The superb first novel from the author of The Stone Diaries, winner of the Governor General's Award, a National Book Critics Circle Award and the Pulitzer Prize. Judith Gill is a well-respected biographer who desperately wants to write fiction. When she joins her academic husband on sabbatical in Birmingham, she finds on the shelves of their rented flat the notes of a failed novelist. With considerable guilt, Judith decides to plagiarize one of the ideas and brings it home to Canada to work on. Frustrated by the creative process but determined to be more imaginative, Judith attends writing classes and later discovers that her tutor, suffering from writer's block, has ripped off 'her' idea. Once again, Shields focuses her sharp gaze on the small ceremonies of life in this novel of rare intelligence and wit.

The superb first novel from the author of The Stone Diaries, winner of the Governor General's Award, a National Book Critics Circle Award and the Pulitzer Prize. Judith Gill is a well-respected biographer who desperately wants to write fiction. When she joins her academic husband on sabbatical in Birmingham, she finds on the shelves of their rented flat the notes of a failed novelist. With considerable guilt, Judith decides to plagiarize one of the ideas and brings it home to Canada to work on. Frustrated by the creative process but determined to be more imaginative, Judith attends writing classes and later discovers that her tutor, suffering from writer's block, has ripped off 'her' idea. Once again, Shields focuses her sharp gaze on the small ceremonies of life in this novel of rare intelligence and wit.

Graduate student Jeremy Freirs and Aspiring dancer Carol Conklin, summering in the New Jersey village of Gilead, are trapped in a nightmare of terror, with an evil force emanating from a place once called Maquineanok, the Place of Burning.

If you would like to celebrate the arrival of a new baby with friends and family, but are looking for an alternative to a traditional christening, this is the book for you. Civil weddings have been popular for a long time, but you can now have a Civil Naming ceremony for your child, held either at your local registry office, or at any venue of your choice. As there is no legal requirement, you can hold the party at home, in your garden, or at any venue you like. You can host the event yourselves, or ask a registered celebrant to host the event. This book contains lots of ideas to make your civil naming ceremony memorable and unique to your family. There are ideas for poems, readings, music, themes, and special ideas for how to mark the occasion. Everyone can get involved; grandparents, siblings, and specially nominated adults who can act as guardians. There are readings suitable for all. This book includes: - How to plan the naming party and ceremony - Ideas for indoors and outdoors decor, plus simple decorations - Providing entertainment and fun for children and adults - 10 special event ideas for the day, such as star naming, planting a tree and filling a time capsule - Traditional and contemporary ideas for readings and poems with new, specifically commissioned poems that are particularly relevant to this special occasion - Ideas and recipes for delicious food and drink

Performing ceremonies makes me feel like I have a say in how my life turns out. It makes me feel like I have some form of control in how it all plays out. Taking part in a ceremony means I am asking for help. I put in my request, back it up with the power of my creative intention, and then I try to surrender to the weave already in progress. At least when I am clever, I surrender. Because how I get there or how quickly I arrive is best left in more experienced hands!

This classic liturgical aid is organized as follows: Part I. General Principles Concerning Ceremonies I. The Church and Its Furniture II. The Vestments of the Roman Rite III. Liturgical Vessels, Instruments and Books IV. Common Ceremonial Actions V. The Choir and Assistants at Ceremonies Part II. The Holy Sacrifice VI. Low Mass Said by a Priest VII. Low Mass for the Dead VIII. Mass by a Priest in the Presence of a Prelate IX. Low Mass Said by a Bishop X. The Manner of Serving Low Mass XI. High Mass XII. High Mass for the Dead XIII. Sung Mass (Missa Cantata) Without Deacon and Subdeacon XIV. The Assistant Priest XV. High Mass in the Presence of a Greater Prelate XVI. Pontifical High Mass at the Throne XVII. Pontifical High Mass at the Faldstool XVIII. Pontifical High Mass for the Dead Part III. Evening Services XIX. Vespers XX. Pontifical Vespers XXI. Other Evening Services XXII. Benediction and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament Part IV. The Liturgical Year XXIII. Advent to Holy Week XXIV. The First Part of Holy Week XXV. Triduum Sacrum XXVI. Easter to Advent Part V. Occasional Functions XXVII. The Forty Hours XXVIII. Canonical Visitation and Confirmation XXIX. The Ceremonies of the Ritual XXX. Funerals