The Esmaldi necklace was worth about $350,000: one hundred matched diamonds the size of garden peas, set in platinum. The sort of necklace people would murder for ... And Al Barney, beachcomber and layabout, knew its history - a tale of hate, jealousy and violence; of beautiful, wanton women and the most cunningly devised jewel robbery ever.

How did plants get to be the way they are? Why do they have pretty flowers? How different would things have been if the wrong kind of pollinators had got the upper hand? Why are Latin names so complicated, and why Latin anyway? Why is a weed-free lawn an ecological impossibility? This entertaining book gives the answers to these questions and many more. It shows how a little botanical knowledge can bring not just better results but peace of mind, and that losing sleep over such traditional gardening bogeys as weeds, pests and pruning is not necessarily the best course. In this new edition Ken Thompson grabs the opportunity to explain why any old plant will do for companion planting - but also that it can do as much harm as good - and why planting by the moon is complete and utter nonsense.

A multicultural anthology of contemporary American poetry, featuring works by over one hundred famous and lesser-known writers, including Gwendolyn Brooks, Sandra Cisneros, Simon Oritz, and Ray A. Young Bear.

Publisher's Note: Products purchased from Third Party sellers are not guaranteed by the publisher for quality, authenticity, or access to any online entitlements included with the product. Two award-winning authors reveal everything you need to know to develop your own distinctive voice and craft compelling, creative nonfiction “Tell all the Truth but tell it Slant.” —Emily Dickinson With these words, Dickinson offers sound advice for nonfiction writers: Tell the truth but become more than mere transcribers of daily life. Since 2003, Tell It Slant has set the standard for creative nonfiction instruction, showing writers how to move beyond mere facts and, instead, make the most of their own “slant” on the world. This revised and updated third edition offers: • New and expanded chapters on writing about identity, maintaining a productive work/life balance, and navigating the publishing industry • An anthology with diverse pieces that range from traditional essay to the graphic memoir • Expanded discussion of contemporary and emerging literary forms • New “Try It” writing exercises throughout the book Whether planning a course or learning on your own, Tell It Slant provides everything you need to know to develop a distinctive voice and to craft compelling creative nonfiction. This book provides the basis for a complete education in nonfiction writing, wherever your classroom might be. “Tell It Slant is a valuable and comprehensive resource for nonfiction writers, filled with exhilarating examples, powerful exercises, and pure inspiration. Miller and Paola are gifted teachers and writers with endless wisdom to share and a lovely way of sharing it with struggling writers at every level.” —Dinty W. Moore, author of The Mindful Writer: Noble Truths of the Writing Life

Do you ever feel like you are walking in spiritual circles? While we might think it would be different for a Franciscan priest, Father Albert Haase shares the same struggles. Yet he also affirms that we are all called to be ordinary mystics. This book offers a daily path to help us learn to be a mystic—cultivating a life with God in which we draw close, listen, and respond moment to moment.

Barbara Hurd's Listening to the Savage weaves rich explorations of science, history, mythology, literature, and music. The listening of the book delineates and champions a kind of attentiveness to what is not easily heard and is written in language that is as precise as it is poetic, providing original ways of engagement in the natural world. As in Hurd's other books, the previously unknown or the barely known becomeless mysterious but still retain the quality of mystery. The book presumes that nature is a mix of the chaotic and the wondrous. It addresses worry and advocacy--worry about our carelessness that can destroy the balance of that mix and a cry for us to pay more attention to humanity's relationship to natural history. Listen, be alert, it says without hectoring. Rivers, ferns, streams, birds all have a life that is delicate and worth preserving. Barbara Hurd is one of our finest environmental writers, and this book will please the choir and persuade those on the ambivalent edge.

Presents a collection of poems focusing on the border between the United States and Mexico.