"The Trans Memoir We've Always Needed." ?Autostraddle "This blistering memoir is the book I didn't know I needed... I'm so grateful they had the courage to share their experience in such a transparent, authentic way." ?One of BuzzFeed's Most Anticipated Books of 2022• One of The Millions' Most Anticipated Books of the Month • One of Ms. Magazine's Most Anticipated Reads of 2022 • One of BookRiot's LGBTQ Books You Need to Read • When divorce moves young R/B Mertz away from rural Pennsylvania and their abusive father, Mertz's life is torn in two. Mertz's mom and new stepdad dive headfirst into conservative Catholic homeschooling, entrenching themselves in a world dominated by saints, prayers, and having as many babies as possible, just as Mertz is starting to realize they might be queer.Mertz clings to Catholicism as a rebellion against their anti-Catholic bio-dad, and to movies and musicals as beacons of the world outside the conservative closet constructed by the homeschoolers?who might actually be more concerned with being conservative than with being good, while Mertz's bio-dad just wants them to be "normal." Trying to stave off the inevitable, Mertz enrolls in a conservative Catholic college in Ohio. Coming of age in the early aughts, they grapple with flirtations, sexual encounters, and confusing relationships with students and faculty, as they try to figure out how to live a life in a world hell-bent on making them choose between their community and their identity. At turns rebellious, charming, and self-effacing, Mertz struggles to navigate this oppressive environment, questioning whether or not there is a place for them inside or outside of the Catholic Church; whether they can be themselves on the left or the right; whether they can be "conservative" or "liberal;" or whether they can be at all. Ultimately, Burning Butch is the courageous story of a trans / non-binary butch on a quest to survive with their authenticity intact.
Addictive, cunningly plotted and certainly sensational, Lady Audley's Secret draws on contemporary theories of insanity to probe mid-Victorian anxieties about the rapid rise of consumer culture. What is the mystery surrounding the charming heroine? Lady Audley's secret is investigated by Robert Audley, aristocrat turned detective, in a novel that has lost none of its power to disturb and entertain.
The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket, written in 1838, is the only complete novel by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. The work relates the tale of the young Arthur Gordon Pym, who stows away aboard a whaler called the Grampus on its way to the South Pole.
A nameless writer has come to Dunnet Landing, a small town on the coast of Maine, for the summer in order to finish her manuscript. Compared to the hectic pace of the city she's left behind, she finds herself absorbed in the slow rhythms of her new daily life. Her observations of the residents of Dunnet Landing—their loves, their fights, their occupation with sky and sea and land, their tall tales, and quiet secrets—comprise The Country of the Pointed Firs. It is a novel seemingly made from the very fabric of community. Jewett’s beautiful, delicate descriptions and her wonderfully natural dialogue bring the whole town and its many inhabitants to life. Once described by Henry James as Jewett’s “beautiful little quantum of achievement,” The Country of the Pointed Firs is a stunning testament to the power of place and memory.
“No character was ever thrown into such strange relief as Gilliatt… here, indeed, the true position of man in the universe.” —Robert Louis StevensonThe Toilers of the Sea tells the fairytale-esque story of Gilliatt, an outcast fisherman who must rescue an engine from a wrecked steamship. If successful, he will win the hand of the shipowner's beautiful daughter, Déruchette. He will brave the harsh rocks, the freezing waves, and even the grasp of a sea monster to prove his worth. A richly detailed study of early nineteenth-century Guernsey, The Toilers of the Sea is the oft-forgotten novel that completes a trilogy with Hugo’s famed The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Les Misérables. It is a tribute to the drama of nature and the insignificance of man against it, to solitude in exile, and the light we choose to carry in the darkness.
Introduction by David Corbett, Award-Winning Author of The Devil’s Redhead Jack Liffey’s reputation for finding missing kids has led to an offer from a lawyer to solve another disappearance, that of Hollywood icon Lori Bright’s rebellious teenage daughter. Jack accepts the job with the promise of a hefty paycheck, determined to catch up on child support and renew visitation rights with his daughter, Maeve. After all, how hard can it be to find a wayward rich kid with no street smarts? The arrival of a ransom note changes everything and Jack is pushed into the world of violent skinheads, Jamaican gangsters, and, perhaps worst of all, movie studio executives. His increasing attraction to the iconic actress does not improve matters, serving to remind him that you can’t trust anything in Los Angeles, even the stability of the ground beneath your feet. The Jack Liffey series takes readers deep into the many unexplored communities, enclaves and cultures of Los Angeles that sometimes co-exist, sometimes clash, but always surprise. Fans of Michael Connelly will fall deep into the fast-paced, unpredictable, and dangerous world John Shannon creates
Introduction by David Corbett, Author of New York Times Notable Book, Done for a Dime After losing his aerospace job—a casualty of the “peace dividend” brought by the end of the Cold War—52-year-old Jack Liffey still fights his personal wars: with the bottle, his ex-wife, and his loneliness after losing custody of his precocious and beloved daughter, Maeve. Before he can surrender to a life of alcoholic cynicism, an unexpected vocation enters his life when a mysterious woman from Mexico hires Jack to find her missing daughter. Suddenly, Jack is dealing with a real estate developer’s goons, powerful politicians, and–perhaps most dangerous–his increasing feelings for a former nun who may be the key to the entire case. Armed with a small handgun and unwavering determination, Jack must rescue someone else’s daughter so he can redeem his own sense of purpose—and fatherhood. The Jack Liffey series takes readers deep into the many unexplored communities, enclaves and cultures of Los Angeles that sometimes co-exist, sometimes clash, but always surprise. Fans of Michael Connelly will fall deep into the fast-paced, unpredictable, and dangerous world John Shannon creates.
After an eleven-year hiatus, Jack Liffey returns in Boystown, the fifteenth installment of author John Shannon's celebrated mystery series. As Jack faces down a changing world, his brazen daughter, Maeve, enlists him to help find Benjy -- a young, gay social justice activist. Meanwhile, a needless act of violence sets off an urban range war between a group of gun-happy poachers and former Soviet paramilitary soldiers in Boystown, a famously gay West Hollywood neighborhood. Jack, weakened by his surgical recovery, must save the day before the entire community goes up in flames. John Shannon's Los Angeles belies the myth of constant sunshine and Hollywood glitz. With hundreds of communities, ethnicities, religions, classes, cultures, subcultures, and microcultures all vying to occupy the same space, conflict is the only constant. Jack Liffey, a former aerospace professional, finds himself pushed into a second career as a private detective specializing in finding young missing people. With Jack's complicated relationship with the bottle, his internal demons, and his beloved daughter, Maeve, interjecting herself into his cases, Liffey's world is a dynamic but dangerous place.
FINALIST FOR THE 2024 CHANGES BOOK PRIZE JUDGED BY LOUISE GLÜCK & EILEEN MYLES The poems of Dream State arise from the poet’s experience living and working in Iraq, not as a soldier or journalist, but as a writer, translator, teacher, and preservationist of Kurdish culture. In a stunning act of cogenerative imagination, Levinson-LaBrosse’s poetic voice emerges alongside the voices of others with whom she has collaborated. Together with her poems, these translated memories, testimonies and stories form an interdependent environment bridging time and perception. As a book, Dream State resists categorization. And yet it is fundamentally accessible in its humanity. People come together in understanding, and break apart just as quickly. Fictions shatter and endure, while national imaginations always seem to be at risk. And everywhere the poet turns, she learns that peace is never self-sustaining. True peace is an enduring act of courage, and one that must be lived everyday. As the 2003 Iraq invasion reached its twentieth anniversary (2023) and the Islamic State’s attempted genocide in Shingal reaches its tenth (2024), Dream State attempts to sit with other people’s experiences, rather than extract details to exploit them; amplifies the work around the poet, rather than supplant it; and trusts that listening to individual perspectives will lead to common understanding.
"With its new content, this poetry collection now offers layers of meaning both literary and practical, making it a strong resource for teachers of creative writing, school libraries, and anyone interested in exploring identity and belonging." -KirkusIn A Suitcase of Seaweed, an NYPL Best Book for the Teen Age originally published in 1996, Janet Wong explored issues of identity in sections defined as Korean Poems, Chinese Poems, and American Poems. In this new book, A SUITCASE OF SEAWEED & MORE, readers will find the original text plus new reflections, insights, and writing prompts accompanying each poem.-A Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies-Recognition of Merit Award, George G. Stone Center for Children's Books-NYPL Book for the Teen Age"Wong was born in America of Chinese and Korean heritage, but the basic subjects she addresses in stanzas of free verse aim at the heart of any family, any race." -School Library Journal
Let's Explore the Sea!"Let's Explore the Sea!" is an exhilarating voyage into a world beneath the waves where curiosity reigns supreme! Join Nathias, a spirited young explorer, and his trusty feline companions on an extraordinary journey that kindles the flames of wonder in young minds.As the golden shores meet the crystal-clear ocean, Nathias and his older sister Isabella embark on an unforgettably educational seaside adventure. Yet, as Nathias gazes into the shimmering waters, his boundless imagination carries him into a fantastical submarine with his two feline friends by his side. Together, they embark on a magical expedition through the enchanting marine world, where each twist and turn reveals fresh and captivating discoveries.Nathias, your guide, invites young readers, aged 6 to 11, to explore the enchanting realm of the deep blue. Here, they'll uncover fascinating facts about the sea's most extraordinary inhabitants, from the graceful dolphins to the enigmatic seahorses and everything in between.With alluring illustrations that breathe life into this aquatic journey, "Let's Explore the Sea!" isn't merely a story; it's an immersive and educational odyssey that is sure to ignite the curiosity of young, eager minds.So, take a deep breath and dive into the pages, where your child's imagination will set sail on the waves of knowledge and wonder. "Let's Explore the Sea!" is an enchanting tale that will make your child fall in love with the sea and its captivating inhabitants.Bring this educational adventure to life and inspire your child to embrace the wonders of the natural world. Order your copy today and let the enchantment begin!
A rapturous, ravenous celebration of visual art and storytelling from one of our most innovative writers and critical minds. Many know Jonathan Lethem as one of our most celebrated and eclectic writers, whose iconic novels--Motherless Brooklyn, The Fortress of Solitude, Chronic City, among many others--play with genres and storytelling modes like a DJ mixing music. But Lethem grew up in his father's studio, went to art school, and, in his own words, "made hundreds if not thousands of drawings, collages, paintings, hand-drawn comics, and even two animated shorts" before diverting, at nineteen, to prose fiction. The surreal and form-defying panoply of his stories, essays, and novels celebrates--and mourns--this forsaken world of the visual and plastic arts. That leap, between the cellophane ephemerality of language and the brick-like tangibility of visual art, which operates as a sublimated wellspring for Lethem's writing, is the subject of this book. Cellophane Bricks gathers a lifetime of Lethem's art-writing, along with stunning, full-color images from the author's own collection and elsewhere. Here we tour Lethem's fictions in response to (and in exchange for) artworks by his friends; his meditations on comics and graffiti art; his collaborations with artists and interventions into visual culture, and his portrait of the museum that was and continues to be his home, untethered from geography. More than just a compilation, Cellophane Bricks comprises a kind of stealth memoir of Jonathan Lethem's parallel life in visual culture--a ravishing assemblage that makes the perfect gift for story lovers of all kinds, and an essential, singular brick to add to your own collection.
"In 1967, producer George Schlatter pitched an idea for a quirky new television show: one inspired by the hippie counterculture, which would take the idea of sit-ins, love-ins, and be-ins, and manifest that politicized, sexualized, consciousness-raising energy into pure comedy. Much to the surprise of NBC executives, Laugh-In soon became the #1 show on American TV, and the careers of beloved stars like Lily Tomlin and Goldie Hawn were born. Still Laughing features never-before-told stories from the creation of one of the most groundbreaking shows in television history. It also recounts the coming-of-age of one of Hollywood's most iconic producers, from his early nightclub days rubbing elbows with mob figures like Mickey Cohen and John Stompanato, to his influential friendships with Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra, for whom George was asked to deliver a eulogy at his funeral decades later. An inside look at Hollywood in the wake of the cultural upheaval of the '60s and '70s, Still Laughing demonstrates the crucial, deeply creative role a working producer plays in bringing a show (and its stars) to life. With spit-fire humor, tireless wit and keen perception, Still Laughing tells of the rise of some of comedy's greatest talents, and reveals the actual people cloistered inside larger-than-life celebrity."--Publisher's website.
Meet Jason: a college educated documentary film producer, cat parent of two, and one of San Francisco’s top drug dealers. After Jason’s world falls apart in LA, he moves to Berkeley for a fresh start with his kid brother. Just one problem: his long-closeted Adderall addiction has exploded into an out-of-control crystal meth binge. Within weeks, Jason plunges into the sprawling ParTy n’ ’Play subculture of the Bay Area’s gay community. It is a wildly decadent scene of drugs, group sex, and criminals, and yet it is also filled with surprising characters, people who are continually subverting Jason’s own presumptions of the stereotypical tweaker. Soon Jason becomes a dealer on the pretense of researching this tweaker world for a project that will carry him, like a life raft, back to the shores of a normal life. But his friendly entrepreneurial spirit and trusting disposition disarm clients and rival dealers alike. The money begins to roll in as demand increases to frightening levels. Suddenly, Jason is in control of the entire crystal meth market for San Francisco’s gay community, even as he finds himself nodding off behind the wheel of his car, or walking down the sidewalk. As friends and family work frantically to steer him towards recovery, Jason resists, chasing something else: a sleepless nirvana fueled by sex, drugs, and the Tweakerworld. With painful honesty, Jason Yamas has crafted a landmark narrative that is not just a personal account of addiction, but a portrait of a vulnerable, largely undocumented community of people who, for many reasons, have been marginalized to the point of invisibility.
"Some things we cannot fix," he repeats. "At least not on our own.""You're not on your own," I whisper. ➽───────────────❥There are two things Sarah is looking forward to in her senior year of high school - the cooking program she advocated for and graduating. She had a dream to follow - helping her famous parents run their renowned food truck business. Sarah is left home alone for long periods at a time. She navigates her insecurities, loneliness, and deals with a childhood bully by spending lots of time in the kitchen perfecting her recipes. Then there is the new boy in school, Zander, who changes everything. Having lost his mother and carrying the weight of his alcoholic and abusive father's burdens, he struggles to find his place in the world. While bonding over a love for movies and working on a school project, Sarah and Zander find themselves falling for each other. But will their love be powerful enough to conquer their individual fears?
Robin never believed in Hell, she certainly did not believe in God, but that did not stop the Devil from whispering in her ear. When judgment time arrived, it was not God who greeted her at Death's door. The Devil merely seized the opportunity. No one knows why she said yes to their proposal. Maybe it had nothing to do with love, She was a lost soul, a lost cause, with a whole other story to tell. So forget what you know, this person is not someone who bows down to the Devil.
Nem was not like his college classmates. Instead of crowding around a TV set, Nem opted for lonely walks where he could indulge his passion for photography, until the night he saw Nicholas, a young professor from London, with another male student. The affair is passionate and brief. When Nicholas returns to London, Nem must move on. He graduates and soon finds success as a critic in New Delhi’s burgeoning art world. Then comes an invitation to speak to artists in London, and the past is suddenly resurrected. As London's cosmopolitan art scene envelops Nem, he is haunted by the possibilities of a life with Nicholas. But Nicholas eludes Nem, avoiding a reunion with his old student, but leaving clues that lead to someone else: Myra, a woman Nem thought was Nicholas's sister. Brought together by their love for Nicholas, Nem and Myra embark on a surprising friendship.Janice Pariat explores the concept of emotional memory with the inquisitive mind of a scientist and the prowess of a poet. Rich, immersive prose drives a story with international scope, one that seeks answers to the age-old mystery of what binds us to others, and how we can ever let them go.
“A well-written, deeply personal saga that acknowledges the resonance of historical identity, art, and literature in our present lives.” —KIRKUS REVIEWS1570: A street teems with activity in Renaissance Lisbon: boatmen unload passengers as jugglers entertain the crowd and vendors hawk their goods. The crowd is large, and more than half of it is Black. Most are enslaved African people performing an array of duties, but there are free Africans too, and somebody else: a Black knight astride a horse.Four hundred and fifty years later, novelist and journalist Joaquim Arena stands in a museum, transfixed by the character depicted on this canvas by an anonymous Flemish painter. He doesn’t know it yet, but the knight is Joao de Sá Panasco, a one-time slave who nevertheless became an Afro-Portuguese nobleman. So begins Under Our Skin, a wide-ranging investigation that seeks to know the people of the early African diaspora, and tell their stories.Arena was born in the tiny state of Cape Verde, a small chain of islands off the West Coast of Africa which were uninhabited before Portugal chose them for a slave-trade post—a place made famous in part by Herman Melville's essay on the nature of Cape Verdeans (known as 'Gees') who were common fixtures on whaling vessels.With this awareness, Arena creates a hybrid text of travel writing, memoir, and history, filled with portraits of complex and fascinating characters. There is Dido Elizabeth Belle, the daughter of a slave raised a gentlewoman in England; Abraham Petrovitch Gannibal, abducted from Africa as a boy, only to be groomed as a nobleman under Peter the Great; Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, son of a Haitian slave, who became a French general in the Napoleonic Wars; Jacobus Capitein, from Ghana, who studies at a European university only to become a pro-slavery Christian minister in the Netherlands; and Carlos Marcelino da Graça or ‘Sweet Daddy Grace’, from Cape Verde, who became an incredibly influential and successful church leader and faith healer in the United States.Triggered by the death of his adoptive father, Arena interlaces the stories of historical figures with those of his own childhood in Cape Verde, as well as his early years in Lisbon. Like many Cape Verdeans, his step-father was a seaman and heavy drinker whose death provides a springboard for connection to the Cape Verde immigrant experience at large. Arena ties these stories to the wider diasporas connecting the island to Europe, the US, and finally, back to Africa. In the end, the author heads to the southern tip of Portugal, known as the Algarve, where 230 Africans were brought in 1444, marking the beginning of the Atlantic slave trade. With a skillful translation by Jethro Soutar that captures Arena’s insightful, accessible style, Under Our Skin is a story unlike anything else. Of it the Jornal Económico, a leading newspaper in Portugal, has called it “the closest thing” the Portuguese language has to W.G. Sebald.
"In booming postwar Brooklyn, young David Nowak cannot fit in. His family, a pillar of the Polish immigrant community, is at a loss to help their boy, who is obsessive, neurotic and wracked by insomnia. After inheriting control of the family fortune while still in high school, David abandons life in New York to travel the world. His return to the U.S. with Daisy, a young Taiwanese woman, marks an irreparable break with his past. Escaping to the Northern California wilderness, the newlyweds craft an insular, often idyllic existence for their two children, William and Gillian. But while modern life threatens to lure the children away, it is the looming madness of their parents, and its shocking legacy, that will decide their fate."--Page [4] of cover.
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