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L'Ombra del ricordo
by Bloodwitch Luz OscuriaUna storia realistica a sfondo psicologico Sono Julien. Ho 31 anni ed è il 2014. Almeno, questo è quello che mi è stato detto appena ho ripreso conoscenza in ospedale, in terapia intensiva. Non ricordo nulla, nemmeno la mia vita. Nessuno a parte me, sa cosa sia successo, ma io l'ho sepolto in qualche meandro della memoria. Gradualmente torneranno. Liti, insulti, violenze domestiche, fino alla sparizione di Catherine subito dopo l'aggressione che mi ha quasi ucciso. L'ombra dei ricordi riapparirà, anche se il prezzo da pagare sarà alto.
Lon Chaney Speaks (Pantheon Graphic Library)
by Pat DorianA stunning graphic debut: the life of the legendary silent-film actor Lon Chaney (the original Phantom of the Opera and Hunchback of Notre Dame), as imagined by an artist whose work recalls the style and skill of early-era New Yorker cartoonists.From the artist: "'No one will ever love me!' I believe it was this near-universal fear that makes Lon Chaney's characters continue to resonate with us today. On their surface, most of them are distinctly unlikeable: they are monsters, outcasts, criminals. But through his unique magic, Chaney makes them empathetic. He pioneered the craft of makeup artist long before that term ever existed, and he used his expertise to hide himself from public view--what if nobody loved him?"PART OF THE PANTHEON GRAPHIC LIBRARY
London: Immigrant City
by Nazneen Khan-ØstremTRANSLATED BY ALISON McCULLOUGH'One of the best books on the many diverse migrations to London . . . revealing the extent to which the diversity of immigrant origins has had transformative effects - through food, music, diverse types of knowledge and so much more. The book is difficult to put it down'Saskia Sassen, The Robert S. Lynd Professor of Sociology, Columbia University, New York'The ultimate book about Great Britain's capital'Dagbladet'One of the best books of the year! . . . This is a book about what a city is and can be'AftenpostenIs there a street in London which does not contain a story from the Empire? Immigrants made London; and they keep remaking it in a thousand different ways. Nazneen Khan-Østrem has drawn a wonderful new map of a city that everyone thought they already knew. She travels around the city, meeting the very people who have created a truly unique metropolis, and shows how London's incredible development is directly attributable to the many different groups of immigrants who arrived after the Second World War, in part due to the Nationality Act of 1948. Her book reveals the historical, cultural and political changes within those communities which have fundamentally transformed the city, and which have rarely been considered alongside each other.Nazneen Khan-Østrem has a cosmopolitan background herself, being a British, Muslim, Asian woman, born in Nairobi and raised in the UK and Norway, which has helped her in unravelling the city's rich immigrant history and its constant ongoing evolution.Drawing on London's rich literature and its musical heritage, she has created an intricate portrait of a strikingly multi-faceted metropolis. Based on extensive research, particularly into aspects not generally covered in the wide array of existing books on the city, London manages to capture the city's enticing complexity and its ruthless vitality.This celebration of London's diverse immigrant communities is timely in the light of the societal fault lines exposed by the Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit. It is a sensitive and insightful book that has a great deal to say to Londoners as well as to Britain as a whole.
London: Immigrant City
by Nazneen Khan-ØstremTRANSLATED BY ALISON McCULLOUGH'One of the best books on the many diverse migrations to London . . . revealing the extent to which the diversity of immigrant origins has had transformative effects - through food, music, diverse types of knowledge and so much more. The book is difficult to put it down'Saskia Sassen, The Robert S. Lynd Professor of Sociology, Columbia University, New York'The ultimate book about Great Britain's capital'Dagbladet'One of the best books of the year! . . . This is a book about what a city is and can be'AftenpostenIs there a street in London which does not contain a story from the Empire? Immigrants made London; and they keep remaking it in a thousand different ways. Nazneen Khan-Østrem has drawn a wonderful new map of a city that everyone thought they already knew. She travels around the city, meeting the very people who have created a truly unique metropolis, and shows how London's incredible development is directly attributable to the many different groups of immigrants who arrived after the Second World War, in part due to the Nationality Act of 1948. Her book reveals the historical, cultural and political changes within those communities which have fundamentally transformed the city, and which have rarely been considered alongside each other.Nazneen Khan-Østrem has a cosmopolitan background herself, being a British, Muslim, Asian woman, born in Nairobi and raised in the UK and Norway, which has helped her in unravelling the city's rich immigrant history and its constant ongoing evolution.Drawing on London's rich literature and its musical heritage, she has created an intricate portrait of a strikingly multi-faceted metropolis. Based on extensive research, particularly into aspects not generally covered in the wide array of existing books on the city, London manages to capture the city's enticing complexity and its ruthless vitality.This celebration of London's diverse immigrant communities is timely in the light of the societal fault lines exposed by the Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit. It is a sensitive and insightful book that has a great deal to say to Londoners as well as to Britain as a whole.
London Journal (Dover Thrift Editions)
by James BoswellEven if James Boswell hadn't written the The Life of Johnson, he would be famous for this memoir of eighteenth-century London life. Boswell arrived in the great metropolis from his native Edinburgh in 1762, and he kept a daily journal of his nine-month sojourn. Bawdy, witty, and brimming with fascinating details, the accounts range from his illicit encounters with prostitutes to his momentous meeting with Samuel Johnson. Boswell's London diary disappeared for 150 years, finally turning up in the 1920s as the literary find of the twentieth century. Unlike his other journals, it escaped nineteenth-century bowdlerization, allowing the author's voice to emerge with strikingly modern candor. Boswell writes frankly of his struggles with depression and his sexual obsessions. His painstaking records of the lively repartee of his mentor's literary circle formed the backbone of The Life of Johnson, and just as that book proved him a worthy biographer, so this one shows him an equally captivating subject.
London Journal 1762-1763 (Penguin Classics)
by James BoswellEdinburgh-born James Boswell, at twenty-two, kept a daily diary of his eventful second stay in London from 1762 to 1763. This journal, not discovered for more than 150 years, is a deft, frank and artful record of adventures ranging from his vividly recounted love affair with a Covent Garden actress to his first amusingly bruising meeting with Samuel Johnson, to whom Boswell would later become both friend and biographer. The London Journal 1762-63 is a witty, incisive and compellingly candid testament to Boswell's prolific talents.
London Journal 1762-1763 (The\yale Editions Of The Private Papers Of James Boswell Ser.)
by James BoswellEdinburgh-born James Boswell, at twenty-two, kept a daily diary of his eventful second stay in London from 1762 to 1763. This journal, not discovered for more than 150 years, is a deft, frank and artful record of adventures ranging from his vividly recounted love affair with a Covent Garden actress to his first amusingly bruising meeting with Samuel Johnson, to whom Boswell would later become both friend and biographer. The London Journal 1762-63 is a witty, incisive and compellingly candid testament to Boswell's prolific talents.
London Parks
by Hunter DaviesJoin Hunter Davies on a celebratory stroll around London&’s greatest glories – its parks.We need our parks more than ever before, for our health and spirits, our bodies and souls, to keep us fit, to save us from pollution, to protect nature and wildlife; and Londoners are lucky enough to enjoy more green spaces than any other major city in the world. In London Parks, Hunter Davies illustrates their wonders by spending a year walking round his favourite parks. From his local haunt on Hampstead Heath to the capital&’s latest wonder, the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, each one is chosen for its unique appeal. Informative and entertaining, he details their history, describes their layout and reveals hidden delights and new attractions that might otherwise be missed, such as the statue of a small brown dog in Battersea Park, a garden full of exotic plants and palm trees in south London&’s Burgess Park or, for something completely unique, Ian Dury&’s musical memorial bench in Richmond Park.Fun, thought-provoking and uplifting, London Parks is an essential companion for anyone wishing to explore the ever-green beauty of Britain&’s capital city, whether it&’s spotting pelicans and politicians in St James&’s Park, the birds in the London Wetland Centre or the views from Greenwich Park.
London Plaques
by Derek SumerayThe city of London is dotted with plaques, many of them blue, all commemorating either a famous person who was born, lived, or stayed in that building, or sometimes a significant event that took place, or an earlier use of the site.This book is a comprehensive gazetteer of all of London¿s plaques. Using Derek Sumeray's classic book as a basis, this thoroughly revised new edition arranges plaques alphabetically by area, providing a text that is linked to London's geography and, therefore, of greater use to a resident or visitor wanting to explore the famous people and events commemorated in that area. Illustrated with photographs of many of the plaques and the places, this is the only guide to all the commemorative plaques in Greater London.
London's Armed Police: Up Close and Personal
by Stephen SmithAn insider&’s account of an elite unit fighting crime and terror on the streets of London—includes hundreds of photos. In this book, veteran firearms officer Stephen Smith goes behind the scenes of the Metropolitan Police&’s Specialist Firearms Unit, CO19—covering a wide range of events in recent history, from the controversial shootings of Azelle Rodney in 2005 and Mark Duggan in 2011 to the terrorist attacks on Westminster, London Bridge and Borough Market, as well as stories from decades past. Through his unique access to CO19, Smith has managed to put together hundreds of detailed photographs, both historical and contemporary, along with text that goes a long way to explain why it is necessary to have such an elite firearms unit on standby 24/7 in London. This comprehensive volume will bring you up-to date with the training, operations, equipment, and mindset of these courageous individuals who put their lives on the line on a daily basis to keep London safe.
London's Number One Dog-Walking Agency: A Memoir
by Kate Macdougall“ Sparkles with humor, joy and wit. London’s Number One Dog-Walking Agency bounds along with the energy of a rambunctious pup and exudes the wisdom of a beloved canine with an old soul (you know the type)." — BookPageThe irresistibly charming memoir of a young woman who started her own business as a dog walker for London’s busy, well-heeled dog lovers. A true love letter to London, dogs, and growing up. Aside from the odd biter or growler, the occasional bolter and the one dog who didn’t want to walk, the canines were the easy part. They were a muddy, messy joy in all shapes, sizes and breeds, from greedy Labradors to pampered pugs and everything in between. It was the owners who were the real challenge, a giddy mix of the over-protective, the clueless, the eccentrics and the perfectionists. There is no rule book on how to navigate the obsessions of the London dog owner. A degree in human psychology would have been far preferable to any sort of animal qualification. Not that I had either…In 2006, Kate MacDougall was working a safe but dull job at the venerable auction house Sotheby’s in London. After a clumsy accident nearly destroyed a precious piece of art, she quit Sotheby’s and set up her own dog-walking company. Kate knew little about dogs and nothing about business, and no one thought being a professional dog walker was a good use of her university degree. Nevertheless, Kate embarked upon an entirely new and very much improvised career walking some of the city’s many pampered pooches, branding her company “London's Number One Dog Walking Agency.” With sharp wit, delightful observations, and plenty of canine affection, Kate reveals her unique and unconventional coming-of-age story, as told through the dogs, and the London homes and neighborhoods they inhabit. One walk at a time, she journeys from a haphazard twentysomething to a happily—and surprisingly—settled adult, with love, relationships, drama, and home ownership along the way. But, as Kate says, “It’s all down to the dogs” and what they taught her about London—and life.
Lone Assassin: The Incredible True Story of the Man Who Tried to Killed Hilter
by Helmut OrtnerLiving as a carpenter who had spent time working in a watch factory, Georg Elser was just an ordinary member of society living in Munich. That is, however, until he took it upon himself to attempt to assassinate the Führer, Adolph Hitler. Being a common man who opposed the Nazi regime, Elser took the skills from his craft and worked to assemble his own bomb detonator. Every night, he snuck out to the Munich Beer Hall, where he worked on assembling the bomb that he planned to use to kill Hitler. Hidden in a hollowed-out space near the speaker’s podium, Elser’s bomb went off successfully, killing eight people. Hitler was not one of them. This is the story, scene by scene, of the events that led up to Georg Elser taking justice into his own hands, his attempt to murder the Führer, and what happened after the bomb went off. The Lone Assassin is a powerfully gripping tale that places the reader in the dark days of Munich in 1939, following Elser from the Munich Beer Hall, across the border, and sadly, to the concentration camp where his heroic life ended.
The Lone Brit on 13: A Prisoner's Hell in Spain's Toughest Jail
by Christopher ChanceThe Lone Brit on 13 is a gripping true story of violence, degradation and adventure penned in the confines of a grim Malaga prison cell. Imprisoned for drug-smuggling, the lone Brit on Wing 13, Chance, reveals the horrors he experienced among cut-throat villains and screws in the netherworld of the Spanish prison system.Chance takes to writing in his dank prison cell in an attempt to escape his surroundings and recalls various episodes in his life: his time serving as a soldier in Thailand and Malaysia; his involvement with the 3 Para snatch-squad in the 1970s Belfast; and his subsequent descent into drug dealing and trafficking, which culminated in a high-speed boat chase and his imprisonment in a top-security Spanish prison. While inside, Chance fought his way to the surface of a cesspool of iniquitous scumbags using his fists: the only effective means of being understood in an environment of desecrated morality and non-existent integrity. With predators lurking everywhere, Chance had to be constantly on guard and in order to survive he had to be mentally prepared to inflict the necessary violent retribution on any would-be attacker or racist thug. As the sole British inmate, Chance was a prime target for the intimidating Spanish hardmen who thrived on cruelty and treachery. But his martial arts skills and Samurai philosophy proved to be more than a match for the aggressors. Once a respected and successful businessman admired by his peers - he had operated his own martial arts business in Spain before being jailed - Chance took one wrong turn in life and lost everything except the love and support of his loyal wife.
Lone Hawk:The Story of Air Ace Billy Bishop
by John LangCanada's greatest war hero brought vividly to life As a boy, Billy Bishop was a crack shot - he had a sharp eye and great aim. Nearly flunking out of Royal Military College in Kingston, he eagerly signed up for duty when the First World War broke out. Sent first to England, Bishop discovered his true love: the Royal Flying Corps. Up in the air, the fighting may have been "cleaner" - no trenches, no mud, no mustard gas - but it was extremely dangerous and difficult. In fact, most fighter pilots in the First World War would not shoot down even a single plane. Bishop soon proved himself to be a fighter pilot with an unerring instinct for aerial combat. He practiced relentlessly and would never land his plane before firing off every bullet, diving on targets he'd set up beforehand. The practice paid off. Bishop racked up seventy-two officially confirmed victories and was awarded every major medal, including the Victoria Cross. By the end of the war, he was considered so valuable as a symbol of the war effort that Canadian authorities insisted he be grounded: his loss would have been devastating to all Canadians. In this exciting new graphic novel, author and illustrator John Lang has unforgettably recreated Bishop's exciting wartime experiences. John Lang is an award-winning illustrator and cartoonist. He has produced work for a wide variety of publications, including Time Magazine, Billboard, Business Week, and The Village Voice. He lives and works in Toronto with his wife, Sara, and their daughter, Emily.
Lone Patriot
by Jane KramerIn the mid 1990s self-styled Patriot John Pitner gathered around him a ragtag band of discontents, all eager to avenge themselves against America's enemies, both foreign and domestic. Fervently believing that a New World Order threatened their liberty and way of life, Pitner and his recruits prepared for confrontation until an FBI sting led to their arrests on conspiracy charges in 1997.In Lone Patriot, acclaimed New Yorker correspondent Jane Kramer delivers an intimate look into the life and mind of a militia leader and his followers, exploring the volatile mix of personalities and politics that shapes their extreme worldview. Through a series of exclusive interviews with them both before and after, Kramer paints an incredible portrait of a rural America that is rarely glimpsed but strikingly relevant. From the Trade Paperback edition.
The Lone Samurai: The Life of Miyamoto Musashi
by William Scott WilsonMiyamoto Musashi (1584?1645) was the legendary samurai known throughout the world as a master swordsman, spiritual seeker, and author of the classic book on strategy, the Book of Five Rings. Over 350 years after his death, Musashi and his legacy still fascinate us and continue to inspire artists, authors, and filmmakers. Here, respected translator and expert on samurai culture William Scott Wilson has created both a vivid account of a fascinating period in feudal Japan and a portrait of the courageous, iconoclastic samurai who wrestled with philosophical and spiritual ideas that are as relevant today as they were in his time. For Musashi, the way of the martial arts was about mastery of the mind rather than simply technical prowess--and it is this path to mastery that is the core teaching in his Book of Five Rings. This volume includes supplemental material on Musashi's legacy as a martial arts icon, his impact on literature and film, and the influence of his Book of Five Rings.
Lone Star Sports Legends: On This Day in History (On This Day In)
by Ryan SprayberryFrom the clash of college to the best married shooting duo in history, the Lone Star State clears every hurdle the sports world offers. A former Texas Christian basketball player became the first tenured African American professor at Harvard Business School. Aggie football legend John Kimbrough�s first professional contract required him to act in movies and serve as the stadium�s handyman. For every date on the calendar, Ryan Sprayberry provides a play-by-play of 365 memorable days in the state�s athletic history, beginning with the birth of the Cotton Bowl on January 1, 1937, and ending with the final snap of the Ice Bowl on December 31, 1967.
Lone Stars Rising: The Fifty People Who Turned Texas Into the Fastest-Growing, Most Exciting, and, Sometimes, Most Exasperating State in the Country
by Editors of Texas MonthlyIn celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of Texas Monthly, a collection of original essays and portraits of fifty groundbreaking Texans who have shaped the Lone Star State—and the nation—over the past half century. With a population of twenty-nine million, Texas has birthed some of America’s most innovative, culture-altering politicians, entertainers, athletes, and activists of the last five decades. In Lone Stars Rising, the editors of Texas Monthly select fifty of the most trailblazing Texans who have shaped the Lone Star State and America today.Organized by decade and featuring essays from the magazine’s legendary roster of contributors, accompanied by drawings and fifty photographs throughout, this collection includes incisive commentary on the stars whose rise from Texas to the world stage has been meteoric, as well as the lesser-known individuals who have been toiling on the sidelines, quietly and intentionally shaping the way we think and talk about the Texas that exists today.Coinciding with the fiftieth anniversary of Texas Monthly, Lone Stars Rising is the quintessential ode to the Lone Star State in all its complexity.
Lone Survivor
by Ken HodgsonKen Hodgson, an authentic, powerfully original voice in Western fiction, returns with the most notorious story in the annals of the frontier ... In 1873, Alferd Packer led 21 men from Utah to the gold fields of Colorado. Three months later, he came back to civilization alone, guarding the terrible secret of what he had done there. To this day, no one knows what really happened on that fateful expedition ... except Packer himself. LONE SURVIVOR brilliantly recreates - from Packer's unique point of view - a tale of unforgiving terrain, of savage winter storms and dwindling food supplies, and of a desperate journey into the wilderness, where brave men died and he crossed a line few dare to cross ... Historical fiction.
Lone Survivor: The Incredible True Story of Navy SEALs Under Siege
by Marcus Luttrell Patrick RobinsonIn June 2005 four US Navy SEALs left their base in Afghanistan for the Pakistani border. Their mission was to capture or kill a notorious al-Qaeda leader known to be ensconced in a Taliban stronghold surrounded by a small but heavily armed force. Less than twenty-four hours later, only one of those Navy SEALs was alive.This is the story of team leader Marcus Luttrell, the sole survivor of Operation Redwing. Blasted unconscious by a rocket grenade, blown over a cliff, but still armed and still breathing, Luttrell endured four desperate days fighting the al-Qaeda assassins sent to kill him, before finding unlikely sanctuary with a Pashtun tribe who risked everything to protect him from the circling Taliban killers.
Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10
by Patrick Robinson Marcus LuttrellOn a clear night in late June 2005, four U.S. Navy SEALs left their base in northern Afghanistan for the mountainous Pakistani border. Their mission was to capture or kill a notorious al Qaeda leader known to be ensconced in a Taliban stronghold surrounded by a small but heavily armed force. Less then twenty-four hours later, only one of those Navy SEALs remained alive. This is the story of fire team leader Marcus Luttrell, the sole survivor of Operation Redwing, and the desperate battle in the mountains that led, ultimately, to the largest loss of life in Navy SEAL history. But it is also, more than anything, the story of his teammates, who fought ferociously beside him until he was the last one left-blasted unconscious by a rocket grenade, blown over a cliff, but still armed and still breathing. Over the next four days, badly injured and presumed dead, Luttrell fought off six al Qaeda assassins who were sent to finish him, then crawled for seven miles through the mountains before he was taken in by a Pashtun tribe, who risked everything to protect him from the encircling Taliban killers.A six-foot-five-inch Texan, Leading Petty Officer Luttrell takes us, blow-by-blow, through the brutal training of America's warrior elite and the relentless rites of passage required by the Navy SEALs. He transports us to a monstrous battle fought in the desolate peaks of Afghanistan, where the beleaguered American team plummeted headlong a thousand feet down a mountain as they fought back through flying shale and rocks. In this rich , moving chronicle of courage, honor, and patriotism, Marcus Luttrell delivers one of the most powerful narratives ever written about modern warfare-and a tribute to his teammates, who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
Lone Voyager: The Extraordinary Adventures Of Howard Blackburn Hero Fisherman Of Gloucester
by Joseph E. GarlandLike countless Gloucester fishermen before and since, Howard Blackburn and Tom Welch were trawling for halibut on the Newfoundland banks in an open dory in 1883 when a sudden blizzard separated them from their mother ship. Alone on the empty North Atlantic, they battled towering waves and frozen spray to stay afloat. Welch soon succumbed to exposure, and Blackburn did the only thing he could: He rowed for shore. He rowed five days without food or water, with his hands frozen to the oars, to reach the coast of Newfoundland. Yet his tests had only begun.So begins Joe Garland's extraordinary account of the hero fisherman of Gloucester. Incredibly, though Blackburn lost his fingers to his icy misadventure, he went on to set a record for swiftest solo sailing voyage across the Atlantic that stood for decades. Lone Voyager is a Homeric saga of survival at sea and a thrilling portrait of the world's most fabled fishing port in the age of sail.--Print Ed.
Lone Wolf: The Remarkable Story of Britain's Greatest Nightfighter Ace of the Blitz—Flt Lt Richard Playne Stevens DSO, DFC & BAR
by Andy Saunders Terry ThompsonThis thrilling WWII biography tells the incredible true story of one of the Royal Air Force’s greatest flying aces.During the Second World War, Flight lieutenant Richard Playne Stevens had an extraordinary career as a Royal Air Force nightfighter. His contemporaries called him Cat’s Eyes for his rare ability to see in the dark, but after achieving a record-breaking fourteen victories in the skies—all without the aid of radar or another crew member—he earned the moniker Lone Wolf. He was also awarded a distinguished Service Order and a Distinguished Flying Cross & Bar for his service.Flt. Lt. Stevens achieved his legendary status through skill, instinct and innate marksmanship. Sir Archibald Sinclair, the Secretary of State for Air during the war, called him “one of the greatest nightfighter pilots who ever fought in Fighter Command.” Now his incredible story is told in full thanks to decades of research by military aviation historian Terry Thompson.
The Loneliest Americans
by Jay Caspian KangA riveting blend of family history and original reportage that explores—and reimagines—Asian American identity in a Black and white world&“A smart, vulnerable, and incisive exploration of what it means for this brilliant and honest writer—a child of Korean immigrants—to assimilate and aspire while being critical of his membership in his community of origin, in his political tribe, and in America.&”—Min Jin Lee, author of Pachinko In 1965, a new immigration law lifted a century of restrictions against Asian immigrants to the United States. Nobody, including the lawmakers who passed the bill, expected it to transform the country&’s demographics. But over the next four decades, millions arrived, including Jay Caspian Kang&’s parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles. They came with almost no understanding of their new home, much less the history of &“Asian America&” that was supposed to define them. The Loneliest Americans is the unforgettable story of Kang and his family as they move from a housing project in Cambridge to an idyllic college town in the South and eventually to the West Coast. Their story unfolds against the backdrop of a rapidly expanding Asian America, as millions more immigrants, many of them working-class or undocumented, stream into the country. At the same time, upwardly mobile urban professionals have struggled to reconcile their parents&’ assimilationist goals with membership in a multicultural elite—all while trying to carve out a new kind of belonging for their own children, who are neither white nor truly &“people of color.&” Kang recognizes this existential loneliness in himself and in other Asian Americans who try to locate themselves in the country&’s racial binary. There are the businessmen turning Flushing into a center of immigrant wealth; the casualties of the Los Angeles riots; the impoverished parents in New York City who believe that admission to the city&’s exam schools is the only way out; the men&’s right&’s activists on Reddit ranting about intermarriage; and the handful of protesters who show up at Black Lives Matter rallies holding &“Yellow Peril Supports Black Power&” signs. Kang&’s exquisitely crafted book brings these lonely parallel climbers together amid a wave of anti-Asian violence. In response, he calls for a new form of immigrant solidarity—one rooted not in bubble tea and elite college admissions but in the struggles of refugees and the working class.
Loneliness as a Way of Life
by Thomas Dumm“What does it mean to be lonely?” Thomas Dumm asks. His inquiry, documented in this book, takes us beyond social circumstances and into the deeper forces that shape our very existence as modern individuals. The modern individual, Dumm suggests, is fundamentally a lonely self. Through reflections on philosophy, political theory, literature, and tragic drama, he proceeds to illuminate a hidden dimension of the human condition. His book shows how loneliness shapes the contemporary division between public and private, our inability to live with each other honestly and in comity, the estranged forms that our intimate relationships assume, and the weakness of our common bonds. A reading of the relationship between Cordelia and her father in Shakespeare’s King Lear points to the most basic dynamic of modern loneliness—how it is a response to the problem of the “missing mother.” Dumm goes on to explore the most important dimensions of lonely experience—Being, Having, Loving, and Grieving. As the book unfolds, he juxtaposes new interpretations of iconic cultural texts—Moby-Dick, Death of a Salesman, the film Paris, Texas, Emerson’s “Experience,” to name a few—with his own experiences of loneliness, as a son, as a father, and as a grieving husband and widower. Written with deceptive simplicity, Loneliness as a Way of Life is something rare—an intellectual study that is passionately personal. It challenges us, not to overcome our loneliness, but to learn how to re-inhabit it in a better way. To fail to do so, this book reveals, will only intensify the power that it holds over us.