A riveting novel that explores the high price of success in the life of one woman—the first female president of a lauded ivy league institution—and her hold upon her self-identity in the face of personal and professional demons, from Joyce Carol Oates, author of the New York Times bestseller A Widow’s Story
Mudgirl is a child abandoned by her mother in the silty flats of the Black Snake River. Cast aside, Mudgirl survives by an accident of fate—or destiny. After her rescue, the well-meaning couple who adopt Mudgirl quarantine her poisonous history behind the barrier of their middle-class values, seemingly sealing it off forever. But the bulwark of the present proves surprisingly vulnerable to the agents of the past.
Meredith “M.R.” Neukirchen is the first woman president of an Ivy League university. Her commitment to her career and moral fervor for her role are all-consuming. Involved with a secret lover whose feelings for her are teasingly undefined, and concerned with the intensifying crisis of the American political climate as the United States edges toward war with Iraq, M.R. is confronted with challenges to her leadership that test her in ways she could not have anticipated. The fierce idealism and intelligence that delivered her from a more conventional life in her upstate New York hometown now threaten to undo her.
A reckless trip upstate thrusts M.R. Neukirchen into an unexpected psychic collision with Mudgirl and the life M.R. believes she has left behind. A powerful exploration of the enduring claims of the past, Mudwoman is at once a psychic ghost story and an intimate portrait of a woman cracking the glass ceiling at enormous personal cost, which explores the tension between childhood and adulthood, the real and the imagined, and the “public” and “private” in the life of a highly complex contemporary woman. Views: 736
The ocean is dying. The sea is growing warmer and is gradually rising. Seashells have become so rare that collecting them is now a national obsession. Flawless specimens sell like priceless works of art. Families hunt the tideline in the dark of night with flashlights. Crowds gather on beaches at the lowest of tides, hoping to get lucky.
Supreme among these collectors is Ness Wilde, CEO of Ocean Oil. Ness owns many of the best beaches, and he keeps them to himself. It's his fault the world turned out this way. And I aim to destroy him.
My name is Maya Walsh. You might be familiar with my shelling column in the Times. I was working on a series of pieces about Mr. Wilde, when out of the blue, he called. He says he wants to talk. But I don't think he's going to like what I have to say. Views: 736
A beautiful plantation home in Georgia's Appalachian region bears witness to a horrific murder and hosts a bloodthirsty demon hell-bent on vengeance.This is the first translation into English of the verse drama Germanicus by the Afrikaans poet N.P. Van Wyk Louw. The work was based on the first three chapters of the Annales of the Roman historiographer Tacitus. After the death of Emperor Augustus, his successor Tiberius’ adopted son Germanicus recoils from the cruelty inherent in imperial rule. In the end he helplessly acquiesces, finally welcoming his own death as a means of escape from the burden of empire. The drama has been considered a highlight in Afrikaans literature since its publication in 1956. Its interest lies in its amazing sweep of words, Louw’s sense of history and his portrayal of the inevitability of the corruption inherent in power. Louw’s great monologues dominate the debates between his main protagonists. His poetic Afrikaans had a grand eloquence that swept his audience along in a torrent of densely-argued meaning. Such conciseness offered severe challenges to the translator. Claassen’s colloquial translation manages to capture both the essence of Louw’s dramatic dialogues and the rhythmic cadences of the original poetry. The translator provides a lengthy Introduction, aimed at both a classical and a theatre-going readership, explaining the historical background and discussing Louw’s interpretation of Tacitus’ narrative and the constraints under which a translator works. A brief overview of the contents of the drama’s eight scenes is followed by a select bibliography. Views: 735
Cross Damon is a man at odds with society and with himself—a man of superior intellect who hungers for peace but who brings terror and destruction wherever he goes.From Richard Wright, one of the most powerful, acclaimed, and essential American authors of the twentieth century, comes a compelling story of a black man's attempt to escape his past and start anew in Harlem. The Outsider is an important work of fiction that depicts American racism and its devastating consequences in raw and unflinching terms. At once brilliantly imagined and frighteningly prescient, it is an epic exploration of the tragic roots of criminal behavior. Views: 735
Introduction by Colm Tóibín
One of the final masterpieces from one of the world’s greatest authors, Henry James’s The Ambassadors is now available for the first time in a Modern Library edition, with a new Introduction by acclaimed novelist Colm Tóibín. A keenly observed tale of a man’s awakening to life, this dark comic novel follows Lewis Lambert Strether, a middle-aged widower, on a mission to Europe to convince his fiancée’s wayward son to forsake the pleasures of Paris and return to America. Rich with fin de siècle detail, The Ambassadors brims with finely drawn character portraits, including one of the Master’s most unforgettable heroines—the beguiling Madame de Vionnet. This was the novel that Henry James himself considered his finest, and no one is better equipped to put it into literary and historical context than Colm Tóibín, whose award-winning novel The Master depicted the inner life of James in the final years of the nineteenth century. Views: 734
Evelyn investigates a possible case of a modern day witch-hunt in upstate New York.Journey into the Darkside of the world with experienced hunter Evelyn Blackwood and ordinary New Yorker Zac Quinn as they unravel supernatural mysteries and save the innocent from the terrors of night. Views: 733
Robert is a difficult and disturbed young man. He turns to his Calvinist faith for solace but finds it hard to get along with other people. After he falls in with the mysterious and charming Gil-Martin, his actions become more and more extreme. He convinces himself that he is one of the chosen few and that, therefore, all his actions are right and good . . . even murder.
James Hogg ('the Ettrick Shepherd') was a poet, novelist, and farmer whose work was discovered by Sir Walter Scott and admired by writers as different as Wordsworth and Byron. His most famous book, The Confessions of a Justified Sinner (1824), is striking in its use of Calvinist doctrine, demonology, and a highly modern psychological perception to tell the story of the criminal Colwan, deluded by occult forces into thinking he represents an instrument of divine justice and vengeance.
Introduction by Roger Lewis
(Book Jacket Status: Not Jacketed) Views: 731
A short story about a sudden and unexpected change in life and the journey to discovery.Jennifer Logan likes Scott Parker, and Scott Parker likes her back. But there’s a problem. Jen’s best friend, Lindy Masters, already called dibs on Scott. Scott Parker is off limits according to best friend crush rules. Jen comes up with a plan. If she finds a new crush for Lindy then she’ll be able to go to the Snow Ball with Scott. It sounds easy, but everyone knows that junior high is nothing but drama. Will Jen and Lindy get dates for the school dance? And who will win The Winter Wonderland fashion show? Find out in “Snow Ball”! Views: 730
What does it take to become a Guardian of the most powerful clan in the world? Find out as you follow Alix on his first Ascension Ritual into the Cave of Woe. Locked in a massive cavern, Alix must solve a riddle and find his way out. Sounds simple? Not while a horde of undead warriors are chasing after him! Will he solve the puzzle and make it out, or will the living dead make a meal of him?In a world rife with violence, powerful warriors called Guardians protect the village of the strongest clan. To become a Guardian is both an honor and a duty. However, to become a Guardian is no easy feat. A potential Guardian must pass seven Ascension Rituals, each a test designed to kill. Follow Alix on his journey to become a Guardian. Alix’s first Ascension test finds him locked in a cave with hundreds of undead corpses, alone, in the dark, and without weapons. He must solve a riddle written on the scroll he carries and find his way out…or die trying. Will he make it to the center of the cavern before the undead tear him apart? Who is the mysterious stranger secretly following him? Find out in this short and exciting story. Views: 730
Jerry Price has just killed his own mother. He had no choice. After ingesting a street narcotic called Vision, she changed into a cannibalistic creature, and he was next on the menu. Struggling with guilt he sets out with his pet ferret Whisper and his own malevolent shadow to discover the secrets of vision and himself.Jerry Price has just killed his own mother. He had no choice. After ingesting a street narcotic called Vision, she changed into a cannibalistic creature, and he was next on the menu.Institutionalized in an asylum, Jerry is left to struggle with the guilt over his mother's death, until he is broken out by the unlikely duo of a talking ferret named Whisper and Jerry's own shadow. Together the three set out to learn the secrets of Vision which are literally out of this world. Views: 729
This debut collection of poems and prose presents an eclectic view of a literary career in its infancy. Drawing on the universal consciousness of love, hate, insanity and the Reader's Digest, everyone will be able to find something of value in these pages. Read the customer reviews to see what others have said!Poetry may inspire directly, or it may do so by first challenging the reader. These two poems, "Why a Hermit?" and "The Truth-Tellers" don't, in any obvious way, point the way out of predicaments. Instead, they draw attention to what is wrong with the picture of society.Whether it's the American, Canadian, English, Australian Dream, or any of a variety of other national dreams, competition clearly becomes negative and overall destructive when democratic government itself is subverted for the sake of connected individuals' personal gain. That is the backdrop to these two poems. What occurs in each is testimony to the frailty of social fabrics, and the very real consequences of a society poisoned by cruel and negative competitiveness.The ways out are not pointed to; the only purpose of these poems is to make an argument that there are influences on our society that are destroying individuals, and our collective future.No adult-only content. Views: 727
An idea shouted has to be heard to mean something, “Ladies and gentlemen may I have your attention..." Billings Montana is about to become the center of a certain kind of revolution. Tin Universe Monthly #16 brings you the start of a hero. The story of a symbol and an call that will shape a city with triumph and tragedy.Such political satire could certainly be considered as pure fantasy, and although it is a work of fiction, there may just be elements which are uncomfortably familiar. A fledgling immigrant council minion decides to confront political correctness in society. A lofty ambition for a lowly servant of the presiding regime. He quickly grasps the currency of duplicity in the corridors of power, and has to seek out allies to deal with 'merchants of enlightenment' of the establishment, the psychologists.The gradual unfolding of this 'David and Goliath' encounter is both surprising and predictable. Making a difference has many cloaks. Views: 725
Conflict has torn the kingdom of Layr apart. Now two brothers find themselves on opposite sides of a war that could mean the end for dragonkind. **This is the prequel to Blood of the Dragon. It is a short story of approximately 8,000 words.**Ava Hart’s life is ordinary, just like it is for most seventeen year old girls. She goes to school, studies hard and has everyday boyfriend troubles, that is, until one night in November. Ava’s mum is killed by a drunk driver. Ava’s world is turned upside down over night. Everything she held dear is taken from her. She believes she has no one to turn to. However, her fears that she is now all alone in this world are short-lived, when her estranged father makes an unexpected appearance at her mum's funeral .He turns up and announces that he wants to make amends for the past. His first act is to offer her a new home in Harrogate. And so, at the age of seventeen, Ava leaves the security of the life she knew with her mum to begin a new and more privileged life with a family she never knew existed. After a tough beginning in Harrogate, Ava, slowly finds the strength, with help from new friends and family, to re-build her life. But before she has time to fully recover from her recent trauma, her heart falls into the hands of a stranger, albeit one who has already had a hand in shaping her past. Views: 725
Winner of the 2012 Crypticon Seattle Writing Contest - Gail's life is not a tragic story of a young beauty lead astray or a heartbreaking tale of how an innocent girl and her brushes with the cruel reality of the world.Winner of the 2012 Crypticon Seattle Writing Contest - Gail's life is not a tragic story of a young beauty lead astray or a heartbreaking tale of how an innocent girl and her brushes with the cruel reality of the world. It is only a series of bad decisions and worse relationships, mixed with low self-esteem and an inability to plan for the future. What happens when her path crosses with that of Frank and Steve, a duo with agendas of their own and a frightening history behind them? Views: 724
Three scientists play God and give life to an experiment. Things go wrong. Who will get out alive?Dr. Henry Carter is called into work at the Endeavour Science Facility after his colleagues spot a problem with one of their experiments. Chiefly, that it is *working*. The experiment comes to life and rampages through the lab, while Carter and his partners attempt to stop it - and get out alive. Views: 723
