The Pulitzer Prize–winning cycle of one-act plays spanning two centuries of American history: “hauntingly memorable [with a] poetic impulse” (Time). One of the most important contemporary works of political theater, The Kentucky Cycle was awarded the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for its astute and dramatically epic investigation of the brutal birth of America. Set in the Appalachian Mountains and spanning seven generations—from 1775 to 1975—this saga of rural Kentucky digs beneath our American mythology to confront the truth of our national history. It is the story of three families whose lives are irrevocably intertwined as they struggle for control over a portion of the Cumberland Plateau. From the darker realities of our pioneer heritage to the bloody lessons of the Civil War, and from the Unionization of coal miners to the harsh environmental legacy of strip mining, this fascinating work chronicles the lives of ordinary people struggling to find a better place for themselves in an unpredictable world. “Serious drama with a dark center . . . an epic.” —The New Yorker “Riveting theater . . . [a] monumental work.” —Los Angeles Times

A Study Guide for Robert Schenkkan's "The Kentucky Cycle," excerpted from Gale's acclaimed Drama For Students. This concise study guide includes plot summary; character analysis; author biography; study questions; historical context; suggestions for further reading; and much more. For any literature project, trust Drama For Students for all of your research needs.

Appalachia has long been stereotyped as a region of feuds, moonshine stills, mine wars, environmental destruction, joblessness, and hopelessness. Robert Schenkkan's 1992 Pulitzer-Prize winning play The Kentucky Cycle once again adopted these stereotypes, recasting the American myth as a story of repeated failure and poverty--the failure of the American spirit and the poverty of the American soul. Dismayed by national critics' lack of attention to the negative depictions of mountain people in the play, a group of Appalachian scholars rallied against the stereotypical representations of the region's people. In Back Talk from Appalachia, these writers talk back to the American mainstream, confronting head-on those who view their home region one-dimensionally. The essays, written by historians, literary scholars, sociologists, creative writers, and activists, provide a variety of responses. Some examine the sources of Appalachian mythology in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century literature. Others reveal personal experiences and examples of grassroots activism that confound and contradict accepted images of ""hillbillies."" The volume ends with a series of critiques aimed directly at The Kentucky Cycle and similar contemporary works that highlight the sociological, political, and cultural assumptions about Appalachia fueling today's false stereotypes.

Contributors to this collection of 15 essays are academics in English, theater, and African American studies. They focus on the second half of Wilson's century cycle of plays, examining each play within the larger context of the cycle and highlighting themes within and across particular plays. Some topics discussed include business in the street in Jitney and Gem of the Ocean, contesting black male responsibilities in Jitney, the holyistic blues of Seven Guitars, violence as history lesson in Seven Guitars and King Hedley II, and ritual death and Wilson's female Christ. The book offers an index of plays, critics, and theorists, but not a subject index. Nadel is chair of American literature and culture at the University of Kentucky.

"When the leaders of the Order reveal that they will do everything in their power to keep the approaching demon war a secret, Bree and her friends go on the run so she can learn how to control her devastating new powers."--

An enchanting story from Maggie Stiefvater featuring Opal, Ronan, and Adam from her bestselling Raven Cycle, taking place after the events of The Raven King.

RECOMMENDED BY DOLLY PARTON IN PEOPLE MAGAZINE! A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A USA TODAY BESTSELLER A LOS ANGELES TIMES BESTSELLER The bestselling historical fiction novel from Kim Michele Richardson, this is a novel following Cussy Mary, a packhorse librarian and her quest to bring books to the Appalachian community she loves, perfect for readers of William Kent Kreuger and Lisa Wingate. The perfect addition to your next book club! The hardscrabble folks of Troublesome Creek have to scrap for everything—everything except books, that is. Thanks to Roosevelt's Kentucky Pack Horse Library Project, Troublesome's got its very own traveling librarian, Cussy Mary Carter. Cussy's not only a book woman, however, she's also the last of her kind, her skin a shade of blue unlike most anyone else. Not everyone is keen on Cussy's family or the Library Project, and a Blue is often blamed for any whiff of trouble. If Cussy wants to bring the joy of books to the hill folks, she's going to have to confront prejudice as old as the Appalachias and suspicion as deep as the holler. Inspired by the true blue-skinned people of Kentucky and the brave and dedicated Kentucky Pack Horse library service of the 1930s, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is a story of raw courage, fierce strength, and one woman's belief that books can carry us anywhere—even back home. Look for The Book Woman's Daughter, the new novel from Kim Michele Richardson, out now! Other Bestselling Historical Fiction from Sourcebooks Landmark: The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict The Engineer's Wife by Tracey Enerson Wood Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris

In The Venus Week Dr. Rebecca Booth describes a window of days each month when Nature gives women a gift; when we are more likely to conceive we feel and look our best. The significance of this phenomenon is far greater than fertility alone. Learning its secrets and how to sustain it can help the reader obtain hormonal balance, improve her beauty, her love life, as well as her overall health.

This Tony Award–winning, “jaw-dropping political drama” chronicles LBJ’s fight for the Civil Rights Act and includes an introduction by Bryan Cranston (Variety). Winner of the 2014 Tony Award for Best Play, as well as Best Play awards from the New York Drama Critics’ Circle, the Outer Critics Circle, the Drama League, and numerous other awards, All the Way is a masterful exploration of politics and power from the Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright Robert Schenkkan. All the Way tells the story of the tumultuous first year of Lyndon Baines Johnson’s presidency. Thrust into power following the Kennedy assassination and facing an upcoming election, Johnson is nevertheless determined to end the legacy of racial injustice in America and rebuild it into the Great Society—by any means necessary. In order to pass the landmark 1964 Civil Rights bill, LBJ struggles to overpower an intransigent Congress while also attempting to forge a compromise with Martin Luther King, Jr., and navigate the increasingly fractious Civil Rights Movement. Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston played President Johnson in the play’s celebrated Broadway production, for which he was awarded the Tony Award for Best Actor. In this edition, Cranston provides an illuminating and personal introduction.

Dealing with organizational change is about getting through the emotion and commotion with minimal damage to your blood pressure, career, relationships, and confidence. In The Change Cycle, Ann Salerno and Lillie Brock help readers cope by explaining the six predictable and sequential stages of change—loss, doubt, discomfort, discovery, understanding, and integration—and offer examples, tools, and success strategies so you can move resourcefully through each stage. Each chapter focuses on a single stage of the Change Cycle, described in a lively, informal style peppered with frequent humor. Utilizing stories and essays about the ways people, departments, and teams have successfully dealt with challenges, Salerno and Brock offer examples, tools, and success strategies so individuals at all levels will know what to expect from themselves and others and will be able to resourcefully move through each stage. Based on the authors’ fifteen years of experience in hundreds of companies and government agencies worldwide and firmly grounded in recent discoveries in social psychology and cognitive neuroscience, The Change Cycle will help readers at all levels take responsibility for how they react and respond in a changing work environment.