Haystacks Kane is a professional wrestler. A 607-pound professional wrestler. He has been preyed upon, handled, his innate kindness and gentle good nature harvested by unscrupulous promoters and his conniving manager, an ex-wife and fellow denizens of the seamy netherworld he inhabits, the ravenous crowds with a thirst for violent cheap thrills-and sometimes for blood.

Now, gravely injured and unable to speak, he lies motionless in his hospital bed, immobilized, his body broken. Visitors from his past and present enter and leave the room-or perhaps only his disordered inner world. They offer up counterpoint to his own silent ruminations as he drifts in and out of consciousness seeking to uncover the deeper truth of his existence, rummaging through the trunk of his memories to discover exactly what 'it' is-the 'it' that has deprived him of his wife, taken every member of his family from him, laid him low, and the 'it' that will release him from the bonds of his history and transport him to Greece, the Eden he dreams of, his true self set free at last.

The novel's final moments prompt the reader to decide for him- or herself what Haystacks' ultimate fate will be-a decision that will reveal in turn the reader's own worldview, where he or she can be found on the continuum of hope vs. fear.

This book is about women in jazz. It charts their journeys, celebrates their presence, hears their voices, wonders at their prowess and revels in their being. We hear from female agents, arrangers, composers, musicians, PR people, radio hosts, record label managers, singers, writers and more. These are their stories; their views of jazz and how they see the future. The established performers share their years of experience whilst those newer to jazz reflect on observations and changes they have seen.

Containing interviews and first-hand accounts, this book is witness to the generosity, profundity and positivity with which women have responded and the energy they have put into their lives in overcoming challenges.

Finalist for the 2020 Guernica Prize for Fiction.

In the midst of the Arab Spring's upheaval, Borrowed Memories unravels a tale of shifting identities and the profound impact of memory. Meet Ivan Pyefinch, a freelance translator seeking solace in the Thousand Islands as he tends to his aging parents, Horace and Aida. Horace, a former World War II pilot, fights to reclaim his driver's license, while Aida grapples with the relentless advance of Alzheimer's. Their borrowed time is both a burden and a gift, and Ivan is determined to make the most of it.

Enter Mia Hakim, an immigrant filmmaker from Quebec with a penchant for other people's memories and an unyielding quest for her Sephardic roots. When she seeks Ivan's help in translating her scenario for a research trip to Tunisia, the collision of their worlds becomes inevitable. As Mia unexpectedly arrives at the Pyefinch home on the eve of Remembrance Day, a family health crisis sets in motion a profound narrative that explores the intricacies of love, loss, and the perennial search for identity.

Praised by the Guernica jury as an evocative and nuanced story, Borrowed Memories immerses readers in Ivan's poignant journey. His ambivalence and longing, caught between the echoes of his parents and the enigmatic Mia, create a captivating internal odyssey.

One of the most famous books on the occult ever written, this is a record of Crowley's journey into strange regions of consciousness: his initiation into magic his world-wide travels and mistresses, his experiments with sex and drugs, and the philosophy of his famous Book of the Law.

Aleister Crowley, self-styled the Beast, founder of his own spiritual orders, was already a legend the world over when he penned his biography. Known as a novelist, poet, magician, mountaineer, chessmaster, guru, he was also a notorious drug user, famous voluptuary and accomplished mystic.

Born in England in 1875, son of a brewer and evangelizing Plymouth brother, Crowley rejected Victorian life and mores and pursued a life of rebellion where he sought to push the limits of experience and human knowledge. Soul-searching mysticism led to sexual excess, debauchery, drug use and daring physical and mental exploits whether on the most dangerous of mountain cliffs or in the most profound psychological experimentation.

A master of Eastern and Western philosophy he travelled Egypt, China, Mexico, Thailand and more... Living in London, Paris, New York, he collected disciples, mistresses and lovers of both sexes, while pouring out unparallelled manuscripts on occultism, mysticism and the practice of the spiritual sciences. His prolific literary career and adventurous feats never far behind, he also produced a number of novels and volumes of verse to fill a library while breaking world records in mountaineering and climbing. Via his spiritual writings and experiments, he has left humanity with a legacy to decipher for ages to come.

IN NIETZSCHE'S FOOTSTEPS by Jonathan R. Cohen

I am dynamite, says Nietzsche. I teach you the Superman! he proclaims. So what does it mean to follow in the footsteps or live in the shadow of such explosive material? Is it wise, or even desirable? How does one integrate philosophic truth and exalted thought and ideals into the mundane, everyday life? Ruminate upon these questions with the author as he travels both interiorly and externally into those regions that Nietzsche discovered and explored; and still haunts to this day.

In Nietzsche's Footsteps is a philosophical travel memoir. A thrilling, vicarious journey provides the setting for an earnest discussion and pragmatic reflection on elements of Nietzsche's biography and philosophy. In particular, the book wrestles with the contrast between Nietzsche's philosophy of individualism-which goes hand in hand with his own isolated life, and the author's life as a family man. Along the way we share parts of Nietzsche's biography and reflect on some central ideas of his philosophy, including ways in which our culture may or may not have followed in his footsteps.

In a book that will appeal to academics and enthusiasts alike, Nietzsche's complex philosophical ideas are accessibly framed as they arise in the day-to-day, so that we may tackle the question of what it is to lead a meaningful life, both as individuals and alongside those we love.

A thrilling, vicarious journey through Friedrich Nietzsche's favorite haunts, In Nietzsche's Footsteps walks us through an earnest discussion and pragmatic reflection on elements of Nietzsche's biography and philosophical discoveries throughout the philosopher's journeys.

From hitch-hiking across the 49th parallel to plane trips to Montreal, road trips to Halifax, drinking in parkades and jamming in friends' lofts, Unwanted Hopeless Romantic Morons captures the trials and disenchantment of a disconnected generation. Lost in the vastness of Canada, the Dead-at-25s isolated in suburbia are lured somnabulistically to cities where they find further alienation and disappointment. In a touching tale, stark realism, substance abuse and sexual haggling co-exist with the innocent yearnings of youth in this modern struggle of love and idealism seeking its expression in a wasteland of nihilistic greed, narcotic egoism and righteous violence.

Sam Cooke, the man, the musician, the lover - his natural genius, his wanton escapades, his raw passion, his business talent and his brilliant, soulful music are all here conjured in a series of poems by Darren C. Demaree. From humble gospel beginnings, to world-fame stature and cold murder, the beauty, unlikeliness and tragedy of a genius and his life are here commemorated and eternally brought to life.

It is hard to imagine a collection of poems that could do justice to the gentle genius and bright star that was Sam Cooke, but Lady, You Shot Me manages to do exactly that.

An Anthology of East African Literature: A Collection of Masterfully Crafted Pieces from 50+ Contributors across 10+ Countries.

The literary world has received a gift in the form of An Anthology of East African Literature. This new book, featuring the works of more than 50 contributors from over 10 countries, promises to be a granary of artistic abundance. With over 300 pages of literary art, this anthology is a rich tapestry of poems and short stories that draw from the African oral storytelling tradition.

The poetry section of the anthology is rich and sundry, reflecting the diverse spectrum of literary expression to be found across the East African region. From playful use of verb repetition to create a sense of frequency and emphasis, to the conversational form of Ngonjera, readers will find a wide range of styles and themes.

The short stories section is equally diverse, covering a range of societal and personal issues. From terrorism to romantic cravings, political disenchantment to justice and gender equality issues, the writings in this section showcase some of the finest writing in terms of both form and meaning.

We are excited to present An Anthology of East African Literature to the world, says Josh Mali, one of the editors. This book is a fitting gift to the lovers of literary art in this first quarter of the 21st century, and we hope readers will enjoy the rich variety of masterfully crafted pieces that it contains.

Featuring:

Beverley Nambozo Nsengiyunva Lydia Kasese Bigoa Chuol Kagayi Ngobi Raïs Neza Boneza Sitawa Namwalie Betty Kituyi Josh Mali Gervaz Lushaju Prof. Laban Erapu Julius Ocwinyo Billy Kahora Sam Okoth Opondo Troy Onyango Dennis Mugaa Aress Mohamed Dessale Berekhet Alex Teyie Lucky Grace Isingizwe Barbara Oketta Lilian Akampurira Aujo Jameela Siddiqi Derek Lubangakene Rosey Ssembatya Sophie Alal Ayeta Anne Wangusa Carey Baraka Muthoni wa Gichuru Neema Komba Regina Asinde Dilman Dila Muthoni Garland Davina Philomena Kawuma Abraham T. Zere Tim Baroraho Bob G. Kisiki Josh Mali Julius Ocwinyo Acan Innocent Immaculate Beatrice Lamwaka Hilda J. Twongyeirwe

Hammering, bombastic, poetic, mystic Nietzsche as seen through the mind of the great ontologist Martin Heidegger is what Dr. Catanu delivers in this new volume. Nietzsche's thought dissected, critiqued and delimited by the author of Being and Time one of the most influential modern philosophers of our day, is explored in this insightful new volume, containing never before translated passages from the Nietzschean Nachlass. Heidegger's Nietzsche re-assesses Nietzsche's metaphysics of Becoming and extends Heidegger's line of thought into areas the ontologist neglected. Providing fresh insight into the minds of these two great Western thinkers, Heidegger's Nietzsche: Being and Becoming is a must read for today's discerning scholar and thinker. . . . A product of impressive erudition and scholarship, this book takes a comprehensive survey of Nietzsche's texts on Becoming, and shows how that idea is entangled with all others central to his philosophy, including will to power, eternal recurrence, nihilism and the overman. The book evinces the author's acquaintance with an impressive amount of the secondary literature, on both the continental and the Anglo-American sides. It delves deeply into most of the relevant issues and throws helpful light in many places. - John Richardson, Professor of Philosophy, New York University

Dive into the captivating world of jazz with Women in Jazz by Sammy Stein, a groundbreaking book that shines a spotlight on the incredible contributions of women in this beloved genre. This special edition book containing both Women in Jazz: The Women, the Legends & their Fight and In Their Own Words by Sammy Stein in one hardcover volume, takes readers on an inspiring journey through the lives and stories of female agents, arrangers, composers, musicians, PR professionals, radio hosts, record label managers, singers, writers, and more.

In Women in Jazz, Stein expertly charts the paths of these remarkable women, celebrating their presence, amplifying their voices, and marveling at their unparalleled talent. The book provides an intimate glimpse into their experiences, sharing their unique perspectives on jazz and their visions for the future of the genre. From seasoned performers who share wisdom gained through years of dedication to emerging artists reflecting on the evolving landscape of jazz, each chapter offers a profound exploration of their journey.

Through a collection of interviews and firsthand accounts, Women in Jazz bears witness to the unwavering dedication, resilience, and passion these women have brought to their craft. It captures the generosity and positivity with which they have overcome challenges, offering a testament to their unwavering commitment to their artistry. Stein's book serves as a testament to the indomitable spirit of these trailblazers, inspiring readers with their stories of triumph.

Within the pages of Women in Jazz, readers will gain an appreciation for the profound impact these women have had on the jazz landscape. Their creativity, innovation, and sheer talent have shaped the genre and paved the way for future generations of musicians. This book serves as a tribute to their invaluable contributions, ensuring that their stories and voices are recognized and celebrated.

Released to critical acclaim, Women in Jazz has garnered praise for its comprehensive and insightful portrayal of the women who have left an indelible mark on the jazz scene. Stein's meticulous research and engaging storytelling bring to life the vibrant tapestry of jazz history and the extraordinary women who have shaped it.

Whether you're a passionate jazz aficionado, a music lover, or someone intrigued by the power of women's voices, Women in Jazz is a must-read. It invites you to embark on an enriching journey through the lives and experiences of these remarkable musicians, leaving you with a deeper appreciation for their immense talent and the barriers they have overcome.

Pick up a copy of Women in Jazz today and join the celebration of these extraordinary women who have transformed jazz and continue to inspire future generations.

The Bible is teeming with cruelty, atrocity, injustice, wickedness, pain, amputation, sacrifice... who knew it could be so funny, too? Rewritten in its entirety, these 'blasphemous' new and old testaments take the Bible book by book, line by line, and edit them for sarcasm, satire, credulity and common sense. The result is some of the funniest, scariest stuff you'll ever read.

Rewritten in their entirety, these blasphemous new and old testaments are an attempt at a reversal of morals--a dialectical approach to the truth in which the opposite is mirrored against the established with the goal of producing a new transcendent truth uniting the two contradictory views.

. . . a means of challenging zealots to read their own holy books and possibly force them to consider the harder questions and contradictions contained therein, the author decided to rewrite the Bible. Years of indefatigable work later, The Blasphemous Bible was created. All the many stories, verses, and 'facts' contained in the Bible are here rewritten with no apology for the obvious wickedness, cruelties, atrocities, and overall unbelievable fallacies it may be said to chronicle.

Wushan Town was an ordinary town in Fenlai Kingdom on the west of 'Monster Mountains', the first mountain range on Yulan Continent.
The sun rose up, with cool air still permeating the town. Residents had already went out to work, and children of 6 to 7 years old also got up for traditional morning exercises.
On the open land east of Wushan Town, warm sunshine came through tree branches and cast spots on the ground.
In a glance, about 100 to 200 children were divided into three groups, and in each group, they were arranged in several rows. Every child stood quietly with solemn looks. The group on the north consisted of children aged 6 to 8, and the groups in the middle and on the south consisted of children aged 9 to 12 and 13 to 16, respectively.
In front of the group of children were 3 strong middle-aged men in short waistcoat and trousers made of coarse cloth...

...a modern poetic stylist who dare not be ignored. - After the Pause
...a pleasure to surrender to Mr. Demaree's tides and eddy's of language. - Dime Show Review
...a tour de force. - Cultural Weekly
...pulsing with life and all of the jagged undersides of the unseen... - Anti-Heroin Chic

Darren C. Demaree's Many Full Hands Applauding Inelegantly is as masterful as it is subtle. In this latest collection, Demaree continues to expand and develop not only his power and voice, but the voice of a time and a generation. A transcendent unity runs through this tripartite collection of poems that can be taken individually as particles, or a moment on a continuous wave. Birth (A Violent Sound in Almost Every Place), Life (We are Arrows) and Death (All the Birds Are Leaving) are woven together on the circle that surrounds and unites all.

One of the most famous books on the occult ever written, this is a record of Crowley's journey into strange regions of consciousness: his initiation into magic his world-wide travels and mistresses, his experiments with sex and drugs, and the philosophy of his famous Book of the Law.

Aleister Crowley, self-styled the Beast, founder of his own spiritual orders, was already a legend the world over when he penned his biography. Known as a novelist, poet, magician, mountaineer, chessmaster, guru, he was also a notorious drug user, famous voluptuary and accomplished mystic.

Born in England in 1875, son of a brewer and evangelizing Plymouth brother, Crowley rejected Victorian life and mores and pursued a life of rebellion where he sought to push the limits of experience and human knowledge. Soul-searching mysticism led to sexual excess, debauchery, drug use and daring physical and mental exploits whether on the most dangerous of mountain cliffs or in the most profound psychological experimentation.

A master of Eastern and Western philosophy he travelled Egypt, China, Mexico, Thailand and more... Living in London, Paris, New York, he collected disciples, mistresses and lovers of both sexes, while pouring out unparallelled manuscripts on occultism, mysticism and the practice of the spiritual sciences. His prolific literary career and adventurous feats never far behind, he also produced a number of novels and volumes of verse to fill a library while breaking world records in mountaineering and climbing. Via his spiritual writings and experiments, he has left humanity with a legacy to decipher for ages to come.

In a remote village of Laos, rival gangs plot to seize control of the land and exploit its resources for their own gain. But when their plans are threatened by Sithana's appearance, a deadly chain of events is set in motion that will test the limits of loyalty, courage, and love. As tensions rise and alliances shift, a web of corruption and deceit is revealed, and the villagers must band together to fight for their way of life.

Sithana Burning is a gripping tale of love, loyalty, and justice, featuring vividly drawn characters and a richly evocative setting. When Sithana returns to Laos from Canada to bury his family and avenge their deaths, he finds himself drawn to Viengvilay, a woman who understands his pain and shares his desire for justice. Meanwhile, in the bustling city of Luang Prabang, Laos, Touy Silavong her fiancé is a rising star in the world of organized crime. With a combination of cunning and ruthlessness, he's built an empire that extends far beyond the city limits. As Sithana and Viengvilay navigate the dangerous terrain of a corrupt society, they are forced to confront their deepest fears and make choices that will determine their fate. With vivid descriptions of Laos and its culture, Sithana Burning is a powerful story of resilience, love, and the human spirit's unyielding will to survive.

Authors Richard Rathwell and Harold Rhenisch offer a new perspective on the works of the late American-Canadian poet Robin Blaser, who taught a generation of Canadian poets the techniques of blowing apart meaning, deriving significance from the arrangement of text on the page, and using pages as cloud chamber bowls. Don't Expect the Sun to Shine: A Wake for Robin Blaser is a record of the wake held in Blaser's honor, offering readers an opportunity to wander through the literary landscape he's left behind.

These were called poems, but they were really scripts to tease the cognitive patterns of biological readers. Unlike book-based poetry, they did not interact with the technological constraints of books but with the neurological constraints of humans. Their purpose was to turn space into time. Their purpose was to stop death. Every poem was a wake.

In Don't Expect the Sun to Shine, Rathwell and Rhenisch turn time back into space, creating an opportunity for readers to wander around freely and meet the biological history that controls their hike. As Rhenisch notes, We want readers to wander around wherever they like. We don't control their hike. Their biological history does that. We are just hosting a party, so they can meet.

Don't Expect the Sun to Shine responds to three ongoing trends in the development of written language in the age of images: the treatment of words as images in art writing, the evolution of criticism as a form of creativity that fails its potential because it remains enslaved to the academy, and the contemporary world of narrative fiction, which sees fictional worlds as the greatest truths, enjoys being dominated by normative narratives, and treats characters as clothing taken on for public display.

Novels have become self-help, identity racks in a mall that you page through to find the one that fits. Then you wear it. - Harold Rhenisch

A fitting tribute to Robin Blaser, his life's work, and his influence on Canadian poetry. Don't Expect the Sun to Shine: A Wake for Robin Blaser is a must-read for poetry enthusiasts and those interested in the intersection of literature and art.

ARIELLE QUEEN, Book I - A Knight for a Queen The Best-Selling, Award-Winning Fantasy Series by Michel Levesque 'Fat. Plain. Orphaned.' The three words Arielle uses to describe herself. But a secret, both frightening and beautiful, will emerge, like a butterfly from its cocoon. Arielle, an insecure teenager discovers on her sixteenth birthday that life is not as she once thought--boring. Suddenly thrust into the middle of a battle between evil and more evil that has been raging for centuries she learns of another world co-existing with ours, but invisible to her until until that fateful day. Now, Arielle must discover who she truly is before she can understand all that is happening around her. A journey of self-discovery becomes a life-and-death struggle for our heroine as she battles the supernatural forces pursuing her and learns about herself, her destiny and the prophecies foretelling of her arrival.

The latest in a long line of scriptures, Maple Vedas explores the voyages of the Gods of India-Vishnu, Shiva, Ganesha, Kali-as they visit the northwestern lands of the globe in the past, the present, and the near future. Peopled with other characters like a prophetic moose, a secretive walrus, and a charming groundhog, the interactions and dialogues of this third millenium testament force you to rethink history, religion, and your place in all of it-wherever you come from. In Maple Vedas, we discover that the Gods of India continue to roam Canada and the United States-perhaps standing beside you on a city bus-but they have come in new incarnations. Will you recognize them?

2024 Independent Press Award Winner in the category of World Literature ∗ 1st Place in Women's Historical Fiction, 2nd Place in Historical Fiction 2024 BookFest Awards ∗ Winner of Outstanding Creator Award for Political Fiction 2024 ∗ Winner of the 2023 HFC European Book of the Year ∗ Finalist in the Multicultural Fiction category for the 2024 American Legacy Book Award ∗ Finalist for the Book Excellence Award in Europe ∗ Finalist for the 2021 Eyland Awards ∗ Finalist for Fiction Factory Chapter Novel Competition 2022 ∗ Finalist in the 2023 Latino Book Awards

In the turbulent landscape of an alternate Europe lies the captivating tapestry of Perestroika, a literary masterpiece that weaves together the threads of revenge, redemption, and catharsis against the backdrop of an imaginary country called Slavia. With a masterful narrative, this novel stands as a testament to the indomitable spirit of humanity in the face of political upheaval.

As the specter of Perestroika sweeps across Europe, communist regimes crumble, and a new era dawns in the People's Republic of Slavia. In the corridors of power, former leaders grapple with the harsh reality of change, while those who suffered under their rule seek justice and revenge.

Amidst the chaos, the central figure emerges - Lia Kirchner, a woman driven by the shadows of her father's tragic fate in a re-education camp. As the daughter of a painter who perished, Lia embarks on a quest for truth that intertwines with the larger tapestry of political intrigue and personal vendettas.

President Alfred Ionescu, once an influential leader, finds himself confined in an asylum of his own making. Zut Zdanov, the head of culture, faces the haunting specter of his dark past in an encounter with allegations of child abuse. Helena Yava, fueled by the grief of losing a lover, seeks vengeance by any means possible. Igor Olin, the steward of the economy, battles for the dignity of his disabled son in a world grappling with change. Meanwhile, art historian Silvia Lenka delves into the mysteries of her own parentage.

Drawing inspiration from Pilate's eternal question-what is truth?-Perestroika is a kaleidoscope of history, politics, arts, tragedy, and humor. In a world echoing the fall of the Berlin Wall and mirroring the rise of leaders inspired by figures like Putin and Trump, the novel transcends conventional genres, offering a unique blend of entertainment and intellectual depth.

In the finest tradition of William S. Burroughs and Thomas Pynchon, comes a strong American author writing in the great American paranoiac's voice as every page busts forth with a wild and elusive prose that takes the reader on a wild ride where anything becomes a possibility. With The Love Song of J. Edgar Hoover, Charles Talkoff combs the deepest fathoms of a paranoiac's nightmares and brings back with him his vision and homage to the deeper, darker secrets of the human psyche in the post-9/11 world. The Ministry of Ambiance, Fluffy-eared Generals, Special Agent Automatic Turpentine, Katzenberg's Super Atomic Piston Ring, Mr. Jellybean and Agency men all vie for your thoughts. Welcome to a post-9/11 paranoid world that would have had Hoover dancing in his closet. A wild ride through the physics of Katzenberg's Super Atomic Piston Ring - a machine that would allow the user to tap into conversations anywhere in the world at any moment in time. Talkoff is . . . a serial killer having his way with the entire body of literature, art, and popular culture. - Jed Birmingham, Author, Editor