Publisher: Tales of Terror
We are horror fans and we know our stuff, but there are things we suspect about the genre that we can’t easily describe and quantify; things numbers can confirm. The book comprises six in-depth analyses of over 3000 horror and horror-adjacent films.
"you start every new day with an inventory: a moth, a cape, a parachute, a coffin, a gun, the wall you built to mount the gun." On the Subject of Fallen Things is an addictive, Chekhovian metanarrative: phenomenological, absurd, and dripping with black humour. James Kearns' speaker keeps company with Lazarus, an inept psychic, and a deceased superhero, but finds himself increasingly alone—lost in dialogue with mortality, both personal and anthropological. Permanence, culpability, the function and corruption of human storytelling: all come into play in a surge of momentum that grips the reader, even as it breaks apart: a lean explosion, a gunshot in the distance. "On the Subject of Fallen Things weaves whimsy into narrative epiphanies that you never see coming. Each line aggregating weight like the lightness of snowflakes gathering into an avalanche. Hugely enjoyable. Get it now." Roger Robinson, A Portable Paradise, Winner of the 2019 T.S. Eliot Prize "This is a really brilliant sequence of poems. Like Ponge, or Herbert, or Steger, or Simic, it manages to be both serious and fleeting, weighty and funny. It's hopeful, actually." S.J. Fowler, 3:AM MagazineShow book
Breaking the global record for streams in a single day, nearly 10 million people around the world tuned in to hear Kendrick Lamar’s sophomore album in the hours after its release. To Pimp a Butterfly was widely hailed as an instant classic, garnering laudatory album reviews, many awards, and even a canonized place in Harvard’s W. E. B. Du Bois archive. Why did this strangely compelling record stimulate the emotions and imaginations of listeners?This book takes a deep dive into the sounds, images, and lyrics of To Pimp a Butterfly to suggest that Kendrick appeals to the psyche of a nation in crisis and embraces the development of a radical political conscience. Kendrick breathes fresh life into the Black musical protest tradition and cultivates a platform for loving resistance. Combining funk, jazz, and spoken word, To Pimp a Butterfly’s expansive sonic and lyrical geography brings a high level of innovation to rap music. More importantly, Kendrick’s introspective and philosophical songs compel us to believe in a future where, perhaps, we gon’ be alright.Show book
"Go for the Jaws, stay for the Shaws." —Nat Segaloff, author of The Exorcist Legacy Robert Shaw unforgettably commanded attention as the weathered seaman Captain Quint in the blockbuster sensation, Jaws. But what came before and after that landmark film is as dramatic as the hunt for the great white shark itself. Capturing the many facets of the vibrant, generous, and sometimes polarizing man is his nephew, Christopher, who explores the forces that shaped a dynamic personality—including Robert's indomitable mother, his deeply troubled father, and his activist sister, Joanna, with whom Robert shared an unbreakable bond. Out of the traumatic events of their childhood in the Orkney Islands and Cornwall, Mrs. Shaw pushed her children to pursue their dreams. For Robert, that dream was acting and writing. Despite a storied career on the British and American stage—as both performer and playwright—and a string of hit films including From Russia with Love, A Man for All Seasons, The Sting, and The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, international celebrity eluded Robert . . . until he was summoned to star in "a little horror film" called Jaws.Show book
The Xia Dynasty is often considered the first dynasty of China, marking the transition from a prehistoric era dominated by tribal alliances to a structured monarchy. However, much of what is known about the Xia comes from ancient texts written centuries later, blurring the line between history and legend. At the heart of this foundation myth is Yu the Great, a figure credited with taming the catastrophic floods that once plagued the Yellow River region. According to traditional accounts, China before the Xia was ruled by the Five Emperors, semi-mythical sages who brought order and knowledge to early societies. The final ruler of this period, Emperor Shun, recognized Yu for his brilliance and appointed him to control the devastating floods that had threatened agricultural settlements for generations. Unlike his predecessors, who attempted to block or divert the waters, Yu devised a system of dredging and canal-building that allowed the floodwaters to drain naturally into rivers and the sea. His efforts reportedly took over a decade, during which he traveled across the land, surveying the terrain and directing large-scale labor projects. His selfless dedication won him the admiration of the people, and his success in flood control cemented his reputation as a leader with the Mandate of Heaven. The concept of the Mandate of Heaven, though later fully developed under the Zhou Dynasty, has its roots in the Xia period. It suggested that rulers were chosen by divine will and that their legitimacy depended on their ability to maintain order and prosperity. Yu's ability to tame the floods demonstrated both his virtue and his right to rule. Upon Emperor Shun’s abdication, Yu became the first king of the Xia Dynasty, establishing a hereditary monarchy that would continue for generations.Show book
This is a book and audio of waiata resulting from a collaboration between Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti kapa haka and the Auckland Philharmonia. The twelve waiata document part of the history of the Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti kapa haka and provide detail about historical, geographical and social aspects in the songs as well as information about the composition of the music and lyrics and where the waiata were first performed. The book is bilingual throughout, and the lyrics and an explanation of each waiata are given. People involved in the collaboration between Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti and the Auckland Philharmonia give their perspectives on the experience and the participating artists are detaileShow book
In this groundbreaking union of art and science, soprano, musicologist, and physician Patricia Caicedo explores the connection between music-its performance, how we listen to it, why we enjoy it-and health.Drawing on the latest research and musical examples, Caicedo reveals:- How the brain works when you listen to and make music.- The relationship between rhythm, movement, and health.- The relationship between pleasure, emotion, and music.- How music has been a crucial element of the human experience since the beginning of the species and how it is fundamental for maintaining communities.- The importance of music in pain and death.- How music increases your creativity and produces happiness and a sense of purpose in life.We are what we listen to: the impact of music on individual health will attract readers of Oliver Sacks and David Byrne, as it is an unprecedented, transdisciplinary investigation that contextualizes the music and its effects on historical, scientific, and social levels. It is an essential book for music lovers and everybody seeking to improve their mental and physical health. "This thoroughly researched written book results from a lifetime of careful study and wide experience. It contains revelations on virtually every page concerning the therapeutic benefits of music." Dr. Walter Clark, Professor of Musicology, University of California Riverside. "I appreciate this book because it is written in a way that activates the reader's senses in a way that not only informs but efficiently urges us to participate creatively, letting the music do its magic to us." Alfons Karabuda, President International Music Council.Show book
