Other books that might interest you

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  Laughing Boy - (stage version)

  Stephen Unwin

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  'So much magic. So much love. So much laughter. So much work. So much rage. And so many tears.'
  Connor is, well, Connor. He loves buses, Eddie Stobart and Lego. He also has learning disabilities. When he dies an entirely preventable death in NHS care, his mum, Sara, can't get a straight answer as to how it happened.
  But Sara and her family won't stop asking questions and soon an extraordinary campaign emerges. Demanding the truth, it uncovers a scandal of neglect and indifference that goes beyond Connor's death to thousands of others.
  Sara Ryan's impassioned, frank and surprisingly funny memoir Justice for Laughing Boy is adapted for the stage by Stephen Unwin. It was first performed at Jermyn Street Theatre, London, in 2024, in a co-production with Theatre Royal Bath.

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  Heroic Stanzas - The Age of...

  John Dryden

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  John Dryden was born on August 9th, 1631 in the village rectory of Aldwincle near Thrapston in Northamptonshire. As a boy Dryden lived in the nearby village of Titchmarsh, Northamptonshire. In 1644 he was sent to Westminster School as a King's Scholar.  
  Dryden obtained his BA in 1654, graduating top of the list for Trinity College, Cambridge that year.  
  Returning to London during The Protectorate, Dryden now obtained work with Cromwell's Secretary of State, John Thurloe. 
   At Cromwell's funeral on 23 November 1658 Dryden was in the company of the Puritan poets John Milton and Andrew Marvell.  The setting was to be a sea change in English history. From Republic to Monarchy and from one set of lauded poets to what would soon become the Age of Dryden. 
  The start began later that year when Dryden published the first of his great poems, Heroic Stanzas (1658), a eulogy on Cromwell's death.  
  With the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660 Dryden celebrated in verse with Astraea Redux, an authentic royalist panegyric. 
   With the re-opening of the theatres after the Puritan ban, Dryden began to also write plays. His first play, The Wild Gallant, appeared in 1663 but was not successful. From 1668 on he was contracted to produce three plays a year for the King's Company, in which he became a shareholder. During the 1660s and '70s, theatrical writing was his main source of income.  
  In 1667, he published Annus Mirabilis, a lengthy historical poem which described the English defeat of the Dutch naval fleet and the Great Fire of London in 1666. It established him as the pre-eminent poet of his generation, and was crucial in his attaining the posts of Poet Laureate (1668) and then historiographer royal (1670). 
  This was truly the Age of Dryden, he was the foremost English Literary figure in Poetry, Plays, translations and other forms. 
  In 1694 he began work on what would be his most ambitious and defining work as translator, The Works of Virgil (1697), which was published by subscription. It was a national event.  
  John Dryden died on May 12th, 1700, and was initially buried in St. Anne's cemetery in Soho, before being exhumed and reburied in Westminster Abbey ten days later.

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  Boy Gets Girl - A Play

  Rebecca Gilman

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  What is a stalker? And what kind of life can a woman lead when she knows she is being followed, obsessively and perhaps dangerously, by one?This is the dilemma facing Theresa Bedell, a reporter in New York, in Rebecca Gilman's tensely fascinating new play. When Theresa goes on an awkward blind date with a friend of a friend, she sees no reason to continue the relationship--but the man, an attractive fellow named Tony, thinks otherwise. While Theresa is at first annoyed yet flattered by his continuing attention, her attitude gradually changes to one of fear and fury when he starts violently to menace her and those around her.In brilliantly delineating the kind of terror a woman in full control of her life feels when everything around her suddenly seems to be a threat, Gilman probes the dark side of relationships in the 1990s with the rich insight and compelling characterizations that have distinguished her earlier plays and made her one of the most exciting young playwrights working today.

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  The Language of the Birds - Poems

  Amy Nemecek

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  According to legend, the language of the birds was a mystical language God used to talk with Adam and Eve when he walked with them in the garden of Eden. Amy Nemecek listens for this divine dialect as she communes with God on her walks along country roads and creek banks, through forests and hayfields. She observes the world around her with expectation, knowing that God still speaks to us as he is at work making all things new. If we have ears to hear, we can catch snippets of his grace in the watercolor silhouette of a bird, the thrum of a tractor engine, the tang of a grapefruit, the curvature of an ampersand. Amy doesn't want to miss any of it, so she remains attentive to the smooth grit of beach sand, the tendrils of a nebula, and the steady gaze of a fossil. She delights in the details, and you will too.
  In this collection of lyric and narrative poems, you are invited to walk with her as she reflects on larger themes of beauty, loss, motherhood, family, and vocation. She contemplates the sacredness of ordinary moments that we usually don't recognize except in hindsight. Twining through every line is an aching hopefulness that ties together her love of words, her devotion to scripture, and her deep gratitude for each of life's joys and griefs.
  
  "Rub dust on your palms, pluck the ripened sunshine, and taste this poetic grace." —Dwight Baker, president and CEO of Baker Publishing Group

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  Lysistrata

  Aristophanes

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  Experience the timeless hilarity and sharp wit of Aristophanes' classic comedy with "Lysistrata," now available as an uproarious audiobook. In this uproarious tale, listeners will be transported to ancient Athens, where the women of the city, led by the indomitable Lysistrata, hatch a bold plan to end the Peloponnesian War by withholding sex from their husbands. 
  As the narrative unfolds, listeners will be swept up in the uproarious antics and clever scheming of the women as they employ wit, charm, and seduction to achieve their goal. Through Aristophanes' razor-sharp satire and biting social commentary, "Lysistrata" offers a hilarious yet thought-provoking exploration of gender dynamics, power struggles, and the absurdities of war. 
  Perfect for listeners in search of laughter and entertainment, this audiobook delivers a rollicking performance that will leave you in stitches. Whether you're a fan of classic literature or simply looking for a good laugh, "Lysistrata" promises an unforgettable listening experience that will delight and entertain. 
  So, if you're ready to laugh out loud and revel in the comedic genius of Aristophanes, start listening to "Lysistrata" today and experience the joy of this timeless comedy brought to life. Start Listening to "Lysistrata" today!

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  Disconnect - Chapter 6

  Open Boundaries

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  Chapter 6 - Disconnect - Disconnect is about the psychological action of disconnecting from everything that influences you in a negative manner. To not listen to the thoughts and voices of others who begin to steer your life, but instead, to focus on what you want and what you believe in.  
   
  In short, it is the disconnection from outside influences, replaced with the connection to what's inside. 
   
  Author Bio: 
  Set on creating a worldwide movement and bridging the gap between mental health and EDM music. Open Boundaries looks at music as a piece of the mind, something that transgresses languages, borders and backgrounds, a form of emotive connection that lets people forget, love, release, bring joy, cry, and expose their inner selves. The music itself is a form of expression based on personal self-realizations, with each release being built from pieces of the artists mind and then encapsulated in hard hitting beats, melodic rap flows, highly relatable lyrics and heart-felt vocals, all blended together and realized into in 3 versions; including the exclusively unique 'Message Bound' mixes. 
   
  Each release is then supported by the storytelling within the release of the ‘Chapters’, which define the meaning behind each song. 
   
  The artist remains anonymous for the purposes of being all inclusive to every person out there, there is no connection to any country or any background with all the focus being on the music and the lyrics, rather than the person behind it. This has allowed Open Boundaries to attract a global reach and fanbase who proclaim their devotion to the artist, along with their unwavering support to the ethos behind it.

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