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Tough Mothers: Amazing Stories of History's Mightiest Matriarchs
by Jason Porath“Fifty vignettes about courageous mothers . . . women who stood up to power, defied poverty, or climbed over other barriers to achieve great things.” —Historical Novel SocietyThe author of Rejected Princesses returns with an inspiring, fully illustrated guide that brings together the fiercest mothers in history—real life matriarchs who gave everything to protect all they loved.Mothers possess the “maternal instinct”—an innate fierceness that drives them to nurture, safeguard, fight, and sacrifice for the most important things that matter to them. For some mothers, it’s their children. For others, it’s artistic expression, invention, social cause, or even a nation that they helped to birth. In Tough Mothers, Jason Porath brings his wisdom and wit to bear on fifty fascinating matriarchs.In concise, deeply researched vignettes, accompanied by charming illustrations, Porath illuminates these fearsome women, explores their lives, and pays tribute to their accomplishments. Here are famous women as well as lesser known figures from around the globe who have left their indelible mark as they changed the course of history, including:The Mother Who Sued to Save Her Children from Slavery—Sojourner TruthThe Mother of Rock n’ Roll—Sister Rosetta TharpeThe Mother of Holocaust Children—Irena SendlerThe Mothers of The Dominican Republic—The Mirabal SistersThe Mother of Yemen’s Golden Age—Arwa al-SulayhiA celebration of motherhood and female achievement, Tough Mothers reminds us of the power of women to transform our lives and our world.“Packed with inspirational, cautionary, and sometimes difficult stories of the power of mothers through the centuries and around the world.” —Tracy V. Wilson and Holly Frey, Hosts of Stuff You Missed in History Class
Tough Sh*t: Life Advice from a Fat, Lazy Slob Who Did Good
by Kevin SmithThat Kevin Smith? The guy who did “Clerks” a million years ago? Didn’t they bounce his fat ass off a plane once? What could you possibly learn from the director of “Cop Out”? How about this: he changed filmmaking forever when he was twenty-three, and since then, he’s done whatever the hell he wants. He makes movies, writes comics, owns a store, and now he’s built a podcasting empire with his friends and family, including a wife who’s way out of his league. So here’s some tough shit: Kevin Smith has cracked the code. Or, he’s just cracked. Tough Sh*t is the dirty business that Kevin has been digesting for 41 years and now, he’s ready to put it in your hands. Smear this shit all over yourself, because this is your blueprint (or brownprint) for success. Kev takes you through some big moments in his life to help you live your days in as Gretzky a fashion as you can: going where the puck is gonna be. Read all about how a zero like Smith managed to make ten movies with no discernible talent, and how when he had everything he thought he’d ever want, he decided to blow up his own career. Along the way, Kev shares stories about folks who inspired him (like George Carlin), folks who befuddled him (like Bruce Willis), and folks who let him jerk off onto their legs (like his beloved wife, Jen). So make this your daily reader. Hell, read it on the toilet if you want. Just make sure you grab the bowl and push, because you’re about to take one Tough Sh*t. .
Tough Titties: On Living Your Best Life When You're the F-ing Worst
by Laura BelgrayDiscover a brutally honest, hilarious, and relatable account of being a late bloomer on the dating scene, trying to master adulthood, and embracing your inner dork: "a hilarious, must-read permission slip to be 100% you" (Marie Forleo, #1 New York Times bestselling author). What does it take to grow up cool and popular, master adulthood, fast track your success, and always be your best? Laura Belgray wouldn&’t know. Her wildly relatable coming-of-age stories include hate-following her 6th grade bully on social media decades later; moving home post-college to measure her self-worth in hookups with Upper West Side bartenders; dating a sociopathic man-baby; proving herself in the early &‘90s at New York&’s coolest magazine (as the world&’s worst intern); falling for get-rich-quick schemes on the Internet; and, most of all, saying &“tough titties&” to the supposed-to&’s in life: driving a car, being on time, handing in your paperwork, learning to roast a chicken, and having kids. Peppered with cutting insights on our confusing, self-helpy culture that calls hair removal &“self care&” and tells us to give our 110% but also to give zero f*cks, Tough Titties will leave you feeling better about, well, everything. Let&’s face it: we&’re all tired of shame-spiraling after being told what to do when we know we&’re not going to do any of it.Tough Titties is one big permission slip to be a dork, a sometimes-unspiritual slacker, a late bloomer and, ultimately, 100% yourself. It&’ll also have you snort-laughing in public and tapping whoever&’s nearby to say, &“Lemme read you one more part!&” Which is annoying, but tough titties.
Tough Women Adventure Stories: Stories of Grit, Courage and Determination
by Jenny ToughThe badass adventurers in this collection are all fearless, intelligent, compassionate and curious about the world – and they all happen to be female. From arctic expeditions and endurance races to wingsuit flying and mountain climbing, they have set the bar high for what women are capable of. These are their inspiring stories.
Tough Women Adventure Stories: Stories of Grit, Courage and Determination
by Jenny ToughThe badass adventurers in this collection are all fearless, intelligent, compassionate and curious about the world – and they all happen to be female. From arctic expeditions and endurance races to wingsuit flying and mountain climbing, they have set the bar high for what women are capable of. These are their inspiring stories.
Tough: My Journey to True Power
by Terry CrewsFrom Brooklyn Nine-Nine star Terry Crews, the deeply personal story of his lifelong obsession with strength—and how, after looking for it in all the wrong places, he finally found itTerry Crews spent decades cultivating his bodybuilder physique and bravado. On the outside, he seemed invincible: he escaped his abusive father, went pro in the NFL, and broke into the glamorous world of Hollywood. But his fixation with appearing outwardly tough eventually turned into an exhausting performance in which repressing his emotions let them get the better of him—leading him into addiction and threatening the most important relationships in his life. Now Crews is sharing the raw, never-before-told story of his quest to find the true meaning of toughness. In Tough, he examines arenas of life where he desperately sought control—masculinity, shame, sex, experiences with racism, and relationships—and recounts the setbacks and victories he faced while uprooting deeply ingrained toxic masculinity and finally confronting his insecurities, painful memories, and limiting beliefs. The result is not only the gripping story of a man's struggle against himself and how he finally got his mind right, but a bold indictment of the cultural norms and taboos that ask men to be outwardly tough while leaving them inwardly weak. With Tough, Crews's journey of transformation offers a model for anyone who considers themselves a &“tough guy&” but feels unfulfilled; anyone struggling with procrastination or self-sabotage; and anyone ready to achieve true, lasting self-mastery.
Tougher Than Bullets: The Heroic Tale of a Black Watch Survivor of the Korean War
by Harold Davis Paul SmithAs Harold Davis fell under heavy machine-gun fire, his body riddled with bullet wounds and life seemingly slipping away from him, he could not have realised that he was one of the Korean War’s more fortunate soldiers. American medics sprang into action and, against all odds, saved the plucky young Scot, a man who proved tougher than the bullets the brutal enemy showered him with.Unlike tens of thousands of those who fought in Korea in the 1950s, he lived to tell the tale of his horrific experiences on the front line. Now, for the first time, the Black Watch hero shares his vivid and harrowing memories.A man of tremendous grit and determination, Davis was pieced back together during almost two years in hospital. He defied doctors to return to his pre-war career as a professional footballer, building a reputation as one of Scotland’s most feared and revered defenders at Rangers FC.
Toughing It Out: From Silver Slippers to Combat Boots
by Claire ReedEscaping a pampered life of privilege, Claire Reed plunged into the heady activist days of the sixties, first as an anti-nuclear demonstrator and then as a key player on Bella Abzug's political team and in the civil rights movement. An insider's memoir of life on the front lines during one of the most transformative eras for women.
Toujours Provence (Vintage Departures Ser.)
by Peter MaylePeter Mayle follows up "A Year in Provence" with this second book of his experiences living in the South of France.
Tour de Force: My history-making Tour de France
by Mark CavendishFrom illness and mental health challenges to becoming the most successful British cyclist at the age of 22, Mark Cavendish shares his inspiring account of his record-breaking rise to the top of the world's biggest cycling stage at the 2021 Tour de France.Deep down, Mark Cavendish thought he was finished. After illness, setbacks and clinical depression, the once fastest man in the world had been written off by most. And at the age of 36, even he believed his explosive cycling career would fade out with a whimper. The Manxman hadn't won a single Grand Tour stage in Italy, Spain, or France since 2016.But then came his incredible resurrection at the 2021 Tour de France. Included on the Deceuninck Quick-Step team at the very last minute, only after Sam Bennett suffered an injury, Mark set about rewriting history. He claimed back the green jersey he first wore in 2011, and his four stage victories finally saw him matching Belgian legend Eddy Merckx's all-time record of 34 Tour de France stage wins. Cycling greats are never content, and Cavendish's dogged determination and inner strength had earned him the record that few believed he could ever achieve. This is his own intimate account of that race, right from the saddle of the miracle tour.Praise for Tour de Force:"The greatest comeback in sports history." —GQ magazine"A miracle." —Eddy Merckx
Tour de Lance
by Bill StricklandLance Armstrong is a worldwide icon, indisputably one of the greatest cyclists who has ever lived. After battling cancer and becoming an inspiration to millions, Armstrong won the Tour de France a record-breaking seven consecutive years before retiring from competition in 2005. Four years later, at thirty-seven, Armstrong decided to come out of retirement and go for the win yet again. He was racing for no salary, in a season when his greatest rival--Tour de France, Tour of Italy, and Tour of Spain champion Alberto Contador--was on his own team. The twenty-five-year-old Spaniard had been handpicked by Armstrong's own mentor, Johan Bruyneel, to be his successor. Now he would be his fiercest competition. Armstrong was about to suffer like never before--and, for the first time in recent memory, appear to be human on a bicycle. After seven Tour victories--and beating cancer--did Lance Armstrong really need to prove anything? Beyond the thrill of another possible victory, what drove him to race again? What was he seeking--and would he find it? Cycling insider Bill Strickland had unprecedented access to Armstrong, Johan Bruyneel, and the team. He takes readers behind the scenes during the 2009 racing season and along for the ride on the Tour de France with a dramatic mile-by-mile account. Offering a penetrating and candid glimpse into the man behind the myth, Tour de Lance goes beyond a single season or a single race to reveal the heart of the sport and the soul of the cyclist.From the Hardcover edition.
Tour of Duty: John Kerry and the Vietnam War
by Douglas BrinkleyOne of our most acclaimed historians explores the decorated military service of one of America’s most intriguing politicians—the leading Democratic presidential candidate for 2004—and its profound effects on his career and lifeIn Tour of Duty, Brinkley explores Senator John Kerry’s career and deftly deals with such explosive issues as U.S. atrocities in Vietnam and the bombing of Cambodia. Using new information acquired from the recently released Nixon tapes, Brinkley reveals how White House aides Charles Colson and H.R. Haldeman tried to discredit Kerry. Refusing to be intimidated, Kerry started running for public office, eventually becoming a U.S. Senator from Massachusetts. Covering more than four decades, this is the first full-scale definitive account of Kerry’s journey from war to peace. In writing this riveting, action-packed narrative, Brinkley has drawn on extensive interviews with virtually everyone who knew Kerry well in Vietnam. Kerry also relegated to Brinkley his letters home from Vietnam and his voluminous “war notes” journals, notebooks, and personal reminiscences written during and shortly after the war. This material was provided without restriction, to be used at Brinkley’s discretion, and has never before been published.
Touring Literary Mississippi
by Marion Garrard Barnwell Patti Carr BlackBy taking the literary traveler on seven preplanned tours—through the Delta, along Highway 61, to the heart of Faulkner’s Yoknapatawpha country, to sites near Interstate 55 and the Natchez Trace, to the piney woods of East and South Mississippi, and along the sun-struck Gulf Coast—this book captures the phenomenal abundance and diversity of Mississippi literature. More than a guidebook, this book includes capsule biographies and well over a hundred photographs of writers, their residences, and their literary environments. It also provides maps and gives explicit directions to writers’ homes and other literary sites. The sheer number of writers discovered, recovered, and claimed by Mississippi will astonish travelers both from within and from without the state. Included are not only such major figures in the pantheon of American literature as William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Tennessee Williams, and Richard Wright but also the less well-known. Every nook and cranny of the state claims a piece of Mississippi’s literary heritage. Literature pervades Yazoo City, Jackson, Greenville, Oxford, Natchez, the Gulf Coast, and the Delta Blues country. Willie Morris, Richard Ford, and Beverly Lowry have declared that a famous writer’s presence in their hometowns convinced them that they too could be writers. As the locations bring to life the connection of ordinary rituals with the stuff of fiction, poetry, and memoir, these hands-on tours make evident the special cross-pollination of writer and community in Mississippi.
Touring the Antebellum South with an English Opera Company: Anton Reiff’s Riverboat Travel Journal
by Michael BurdenThe diary of Anton Reiff Jr. (c. 1830–1916) is one of only a handful of primary sources to offer a firsthand account of antebellum riverboat travel in the American South. The Pyne and Harrison Opera Troupe, a company run by English sisters Susan and Louisa Pyne and their business partner, tenor William Harrison, hired Reiff, then freelancing in New York, to serve as musical director and conductor for the company’s American itinerary. The grueling tour began in November 1855 in Boston and then proceeded to New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati, where, after a three-week engagement, the company boarded a paddle steamer bound for New Orleans. It was at that point that Reiff started to keep his diary. Diligently transcribed and annotated by Michael Burden, Reiff’s diary presents an extraordinarily rare view of life with a foreign opera company as it traveled the country by river and rail. Surprisingly, Reiff comments little on the Pyne-Harrison performances themselves, although he does visit the theaters in the river towns, including New Orleans, where he spends evenings both at the French Opera and at the Gaiety. Instead, Reiff focuses his attention on other passengers, on the mechanics of the journey, on the landscape, and on events he encounters, including the 1856 Mardi Gras and the unveiling of the statue of Andrew Jackson in New Orleans's Jackson Square.Reiff is clearly captivated by the river towns and their residents, including the enslaved, whom he encountered whenever the boat tied up. Running throughout the journal is a thread of anxiety, for, apart from the typical dangers of a river trip, the winter of 1855–1856 was one of the coldest of the century, and the steamer had difficulties with river ice. Historians have used Reiff’s journal as source material, but until now the entire text, which is archived in Louisiana State University’s Special Collections in Hill Memorial Library, has only been available in its original state. As a primary source, the published journal will have broad appeal to historians and other readers interested in antebellum riverboat travel, highbrow entertainment, and the people and places of the South.
Tourism and Heritage: Shaping Sustainable and Innovative Futures (World Sustainability Series)
by Walter Leal Filho Maria Alzira Pimenta Dinis Larbi Safaa Dalia PerkumienėThis book brings together multidisciplinary contributions from various academic and professional backgrounds, addressing the challenges and opportunities of sustainable tourism. It focuses on diverse themes such as the management of intangible cultural heritage, responsible practices in the tourism sector, and technological innovations, including artificial intelligence. This book provides a comprehensive view of the sector through a variety of perspectives, taking into account environmental, social, economic, and legal aspects. This diversity allows for the exploration of complex issues such as the sustainable management of natural resources, the protection of tourists' personal data in a digital context, and partnerships between tourism actors and local communities for the preservation of cultural heritage. One key issue explored is the growing role of technology, including reflections on the use of artificial intelligence in combating tourism-related cybercrime. The contributions come from authors affiliated with a wide range of institutions, representing internationally renowned organizations from regions as diverse as Europe (Belgium, Lithuania, Latvia, Hungary, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain), as well as Turkey, Africa (Morocco), and Asia (China). This geographic and institutional diversity enriches the discussion on sustainable practices and innovations in the tourism sector, integrating both local and global perspectives. The accessibility of public spaces and leisure services for tourists, as well as market segmentation, are also discussed. This book stands out for its interdisciplinary approach, combining theory and practice to provide researchers, tourism professionals, policymakers, and heritage managers with innovative tools and strategies. It offers concrete and ethical solutions for the development of sustainable tourism that respects the cultural and natural values of territories, while addressing contemporary demands for social and environmental responsibility.
Tourism as Memory-Making: Russian Tourism in the Shadow of Empire (Palgrave Macmillan Memory Studies)
by Alena PfoserUntil recently the Russian Federation used to be one of the largest markets for outbound travel. Among Russians’ favourite destinations were cities that used to be part of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union, and are now located in the independent nation-states bordering Russia. This open access book provides an empirically rich and conceptually sophisticated account of the mnemonic interactions between Russians and their neighbours in the shadow of empire and geopolitical confrontations. Based on extensive ethnographic research with tourists and tour guides in the cities of Tallinn, Kyiv, and Almaty before Russia’s full-scale war on Ukraine, it analyses the practices through which cultural memories are performed in tourism encounters, as well as the forms they take. Imperial nostalgia, the production and consumption of national pasts, and memory diplomacy are discussed as key modes of remembering in tourism. Through the case of Russian tourism, the book argues for an invigoration of research on memory and tourism, which despite the significance of tourism for the circulation of cultural memories has so far received surprisingly little attention. Bringing debates in memory, heritage and tourism studies into a dialogue, the book expands the field of study beyond museums and heritage sites and puts forward a transnational approach that acknowledges diverse and entangled modes of remembering in tourism, situates memory-making in a wider political context and reflects on its geopolitical implications.
Toussaint L'Ouverture
by Walter Dean MyersA collection of paintings by Jacob Lawrence chronicling the liberation of Haiti in 1804 under the leadership of General Toussaint L'Ouverture.
Toussaint Louverture: A Biography
by Madison Smartt BellIn 1791, Saint Domingue was both the richest and cruelest colony in the Western Hemisphere; more than a third of African slaves died within a few years of their arrival there. Thirteen years later, Haitian rebels declared independence from France after the first--and only--successful slave revolution in history. Much of the success of this uprising can be credited to one man, Toussaint Louverture--a figure about whom surprisingly little is known. In this fascinating biography, the first about Toussaint to appear in English in more than fifty years, Madison Smartt Bell combines a novelist's passion for his subject with a deep knowledge of the historical milieu that produced the man. Toussaint has been known either as a martyr of the revolution or as the instigator of one of history’s most savagely violent events. Bell shatters this binary perception, producing a clear-eyed picture of a complicated figure. Toussaint, born a slave, became a slaveholder himself, with associates among the white planter class. Bell demonstrates how his privileged position served as both an asset and a liability, enabling him to gain the love of blacks and mulattoes as "Papa Toussaint" but also sowing mistrust in their minds. Another of Bell's brilliant achievements is demonstrating how Toussaint’s often surprising actions, such as his support for the king of France even as the French Revolution promised an end to slavery and his betrayal of a planned slave revolt in Jamaica, can be explained by his desire to achieve liberation for the blacks of Saint Domingue. This masterly biography is a revelation of one of the most fascinating and important figures in New World history.
Toussaint Louverture: A Revolutionary Life
by Philippe GirardThe definitive biography of the Haitian revolutionary Toussaint Louverture, leader of the only successful slave revolt in world historyToussaint Louverture's life was one of hardship, triumph, and contradiction. Born into bondage in Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti), the richest colony in the Western Hemisphere, he witnessed first-hand the torture of the enslaved population. Yet he managed to secure his freedom and establish himself as a small-scale planter. He even purchased slaves of his own.In Toussaint Louverture, Philippe Girard reveals the dramatic story of how Louverture transformed himself from lowly freedman to revolutionary hero. In 1791, the unassuming Louverture masterminded the only successful slave revolt in history. By 1801, he was general and governor of Saint-Domingue, and an international statesman who forged treaties with Britain, France, Spain, and the United States-empires that feared the effect his example would have on their slave regimes. Louveture's ascendency was short-lived, however. In 1802, he was exiled to France, dying soon after as one of the most famous men in the world, variously feared and celebrated as the "Black Napoleon."As Girard shows, in life Louverture was not an idealist, but an ambitious pragmatist. He strove not only for abolition and independence, but to build Saint-Domingue's economic might and elevate his own social standing. He helped free Saint-Domingue's slaves yet immediately restricted their rights in the interests of protecting the island's sugar production. He warded off French invasions but embraced the cultural model of the French gentility.In death, Louverture quickly passed into legend, his memory inspiring abolitionist, black nationalist, and anti-colonialist movements well into the 20th century. Deeply researched and bracingly original, Toussaint Louverture is the definitive biography of one of the most influential people of his era, or any other.
Toussaint Louverture: The Story of the Only Successful Slave Revolt in History
by C.L.R. JamesAn extraordinary graphic novel of a groundbreaking playWhen C.L.R. James's Toussaint Louverture: The Story of the Only Successful Slave Revolt in History opened in London featuring Paul Robeson in 1936, it was the first time black actors starred on a British stage in a play written by a black playwright. But after this extraordinary play ended its run, the script was lost for almost 70 years. Then a draft copy was found among James's archives, and now this groundbreaking drama has been turned into a graphic novel by artists Nic Watts and Sakina Karimjee.The polymath intellectual and Trinidadian revolutionary James, who wrote many books, including analyses of world politics, novels, and a seminal cultural study of cricket, is perhaps best known as the author of the classic history of the Haitian Revolution, Black Jacobins. But James wrote this story first not as history but as theatre, and Toussaint Louverture brings his brilliant interpretation of the epic of the Revolution into rousing, dramatic form.This book reproduces the stirring script James wrote, and which united James for at least one night with his friend Robeson on the London stage, when the playwright was forced to stand in for an absent actor.
Tout Sweet
by Karen WheelerIn her mid-thirties, fashion editor Karen has it all: a handsome boyfriend, a fab flat in west London, and an array of gorgeus shoes. But when her boyfriend, Eric, leaves she makes an unexpected decision: to hang up her Manolos and wave good-bye to her glamorous city lifestyle to go it alone in a run-down house in rural Poitou-Charentes, central western France. Tout Sweet is the perfect read for anyone who dreams of chucking away their BlackBerry in favor of real blackberrying and downshifting to a romantic, alluring locale where new friendships–and new loves–are just some of the treasures to be found amongst life's simple pleasures.
Tove Jansson: Life, Art, Words
by Boel WestinAn in-depth, perceptive account of the unconventional life of the Moomins&’ beloved creator, now available in the United States Tove Jansson achieved fame as the creator of the Moomins, beloved by generations of readers around the world. Remarkably, the Moomins were only part of the prodigious creative output of this Finnish-Swedish writer and artist. Jansson&’s work also includes short stories and five novels for adults, as well as paintings, murals, and book illustrations. In this acclaimed biography, Boel Westin relies on numerous conversations with Jansson and unprecedented access to her journals, letters, and personal archives to present an engrossing and comprehensive review of the life and world of Scandinavia&’s best-loved author. As Westin&’s meticulous research makes clear, Jansson&’s artistic and literary works reflected what was most important to her: the love of family and nature and the desire to pursue her art. Guided by her personal motto, &“Love and work,&” Jansson seized both with uncompromising joy. And while her romantic relationships with men proved unfulfilling, she found those with women—especially with her longtime partner, the artist Tuulikki Pietilä—both grounding and inspiring. Westin weaves together the many threads of Jansson&’s rich, complex life: an education interrupted to help her family; the bleak war years and her emergence as a painter; the decades of Moominmania across books, newspaper comic strips, merchandise, and adaptations; her later fictions, including her popular The Summer Book; and her time with Pietilä on the solitary island of Klovharu. Tove Jansson: Life, Art, Words offers fans and admirers around the world the most complete portrait of the writer Philip Pullman described as &“a genius, a woman of profound wisdom and great artistry.&”
Tove Jansson: Work and Love
by Dr Tuula KarjalainenThe definitive illustrated biography of one of the most unique and beloved children's authors of the 20th century, the creator of the Moomins. Tove Jansson (1914-2001) led a long, colourful and productive life, impacting significantly the political, social and cultural history of 20th-century Finland. And while millions of children have grown up with Little My, Snufkin, Moomintroll and the many creatures of Moominvalley, the life of Jansson - daughter, friend and companion - is more touching still. This book weaves together the myriad qualities of a painter, author, illustrator, scriptwriter and lyricist from fraught beginnings through fame, war and heartbreak and ultimately to a peaceful end.
Tove and the Island with No Address
by Lauren SoloyA gorgeous picture book homage to celebrated Moomin author Tove Jansson.Tove and her family go to the island with no address every summer. After checking to make sure that everything in the cabin is exactly as it should be, young Tove sets off on an adventure. She finds some interesting salvage on the beach, she visits the grotto and she offers to babysit her strange little friend's five wild daughters.But when the weather takes a turn, Tove finds this task is more than she bargained for . . .Through Lauren Soloy's brilliant art and storytelling, this imagined day on the island with no address pays tribute to Tove Jansson's wild and beautiful imagination and explores both the exhilaration of adventure and the comfort of coming home.
Toward Antarctica
by Elizabeth BradfieldPoet-naturalist Elizabeth Bradfield's fourth collection, Toward Antarctica, documents and queries her work as a guide on ships in Antarctica, offering an incisive insider's vision that challenges traditional tropes of The Last Continent. Inspired by haibun, a stylistic form of Japanese poetry invented by 17th-century poet, Matsuo Bashō to chronicle his journeys in remote Japan, Bradfield uses photographs, compressed prose, and short poems to examine our relationship to remoteness, discovery, expertise, awe, labor, temporary societies, "pure" landscapes, and tourism's service economy. Antarctica was the focus of Bradfield's Approaching Ice, written before she had set foot on the continent; now Toward Antarctica furthers her investigation with boots on the ground. A complicated love letter, Toward Antarctica offers a unique view of one of the world's most iconic wild places.