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All Is Bright: A Christmas Romance
by RaeAnne Thayne"[Thayne] engages the reader's heart and emotions, inspiring hope and the belief that miracles are possible." —Debbie Macomber, #1 New York Times bestselling authorReturn to Hope&’s Crossing this Christmas in New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne&’s latest heartwarming story of matchmaking at the holidays!Sage McKnight is an ambitious young architect working at her father&’s firm who takes on her most challenging client in Mason Tucker. The former pro baseball player is still healing from the physical and emotional scars after a plane crash left him a wheelchair-using single dad, and he&’s determined not to let anyone breach his emotional defenses. Sage knows her work on Mason&’s new home in Hope&’s Crossing is her best work yet, and she won&’t let her grumpy client prevent her from showcasing her work personally.With Sage&’s gift for taking broken things and making them better, the matchmaking talent of the quirky locals and a generous sprinkling of Christmas cheer, Mason doesn&’t stand a chance against the power of this magical holiday season.Don't miss New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne's new heartwarming beach read, 15 Summers Later, a novel of sisterhood, love's resilience, and finding the courage to confront the past. Get lost in more stories by RaeAnne Thayne: 15 Summers Later - Coming June 2024! Christmas at the Shelter Inn The Café at Beach End All is Bright Summer at the Cape
All That's Left in the World: A queer, dystopian romance about courage, hope and humanity
by Erik J. BrownJamie and Andrew are strangers, but they're two of the last people left alive. They don't know what they'll find on their dangerous journey ... but they may just find each other. A queer romance about courage, hope and humanity for fans of They Both Die at the End, The Hunger Games and Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda.When the Superflu wipes out most of the population, Jamie finds himself completely alone in a cabin in the woods - until an injured stranger crosses his path.Life is dangerous now and, armed with a gun, Jamie goes to pull the trigger. But there's something about Andrew ... something that stops Jamie in his tracks. Jamie takes him in, and as Andrew heals and they eventually step out into the strange new world, their relationship starts to feel like more than just friendship ...But trouble isn't far behind. As the boys make a perilous journey south, they'll come face to face with a world torn apart and society in ruins. And who, or what, will they find waiting for them at the end of it all?"Tense, exciting, sometimes heartbreaking and always romantic, All That's Left in the World explores what it means to hold onto hope and humanity when the worst case scenario becomes reality. With characters you'll adore, and a fast-paced, mysterious plot that keeps you turning the pages as fast as you can devour them, this book is not to be missed." - Sophie Gonzales, author of ONLY MOSTLY DEVASTATED"Brown has somehow achieved a book that is romantic, hilarious, warm-hearted, hopeful, and page-turningly thrilling all at once. I was hooked from beginning to end." - Dahlia Adler, author of COOL FOR THE SUMMER"A timeless love story that could not be more appropriate for this moment, All That's Left in the World is a thrilling, heartfelt, and beautifully written debut." - Tom Ryan, author of I HOPE YOU'RE LISTENING"Survival is core to the queer experience, and in All That's Left In the World, Brown takes that to apocalyptic extremes with the story of Andrew and Jamie. This is quintessentially brave, dangerous-in-the-best-way queer storytelling!" - Adam Sass, author of SURRENDER YOUR SONS"All That's Left in the World is unfailingly riveting and hopeful. A timely exploration of survival, trauma, and love stitched together with sharp wit and bone-deep emotion. Erik J. Brown is an invigorating voice to watch out for." - Julian Winters, award-winning author of RUNNING WITH LIONS
Always Faithful: A Story of the War in Afghanistan, the Fall of Kabul, and the Unshakable Bond Between a Marine and an Interpreter
by Thomas Schueman Zainullah ZakiBand of Brothers meets Argo in this dramatic and heartfelt dual memoir of the war in Afghanistan told by two men from opposite worlds. Always Faithful entwines the stories of Marine Major Tom Schueman, and his friend and Afghan interpreter, Zainullah “Zak” Zaki, as they describe their parallel lives, converging paths, and unbreakable bond in the face of overwhelming danger, culminating in Zak and his family’s harrowing escape from Kabul. In August of 2021, just days shy of the 20th anniversary of 9/11, America ended its longest war. The speed of the Afghanistan’s fall was so stunning that thousands of Afghan citizens who had helped American forces over the course of two decades—and had been promised visas in return—were suddenly stranded, in extreme, imminent danger. As the world watched the shocking scenes of desperation at the Kabul airport in the final two weeks of August, Maj. Tom Schueman fought—both behind the scenes and through a social media campaign—to get his friend and former Afghan interpreter, Zak, out of Afghanistan before he and his family were discovered by the Taliban. When Zak and his family finally took off from the airport mere days before the US left the country, the years-long effort to get Zak to America culminated in two simple words on Instagram: “Wheels up.”Now in Always Faithful, Tom and Zak tell the full story of the divergent paths that led them to Afghanistan, the dangerous road they walked together in service to America, and how their commitment to each other ended up saving them both. Brilliantly told in Tom’s and Zak’s alternating first person voices, Always Faithful tracks the parallel lives of these two men who each spent their childhoods in fear, peril, and poverty, and turned to war in attempt to build a meaningful future. On an inevitable course towards each other, their lives dovetail in Afghanistan’s deadly Helmand Valley, where they formed a brotherhood that transcends even the most overwhelming of odds, eventually culminating in Zak’s harrowing, eleventh-hour rescue.The end result is an intensely personal and uniquely ground-level account of Tom and Zak’s experience, Always Faithful gives readers a 360-degree view of the war. At once provocative and heart pounding, their stories together form a microcosm of the complicated and lasting effects of America’s longest war. Through their eyes and their experiences, they challenge readers to explore the legacy of the war for American and Afghan citizens alike, as we all collectively seek to understand whether twenty years of war was worth the price.
Amanda in France: Fire in the Cathedral (An Amanda Travels Adventure #9)
by Darlene FosterAmanda explores the exciting streets of Paris, the fabulous Palace of Versailles and the gardens of the painter Claude Monet, while being drawn into the mystery surrounding the destructive fire of Notre Dame cathedral.Amanda is in love! With Paris – the city of love. She&’s in awe of the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, and Notre Dame Cathedral. While there, she gets to work as a volunteer and stay in a famous book store, along with her bestie, Leah, and Leah&’s eccentric Aunt Jenny. A dream come true for a book lover like Amanda.Except, while she&’s at the Paris Opera House there is a bomb threat. Then the lights go out during their visit to the Louvre. Worst of all, a devastating fire blazes in Notre Dame. Why does a mysterious man, who claims to be a busker, writer and artist, show up every time something bad happens?Join Amanda as she explores the exciting streets of Paris, the fabulous Palace of Versailles and the gardens of the painter Claude Monet, all the time looking for clues as to who would want to destroy such a beautiful, historic cathedral.Join Amanda as she explores the exciting streets and sites around Paris, all the while looking for clues as to who would want to destroy such a beautiful, historic place.Be sure to read all the books in this exciting Amanda Travels series!1. Amanda in Arabia: The Perfume Flask2. Amanda in Spain: The Girl in the Painting3. Amanda in England: The Missing Novel4. Amanda in Alberta: The Writing on the Stone5. Amanda on the Danube: The Sounds of Music6. Amanda in New Mexico: Ghosts in the Wind7. Amanda in Holland: Missing in Action8. Amanda in Malta: The Sleeping Lady8. Amanda in France: Fire in the Cathedral
Ambrose Follows His Nose
by Dick King-Smith Josie Rogers'Sparkling humour and wonderful characters are Dick King-Smith's trademarks' - Books for Your ChildrenAn exciting new publication in celebration of the centenary of his birth, a recently discovered funny and poignant animal story by Dick King-Smith, completed by his great granddaughter, Josie Rogers.Ambrose may seem like an ordinary rabbit but he has the most extraordinary sense of smell. He can detect any aroma from sweets to kittens - and even niffy foxes!He lives with his family in a hutch and is visited every day by Biddy, who is desperate to take him home to be her pet - if only her mum and dad would let her. Biddy trains Ambrose to become a tracker rabbit - which comes in very handy when Ambrose's little sister Roly goes missing. But when Biddy's family find themselves in real danger, can Ambrose's sensitive nose save the day?
American Literature and American Identity: A Cognitive Cultural Study from the Civil War to the Twenty-First Century (Narrative Theory and Culture)
by Patrick Colm HoganIn recent years, cognitive and affective science have become increasingly important for interpretation and explanation in the social sciences and humanities. However, little of this work has addressed American literature, and virtually none has treated national identity formation in influential works since the Civil War. In this book, Hogan develops his earlier cognitive and affective analyses of national identity, further exploring the ways in which such identity is integrated with cross-culturally recurring patterns in story structure. Hogan examines how authors imagined American identity—understood as universal, democratic egalitarianism—in the face of the nation’s clear and often brutal inequalities of race, sex, and sexuality, exploring the complex and often ambivalent treatment of American identity in works by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Eugene O’Neill, Lillian Hellman, Djuna Barnes, Amiri Baraka, Margaret Atwood, N. Scott Momaday, Spike Lee, Leslie Marmon Silko, Tony Kushner, and Heidi Schreck.
The American Revolution (Great Battles For Boys)
by Joe GiorelloFrom Concord and Lexington to Brandywine and Yorktown, the stunning battles show young readers how ragtag colonists took on the world’s mightiest military of its time — the British Imperial Army, otherwise known as the Red Coats. <p><p> History leaps off the page and captures even reluctant readers as early colonial protests, such as the Boston Tea Party, bring even more tyranny from King George III. With a declaration of war from England and the appointment of George Washington as commander of the Continental Army, the revolution’s real battles begin. <p><p> In chronological order, Great Battles for Boys: The American Revolution takes young readers to the front lines of the war's major clashes such as: Long Island: British General Howe crushes Washington’s forces and proves the odds are against the Patriot forces.
The American Roommate Experiment: A Novel
by Elena ArmasNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A Most Anticipated Book of 2022 by Cosmopolitan, Goodreads, PopSugar, and more! From the author of the Goodreads Choice Award winner The Spanish Love Deception, the eagerly anticipated follow-up featuring Rosie Graham and Lucas Martín, who are forced to share a New York apartment.Rosie Graham has a problem. A few, actually. She just quit her well paid job to focus on her secret career as a romance writer. She hasn&’t told her family and now has terrible writer&’s block. Then, the ceiling of her New York apartment literally crumbles on her. Luckily she has her best friend Lina&’s spare key while she&’s out of town. But Rosie doesn&’t know that Lina has already lent her apartment to her cousin Lucas, who Rosie has been stalking—for lack of a better word—on Instagram for the last few months. Lucas seems intent on coming to her rescue like a Spanish knight in shining armor. Only this one strolls around the place in a towel, has a distracting grin, and an irresistible accent. Oh, and he cooks. Lucas offers to let Rosie stay with him, at least until she can find some affordable temporary housing. And then he proposes an outrageous experiment to bring back her literary muse and meet her deadline: He&’ll take her on a series of experimental dates meant to jump-start her romantic inspiration. Rosie has nothing to lose. Her silly, online crush is totally under control—but Lucas&’s time in New York has an expiration date, and six weeks may not be enough, for either her or her deadline.
Ancient Seas of Southern Florida: The Geology and Paleontology of the Everglades Region
by Edward J. Petuch David P. BerschauerThe authors have done an outstanding job of compiling decades of data collected by their own field reconnaissance and other geoscientists… This represents a significant contribution to the understanding of the development of the Florida carbonate platform, and it will assist other disciplines as they strive for better understanding of our groundwater resources, aquifer characterizations, paleoenvironmental interpretations, and historical/educational geology programs.Walt Schmidt, Florida State Geologist & Chief, Florida Geological Survey, USA (praise for the first edition)Painting a complete picture of the history of the Everglades, Ancient Seas of Southern Florida: The Geology and Paleontology of the Everglades Region, Second Edition provides an overview of the geology, paleontology, and paleoceanography of the region. It emphasizes the upper 300m of the geologic framework of the area and gives insight into the local stratigraphy, geomorphology, lithology, and historical geology. Designed to be a field guide as well as a reference, the book is illustrated in full color with brand new photographs of exposed geologic sections, stratotype localities, collection sites, and details of interesting fossil beds.In this book, the authors illustrate almost 800 of the most important and diagnostic stratigraphic index fossils found in these beds, including over 50 species of corals and almost 700 species of mollusks, along with echinoderms, crustaceans, echinoids, petrified wood, and aquatic vertebrates. A new edition of The Geology of the Everglades and Adjacent Areas, it contains larger images of fossil shells, corals, and echinoderms and includes new updated geological data and concepts, as well as an expanded iconography of stratigraphic index fossils. Based on the data gleaned from these fossils, it also offers a series of geomorphological visualizations, showing the possible appearances of the Florida Peninsula during the times when it was covered by tropical seas, from the Oligocene to the late Pleistocene.This second edition provides a new perspective on both the historical geology of southern Florida and the evolution of one of America’s most beautiful natural treasures, the Everglades.
The Angels of Christmas: Hearing God's Voice in Advent
by Susan RobbExplore the four angelic visits surrounding the birth of Jesus with Susan Robb in The Angels of Christmas, a four-week Advent study. The Angels of Christmas: Hearing God’s Voice in Advent, a four-week Advent study by Susan Robb, explores the four angelic visits surrounding the birth of Jesus with Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds. In this study, the reader will explore the visits and dive deep into the history of the angel Gabriel–and other angels–in the Old Testament. The Angels of Christmas uses these four angelic appearances to discuss God’s presence in history and our lives today. The messages of the angels hold meaning for listeners both then and now.
The Angels of Christmas Leader Guide: Hearing God's Voice in Advent
by Susan RobbExplore the four angelic visits surrounding the birth of Jesus with Susan Robb in The Angels of Christmas, a four-week Advent study. The Angels of Christmas: Hearing God’s Voice in Advent, a four-week Advent study by Susan Robb, explores the four angelic visits surrounding the birth of Jesus with Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds. In this study, the reader will explore the visits and dive deep into the history of the angel Gabriel–and other angels–in the Old Testament. The Angels of Christmas uses these four angelic appearances to discuss God’s presence in history and our lives today. The messages of the angels hold meaning for listeners both then and now.The Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the four-week study including session plans, activities, and discussion questions, as well as multiple format options.
Appliance: Shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction 2022
by J. O. Morgan**Finalist for the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction 2022 **From the Costa Award winner, a highly inventive and and humane novel about our relationship with technology and our addiction to innovation.This is the tale of a new technology, an alternative history that unfolds over many decades. It is a fable told through a constantly shifting cast of characters, all drawn into the world of a machine that slowly alters every life it touches.But in this unending quest for progress, what will happen to the things that make us human: the memories, the fears, the love, the mortality? As we push towards a brave new world, what do we stand to lose?'Such a super novel' Wendy Erskine'A clever book...that will have you thinking about the machines in your own life' Sunday Times
Applications of Nanocomposites
by Ahalapitiya H. JayatissaIn this book, different applications of nanomaterials are described based on experiments, validations, and prototype manufacturing. It also covers synthesis, characterization, functionalization and coating of nanomaterials in various application-oriented investigations. The use of nanomaterials in energy storage, catalyst preparation and tribology are a few examples of improving the efficiency of future technologies. In addition, this book has also contributed to the nanomanufacturing of composites for automobile industries, glass industries, textiles and flexible electronics. This book provides knowledge on multiple related fields in applying nanomaterials, emphasizing the most updated literature, understanding applications, and consists of examples and illustrations so that readers can absorb the content rapidly.
Applied Regression and ANOVA Using SAS
by Patricia F. Moodie Dallas E. JohnsonApplied Regression and ANOVA Using SAS® has been written specifically for non-statisticians and applied statisticians who are primarily interested in what their data are revealing. Interpretation of results are key throughout this intermediate-level applied statistics book. The authors introduce each method by discussing its characteristic features, reasons for its use, and its underlying assumptions. They then guide readers in applying each method by suggesting a step-by-step approach while providing annotated SAS programs to implement these steps.Those unfamiliar with SAS software will find this book helpful as SAS programming basics are covered in the first chapter. Subsequent chapters give programming details on a need-to-know basis. Experienced as well as entry-level SAS users will find the book useful in applying linear regression and ANOVA methods, as explanations of SAS statements and options chosen for specific methods are provided.Features:•Statistical concepts presented in words without matrix algebra and calculus•Numerous SAS programs, including examples which require minimum programming effort to produce high resolution publication-ready graphics•Practical advice on interpreting results in light of relatively recent views on threshold p-values, multiple testing, simultaneous confidence intervals, confounding adjustment, bootstrapping, and predictor variable selection•Suggestions of alternative approaches when a method’s ideal inference conditions are unreasonable for one’s dataThis book is invaluable for non-statisticians and applied statisticians who analyze and interpret real-world data. It could be used in a graduate level course for non-statistical disciplines as well as in an applied undergraduate course in statistics or biostatistics.
Applied Statistics in Business and Economics
by David P. Doane Lori E. SewardApplied Statistics in Business and Economics, 7th edition, provides real meaning to the use of statistics in the real world by using real business situations and real data while appealing to students who want to know the why rather than just the how. The text emphasizes thinking about data, choosing appropriate analytic tools, using computers effectively, and recognizing the limitations of statistics. It motivates student learning through applied current exercises and cases that provide real-world relevance and includes analytics in action, careers, and applications of big data, Artificial Intelligence, and machine learning (including ethical issues). The Doane and Seward authors work as a team, integrating the digital and eBook assets seamlessly. In recognition of a growing interest in analytics training beyond Excel, the textbook now provides an optional introduction to R with illustrations of topics in each chapter. Support for R is further enhanced with Learning Stats modules, tables of R functions, and R-compatible Excel data sets.
Applying Entrepreneurship to the Arts: How Artists, Creatives, and Performers Can Use Startup Principles to Build Careers and Generate Income
by Paula LandryThis book puts successful startup tools in the hands of creators: performers, artists, entertainers, creatives, and media makers seeking to launch like a business and generate more income.Readers will learn essential entrepreneurial principles taught to founders in the startup community. Creatives who read this book will learn: How to launch their creative startups Ways to run and market their venture efficiently Effective methods to test new services, products, and experiences To incorporate their entire skill set in an authentic way That they can do all of this now, without business classes or special training With actionable information, real-world case studies as examples, and specific steps to build business acumen from an artistic perspective, this book puts entrepreneurial tools into the frameworks and mindsets of those working in creative fields.Paula Landry, MBA, is a creator, writer/filmmaker, and musician who has been teaching and coaching creatives for a decade, through undergraduate and graduate programs in New York City, as well as at various non-profits.
Archer Fish Biology
by Simon Kumar DasThis book unveils the secrets of archer fish, covering everything from their morphology to their unique feeding techniques, digestion physiology, and reproductive intricacies. It serves as an essential resource for students, researchers, conservation biologists, and anyone curious about the biology of archer fish, as well as fish biology in general. Readers can immerse themselves in chapters that discuss identification techniques, age, and growth, feeding physiology, and much more. The book highlights the wonders of these remarkable creatures, helping readers gain a deeper understanding of the intricate realm of fish biology.
Architectural Type and Character: A Practical Guide to a History of Architecture
by Samir Younés Carroll William WestfallArchitectural Type and Character provides an alternative perspective to the current role given to history in architecture, reunifying architectural history and architectural design to reform architectural discourse and practice. Historians provide important material for appreciating buildings and guiding those who produce them. In current histories, a building is the product of a time, its form follows its function, irresistible influences produce it, and style, preferably novel, is its most important attribute. This book argues for an alternative. Through a two-part structure, the book first develops the theoretical foundations for this alternative history of architecture. The second part then provides drawings and interpretations of over one hundred sites from different times and places.Architectural Type and Character: A Practical Guide to a History of Architecture is an excellent desk reference and studio guide for students and architectures alike to understand, analyze, and create buildings.
Ariana Grande Lines To Live By: Say 'thank you, next' to bad vibes and live your best life
by Pop Press'We are not objects or prizes. We are queens.'After bursting onto the music scene with smash hit after smash hit and an instantly iconic ponytail, Ariana Grande has grown into one of the most inspiring artists of the 21st century. Her epic choruses and empowering lyrics have taught an entire generation about the importance of confidence and creativity.Ari became an international superstar in her early 20s and her trailblazing wisdom encourages us all to bring in the good vibes and strive for the life we deserve.With quotes on everything from careers and beauty to relationships and mental health, this uplifting collection will empower you to slay in every lane and be the superstar of your own life.
Art After Instagram: Art Spaces, Audiences, Aesthetics (Routledge Advances in Art and Visual Studies)
by Lachlan MacDowall Kylie BudgeThis book explores the effects of the Instagram platform on the making and viewing of art.Authors Lachlan MacDowall and Kylie Budge critically analyse the ways Instagram has influenced artists, art spaces, art institutions and art audiences, and ultimately contemporary aesthetic experience. The book argues that more than simply being a container for digital photography, the architecture of Instagram represents a new relationship to the image and to visual experience, a way of shaping ocular habits and social relations. Following a detailed analysis of the structure of Instagram – the tactile world of affiliation (‘follows’), aesthetics (‘likes’) and attention (‘comments’) – the book examines how art spaces, audiences and aesthetics are key to understanding its rise.The book will be of interest to scholars working in art history, design, digital culture, cultural studies, sociology, education, business, media and communication studies.
Art History at the Crossroads of Ireland and the United States (Routledge Research in Art History)
by Cynthia Fowler Paula MurphyTaking the visual arts as its focus, this anthology explores aspects of cultural exchange between Ireland and the United States. Art historians from both sides of the Atlantic examine the work of artists, art critics and art promoters. Through a close study of selected paintings and sculptures, photography and exhibitions from the nineteenth century to the present, the depth of the relationship between the two countries, as well as its complexity, is revealed. The book is intended for all who are interested in Irish/American interconnectedness and will be of particular interest to scholars and students of art history, visual culture, history, Irish studies and American studies.
The Art of Copying Art
by Penelope JacksonThis book is a study of the history, role and significance of copying art. Copies have enjoyed a different status from authentic artworks and though often acknowledged, very rarely have they been considered collectively as a genre in their own right. This volume showcases a variety of examples—from copies of famous artworks made and used as props in movies to those made innocently by student artists as part of their training. Examining the motivations for making copies, and reflecting on the reception of copies, is central to this book. Copies have historically filled voids in collections, where some sadly languish, and have become a curatorial burden. In other cases, having a copy assists in conservation projects and fills the place of a lost work. Ultimately by interrogating a copy’s role and intent we might ask ourselves if viewing a copy changes our experience and perception of an artwork.
Art, the Sublime, and Movement: Spaced Out (Routledge Advances in Art and Visual Studies)
by Amanda du PreezThis book is a critical interdisciplinary approach to the study of contemporary visual culture and image studies, exploring ideas about space and place and ultimately contributing to the debates about being human in the digital age. The upward and downward pull seem in a constant contest for humanity’s attention. Both forces are powerful in the effects and affects they invoke. When tracing this iconological history, Amanda du Preez starts in the early nineteenth century, moving into the twentieth century and then spanning the whole century up to contemporary twenty-first century screen culture and space travels. Du Preez parses the intersecting pathways between Heaven and Earth, up and down, flying and falling through the concept of being “spaced out”. The idea of being “spaced out” is applied as a metaphor to trace the visual history of sublime encounters that displace Earth, gravity, locality, belonging, home, real life, and embodiment. The book will be of interest to scholars working in art history, visual culture, media and cultural studies, phenomenology, digital culture, mobility studies, and urban studies.
Artemis Made Me Do It (Myth and Magick #2)
by Trista MateerBestselling and award-winning author Trista Mateer returns with another magical approach to self-care in her newest goddess-themed poetry collection, Artemis Made Me Do It. Using the framework of tarot and conversation, Mateer approaches myth through a witchcraft-inspired lens and uses it to explore timeless issues like burnout, survival, trauma, and the restorative power in taking control of your own lore. Artemis speaks to what is wild and untamed in all of us, and in this new collection, she asks for a moment of calm. This is the second book in the Myth & Magick series, which also includes Aphrodite Made Me Do It and Persephone Made Me Do It.
The Aspern Papers and Other Tales (The\cambridge Edition Of The Complete Fiction Of Henry James Ser. #Series Number 27)
by Henry JamesA wonderful new collection of Henry James's short stories about the relationship between art and life, edited by Michael Gorra.This volume gathers seven of the very best of Henry James's short stories, all exploring the relationship between art and life. In 'The Aspern Papers', a critic is determined to get his hands on a great poet's papers hidden in a faded Venetian house - not matter what the human cost. 'The Author of Beltraffio', 'The Lesson of the Master' and 'The Figure in the Carpet' all focus on naive young men's unsettling encounters with their literary heroes. In 'The Middle Years', a dying novelist begins to glimpse his own potential, while 'The Real Thing' and 'Greville Fane' both explore the tension between artistic and commercial success. These fables of the creative life reveal James at his ironic, provocative best.Henry James was born in 1843 in New York and died in London in 1916. In addition to many short stories, plays, books of criticism, autobiography and travel, he wrote some twenty novels, the first published being Roderick Hudson (1875). They include The Europeans, Washington Square, The Portrait of a Lady, The Bostonians, The Princess Casamassima, The Tragic Muse, The Spoils of Poynton, The Awkward Age, The Wings of the Dove, The Ambassadors and The Golden Bowl.Michael Gorra is Professor of English at Smith College and the author of Portrait of a Novel: Henry James and the Making of an American Masterpiece (2012), a finalist for both the Pulitzer Prize and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize in biography.