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The Mirage Factory: Illusion, Imagination, and the Invention of Los Angeles
by Gary KristFrom bestselling author Gary Krist, the story of the metropolis that never should have been and the visionaries who dreamed it into reality Little more than a century ago, the southern coast of California—bone-dry, harbor-less, isolated by deserts and mountain ranges—seemed destined to remain scrappy farmland. Then, as if overnight, one of the world’s iconic cities emerged. At the heart of Los Angeles’ meteoric rise were three flawed visionaries: William Mulholland, an immigrant ditch-digger turned self-taught engineer, designed the massive aqueduct that would make urban life here possible. D.W. Griffith, who transformed the motion picture from a vaudeville-house novelty into a cornerstone of American culture, gave L.A. its signature industry. And Aimee Semple McPherson, a charismatic evangelist who founded a religion, cemented the city’s identity as a center for spiritual exploration. All were masters of their craft, but also illusionists, of a kind. The images they conjured up—of a blossoming city in the desert, of a factory of celluloid dreamworks, of a community of seekers finding personal salvation under the California sun—were like mirages liable to evaporate on closer inspection. All three would pay a steep price to realize these dreams, in a crescendo of hubris, scandal, and catastrophic failure of design that threatened to topple each of their personal empires. Yet when the dust settled, the mirage that was LA remained. Spanning the years from 1900 to 1930, The Mirage Factory is the enthralling tale of an improbable city and the people who willed it into existence by pushing the limits of human engineering and imagination.
The Mirage: A Modern Arabic Novel
by Nancy Roberts Naguib MahfouzA psychological study of the first order with a subtly Freudian flavor, The Mirage is the autobiographical account of Kamil Ruâ ba, a tortured soul who finds himself struggling unduly to cope with life's challenges. The internal torment and angst that dog him throughout his life and the tragic, ironic turns of events that overtake him as a young man are, to a great extent, the outworkings of his faulty upbringing. At the same time, they work together to drive home the novel's underlying theme: the illusory, undependable nature of the world in which we live and the call to seek, beyond the outward and the ephemeral, that which is inward and enduring. The narrative, full of pathos, draws the reader unwittingly into a vicarious experience of Kamil's agonies and ecstasies. As such, it is a specimen of Mahfou's prose at its finest.
The Mirror and the Palette: Rebellion, Revolution, And Resilience: Five Hundred Years Of Women's Self Portraits
by Jennifer HiggieA dazzlingly original and ambitious book on the history of female self-portraiture by one of today's most well-respected art critics.Her story weaves in and out of time and place. She's Frida Kahlo, Loïs Mailou Jones and Amrita Sher-Gil en route to Mexico City, Paris or Bombay. She's Suzanne Valadon and Gwen John, craving city lights, the sea and solitude; she's Artemisia Gentileschi striding through the streets of Naples and Paula Modersohn-Becker in Worpswede. She's haunting museums in her paint-stained dress, scrutinising how El Greco or Titian or Van Dyck or Cézanne solved the problems that she too is facing. She's railing against her corsets, her chaperones, her husband and her brothers; she's hammering on doors, dreaming in her bedroom, working day and night in her studio. Despite the immense hurdles that have been placed in her way, she sits at her easel, picks up a mirror and paints a self-portrait because, as a subject, she is always available. Until the twentieth century, art history was, in the main, written by white men who tended to write about other white men. The idea that women in the West have always made art was rarely cited as a possibility. Yet they have - and, of course, continue to do so - often against tremendous odds, from laws and religion to the pressures of family and public disapproval. In The Mirror and the Palette, Jennifer Higgie introduces us to a cross-section of women artists who embody the fact that there is more than one way to understand our planet, more than one way to live in it and more than one way to make art about it. Spanning 500 years, biography and cultural history intertwine in a narrative packed with tales of rebellion, adventure, revolution, travel and tragedy enacted by women who turned their back on convention and lived lives of great resilience, creativity and bravery.
The Mirror of Information in Early Modern England
by James Dougal FlemingThis book examines the seventeenth-century project for a "real" or "universal" character: a scientific and objective code. Focusing on the Essay towards a real character, and a philosophical language (1668) of the polymath John Wilkins, Fleming provides a detailed explanation of how a real character actually was supposed to work. He argues that the period movement should not be understood as a curious episode in the history of language, but as an illuminating avatar of information technology. A non-oral code, supposedly amounting to a script of things, the character was to support scientific discourse through a universal database, in alignment with cosmic truths. In all these ways, J. D. Fleming argues, the world of the character bears phenomenological comparison to the world of modern digital information--what has been called the infosphere.
The Mirrors of Washington
by Clinton W. Gilbert John KirbyThis classic text features audacious disclosures concerning fourteen American political leaders in Washington.
The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl (A Bestselling Memoir)
by Issa RaeThe &“brilliantly wry&” (Lena Dunham) and &“lovably awkward&” (Mindy Kaling) New York Times bestseller from the creator of HBO&’s Insecure. In this universally accessible New York Times bestseller named for her wildly popular web series, Issa Rae—&“a singular voice with the verve and vivacity of uncorked champagne&” (Kirkus Reviews)—waxes humorously on what it&’s like to be unabashedly awkward in a world that regards introverts as hapless misfits and black as cool.I’m awkward—and black. Someone once told me those were the two worst things anyone could be. That someone was right. Where do I start? Being an introvert (as well as “funny,” according to the Los Angeles Times) in a world that glorifies cool isn’t easy. But when Issa Rae, the creator of the Shorty Award-winning hit series The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, is that introvert—whether she’s navigating love, the workplace, friendships, or “rapping”—it sure is entertaining. Now, in this New York Times bestselling debut collection written in her witty and self-deprecating voice, Rae covers everything from cybersexing in the early days of the Internet to deflecting unsolicited comments on weight gain, from navigating the perils of eating out alone and public displays of affection to learning to accept yourself—natural hair and all. The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl is a book no one—awkward or cool, black, white, or other—will want to miss.
The Misfit
by Steven PoserA fascinating account of the unusual relationship between Marilyn Monroe and her last psychiatrist in the fifteen months leading to her suicide. Marilyn Monroe is remembered as both an iconic sex symbol and a heartbreaking figure who suffered through a chaotic childhood and wrestled with addiction and mental illness. This short true account shines new light on the last days of her life. Dr. Ralph Greenson, a clinical professor of psychiatry at UCLA Medical School and a star among Hollywood psychoanalysts, treated Monroe for the fifteen months before her August 1962 suicide. He saw her seven days a week and brought her into his home. He never got over losing her. Written by a practicing psychoanalyst, The Misfit recounts this tragic alliance and Marilyn Monroe&’s borderline personality, offering compelling insight into the deteriorating mental state of a singular superstar.
The Misfortunates: A Novel
by Dimitri VerhulstFrank, tender, and brutally funny, Dimitri Verhulst's semi-autobiographical story details the vibrantly entertaining journey of a boy growing up in a family of alcoholics in BelgiumSobriety and moderation are alien concepts to the men in Dimmy's family. Useless in all other respects, his three uncles have a rare talent for drinking, a flair for violence, and an unwavering commitment to the pub. And his father Pierre is no slouch either. Within hours of his son's birth, Pierre plucks him from the maternity ward, props him on his bike, and takes him on an introductory tour of the village bars. His mother soon leaves them to it and as Dimmy grows up amid the stench of stale beer, he seems destined to follow the path of his forebears and make a low-life career in inebriation, until he begins to piece together his own plan for the future.Bringing to life the shambolic upbringing that The Guardian describes as, "the odd, ugly, excremental poetry of their grubby lives," The Misfortunates "can be unexpectedly tender as well as uncomfortably funny… this novel continually surprises and intrigues."
The Missing Cryptoqueen: The Billion Dollar Cryptocurrency Con and the Woman Who Got Away with It
by Jamie Bartlett175 countries, four billion dollars, one scam: the thrilling rise and fall of the biggest cryptocurrency con in history and the woman behind it allIn 2016, on stage at Wembley Arena in front of thousands of adoring fans, Dr. Ruja Ignatova promised her followers a financial revolution. The future, she said, belonged to cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. And the Oxford-educated, self-styled cryptoqueen vowed that she had invented the Bitcoin Killer. OneCoin would not only earn its investors untold fortunes; it would change the world. By March 2017, more than $4 billion had been invested in OneCoin in countries all around the world. But by October 2017, Ruja Ignatova had disappeared, and it slowly became clear that her revolutionary cryptocurrency was not all it seemed. Fortune was left asking, &“Is OneCoin the biggest financial fraud in history?&”In The Missing Cryptoqueen, acclaimed tech journalist Jamie Bartlett tells the story he began in his smash hit BBC podcast, entering the murky worlds of little-regulated cryptocurrencies and multilevel marketing schemes. Through a globe-crossing investigation into the criminal underworlds, corrupt governments, and the super-rich, he reveals a very modern tale of intrigue, techno-hype and herd madness that allowed OneCoin to become a million-person pyramid scheme—where, at the top, investors were making millions and, at the bottom, people were putting their livelihoods at risk. It&’s the inside story of the smartest and biggest scam of the 21st Century—and the genius behind it, who is still on the run.
The Missing JFK Assassination Film: The Mystery Surrounding the Orville Nix Home Movie of November 22, 1963
by Gayle Nix JacksonA granddaughter’s quest for answers sheds new light on one of history’s most enduring questions: Was there a conspiracy to kill President John F. Kennedy? Abraham Zapruder’s film gets all the attention, but there was another eyewitness to history whose tale has yet to be told. In this eye-opening account, Gayle Nix Jackson tells the story of her grandfather, Orville Nix, a man with a camera who happened to be on the ground for a life-changing—world-changing, and in some ways world-ending—event: the murder of President Kennedy in Dallas in 1963. The Missing JFK Assassination Film is not the typical JFK assassination book. This book does not attempt to answer the question of who killed John F. Kennedy; instead, it addresses why we should question the actions of those involved and why the truth was withheld from the people. Though copies of Orville’s film exist, the original film is missing. Why? The FBI confiscated the photographer’s camera for several months, then returned it in pieces. Were these actions sinister or were they just examples of governmental incompetence? The Missing JFK Assassination Film exposes information about the House Select Committee staff’s involvement in the missing film. The author’s interviews with people who were close to Orville shed light on the government’s involvement with the filmmaker. And her memories of growing up with her beloved grandfather—and on how his views changed after that fateful day—fuel a quest Jackson is still on to find the film.
The Missing Millionaire: The True Story of Ambrose Small and the City Obsessed With Finding Him
by Katie DaubsIn December 1919, Ambrose Small, the mercurial owner of the Grand Opera House in Toronto, closed a deal to sell his network of Ontario theatres, deposited a million-dollar cheque in his bank account, and was never seen again. As weeks turned to years, the disappearance became the most "extraordinary unsolved mystery" of its time. Everything about the sensational case would be called into question in the decades to come, including the motivations of his inner circle, his enemies, and the police who followed the trail across the continent, looking for answers in asylums, theatres, and the Pacific Northwest. In The Missing Millionaire, Katie Daubs tells the story of the Small mystery, weaving together a gripping narrative with the social and cultural history of a city undergoing immense change. Daubs examines the characters who were connected to the case as the century carried on: Ambrose's religious wife, Theresa; his long-time secretary, Jack Doughty; his two unmarried sisters, Florence and Gertrude; Patrick Sullivan, a lawless ex-policeman; and Austin Mitchell, an overwhelmed detective. A series of trials exposed Small’s tumultuous business and personal relationships, while allegations and confessions swirled. But as the main players in the Small mystery died, they took their secrets to the grave, and Ambrose Small would be forever missing. Drawing on extensive research, newly discovered archival material, and her own interviews with the descendants of key figures, Katie Daubs offers a rich portrait of life in an evolving city in the early twentieth century. Delving into a crime story about the power of the elite, she vividly recounts the page-turning tale of a cold case that is truly stranger than fiction.
The Missing Musk: A Casebook of Mysteries from the Natural World
by Bob GilbertDetective stories from the natural world, from the author of the Wainwright and Rathbones Folio Prize-longlisted Ghost Trees.In 1913 all the musk plants in the world stopped smelling. Unable to resist the lure of this mystery, Bob Gilbert turns detective, determined to find the truth in the tale. Mixing history, memoir, science and nature writing, The Missing Musk takes the listener on a journey of discovery, uncovering the truth behind six mysteries and myths from across the natural world.From the darkest corners of Britain's churchyards to Scotland's Pentland Hills, Bob travels the length of the UK, seeking answers to questions that have intrigued him throughout his life. In search of the musk's long-lost fragrance, he discovers a possibly murderous story. Investigating the true origins of 'star jelly' leads to encounters with unexplained sightihngs and substances. Faced with the urban myth-like stories of mosquitoes thriving in the London Underground, Bob digs deeper.Motivated by the curious, unexplained phenomena found in wild places and on urban streets, and by what these stories tell us about our relationship with nature, Bob peers into microscopes, delves into horticultural archives and chases a glimpse of the strange 'water bear', finding that, when it comes to mysteries, the joy is found as much in the search as in the answer it leads you to . . .(P) 2023 Hodder & Stoughton Limited
The Missing Musk: A Casebook of Mysteries from the Natural World
by Bob Gilbert'Utterly fascinating and intriguing' Neil Ansell, author of The Last Wilderness'A captivating dive into the mysteries of nature' Lee Schofield, author of Wild FellIn 1913 all the musk plants in the world stopped smelling. Unable to resist the lure of this mystery, Bob Gilbert turns detective, determined to find the truth in the tale. Mixing history, memoir, science and nature writing, The Missing Musk takes the reader on a journey of discovery, uncovering the truth behind six mysteries and myths from across the natural world.From the darkest corners of Britain's churchyards to Scotland's Pentland Hills, Bob travels the length of the UK, seeking answers to questions that have intrigued him throughout his life. In search of the musk's long-lost fragrance, he discovers a possibly murderous story. Investigating the true origins of 'star jelly' leads to encounters with unexplained sightings and substances. Faced with the urban myth-like stories of mosquitoes thriving in the London Underground, Bob digs deeper.Motivated by the curious, unexplained phenomena found in wild places and on urban streets, Bob peers into microscopes, delves into horticultural archives and chases a glimpse of the strange 'water bear', finding that, when it comes to mysteries, the joy is found as much in the search as in the answer it leads you to . . .
The Missing Musk: A Casebook of Mysteries from the Natural World
by Bob Gilbert'Utterly fascinating and intriguing' Neil Ansell, author of The Last Wilderness'A captivating dive into the mysteries of nature' Lee Schofield, author of Wild FellIn 1913 all the musk plants in the world stopped smelling. Unable to resist the lure of this mystery, Bob Gilbert turns detective, determined to find the truth in the tale. Mixing history, memoir, science and nature writing, The Missing Musk takes the reader on a journey of discovery, uncovering the truth behind six mysteries and myths from across the natural world.From the darkest corners of Britain's churchyards to Scotland's Pentland Hills, Bob travels the length of the UK, seeking answers to questions that have intrigued him throughout his life. In search of the musk's long-lost fragrance, he discovers a possibly murderous story. Investigating the true origins of 'star jelly' leads to encounters with unexplained sightings and substances. Faced with the urban myth-like stories of mosquitoes thriving in the London Underground, Bob digs deeper.Motivated by the curious, unexplained phenomena found in wild places and on urban streets, Bob peers into microscopes, delves into horticultural archives and chases a glimpse of the strange 'water bear', finding that, when it comes to mysteries, the joy is found as much in the search as in the answer it leads you to . . .
The Missing Person: A Novel
by Doris GrumbachThe moving portrait of a woman stranded in her lonely fame Franny Fuller, blond, buxom, and beguiling, is the sort of woman who harnesses a power that can enthrall a nation. The legendary movie star has captured the imaginations of audiences, men, and columnist Mary Maguire, who is writing her biography. But just who is the human within the celebrity? This is the story of how Fanny Marker from Utica, New York, was transformed into Franny Fuller—a famous actress with a life of private misery. Doris Grumbach takes readers beyond the glamour of the silver screen with this poignant novel of one woman&’s sad reality.
The Missing Piece: Finding the Better Part of Me: A Love Journey
by Rob Hill Sr. Jas WatersFor anyone who has suffered pain, disappointment, or a broken heart, entrepreneur and motivational speaker Rob Hill, Sr. shares the transformational personal story of his struggles and the invaluable lessons those difficult challenges have taught him about looking within to find the power to heal and live a purposeful life.Often the greatest opponent we face in the game of life is ourselves. We spend hours, days, and years searching for answers to the questions of our hearts. But the answer is there. Our full awareness of self, our understanding of purpose, and our appreciation for the power of love are the missing pieces needed to heal the pain so many us feel. It was the answer to the pain I felt. These inspirational nuggets of wisdom are just a few of the priceless life lessons that have struck a chord with hundreds of thousands of people and earned Rob Hill Sr. the title, “heart healer.” Ever since Hill made the courageous decision to dedicate his life to helping others, his own painful coming-of-age experiences—homelessness, a damaged relationship with his father, hours spent contemplating suicide—have served as the basis for his positive message of healing and transformation. Whether you struggle with fostering healthy relationships, finding love, believing in yourself, overcoming the obstacles life tosses in your way, or any other number of conflicting human experiences, Hill’s perceptive, penetrating yet compassionate words will help you find your way. The Missing Piece is the captivating story of the man behind the powerful, uplifting message, part memoir and part roadmap to deep personal contentment and success.
The Missing of the Somme
by Geoff DyerA deeply personal meditation on remembrance, art, and World War I by the legendary Geoff Dyer, reissued with a new introduction by Drew Gilpin FaustThe Missing of the Somme is part travelogue, part meditation on remembrance—and completely, unabashedly unlike any other book about the First World War. Through visits to battlefields and memorials, Geoff Dyer examines the way that photographs and film, poetry and prose, determined—sometimes in advance of the events described—the way we would think about and remember the war. With his characteristic originality and insight, Dyer untangles and reconstructs the network of myth and memory that illuminates our understanding of, and relationship to, the Great War. Reissued with a new introduction, The Missing of the Somme stands as one of Dyer’s classic works.
The Mission Walker: I was given three months to live...
by Edie Littlefield Sundby"The Mission Walker is a marvelous book, a moving meditation on the relationships between courage and faith, endurance and transcendence." Randall Sullivan, Creator, The Miracle Detective, Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN)"Edie Sundby’s account of her amazing trek along the entirety of the California Mission Trail is not only captivating and inspiring but also one heck of an outdoors adventure." Les Standiford, Author"This powerful story of determination and faith will stay with you forever." Ken Budd Journalist/Author“… a powerful narrative that takes us through the author’s harrowing journeys, inward and outward.” JoBeth McDaniel Journalist/Author"There are parts of this book that I couldn't pull myself away from.... that left me with profound messages. Incredible memoir!!! Incredible woman!!!! 5 Stars" Elyse Walters, #3 Top Reviewer, GoodreadsThis story is not about avoiding death. It’s about living life.Immerse yourself in the amazing story of Edie Littlefield Sundby, who, after being told she had only 3 months to live, survived 79 rounds of chemotherapy, radical liver and lung surgeries, and then walked 800 miles along the California Mission Trail, averaging 14 miles a day, and stopping at life-giving missions to revive her body and her soul.When she finished she yearned to walk the mission trail from its start – in Mexico. But no one had traversed that trail in 250 years.As you will learn in the pages of this book, Edie doesn’t care about what some deem impossible. It is that spirit that has allowed her to live, despite the odds.With fading strength and only one lung, she walked another 800 miles through the rugged mountains and deserts of Baja Mexico to the California border. In a walk of triumph, of harrowing adventure, and of spiritual enlightenment, she carried her mortality in every step and in the process opened up a profound communion with God and his creation, and the true meaning of life.And all of this with a terminal cancer that was chasing her every step of the way. It still is, and she continues to walk with it every day.For me, walking is a transcendent physical, emotional, and spiritual experience, like dancing. "If I can move, I am not sick.” That is my alternate reality. And I believe with all my will in that reality. So when cancer strikes again and again, I walk to stay alive.Life is the greatest adventure there is. Why stop our adventuring because someone says the end might be near?For those who crave a spirit of adventure, who ache like Edie to know what our bodies and spirits are truly capable of, this book is a must-read. A true testament to faith, courage, and the power of hope.
The Mission: Srila Prabhupada and His Divine Agents
by Swami B.B. BodhayenThe lives of Srila Prabhupada and his disciples are recounted, encouraging all to follow the devotional path of Bhakti, and be liberated in the eternally blissful spiritual realm.The Mission: Srila Prabhupada and His Divine Agents illustrates the life and teachings of a spiritual visionary, highlighting his enduring and inspiring legacy. The son and successor of the great Gaudiya Vaishnava acharya Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur, Srila Prabhupada established the Gaudiya Math, a dynamic spiritual and educational mission with 64 branches in India and several international centers, which have spread the teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu around the world. His noble life&’s mission, powerful speeches and writings, and devoted disciples and followers continue his legacy of wisdom and divine love. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu&’s philosophy is centered on the ideal that we should be soul conscious, rather than body conscious. The Mission: Srila Prabhupada and His Divine Agents explores and explains how to use this philosophy to deliver oneself from attachments to material existence and achieve the ultimate goal: chanting the Mahamantra with pure devotion.
The Mission: The CIA in the 21st Century
by Tim Weiner"No one has opened up the CIA to us like Weiner has, and The Mission deserves to win Weiner a second Pulitzer." —The GuardianA masterpiece of reporting based on-the-record interviews with six former CIA directors, the top spymaster, thirteen station chiefs, and scores of top operations officers: The Mission is a gripping and revelatory history of the modern CIA, reaching from 9/11 through its covert operations in Afghanistan and Iraq to today’s secret battles with Russia and China, concluding with the Agency's own fight for survival under the current president of the United States Tim Weiner's epic successor to Legacy of Ashes, his National Book Award–winning classic about the CIA's first sixty yearsAt the turn of the century, the Central Intelligence Agency was in crisis. The end of the Cold War had robbed the agency of its mission. More than thirty overseas stations and bases had been shuttered, and scores that remained had been severely cut back. Many countries where surveillance was once deemed crucial went uncovered. Essential intelligence wasn’t being collected. At the dawn of the information age, the CIA’s officers and analysts worked with outmoded technology, struggling to distinguish the clear signals of significant facts from the cacophony of background noise.Then came September 11th, 2001. After the attacks, the CIA transformed itself into a lethal paramilitary force, running secret prisons and brutal interrogations, mounting deadly drone attacks, and all but abandoning its core missions of espionage and counterespionage. The consequences were grave: the deaths of scores of its recruited foreign agents, the theft of its personnel files by Chinese spies, the penetration of its computer networks by Russian intelligence and American hackers, and the tragedies of Afghanistan and Iraq. A new generation of spies now must fight the hardest targets—Moscow, Beijing, Tehran—while confronting a president who has attacked the CIA as a subversive force. From Pulitzer Prize winner Tim Weiner, The Mission tells the gripping, high-stakes story of the CIA through the first quarter of the twenty-first century, revealing how the agency fought to rebuild the espionage powers it lost during the war on terror—and finally succeeded in penetrating the Kremlin. The struggle has life-and-death consequences for America and its allies. The CIA must reclaim its original mission: know thy enemies. The fate of the free world hangs in the balance. A masterpiece of reporting, The Mission includes exclusive on-the-record interviews with six former CIA directors, the top spymaster, thirteen station chiefs, and scores of top operations officers who served undercover for decades and have never spoken to a journalist before.
The Missionary Call: Find Your Place in God's Plan for the World
by Michael David SillsSills explores the biblical, historical, and practical aspects of discerning and fulfilling God's call to serve as a missionary.
The Missionary Position: Mother Teresa in Theory and Practice
by Thomas Mallon Christopher Hitchens"A religious fundamentalist, a political operative, a primitive sermonizer, and an accomplice of worldly secular powers. Her mission has always been of this kind. The irony is that she has never been able to induce anybody to believe her. It is past time that she was duly honored and taken at her word."Among his many books, perhaps none have sparked more outrage than THE MISSIONARY POSITION, Christopher Hitchens's meticulous study of the life and deeds of Mother Teresa. A Nobel Peace Prize recipient beatified by the Catholic Church in 2003, Mother Teresa of Calcutta was celebrated by heads of state and adored by millions for her work on behalf of the poor. In his measured critique, Hitchens asks only that Mother Teresa's reputation be judged by her actions-not the other way around.With characteristic élan and rhetorical dexterity, Hitchens eviscerates the fawning cult of Teresa, recasting the Albanian missionary as a spurious, despotic, and megalomaniacal operative of the wealthy who long opposed measures to end poverty, and fraternized, for financial gain, with tyrants and white-collar criminals throughout the world.
The Mississippi Governor's Mansion: Memories of the People's Home
by Phil BryantWelcoming its first executive in 1842, the Mississippi Governor’s Mansion is the second-oldest continuously occupied governor’s residence in the United States. The Mansion is both a public building open for tours and the private residence of the governor and his family. In this unique book, readers are invited to explore the entirety of the building, from the attic to the garage and everything in between. The Mississippi Governor’s Mansion: Memories of the People’s Home is the first book of its kind dedicated to images and stories about the Governor’s Mansion. The volume reveals Governor Phil Bryant’s profound respect for the office he holds and his deep appreciation for the National Historic Landmark in which he resides. Through his personal, often touching reflections, Governor Bryant pays tribute to former governors, their families, and the many public servants who have dedicated their lives to taking care of this beautiful Greek Revival masterpiece. More than sixty elegant watercolor paintings by noted Mississippi artist Bill Wilson accompany the governor’s stories. Wilson captures the beauty and majesty of the home, its furnishings, and the restored historic grounds. The volume also features a personal foreword by First Lady Deborah Bryant inviting readers into her home, an artist’s statement by Wilson, and a brief historical essay written by Mansion curator Megan Bankston.
The Mistress Contract
by She HeThe remarkable true document that is The Mistress Contract opens with a piece of paper that was signed in 1981 by a woman and her wealthy lover. <P><P>The contract establishes an exchange that she thinks fair: If he will provide an adequate and separate home for her and cover her expenses, she will provide him with "mistress services": "All sexual acts as requested, with suspension of historical, emotional, psychological disclaimers."For the duration of the agreement, she will become his sexual property.Then - on a small recorder that fit in her purse - this extraordinary and unconventional couple began to tape their conversations about their relationship, conversations that took place while travelling, over dinner at home and in restaurants, on the phone, even in bed.This book is based on those tapes. It is a candid record of what they had to say to each other privately about the arrangement and its power relations, their physical relationship and the sexual forces that shaped it. As private and intimate as it is, though, the book also turns an unblinking light on a period of intense upheaval between men and women.Looking back now, thirty years later, this extraordinary couple - who are still together - are willing to reveal their most private moments to our scrutiny. What they capture in The Mistress Contract is an unapologetic revelation and a bold provocation.
The Mistress of Paris: The 19th-Century Courtesan Who Built an Empire on a Secret
by Catherine HewittCatherine Hewitt's The Mistress of Paris is a fantastically readable biography of a nineteenth-century Parisian courtesan who harbored an incredible secret.“A gorgeous, smart, ambitious, hard-working, steely autodidact and businesswoman whose product was herself, Valtesse would be totally at home in our self-branding society.” —The New York Times Book ReviewComtesse Valtesse de la Bigne was painted by Édouard Manet and inspired Émile Zola, who immortalized her in his scandalous novel Nana. Her rumored affairs with Napoleon III and the future King Edward VII kept gossip columns full. But her glamorous existence hid a dark secret: she was no comtesse. Valtesse was born into abject poverty, raised on a squalid backstreet among the dregs of Parisian society. Yet she transformed herself into an enchantress who possessed a small fortune, three mansions, fabulous carriages, and art the envy of connoisseurs across Europe. A consummate show-woman, she ensured that her life—and even her death—remained shrouded in just enough mystery to keep her audience hungry for more.Spectacularly evoking the sights and sounds of mid- to late nineteenth-century Paris in all its hedonistic glory, Catherine Hewitt’s biography tells, for the first time ever in English, the forgotten story of a remarkable woman who, though her roots were lowly, never stopped aiming high.