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Don't Mix The Bitter With The Sweet
by Gregory GarretEverybody wants something. Some will go to any extreme to get it. The question is.... was it all worth it? Dontae is released from prison with a desperate demand for fast money. Quickly, he turns to what he is familiar with--the streets, but at a higher level. When Dontae thinks he has layed aside his feelings for his ex-girl, Naija, his urges to see her, make love to her, and wanting her back resurfaces until Q Tee comes along and takes his mind off Naija, momentarily. Tony thought he had the perfect girl in Naija. To him, she was the total package every man wanted in a woman. He spoiled her with a luxurious lifestyle that he felt she was highly appreciative of. Though, she just had her own way of showing it. Soon, he learns firsthand about the real meaning of backstabbers. Naija expressed her overly gracious attitude to Tony but at the same time she wasn t happy physically or mentally. However, his money covered her financial woes; it still didn t take the place of love. Something she didn t feel for him. Naija was just along for the ride. When Dontae comes back into the picture, she is in to deep, forcing her to decide on true love or the Almighty Dollar! Throughout the different stages of Dontae s life, he is faced with decisions and choices that could change his life dramatically. When the dust settles, everything he ever wanted and needed was staring him right in the face the whole time. Q Tee is challenged in every aspect. Will she come out a winner? Journey through the realms of love, sex, violence, drugs, money, lies, murder and deceitfulness. Suspense. Drama. Reality.
Playing For Keeps
by Gregory GarrettFaced with a 30 year sentence in Federal prison, Dontae can no longer hold on to the envisions of the outside life he left behind, including family. As hard as it may get, he is determined to do the time and not let the time do him. Offered a get out of jail free card, will he continue to favor his pride? Can he remain strong enough throughout the rest of his bid before the mental strees and anguish taking its roll? Q'Tee vowed to love, honor, and cherish for better or worse until death do us part. With her husband, Dontae serving a lengthy sentence, she won't stop at nothing to help free him. By any means neccessary! After re-acquainting herself with an old fling, Marco, she becomes side tracked momentarily by paths of lust, lies, and unbridled affection. Gradually, her world turns upside down. Surprisingly, Q'Tee soon will discover Marco is the ideal player that changes the game. Will Q Tee's love out weigh Dontae's pride?
Sin4Life
by Parish ShermanSimian Michaels better as Sin, hailing from the streets of East Oakland, the deadliest city in Northern Cali has just been released after serving a four year bid in a Georgia state prison. Upon touching down in the city he grew up in, Sin is faced with starting all over. Sin's girl before he was convicted ran off with his stash and left him for dead. He's on a mission to regain his status in the game with the help of his Mad Circle clique and his real potna from the joint. Shaunte' is in the streets getting paper like it is legal. She's a straight dime who's tired of the same ol' cats. Shaunte's beautiful looks are where people get it twisted with her. Tay as she's known to her inner circle is a cold blooded killer. She and Sin meet each other on some booty call time, but unforseen events make them much more. Tay is just what Sin needs, a Bonnie to his Clyde. From day one she shows Sin how a real"Down as Bitch" carries it, with and for her man. Parish Sherman takes readers on a fast paced journey through the streets of Oakland. From sex, to money, to murder, see how everyday hustling goes when you have somebody as determined as Sin out to get money, by any means neccessary. Street Knowledge, So Real You Think You Lived It!
A Little More Sin
by Parish ShermanAfter Sin's Mad Circle hits up the 61st street boys he comes out of the hospital hungrier than ever. Sin starts making money hand over fist, but his personal life is suffering badly. There's someone talking to the law, but Sin has no idea who it is. When he's about to hit Bolo off with some work, everything becomes clear. Bo is the rat. Sin leaves town of Oakland on a "state funded" vacation only to find out the boy Max who heads the 61st street mob and Bo are partners. Not only that, there's someone close to him running their mouth now. Will Sin be able to come back from this, or is the Mad Circle about to crumble? One things or sure, He's coming at someone's neck. Sit back Parish Sherman takes you on a non-stop ride through the gritty Oakland, California streets where everything ain't what is seems, and loyalty is tested it seems on the regular. One thing is for certain, life and death, is the same as loyalty and betrayal, and everybody that's on the opposing side better protect their chests, because The Mad Circles coming.
Money and Murda
by Fred BrownMoney grew up in one of the most dangerous projects in Brooklyn. With the help of his right hand man, he became a boss of a multi-million dollar drug ring. He supplied over 70% of the cocaine in New York City and surrounding areas. The five boroughs, the streets... the grimest hoods and projects are familiar with his name however, it's only very small inter circle that recognize him by his face. His people raise the murder rate throughout the city. If you cross the line, have your casket and tombstone ready. A hard nose, relentless veteran NYPD detective refuses to retire, until he finds out who the invisible leader is, this powerful cartel that the streets are scared to talk about and law agencies can not infiltrate. Murder is the most sought after high school basketball player in the country. He is expected to be a 1st round draft pick in the NBA. He lives in a small town that puts up B.G. numbers in the drug trade. He refuses to stop balling in the streets. He has a decision to make, either way, Murder will be balling!! When Money and Murder meet "The Game" is played... The way the Game is supposed to be played and everybody eats!!!
Me & My Girls
by Leondrei PrinceTish, Rayon and Tasheena are about to show the world what friendship really means. Each living their own separate lives, they stumbled upon obstacles that would define who they are later in life... Tish- A high school mother learned early about responsibility by having a child by a small time drug dealer who later became a "King Pin" and victim of a quarrel... Rayon- One of Tish's best friend from the suburbs is more of a follower than anything else. She got caught up in a pregnancy and found comfort in her two best friends Tish and Tasheena who were from the projects... Tasheena- Is the direct opposite of the both of them... She was a woman scorned early by the love of her life who abandoned her for a heroin addiction. Unable to deal with the loneliness that overcame her, she sought out comfort from any and every man she could, only digging herself into a deeper depression. Until she discovered Allah (God).
King Arthur and His Knights: A Companion Reader With A Dramatization
by Jim Weiss Rebecca Sorge Chris BauerYou are invited to a world of bravery, magic, and adventure! In a time of fear and danger, will Merlin's magic, Lancelot's bravery, and Arthur's wisdom be enough to unite the kingdom and bring peace? Beloved storyteller Jim Weiss brings tales of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table to life with action, wonder, and humor. Gorgeous paintings and whimsical medieval-style illuminated illustrations by Rebecca Sorge will fascinate and delight young readers. This beautifully illustrated Companion Reader is an exact transcript of the award-winning storytelling performance, available on MP3 and audio CD from Well-Trained Mind Press. The Reader can be enjoyed on its own, or used along with the recorded performance to build strong language skills. Listen to the Jim Weiss stories on the CD, read along in the book to improve fluency, vocabulary, and grammar, and then speak great words and sentences out loud by practicing and performing the short, accessible dramatic versions of Jim’s performances.
Killing Physicians: Shakespeare's Blind Heroes and Reformation Saints
by John J NortonKilling Physicians: Shakespeare's Blind Heroes and Reformation Saints is intended give its reader a street-level perspective of Shakespeare's great tragedies and late plays.Diving into the social and theological tensions alive in sixteenth-century London neighborhoods, this book uncovers what may have been Shakespeare's answer to a world fraught with political and religious controversy.
Handicap
by John PaceWhen Thom finds a murdered body on the golf course, he can't rest until he solves the mystery of the heinous crime. And the cast of characters he meets along the way is anything but comforting.Thom hates standing just four-foot-seven (and a half!). After watching his mother bleed to death from a knife stuck through her heart, he runs away and lands in backwards backwoods Florida. There, he becomes an expert golfer. This is no small feat, and one he credits to his short game. Thom only golfs alone. It's where he escapes the scorn and ignorance of others. The course is Thom's World. Until, that is, he discovers a woman's bloody corpse on number two-stabbed through the heart. Then Thom's World becomes a black tunnel of terror and guilt. He can't even raise a club without collapsing in panic. Thom must solve the murder not only to escape suspicion, but especially to reclaim his glorious solitude. This, however, finally forces him to open up to others: like Dyleane, who sees Thom for what he is on the inside; Jade, the ample proprietor of a cafe and whorehouse; Father C, a chain-smoking priest with a pitiful toupee; and others still, who will stop at nothing to keep their secrets buried.
The White Dress
by Nathalie LégerThe third in Nathalie Léger&’s acclaimed genre-defying triptych of books about the struggles and obsessions of women artists. The White Dress is the third in Nathalie Léger's award-winning triptych of books about women who &“through their oeuvre, transform their lives into a mystery&” (ELLE). In Exposition, Léger wrote about the Countess of Castiglione, the most photographed woman of the nineteenth century; in Suite for Barbara Loden she took up the actress and filmmaker Barbara Loden; here, Léger grapples with the tragic 2008 death of Italian performance artist Pippa Bacca, who was raped and murdered while hiking from Italy to the Middle East in a wedding dress to promote world peace. A harrowing meditation on the risks women encounter, in life and in art, The White Dress also brings to a haunting conclusion Léger's personal interrogation—sustained across all three books—of her relationship with her mother and the desire for justice in our lives.
Saint Joan: Her History And The Play (Clydesdale Classics)
by George Bernard ShawRediscover the story of the inspirational Saint Joan of Arc with the classic play by George Bernard Shaw. The historical saint begins her story as a simple country girl in fifteenth century France who is inspired by visions from God to help liberate her country from the English. She secures soldier&’s clothing and convinces the soon-to-be king, Charles, to begin battling for his country. Though her regiment succeeds in battle after battle, her enemies (the English) move against her. When Joan moves to liberate Paris from the English control—against the advice of her friends—she is captured and tried for heresy. Despite help from a Bishop and the Inquisitor, who truly want to see Joan succeed, her beliefs simply do not match with the Church; people do not hear visions from God, only from the church, therefore Joan must be possessed by demons. Subsequently, Joan is sentenced to death. Now read this beautiful new edition of the talented George Bernard Shaw&’s play, Saint Joan. Discover why the Catholic Church made this young woman into one of the most famous saints known today.
The Débutante
by F. Scott Fitzgerald"Oh, yes, coming out is such a farce nowadays, you know. One really plays around so much before one is seventeen, that it&’s positively anticlimax."
King of New York: A New Mafia Tale
by Kathy Iandoli"Fully on par with Mario Puzo's "The Godfather" and Mark Seal's "Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli" - Midwest Book Review THE KING OF NEW YORK is the story of how one gangster makes it his life goal (and obsession) to dominate across all affiliations of organized crime to achieve the most desired title: The King Of New York.Step into the shadowy corners of New York City with THE KING OF NEW YORK, a riveting mafia thriller that delves deep into the gritty underworld of organized crime. This gripping narrative is perfect for fans of WISE GUY and GOMORRAH, as it portrays the relentless ambition and dangerous power struggles that define the mafia's legacy.Follow the journey of Jimmy Martello as he ascends to the highest ranks of the mafia following a series of family tragedies. As the newly crowned Don, Jimmy must navigate the treacherous waters of mob leadership, engaging in strategic killings and forming murky alliances to keep his empire intact. Set against the backdrop of New York City&’s infamous crime network, his quest for power leads him through a maze of dark alliances and brutal betrayals that are characteristic of the mafia world.Engage with notorious factions like the Russian Mob, the Yakuza, the Cartel, and the Black Mafia Family. Each page of this mafia narrative crackles with action and strategic maneuvering as Jimmy vies to claim his title and cement his authority as The King of New York.THE KING OF NEW YORK is the ultimate mafia saga, blending high-stakes drama with a comprehensive exploration of the criminal underworld. It&’s an essential read for anyone interested in mob lore, true crime, and action-packed narratives. Discover a world where the title of Don is synonymous with power and fear, and where achieving the status of The King of New York represents the pinnacle of organized crime achievement.Perfect for readers who enjoy: mafia thrillers, organized crime dramas, crime boss biographies, underworld non-fiction, mob warfare, crime syndicate histories, tales of power struggles, and New York City crime sagas.
Social Dramas: Literature and Language in Early-Modern England.
by David A. PostlesHow the repeated social tropes and paradigms of the City comedies give us an in-depth look into everyday London society in the early 17th-century.Although literature is often assumed to belong to the sphere of representation rather than constituting an accurate reflection of social reality, early-modern English drama can tell us much about social attitudes in the early seventeenth century. The City comedies were, in particular, composed by authors who were embedded in the mundane social existence of London, in its quotidian transactions and exchanges, in its less salubrious contexts of debt, drinking, death and incarceration. To elucidate the complex social attitudes of the City urban elite, five particular themes are explored: the symbolism of attire; matrimonial talk; the use of money (coin) as metaphor and metonymy; “over-exuberance” towards the opportunity of the “New World”; and continuing differences of speech and customary language use. Although the dramatists had slightly differing allegiances, their commentaries all illuminate “middling” society in the City of London.“This new work by David Postles raises important questions in an innovative manner. It will certainly be welcomed by the historical community.” —Bernard Capp, FBA, Dept of History, University of Warwick“David Postles is one of the most innovative social historians writing today.” —Nigel Goose, Professor of Social and Economic History, University of Hertfordshire“This book will be significant reading for all those working in the field. It will be warmly received by readers and reviewers, and will remain a work of reference for scholars and students for the future.” —Greg Walker, Regius Professor of Rhetoric and English Literature, University of Edinburgh
X: The Novel
by Tim WaggonerWritten by four-time Bram Stoker award-winning writer Tim Waggoner, this thrilling novelisation of the horror film X is printed in throwback pocket-sized paperback format, bringing beloved scream queens Pearl and Maxine to a new medium and reliving the tragedy that befell the film’s characters in Ti West’s grisly original screenplay.
Pearl: The Novel
by Tim WaggonerBased on the film written by Ti West and Mia Goth and directed by Ti West The X-traordinary origin story! It’s 1918, and Pearl, a young woman on the brink of madness, must tend to her ailing father under the bitter and overbearing watch of her devout mother. Lusting for the glamorous life she’s seen in the movies, Pearl’s ambitions, temptations, and repressions collide… Written by four-time Bram Stoker Award-winning writer Tim Waggoner, this thrilling novelization is printed in throwback pocket-sized paperback format, bringing Ti West's bloody prequel to a new medium. Go back in time again as Pearl slashes her way to stardom with gory new details drawn from West and Goth's original screenplay.
MaXXXine: The Novel
by Tim WaggonerHer dream was to be a star…but Hollywood can be a killer. In 1985… Adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally gets her big break… But as a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Hollywood, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past…
Speaking Truths: Young Adults, Identity, and Spoken Word Activism
by Valerie CheppThe twenty-first century is already riddled with protests demanding social justice, and in every instance, young people are leading the charge. But in addition to protesters who take to the streets with handmade placards are young adults who engage in less obvious change-making tactics. In Speaking Truths, sociologist Valerie Chepp goes behind-the-scenes to uncover how spoken word poetry—and young people’s participation in it—contributes to a broader understanding of contemporary social justice activism, including this generation’s attention to the political importance of identity, well-being, and love. Drawing upon detailed observations and in-depth interviews, Chepp tells the story of a diverse group of young adults from Washington, D.C. who use spoken word to create a more just and equitable world. Outlining the contours of this approach, she interrogates spoken word activism’s emphasis on personal storytelling and “truth,” the strategic uses of aesthetics and emotions to politically engage across difference, and the significance of healing in sustainable movements for change. Weaving together their poetry and personally told stories, Chepp shows how poets tap into the beautiful, emotional, personal, and therapeutic features of spoken word to empathically connect with others, advance intersectional and systemic analyses of inequality, and make social justice messages relatable across a diverse public. By creating allies and forging connections based on friendship, professional commitments, lived experiences, emotions, artistic kinship, and political views, this activist approach is highly integrated into the everyday lives of its practitioners, online and face-to-face. Chepp argues that spoken word activism is a product of, and a call to action against, the neoliberal era in which poets have come of age, characterized by widening structural inequalities and increasing economic and social vulnerability. She illustrates how this deeply personal and intimate activist approach borrows from, builds upon, and diverges from previous social movement paradigms. Spotlighting the complexity and mutual influence of modern-day activism and the world in which it unfolds, Speaking Truths contributes to our understanding of contemporary social change-making and how neoliberalism has shaped this political generation’s experiences with social injustice.
Touched Bodies: The Performative Turn in Latin American Art
by Mara Polgovsky EzcurraWhat is the role of pleasure and pain in the politics of art? In Touched Bodies, Mara Polgovsky Ezcurra approaches this question as she examines the flourishing of live and intermedial performance in Latin America during times of authoritarianism and its significance during transitions to democracy. Based on original documents and innovative readings, her book brings politics and ethics to the discussion of artistic developments during the “long 1980s”. She describes the rise of performance art in the context of feminism, HIV-activism, and human right movements, taking a close look at the work of Diamela Eltit and Raúl Zurita from Chile, León Ferrari and Liliana Maresca from Argentina, and Marcos Kurtycz, the No Grupo art collective, and Proceso Pentágono from Mexico. The comparative study of the work of these artists attests to a performative turn in Latin American art during the 1980s that, like photography and film before, recast the artistic field as a whole, changing the ways in which we perceive art and understand its role in society.
The Movie Musical (Quick Takes: Movies and Popular Culture)
by Desirée J. GarciaPutting Asian and European musicals into conversation with Hollywood classics like Singin’ in the Rain and La La Land, this study demonstrates the flexibility and durability of the genre. It explores how the movie musical mediates between nostalgia and technical innovation, while foregrounding the experiences of women, immigrants, and people of color.
The Great White Way: Race and the Broadway Musical
by Warren HoffmanBroadway musicals are one of America’s most beloved art forms and play to millions of people each year. But what do these shows, which are often thought to be just frothy entertainment, really have to say about our country and who we are as a nation? Now in a new second edition, The Great White Way is the first book to reveal the racial politics, content, and subtexts that have haunted musicals for almost one hundred years from Show Boat (1927) to Hamilton (2015). This revised edition includes a new introduction and conclusion, updated chapters, as well as a brand-new chapter that looks at the blockbuster musicals The Book of Mormon and Hamilton. Musicals mirror their time periods and reflect the political and social issues of their day. Warren Hoffman investigates the thematic content of the Broadway musical and considers how musicals work on a structural level, allowing them to simultaneously present and hide their racial agendas in plain view of their audiences. While the musical is informed by the cultural contributions of African Americans and Jewish immigrants, Hoffman argues that ultimately the history of the American musical is the history of white identity in the United States. Presented chronologically, The Great White Way shows how perceptions of race altered over time and how musicals dealt with those changes. Hoffman focuses first on shows leading up to and comprising the Golden Age of Broadway (1927–1960s), then turns his attention to the revivals and nostalgic vehicles that defined the final quarter of the twentieth century. He offers entirely new and surprising takes on shows from the American musical canon—Show Boat (1927), Oklahoma! (1943), Annie Get Your Gun (1946), The Music Man (1957), West Side Story (1957), A Chorus Line (1975), and 42nd Street (1980), among others. In addition to a new chapter on Hamilton and The Book of Mormon, this revised edition brings The Great White Way fully into the twenty-first century with an examination of jukebox musicals and the role of off-Broadway and regional theaters in the development of the American musical. New archival research on the creators who produced and wrote these shows, including Leonard Bernstein, Jerome Robbins, Stephen Sondheim, and Edward Kleban, will have theater fans and scholars rethinking forever how they view this popular American entertainment.
Macbeth in Harlem: Black Theater in America from the Beginning to Raisin in the Sun
by Clifford MasonIn 1936 Orson Welles directed a celebrated all-black production of Macbeth that was hailed as a breakthrough for African Americans in the theater. For over a century, black performers had fought for the right to perform on the American stage, going all the way back to an 1820s Shakespearean troupe that performed Richard III, Othello, and Macbeth, without relying on white patronage. "Macbeth" in Harlem tells the story of these actors and their fellow black theatrical artists, from the early nineteenth century to the dawn of the civil rights era. For the first time we see how African American performers fought to carve out a space for authentic black voices onstage, at a time when blockbuster plays like Uncle Tom’s Cabin and The Octoroon trafficked in cheap stereotypes. Though the Harlem Renaissance brought an influx of talented black writers and directors to the forefront of the American stage, they still struggled to gain recognition from an indifferent critical press. Above all, "Macbeth" in Harlem is a testament to black artistry thriving in the face of adversity. It chronicles how even as the endemic racism in American society and its theatrical establishment forced black performers to abase themselves for white audiences’ amusement, African Americans overcame those obstacles to enrich the nation’s theater in countless ways.
Dialogues: Ilya Kabakov and Vikor Pivovarov, Stories about Ourselves
by Tomas GlancArtists in the Soviet Union faced a difficult choice: either join the official academies and make art that conformed to the state’s aesthetic and ideological dictates, or attempt to develop alternative artistic practices and spheres for exhibiting their work. In the early 1970s, conceptual artists Ilya Kabakov and Viktor Pivovarov chose the latter option, turning their limited resources into an asset by pioneering an entirely new artistic genre: the album. Somewhere between drawings and novels, Kabakov and Pivovarov’s albums were also the basis for unique performance pieces, as the artists invited select audiences to their Moscow apartments for private readings and viewings of the albums, helping to cultivate an alternative artistic community in the process. This exhibition catalog brings together Kabakov and Pivovarov’s key works for the first time, putting the two artists in dialogue and recreating their artistic community. It not only includes nearly hundred pages of full-color illustrations, but also provides complete English translations of the Russian texts that appear in the volume, plus new interviews with each artist. Taken together, they give viewers a new appreciation of the different aesthetic strategies each artist used to depict the absurdities of everyday life in the Soviet era. Published in partnership with the Zimmerli Museum.
Caribes 2.0: New Media, Globalization, and the Afterlives of Disaster (Global Media and Race)
by Jossianna ArroyoIn Caribes 2.0, author Jossianna Arroyo looks at the Caribbean mediasphere in the twenty-first century. Arroyo argues that we have seen a return to tropes such as blackface, brownface, cultural and ethnic stereotypes, and violent representations of the poor, the marginalized, and the racialized. Caribes 2.0 looks at these tropes as well as the work of writers, vloggers, performers, and photographers that have become media figures or have used new media platforms to promote their work and examines how they are challenging and negotiating these media representations. It analyzes contemporary Caribbean cultures to discuss, taste, guides, and actions (social and virtual) that shape Caribbean global communities today. Departing from Edouard Glissant’s insight that “Caribbean reality might not be accessed by remote control” the book considers what types of political and social agencies are created by mediation. Caribes 2.0 deviates from these historical-globalized views of subjected, colonized Caribbean bodies, and their material conditions, to examine the relationship between the local and the global in contemporary Caribbean cultures, and the role that media is playing in the invisibility or hyper-visibilty of Caribbean cultures in the islands and the U.S. diaspora.
King of Hearts: Drag Kings in the American South
by Baker A. RogersWhile drag subcultures have gained mainstream media attention in recent years, the main focus has been on female impersonators. Equally lively, however, is the community of drag kings: cis women, trans men, and non-binary people who perform exaggerated masculine personas onstage under such names as Adonis Black, Papi Chulo, and Oliver Clothesoff. King of Hearts shows how drag king performers are thriving in an unlikely location: Southern Bible Belt states like Tennessee, Georgia, and South Carolina. Based on observations and interviews with sixty Southern drag kings, this study reveals how they are challenging the region’s gender norms while creating a unique community with its own distinctive Southern flair. Reflecting the region’s racial diversity, it profiles not only white drag kings, but also those who are African American, multiracial, and Hispanic. Queer scholar Baker A. Rogers—who has also performed as drag king Macon Love—takes you on an insider’s tour of Southern drag king culture, exploring its history, the communal bonds that unite it, and the controversies that have divided it. King of Hearts offers a groundbreaking look at a subculture that presents a subversion of gender norms while also providing a vital lifeline for non-gender-conforming Southerners.