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The Magic Paintbrush (The Magic Paintbrush)
by Kat Zhang Eric DarnellIn this highly illustrated series launch, Amy, a Chinese American girl picks up an ancient paintbrush and unwittingly unleashes the power to make her art real—and sometimes dangerous. Perfect for fantasy readers who love Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor and Dragon Pearl series.&“Gorgeous and gripping, The Magic Paintbrush swoops readers off on rip-roaring fantasy adventure that unfurls like a magnificent scroll…Brimming with imagination and heart…&” Soman Chainani, author of THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL seriesAmy has always loved art, but lately her drawings have been less than impressive. There's no passion, no personality, no...magic. Until Amy visits her Lao Lao, her grandmother, and finds an ancient paintbrush that brings anything Amy creates to life!Now her creation Luna has taken over her bedroom and is running through the streets of Flushing, Queens. What awaits: an international adventure filled with an ancient Chinese legend, a greedy adversary and ghastly beasts!Award-winning author Kat Zhang teams up with Eric Darnell, the writer and director of the Madagascar series and the Chief Creative Officer of Baobab Studios, to create a captivating highly-illustrated middle grade series debut about finding your own path, the power of imagination, and the strength of family.
Magic of Walking
by Aaron Sussman Ruth GoodeA comprehensive guide to the joys of walking presents essential background information for planning and undertaking walking tours throughout the United States, the Virgin Islands, and Europe
The Magic of Mná
by Vanessa SchaeferThis is the story of the witches that live hidden in the thickets of lush Irish greenery. They exist, hidden from humans, protecting nature. Sile is the youngest witch of her coven. Magic is not her strength and is often ridiculed for her lack of skill. When Banshees attack her coven, Sile finds herself the last remaining witch with powers. The task of saving the coven lands on her. She must travel through space and time with her trusty cat, Shae, to collect ingredients for a potion. This potion and only this potion will return her sisters to their former, mighty, magical glory. Each ingredient must be collected from inspirational, admirable, and often overlooked women throughout Irish history. Sile visits Queen Maebh, Red Aoife, Granuaile the Pirate Queen, famine hero Mary-Ann McCracken, Anna Parnell, Constance Markevicz, and Rosie Hackett to gather the ingredients. On her journey, she learns a lot about strength, power, and determination, what it means to be a woman, and finds her confidence as a young witch.
Magic Man: A Novel
by Ron BaseA charming novel of old Hollywood, first loves, and man with a touch of magicA mysterious young man named Brae Orrack arrives in Venice, California, in 1928, claiming to be a magic man who can turn stones to bees. Brae also comes carrying a curse. He says he will die unless he can find true love---and find it soon. Is he a con man or is he telling the truth? With Brae, it's hard to tell. Like Elwood P. Dowd and Harvey, Brae, with his old-fashioned charm and ease, invites the reader to embrace just a little bit of magic.Desperate for rent money, Brae agrees to become the chauffeur-bodyguard for a spoiled young actor named Frank (Gary) Cooper, whose womanizing ways always seem to land him in trouble. Entering the glamorous world of early Hollywood, Brae falls for a gorgeous, spunky world traveler named Nell Devereaux, who also happens to be the lover of a powerful Cuban dictator. Finally, he has found the love that will save him. Or has he?Brae quickly learns that love does not come easily. New York gangsters, bootleggers, Hollywood producers, and homicidal dictators conspire to complicate Brae's life at every turn. He befriends a young hood named George Raft, saves the life of movie star Clara Bow, and outwits a family of killers in Key West, Florida. He deftly maneuvers his way out of all sorts of life-threatening situations, but time is running out and Brae must somehow win Nell and save his life. Yet even in Hollywood, skepticism of a "magic" man runs high, and Brae battles conventional reality---not to mention his own impending mortality---at every turn.Ron Base writes a witty, charming tale of a man desperately in search of his destiny. Magic Man is part fable and part adventure, a love story about the impossibility of love."Beautiful women and gangsters, movie stars and dictators all rub shoulders in this delicious tongue-in-cheek debut set in 1920s Hollywood.... Base works his own magic as he crisply choreographs the entrances and exits of his large cast. There will be thrills aplenty before we are done, and disillusionment, but never defeat for the resilient Brae. A page-turner, spiffy and irresistible."---Kirkus Reviews (starred review)"Inventive and evocative...There's something for everyone: humor, mystery suspense, nostalgia and, of course, a little magic." -- Publisher's Weekly"What a rich and vivid portrait of Hollywood as the talkies came in and the magic of the silents ebbed away. Ron Base's naïve romantic young hero leaves a trail of mayhem and chaos in his wake. There are mercilessly funny portraits of Gary Cooper, George Raft, Clara Bow, and many others."---John Boorman, director of Deliverance, Excalibur, Hope and Glory, and The Tailor of Panama"It takes off with relentless speed, refusing to permit us to catch our breath. Never boring,Magic Man makes for an entertaining and engrossing tale...If (Base) sometimes relies too often on writer-director David Mamet's tried technique, where nothing ever appears as it seems, then we are the lucky, breathless recipients." -- The Edmonton Journal"Superbly crafted...I read it in one sitting...Base kept me guessing to the very end. Luring the reader into believing that a typical Hollywood climax is in store, I was caught completely off guard by Base's end game. Scheduled to make its way into bookstores later this month, Magic Man is a gripping narrative that surprises right to the very last page. Bravo."-- Hour Magazine (Montreal)
Magic Enuff
by Tara M Stringfellow"God can stay asleep / these women in my life are magic enuff"An electrifying collection of poems that tells a universal tale of survival and revolution through the lens of Black femininity. Tara Stringfellow embraces complexity, grappling with the sometimes painful, sometimes wonderful way two conflicting things can be true at the same time. How it's possible to have a strong voice and also feel silenced. To be loyal to things and people that betray us. To burn as hot with rage as we do with love.Each poem asks how we can heal and sustain relationships with people, systems, and ourselves. How to reach for the kind of real love that allows for the truth of anger, disappointment, and grief. Unapologetic, unafraid, and glorious in its nuance, this collection argues that when it comes to living in our full humanity, we have - and we are - magic enough.
Magic Bullets, Miracle Drugs, and Microbiologists: A History of the Microbiome and Metagenomics
by William C. SummersMagic Bullets, Miracle Drugs, and Microbiologists Magic Bullets, Miracle Drugs, and Microbiologists: A History of the Microbiome and Metagenomics by William C. Summers is an enlightening journey through the fascinating world of microbiology, exploring its history, challenges, and the revolutionary concept of the microbiome. Summers draws from his unique perspective as both a practicing microbiologist and a historian of science, influenced by early microbiological literature and his own extensive career, presenting how our understanding of microbes evolved from concepts of simple germs to complex, essential elements of life. Summers skillfully ties together key players and eras in the microbial sciences into a concise narrative, from early microscopic observations to the revolutionary developments in genetic analysis and metagenomics, highlighting our ever-evolving understanding of the diverse microbial world. Magic Bullets, Miracle Drugs, and Microbiologists is a compelling read for anyone interested in the profound impact of microorganisms on our world. “Bill Summers artfully explains how, over the past century, scientists have synthesized new disciplines and embraced evolving technologies to develop new concepts about how germs behave in microbial communities and what their relationship is to the environment, human health, and epidemic diseases. Skillfully written in engaging prose, this book will be valuable to microbiologists, epidemiologists, medical historians, and geneticists seeking to better understand the historic roots of twenty-first century microbiology.” — Powel H Kazanjian, University of Michigan Medical School and Author of Frederick Novy and the Development of Bacteriology in Medicine
The Magic Barrel: Stories (Fsg Classics Ser.)
by Bernard MalamudWinner of the National Book Award for FictionIntroduction by Jhumpa LahiriBernard Malamud's first book of short stories, The Magic Barrel, has been recognized as a classic from the time it was published in 1959. The stories are set in New York and in Italy (where Malamud's alter ego, the struggleing New York Jewish Painter Arthur Fidelman, roams amid the ruins of old Europe in search of his artistic patrimony); they tell of egg candlers and shoemakers, matchmakers, and rabbis, in a voice that blends vigorous urban realism, Yiddish idiom, and a dash of artistic magic.The Magic Barrel is a book about New York and about the immigrant experience, and it is high point in the modern American short story. Few books of any kind have managed to depict struggle and frustration and heartbreak with such delight, or such artistry.
Maggie Austin Cake: Artistry and Technique
by Maggie AustinStunning cake designs and technique how-tos from top cake artist Maggie Austin A former ballerina, Maggie Austin turned to baking when an injury ended her dancing career—and has since become one of today&’s most sought-after cake artists, serving celebrity clients and even royalty around the world. Her design hallmarks are instantly recognizable to the legions of fans who follow her work: ethereal frills, dreamy watercolors, lifelike sugar flowers, rice-paper accents, graceful composition, and other impeccable details. Here, she shares a collection of her edible works of art and the methods behind their creation, with a &“theme and variations&” organization that shows how mastering any single technique can open the door to endless creativity. Each is broken down into clear instructions and illustrated with step-by-step photos that are easy to follow whether you&’re a professional baker or an amateur enthusiast. From a single sugar blossom to a multi-tiered cake festooned with pearls and intricate appliques, there&’s inspiration for bakers and crafters of all stripes.
Magellan: Over the Edge of the World
by Laurence BergreenA middle-grade adaptation of Laurence Bergreen's adult bestseller, about Magellan's historic voyage around the globe.On September 6, 1522, a horribly battered ship manned by eighteen malnourished, scurvy-ridden sailors appeared on the horizon near a Spanish port. They were survivors of the first European expedition to circle the globe. Originally comprised of five ships and 260 sailors, the fleet's captain and most of its crew were dead. How did Ferdinand Magellan's voyage to circle the world—one of the largest and best-equipped expeditions ever mounted—turn into this ghost ship? The answer is provided in this thoroughly researched tale of mutiny and murder spanning the entire globe, marked equally by triumph and tragedy. Thrilling, grisly, and completely true, Magellan:Over the Edge of the World tells a story that not only marks a turning point in history, but also resonates powerfully with the present.
The Mafia's President: Nixon and the Mob
by Don FulsomThe first-ever full account of Nixon's extensive ties to the American Mafia, from a veteran White House reporter.Unbeknownst to most people even now, the election of 1968 placed the patron saint of the Mafia in the White House. In other words, Richard Nixon would go on to not only lead a criminal presidency; he would be totally indebted to our nation’s top mobsters.By 1969, thanks in large part to his long-time campaign manager and political advisor Murray Chotiner, a lawyer who specialized in representing mobsters, Nixon had participated in secret criminal dealings for more than 20 years with sketchy figures such as Mickey Cohen, Mob financial guru Meyer Lansky, Teamsters union chief Jimmy Hoffa, and New Orleans Mafia boss Carlos Marcello. And with Chotiner as one of his key behind-the-scenes advisors in the White House, Nixon's ties to the Mafia didn't end there. The Mafia’s President reveals a mind-blowing litany of favors Nixon exchanged with these sinister characters over decades, ranging from springing Jimmy Hoffa from prison to banning the federal government from using the terms “Mafia” and “La Cosa Nostra.”Drawing on newly released government tapes, documents, and other fresh information, The Mafia’s President by Don Fulsom offers a carefully reported, deeply researched account of Richard Nixon’s secret connections to America’s top crime lords.
Maelstrom: A Prince of Evil
by Lorian MerrimanIn this action-packed, hilarious fantasy graphic novel perfect for fans of Nimona and The Adventure Zone, Maelstrom, the demon son of an evil tyrant improbably teams up with the Hero of Virtue to take his mother down—that is, unless, Maelstrom decides to betray the Hero first. Maelstrom is a half-demon prince pining for a place in history. (Honestly, he’s just bored and searching for a way to pass the time.) Twigs is the young, prophesized Hero of Virtue fated to face him—or so we’ve been told . . .But Maelstrom’s mother, regent to the throne and a powerful necromancer, is determined to keep an iron grip on her domain. Bemoaning his lost destiny, Maelstrom teams up with the Hero to stop his mother and forge a new destiny for himself. What Twigs doesn’t know is that Maelstrom has a cunning plan to build his own epic legend and double-cross Twigs at the perfect moment. . . "Memorable characters drew me right into this gorgeous coming-of-age adventure that's as hilarious as it is heartfelt." —Carey Pietsch, bestselling artist of The Adventure Zone "Maelstrom instantly hooked me. It's story that's at turns funny, exciting and always heartfelt, about wresting with destiny and identity and finding your own way forward." —Peter Wartman, artist of the Avatar: The Last Airbender graphic novels
Madrigal's Magic Key to Spanish: A Creative and Proven Approach
by Margarita MadrigalUse the English you already know to quickly learn the basics of Spanish with this unique, accessible guide featuring original illustrations by Andy Warhol—from one of America&’s most prominent language teachers. Read, write, and speak Spanish in only a few short weeks! Even the most reluctant learner will be astonished at the ease and effectiveness of Margarita Madrigal&’s unique method of teaching a foreign language. Completely eliminating rote memorization and painfully boring drills, Madrigal&’s Magic Key to Spanish is guaranteed to help you:• Learn to speak, read, and write Spanish quickly and easily• Convert English into Spanish in an instant• Start forming sentences after the very first lesson• Identify thousands of Spanish words within a few weeks of study• Travel to Spanish-speaking countries with confidence and comfort• Develop perfect pronunciation, thanks to a handy pronunciation keyWith original black-and-white illustration by Andy Warhol, Madrigal&’s Magic Key to Spanish will provide readers with a solid foundation upon which to build their language skills.
Madonna: Like an Icon
by Lucy O'BrienMaterial Girl . . . Immaculate sexpot . . . Superstar . . . Mother . . . Kabbalah enthusiast . . . For three decades she has defied categorization. . . . She remains one of our greatest living pop icons.Here is the groundbreaking biography that finally solves the mystery at the heart of Madonna's chameleonlike existence. Drawing upon scores of candid interviews with producers, musicians, collaborators, lovers, and friends, Lucy O'Brien's Madonna: Like an Icon explores the complex personality and legendary drive that have made Madonna the most famous female pop artist of our time. From her mother's premature death to Madonna's dynamic arrival on the New York club scene, from "Like a Virgin" to Evita and beyond, every stage of this dazzling star's life and career is brilliantly illuminated—the stereotypes deconstructed, the lies exposed, the artist examined, the legend celebrated.
Madness, Language, Literature (The Chicago Foucault Project)
by Michel FoucaultNewly published lectures by Foucault on madness, literature, and structuralism. Perceiving an enigmatic relationship between madness, language, and literature, French philosopher Michel Foucault developed ideas during the 1960s that are less explicit in his later, more well-known writings. Collected here, these previously unpublished texts reveal a Foucault who undertakes an analysis of language and experience detached from their historical constraints. Three issues predominate: the experience of madness across societies; madness and language in Artaud, Roussel, and Baroque theater; and structuralist literary criticism. Not only do these texts pursue concepts unique to this period such as the “extra-linguistic,” but they also reveal a far more complex relationship between structuralism and Foucault than has typically been acknowledged.
The Madman's Library: The Strangest Books, Manuscripts and Other Literary Curiosities from History
by Edward Brooke-HitchingThis fascinating and bizarre collection compiles the most unusual, obscure books from the far reaches of the human imagination throughout history.From the author of the critically acclaimed bestsellers The Phantom Atlas and The Sky Atlas comes a unique and beautifully illustrated journey through the history of literature. The Madman's Library delves into its darkest territories to hunt down the oddest books and manuscripts ever written, uncovering the intriguing stories behind their creation.From the Qur'an written in the blood of Saddam Hussein, to the gorgeously decorated fifteenth-century lawsuit filed by the Devil against Jesus, to the most enormous book ever created, The Madman's Library features many long forgotten, eccentric, and extraordinary volumes gathered from around the world.Books written in blood and books that kill, books of the insane and books that hoaxed the globe, books invisible to the naked eye and books so long they could destroy the Universe, books worn into battle and books of code and cypher whose secrets remain undiscovered. Spell books, alchemist scrolls, wearable books, edible books, books to summon demons, books written by ghosts, and more all come together in the most curiously strange library imaginable.Featuring hundreds of remarkable images and packed with entertaining facts and stories to discover, The Madman’s Library is a captivating compendium perfect for bibliophiles, literature enthusiasts, and collectors intrigued by bizarre oddities, obscure history, and the macabre.• MUST-HAVE FOR BOOKLOVERS: Anyone who appreciates a good read will love delving into this weird world of books and adding this collection to their own bookshelf.• DISCOVER SOMETHING TRULY UNIQUE: The Madman's Library will let you in on the secret and obscure histories of the strangest books ever made.• EXPERT AUTHOR: Edward Brooke-Hitching is the son of an antiquarian book dealer, a lifelong rare book collector, and a master of taking visual deep dives into unusual historical subjects, such as the maps of imaginary geography in The Phantom Atlas or ancient pathways through the stars in The Sky Atlas.
The Madman's Gallery: The Strangest Paintings, Sculptures and Other Curiosities From the History of Art
by Edward Brooke-HitchingEnter The Madman's Gallery - the perfect gift book for any art lover. Discover an eccentric exploration through the curious history of art, to find the strangest paintings, sculptures, drawings and other artistic oddities ever made.From the author of the bestseller The Madman&’s Library (SundayTimes Literature Book of the Year 2020, Radio 4 Book of the Week) comes an extraordinary new illustrated collection. This unique exhibition gathers more than a hundred magnificent works, each chosen for their striking beauty, weirdness and captivating story behind their creation.Obscure and forgotten treasures sit alongside famous masterpieces with secret stories to tell. Here are Doom paintings, screaming sculptures, magical manuscripts, impossible architecture, dog-headed saints, angel musketeers and the first portrait of a cannibal. Stolen art, outsider art, ghost art, revenge art, and art painted at the bottom of the sea take their place alongside scandalous art, forgeries and hoaxes, art of dreams and nightmares, and cryptic paintings yet to be decoded. Discover the remarkable Elizabethan portraits of men in flames, the mystery ofthe nude Mona Lisa, the gruesome ingredients of lost pigments, the werewolf legion of the Roman army, and the Italian monk who levitated so often he&’s recognised as the patron saint of aeroplane passengers.From prehistoric cave art to portraits painted by artificial intelligence, The Madman&’s Gallery draws on a remarkable depth of research and variety of images to form a book that surprises at every turn, and ultimately serves to celebrate the endless power and creativity of human imagination.
Made with Love: Donuts!
by Lea RedmondCelebrate the perfect donut, and debate over your favorite flavor, in this adorable board book that shows any donut is made better with love—and someone to share it with.These donuts are hot and fresh. Warm, golden brown and pillow-y soft, can you guess the delicious topping on each one? Turn over each donut to find out!Artfully drizzled with Lea Redmond's fun-loving guessing game and topped with mouthwatering illustrations from Flora Waycott, this beautifully designed board book is stacked with treats for hungry young readers. It's even shaped like a donut! With every turn of these satisfyingly thick pages, a new, delicious topping is revealed, leaving readers with a picturesque plate to start their day. Celebrate a classic family tradition with this appetizing board book infused with Lea Redmond's signature sweetness.BESTSELLING AUTHOR: Bestselling author Lea Redmond's Letters To series alone has sold more than 3 million copies. This is her modern, delicious, and innovative breakfast-themed take on Sam's Sandwich—featuring every kid's favorite food: donuts!GUESSING GAME: With each turn of the page, guess a new donut flavor! Which is your favorite? From pumpkin spice to chocolate, you have lots to choose from.DURABLE & PERFECT FOR LITTLE HANDS: Rounded, thick board construction makes this book both resistant to damages and perfect for little hands.IT LOOKS SO REAL YOU COULD EAT IT: With shaped pages, die-cut holes, and foil, this tactile board book mimics the delicious object quality of real donuts. Just don't actually try to eat it!HOLE-AS-HANDLE: The youngest readers can use the die-cut hole in the center of the book as a handle to turn the page.Perfect for: parents, gift-givers, donut lovers
Made to Be Seen: Perspectives on the History of Visual Anthropology
by Marcus Banks and Jay RubyMade to be Seen brings together leading scholars of visual anthropology to examine the historical development of this multifaceted and growing field. Expanding the definition of visual anthropology beyond more limited notions, the contributors to Made to be Seen reflect on the role of the visual in all areas of life. Different essays critically examine a range of topics: art, dress and body adornment, photography, the built environment, digital forms of visual anthropology, indigenous media, the body as a cultural phenomenon, the relationship between experimental and ethnographic film, and more. The first attempt to present a comprehensive overview of the many aspects of an anthropological approach to the study of visual and pictorial culture, Made to be Seen will be the standard reference on the subject for years to come. Students and scholars in anthropology, sociology, visual studies, and cultural studies will greatly benefit from this pioneering look at the way the visual is inextricably threaded through most, if not all, areas of human activity.
Made in Manhattan
by Lauren LayneFrom the New York Times bestselling author of the Central Park Pact comes a reverse My Fair Lady for the modern era about a pampered and privileged Manhattan socialite who must teach an unpolished and denim-loving nobody from the Louisiana Bayou how to fit in with the upper crust of New York City. Perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Sally Thorne.Violet Townsend has always been a people pleaser. Raised in the privileged world of Upper East Side Manhattan, she always says the right things, wears the right clothes, and never rocks the boat. Violet would do anything for the people closest to her, especially her beloved grandmother. So when she asks Violet to teach the newly-discovered grandson of her friend how to fit in with New York City&’s elite, Violet immediately agrees. Her goal? To get Cain Stone ready to take his place as heir to his family company…but to say he&’s not exactly an eager student is an understatement. Born and raised in rural Louisiana and now making his own way in New Orleans, Cain Stone is only playing along for the paycheck at the end. He has no use for the grandmother he didn&’t know existed and no patience for the uppity Violet&’s attempts to turn him into a suit-wearing, museum-attending gentleman. But somewhere amidst antagonistic dinner parties and tortured tux fittings, Cain and Violet come to a begrudging understanding—and the uptight Violet realizes she&’s not the only one doing the teaching. As she and Cain begin to find mutual respect for one another (and maybe even something more), Violet learns that blindly following society&’s rules doesn&’t lead to happiness…and that sometimes the best things in life come from the most unexpected places.
Made in Asian America: A History for Young People
by Erika Lee Christina SoontornvatFrom three-time Newbery Honoree Christina Soontornvat and award-winning historian Erika Lee comes a middle grade nonfiction that shines a light on the generations of Asian Americans who have transformed the United States and who continue to shape what it means to be American.Asian American history is not made up of one single story. It’s many. And it’s a story that too often goes untold. It begins centuries before America even exists as a nation. It is connected to the histories of Western conquest and colonialism. It’s a story of migration; of people and families crossing the Pacific Ocean in search of escape, opportunity, and new beginnings.It is also the story of race and racism. Of being labeled an immigrant invasion, unfit to become citizens, and being banned, deported, and incarcerated. Of being blamed for bringing diseases into the country.It is also a story of bravery and hope. It is the story of heroes who fought for equality in the courts, on the streets, and in the schools, and who continue to fight in solidarity with others doing the same.This book is a stirring account of the ordinary people and extraordinary acts that made Asian America and the young people who are remaking America today.
Madam Secretary: A Biography of Madeleine Albright
by Thomas BloodThomas Blood’s Madame Secretary is a riveting biography of the first woman U. S. Secretary of State, Madeline Albright, “the ultimate independent woman” (The New York Times Magazine).No American envoy has ever burst on the diplomatic scene and grabbed center stage in the theater of foreign relations like Madeleine Albright. Navigating difficult terrain as few can, Washington D. C. insider Thomas Blood provides exclusive interviews with, and revealing anecdotes from, politicians, friends, adversaries, and colleagues, including former Secretary of State Warren Christopher, Senators Leahy, Mikulski, Kerrey, Helms, Reid, and Rockefeller, and House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt.This unique biography reveals the dramatic story of the first woman U.S. Secretary of State. Rather than providing a simple chronology, Blood focuses on the defining moments in Madeleine Albright’s life, identifying the periods that best open a window on the Secretary of State’s uncanny ability to triumph over adversity, her unparalleled success in politics and her meteoric rise to dominance in the world of foreign policy. From her family’s thrilling escape from Czechoslovakia to her astounding rise to power to her victories and setbacks as the head of American foreign policy, Madeleine Albright’s life unfolds like a major motion picture.An immensely readable biography that illuminates key experiences in Albright’s career and personal life, Madam Secretary introduces us to Madeleine Albright the person, the politician, the policymaker.
Mad Scenes and Exit Arias: The Death of the New York City Opera and the Future of Opera in America
by Heidi WalesonFrom the Wall Street Journal's opera critic, a wide-ranging narrative history of how and why the New York City Opera went bankrupt—and what it means for the future of the artsIn October 2013, the arts world was rocked by the news that the New York City Opera—“the people’s opera”—had finally succumbed to financial hardship after 70 years in operation. The company had been a fixture on the national opera scene—as the populist antithesis of the grand Metropolitan Opera, a nurturing home for young American talent, and a place where new, lively ideas shook up a venerable art form. But NYCO’s demise represented more than the loss of a cherished organization: it was a harbinger of massive upheaval in the performing arts—and a warning about how cultural institutions would need to change in order to survive.Drawing on extensive research and reporting, Heidi Waleson, one of the foremost American opera critics, recounts the history of this scrappy company and reveals how, from the beginning, it precariously balanced an ambitious artistic program on fragile financial supports. Waleson also looks forward and considers some better-managed, more visionary opera companies that have taken City Opera’s lessons to heart.Above all, Mad Scenes and Exit Arias is a story of money, ego, changes in institutional identity, competing forces of populism and elitism, and the ongoing debate about the role of the arts in society. It serves as a detailed case study not only for an American arts organization, but also for the sustainability and management of nonprofit organizations across the country.
Mad at the World: A Life Of John Steinbeck
by William SouderWinner of the 2021 Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Biography A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2020 in Nonfiction A resonant biography of America’s most celebrated novelist of the Great Depression. The first full-length biography of the Nobel laureate to appear in a quarter century, Mad at the World illuminates what has made the work of John Steinbeck an enduring part of the literary canon: his capacity for empathy. Pulitzer Prize finalist William Souder explores Steinbeck’s long apprenticeship as a writer struggling through the depths of the Great Depression, and his rise to greatness with masterpieces such as The Red Pony, Of Mice and Men, and The Grapes of Wrath. Angered by the plight of the Dust Bowl migrants who were starving even as they toiled to harvest California’s limitless bounty, fascinated by the guileless decency of the downtrodden denizens of Cannery Row, and appalled by the country’s refusal to recognize the humanity common to all of its citizens, Steinbeck took a stand against social injustice—paradoxically given his inherent misanthropy—setting him apart from the writers of the so-called "lost generation." A man by turns quick-tempered, compassionate, and ultimately brilliant, Steinbeck could be a difficult person to like. Obsessed with privacy, he was mistrustful of people. Next to writing, his favorite things were drinking and womanizing and getting married, which he did three times. And while he claimed indifference about success, his mid-career books and movie deals made him a lot of money—which passed through his hands as quickly as it came in. And yet Steinbeck also took aim at the corrosiveness of power, the perils of income inequality, and the urgency of ecological collapse, all of which drive public debate to this day. Steinbeck remains our great social realist novelist, the writer who gave the dispossessed and the disenfranchised a voice in American life and letters. Eloquent, nuanced, and deeply researched, Mad at the World captures the full measure of the man and his work.
The Maciste Films of Italian Silent Cinema
by Jacqueline ReichItalian film star Bartolomeo Pagano's "Maciste" played a key role in his nation's narratives of identity during World War I and after. Jacqueline Reich traces the racial, class, and national transformations undergone by this Italian strongman from African slave in Cabiria (1914), his first film, to bourgeois gentleman, to Alpine soldier of the Great War, to colonial officer in Italy's African adventures. Reich reveals Maciste as a figure who both reflected classical ideals of masculine beauty and virility (later taken up by Mussolini and used for political purposes) and embodied the model Italian citizen. The 12 films at the center of the book, recently restored and newly accessible to a wider public, together with relevant extra-cinematic materials, provide a rich resource for understanding the spread of discourses on masculinity, and national and racial identities during a turbulent period in Italian history. The volume includes an illustrated appendix documenting the restoration and preservation of these cinematic treasures.
Machine Trades Print Reading
by Michael A. Barsamian Richard A. GizelbachMachine Trades Print Reading is a combination text and write-in workbook designed to help students develop the skills required to visualize and interpret industrial prints. In addition to an overview of the role of prints in the design and manufacturing process, this text teaches students the fundamentals of visualizing shapes, line usage, title blocks and notes, math, measurement, dimensions, and tolerances. The new edition complies with the most recent ASME Y14.5 standard, resulting in a heavy revision of Unit 15—Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing. Print reading activities and unit review questions are included at the end of most units to provide you with valuable hands-on learning opportunities.