Do the Blind Dream? shows Gifford at the height of his powers, navigating with ease the new, more fragmented imaginative landscape of morning-after America. Gifford seems to have anticipated themes that suddenly are recognizable everywhere: the fragility of identity; the power of coincidence; the illusion of a secure tomorrow.In contrast to his often nightmarish, satirical, groundbreaking novels of the 1990s—Wild at Heart, Perdita Durango, and Night People among them—Do the Blind Dream? continues in the tender and deeply introspective vein revealed in two recent works: Gifford’s memoir The Phantom Father (named a New York Times Notable Book), and the award-winning novella Wyoming. From the intimate, stylistically daring examination of the darkest secrets in the history of an Italian family, to the terrible but often beautiful fears and discoveries of childhood, to the sardonic, desperate confusion of adult life, Do the Blind Dream? reveals an exceptionally versatile, highly tuned sensibility. Here is further evidence of what Alan Ryan wrote in the Atlantic Journal Constitution: "Gifford is one of those brave writers who go their own way, and challenge readers to follow."Almost a quarter of a century ago, Armistead Maupin wrote that "Barry Gifford is all the proof the world will ever need that a writer who listens with his heart is capable of telling anyone’s story." Yet only now does Gifford’s sense of the American psyche converge with our own.About the AuthorThe author of more than forty published works of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, which have been translated into twenty-eight languages, BARRY GIFFORD began as a poet and musician. His most recent prose works are Sailor & Lula: The Complete Novels, Sad Stories of the Death of Kings, and Memories from a Sinking Ship: A Novel. His most recent poetry collection is Imagining Paradise: New and Selected Poems (2012). Gifford lives in the San Francisco area and maintains a website at www.barrygifford.com. Views: 407
Mixing poetry with drugs, sex, and murder would not be the first thing to come to mind if you were thinking about writing crime fiction. And unless you're Victor Gischler, the results of such an abominable coupling would likely be a bad as it sounds. But if Gischler isn't the most talented new crime writer to hit the pages in the last few years, he is certainly the most bizarre. Of his three novels - five stars everyone - "The Pistol Poets" is the most blackly humorous - think a more evil Carl Hiaasen - certainly the most imaginative, and probably the best of the bunch. . . Views: 407
It's the summer after sophomore year and Raina has convinced her best friends since the sixth grade, Kathleen and Holly, to spend their summer as "pink angels" in Parker-Sloan GeneralHospital's summer volunteer program. Kathleen is reluctant to do it-she has enough responsibility at home caring for her sick mother. But when she meets Carson, a cute and flirty fellow volunteer, sheis happy that she joined the program. Or, at least, she thinks she is. Carson's "old friend" Stephanie keeps showing up at all the wrong times. And Kathleen's mother keepscomplaining that she needs Kathleen at home. But with friends Raina and Holly by her side and her Pink Angel t-shirt on her back, Kathleen is able to realize that helping others also allows you to helpyourself. "From the Hardcover edition." Views: 406
This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. This text refers to the Bibliobazaar edition. Views: 406
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. Views: 406
From the beginning of the first essay: RUSSIAN NATIONAL CHARACTER AS SHOWN IN RUSSIAN FICTION The Japanese war pricked one of the biggest bubbles in history, and left Russia in a profoundly humiliating situation. Her navy was practically destroyed, her armies soundly beaten, her offensive power temporarily reduced to zero, her treasury exhausted, her pride laid in the dust. If the greatness of a nation consisted in the number and size of its battleships, in the capacity of its fighting men, or in its financial prosperity, Russia would be an object of pity. But in America it is wholesome to remember that the real greatness of a nation consists in none of these things, but rather in its intellectual splendour, in the number and importance of the ideas it gives to the world, in its contributions to literature and art, and to all things that count in humanity\'s intellectual advance. When we Americans swell with pride over our industrial prosperity, we might profitably reflect for a moment on the comparative value of America\'s and Russia\'s contributions to literature and music. At the start, we notice a rather curious fact, which sharply differentiates Russian literature from the literature of England, France, Spain, Italy, and even from that of Germany. Russia is old; her literature is new. Russian history goes back to the ninth century; Russian literature, so far as it interests the world, begins in the nineteenth. Russian literature and American literature are twins. But there is this strong contrast, caused partly by the difference in the age of the two nations. In the early years of the nineteenth century, American literature sounds like a child learning to talk, and then aping its elders; Russian literature is the voice of a giant, waking from a long sleep, and becoming articulate. It is as though the world had watched this giant\'s deep slumber for a long time, wondering what he would say when he awakened. And what he has said has been well worth the thousand years of waiting. To an educated native Slav, or to a professor of the Russian language, twenty or thirty Russian authors would no doubt seem important; but the general foreign reading public is quite properly mainly interested in only five standard writers, although contemporary novelists like Gorki, Artsybashev, Andreev, and others are at this moment deservedly attracting wide attention. The great five, whose place in the world\'s literature seems absolutely secure, are Pushkin, Gogol, Turgenev, Dostoevsky, and Tolstoy. The man who killed Pushkin in a duel survived till 1895, and Tolstoy died in 1910. These figures show in how short a time Russian literature has had its origin, development, and full fruition.… Views: 406
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. Views: 406
Le fiancé de Hulda Hansen est porté disparu, il était à bord d\'un bateau de pêche naufragé au large de Terre-Neuve; la seule trace qui reste de lui est un billet de loterie qu\'il avait laissé dans une bouteille jetée à l\'eau au moment du naufrage. La loterie ne sera tirée que quelques mois plus tard. Hulda et son frère sauvent le député Sylvius Hog d\'une noyade dans la rivière Rjukan Views: 402
In Joseph Altsheler’s "The Guns of Shiloh," Kentuckian Dick Mason and a cadre of friends make their way from defeat at Bull Run to a victory of sorts at Shiloh, avoiding ambush along the way and capture on the battlefield. This historical Civil War novel follows standard juvenile formulas of the early 20th century, as its heroes cycle from adventure to respite to new adventure. They are for the most part as blithe and chipper as heroes of baseball stories or scouting tales. At one point Dick goes AWOL briefly to visit his mother, a desertion much-commended by his CO. The juvenile stuff is woven into a fairly straightforward narrative of various campaigns, including the battle of Mill Springs (January 1862, in Kentucky), and the taking of Forts Henry and Donelson. Views: 399
Trixie Shapiro may be one of the shyest students at Mason High, but she's also the funniest. When her best friend, Jazzy, signs her up to perform stand-up at Senior Talent Night, Trixie's terrified she'll absolutely choke. And as if a seemingly disastrous debut isn't enough, Trixie's drama teacher encourages her to try again—this time at the local comedy club, Chaplin's.
To her surprise, Trixie's confidence begins to swell, and a surefire comedy act is born. Trixie finds herself on a fast track, winning contests and earning a job as the opening comic at the comedy club. It's a dream come true. Then Trixie lands a boyfriend—her longtime crush, hipster Gavin Baldwin. Now caught between the increasing demands of two worlds, Trixie faces a difficult choice between a romantic, inviting path and a risky shot at comedic stardom.
Ellen Schreiber narrates an inspiring and entertaining story of a shy teen who, struggling to find her voice, discovers a shining place in the spotlight. Views: 399
The author of "Across the Wire" offers brilliant investigative reporting of what went wrong when, in May 2001, a group of 26 men attempted to cross the Mexican border into the desert of southern Arizona. Only 12 men came back out. Views: 399
fiction. Fantasy. Horror. Views: 399
After five years spent maneuvering for Mr. Right, beautiful, feisty Faye Parker has finally snared a sensitive cutie named Mark. So when he pops the question, Faye is fully prepared to step out of the dating rat-race, call the caterer, and don the veil.Just as soon as she has one last teensy-weensy little fling.Then comes the dicey issue of the guest list. First there's Nat, Faye's ex--a narcissistic fashion model hell-bent on flaunting his substantial charms in Faye's face, his latest Playboy bunny in tow. Next there's Kate, Mark's ex--a woman so indignant she's not the bride that she's liable to slit Faye's zipper. And, of course, there's Adam, Faye's flamboyant sidekick, milking the chaos for all it's worth while shamelessly ogling Nat's abs. As the rehearsal dinner lurches toward the brink of a spin-the-bottle-fueled imbroglio, Faye must face the fact that marriage means more than a flawlessly executed reception. She's got a serious decision to make--about Mark,...
After five years spent maneuvering for Mr. Right, beautiful, feisty Faye Parker has finally snared a sensitive cutie named Mark. So when he pops the question, Faye is fully prepared to step out of the datingrat-race, call the caterer, and don the veil. Just as soon as she has one last teensy-weensy little fling. Then comes the dicey issue of the guest list. First there's Nat, Faye'sex-a narcissistic fashion model hell-bent on flaunting his substantial charms in Faye's face, his latest Playboy bunny in tow. Next there's Kate, Mark's ex--a woman soindignant she's not the bride that she's liable to slit Faye's zipper. And, of course, there's Adam, Faye's flamboyant sidekick, milking the chaos for all it'sworth while shamelessly ogling Nat's abs. As the rehearsal dinner lurches toward the brink of a spin-the-bottle-fueled imbroglio, Faye must face the fact that marriage means more than a flawlessly executedreception. She's got a serious decision to make-about Mark, about love, and about her own deepest desires. Wickedly funny, "The Ex Files" is a sexy, sophisticated caper thatoffers a brazenly edgy take on the complexities of the modern bride. Views: 398
