the book takes place, and snappy pacing. This combined leads me to believe that I had a rather organic introduction to the Leaphorn series. It's also not one of the more high profile (read: multi-awarded, movie-versioned) novels. Jim Chee is introduced relatively early on in the series. A little further research and I now know that this is one of the few Hillerman mysteries featuring just Joe Leaphorn his counterpart (and subordinate) Sgt. This ended up being a good introduction, I think, even if it was pretty arbitrary. I started with Listening Woman because I was able to buy it for a dollar. (I was told by an enthusiastic library volunteer in Oro Valley, AZ that I should just start at the beginning and work my way through, but that seemed a little more time consuming than I was ultimately prepared for.) In the end, a discount book rack in Portland, Maine made my decision for me. The problem was I didn't really know where to start. When he died earlier this year, I decided to make like a good Southwesterner and rectify this omission in my reading list. ![]() ![]() Had it not been for some unfortunate connotations that I had with Hillerman (he was the author of choice for a particularly Wicked Stepmother), I would have most likely read his whole oeuvre by now. ![]() ![]() ![]() Jack of Fables is about the solo adventures of Jack… He is a divisive character, but if you like him, there are 50 issues to read. Not written by Bill Willingham, the series is nevertheless considered canon by some, though that seems to have changed lately with the development of the sequel. The Wolf Among Us is a comic book adaptation of the popular Telltale Games. As The Adversary resurfaced, the war began to take over everything.įirst, an optional prequel. At the beginning, Fables told different kinds of stories, from a murder mystery to a caper story. ![]() He works with Snow White who is a member of Fabletown’s government and Old King Cole is the mayor. ![]() One of the main characters is the reformed Big Bad Wolf – also known as Bigby – who is now Fabletown’s sheriff. ![]() The others who live at “the Farm” in upstate New York. They’re calling themselves Fables and, those who are looking like humans live in New York City, in a community known as Fabletown. The series is about people from fairy tales and folklore who really exist in magical realms but they were forced out of their worlds by The Adversary and now live in exile in ours. Comic book series created by Bill Willingham and published by Vertigo, Fables is like if Once Upon a Time was dark, edgy and really high quality. ![]() ![]() ![]() This is a stunning visual feast of a book, filled with dark magical delights for both fans and new readers alike. Breathtaking scenes, iconic locations and unforgettable characters await inside – Luna Lovegood, Professor Umbridge, Grawp the giant, and many more – as Harry Potter and Dumbledore's Army prepare for the coming battle against Lord Voldemort. ![]() ![]() Rowling's wizarding world with the dazzling artistic alchemy fans around the globe have come to know and love, perfectly complemented by Neil Packer's own unique and eclectic illustrations, skilfully woven into the heart of the story. Prepare to be enchanted once again as Jim Kay depicts J.K. Now an exciting new collaboration brings together two virtuoso artistic talents, as Kate Greenaway Medal winner Jim Kay is joined by acclaimed guest illustrator Neil Packer, winner of the 2021 BolognaRagazzi Award for non-fiction. Rowling's classic series is an epic artistic achievement, featuring over 160 illustrations in an astonishing range of visual styles. The deliciously dark fifth instalment of Jim Kay's inspired reimagining of J.K. As the Order of the Phoenix keeps watch over Harry Potter, troubled times have come to Hogwarts in a year filled with secrets, subterfuge and suspicion. ![]() ![]() ![]() One is that of a German doctor who believes that death is not the end. Orpheus Builds A Girl is a pair of narratives, closely intertwined together. This is a modern gothic horror novel that pays so much homage to its legacy - specifically to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein - while also exploring themes of race, migration, and masculinity in fresh and bold ways. ![]() There are so many stellar works of modern gothic fiction here, but Orpheus Builds A Girl is the very best of them. Read More: The Best Gothic Novels of All Time ![]() With that said, here are some of the best modern gothic novels for you to read right now, all penned by outstanding women writers. However, gothic fiction has had a resurgence recently, and modern gothic novels are shaking up the genre with ferocity. When we think of the gothic, names like Mary Shelley, Emily Bronte, Daphne du Maurier, and Shirley Jackson usually come to mind. Tell Me I’m Worthless by Alison Rumfitt.Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield.Essential Modern Gothic Novels by Women. ![]() |
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