Translated here into English for the first time is a monumental work of literary history and criticism comparable in scope and achievement to Eric Auerbach’s Mimesis. Italian critic Francesco Orlando explores Western literature’s obsession with outmoded and nonfunctional objects (ruins, obsolete machinery, broken things, trash, etc.). Combining the insights of psychoanalysis and literary-political history, Orlando traces this obsession to a turning point in history, at the end of eighteenth-century industrialization, when the functional becomes the dominant value of Western culture. Roaming through every genre and much of the history of Western literature, the author identifies distinct categories into which obsolete images can be classified and provides myriad examples. The function of literature, he concludes, is to remind us of what we have lost and what we are losing as we rush toward the future.

The legendary Oxford English Dictionary today contains over 600,000 words and a staggering 2,500,000 quotations to illuminate the meaning and history of those words. A glorious, bursting treasure-house, the OED serves as a guardian of the literary jewels of the past, a testament to the richness of the English language today, and a guarantor of future understanding of the language. In this book, Charlotte Brewer begins her account of the OED at the point where others have stopped--the publication of the final installment of the first edition in 1928--and carries it through to the metamorphosis of the dictionary into a twenty-first-century electronic medium. Brewer describes the difficulties of keeping the OED up to date over time and recounts the recurring debates over finances, treatment of contentious words, public vs. scholarly expectations, proper sources of quotations, and changing editorial practices. With humor and empathy, she portrays the predilections and personalities of the editors, publishers, and assistants who undertook the Sisyphean task of keeping apace with the modern explosion of vocabulary. Utilizing rich archives in Oxford as well as new electronic resources, the author uncovers a history no less complex and fascinating than the Oxford English Dictionary itself.

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is world renowned for a superb collection of over 10,000 objects that range from ancient Chinese bronzes to Renaissance tapestries, from paintings by Raphael and Rubens to those of Whistler and Matisse. This guidebook charts new pathways through the beloved institution and tells the story its founder, a trail-blazing American who was among the most prominent patrons of her day. Isabella Stewart Gardner built a Venetian-inspired palazzo in Boston to house her exquisite and thought-provoking arrangement of art objects from diverse cultures and periods of history to share with the world. she hosted luminaries in the worlds of music, dance, and literature and supported such famed artists as Henry James and John Singer Sargent. Exploring the museum room by room, the authors of this book look at masterpieces by Botticelli, Rembrandt, Titian, and others, as well as hidden treasures, including often overlooked decorative arts, collected letters, and photographs. Rather than positioning the museum simply as a historical gem, they present it as a site for forging connections between past and present and reinforcing the founder's legacy of sustaining contemporary art, music, and education with initiatives supported by space in the New Wing designed by Renzo Piano and constructed in 2012. Featuring spectacular photography, the book captures this unique museum, helping us consider anew what the museum meant in Gardner's time and what it means in ours.

Describes the psychological roots of compulsive hoarding and presents practical strategies for treating and overcoming the behavior.

This award-winning study traces the shifting relations between Israel, Iran, and the U.S. since 1948—including secret alliances and treacherous acts. Vitriolic exchanges between the leaders of Iran and Israel are a disturbingly common feature of the news cycle. But the real roots of their enmity mystify Washington policymakers, leaving no promising pathways to stability. In Treacherous Alliance, U.S. foreign policy expert Trita Parsi untangles to complex and often duplicitous relationship among Israel, Iran, and the United States from 1948 to the present. In the process, he reveals shocking details of unsavory political maneuverings that have undermined Middle Eastern peace and disrupted U.S. foreign policy initiatives in the region. Parsi draws on his unique access to senior American, Iranian, and Israeli decision makers to present behind-the-scenes revelations that will surprise even the most knowledgeable readers: Iran’s prime minister asks Israel to assassinate Khomeini; Israel reaches out to Saddam Hussein after the Gulf War; the United States foils Iran’s plan to withdraw support from Hamas and Hezbollah; and more. Treacherous Alliance not only revises our understanding of the recent past, it also spells out a course for the future. An Arthur Ross Book Award Silver Medal Winner A Choice Magazine Outstanding Academic Title

New York Times bestselling author of Labor Day With a New Preface When it was first published in 1998, At Home in the World set off a furor in the literary world and beyond. Joyce Maynard's memoir broke a silence concerning her relationship—at age eighteen—with J.D. Salinger, the famously reclusive author of The Catcher in the Rye, then age fifty-three, who had read a story she wrote for The New York Times in her freshman year of college and sent her a letter that changed her life. Reviewers called her book "shameless" and "powerful" and its author was simultaneously reviled and cheered. With what some have viewed as shocking honesty, Maynard explores her coming of age in an alcoholic family, her mother's dream to mold her into a writer, her self-imposed exile from the world of her peers when she left Yale to live with Salinger, and her struggle to reclaim her sense of self in the crushing aftermath of his dismissal of her not long after her nineteenth birthday. A quarter of a century later—having become a writer, survived the end of her marriage and the deaths of her parents, and with an eighteen-year-old daughter of her own—Maynard pays a visit to the man who broke her heart. The story she tells—of the girl she was and the woman she became—is at once devastating, inspiring, and triumphant.

This volume reproduces 154 of Russian-American novelist and entomologist Vladimir Nabokov's drawings, few of which have ever been seen in public, and presents essays by ten leading scientists and Nabokov scholars. The contributors underscore the significance of Nabokov's drawings as scientific documents, evaluate his visionary contributions to evolutionary biology and systematics, and offer insights into his unique artistic perception and creativity. Showcasing color drawings of butterflies' distinctive markings and anatomy as well, all as part of his work at the American Museum of Natural History and Harvard's Museum of Comparative Zoology.

Dreams and visions have always been important in Islamic societies. Yet, their pervasive impact on Muslim communities and on the lives of individual Muslims remains largely unknown and rather surprising to Westerners. This book addresses this gap in understanding with a fascinating and diverse account, taking readers from premodern Islam to the present day. Dreams and visions are shown to have been, and to be, significant in a range of social, educational, and cultural roles. The book includes a wealth of examples detailing the Sufi experience. Contributors use Arabic, Persian, Indian, Central Asian, and Ottoman sources and employ approaches grounded in history, sociology, psychology, anthropology, religious studies, and literary analysis. This is an illuminating work, showing how ordinary Muslims, Muslim notables, Sufis, legal scholars, and rulers have perceived both themselves and the world around them through the prism of dreams and visions.

Connecticut - a state that is often overlooked, but is full of fascinating stories, hidden treasures and unique gems. This book invites you on an exciting journey of discovery, from the coastal towns of Long Island Sound to the verdant hills of Litchfield Hills. From the historical roots in Hartford to the spiritual center at Yale University in New Haven. There's a lot more to Connecticut than meets the eye. It is not only a land of hedge funds and high society, but also a land of rich history, art, natural wonders, and cultural diversity. This non-fiction book takes you on a journey through known and hidden treasures in Connecticut, from Mystic Seaport to Yale University, and takes you into a world full of surprises and curiosity. We will explore the awe-inspiring maritime history of Mystic Seaport, unveil the intellectual splendor of Yale University, and uncover the lesser-known but equally remarkable treasures in its collections. We'll visit historic sites in Hartford, walk in the footsteps of Mark Twain, and explore the extravagant Gillette Castle. But Connecticut isn't just history and culture. We'll also embark on adventurous hikes along the Appalachian Trail, explore the quaint coastal towns like Essex and Old Saybrook, and discover the burgeoning wine industry on the Connecticut Wine Trail. In this book, we'll look at the diversity of Connecticut, from the culinary delights of New Haven to the natural beauty of Litchfield Hills. We will explore art and culture in Bridgeport and share mysterious experiences in Mystic. We'll also look ahead to the future of the state and explore innovation and renewal in Connecticut. Immerse yourself in this fascinating land of contrasts, where tradition and modernity, history and future merge. There's more to Connecticut than you might have thought, and we invite you to explore this state's well-known and hidden gems. Join us on this journey of discovery from Mystic Seaport to Yale University, and let Connecticut inspire you.