“Timely . . . [the collection] paints intimate portraits of neglected places that are often used as political talking points. A good companion piece to J. D. Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy.”—Booklist The essays in Voices from the Rust Belt "address segregated schools, rural childhoods, suburban ennui, lead poisoning, opiate addiction, and job loss. They reflect upon happy childhoods, successful community ventures, warm refuges for outsiders, and hidden oases of natural beauty. But mainly they are stories drawn from uniquely personal experiences: A girl has her bike stolen. A social worker in Pittsburgh makes calls on clients. A journalist from Buffalo moves away, and misses home.... A father gives his daughter a bath in the lead-contaminated water of Flint, Michigan" (from the introduction). Where is America's Rust Belt? It's not quite a geographic region but a linguistic one, first introduced as a concept in 1984 by Walter Mondale. In the modern vernacular, it's closely associated with the "Post-Industrial Midwest," and includes Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, as well as parts of Illinois, Wisconsin, and New York. The region reflects the country's manufacturing center, which, over the past forty years, has been in decline. In the 2016 election, the Rust Belt's economic woes became a political talking point, and helped pave the way for a Donald Trump victory. But the region is neither monolithic nor easily understood. The truth is much more nuanced. Voices from the Rust Belt pulls together a distinct variety of voices from people who call the region home. Voices that emerge from familiar Rust Belt cities—Detroit, Cleveland, Flint, and Buffalo, among other places—and observe, with grace and sensitivity, the changing economic and cultural realities for generations of Americans.

If you are a singer, you are an athlete. And the athletic skills that make you a great vocalist come from one source: your brain.The Singing Athlete is the first book of its kind: a view on voice training through the lens of both the physical body and the nervous system. As one of the top teachers of professional Broadway performers, Andrew Byrne has developed a unique synthesis of athletics and neuroscience that will guide you to higher levels of performance. In addition to his work on Broadway, Andrew is devoted to studying the training methods used by Olympic athletes as a Master Practitioner of Z-Health functional applied neuroscience. He has taken thousands of hours of research and boiled it down into an easily digestible form that will help you unlock amazing new vocal skills. When you buy The Singing Athlete, you're not just picking up a book. You're getting a complete training system. With your purchase, you get lifetime access to The Singing Athlete Video Guide, a companion website that includes over 150 training videos. You'll learn the correct form for every drill, explore awesome bonus content, and download PDFs to track your progress. Through the fully illustrated book and the accompanying videos, you will learn to: Breathe correctly for stress reduction and optimal vocal support Exercise your tongue, jaw, and throat in ways that lower threat in your brain Use your ears and eyes to improve vocal range and stamina Heal any scars that might be holding you back Eliminate reflux, tinnitus, sinus problems, and other vocal stumbling blocks Move better, feel better, and sing better FAQs How is The Singing Athlete different from other vocal training systems? When you study voice, your instructor is always practicing neurology--either accidentally or on purpose. A lot of voice systems can tell you about the anatomy of the voice, but The Singing Athlete provides a crucial missing piece--how to train your brain. Once you understand how your nervous system is in charge of your singing, the way you practice will shift forever, and everything your teacher says will make more sense. I'm an instructor of a certain style of vocal training. Can I integrate The Singing Athlete into what I already do? That is one of the greatest strengths of this system; this material can fit in seamlessly with almost any style of training. The Singing Athlete is designed to complement what you already do, providing a new framework to expand and focus your thinking. Lisa Rochelle (NYC Singing Voice Specialist) says it this way: "The Singing Athlete negates no other system, no other technique, and no other pedagogy. It can be used to meet a singer where they are." How will I know if this training is working? The process in The Singing Athlete (known as "Assess and Reassess") will you show you precisely what kind of exercise your voice appreciates. With The Singing Athlete, there is no guesswork and you will be sure you are doing the right drills. I'm not a Broadway singer--I sing other styles (pop/country/R&B/classical, etc.) Can I get good results from this book? The Singing Athlete is independent of vocal style. You can apply these exercises to any vocal style, from heavy metal to grand opera. Whether you want to sing "Quando m'en vo" or "Call Me Maybe", Andrew has got you covered. How does The Singing Athlete Video Guide work? Learning movement is a visual process. To get the most out of the exercises, Andrew has shot a video of each drill. This will allow you to make sure you've got the form right, as well as learn details about how to use and tweak the drills. Once you've purchased the book, you can get lifetime access to the Video Guide at thesingingathlete.com. (Plus, there are some cool songs there, too.)

The oldest and most respected martial arts title in the industry, this popular monthly magazine addresses the needs of martial artists of all levels by providing them with information about every style of self-defense in the world - including techniques and strategies. In addition, Black Belt produces and markets over 75 martial arts-oriented books and videos including many about the works of Bruce Lee, the best-known marital arts figure in the world.