Publisher: James Parducci
Captain Damien Powell is about to embark on a unique mission. If successful, he will be the first man on Mars. He has prepared for every possible outcome, except one.
Dallas Holm has had a significant influence in Christian music for over four decades. Songs like Rise Again, I Saw the Lord and Here We Are, as well as his thirty-eight recordings, have chronicled the life and ministry of this singer songwriter. Now in the book Words of Hope and Comfort, he offers the stories behind the songs. Here as both songwriter and storyteller he shares the joys and the sorrows, the victories and struggles common to us all throughout life's journey. You'll find yourself laughing and you'll find yourself crying as you read. Most importantly, you'll receive Words of Hope and Comfort.Show book
There is a reason your pulse quickens when you turn to that one particular scene in a book – the one where tension spills over, where restraint shatters, and where characters surrender to something primal, something undeniable. That moment, the one so many readers secretly crave, is smut. Once whispered about behind closed doors, hidden beneath the guise of “guilty pleasures,” smut has clawed its way into mainstream literature, proving that what was once considered taboo is now a genre in its own right. From centuries-old erotic manuscripts to today’s bestselling scorchers, smut has evolved, adapted, and seduced millions along the way. But why do we read it? Why do we write it? And why does society continue to both embrace and condemn it in equal measure? Each chapter in this book begins with an excerpt – an unfiltered glimpse into the heart of smut – before shifting to the forces that shape it, the way it has been challenged, censored, and celebrated. Some scenes will linger, some may provoke, but all of them exist because smut, at its core, is more than just raw lust – it is a reflection of desire, fantasy, and the ever-changing boundaries of storytelling. So, turn the page. But be warned: once you indulge, there is no going back.Show book
The origins of Ife are deeply rooted in mythology, oral traditions, and historical accounts, making it one of the most revered ancient cities in West Africa. Ife is often referred to as the cradle of the Yoruba civilization, a place where culture, religion, and governance took form. The story of its beginning is intertwined with Yoruba cosmology, particularly the legend of Oduduwa, who is considered the progenitor of the Yoruba people. According to Yoruba mythology, Olodumare, the Supreme Being, entrusted Oduduwa with the sacred task of creating the earth. He descended from the heavens with a chain, a handful of earth, and a rooster. Upon reaching the watery expanse that covered the world, he spread the earth on the surface, and the rooster scattered it, forming the first landmass. This sacred land became known as Ile-Ife, meaning “The Land of Expansion.” Over time, Oduduwa and his followers established a kingdom that became the center of Yoruba civilization, laying the foundation for its political, spiritual, and artistic traditions. Beyond mythology, historical and archaeological evidence suggests that Ife was already a flourishing city-state by the 9th century, possibly earlier. It grew as a hub of trade, attracting merchants and artisans from different parts of West Africa. Its strategic location allowed for the exchange of goods, ideas, and cultural practices, contributing to the city’s rapid development. The city’s early rulers, often referred to as the Oonis, played a crucial role in consolidating power and maintaining the harmony between religious and political institutions. The Ooni of Ife, regarded as both a king and a divine figure, acted as the intermediary between the people and the gods, reinforcing Ife’s status as a sacred city.Show book
A cultural planner's immodest proposal: change how we think about children and we just might change the world. We live in an ‘adultitarian’ state, where the rules are based on very adult priori- ties and understandings of reality. Young people are disenfranchised and power- less; they understand they’re subject to an authoritarian regime, whether they buy into it or not. But their unique perspectives also offer incredible potential for social, cultural and economic innovation. Cultural planner and performance director Darren O’Donnell has been collaborating with children for years through his company, Mammalian Diving Reflex; their most well-known piece, Haircuts by Children (exactly what it sounds like) has been performed internationally. O’Donnell suggests that working with children in the cultural industries in a manner that maintains a large space for their participation can be understood as a pilot for a vision of a very different role for young people in the world – one that the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child considers a ‘new social contract.’ Haircuts by Children is a practical proposal for the inclusion of children in as many realms as possible, not only as an expression of their rights, but as a way to intervene in the world and to disrupt the stark economic inequalities perpetuated by the status quo. Deeply practical and wildly whimsical, Haircuts by Children might actually make total sense. ‘No other playwright working in Toronto right now has O’Donnell’s talent for synthesizing psychosocial, artistic and political random thoughts and reflections into compelling analyses ... The world (not to mention the theatre world) could use more of this, if only to get us talking and debating.’ – The Globe and MailShow book
Bag of Tricks by Ruby Dee Philippa Mixed Stories of Life as a San Francisco Punk in the early 80’s BOOK ONE OF A PUNK TRILOGY BAG OF TRICKS is a compilation of short stories about San Francisco punks in the early 80’s. These vignettes stand alone yet bleed into one another. Meet the band The Shits, their groupies The Clits, and an array of colourful characters who populate these streets, squats and punk shows. With them, we cop drugs, shoot up, dumpster dive, trip around The City, go to punk shows and slip between the cracks of society. Most of the stories are true, although some of the details may or may not have happened...Show book
From objects to sounds, choreography is expanding beyond dance and human bodies in motion. This book offers one of the rare systematic investigations of expanded choreography as it develops in contemporaneity, and is the first to consider expanded choreography from a trans-historical perspective. Through case studies on different periods of European dance history - ranging from Renaissance dance to William Forsythe's choreographic objects and from Baroque court ballets to digital choreographies - it traces a journey of choreography as a practice transcending its sole association with dancing, moving, human bodies.Show book
