![]() ![]() Marco Polo was six years old when Niccolò and Maffeo went east for the first time. Marco's is an odyssey worthy of closer investigation. Were Marco's tales pure fantasy, or were they mostly faithful to his experiences in Asia during the twenty-four prime years of his life? The Adventures of Marco Polo endeavors to find out where the facts lead. These descriptions were recorded by a writer known as Rustichello of Pisa while Marco Polo was imprisoned in Genoa after his adventure was over, and the fantastic stories spread throughout popular culture even before the advent of the printing press. ![]() ![]() Russell Freedman leads us on an expedition that is as much mystery as history, asking the ultimate question about Marco Polo's quarter-century journey to China in the 1200s: did it actually happen? When Marco departed Venice, Italy at age seventeen with his father (Niccolò) and uncle (Maffeo) on a trade voyage to the Far East, did they end up going beyond where any European ever had? Marco's claims of what he saw on the road to Asia and within the kingdom of Kublai Khan seem beyond belief: carnivorous monsters in the street, cities of dizzying architectural complexity and outrageous wealth, restless demons moaning in the desert. ![]()
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![]() ![]() ![]() I’m not a naturally optimistic person, and in times of difficulty, embracing things like Pokémon GO and homemade ice cream has helped more than I’d readily admit. The last couple of years have been very challenging for me, and in 2019, I began tweeting about celebrating small joys. The world feels so different now than it did mere weeks ago – and yet, since the day I started Books Beyond Binaries, I haven’t missed a scheduled post, so the band plays on. ![]() I am staggered these past few weeks about how much can change in, seemingly, the blink of an eye. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() By centering Black characters who were often the metaphorical villains of Lovecraft’s stories, the book allows for a new layer of meaning to map onto Lovecraft’s old fears. Matt Ruff’s 2016 novel Lovecraft Country was one of the first attempts at an answer. For the past decade or so, as the extent of his racism has become more widely known and acknowledged, horror and fantasy writers whose landscapes are saturated with Lovecraft’s influence have been trying to figure out what to do about him. He injected many of his most famous and beloved stories with overt racist metaphors and frequent blunt literal racism. ![]() Lovecraft leaves no room for a debate about separating the artist from their art. Lovecraft and his works of literary horror are long overdue for a cultural reckoning - because Lovecraft may have been one of the 20th century’s most influential writers, but he was also one of its most gallingly racist. There’s a prehistoric sea cucumber named after his most famous creation, Cthulhu. Giger to the otherworldly tentacle monsters of Stranger Things to True Detective’s Rust Cohle. His monsters - and the men who encounter their cosmic evil - have left imprints everywhere from Alien designer H.R. He has directly influenced countless writers of modern horror, from Stephen King to Junji Ito to Guillermo del Toro. His work saturates modern horror and literary fiction. ![]() ![]() ![]() He had no idea that his mother had dreamed up a storyline in which his character would endure a litany of adversities - finding gum in his messy red hair, being served lima beans for dinner, not getting the shoes he wants - or that it would resonate with so many children and their parents. When his mother, Judith Viorst, conceived the book in the early 1970s, she had already written books featuring his older brothers, Anthony and Nicholas. “I was in the right place at the right time,” he said in an interview at his home in AU Park. Now a 47-year-old father of three who works in affordable-housing finance, Viorst sees the success of “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” as a welcome accident of fate. The real Alexander - Alex Viorst, who happens to live in Northwest Washington - finds the whole thing a kick. He has sold millions of books, including several sequels, and spawned a small cottage industry - a doll, a musical, an animated short film, and, on Friday, a Disney feature film starring Steve Carell and Jennifer Garner. ![]() Of all the great characters in children’s literature, only a select few achieve such fame that, like Madonna, they need only a first name: Eloise, Madeline, Ramona - and of course Alexander, he of the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. ![]() ![]() She posted cheerful and informative clips about her life as a queer person.Īfter cultivating a sizable following during the pandemic, Mulvaney came out as a trans woman in March 2022. Mulvaney started her career in the theater, touring across North America as one of the principal cast members of the hit musical “ The Book of Mormon.” But in 2020, when the pandemic canceled most in-person events, Mulvaney turned to TikTok. Mulvaney became a pandemic-era TikTok star Her response, so far, has been to tune them out, even when the hateful rhetoric escalates. Many of those critics - including celebrities and members of Congress - misgender, degrade and even threaten her in their comments. ![]() Mulvaney’s brand partnerships have triggered a new wave of anti-trans attacks. But when she started posting videos sponsored by Bud Light, Olay and Nike, her accounts became flooded with anti-trans hate.ĬNN has reached out to Mulvaney’s representatives for comment. Her online persona is an overwhelmingly positive one. She’s scored major brand sponsorships and made the jump to fame off-platform, even interviewing President Joe Biden. ![]() ![]() She became famous on TikTok, where she pivoted from musical theater to advocacy when she came out as trans. (CNN) - Dylan Mulvaney is a uniquely 21st-century star. ![]() ![]() ![]() The stories of Frog and Toad have earned their place among the good books. But a truly good book is sufficient unto itself and has no ulterior motives. Something must be accomplished beside-whether it is an increase in the child’s vocabulary, or the teaching of a moral lesson about how to share, or how not to be a bully, or how to have self-esteem. The end is not the enjoyment of the tale. The end in most modern pieces of children’s literature is outside the book itself. Stories for children have changed from being something pleasant, like a glass of lemonade or a soft dreamy sunset, to being something utilitarian-a vehicle designed to trick the child into receiving a moral lesson. ![]() Beauty is secondary, if it is present at all. Stories must now be useful and instructive to children as well as entertaining. As our times have progressed and become “more advanced,” the value of a story as something merely pleasant has shifted. Think of Mother Goose, The Wind in the Willows, The Tale of the Pie and the Patty Pan. ![]() Once upon a time, all children’s stories were a pleasant romp, an indulgence in something lovely. These stories are pure, unashamed delight. Every child should read Arnold Lobel’s stories of Frog and Toad. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() He’s truly the scum of the earth, and he’ll do anything to make Gabby and Riley’s lives a living nightmare. The search for answers becomes darker when Gabby realizes she’s dealing with a criminal who’s more than evil. When Gabby’s temporary assistant disappears, Gabby must figure out who’s behind these crimes. But then messages are left for Gabby at crime scenes, and someone keeps slipping in and out of her apartment. Gabby tells herself there’s no way the Scum River Killer will make it across the country from California to Virginia without being caught. Pictures of Gabby are found in the man’s prison cell, and Riley fears the sadistic madman has Gabby in his sights. His last words to Riley were: I’ll get out, and I’ll get even. A serial killer her fiancé, a former prosecutor, put behind bars has escaped. She quickly realizes she has bigger problems than finding temporary help. With her business partner on his honeymoon, she needs help after a weekend killing spree fills up her work docket. Claire is back to crime-scene cleaning, at least temporarily. ![]() “I’ll get out, and I’ll get even.” Gabby St. ![]() ![]() Promotional posts, comments & flairs, media-only posts, personalized recommendation requests incl. Please use a civil tone and assume good faith when entering a conversation. ![]() All posts must be directly book related, informative, and discussion focused. If you're looking for help with a personal book recommendation, consult our Suggested Reading page or ask in: /r/suggestmeabook Quick Rules:ĭo not post shallow content. It is our intent and purpose to foster and encourage in-depth discussion about all things related to books, authors, genres or publishing in a safe, supportive environment. Subreddit Rules - Message the mods - Related Subs AMA Info The FAQ The Wiki ![]() ![]() ![]() She looks at women such as Jocasta, Oedipus’ mother-turned-lover-and-wife (turned Freudian sticking point), at once the cleverest person in the story and yet often unnoticed. With wit, humor, and savvy, Haynes revolutionizes our understanding of epic poems, stories, and plays, resurrecting them from a woman’s perspective and tracing the origins of their mythic female characters. In Pandora’s Jar, the broadcaster, writer, stand-up comedian, and passionate classicist turns the tables, putting the women of the Greek myths on an equal footing with the men. ![]() ![]() But, as Natalie Haynes reveals, in ancient Greek myths there was no box. When they do take a larger role, women are often portrayed as monstrous, vengeful or just plain evil-like Pandora, the woman of eternal scorn and damnation whose curiosity is tasked with causing all the world’s suffering and wickedness when she opened that forbidden box. The tellers of Greek myths-historically men-have routinely sidelined the female characters. The national bestselling author of A Thousand Ships returns with a fascinating, eye-opening take on the remarkable women at the heart of classical stories Greek mythology from Helen of Troy to Pandora and the Amazons to Medea. but read on!”-Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid's Tale “Funny, sharp explications of what these sometimes not-very-nice women were up to, and how they sometimes made idiots of. ![]() ![]() ![]() Determined to help her Granny B mend fences with her far-flung brood, Evelyn turns her grandmother's heart and home inside out. Her granddaughter, Evelyn Lester, shows up on Beatrice's doorstep anyway, burdened with her own secret baggage. There's no room in Granny B's house for regrets or hand-holding. If any of her children have questions about their daddy and the choices she made after he abandoned them, they'd best take it up with Jesus. Just because she finds out she's dying doesn't mean she can't keep it that way. The writing is strong, and the story is engaging, and readers will be pleased to discover a new voice in Southern inspirational fiction." - Booklist Christy Award winner! To hear Beatrice Agnew tell it, she entered the world with her mouth tightly shut. ![]() "Pearson delivers a poignant debut that explores the faith of one African American family. ![]() |