Whether autobiographical, topical, or specifically literary, these writings circle the central preoccupying questions of Seamus Heaney's career: "How should a poet properly live and write? What is his relationship to be to his own voice, his own place, his literary heritage and the contemporary world?"Along with a selection from the poet's three previous collections of prose (Preoccupations, The Government of the Tongue, and The Redress of Poetry), the present volume includes Heaney's finest lectures and a rich variety of pieces not previously collected in volume form, ranging from short newspaper articles to radio commentaries. In its soundings of a wide range of poets -- Irish and British, American and Eastern European, predecessors and contemporaries -- Finders Keepers is, as its title indicates, "an announcement of both excitement and possession." Views: 24
Britain gave railways to the world, yet its own network is the dearest (definitely) and the worst (probably) in Western Europe. Trains are deeply embedded in the national psyche and folklore - yet it is considered uncool to care about them. For Matthew Engel the railway system is the ultimate expression of Britishness. It represents all the nation's ingenuity, incompetence, nostalgia, corruption, humour, capacity for suffering and even sexual repression. To uncover its mysteries, Engel has travelled the system from Penzance to Thurso, exploring its history and talking to people from politicians to platform staff. Along the way Engel ('half-John Betjeman, half-Victor Meldrew') finds the most charmingly bizarre train in Britain, the most beautiful branch line, the rudest railwayman, and - after a quest lasting decades - an Individual Pot of Strawberry Jam. Eleven Minutes Late is both a polemic and a paean, and it is also very funny. Views: 24
An exploration of domestic derangement, as sinister as Daphne Du Maurier's classic Rebecca, that plumbs the depths of sibling rivalry with wit and menace.Oh, to be a Beloved—one of those lucky people for whom nothing ever goes wrong. Everything falls into their laps without effort: happiness, beauty, good fortune, allure. Betty Stash is not a Beloved—but her little sister, the delightful Gloria, is. She's the one with the golden curls and sunny disposition and captivating smile, the one whose best friend used to be Betty's, the one whose husband should have been Betty's. And then, to everyone's surprise, Gloria inherits the family manse—a vast, gorgeous pile of ancient stone, imposing timbers, and lush gardens—that was never meant to be hers. Losing what Betty considers her rightful inheritance is the final indignity. As she single-mindedly pursues her plan to see the estate returned to her in all its glory, her... Views: 24
THE SECRET KEEPING is a high-stakes, fast-paced modern romance, where the moral of the story is that money can indeed buy you love...if it's invested wisely. Dr. Helaine Kristenson is the leading authority in the field of psychosexual relations and the bestselling author of the how-to bible, "Keeping Mr. Right." Professionally, she deals with secrets of the heart every day. Privately, she even has a few of her own to keep her busy. What's so Top Secret? Her seven-year relationship with notorious super-model Sharon Chambers--a once very hot union that lately has become something less than perfect. Wandering unwittingly into the middle of their tangled web is disillusioned investment strategist, Lydia Beaumont, a sleeping beauty who's just about to wake up. Add to the resulting fray a dozen lawyers, a handful of corporate executives, and a gaggle of overzealous reporters, and you've got one highly public love triangle. And the more private a woman is, the more exposed she becomes. Nominated for the 2006 LAMBDA Literary Award for a debut novel. Nominated for the 2006 LAMBDA Literary Award for fiction. Finalist for the 2007 Goldie Award for best dramatic fiction. Semi-finalist for the 2007 Independent Publishers Award and an IPPY Award recipient of an honorable mention. Views: 24
Raimi is finally a girl, as she was meant to be. She fights to free Clare from the clutches of a bully and they move beyond friendship. Views: 24
A hilarious and moving memoir of growing up Iranian in America, and the quest to make it in Hollywood without having to wear a turban, tote a bomb, or get kicked in the face by Chuck Norris.When he first started out in show business, Maz Jobrani endured suggestions that he spice up his stand-up act by wearing “the outfit,” fielded questions about rising gas prices, and got called an F’in Eye-ranian for being involved in the Iran hostage crisis even though he was only eight years old at the time—in fact, these things happened so often that he began to wonder: Could I be a terrorist without even knowing it? Having emigrated with his family to the US during the Iranian Revolution, Maz spent most of his youth desperately trying to fit in with his adopted culture—whether that meant learning to play baseball or religiously watching Dallas with his female relatives. But none of his attempts at assimilation made a difference... Views: 24
For the past eight years, Smitty and Violet have formed the core of the marine mammal conservation group, Dolphin Friendly. The friction between them has been buffered by the presence of their boss and friend, Brody. But Brody's marriage removes him from the threesome and Smitty and Violet are forced to face the enmity that has simmered since their grad school breakup.
Sensing that their hostility covers something deeper, Brody sends them to transport a trained sea lion from Florida to New England. Will the forced togetherness bring them together or drive them apart? Will a broken truck and an overheating sea lion be the end of their friendship or the beginning of something sweeter?
Welcome to the world of Dolphin Friendly---a group of people who love marine mammals... and sometimes each other.
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