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Short Life in a Strange World: Birth to Death in 42 Panels
by Toby FerrisAn exceptional work that is at once an astonishing journey across countries and continents, an immersive examination of a great artist&’s work, and a moving and intimate memoir—now available in paperback. In 2012, facing the death of his father and impending fatherhood, Toby Ferris set off on a seemingly quixotic mission to track down and look at—in situ—every painting still in existence by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, the most influential and important artist of Northern Renaissance painting. The result of that pursuit is a remarkable journey through major European cities and across continents. As Ferris takes a keen analytical eye to the paintings, each piece brings new revelations about Bruegel&’s art, and gives way to meditations on mortality, fatherhood, and life. Ferris conjures a whole world to which most of us have probably lost the key, and in the process teaches us how to look, patiently and curiously, at the world. Short Life in a Strange World is a dazzlingly original and assured debut—a strange and bewitching hybrid of art criticism, philosophical reflection, and poignant memoir. Beautifully illustrated with sixty-six color images, it subtly alters the way we see the world and ourselves.
Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis
by Timothy Egan"A vivid exploration of one man's lifelong obsession with an idea . . . Egan's spirited biography might just bring [Curtis] the recognition that eluded him in life." -- Washington Post Edward Curtis was charismatic, handsome, a passionate mountaineer, and a famous portrait photographer, the Annie Leibovitz of his time. He moved in rarefied circles, a friend to presidents, vaudeville stars, leading thinkers. But when he was thirty-two years old, in 1900, he gave it all up to pursue his Great Idea: to capture on film the continent's original inhabitants before the old ways disappeared. Curtis spent the next three decades documenting the stories and rituals of more than eighty North American tribes. It took tremendous perseverance -- ten years alone to persuade the Hopi to allow him to observe their Snake Dance ceremony. And the undertaking changed him profoundly, from detached observer to outraged advocate. Curtis would amass more than 40,000 photographs and 10,000 audio recordings, and he is credited with making the first narrative documentary film. In the process, the charming rogue with the grade school education created the most definitive archive of the American Indian. "A darn good yarn. Egan is a muscular storyteller and his book is a rollicking page-turner with a colorfully drawn hero." -- San Francisco Chronicle "A riveting biography of an American original." - Boston Globe
Short Stories: The Autobiography of Columbus Short
by Marisa Mendez Columbus Short"An engaging account about the way unhealthy entanglements can affect an actor’s life.." - Kirkus ReviewsThe life of actor/choreographer/musician Columbus Short has been punctuated with trauma that extends well beyond the plot lines of his previous role on the hit series Scandal. Short has lived many lives packed into one-from a family filled with turmoil to tumultuous love affairs and enough scandals of his own. But somewhere in the middle, Short's realization that there has to be a better way comes into full view. "Short Stories" not only details Columbus Short's journey from childhood to Hollywood, it shows how even the most checkered of pasts can create a different person with the right amount of will and drive, especially when it comes to fulfilling your true destiny.
Short Takes: Brief Encounters with Contemporary Nonfiction
by Judith KitchenIn the years since the perennially popular In Short and In Brief were published, readers have come to delight in the deft focus of the succinct piece we now call The Short. Extending this trend, Short Takes presents over seventy-five writers whose range and style demonstrate the myriad ways we humans have of telling our truths. Themes develop and speak to or collide with one another: musings about parents, childhood, sports, weather, war, solitude, nature, loss and, of course, love. The stellar roster of contributors includes well-known writers Verlyn Klinkenborg, Jo Ann Beard, David Sedaris, Dorothy Allison, Salman Rushdie, and Terry Tempest Williams along with Michael Perry, Mark Spragg, Jane Brox, and others whose literary stars are clearly rising. Each short whether a few paragraphs or reaching 2,000 words, and reflecting almost every way nonfiction can be written invites us to experience the power of the small to move, persuade, and change us.
Short Trip to the Edge
by Scott CairnsWhile walking on the beach with his Labrador, poet and literature professor Scott Cairns ran headlong into his midlife crisis. A fairly common experience among men nearing the age of fifty, midlife crises are usually manifested in the form of sports cars and younger women; not so for this Baptist turned Eastern Orthodox. Cairns had a realization that as the advancement of his spiritual life was moving at a snail's pace, time was running out, and his crisis emerged in the form of a desperate need to seek out prayer. Told with wit and exquisite prose, Slow Pilgrim is the story of Scott's spiritual journey to the mystical island of Mt. Athos. With twenty monasteries and thirteen sketes scattered across its sloping terrain, the Holy Mountain was the perfect place for Scott to seek out a prayer father and to discover the stillness of the true prayer life. His narrative takes the reader from a beach in Virginia to the most holy Orthodox monasteries in the world to a monastery in Arizona and back again as Scott struggles to find his prayer path. His story includes accounts of the relationships he forges with several different monks and priests along the way, as well as life-long friendships he makes with other pilgrims.
Shortest Way Home: One Mayor's Challenge And A Model For America's Future
by Pete Buttigieg<P><P>A mayor’s inspirational story of a Midwest city that has become nothing less than a blueprint for the future of American renewal. <P><P>Once described by the Washington Post as “the most interesting mayor you’ve never heard of,” Pete Buttigieg, the thirty-six-year-old Democratic mayor of South Bend, Indiana, has improbably emerged as one of the nation’s most visionary politicians. First elected in 2011, Buttigieg left a successful business career to move back to his hometown, previously tagged by Newsweek as a “dying city,” because the industrial Midwest beckoned as a challenge to the McKinsey-trained Harvard graduate. Whether meeting with city residents on middle-school basketball courts, reclaiming abandoned houses, confronting gun violence, or attracting high-tech industry, Buttigieg has transformed South Bend into a shining model of urban reinvention. <P><P>While Washington reels with scandal, Shortest Way Home interweaves two once-unthinkable success stories: that of an Afghanistan veteran who came out and found love and acceptance, all while in office, and that of a Rust Belt city so thoroughly transformed that it shatters the way we view America’s so-called flyover country. <P><b>A New York Times Bestseller</b>
Shostakovich and His World (The Bard Music Festival #52)
by Laurel E. FayDmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) has a reputation as one of the leading composers of the twentieth century. But the story of his controversial role in history is still being told, and his full measure as a musician still being taken. This collection of essays goes far in expanding the traditional purview of Shostakovich's world, exploring the composer's creativity and art in terms of the expectations--historical, cultural, and political--that forged them. The collection contains documents that appear for the first time in English. Letters that young "Miti" wrote to his mother offer a glimpse into his dreams and ambitions at the outset of his career. Shostakovich's answers to a 1927 questionnaire reveal much about his formative tastes in the arts and the way he experienced the creative process. His previously unknown letters to Stalin shed new light on Shostakovich's position within the Soviet artistic elite. The essays delve into neglected aspects of Shostakovich's formidable legacy. Simon Morrison provides an in-depth examination of the choreography, costumes, décor, and music of his ballet The Bolt and Gerard McBurney of the musical references, parodies, and quotations in his operetta Moscow, Cheryomushki. David Fanning looks at Shostakovich's activities as a pedagogue and the mark they left on his students' and his own music. Peter J. Schmelz explores the composer's late-period adoption of twelve-tone writing in the context of the distinctively "Soviet" practice of serialism. Other contributors include Caryl Emerson, Christopher H. Gibbs, Levon Hakobian, Leonid Maximenkov, and Rosa Sadykhova. In a provocative concluding essay, Leon Botstein reflects on the different ways listeners approach the music of Shostakovich.
Shostakovich and Stalin: The Extraordinary Relationship Between the Great Composer and the Brutal Dictator
by Solomon Volkov'Music illuminates a person and provides him with his last hope; even Stalin, a butcher, knew that ...' So said the Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich, who spent his life battling for the right to create his works under the Soviet Union's totalitarian regime. This proved dangerous under the autocratic Stalin, who perceived himself to be an erudite critic of modern culture. So when he stormed out of the performance of Shostakovich's opera 'Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk' in 1936, the composer feared he would be arrested and killed. Instead, the 'supreme leader' played a game of cat and mouse. He would attack Shostakovich in Pravda and ban his music from the airwaves. Then he would honour him with prestigious awards. Stalin's goal was to remain unpredictable, and thus afford Shostakovich no sense of personal security, although he continued to compose stirring symphonies that drew him millions of fans. This is a fascinating and important story told by one of the greatest authorities on Russian culture in the Soviet years.
Shostakovich: A Life Remembered
by Elizabeth WilsonShostakovich: A Life Remembered is a unique study of the great composer Dimitri Shostakovich drawn from the reminiscences and reflections of his contemporaries. Using much material never previously published in English, as well as personal accounts from interviews and specially commissioned articles, Elizabeth Wilson has built a fascinating chronicle of Shostakovich's life.
Shostakovitch: The Man and His Work
by Ivan MartynovShostakovitch: The Man and His Work is a rich and compelling biography of one of the most famous composers of all time. Author Ivan Martynov brings together extensive research, including interviews and conversations with Shostakovitch himself, to shed light on the man behind the music. This edition was translated from the Russian by T. Guaralsky, and it includes a list of musical works. Ivan Martynov was a Russian musicologist and friend of Dmitri Shostakovitch.
Shot All to Hell: A Graphic Novel
by Mark Lee Gardner Nate Olson Nic ChapuisDiscover the incredible true story behind the most famous bank robbery of all time in this thrilling graphic novel adaptation of the award-winning book.Mark Lee Gardner’s Spur Award–winning Shot All to Hell follows Jesse James and his notorious gang of outlaws as they plan, carry out—and ultimately bungle—the most famous bank robbery in Western history. Now fans of the James brothers and history buffs can experience the bloody true story like never before with this graphic novel adapted from the original book.In September 1876, the James-Younger Gang forced their way into Northfield, Minnesota’s First National Bank—only to find themselves in a deadly battle against a horde of heroic citizens intent on defending their town from the Missourian marauders. Featuring stunning artwork and an exciting, faithful-to-the-novel script from Nate Olson and Gardner himself, Shot All to Hell: The Graphic Novel offers comics fans a thrilling Western adventure featuring the most famous American outlaw of all time.“This collaboration is so eye-pleasing that readers will flip through the pages again and again. The story is told in a documentary style, with times, dates and locations adding realism to the almost tactile illustrations of the “most famous bank robbery in Western history” and the epical retreat of the James-Younger Gang into the nightmarish Big Woods of Minnesota. Oversized, hard-hitting and impressive.” —David Morrell, bestselling author of First Blood (Rambo series) and Captain America: The Chosen
Shot Down in Flames: A World War II Fighter Pilot's Remarkable Tale of Survival
by Geoffrey PageA pilot&’s first-hand account of the Battle of Britain. &“Quite simply one of the best books I have ever read about the men who fought the war in the air.&” —Daily Mail On 12 August 1940, during the Battle of Britain, in an engagement with Dornier Do 17s, Geoffrey Page was shot down into the English Channel, suffering severe burns. He spent much of the next two years in hospitals, undergoing plastic surgery, but recovered sufficiently to pursue an extremely distinguished war and postwar career. This eloquently written and critically acclaimed autobiography tells of his wartime exploits in the air and on the ground. He was a founding member of The Guinea Pig Club—formed by badly burnt aircrew—and this is a fascinating account of the Club, of the courage and bravery of &“The Few,&” and of Geoffrey&’s later life and achievements, most particularly in the creation of The Battle of Britain memorial.&“For sheer narrative power, it ranks with the best.&” —The Daily Telegraph
Shot Down: The Secret Diary of One POW's Long March to Freedom
by Alex Kerr&“An incredibly rich life story . . . It is also a significant addition to Australian military, aviation, and prisoner of war history. Uplifting. Read it.&” —Bomber Command Australia Alex Kerr&’s Wellington, a twin-engine bomber, was shot down over Germany in 1941. At first hospitalized with hopes of repatriation, he unexpectedly found himself a prisoner in a German POW camp. Throughout those trying four years he was held captive, Alex kept a secret diary. This book reproduces his diary entries in a fascinating account of all aspects of life in a wartime prison. He describes being part of the infamous Long March during which he and his comrades were strafed by Allied aircraft; sixty POWs were killed and one hundred wounded. Alex escaped the march with a mate, passing through the front lines between the British and German forces to commandeer a German mayor&’s car and drive back to Brussels to take the next aircraft to freedom. Alex&’s charm and optimistic outlook will buoy the reader throughout, and the camaraderie between him and his captive comrades is always entertaining. This is an authentic Second World War adventure from being shot out of the sky, to incarceration and the ultimate triumph of escape and the end of the war. &“Based on a secret diary maintained during four years of imprisonment, this is an authentic voice from WWII. The author demonstrates charm and optimism which lightens what might have been a depressing story. Recommended.&” —Firetrench
Shot Ready
by Stephen CurryShot Ready is a powerful distillation of Stephen Curry&’s transformative philosophy of success—centered on preparation, constant improvement, creativity, connection, mindfulness, and joy—delivered in his incomparable voice and style. Stunningly designed and illustrated with more than 100 gorgeous photographs, Shot Ready is an intimate narrative and a practical blueprint for any reader who wants to unlock their own potential.
Shot in the Tower: The Stories of the Spies Executed in the Tower of London During the First World War
by Leonard SellersThe number 1 best book about spies in Britain. As listed by Dame Stelle Rimington Ex-Director-General of M.I.5.The first reaction to Leonard Sellers fascinating account of the spies who were executed in the Tower of London during the First World War is likely to be one of amazement at their ineptitude. Not one of them seems to have had any proper training or any idea of how to set about the job. This, of course raises the intriguing question: how many others were there who did know what they were up to and managed to escape detection? However, thanks to the more liberal attitude now prevalent regarding access to hitherto 'sensitive' material and to years of dogged research by Len Sellers, the remarkable, but somehow pathetic, stories of the eleven foreign agents who were caught and subsequently shot in the Tower for espionage can now be told. In these days when a mind-boggling array of equipment is available for the assimilation and transmission of supposedly secret information their antics strike one as little short of farcical, but for their efforts, inspired, it seems, more often by greed than patriotism, these men paid the ultimate price and paid it in the most historic site in Britain.Whether they deserved their fate, or indeed the niche in history which this book gives them, is for the reader to decide. What cannot be denied is that their collected histories make remarkable reading.
Shot: A Rifle’s True Tales of a Prairie Farm
by Willard JacksonShot, a long-barrel, single-shot rifle, shares stories of intrigue, repose, and character—all as they occurred on Rudy’s farm on the North Dakota prairie. Rudy, himself an endearing soul, returns home from World War II with an artificial limb to operate a vibrant, diversified farm where even routine life is replete with adventures. Picture sheep escaping a burning building, ravaging hogs being loaded for butcher, bulls charging man and vehicles, and horses racing wide-eyed down a country lane. Picture also adventures from wild animals, prairie fires, brutal winters, and marauding dogs. Add in colorful hired men, unforgiving firearms, an even an Indian fight. Shot’s adventures arise from challenges on the farm. Rudy faces them with persistence, compassion, and creativity. His eldest son, Tommy, while dumfounded by Rudy’s resilience, has a variety of his own exploits. Both are consumed by the farm work while at the same time absorbed in perpetual drama, some of which is severe and debilitating. Only with a deep faith in God are they able to thrive. Altogether, Rudy’s farm pops like a television series, with episode after episode. Shot tells his tales—truth is stranger than fiction—with aplomb. He brings you in to feel present and engaged. You’ll enjoy Shot. You’ll never forget his farm.
Shot: Staying Alive With Diabetes
by Amy RyanShot is an intimate portrait of a young woman's sudden transition to type 1 diabetes. Treatment for a routine infection one Monday morning yielded, with stunning speed, to a glucose monitor, test strips, and a life-altering diagnosis. <p><p> In Shot, Amy Ryan shows what it really takes to live with and manage an incurable disease. She charts the essential duties that keep her stable while revealing the daily concerns, the simple rewards and victories, the fears of highs and lows, and the psychological strain of depending on herself, a drug, and a network of health care providers to stay alive with diabetes. <p><p> People who manage life-threatening diseases will recognize their own struggles in Amy's compelling story. The millions who care for and support family, friends, or patients with diabetes will have their eyes opened to the human side of living with a chronic condition.
Shotgun Angels: My Story of Broken Roads and Unshakeable Hope
by Jay DeMarcusMany celebrities are known to say how blessed they are, but when Rascal Flatts' Jay DeMarcus says it, the word takes on a completely different meaning. From his humble beginnings in Ohio to the spark of early fame in Nashville to a fair share of surprises and setbacks in between, he's learned firsthand that the blessing only comes through the broken road. And the only thing able to sustain a person along the way is hope.With no shortage of humor, heart, and off-the-cuff candor, Jay gives readers a backstage pass to the story behind the music and the musician. Along the way, you'll find the same constant source of strength that he has: hope that is powerful enough to hold you up through whatever twists, turns, or trials come your way.
Shotguns and Stagecoaches: The Brave Men Who Rode for Wells Fargo in the Wild West
by John Boessenecker“A rip-roaring history of moving the mail in the wildest of the Wild West days” from the New York Times–bestselling author of Texas Ranger (Kirkus Reviews).Here are the true stories of the Wild West heroes who guarded the iconic Wells Fargo stagecoaches and trains, battling colorful thieves, vicious highwaymen, and robbers armed with explosives.The phrase “riding shotgun” was no teenage game to the men who guarded stagecoaches and trains on the Western frontier. Armed with sawed-off, double-barreled shotguns and an occasional revolver, these express messengers guarded valuable cargo through lawless terrain. They were tough, fighting men who risked their lives every time they climbed into the front boot of a Concord coach.Boessenecker introduces soon-to-be iconic personalities like “Chips” Hodgkins, an express rider known for his white mule and his ability to outrace his competitors, and Henry Johnson, the first Wells Fargo detective. Their lives weren’t just one shootout after another—their encounters with desperadoes were won just as often with quick wits and memorized-by-heart knowledge of the land.The highway robbers also get their due. It wouldn’t be a book about the Wild West without Black Bart, the most infamous stagecoach robber of all time, and Butch Cassidy’s gang, America’s most legendary train robbers.Through the Gold Rush and the early days of delivery with horses and saddlebags, to the heyday of stagecoaches and huge shipments of gold, and finally the rise of the railroad and the robbers who concocted unheard-of schemes to loot trains, Wells Fargo always had courageous men to protect its treasure. Their unforgettable bravery and ingenuity make this book a thrilling read.
Shots Fired in Terminal 2: A Witness to the Fort Lauderdale Airport Shooting Reflects on America's Mass Shooting Epidemic
by William Elliott HazelgroveOn January 6, 2017, a lone gunman took five lives and wounded eight people at Fort Lauderdale Airport. This book is about the Lauderdale shooting told from the perspective of bestselling author William Hazelgrove, who just happened to be there with his wife and children. Though focused on one terrifying incident that the author witnessed, this story is also a prototype of American shootings showing the interplay of victims, police, media, the shooter, and what constitutes this peculiar American form of violence. The author documents the perverse chain of events that set the stage for this tragedy: the failure of police and the FBI to stop this troubled Iraq War veteran, who had earlier approached them and said point-blank that he was hearing voices telling him to kill others; the incredible fact that his weapon was taken and then given back to him, the very gun that would kill five people and shut down a major airport for forty-eight hours; and the circumstances of American society that allowed this gun to be checked through airport security as a legal firearm and then delivered to the killer, who casually strolled into a bathroom, loaded the pistol, and returned to the baggage claim area to start his murderous rampage. Interweaving his dramatic telling of his own experiences with a history of comparable shootings in America, the book presents both an anatomy of these horrifying events and the basis for understanding why they happen and what can be done to stop them.
Shots Fired: The Misunderstandings, Misconceptions, and Myths about Police Shootings
by Kate Flora Joseph K. LoughlinGet a deeper understanding of police shootings through interviews with officers involved in real-life casesToday’s media is filled with discussions about officer-involved shootings. Too often missing from that discussion are the police officers’ voices and the reality of what happens in actual shooting incidents. Through actual interviews with involved officers, this book addresses common myths and misunderstandings about these shootings. Shots Fired is a journey “behind the shield” and the experiences of the real human beings behind the badge. It explores true events through the participants’ own eyes and takes readers inside the minds of officers during the actual event. The officers detail the roller coaster of emotions and severe trauma experienced during and after a shooting event. Along with the intimate, in-depth explorations of the incidents themselves, the book touches the aftermath of police-involved shootings—the debriefings, internal and external investigations, and psychological evaluations. It challenges many commonly held assumptions created by the media such as the meaning of “unarmed” and why the police can’t just “shoot him in the leg,” creating an understanding that reaches beyond slogans such as “hands up, don’t shoot.”The book is valuable reading for anyone who wants a deeper understanding of police shootings—officers and police departments, reporters and politicians, and the public who rely on the police to keep them safe.
Shots at Sea (Houdini & Nate Mysteries)
by Tom LalickiYoung Nate Fuller is ready for adventure as he boards the Lusitania, the biggest, grandest ocean liner ever to sail the seas. Nate is hoping to sharpen his detective skills with some help from his mentor, Harry Houdini, and to rub elbows with Teddy Roosevelt, as both legendary men are also making the voyage. Everything seems set for a smooth journey to England. Then shots ring out! A cunning would-be killer tries to assassinate the former president. As the waters become choppier, Nate and Houdini must race to find and foil their suspect before he makes a second attempt.With the fast pacing and clever historical detailing that made Danger in the Dark such a "thoroughly enjoyable" read (Kirkus Reviews), Tom Lalicki has created another first-class setting and suspense-filled story line, including revealing details of one of Houdini's famous tricks. Shots at Sea is a 2008 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.
Shots in the Dark: The Saga Of Rocco Balliro
by Daniel Zimmerman&“The fascinating story of the 1963 deaths of Boston mobster Rocco Balliro&’s girlfriend and her son in a police shootout . . . a real page-turner.&”—Dennis N. Griffin, bestselling author of The Rise and Fall of a &“Casino&” Mobster On a frigid winter night in early 1963, Rocco Anthony Balliro and a pair of associates stormed a darkened apartment on the outskirts of Boston and were immediately embroiled in a deadly shootout with several unseen assailants. Unbeknownst to Rocco at the time, the men who returned his fire were several Boston police officers, waiting in ambush for him. It was, as Rocco later described it, a hastily planned rescue mission that went downhill in a hurry. In the aftermath, his beloved girlfriend and her toddler son lay dead. &“Author Daniel Zimmerman, the woman&’s nephew, was granted exclusive access to Balliro in prison and met with him over the course of 2 years to hear his side of the story. This book, which chronicles the events of that night, Balliro&’s trial, and his attempt to clear his name is a true crime story with a local twist.&”—Patch
Should America Pay?: Slavery and the Raging Debate on Reparations
by Raymond Winbush“This book is simply the best treatment of the reparations movement available in print. Don’t miss it!” — Cornel West“The most extensive, tightly written and thorough book on the subject. . . .a book everyone should read.” — Nashville City Paper“Whatever your opinions on the issue, Should America Pay? is...essential reading.” — Black Issues Book Review“Dr. Winbush understands the volatile nature of talk about reparations....[his] book will...stir the pot.” — Dallas Morning News“This...informed....thoughtful....book thoroughly covers the history, laws and arguments for bringing the issue of reparations to the forefront.” — St. Louis Post-Dispatch“A comprehensive look at the controversial issue from such angles as the history, law, practical challenges, and global implications.” — The Tennesseean
Should I Not Return: The most controversial tragedy in the history of North American mountaineering!
by Jeffrey BabcockShould I Not Return is the story of a young east coast climber, who joins his brother in Alaska to climb Mount McKinley. What set their climb apart from those before it, and even those afterward, was a disaster of such magnitude that it became know as North America's worst mountaineering tragedy. Prior to July of 1967 only four men had ever perished on Denali, and then, in one fell swoop, Denali--like Melville s, Great White Whale, Moby Dick--indiscriminately took the lives of seven men. The brothers survive one danger after another: a terrible train accident, a near drowning in the McKinley River, an encounter with a large grizzly, a 60 foot plunge into a gaping crevasse, swept away by a massive avalanche, and finally a climactic escape from the terror of 100 mph winds while descending from the summit. Should I Not Return is a one of a kind cliffhanger packed with danger, survival under the worst conditions, and heroism on the Last Frontier s most treasured trophy--the icy slopes of Denali, North America s tallest mountain--Mount McKinley.