Poetry. "Gina Myers' aptly-named HOLD IT DOWN chronicles the endless effort to keep a lid on hope, that feathered thing that must be denied so the rent can be paid. Everything else Pandora's box let loose has hung around boredom, sickness, loneliness but if hope gets out, it gets away. Moving among Brooklyn, Saginaw, and Atlanta, with a soundtrack looping Otis Redding and Johnny Cash, these poems forgo hipster irony for genuine dismay with consumerism, war, and others of the world's ills. Myers' lines break like hearts. Let her speak plainly to you: 'This is my life, / this is my life." Evie Shockley "Like a flaneur walking an abandoned shopping mall past boarded up storefronts, Gina Myers surveys the streets of late capitalism recording wreckage in work that gives voice to our disappointment, fear, and longing for a place where we might find some rest. 'A kitchen table does not make a home, ' Myers reminds us. Moving 'in and out of / the security camera's range, ' from Brooklyn to Saginaw, the poems in HOLD IT DOWN trace our 'boom & bust, minus / the boom' and serve as testimony for 'those of us who still live here' at the edges of the economy." Susan Briante "The poems in Gina Myers' HOLD IT DOWN seem part protest, part prayer, but not in the usual sense of either of those words. As the speakers confront a purgatorial daily grind of headlines, hangovers, debt, self-doubt, political and economic injustice, and the repeated mistakes of humankind, they never make the one 'of placing hope in seasons, / to look forward to the days to come & expect things to be better.' Instead they bear the unbearable, point at the sources of suffering and ask the question, who holds us down?" Laura Solomon "Since Gina Myers' move to where I grew up, her poetry carries us, as a subway line, between the Brooklyn she left and the Bible Belt of dogwood trees and Atlanta MARTA buses. Myers' is a tale of the magical mundane and a long distance love with Saginaw: part Whitman ('I stop somewhere waiting') part Stein ('What I look forward to is, is '), and part Lorca ('Signs of summer: / tulips, baseball, & violence.'). You'll spy a heart not breaking and the work-a-day walk to happy hours in a city of drivers. You may not know where the places these poems came to life, 'but this is one / of them, one / of the best days' to visit." Amy King "The city we mourn was an unsustainable promise made in a time of need, like a pension. Plural. Cities. Gina Myers narrates an American exodus with heartbreaking clarity and calm; she only wants to love her neighbor and do no harm. I want to say cheer up Nobody listened to Moses either. I want to say even more that when we finally make it past this time of brutality we repress so well, it will be important to remember what it felt like every day. HOLD IT DOWN is a beautiful, painful record of that psychic cost. Keep it safe for later. We're going to need it to live on." Jordan Davis"

This heartwarming picture book reassures children that a parent’s love never lets go—based on the poignant lyrics of JJ Heller’s beloved lullaby “Hand to Hold.” “May the living light inside you be the compass as you go / May you always know you have my hand to hold.” With delightful illustrations and an engaging rhyme scheme, this book offers the promise of security and love every child’s heart longs to know. From skipping stones and counting stars to climbing trees and telling stories, every moment is wrapped snugly in the certain warmth of a parent’s presence and God’s blessing. With poignancy and joy, this bedtime read captures the unconditional love parents want their children to know but so often fail to express amid the chaos of daily life.

Robbing men, getting money, and living lavishly is all they know. For Unique, Kiara, Kay Kay, and Zoe, tomorrow isn't promised, love doesn't exist, and men ain't worth a thing. Stealing cars is their hustle, and they are at the top of their game, but jealousy, greed, and envy are lurking in the shadows. Unique lives by the motto “Only the strong shall survive and the weak shall fall,” but the game of love has won her over. Once she decides to leave the only hustle she knows for the man she loves, her drama begins. When loyalty amongst family is questioned and their fate is unanswered, who will hold whom down?

Don't Hold My Head Down is a memoir about sex. It starts with the author having a disappointing, drunken wank to internet porn, and ends with her having day-long orgasms and taking on the most powerful newspaper in the country. In her mid-thirties, Lucy-Anne Holmes realised that something was missing. When it came to sex she still felt like a novice: she lacked confidence and felt incapable of asking for what she wanted. But when she looked for a how-to guide or a workshop, she found that everything she googled was geared towards the male gaze rather than women's pleasure. So, she made a 'fuckit list' of the things she'd like to try - among them slow sex, ejaculation, different types of orgasm, being sexual with other women, BDSM, sex parties and making porn - and set out on a journey of discovery. This is the book that Lucy wanted to read in the first place; a frank, eye-opening and inspiring account of the search for better sex that shares her tips, revelations, failures and triumphs.

Publisher description

Examining the relationship between emotional intensity and difficulty in works of avant-garde art, Jennifer Doyle seeks to develop a critical language for understanding affectively charged contemporary art.

The days are long, but the years are short. No matter if it’s your child’s first step, first day of school, or first night tucked away in a new dorm room away from home, there comes a moment when you realize just how quickly the years are flying by. Christian music artist Nichole Nordeman’s profound lyrics in her viral hit “Slow Down” struck a chord with moms everywhere, and now this beautiful four-color book will inspire you to celebrate the everyday moments of motherhood. Filled with thought-provoking writings from Nichole, as well as guest writings from friends including Shauna Niequist and Jen Hatmaker, practical tips, and journaling space for reflection, Slow Down will be a poignant gift for any mom, as well as a treasured keepsake. Take a few moments to reflect and celebrate the privilege of being a parent and getting to watch your little ones grow—and Slow Down. Nichole Nordeman has sold more than 1 million albums as a Christian music artist and has won 9 GMA Dove Awards, including two awards for Female Vocalist of the Year and Songwriter of the Year. Nichole released a lyric video for her song “Slow Down,” and it struck a chord with parents everywhere, amassing 14 million views in its first five days. She lives in Oklahoma with her two children.

From NYT bestselling author Blue Balliett, the story of a girl who falls into Chicago's shelter system, and from there must solve the mystery of her father's strange disappearance. Where is Early's father? He's not the kind of father who would disappear. But he's gone . . . and he's left a whole lot of trouble behind.As danger closes in, Early, her mom, and her brother have to flee their apartment. With nowhere else to go, they are forced to move into a city shelter. Once there, Early starts asking questions and looking for answers. Because her father hasn't disappeared without a trace. There are patterns and rhythms to what's happened, and Early might be the only one who can use them to track him down and make her way out of a very tough place.With her signature, singular love of language and sense of mystery, Blue Balliett weaves a story that takes readers from the cold, snowy Chicago streets to the darkest corner of the public library, on an unforgettable hunt for deep truths and a reunited family.

Fiction. Latino/Latina Studies. Still reeling from the loss of his family in an accident that he feels responsible for causing, Hank Singer accepts an invitation to move to the isolated and beautiful state of Chiapas. There, in the streets and cafes of a colonial city nestled in the mountain forests, he settles into the semblance of a new life under the watchful eye of his best friend and former college roommate, César, the charismatic heir to one of Mexico's most powerful families. But when an army of impoverished Indians calling themselves Zapatistas emerges from the jungle to seize half the state, Hank finds himself a foreigner trapped in someone else's war. The repercussions of the decisions he makes--and does not make--threaten to shatter both his friendship and the renewed life he has found in the Mexican highlands. In the tradition of Graham Greene's The Quiet American and Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms, LET THE WATER HOLD ME DOWN weaves real historical events into a riveting personal narrative about a man who finds himself caught up in a political landscape beyond his control.

Throw It Down doesn't pull punches. It's straight talk to people who know they have habits and behaviors that are keeping them from being who God made them to be. And no one knows how to boldly confront and bravely encourage like Jud Wilhite. He has spent many joyful years, since beginning his own recovery journey, helping others achieve sobriety through a meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ. The mean streets of Vegas have been a fertile mission field, and he has witnessed amazing testimonies of God's grace, triumph and forgiveness. Just as God commanded Moses in Exodus to 'throw down' his staff, God asks us to throw down the things that we hold tight, so we are free to accept all the blessings He has in store. Readers will receive the practical help and encouragement they need to throw down their hurts, habits and dependencies and to reclaim health, happiness and God's blessings.