The History of American Literature on Film
From William Dickson's Rip Van Winkle films (1896) to Baz Luhrmann's big-budget production of The Great Gatsby (2013) and beyond, cinematic adaptations of American literature participate in a rich and fascinating history. Unlike previous studies of American literature and film, which emphasize particular authors like Edith Wharton and Nathaniel Hawthorne, particular texts like Moby-Dick, particular literary periods like the American Renaissance, or particular genres like the novel, this volume considers the multiple functions of filmed American literature as a cinematic genre in its own right-one that reflects the specific political and aesthetic priorities of different national and historical cinemas even as it plays a decisive role in defining American literature for a global audience.
Steampunk Film
Steampunk Film: A Critical Introduction is a concise and accessible overview of steampunk's indelible impact within film, and acts as a case study for examining the ways with which genres hybridize and coalesce into new forms. Since the beginning of the 21st century, a series of high-profile and big-budget films have adopted steampunk identities to re-imagine periods of industrial development into fantastical histories where future meets past. By calling this growing mass-cultural fetishism for anachronistic machines into question, this book examines how a retro-futuristic romanticism for technology powered by cogs, pistons and steam-engines has taken center stage in blockbuster cinema. As the first monograph to consider cinema's unique relationship with steampunk, it places this burgeoning genre in the context of ongoing debates within film theory: each of which reflecting the movement's remarkable interest in reengineering historical technologies. Rather than acting as a niche subculture, Robbie McAllister argues that steampunk's proliferation in mainstream filmmaking reflects a desire to reassess contemporary relationships with technology and navigate the intense changes that the medium itself is experiencing in the 21st century.
The Big Penis Book
"Sirs" begins the missive from our imaginary correspondent. "It's not that I don't love your original Big Penis Book, but that, perhaps, I love it too much. I now become anxious leaving the house without it, and long business trips are simply torture. Couldn't you make a smaller, less obtrusive edition, still packed with men whose generative members measure over 8 inches, that doesn't form a suspiciously large bulge in my carry-on luggage? And while you're at it, could you make it highly affordable, since my pockets are as shallow as this premise?" Done! The Little Big Penis Book features over 150 massively endowed models from the 1940s through the '90s, including photos by Bob Mizer of AMG, David Hurles of Old Reliable, Rip Colt of Colt Studio, Craig Calvin Anderson of Sierra Domino, Hal Roth of Filmco, Jim Jaeger of Third World Studios, Falcon Studios, Mike Arlen, Fred Bisonnes, Carlos Quiroz, and Charles Hovland in a compact and inexpensive format. Photos come not just from the original overstuffed 384-page edition, but from subsequent Big Penis Calendars, meaning that 30% of the content is unique to this edition. Add a reduced text to make more room for the stunning black-and-white and color photos and how could anyone--big, small, or just right--ask for a better deal?
Ed Fox II
Ed Fox thought he was the only young man who checked out a woman's feet before her face, and most of the time couldn't meet his models' eyes for fear they'd discern his secret. Then he became the official foot photographer for Leg Show magazine, and learned of the thousands of men just like him and the glorious legacy of foot fetish photographers before him, not least the great Elmer Batters.Since then, Fox has become famed the world over for his sensual photographic style that captures every curve of a woman's body, right down to the tips of her toes. In Ed Fox II he brings us voluptuous new models, arresting locations--many blending the desert landscapes of Southern California with Fox's passion for automobiles--and fantasies mild to extra spicy, all shot in warm, caressing natural light. And, like Glamour From the Ground Up, Ed Fox II comes with a 60-minute original DVD, bringing the still photos to vibrant life.This edition's special Panic Cover is reversible to a realistic-looking academic book to keep the real contents hidden from prying eyes, or even to help you impress an attractive onlooker!
The Housemaid (2025)
Behind the pristine walls of a beautiful home, something is deeply wrong-and The Housemaid (2025) refuses to let you look away. This gripping nonfiction deep dive pulls back the curtain on one of the most unsettling psychological thrillers of the decade, revealing the hidden mechanisms of control, manipulation, and power that drive the film long after its final scene. Far beyond a simple plot breakdown, this book examines the dark psychology beneath the smiles, the silent rules governing the household, and the slow-burn terror that makes The Housemaid linger in the mind. Through sharp analysis and cultural insight, you'll explore how the film fits into a 30-year lineage of domestic thrillers, why female rage has become one of the most resonant forces in modern storytelling, and how fear operates without violence-through gaslighting, class imbalance, and credibility gaps. Each chapter dissects the characters played by Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried, Brandon Sklenar, Michele Morrone, and Elizabeth Perkins, uncovering how performance, silence, and power collide to create an atmosphere of constant unease. This book doesn't just ask what happens in The Housemaid. It asks why it feels so familiar-and why that familiarity is terrifying. By tracing the film's psychological undercurrents and cultural context from the 1990s through 2025, it reveals how domestic spaces become battlegrounds, how identity fractures under pressure, and how survival often demands restraint rather than rebellion. Whether you are a fan of psychological thrillers, a student of film and culture, or a reader drawn to stories about power, control, and hidden truths, this book offers a deeper way to experience The Housemaid-one that sharpens your understanding and challenges your assumptions. If the film unsettled you, this book will explain why. If it stayed with you, this book will take you further. Read it now-and see what the house was really hiding.
Holiday Plays for Cultures Worldwide
Holiday Plays for Cultures Worldwide gathers a vibrant selection of family-friendly one-act scripts, each celebrating holiday traditions from Western and Eastern cultures. Under the editorial guidance of American playwright Danah Lassiter, the book showcases diverse voices from around the world, each offering a unique lens on celebration while sharing universal themes of joy, togetherness, and tradition. With small casts of six characters or less, these imaginative shorts are ideally suited for small theatre troupes, classrooms, and community programs eager to honor cultural diversity on stage.Selected from hundreds of submissions to Kinsman Quarterly's global playwriting contest, these scripts were chosen by a dedicated review team for their originality, cultural richness, and performance-ready appeal. The collection proudly features the Grand Prize winner, Russell Nichols, alongside runner-ups Maya De La Torre and Melanie Payne, whose works anchor this anthology with exceptional storytelling and memorable characters. Whether for a school performance, community events, or intimate theatre production, Holiday Plays for Cultures Worldwide invites audiences to experience the beauty of holidays that connect us all.
Kisses From A Killer
The Kisses Series is a dark, emotionally charged crime-thriller saga that follows Detectives Myrna Watkis and Dessa Simms through a sequence of murder cases tied together by chilling symbolism and long-buried secrets. Each installment features a standalone investigation, but beneath every case runs a deeper narrative thread: the legacy of violence, the power of memory, and how trauma shapes the choices people make. The "kiss" motif, from chocolate wrappers to metaphorical marks left on victims, acts as the signature that links these crimes across the years, revealing that nothing in these cases is random. As the detectives peel back layers of evidence, they confront their own shadows, dangerous pasts, and the thin line between justice and vengeance. Book 1: Kisses From a Killer introduces the detectives and the first case. Book 2: Kisses From the Dead expands the world and the consequences of the past.
The Little Graphic Design Book
This pocket guide offers clear, practical references for graphic designers, students, and print professionals. It includes key terms, charts, and quick guides on typography, color, layout, printing, and digital production-everything needed to support confident and efficient design work.
Sunsets from the Hart
Artist Debra Young has been intrigued with sunsets ever since she was a youngster.But she wondered how to save them . . . . how to share their visual beauty.The answer: she decided to photograph them. Over the years, Debra carefully captured hundreds of interesting and exciting sunsets. Herewith, then, are whatDebra Young calls the cr癡me de la cr癡me of visual pleasure. Sixty stunning sunsets! As you leaf through these pages, we're sure you'll agree: every sunset is unique!
Introduction to Textile Design
The book provides a comprehensive understanding of the vast and creative world of textiles. It begins with the basic concepts of textile and fabric design, exploring the types of fibres and fabrics used across the world. The text then delves into the rich traditions of Indian textiles, tracing their evolution from ancient handlooms to modern industrial processes. Readers are introduced to the art and science of weaving, including its techniques, machinery, and the role of the Industrial Revolution in transforming textile production. The chapters on weaving design composition, rugs, and carpet weaving highlight both traditional craftsmanship and modern innovation. The book also covers decorative textile arts such as fabric painting, stencil and block printing, batik art, embroidery, and tie-dye, celebrating the cultural diversity and artistry embedded in these practices. Further, it explains colour theory, design principles, and modern digital tools and software used in textile design today. A special focus is given to the textile industry in India, its economic significance, and the role of textile designers in shaping contemporary fashion and interiors. The concluding chapters list top institutes in India and abroad that offer professional courses in textile design, serving as a guide for aspiring designers. Overall, this book is an essential resource for students, educators, and professionals in textile design-combining theory, tradition, creativity, and technology in one comprehensive volume.
Opera Theme Plot
This book is a comprehensive guide to operas. Whether you are a novice or an experienced musician, Fellner's book serves as an indispensable resource. Basic musical and dramatic materials accompany vocal scores of operas from the repertoire of great opera houses. With rich summaries, Fellner gives readers a rich overview of the world of Opera.
Axis of Heaven
At sunrise, light slips through a temple doorway, striking stone with uncanny precision. Across continents, from pyramids in Egypt to circles in Britain and cities in Asia, builders aligned monuments with the heavens. This book asks the deeper question: why did so many civilisations embed sacred geometry into their most enduring works-and what does that reveal about human meaning? Far from being mere superstition, these designs united science, myth, and power. Readers will journey through the pyramid mysteries, the alignments of megalithic sites, and the cosmic grids of ancient cities, discovering how architecture became both map and prayer. They will encounter the blurred line between ritual and measurement, exploring how astronomy and temples shaped agriculture, kingship, and community life. At each step, striking case studies and cultural debates bring the stones alive, showing how the human urge to link earth with sky has never vanished. This book is written for curious readers who crave both wonder and clarity-those who seek more than surface-level tales of lost civilisations. It offers a fresh lens on ancient cosmology, one that challenges assumptions and connects past design to present questions of orientation, meaning, and memory. By the end, readers will see how sky and stone monuments are not relics of a vanished world, but keys to understanding our ongoing search for order. Whether drawn by history, architecture, or the enduring meaning of sacred geometry, they will find here a guide to how humanity once built with the stars-and why it matters still.
Woven Bliss
The unnerving character of Hazel appears to turn the lives of Jacqueline and Jason upside down... No one could foresee the outcome.... This Woven Bliss, they surrounded themselves with was about to crumble....Will they be able to get back to normal and sustain their loving relationship they once had, or will the hauntings of Hazel prevent that... Will they survive.... The hurdles of Hazel's obsession... become infectious as she tries to cling to her desired ownership....As the tides of time that bind together, the memories of those gone still sit there... Their presence will not be forgotten... For the joy and pain that come together, it's the joy that finally wins through, it has the strength to.... This third novel captures the very essence of tragedy but will the Gibson family recover from such tragedies, and its bereaved presence to a new light, a new way of life....
One Per Cent Luck -
He was a 10 year old boy who lived a happy, carefree life in a real, honest-to-goodness castle in Czechoslovakia. One morning, on his way to school with his sister, Milu, they saw Hitler's tanks, guns and soldiers parading in the streets, and everything changed forever.In the months and years to come, Fred Sirotek remembers the terror of the Nazis barging with guns and bayonets into their home late at night in search of his Catholic father, who risked his and his family's lives to help his Jewish employees and friends.When WW II was over, the family's struggles began anew with the Communist takeover of their country. One night the family made a dramatic escape across the border to Germany. Eventually they landed in Canada and started the slow business of building a life. Fred began a business that went on to become one of the premier construction and land-holding companies in Ottawa.He attributes much of his success to luck-but only a very little bit. "Just about one per cent is all you need", he says, "as long as it comes at the right time."
Shadowplayers
A revised and expanded edition of the long out-of-print history of Factory Records, the legendary record label that launched Joy Division, New Order, and Happy Mondays. Featuring a foreword by Jon Savage. "Definitive and comprehensive, this is the actual story of Factory Records" --Peter Saville In 1978, a "Factory for Sale" sign gave Alan Erasmus and Tony Wilson a name for their fledgling Manchester club night. Though they couldn't have known it at the time, this was the launch of one of the most significant musical and cultural legacies of the late twentieth century. The club's electrifying live scene soon translated to vinyl, and Factory Records went on to become the most innovative and celebrated record label of the next thirty years. Always breaking new musical ground, Factory introduced the listening public to bands such as Joy Division, whose Unknown Pleasures was the label's first album release, New Order, Durutti Column and Happy Mondays. Propelled onwards by the inspirational cultural entrepreneur, Tony Wilson, Factory always sought new ways to energise the popular consciousness. Now fully revised and expanded with a new chapter, Shadowplayers is the most complete, authoritative and thoroughly researched account of how a group of provincial anarchists and entrepreneurs saw off bankers, journalists and gun-toting gangsters to create the most influential record label of modern times. Based on both archive and contemporary sources, the book tells the full story of Factory's heroic struggles, its complex web of inventive, idiosyncratic and tragic personalities, and ultimately, the acclaimed and much-loved music it produced.
The Folk River - Memories from the Early Scottish Folk Club Scene
Aces Back to Back
Aces Back to Back: The History of the Grateful Dead (1965 - 2025) Aces Back to Back: The History of the Grateful Dead (1965 - 2025) details the Grateful Dead's entire 60-year history - through November 2025 - including the development of Dead & Company and the Wolf Bros, making it the most detailed, precise, interesting and up-to-date account of the Dead's history ever written. Aces Back to Back covers the events and chronology leading to the band's inception as well as their complete 30-year reign and is the only book that recounts the entire post-Garcia period - from the sad passing of Jerry in 1995 through the various band incarnations that followed: the Other Ones, the Dead, RatDog, Phil Lesh and Friends, the Mickey Hart Band, Billy and the Kids, Furthur, Dead & Company, the Phil and Bob duo, and the Wolf Bros. My biography features a Foreword from renowned Grateful Dead lyricist John Perry Barlow. The cover is drawn by acclaimed poster artist Steve Johannsen (Grateful Dead, Furthur, Gov't Mule) and the interior features 20 original illustrations by Steve and Lauren Kroutil. Aces Back to Back traces the group's history from their earliest roots (Jerry and Hunter's spring 1961 road trip) and takes the reader right up to November 2025. Every vital moment in the Dead's history is covered: the Acid Tests, the Haight-Ashbury, Woodstock, the Wall of Sound, Watkins Glen, the May 8, 1977 show at Cornell, the Egypt concerts, In the Dark, Deadheads, all 13 studio albums, and the 60th anniversary celebratory concerts by Dead & Co. in the Polo Field. Every key player is here, too: Neal Cassady, Jack Kerouac, Ken Kesey, the Merry Pranksters, Robert Hunter, John Barlow, Bill Graham, Rick Griffin, Mouse & Kelley, the Mime Troupe, Albert Hofmann, the Family Dog, Winterland Arena, Augustus Owsley Stanley III, Steve Parish, Ramrod, Betty Cantor-Jackson, Wavy Gravy, and Dan Healy. Scott W. Allen wrote for Relix magazine from 1983 until 1992, serving as a Senior Writer, columnist ("Fragments"), and feature article writer. He is a veteran of nearly 250 Grateful Dead concerts, and taught and coached on the high school and college levels for 30 years. Scott was commissioned by the Library of Congress to write the essay that accompanies the enshrinement of the Grateful Dead's show on May 8, 1977 at Barton Hall into the National Recording Registry. "This book is a gift ... it is from Scott Allen, an utterly shameless Deadhead, to the community he has loved for a long time." - John Perry Barlow, Grateful Dead
Thinking Twice
Photo essays of unsettling beauty, ethics, and perception.Thinking Twice is a photographic exploration by Phyllis Crowley that transforms the ordinary and often unsettling realities of food markets around the world into meditations on beauty, mortality, and culture. Shot across Mexico, Vietnam, Spain, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Italy, and the United States, the series captures meat, fish, and other market fare in vivid, painterly compositions that blur the boundary between attraction and aversion.Accompanied by essays from art critic Zachary Fine ("The Unlikely Sublime") and artist-curator Deborah Hesse ("Epilogue"), the book situates Crowley's photographs within a lineage of artists who confront the ethics and aesthetics of consumption. Fine argues that Crowley overturns Kant's notion that disgust destroys beauty-her lens transforms repulsion into wonder-while Hesse highlights the ecological and moral questions embedded in our food systems.Crowley's accompanying text, Thoughts on the Thinking Twice Series, traces her fascination with food markets since her first encounter in Mexico in 2009, where glistening sheets of meat and seafood hung like tapestries in the light. Her work reveals a tension between reverence for life and acknowledgment of death, between cultural ritual and individual discomfort.Published by OctoberWorks and designed by Jeanne Criscola, Thinking Twice embodies the imprint's commitment to intentional, design-forward publishing. It is a meditation on seeing - urging us, as the title suggests, to "think twice" to hold death and beauty, ethics and aesthetics, in our minds at once.
Little Book of Gucci by Tom Ford
The legendary ten years Tom Ford spent at the helm of Gucci is one of the most significant decades in fashion history. Credited as the creative director who made the brand synonymous with sexiness, Ford flooded the runway and red carpet with slashed-to-the-waist silk shirts, sumptuous velvet tailoring, sheer flowing tunics, skin-flashing cut-outs, and even Gucci-branded G-strings. Celebrity fans included Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow, with Rihanna, Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Russell now seeking out rare archival pieces from these prized collections. Little Book of Gucci by Tom Ford deep dives every season, with over 100 images of all the cult designs, accompanied by expert text exploring the forever appeal of this sensual and eternally cool era.
Misalliance
Misalliance presents a lively social comedy that unfolds within a prosperous household where contrasting ideals of love, marriage, and independence collide. The story centers on a prosperous family enjoying a quiet weekend that quickly turns into a battle of wits and perspectives when guests with conflicting beliefs arrive. Through spirited exchanges and ironic situations, the play examines ideas of class privilege, gender expectations, and personal freedom. As conversations reveal insecurities and ambitions, each individual confronts their own limitations within the social order. The arrival of unexpected visitors, including one quite literally falling from the sky, disrupts conventional harmony and forces everyone to reconsider their assumptions about propriety and affection. What begins as light banter evolves into an examination of how society defines worth, compatibility, and courage in human connection. With its layered humor and philosophical undertones, the play offers a vivid commentary on shifting social values and the uneasy tension between tradition and self-determination.
The Two Noble Kinsmen
The two noble kinsmen presents a story where loyalty and affection collide, testing the limits of honor and personal desire. The narrative begins within a ruling court preparing for a celebratory union when a group of grieving figures arrives, pleading for justice after a devastating conflict. Their appeal leads to renewed confrontation and the capture of two noble prisoners whose bond is defined by deep mutual respect. While held in confinement, both encounter a figure whose presence reshapes their priorities. What once united them begins to fracture as admiration turns into longing, and longing becomes rivalry. The work explores how powerful emotions can blur duty, turning friendship into conflict. Freedom becomes both a physical goal and a metaphor for release from inner turmoil. Through shifts in fortune, misunderstandings, and unexpected alliances, the story examines how individuals struggle to choose between loyalty to another and loyalty to themselves. The play reveals that noble intentions can still lead to painful outcomes, suggesting that honor and love do not always coexist peacefully. Ultimately, the narrative reflects how emotional battles can be as defining and transformative as any external war.
The Plays Of W. E. Henley And R. L. Stevenson
The plays of W. E. Henley and R. L. Stevenson brings together a series of dramatic works that blend psychological conflict, moral inquiry, and social observation. Among them, the play centred on a respected craftsman who conceals a life of crime stands out as a powerful study of duality and human weakness. The narrative moves through an atmosphere of tension, where public duty and private desire collide, creating a portrait of a man torn between his outer respectability and inner corruption. Through vivid dialogue and emotional intensity, the story exposes the strain of living two lives within a society governed by rigid moral expectations. Scenes featuring family ties and civic responsibility serve to heighten the conflict, reflecting themes of ambition, deceit, and the slow unraveling of conscience. The play's depiction of hidden vice beneath polished virtue becomes a broader commentary on hypocrisy and moral disintegration, transforming social respectability into a mirror for the darker truths of human nature.
Windows
Windows examines how ideals can fracture when confronted with real human vulnerability. It presents a household that believes itself guided by reason and moral clarity until the arrival of a troubled outsider exposes the fragility of those convictions. Daily routines give the impression of stability, yet behind polite exchanges lie impatience, disillusionment, and a growing awareness that certainty is far easier to maintain when untested. Conversations inside the home reveal competing beliefs about personal responsibility, compassion, and the limits of patience. The family debates the value of principles while quietly fearing the consequences of living by them. The outsider's presence forces each person to reassess comfortable assumptions, revealing how quickly judgment replaces empathy when reputation or privacy feels threatened. Ideals become strained under the weight of inconvenience, and lofty claims about integrity dissolve into tension and blame. The work ultimately suggests that clarity is not achieved by viewing life through abstract values, but by acknowledging the complexity, weakness, and desperation within ordinary human decisions.
On Conducting (Ueber Das Dirigiren) A Treatise On Style In The Execution Of Classical Music
On conducting (Ueber das Dirigiren): A treatise on style in the execution of classical music offers a detailed examination of the principles and artistry required in orchestral leadership. The work explores the conductor's responsibility not merely as a timekeeper but as an interpreter who brings depth, emotion, and clarity to the performance of classical compositions. Through analytical reflection, it emphasizes the need for precision, stylistic understanding, and respect for the composer's intent. The text critiques mechanical and uninspired methods of conducting, calling for a more expressive and intellectually engaged approach. It underscores the importance of balancing technical mastery with artistic sensitivity, particularly in interpreting the works of great composers such as Beethoven and Mozart. The treatise advocates for reforms in musical education and performance practice, encouraging conductors to cultivate both musical insight and a deep connection with their orchestras. Ultimately, the work stands as a passionate appeal for integrity, individuality, and authenticity in the interpretation of classical music, shaping the foundations of modern conducting philosophy.
The London Prodigal As It Was Played By The King's Majesties Servants
The London prodigal as it was played by the king's majesties servants depicts the downfall and redemption of a misguided youth whose reckless choices strain his family bonds and social standing. The play unfolds around themes of repentance, familial duty, and the moral consequences of indulgence. The story begins with an anxious father lamenting his son's wasteful behavior, setting a tone of both concern and irony that threads through the narrative. As deceit, vanity, and misjudgement steer the young man toward personal ruin, the plot contrasts moral weakness with enduring parental hope. Through moments of conflict, humor, and eventual self-realization, the play mirrors the tension between vice and virtue, exposing the temptations that accompany wealth and youth. At its heart, the work highlights the restorative power of forgiveness and the enduring faith in one's ability to change. Blending moral instruction with comedic undertones, the piece captures an age-old reflection on human frailty and spiritual renewal through lessons learned from folly and forgiveness.
American Hand Book Of The Daguerreotype
American hand book of the daguerreotype offers a thorough guide to one of the earliest and most intricate photographic processes, aimed at both enthusiasts and skilled practitioners. The work details each stage of creating a daguerreotype, emphasizing accuracy, care, and technical mastery. It begins with methods for preparing, polishing, and coating the photographic plate, highlighting how precision in these steps determines the clarity and quality of the final image. Readers are walked through advanced procedures, such as buffing surfaces, using mercury vapors for image development, and maintaining the delicate chemical balance essential to the craft. The text also provides an overview of the specialized equipment and chemicals required, along with safety practices to protect both the photographer and the materials. Combining practical instruction with technical insight, the book serves as a foundational manual on the art's delicate interplay between science and creativity, guiding its audience toward proficiency in a pioneering medium of visual expression.
Count Julian A Tragedy
Count Julian: A Tragedy unfolds as a powerful tragedy rooted in Spain's turbulent past, exploring themes of honor, vengeance, and moral conflict. The narrative opens in a scene charged with emotional intensity, where the central figure faces the anguish of past choices and the deep sorrow surrounding his family's fate. His conversation with the Metropolitan of Seville exposes the depth of his guilt and his burning resentment toward the nation's ruler, whose actions have brought personal ruin and national disgrace. This tension between private pain and patriotic duty drives the drama forward, transforming an individual's anguish into a reflection on loyalty and the cost of justice. The play intertwines personal betrayal with political turmoil, portraying the devastating impact of pride and corruption. Through its eloquent dialogue and tragic realism, the work captures the hero's descent into moral conflict while examining the thin line between righteousness and revenge, ultimately revealing the destructive power of passion when justice is clouded by grief.
Tamburlaine The Great Part I
Tamburlaine: The Great Part I portrays the epic rise of a formidable conqueror whose boundless ambition transforms him from a humble shepherd into a symbol of ruthless power. Set against a backdrop of political turmoil and shifting alliances, the play explores how the hunger for dominance both creates and destroys empires. The story begins in a fractured Persia where internal disputes among rulers mirror the instability that allows Tamburlaine's ascent. His brilliance in warfare and magnetic personality draw followers as he challenges established authority and reshapes territories through calculated aggression and charisma. The capture of a foreign princess adds emotional contrast to his relentless quest for greatness, revealing the tension between love and conquest. Through its grand language and dramatic intensity, the play examines the psychological dimensions of ambition, questioning whether power elevates or corrupts those who grasp it. The work ultimately becomes a reflection on destiny, human limitation, and the perilous allure of absolute control over nations and fate itself.
Lovers' Vows
Lovers' vows examines the moral and emotional complexities surrounding love, duty, and social order. The play delves into the conflict between personal desire and societal constraint, portraying how individuals struggle to reconcile affection with honor and convention. Set against the moral backdrop of class divisions and rigid expectations, it portrays the journey of forgiveness, reconciliation, and the restoration of justice. The work explores how compassion and truth can transcend the limits imposed by birth and reputation, offering a reflection on the redemptive power of sincerity and moral courage. Through moments of tension and revelation, the play critiques hypocrisy and prejudice, illuminating how genuine virtue often arises from adversity. The narrative's emotional depth lies in its depiction of loyalty, maternal love, and the courage to confront societal wrongs. It becomes both a domestic and social drama, emphasizing the enduring strength of conscience and the triumph of emotional honesty over social pretense.
A Family Man
A family man follows a strict head of household whose certainty in structure and rules begins to unravel when the people within his home challenge the life he tries to control. The narrative opens with him considering the possibility of a public honor, convinced that his authority extends not only over his household but into the larger community. The home appears orderly, yet tension grows beneath the surface. A silent restraint surrounds his partner, who reacts to his decisions with quiet endurance. Their desire for freedom, identity, and dignity confronts the rigid structure that defines their father's worldview. Each conversation reveals how tradition can become a cage when it refuses to adapt. The work shows the emotional cost of holding onto control and the pain that arises when love becomes a demand rather than a choice. Ultimately, the play examines how families fracture when authority refuses to listen and how growth requires letting go.
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
The Anglo-Saxon chronicle stands as a foundational record of early English history, tracing the transformation of Britain from scattered tribal settlements to the rise of organized Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. Compiled under royal patronage and continued by later scribes, it combines historical memory with evolving cultural identity. The chronicle opens with a survey of Britain's landscape and its earliest inhabitants, recounting migrations, conflicts, and the influence of Roman conquest. Through its entries, the text maps a lineage of rulers, wars, and natural events, creating a framework for understanding the political and social shifts that shaped the nation. Each section captures how communities responded to invasion, faith, and governance, reflecting the transition from pagan roots to Christian society. Its language and perspective reveal both the pride and the vulnerability of a people defining their place amid change. More than a record of rulers and battles, it endures as a mirror of collective memory and the beginnings of English identity.
Your Golden Ears
Have you always wanted to learn piano chords so you can play your favorite songs?Have you learned how to read sheet music but always wished you knew how to play from lead sheets?Do you dream of playing Christmas songs for friends and family to sing along with?Whether you're learning piano for the first time or transitioning from traditional sheet music to chord playing, Your Golden Ears: Play Piano with Chords - Christmas Songs for Adult Beginners is the perfect next step in your piano journey. This book gives you the confidence and tools to play music you love, just in time for the holidays.What You'll Learn Inside: How to play piano using chords through well-known Christmas carols, skills you can later apply to any of your favorite songsHow to read lead sheets and understand chord symbols in a clear, beginner-friendly wayStep-by-step video tutorials for every song, making learning feel like a private lesson with a teacher guiding your chords, rhythm, and hand placementBeautiful, recognizable Christmas songs that you'll be proud to play and share with loved onesA gentle, supportive approach designed specifically for adults learning at their own paceDon't let your musical dreams slip away. Your "Golden (Y) Ears" are still ahead of you.Start your chord-playing journey today and bring music into your home this holiday season!
BACKSTAGE - Behind the Curtains with the Greatest Entertainers of the 20th Century
BACKSTAGE - Behind the Curtains with the Greatest Entertainers of the 20th Century tells the remarkable story of Marty Harrell, a professional journey that began with his rise as a teenage bass trombone prodigy and carried him to the heart of the greatest stages of his era.From the swinging days of the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra to unforgettable performances behind legends like Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, and Sammy Davis Jr., Harrell's career placed him shoulder-to-shoulder with the most iconic entertainers of the 20th century.Told with intimacy and authenticity, BACKSTAGE is more than a chronicle of one man's musical career--it is a rare glimpse into the fun, excitement, banter and bluster behind the curtains, through the end of the big band era, the opening salvos of the British Invasion, and the height of the Rock & Roll epoch.
