In this dynamic and utterly novel presentation, David Loy explores the fascinating proposition that the stories we tell--about what is and is not possible, about ourselves, about right and wrong, life and death, about the world and everything in it--become the very building blocks of our experience and of reality itself. Loy uses an intriguing mixture of quotations from familiar and less-familiar sources and brief stand-alone micro-essays, engaging the reader in challenging and illuminating dialogue. As we come to see that the world is made--in a word--of stories, we come to a richer understanding of that most elusive of Buddhist ideas: shunyata, the "generative emptiness" that is the all-pervading quality inherent to all mental and physical forms in our ever-changing world. Reminiscent of Zen koans and works of sophisticated poetry, this book will reward both a casual read and deep reflection.

In this highly readable and provocative book, Thomas Newkirk explodes the long standing habit of opposing abstract argument with telling stories. Newkirk convincingly shows that effective argument is already a kind of narrative and is deeply "entwined with narrative." --Gerald Graff, former MLA President and author of Clueless in Academe Narrative is regularly considered a type of writing-often an "easy" one, appropriate for early grades but giving way to argument and analysis in later grades. This groundbreaking book challenges all that. It invites readers to imagine narrative as something more-as the primary way we understand our world and ourselves. "To deny the centrality of narrative is to deny our own nature," Newkirk explains. "We seek companionship of a narrator who maintains our attention, and perhaps affection. We are not made for objectivity and pure abstraction-for timelessness. We have 'literary minds" that respond to plot, character, and details in all kind of writing. As humans, we must tell stories." When we are engaged readers, we are following a story constructed by the author, regardless of the type of writing. To sustain a reading-in a novel, an opinion essay, or a research article- we need a "plot" that helps us comprehend specific information, or experience the significance of an argument. As Robert Frost reminds us, all good memorable writing is "dramatic." Minds Made for Stories is a needed corrective to the narrow and compartmentalized approaches often imposed on schools-approaches which are at odds with the way writing really works outside school walls.

"True Stories - We Made Up" is a collection of short stories based on the lives of three authors: Michael Johnson, David Brett Beebe II, and Chris Johnson. There are mention of bears, the mark of the beast, superheroes, and maybe even a few miracles. They fill in the cracks of their memories with braggadocio and folklore; essentially turning themselves into the legends they grew to be. Not only will you get to see how their young minds thought, you'll also be transported back to your own childhood while reading about experiences many of us share growing up. Plus, you'll realize how cocky Chris was as a child.

Inspired by Native American creation tales, these sixteen interconnected stories tell the origin of California’s Sonoma Mountain. In the tradition of Calvino’s Italian Folktales, Greg Sarris, author of the award-winning novel Grand Avenue, turns his attention to his ancestral homeland of Sonoma Mountain in Northern California. In sixteen interconnected original stories, the twin crows Question Woman and Answer Woman take us through a world unlike yet oddly reminiscent of our own: one which blooms bright with poppies, lupines, and clover; one in which Water Bug kidnaps an entire creek; in which songs have the power to enchant; in which Rain is a beautiful woman who keeps people’s memories in stones. Inspired by traditional Coast Miwok and Southern Pomo creation tales, these stories are timeless in their wisdom and beauty, and because of this timelessness their messages are vital and immediate. The figures in these stories ponder the meaning of leadership, of their place within the landscape and their community. In these stories we find a model for how we can all come home again. At once timeless and contemporary, How a Mountain Was Made is equally at home in modern letters as the ancient story cycle. Sarris infuses his stories with a prose stylist’s creativity and inventiveness, moving American Indian literature in an emergent direction. This edition features a reader’s guide that provides thoughtful jumping-off points for discussion. Praise for How a Mountain Was Made “These are charming and wise stories, simply told, to be enjoyed by young and old alike—stories need us if they are to come forth and have life too.” —Kirkus Reviews “Stunning. . . . Neither an arid anthropological text nor another pseudo-Indian as-told-to fabrication. Instead, Sarris has breathed new life into these ancient Northern California tales and legends, lending them a subtle, light-hearted voice and vision.” —Scott Lankford, Los Angeles Review of Books“/I>/DESC> indigenous fiction;native american fiction;indigenous;native american;short stories;short fiction;folk tales;legends;mythology;myth;creation stories;nature;environment;place;sonoma mountain;california FIC059000 FICTION / Indigenous FIC029000 FICTION / Short Stories FIC010000 FICTION / Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Legends & Mythology FIC077000 FICTION / Nature & the Environment 9781597142533 Brother and the Dancer Keenan Norris

A look at the extraordinary career and personal life of Natalie Jacobson, from an immigrant childhood to becoming a pioneering female news anchor. Throughout her forty-year career in broadcast television, including thirty-five as a reporter and anchor on Channel 5 in Boston, Natalie Jacobson told the stories of countless lives. Now she tells her own. Every Life a Story takes readers behind the scenes of the extraordinary career of a woman who rose from an immigrant childhood in Chicago to become the first woman to anchor the evening news in Boston. Natalie was among the most trusted people of greater Boston. Her viewers thought of her as family. Natalie brings readers on an uplifting journey possible only in America. When faced with no girls need apply, she saw a challenge, not an obstacle. Her father had set an example of fortitude, educating himself and rising from cab driver to president of Gillette North America. Generations of viewers recall Natalie and her husband Chet Curtis as “Nat and Chet,” beloved co-anchors of NewsCenter5 on WCVB-TV Boston. referred to them as “the de facto first couple of Boston, very likely the city's best-known conveyors of news since Paul Revere.” Their lives seemed an open book as trials of sickness, death, pregnancy, birth, parenting, working motherhood, and eventually divorce played out on a very public stage. Ultimately, this book offers a sharp contrast to today's divisive media landscape. Believing EVERY life is a story, Natalie feels, “This book is as much your story as it is mine. We reporters were there to give you information that was accurate, information to help you make informed decisions. We invited you to be part of it and you were. I used to hope when you tuned in to our newscast, you took a deep breath and relaxed, feeling you were among friends. You were home. I hope this book brings you the same comfort.”

Two-Thirds of the world don't read. How can the church reach them? Tell Me a Story is a profound call to the global church to use storytelling, or Orality, as a primary method for communicating Christ's gospel to the world. Dennis Johnson and Joe Musser outline compelling and practical strategies for reaching children and adults around the world whose primary way of learning is through hearing oral stories. You will be inspired and equipped to make Orality, or story telling, a part of your ministry in your neighborhood, in your local church, and around the world.

A spellbinding, sweeping novel about a Malayan mother who becomes an unlikely spy for the invading Japanese forces during WWII—and the shocking consequences that rain upon her community and family. Malaya, 1945. Cecily Alcantara’s family is in terrible danger: her fifteen-year-old son, Abel, has disappeared, and her youngest daughter, Jasmin, is confined in a basement to prevent being pressed into service at the comfort stations. Her eldest daughter Jujube, who works at a tea house frequented by drunk Japanese soldiers, becomes angrier by the day. Cecily knows two things: that this is all her fault; and that her family must never learn the truth. A decade prior, Cecily had been desperate to be more than a housewife to a low-level bureaucrat in British-colonized Malaya. A chance meeting with the charismatic General Fuijwara lured her into a life of espionage, pursuing dreams of an “Asia for Asians.” Instead, Cecily helped usher in an even more brutal occupation by the Japanese. Ten years later as the war reaches its apex, her actions have caught up with her. Now her family is on the brink of destruction—and she will do anything to save them. Spanning years of pain and triumph, told from the perspectives of four unforgettable characters, The Storm We Made is a dazzling saga about the horrors of war; the fraught relationships between the colonized and their oppressors, and the ambiguity of right and wrong when survival is at stake.

This carefully edited collection of complete works of Edgar Allan Poe is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents: Novels The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket The Journal of Julius Rodman Short Stories The Murders in the Rue Morgue The Mystery of Marie Rogêt The Purloined Letter The Gold-Bug The Thousand-and-Second Tale of Scheherazade The Man of the Crowd The Tell-Tale Heart The Fall of the House of Usher The Cask of Amontillado The Black Cat The Masque of the Red Death The Pit and the Pendulum Ligeia The Oval Portrait A Tale of the Ragged Mountains Eleonora A Dream Metzengerstein The Assignation Berenice Morella William Wilson The Imp of the Perverse Hop-Frog The Light-House Ms. Found in a Bottle A Descent into the Maelstrom The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar The Balloon-Hoax Mesmeric Revelation Some Words with a Mummy Mystification The Premature Burial The Oblong Box The Spectacles The System of Dr. Tarr and Prof. Fether The Sphinx The Island of the Fay The Landscape Garden Morning on the Wissahiccon The Domain of Arnheim Landor's Cottage The Duc de l'Omelette A Tale of Jerusalem Loss of Breath Bon-Bon Lionizing King Pest Four Beasts in One – The Homo-Cameleopard How to Write a Blackwood Article A Predicament The Devil in the Belfry The Man That Was Used Up The Business Man Why the Little Frenchman Wears His Hand in a Sling Never Bet the Devil Your Head Three Sundays in a Week Diddling The Angel of the Odd The Literary Life of Thingum Bob, Esq. Mellonta Tauta Von Kempelen and His Discovery X-ing a Paragrab The Power of Words The Conversation of Eiros and Charmion The Colloquy of Monos and Una Shadow Silence… The Complete Poetical Works Plays Essays & Miscellanea The Life and Letters of Edgar Allan Poe Memorandum (Autobiographical Essay) The Dreamer – Life and Work of Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) was an American writer, editor, and literary critic, best known for his poetry and short stories.

Rudyard Kipling's 'Ultimate Short Story Collection' is a literary masterpiece that compiles over 440 short stories in one volume, showcasing the author's versatility and mastery of the short story genre. Kipling's stories are known for their vivid imagery, compelling characters, and profound themes that explore the complexities of human nature and society. His concise yet evocative prose transports readers to exotic locales and allows them to delve into the rich tapestry of Kipling's imagination. This collection is a treasure trove for literature enthusiasts and scholars alike, providing a comprehensive overview of Kipling's storytelling prowess and enduring legacy in the world of literature. From tales of adventure and exploration to poignant reflections on colonialism and identity, Kipling's short stories continue to captivate readers with their timeless relevance and thought-provoking narratives. Rudyard Kipling, a Nobel Prize-winning author, drew inspiration from his experiences in British India and his deep fascination with global culture and history. His unique perspective as a writer and traveler informs the vivid depictions and diverse themes found in his short stories, making them essential reading for anyone interested in classic literature and the art of storytelling. I highly recommend Rudyard Kipling's 'Ultimate Short Story Collection' to readers seeking a diverse and enriching literary experience that transcends time and space, offering a glimpse into the brilliant mind of one of the greatest storytellers of the 19th century.