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: 238
Carlo Zeno, gentleman of Venice, ex-clerk, ex-gambler, ex-soldier of fortune, ex-lay prebendary of Patras, ex-duellist, and ex-Greek general, being about twenty-nine years of age, and having in his tough body the scars of half-a-dozen wounds that would have killed an ordinary man, had resolved to turn over a new leaf, had become a merchant, and was established in Constantinople in the year 1376. He had bought a house in the city itself because the merchants of Genoa all dwelt in the town of Pera, on the other side of the Golden Horn. A Venetian could not have lived in the same place with Genoese, for the air would have poisoned him, to a certainty; and besides, the sight of a Genoese face, the sound of the Genoese dialect, the smell of Genoese cookery, were all equally sickening to any one brought up in the lagoons. Genoa was not fit to be mentioned within hearing of polite Venetian ears, its very name was unspeakable by decent Venetian lips; and even to pronounce the syllables for purposes of business was horribly unlucky. Therefore Carlo Zeno and his friends had taken up their abode in the old city, amongst the Greeks and the Bokharians, the Jews and the Circassians, and they left the Genoese to themselves in Pera, pretending that they did not even exist. It was not always easy to keep up the pretence, it is true, for Zeno had extremely good eyes and could not help seeing those abominations of mankind on the other side of the Golden Horn when he sat in his balcony on spring evenings; and his only consolation was to dream of destroying them wholesale, of hewing them in pieces by the hundred and the thousand, and of piling up pyramids of their ugly grinning heads. Why were they Genoese? Carlo Zeno would rather have taken a box on the ear from Sultan Amurad, the Turk, over there in Asia Minor, than a civil word from the least objectionable of those utterly unspeakable monsters of Genoese. \'Behold,\' said Tertullian one day in scorn, \'how these Christians love one another.\' Matters had not improved in eleven hundred years, since that learned Doctor of the Church had departed this life, presumably for a more charitable world; but Carlo Zeno would have answered that the Genoese were no more Christians than mules, and much less so than the pigs, which are all under the special protection of the blessed Saint Anthony. At the very time, too, when my story begins, those obnoxious villains of Genoa were on the successful side of a revolution; for they had helped Emperor Andronicus to imprison his father, Emperor John, in the tall Amena tower on the north side of the city, by the Golden Horn, and to lock up his two younger brothers in a separate dungeon. It was true that Emperor John had ordered Andronicus and his little son of five to be blinded with boiling vinegar, but Genoese money had miraculously converted the vinegar into bland white wine, and had reduced the temperature from the boiling point to that of a healthful lotion, so that neither the boy nor the man were any the worse after the application than before; but Andronicus had resented the mere intention on the part of his father, and had avenged himself by taking the Empire, such as it was, for the present, while reserving the delight of murdering his parent and his brothers at a convenient season in the future. All this was very well, no doubt, and Andronicus was undisputed Emperor for the time being, because the Genoese and Sultan Amurad were willing that he should be; but Amurad had not always been his friend, and the Genoese had not always had the upper hand of the Venetians; the wind might change in a moment and a tempest might whirl him away from the throne even more quickly than the fair breeze had wafted him towards it. Zeno thought so too, and wondered whether it would please fate to make him the spirit of the storm. Views: 237
In a world of pure magic there has been peace and light forever. Never has the magic been corrupted or used for evil purposes. Teachers had instructed pupils in elemental and light magic uninterrupted, creating a perfect world of magical bliss. No paradise may last forever and on a world unprepared for evil, dark magic comes unbidden.The free ebook version of a new pocket sized collection of short poems by Oliver Delgaram-Nejad. Includes some of the most popular poems from previous chapbook collections "Coffee and Cigarettes" (2008) and "Sentiments" (2011) from erbacce press, as well as new material written over the last year and a half. "Some Poems" explores the present psychological state of the individual, in the midst of an ever modernizing society, and how this may affect the place of nature, culture, and ethics in our nearing future. “Oli is a copiously talented young poet with a generous heart and a mischievous wit which is handled with technical verve. He also happens to be a charismatic reader of his work!” – Daljit Nagra Views: 234
A Sweet Romance from #1 Best Selling Author Emily Woods
After Charlie's parents sell the family business and the man she loves abandons her to chase gold, she has nowhere to go but West.
Jackson gives in to his sister's desires to find him a bride, but he finds there are more obstacles to finding a mail order bride than he ever thought possible. When Charlie and Jackson's budding romance is threatened by lawless men, all seems lost, but in the end, God's plans for divine romance prove to be stronger than the law! This book is a sweet, clean, western, historical, romance short story. It is a complete story, but it is also part of the Bozeman Brides series. Be sure to read them all - in any order! Views: 234
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: 234
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: 234
"Reading the fifteen stories in Prison Noir is a sobering experience. Unlike most claimants to that much-abused term, this is the real thing...The power of this collection comes from the voices of these authors, voices suffused with rage ("3 Block From Hell," by Bryan K. Palmer), despair ("There Will Be Seeds for Next Year," by Zeke Caligiuri), and madness ("Shuffle," by Christopher M. Stephen)."
-- New York Times Book Review
"These are stories that resonate with authenticity and verve and pain and truth. Any collection edited by the National Book Award-winning author Oates (them; Blonde, Rape: A Love Story) deserves attention, but the contributors are deft and confident, and great writers without her imprimatur....Authentic, powerful, visceral, moving, great writing."
-- Library Journal , Starred review
"A remarkable anthology of stories written by inmates of correctional institutions across America...Most importantly, this landmark volume amplifies the voices of the incarcerated."
-- Publishers Weekly , Starred review
One of BookRiot's Must-Read Books from Indie Presses for 2014
"I gobbled it up. The voice in each piece is authentic...A fascinating read."
-- subTerrain Magazine
"A strong compilation of prison literature, varied, well-written and not always what might be expected."
--Reviewing the Evidence
"No matter what side of the bars you live on, Prison Noir is worth doing time with."
-- Killeen Daily Herald
"Readers will soak up every line...There is no doubt that readers from all walks of life, especially those less knowledgeable about life in prison, will appreciate Prison Noir."
--Killer Nashville
"This is a collection of stories that you will want to take your time with, savor, and probably reread a few times."
--Jenn's Review Blog
"There is an intensity and melancholy that shines through these fifteen short stories, all written by prison inmates incarcerated throughout the US, and edited by the inestimable Joyce Carol Oates."
--A Lit Chick
"Affecting, powerfully written and arresting literature. Well worth seeking out."
--BRSBKBLOG
Akashic Books continues its groundbreaking series of original noir anthologies, launched with the summer '04 award-winning best seller Brooklyn Noir. Each book is comprised of all-new stories, each one set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the respective geographic range of the book. This anthology, with stories set in different prisons across the US, presents an absolutely new perspective on prison literature.
From the introduction by Joyce Carol Oates:
"The blood jet is poetry--these words of Sylvia Plath have reverberated through my experience of reading and rereading the stories of Prison Noir. In this case the blood jet is prose, though sometimes poetic prose; if we go a little deeper, in some chilling instances, the blood jet is exactly that: blood. For these stories are not "literary" exercises--though some are exceptionally well-written by any formalist standards, and artfully structured as narratives; with a single exception the stories are stark, somber, emotionally driven cris de coeur...We may feel revulsion for some of the acts described in these stories, but we are likely to feel a startled, even stunned sympathy for the perpetrators. And in several stories, including even murderers' confessions, we are likely to feel a profound and unsettling identification...There is no need for fantasy-horror in a place in which matter-of-fact horror is the norm, and mental illness is epidemic. Vividly rendered realism is the predominant literary strategy, as in a riveting documentary film."
Featuring brand-new stories by: Christopher M. Stephen, Sin Soracco, Scott Gutches, Eric Boyd, Ali F. Sareini, Stephen Geez, B.M. Dolarman, Zeke Caligiuri, Marco Verdoni, Kenneth R. Brydon, Linda Michelle Marquardt, Andre White, Timothy Pauley, Bryan K. Palmer, and William Van Poyck. Views: 233
Grace Richmond was a 20th century American writer best known for the Red Pepper Burns novels. Views: 233
"To travel with James in these pages is to take an unhurried vacation with a thoroughly seasoned, supremely cultivated, acutely intelligent companion. Our guide is a curious, engaged observer not only of landscapes and streets and cathedrals but also of paintings and plays and the characteristics--national, social, and individual--of the people we encounter at his side. This is a book to be read slowly, the better to absorb its sights and sounds, its insights and reflections." --from the foreword by Hendrik Hertzberg
Brimming with charm, wit, and biting criticism, this new collection of travel essays reintroduces the iconic novelist Henry James as a formidable travel companion. Whether for a trip to Lake George or an afternoon visit to an art exhibit in Paris, James will delight readers with his insights and make them feel nostalgic for places they've never been. Views: 233
Night Novellas (Night Thief & Night Angel) Views: 233
Montague Rhodes James - M. R. James - was an English academic and provost of King's College and Eton. He started writing ghost stories to entertain his friends... one hundred and fifty years after his birth he is now revered as the father of the modern English ghost story.
This gorgeous hardback contains all thirty-five of M.R. James's highly acclaimed ghost stories, including the classics: 'Oh Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad' and 'Canon Alberic's Scrapbook'. As well as a foreword by Clark Ashton Smith and an extended Afterword by Stephen Jones the book is gloriously illustrated by award-winning artist Les Edwards. Views: 231
"As We Forgive Them" from William Le Queux. Anglo-French journalist and writer (1864-1927). Views: 231
MY UNCLE, THE MAJOR.He who sets himself down to write of his own deeds in order that future generations may know exactly what part he bore in freeing the colonies from the burdens put upon them by a wicked king, must have some other excuse, or reason, than that of self-glorification.Some such idea as set down above has been in my mind from the moment Percy Sumter—meaning my brother—urged that I make a record of what we did while serving under General Francis Marion, that ardent patriot and true soldier, who was willing to make of himself a cripple rather than indulge in strong drink.I question if there be in the Carolinas any one who does not know full well the story of that night in Charleston, when, the door being locked upon him in order that he might be forced to drink, General Marion—then only a colonel—leaped from the window, thereby dislocating his ankle, rather than indulge in a carousal which to him was unseemly and ungentlemanly.This is but a lame beginning to what it is intended I shall tell regarding those days when we two lads, Percy and myself, did, as it has pleased many to say, the work of men in the struggle against foreign rule; yet however crude it may appear to those better versed in the use of the pen, it is the best I can do. My brother and myself went into General Marion\'s camp before our fourteenth birthday, and since that time have studied the art of warfare instead of letters, which fact is due to the troublous times rather than our own inclination, for my desire ever was to improve my mind until I should be at least on equal terms with those lads who were more favored as to country.First let me set down that of which we two—meaning Percy and myself—can honestly claim without fear of being called boastful.Our mother was sister to those noble gentlemen, John, William, Gavin, James and Robert James, who one and all devoted their fortunes and their lives to the cause of the independence of the Carolinas. She married a Sumter, who died while yet we twins were in the cradle, and, therefore, we were come to look upon ourselves as true members of the James family, rather than Sumters, priding ourselves upon that which every true Carolinian is ready to declare, that "he who rightfully bears the name of James is always ready for the foe, the first in attack and the last in retreat."CONTENTSMy Uncle the MajorGeneral MarionThe Tory CampSamuel LeeThe AmbushThe PrisonersThe RetreatBlack Mingo SwampThe BattleGeorgetownGabrielILLUSTRATIONS.I Clasped the Old Man\'s Hand, Understanding for the First Time What a Friend He WasAs the Tory Spoke, Percy Leaped Upon HimThen Suddenly a Red-coated Tory Rushed Toward Me with Upraised SaberAs Gavin Gathered Up the Weapons, Percy and I Called Upon the Sleepers to SurrenderIn the Darkness We Four Comrades Were Sent Forward to ReconnoitreGavin Seized My Arm, Shouting in My Ear: "Surrender, Lad, Surrender!" Views: 231
Short Story about the American frontier in the 1800s. Prairies are one of God’s greatest gifts, but these can also turn deadly. Pioneers take desperate measures to save everything they have created.The inspiration for my stories draws from my novels and family tales of settlers who journeyed to the American frontier in the 1800s. Their accounts, passed down through the generations, paint pictures of courageous and adventurous people—a hearty lot—who had perseverance, self reliance, and, despite dangers and fears of the unknown wilderness, overcame their misgivings. Most were not famous or widely celebrated, yet they carved out homes, farms, and a life on the frontier, and, in the process, created a great nation. They are heroes in my eyes.From my research, I better understand the plight of early Native Americans. They were ultimately swept aside by the oncoming tide of settlers, despite being fierce and resourceful. There came a time for compassion by the conquering invaders. In too many instances, it did not occur and remains a part of America’s legacy.Thank you for reading my short stories.Richard Puz Views: 231
Back to Back - Night Watches, Part 1. is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by W. W. (William Wymark) Jacobs is in the English language, and may not include graphics or images from the original edition. If you enjoy the works of W. W. (William Wymark) Jacobs then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. Views: 230
