Other books that might interest you

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  The Great Great Wall - Along the...

  Ian Volner

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  During his campaign for the presidency, one of Donald Trump’s signature promises was that he would build a “great great wall” on the border between the United States and Mexico, and Mexico was going to pay for it. A year and a half into his term, with only a few prototype segments erected, the wall is the 2,000-mile multibillion-dollar elephant in the room of contemporary American life. In The Great Great Wall, architectural historian and critic Ian Volner takes a deep dive into the story of Trump’s wall. Volner follows the conception, selling, design, and construction (or lack thereof) of this expensive and consequential barrier, giving listeners a detailed description of what’s happening in Washington, DC—and along the border. He also travels far afield, to China, the Middle East, northern England, and back to our border to examine the barriers we’ve been building for centuries. Why do we build walls? What do they reveal about human history?

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  The Creative Cottage

  Steve Gross, Susan Daley

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  Thirteen American homes and their owners who have created unique spaces filled with history and personality. Two hundred luscious photos combined with engaging narration give a window into the heritage, inspiration, and creativity that made each cottage its homeowners’ perfect match.

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  Staging Ghana - Artistry and...

  Paul Schauert

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  The Ghana Dance Ensemble takes Ghana's national culture and interprets it in performance using authentic dance forms adapted for local or foreign audiences. Often, says Paul Schauert, the aims of the ensemble and the aims of the individual performers work in opposition. Schauert discusses the history of the dance troupe and its role in Ghana's post-independence nation-building strategy and illustrates how the nation's culture makes its way onto the stage. He argues that as dancers negotiate the terrain of what is or is not authentic, they also find ways to express their personal aspirations, discovering, within the framework of nationalism or collective identity, that there is considerable room to reform national ideals through individual virtuosity.

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  The Art of Pastel - Discover...

  Walter Foster Creative Team

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  “Three accomplished artists each present an original take on the medium . . . This is a comprehensive guide for beginners.” —Library Journal 
   
  The velvety strokes of pastel have enchanted fine artists for more than a century. From airy strokes to bold marks and soft hues to vibrant shades, the versatility of pastel makes it suitable for a wide range of subjects and moods. Now anyone can experience this multi-dimensional medium with The Art of Pastel. Inside this comprehensive guide, three artists provide instruction for using soft, hard, and oil pastel—each sharing his or her unique approach. From portraits and landscapes to rich floral scenes, this book contains a wealth of inspiring images that artists can re-create step by step.

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  Jon Reep: Ginger Beard Man

  Jon Reep

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  North Carolina-born Jon Reep brings the laughs to Chicago and discusses everything from outdated state laws to giant satellite dishes and asks maybe the most important question - why isn’t there a fresh salt guy at restaurants?

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  Emmett Miller: An Obscure...

  Jack Norton

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  One of the strangest, most obscure, and intriguing stories from the last century of American music is that of Emmett Miller. He helped define the popular music of the last 75 years, and for the most part, today he is all but forgotten. Emmett Miller left many legacies which influenced the American musical landscape for generations. Certainly his singing style - the odd nasal pitch tone, along with the breaking of lines and bars in a song to a high yodel-like yelp - has been imitated by scores of singers since Miller first waxed his signature style to record in 1924. Jimmie Rodgers, Gene Autry, Lefty Fritzell, the Rhythm Wreckers, Bob Wills, Woody Guthrie, Howlin' Wolf, Leon Redbone and Bob Dylan all have been influenced by Miller's one-of-a-kind vocal abilities. Of equal importance was Miller's visionary fusion of blues and jazz, country and swing, black and white, comedy and crooning. 
  Whether he knew what he was doing at the time or not, Miller almost single-handedly tore down the strict boundaries of musical ideas of the era. Here was a young, white, Christian man from the south, singing hot-jazz and black music in the north. Performing as a blackface with some of the most influential jazz musicians of all time (Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey, Gene Krupa, Eddie Lang, Jack Teagarden, and more). He created an entirely new style of country: pop. Country which swung. Country that was equally parts white and black, urban and rural. Country that was slurred through whiskey, girls, the road, and came out as the earliest forms of beatnik jive. Listening to Miller's music today, one can hear the startling sound of a man perfectly in sync with the present: he's influenced by the past, while he anticipated what was coming just around the bend. For fans of music history, musicology, Americana, country music, hillbilly, minstrelsy and vaudeville.

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