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Influential Women: Two Biographies
by Emily HahnPortraits of pivotal American feminists and three of the most powerful women in twentieth-century China by the &“quintessential New Yorker narrator&” (The New York Times). Once Upon a Pedestal: After living an unconventional and exotic life for decades, New Yorker writer Emily Hahn was in her late sixties when this book was first published in 1974. As the Women&’s Movement continued to gain momentum, Hahn penned this &“essential history of the remarkable women who led the feminist movement in America.&” Her &“excellent and eminently readable&” biographical sketches include Susan B. Anthony, Clara Barton, Fanny Wright, the Grimké sisters, Margaret Sanger, Jane Addams, Victoria Woodhull, Harriet Martineau, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Betty Friedan (Publishers Weekly). &“[The] quintessential New Yorker narrator whose adventures over the last forty years have intrigued, amused and educated . . . Emily Hahn is, herself, a role model. It is fitting and felicitous for her to give us an armchair guide to strong-minded American women.&” —The New York Times The Soong Sisters: In 1935, intrepid journalist and fearless feminist Emily Hahn traveled to China and sent dispatches to the New Yorker. Through her lover, the Chinese poet Shao Xunmei, she met and established close bonds with three of the most instrumental women in twentieth-century Chinese history, who happened to be sisters. The Soong family was arguably the most influential family in Shanghai, even more so as eldest sister Eling married finance minister H. H. Kung; middle sister Chingling married Sun Yat-Sen, the founding father and first president of the Republic of China; and youngest sister Mayling married Chiang Kai-Shek, who succeeded Sun as the leader of the Republic of China. Hahn&’s chronicle of the family&’s history, written while bombs were falling during the Second Sino-Japanese War, and published in 1941, while Hahn was still in Japanese-occupied Hong Kong, is a vivid, comprehensive, and uniquely personal account of the sisters who would become known to the world as Madame Kung, Madame Sun, and Madame Chiang Kai-Shek. &“First rate reportorial job on three distinguished women . . . [a] tribute to their work and their individual heroisms.&” —Kirkus Reviews
Information Wars: How We Lost the Global Battle Against Disinformation & What We Can Do About It
by Richard StengelA “well-told” insider account of the State Department’s twenty-first-century struggle to defend America against malicious propaganda and disinformation (The Washington Post).Disinformation is nothing new. When Satan told Eve nothing would happen if she bit the apple, that was disinformation. But today, social media has made disinformation even more pervasive and pernicious. In a disturbing turn of events, authoritarian governments are increasingly using it to create their own false narratives, and democracies are proving not to be very good at fighting it.During the final three years of the Obama administration, Richard Stengel, former editor of Time, was an Under Secretary of State on the front lines of this new global information war—tasked with unpacking, disproving, and combating both ISIS’s messaging and Russian disinformation. Then, during the 2016 election, Stengel watched as Donald Trump used disinformation himself. In fact, Stengel quickly came to see how all three had used the same playbook: ISIS sought to make Islam great again; Putin tried to make Russia great again; and we know the rest.In Information Wars, Stengel moves through Russia and Ukraine, Saudi Arabia and Iraq, and introduces characters from Putin to Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, and Mohamed bin Salman, to show how disinformation is impacting our global society. He illustrates how ISIS terrorized the world using social media, and how the Russians launched a tsunami of disinformation around the annexation of Crimea—a scheme that would became a model for future endeavors. An urgent book for our times, now with a new preface from the author, Information Wars challenges us to combat this ever-growing threat to democracy.“[A] refreshingly frank account . . . revealing.” —Kirkus Reviews“This sobering book is indeed needed to help individuals better understand how information can be massaged to produce any sort of message desired.” —Library Journal
Informe contra mí mismo
by Eliseo AlbertoInforme contra mí mismo es un libro a favor de lo que amo: mi familia, los amigos, la isla entera. No me propuse una memoria de la historia sino una primera historia de mi memoria. Preciso: la emocionante memoria de los míos. Sobre la experiencia de la Revolución cubana se ha debatido casi siempre en defensa de posiciones extremas. A quemarropa. La razón dicta. La pasión ciega. Sólo la emoción conmueve, porque la emoción es, a fin de cuentas, la única razón de la pasión. ¿Será cierto que la mejor defensa es el ataque? Lo dudo. José Martí nos llamó a una guerra necesaria, sin odios, para alcanzar la independencia pienso que ahora los cubanos debemos convocarnos a una «paz necesaria», también sin odios, para lograr la concordia nacional. Sé que la publicación de este libro puede molestar a muchos en la isla o en el exilio, las dos orillas del conflicto. En todo caso, pienso que tendrán la opción de no leerlo. Yo tuve la necesidad de escribirlo. Si algún compatriota, en cualquier agujero del mundo, se reconoce en una de estas paginas y se recuerda en mis recuerdos, me sentiré acompañado. Lo único imperdonable es el olvido. Tarde o temprano, los cubanos nos volveremos a encontrar, bajo la sombra isleña de una nube. Hay que estar atentos: el toque de una clave se escucha desde lejos. (Eliseo Alberto, Lichi)
Inge's War: A German Woman's Story of Family, Secrets, and Survival Under Hitler
by Svenja O'Donnell"An extraordinary saga." --David Grann, New York Times bestselling author of Killers of the Flower Moon The mesmerizing account of a granddaughter's search for a World War II family history hidden for sixty yearsGrowing up in Paris as the daughter of a German mother and an Irish father, Svenja O'Donnell knew little of her family's German past. All she knew was that her great-grandparents, grandmother, and mother had fled their home city of Königsberg near the end of World War II, never to return. But everything changed when O'Donnell traveled to the city--now known as Kaliningrad, and a part of Russia--and called her grandmother, who uncharacteristically burst into tears. "I have so much to tell you," Inge said. In this transporting and illuminating book, the award-winning journalist vividly reconstructs the story of Inge's life from the rise of the Nazis through the brutal postwar years, from falling in love with a man who was sent to the Eastern Front just after she became pregnant with his child, to spearheading her family's flight as the Red Army closed in, her young daughter in tow. Ultimately, O'Donnell uncovers the act of violence that separated Inge from the man she loved; a terrible secret hidden for more than six decades. A captivating World War II saga, Inge's War is also a powerful reckoning with the meaning of German identity and inherited trauma. In retracing her grandmother's footsteps, O'Donnell not only discovers the remarkable story of a woman caught in the gears of history, but also comes face to face with her family's legacy of neutrality and inaction--and offers a rare glimpse into a reality too long buried by silence and shame.
Ingenious: A Biography of Benjamin Franklin, Scientist
by Richard MunsonThe dramatic story of an ingenious man who explained nature and created a country. Benjamin Franklin was one of the preeminent scientists of his time. Driven by curiosity, he conducted cutting-edge research on electricity, heat, ocean currents, weather patterns, chemical bonds, and plants. But today, Franklin is remembered more for his political prowess and diplomatic achievements than his scientific creativity. In this incisive and rich account of Benjamin Franklin’s life and career, Richard Munson recovers this vital part of Franklin’s story, reveals his modern relevance, and offers a compelling portrait of a shrewd experimenter, clever innovator, and visionary physicist whose fame opened doors to negotiate French support and funding for American independence. Munson’s riveting narrative explores how science underpins Franklin’s entire story—from tradesman to inventor to nation-founder—and argues that Franklin’s political life cannot be understood without giving proper credit to his scientific accomplishments.
Ingmar & Liv's Love Letters
by Lázaro Droznes Agasel LindawanThis dramatic fiction is an intimate, truthful look at the 42-year relationship between the legendary actress Liv Ullmann and the famous filmmaker Ingmar Bergman. The story of their bond is told through exchanged letters over the course of their lives, letters which their daughter ended up with. They filmed 12 movies together and shared their experiences in cinema, theatre, and writing. This work is an homage to two of the greatest artists of the 20th century, two marvelous beings, inseparable friends, and soulmates. Their relationship has been described by Bergman as a bond between two “painfully connected” individuals. It started as a spirited romance between a director and his actress, despite a 20-year age gap, and transformed into a beautiful friendship that lasted more than 40 years.
Ingmar Bergman: An Artist's Journey: On Stage, On Screen, In Print
by Roger W. OliverAt 77, Bergman no longer works in film, the medium that brought him world fame; he gave it up in 1983, when he announced that Fanny and Alexander would be his last film. This ingenious little collection is Oliver's attempt to say something meaningful about Bergman the masterful artist of many mediums--film, theater, television, print--the Renaissance artist. To accomplish the goal, Oliver selected essays that address Bergman's work as a film director (by such noted directors as Woody Allen, Franc{ }ois Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard); with actors in film and on stage (by such as Liv Ullmann, Max von Sydow, Bibi Andersson); as it relates to his intellect (by such as James Baldwin, Caryn James, John Lahr).
Ingrained: The Making of a Craftsman
by Callum RobinsonLONGLISTED FOR THE 2025 ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR EXCELLENCE IN NONFICTIONFor fans of H Is for Hawk and Shop Class as Soulcraft comes a captivating literary memoir, immersing readers in the life of a Scottish carpenter as he perfects his craft, builds a business, and reflects on what inheritance and shared responsibility really mean.The eldest son of a master woodworker, Callum Robinson spent his childhood surrounded by wood and trees, absorbing craft lessons in his father’s workshop. In time he became his father’s apprentice, helping to create exquisite bespoke objects. But eventually the need to find his own path led him to establish his own workshop and chase ever bigger and more commercial projects, until the devastating loss of one major job threatened to bring it all crashing down. Faced with the end of his business, his team, and everything he had worked so hard to build, he was forced to question what mattered most. In beautifully wrought prose, Callum tells the story of returning to the workshop and to the wood, to handcrafting furniture for people who will love it and then pass it on to the next generation—an antidote to a culture where everything seems so easily disposable. As he does so, he brings us closer to nature and the physical act of creation—and we begin to understand how he has been shaped, as both a craftsman and a son. Blending memoir and nature writing at its finest, Ingrained is an uplifting meditation on the challenges of working with your hands in our modern age, on community, consumerism, and the beauty of the natural world—one that asks us to see our local trees, and our own wooden objects, in a new and revelatory light.
Ingrid
by Charlotte ChandlerIngrid Bergman was one of the biggest and most glamorous stars in Hollywood. She had starred in several now-classic films: Casablanca, Spellbound, Notorious, Gaslight; and her co-stars included such icons as Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant and Gregory Peck. Already a movie star in her native Sweden, Ingrid Bergman became an instant sensation in Hollywood and the number one box-office star in the world. But the most dramatic event in her life took place off the screen when she made a film in Italy and began a passionate affair with her director, Roberto Rossellini. The scandal that followed left her exiled from America, ostracized from Hollywood, vilified by the press and separated from her young daughter. In the words of those who were involved, Chandler describes Bergman's life before, during and after the scandal. Among those Chandler spoke with were Alfred Hitchcock, George Cukor, Cary Grant and Greta Garbo. She also spoke with Roberto Rossellini, their twin daughters, Isabella and Isotta Ingrid, Rossellini's son Renzo, Ingrid's daughter Pia Lindstrom and others who knew Ingrid well. This extraordinary access makes INGRID: A PERSONAL BIOGRAPHY the most perceptive and revealing book ever written about the charismatic Hollywood legend.
Ingrid Bergman (Great Stars)
by David Thomson"Ingrid Bergman was far more than just a sweet, virtuous, ‘natural' Swedish girl—she was a dark sensualist over whom many men might go mad. Her very gaze delivered a climate of adult romantic expectation."Adored by millions for her luminous beauty and elegance, at the height of her career Bergman commanded a love that has hardly ever been matched, until her marriage fell apart and created an international scandal. Here the renowned film writer David Thomson gives his own unique take on a woman who was constantly driven by her passions and by her need to act, even if it meant sacrificing everything.
Ingrid: Ingrid Bergman, a Personal Biography (Applause Bks.)
by Charlotte ChandlerIngrid Bergman was one of the biggest and most glamorous stars in Hollywood -- until she became one of the most controversial, when an international scandal threatened to end her career. She had starred in several now-classic films: Casablanca, Spellbound, Notorious, Gaslight, and her co-stars included such Hollywood icons as Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant, and Gregory Peck. In this insightful new biography, Charlotte Chandler draws on her extensive conversations with Bergman herself to describe what happened from Bergman's point of view, revealing a complex and fascinating woman who lived life intensely. Already a movie star in her native Sweden, Ingrid Bergman became an instant sensation for David O. Selznick in Hollywood and the number-one box-office star in the world. But the most dramatic event in her life took place off the screen when she made a film in Italy and began a passionate romance with her director, Roberto Rossellini. The scandal that followed left her exiled from America, ostracized by Hollywood, vilified in the press, denounced by clergy, censured in the U. S. Senate -- and separated from her young daughter. She was able to make films only with Rossellini. In the words of those who were involved, Chandler describes Bergman's life before, during, and after the scandal. Among those Chandler spoke with were Alfred Hitchcock, George Cukor, Sidney Lumet, Cary Grant, Gregory Peck, Greta Garbo, and Liv Ullmann. She spoke with Roberto Rossellini; their twin daughters, Isabella and Isotta Ingrid; Rossellini's son, Renzo; Ingrid's daughter Pia Lindstrom; and others who knew Ingrid well. This extraordinary access makes Ingrid: Ingrid Bergman, a Personal Biography the most perceptive and revealing book ever written about the charismatic Hollywood legend.
Inheritance of Power: A Novel (The House of Medici)
by Edward Charles&“Takes a novel angle on Cosimo [de Medici]&’s rise to power by telling the story of his mistress, the Circassian slave Maddalena . . . an incomparable cast.&” —Historical Novel Society Ever-loyal Maddalena, a diminutive, dark-skinned, blue-eyed slave, has borne Cosimo de Medici a son and seen him rise to a position in the Church. Now, late in life, she finds herself committed to a convent, as part of a scheme to prevent Cosimo&’s sons from sending the Medici bank into ruin by hiding a fortune in gold for Cosimo&’s grandson, Lorenzo, to inherit. But as the months go by, and the gold does not appear, her faith in Cosimo begins to wane and with it, her confidence in her own worth. Has she been duped? Approaching old age, she finds in the abbess a confessor, to whom she can confide her true story and perhaps, at the same time, convince herself that her life has been worthwhile. But the abbess has objectives of her own, and the two of them may not be on the same side. Edward Charles presents an enthralling evocation of fifteenth-century Florence in a novel of intrigue, wealth, deception, and high political drama. The largest and most respected financial institution in Europe in its prime, the Medici bank came to represent the might of a family of great influence and power, who scaled the very heights of human grandeur but were to suffer through one of the most catastrophic financial crashes of early banking as the survival of a dynasty hung in the balance. &“A vivid tapestry of Florentine history . . . Imaginatively structured.&” —Booklist (starred review)
Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love
by Dani ShapiroFrom the acclaimed, best-selling memoirist and novelist—“a writer of rare talent” (Cheryl Strayed)—a memoir about the staggering family secret uncovered by a genealogy test: an exploration of the urgent ethical questions surrounding fertility treatments and DNA testing, and a profound inquiry of paternity, identity, and love. <P><P>What makes us who we are? What combination of memory, history, biology, experience, and that ineffable thing called the soul defines us? <P><P>In the spring of 2016, through a genealogy website to which she had whimsically submitted her DNA for analysis, Dani Shapiro received the stunning news that her father was not her biological father. <P><P>She woke up one morning and her entire history--the life she had lived--crumbled beneath her. <P><P>Inheritance is a book about secrets--secrets within families, kept out of shame or self-protectiveness; secrets we keep from one another in the name of love. <P><P>It is the story of a woman's urgent quest to unlock the story of her own identity, a story that has been scrupulously hidden from her for more than fifty years, years she had spent writing brilliantly, and compulsively, on themes of identity and family history. <P><P>It is a book about the extraordinary moment we live in--a moment in which science and technology have outpaced not only medical ethics but also the capacities of the human heart to contend with the consequences of what we discover. <P><b>A New York Times Bestseller</b>
Inheritance: A Psychological History of the Royal Family
by Dennis FriedmanIn exploring Royal dynamics, Inheritance sheds light on problems found in any familyOn its first publication in the 1990s, Dennis Friedman's Inheritance caused a furor in England as he traced the many problems of the Royal family as it was then back to Queen Victoria's nursery, unveiling a host of psychodramas played out against a privileged background of English palaces and Scottish castles. In a post-Diana age, the arrival of a new Prince George to the seemingly stable and blissfully happy William and Kate seems to refute Fiedman's thesis--but what of the notoriously wayward Prince Harry? Many questions are raised in this book addressing the complex and turbulent royal relationships, perhaps the most fundamental being the rigid and traditional royal upbringing which still awaits the baby prince. As the royal line is followed down the generations no direct descendent is overlooked and no issue is sidestepped.
Inheritance: A Story of Property, Marriage and Madness
by Leo Hollis&‘Hollis expertly weaves together the human tragedy and high politics behind the explosion of one of the world&’s greatest cities.&’ Dan Snow In June 1701, a young widow, Mary Davies wakes up in a hotel room in Paris and finds a man in her bed. Within hours they are married. Yet three weeks later, Mary fled to London and swore that she had never agreed to the wedding. So begins one of the most intriguing stories of madness, tragic passions and the curse of inheritance. Inheritance charts the forgotten life of Mary Davies, born in London during the Great Plague of 1665, and the land that she inherited as a baby. This estate would determine the course of her tragic life. Hollis restores this history of child brides, mad heiresses, religious controversy and shady dealing. The drama culminated in a court case that determined not just the state of Mary&’s legacy, but the future of London itself. Today, Mary&’s inheritance is some of the most valuable real estate in the world.
Inheritance: An Autobiography of Whiteness
by Baynard WoodsIn this unflinching, honest narrative, an award-winning journalist discovers his family&’s heritage as slave owners in the South and grapples openly with his whiteness to inspire others to do the same. "Bracing, candid, and rueful." —Kirkus Baynard Woods thought he had escaped the backwards ways of the South Carolina he grew up in, a world defined by country music, NASCAR, and the confederacy. But when a white guy from his hometown of Columbia, S.C.—also the birthplace of secession— massacred nine Black people in Charleston in the name of Southern whiteness, Woods began to delve into his family&’s history—and the ways that history has affected his own life. Upon discovering that his family—both the Baynards and the Woodses—collectively claimed ownership of more than 700 people in 1860 and that his great-grandfather had assassinated a Black politician in 1871, Woods realized his own name was a confederate monument. With assiduous research and brutal self-analysis, Woods uncovers the details of his family&’s crimes and all of the mundane ways he inherited them…and their coverup. Along with his name, he had inherited privilege, wealth, and all the lies that his ancestors passed down through the generations. At a time where Southern states are embracing a return to authoritarian, anti-democratic principles, Woods' analysis of how we inherited our whiteness from the twisted psychology of Southern slavers is both trenchant and urgent—but always cast against the foibles and failures of his own life. Unflinching and uninhibited, Inheritance is a no-holds-barred memoir that exposes the story from Trump country that you haven&’t heard while excavating what it means to reckon with whiteness in America today and what it might mean to begin to repair the past.
Inheriting Magic: My Journey Through Grief, Joy, Celebration, and Making Every Day Magical
by Jennifer Love HewittWhen she lost her mother to cancer, everything changed for Jennifer Love Hewitt. In the pages of Inheriting Magic, she recounts her journey, sharing memories, photographs, recipes, and the magic-making ethos of a self-proclaimed &“Holiday Junkie.&” A heartfelt, candid chronicle that charts a course from sorrow to celebration, this unique memoir includes: • Never-seen-before family photos and vintage snapshots • Jennifer&’s favorite recipes, from her grandmother&’s chicken and dumplings to her husband&’s holiday cocktail • An explosion of festive plans, including images, sure to inspire your decorating plans for Halloween, Christmas, Easter, birthdays, and a whole year&’s worth of holidays • Foolproof strategies for adding magic to your family&’s everyday routine, such as moon water, baskets of joy, glowing dinners, and more Inheriting Magic is about how grief, being a mom of three, having a deep love for party planning, and being passionate about the holidays turned what could have been an ordinary life into something enchanting. Through it, Jennifer inspires all readers to add more love, light, and the making of core memories into their everyday lives.
Inheriting Our Mothers' Gardens: Feminist Theology In Third World Perspective
by Katie Geneva Cannon Letty M. Russell Kwok Pui-Lan Ada Maria Isasi-DiazThis book represents a major contribution toward the development of a global feminist theology. The personal histories and experiences of women of African, Asian, Anglo-American, and Latin-American heritage recounted here make it possible to analyze the social and historical contexts of their Christian faith. Their insights into the lives of those who have been oppressed or excluded, in the Third World or in the United States, clear the way for understanding the partnership of men and women everywhere.
Inheriting the Holy Land: An American's Search for Hope in the Middle East
by Jennifer MillerWriting with fierce honesty, Jennifer Miller has created an extraordinary synthesis of history, reportage, and coming-of-age memoir in Inheriting the Holy Land. Her groundbreaking perspective on the conflict is presented through interviews with young Israelis and Palestinians and conversations with some of the most influential officials involved in the Middle East, including Shimon Peres, Yasir Arafat, James Baker, Benjamin Netanyahu, Colin Powell, Ehud Barak, and Mahmoud Abbas. This book will open eyes, open hearts, and open minds. Miller grew up in an affluent suburb of Washington, D.C., surrounded by the chaotic politics of the Middle East. Her father was a U.S. State Department negotiator at the Oslo and Camp David peace summits, and dinnertime conversation in the Miller household often included discussions of the Middle Eastern conflict. When Miller joined Seeds of Peace, a program that brings Middle Eastern kids to Maine for intensive sessions of conflict resolution, her real experience with the Middle East began. As she befriended young Palestinians, Israelis, Egyptians, and Jordanians, Jennifer came to realize that their views were missing from the ongoing debate over the Holy Land. By helping these young voices be heard, she knew she could reveal something vitally new and deeply challenging about the future of this torn region. Miller, however, learned fast that it was one thing to hang out at the idyllic Seeds for Peace camp in Maine and quite another to confront young people on their own turf-in the alleys of East Jerusalem, behind the armed gates of West Bank settlements, in the teeming refugee camps of Gaza. Friendships that had blossomed in the United States withered in the aftermath of yet another suicide bombing. Big-hearted teens on both sides of the conflict shocked Miller with the ferocity of their illusions and the twisted logic of their misconceptions. But she also found rays of hope in places where others had reported only despair--surprising open-mindedness among the ultra-religious, common ground shared by those who had lost loved ones to the violence, a yearning for peace amid the rubble of refugee camps and the shards of bombed cities. A deft writer, she interweaves her startlingly candid interviews with the vibrant realities of life in the streets. Just as Jennifer Miller was forced to confront her biases as an American, a Jew, a woman, and a journalist, in Inheriting the Holy Land, she similarly challenges readers to reexamine their own cherished prejudices and assumptions.
Inheriting the Trade: A Northern Family Confronts Its Legacy as the Largest Slave-trading Dynasty in U. S. History
by Thomas DewolfIn 2001, Thomas DeWolf discovered that he was related to the most successful slave-trading family in U.S. history, responsible for transporting at least ten thousand Africans. This is his memoir of the journey in which ten family members retraced their ancestors' steps through the notorious triangle trade route--from New England to West Africa to Cuba--and uncovered the hidden history of New England and the other northern states.
Inhuman Land: Searching for the Truth in Soviet Russia, 1941-1942
by Jozef CzapskiA classic work of reportage about the Katyń Massacre during World War II by a soldier who narrowly escaped the atrocity himself.In 1941, when Germany turned against the USSR, tens of thousands of Poles—men, women, and children who were starving, sickly, and impoverished—were released from Soviet prison camps and allowed to join the Polish Army being formed in the south of Russia. One of the survivors who made the difficult winter journey was the painter and reserve officer Józef Czapski.General Anders, the army’s commander in chief, assigned Czapski the task of receiving the Poles arriving for military training; gathering accounts of what their fates had been; organizing education, culture, and news for the soldiers; and, most important, investigating the disappearance of thousands of missing Polish officers.Blocked at every level by the Soviet authorities, Czapski was unaware that in April 1940 many officers had been shot dead in Katyn forest, a crime for which Soviet Russia never accepted responsibility.Czapski’s account of the years following his release from the camp and the formation of the Polish Army, and its arduous trek through Central Asia and the Middle East to fight on the Italian front offers a stark depiction of Stalin’s Russia at war and of the suffering, stoicism, and bravery of his fellow Poles. A work of clear observation and deep compassion, Inhuman Land is one of the twentieth century’s indispensable acts of literary witness.
Initiated: Memoir of a Witch
by Amanda Yates GarciaAn initiation signals a beginning: a door opens and you step throughAmanda Yates Garcia's mother initiated her into the goddess-worshipping practice of witchcraft when she was thirteen years old, but Amanda's true life as a witch only began when she underwent a series of spontaneous initiations of her own.Descending into the underworlds of poverty, sex work and misogyny, Initiated describes Amanda's journey to return to her body, harness her natural power, and finally reclaim her witchcraft to create the magical world she envisioned. Peppered with mythology, tales of the goddesses and magical women throughout history, Initiated stands squarely at the intersection of witchcraft and feminism. Amanda shows that practising magic is about more than spells and potions; magic is nothing less than claiming power for oneself and taking back our planet in the name of Love. Initiated is both memoir and manifesto, calling the magical people of the world to take up their wands, be brave, and create the enchanted world they long to live in.'Godesses, ecstasies, fairy tales: Initiated is full of my favourite things, told with savage grace. This book will change your life.' FRANCESCA LIA BLOCK
Initiated: Memoir of a Witch
by Amanda Yates GarciaSmoke Gets in Your Eyes meets Women Who Run With The Wolves in this "gorgeously written, fierce, political, personal, and deeply inspiring" (Michelle Tea) memoir about finding meaning, beauty, and power through a life in witchcraft. An initiation signals a beginning: a door opens and you step through. Traditional Wiccan initiates are usually brought into the craft through a ceremony with a High Priestess. But even though Amanda Yates Garcia's mother, a practicing witch herself, initiated her into the earth-centered practice of witchcraft when she was 13 years old, Amanda's real life as a witch only began when she underwent a series of spontaneous initiations of her own.Descending into the underworlds of poverty, sex work, and misogyny, Initiated describes Amanda's journey to return to her body, harness her power, and create the magical world she longed for through witchcraft. Hailed by crows, seduced by magicians, and haunted by ancestors broken beneath the wheels of patriarchy, Amanda's quest for self-discovery and empowerment is a deep exploration of a modern witch's trials - healing ancient wounds, chafing against cultural expectations, creating intimacy - all while on a mission to re-enchant the world. Peppered with mythology, tales of the goddesses and magical women throughout history, Initiated stands squarely at the intersection of witchcraft and feminism. With generosity and heart, this book speaks to the question: is it possible to live a life of beauty and integrity in a world that feels like it's dying?Declaring oneself a witch and practicing magic has everything to do with claiming authority and power for oneself, of taking back our planet in the name of Love. Initiated is both memoir and manifesto calling the magical people of the world to take up their wands: stand up, be brave, describe the world they want, then create it like a witch.
Injichaag: Anishinaabe Poetics in Art and Words
by Rene MeshakeThis book shares the life story of Anishinaabe artist Rene Meshake in stories, poetry, and Anishinaabemowin “word bundles” that serve as a dictionary of Ojibwe poetics. Meshake was born in the railway town of Nakina in northwestern Ontario in 1948, and spent his early years living off-reserve with his grandmother in a matriarchal land-based community he calls Pagwashing. He was raised through his grandmother’s “bush university,” periodically attending Indian day school, but at the age of ten Rene was scooped into the Indian residential school system, where he suffered sexual abuse as well as the loss of language and connection to family and community. This residential school experience was lifechanging, as it suffocated his artistic expression and resulted in decades of struggle and healing. Now in his twenty-eighth year of sobriety, Rene is a successful multidisciplinary artist, musician and writer. Meshake’s artistic vision and poetic lens provide a unique telling of a story of colonization and recovery. The material is organized thematically around a series of Meshake’s paintings. It is framed by Kim Anderson, Rene’s Odaanisan (adopted daughter), a scholar of oral history who has worked with Meshake for two decades. Full of teachings that give a glimpse of traditional Anishinaabek lifeways and worldviews, Injichaag: My Soul in Story is “more than a memoir.”
Injury Time: A Memoir
by D. J. EnrightThe distinguished poet, essayist and critic D. J. Enright died on the last day of December 2002. He had just put the finishing touches to Injury Time, a memoir and his third commonplace book in which the dying writer muses upon his own condition and that of the world he knows he is leaving. Comparing himself to the Chinese scholar Sima Qian, who chose an 'ignoble punishment' (in Dennis Enright's case, treatment for his cancer; in Qian's, castration) over respectable death in order to finish a book, he contemplates literature, manners, morals, people and, especially, the English language in all its glories and eccentricities - while recording his battle against cancer and his hospital experiences. Moving, and at times deeply poignant, imbued with its author's legendary humanity and wit, Injury Time is, nevertheless, funny, bracing and, above all, positive.