From the National Book Award-winning author of Europe Central, a charming, evocative and piercing examination of an ancient Japanese tradition and the keys it holds to our modern understanding of beauty What is a woman? To what extent is femininity a performance? Writing with the extra-ordinary awareness and endless curiosity that have defined his entire oeuvre, William T. Vollmann takes an in-depth look at the Japanese craft of Noh theater, using the medium as a prism to reveal the conception of beauty itself. Sweeping readers from the dressing room of one of Japan's most famous Noh actors to a trans-vestite bar in the red-light district of Kabukicho, Kissing the Mask explores the enigma surrounding Noh theater and the traditions that have made it intrinsic to Japanese culture for centuries. Vollmann then widens his scope to encompass such modern artists of desire and loss as Mishima, Kawabata and Andrew Wyeth. From old Norse poetry to Greek cult statues, from elite geisha dancers to American makeup artists, from Serbia to India, Vollmann uncovers secrets of staged femininity and mysteries of perceived and expressed beauty, including specific makeup procedures furnished by an L.A. transgender bar girl, a Kabuki female impersonator, and the owner of a semi-clandestine studio for Tokyo cross-dressers. Kissing the Mask is illustrated with many evocative sketches and photographs by the author.

After three decades of undying adoration, KISS fans will get their first fully authorized and total access look at the band who loves to "rock 'n' roll all nite and party every day!" Twenty years ago, KISS officially revealed the faces behind the stage makeup, and fans all over the world got their first look at the band. Now, in KISS: BEHIND THE MASK, the band's legion of fans and music enthusiasts alike will get to know the men behind the stage personas. After 30 years as a band, KISS are more than just a rock 'n' roll institution-they are legends. For decades, they have consistently remained among the most successful acts in the history of popular music. KISS' legendary stagemanship and extreme theatrics are well known by two generations of rock fans, and they are already pulling in the next one. Now, through their own words and exclusive material contributed by some of the biggest rock stars in the industry, KISS: BEHIND THE MASK will tell the band's full story.

He was a very, very tall man, as beautiful as Apollo. Behind him was a yellow palace, I had heard from my grandfather since I was young that this was true, and he could not explain where it came from. During the Japanese invasion of China, during the war, a fortune-teller gave him to protect himself.

78 flash fictions from a master of the form ... For the flash fiction connoisseur, 'Kiss Kiss' is a must read and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Beckman won an award for this collection. There are many surprises here and like other writers, I found myself thinking time and again, "I wish I'd written this." Niles Reddick, 'MBR: Reviewer's Bookwatch'

Backfired love spells, shifty warlocks, and potions abound in this delightfully wicked trio of stories that includes Theresa Alan's The Witch's Guide to Life>RO>, in which an artist--and witch--finds her creativity slowly waning when she catches the eye of a sexy ice hockey coach who loves her work. Original.

"This fascinating, massive, wide-ranging collection that editors Christopher K. Coffman and Daniel Lukes have gathered together into William T. Vollmann: A Critical Companion will soon be recognized as one of those rare critical books for which that egregiously overused term 'groundbreaking' is fully justified." —Larry McCaffery, from the preface of William T. Vollmann: A Critical Companion The essays in this collection make a case for regarding William T. Vollmann as the most ambitious, productive, and important living author in the US. His oeuvre includes not only outstanding work in numerous literary genres, but also global reportage, ethical treatises, paintings, photographs, and many other productions. His reputation as a daring traveler and his fascination with life on the margins have earned him an extra-literary renown unequaled in our time. Perhaps most importantly, his work is exceptional in relation to the literary moment. Vollmann is a member of a group of authors who are responding to the skeptical ironies of postmodernism with a reinvigoration of fiction’s affective possibilities and moral sensibilities, but he stands out even among this cohort for his prioritization of moral engagement, historical awareness, and geopolitical scope. Included in this book in addition to twelve scholarly critical essays are reflections on Vollmann by many of his peers, confidantes, and collaborators, including Jonathan Franzen, James Franco, and Michael Glawogger. With a preface by Larry McCaffery and an afterword by Michael Hemmingson, this book offers readings of most of Vollmann’s works, includes the first critical engagements with several key titles, and introduces a range of voices from international Vollmann scholarship.

A stolen magical gem transforms an orphan's destiny . . . a stunning and completely unputdownable romantasy novel set in an alternative historical Paris, The Kiss of the Nightingale weaves together the seduction of Bridgerton and the magic of Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone series. 1890, Lutèce: In this city, Talents are everything: precious gems that gift unrivalled skills to their owners. The most coveted, Elite Talents, are claimed by the aristocracy, passed through generations by blood magic. Cleodora dreamed of inheriting her father's Tailoring Talent, but when he died, the magic died with him. Now she’s left with empty promises, a dress shop she can’t keep afloat, and her bed-ridden younger sister. But everything changes when she meets the dark-eyed Lady Dahlia Sibille. Dahlia offers Cleodora a Singing Talent — a chance to save her beloved sister and rewrite her own fate. From the first instant, Cleodora is bewitched. . . there's just one catch: she needs to steal an Elite Talent from the prestigious Lenoir family. As Lutèce's nightingale, Cleodora is the star of the opera's galas and balls, worlds away from the darkness and dust of home. But the handsome yet infuriating Vicomte Lenoir is nothing like she expected. Soon, the Vicomte's teasing smiles win her over, even as Dahlia's seductive whispers linger in her ears. Torn between Dahlia, who gave her everything, and the Vicomte, who holds the price of her freedom, is Cleodora in danger of losing it all? Or can she prove that magic isn’t the only gift that counts?

A tempting kiss. A fledgling romance. And a pledge that could ruin everything. BRIA The red flags keep warning me to ignore the scorching chemistry I feel with Grey, but every time we're together, he makes my blood race. I can't stop imagining his lips on mine, and yet, deep down, I know he's hiding something. Something big that could do more than tear us apart. Something that could ruin both our lives. GREY The night of my fraternity hazing, I made an outrageous pledge without really thinking through the ramifications. Now that promise, that secret, means letting go of the woman I don't want to live without. I want to say forget the pledge and be with Bria anyway. After all, what's the worst that could happen? The answer to that question is far worse than I ever imagined, and in the end, I might lose everything: my education, the girl I love, and the life I've sacrificed everything to have. If you like the blazing chemistry of Anne-Marie Meyer and the heroic romance of Cami Checketts, you’ll devour the witty banter and fairytale feel of this absorbing series. One click to dive into BRIA AND THE BILLIONAIRE'S KISS, a Sleeping Beauty retelling by Catelyn Meadows, to go back to where The Pact began and see how Bria and Grey get their sweet heat HEA!

Phineas, Viscount Barrington, has known — and teased — Lady Louisa all of his life. But when another man takes an interest in her, he suddenly realizes he’s been taking her for granted… A captivating enemies-to-lovers Regency romance by USA Today bestselling author Bree Wolf! England 1801: LADY LOUISA, daughter to the EARL OF WHICKERTON, never thought she would ever have reason enough to hate anyone; especially not PHINEAS HAWKE, VISCOUNT BARRINGTON, the man with the most wickedly dark eyes she has ever seen. Yet, at an innocent ball, Louisa is suddenly forced to realize that the man she could easily have lost her heart to has discovered her most shameful secret. And that is not all. Lord Barrington makes it a habit to tease her endlessly about it, his devilish grin and knowing eyes mocking her, testing her resolve time and time again. Struggling to maintain her composure, Louisa vows to never surrender, to never allow him to see how deeply his flippant words wound her. Anger settles in her heart, burying all tender emotions, as she tries her utmost to ignore him. That, however, is easier said than done. PHINEAS HAWKE has known the lovely LADY LOUISA almost all his life; not well, but at least from afar, they have always been acquainted. Her face is a familiar sight, and although he cannot deny that she possesses certain appealing charms, Phineas has never looked at her and seen someone other than simply one of Lord Whickerton’s daughters. At least not, until another gentleman rather unexpectedly voices his partiality toward her. Suddenly, Phineas realizes that the woman he has known all his life is one he has ignored for far too long, and to his utter dismay, she has come to loathe the very sight of him. Why? He does not know; however, he will not yield easily. As it seems, neither will she. If you enjoy wicked viscounts as well as head-strong ladies, fierce in their affections and daring in their search for their perfect match, then ONCE UPON A DEVILISHLY ENCHANTING KISS is perfect for you! The Whickertons in Love #1 Once Upon a Devilishly Enchanting Kiss #2 Once Upon a Temptingly Ruinous Kiss #3 Once Upon an Irritatingly Magical Kiss #4 Once Upon a Devastatingly Sweet Kiss #5 Once Upon an Achingly Beautiful Kiss #6 Once Upon an Accidentally Bewitching Kiss Prequel to the series: Once Upon A Kiss Gone Horribly Wrong Christmas novella: Once Upon an Aggravatingly Heroic Kiss