Although much has been written over the years about the ancient mystery religions and their influence on the intellectual life of the Renaissance, scholars have neglected their role in art. This is a serious omission in the case of one of the most popular cultic deities, the Mother Goddess, whose colorful myths and exotic rites, described in fascinating detail by classical authors, became a rich source of imagery for Renaissance writers, antiquarians, and artists. She was especially important to the Neoplatonist philosophers of the period, for whom she embodied the idea of love as the great universal bond and conveyor of divine influences to the mortal realm. In this ground-breaking study, Edith Balas draws upon a wide range of humanistic learning to examine the significance of the Mother Goddess and her cult in the works of such major figures as Botticelli, Mantegna, Michelangelo, Titian, and Raphael, as well in those of a host of lesser artists, including Neroccio de' Landi, Baltasare Peruzzi, Giorgio Vasari, and Pirro Ligorio. Dr. Balas not only provides additional keys to solving the often dauntingly complex riddles posed by many Quattrocento and Cinquecento images―images originally intended to be understood only by a learned elite―but also furnishes scholars with a valuable methodological model for analyzing the presence and meaning of other ancient religious cults in Renaissance art.

Amy Levy's "Miss Meredith" offers a glimpse into the lives and relationships of women in Pisa, Italy. These evocative short stories explore the complexities of human connection against the backdrop of a vibrant expatriate community. Set in the historic city of Pisa, the collection delves into the inner worlds of its characters, portraying their experiences with sensitivity and insight. Levy's keen observations of city life and her nuanced portrayal of women make this work a compelling read. The themes of identity, belonging, and the search for meaning resonate throughout the stories, showcasing the author's talent for capturing the subtleties of human interaction. Experience these timeless tales of love, friendship, and self-discovery in this meticulously prepared edition. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Poetry. Alison Stone's sixth collection deals with the myths, both classic and contemporary, that shape our psyches and our world. From Caligula and Medusa to Gabby Douglas and Ivanka Trump, these speakers illuminate the timeless struggles for power and love that play a central role in literature and art. Stone's speakers tell their stories in poems that both transcend culture and time and illuminate this particular historical moment.

How is one to speak with the dead? Why should you turn? Is this an apple? Anyone for tea before night falls? Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?With these questions, plucked from the poems of writers whom she admires, Alison Pick fashions "answers:" extraordinary meditations on life and death, love and work, happiness and sorrow. The book includes a remarkable sequence about the poet's discovery as a teenager of her father's Jewish ancestry. Alison Pick is the winner of the 2002 Bronwen Wallace Memorial Award for the best unpublished writer under 35. The jury wrote: "The poems prove once again that poetry generates poetry ... that literary excellence fuels excellence in the generations that follow." By turns spiritual and earthy, accessible and complex, thoughtful and wrenching, Question & Answer announces the arrival a brilliant new poetic voice.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

Enoch Coffin is a proud inhabitant of Massachusetts, an artist following in the footsteps of local legend Richard Upton Pickman. Coffin is an artist with a singular quest: to capture in paint, or ink, or clay -- however he might -- sights that no mortal has ever portrayed in art before...and lived to exhibit. His quest will take him throughout actual New England locations, and that other New England of H. P. Lovecraft, where his models will be doomed souls, ravening ghouls, and entities from beyond the veil. Individually acclaimed for their weird fiction, in this collection of short stories authors W. H. Pugmire and Jeffrey Thomas collaborate to paint the portrait of a character every bit as fascinating and unique as the subjects of his artistic encounters. With haunting illustrations on the front and back cover by renowned illustrator Santiago Caruso and interior illustrations accompanying every story by illustrator Clint Leduc, Encounters with Enoch Coffin is one of the best-selling Dark Regions Press titles of 2013.

This collection of Sesqua Valley stories contains new material as well as older work revised or completely rewritten especially for this edition. Sesqua Valley, modeled on North Bend and the Snoqualmie Valley in the Pacific Northwest, is home to Wilum Pugmire's created world of supernatural forces and eldritch beings, attracting mere mortals who feel its call. While inspired by the work of H.P. Lovecraft, Pugmire uses Lovecraftian elements for his own ends, expressing a unique creative and poetic vision that sings of the liberating, if at times terrifying, power of transformation that lies within all of us.

In the kaleidoscope that is Lionel Abrahams, we find poet and wit, lover and critic, a voice speaking to us - especially to poets - with an inspirational clarity.

"[Wolff] is a remarkable pianist, an excellent theoretician, a learned teacher, a brilliant thinker and writer." —Artur Schnabel "This collection of [Wolff's] writings and letters should bear ample testimony to a musician who happily combined the artist, the teacher, the musicologist, and the charm and integrity of a human being." —Alfred Brendel "Konrad Wolff writes about music with the verve and enthusiasm of a great teacher who has never lost his sense of music as an adventure. To read him is to enter into a lively dialogue with a superior musical mind and a buoyant spirit." —Richard Goode This collection provides elegant and thorough portraits of an important 20th-century performer and lover of music, as well as of his greatest influences.

Karen Shenfeld's careful, concentrated language draws the reader in. Hers is a charged, physical world where figure skates are ?a shock of alpine white, ? and the Torah's ?crowned letters dance.? It is also a world marked by profound metaphysical connections where fireflies flash ?coded signals of their secret selves.? There is an irresistible brilliance and humour to several of the poems and Shenfeld's tributes to her redhot Jewish mamas - Molly Picon, Fanny Brice, and Sophie Tucker - will leave the lover of poetry wishing she?d offered more. - Kenneth Sherma

"Mr. Marx's Secret" by E. Phillips Oppenheim is a gripping and suspenseful tale that delves into the enigmatic world of espionage, mystery, and international intrigue. In this captivating book, Oppenheim weaves a web of secrets, betrayal, and unexpected alliances that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.Follow the protagonist, Mr. Marx, a seemingly ordinary man with a clandestine past, as he navigates a treacherous world of spies, double-crosses, and hidden agendas. As the layers of his mysterious past are gradually revealed, readers are drawn deeper into a web of suspense, unsure of who to trust and what secrets lie beneath the surface.Oppenheim's masterful storytelling and skillful character development bring a cast of memorable and complex individuals to life, each with their own motivations and hidden agendas. Through twists and turns, unexpected alliances and shocking revelations, "Mr. Marx's Secret" keeps readers guessing until the very end.But "Mr. Marx's Secret" is more than just a tale of international intrigue—it is a meditation on the nature of loyalty, the consequences of one's past actions, and the delicate balance between trust and betrayal. Oppenheim's intricate plot, atmospheric settings, and taut pacing create a narrative that grips readers from the first page to the last, immersing them in a world where nothing is as it seems.Prepare to be enthralled as you delve into the pages of "Mr. Marx's Secret." This book is a must-read for fans of espionage thrillers, lovers of intricate plots, and anyone who enjoys a good mystery. Oppenheim's brilliant storytelling, captivating suspense, and unexpected twists will leave you breathless, questioning everything you thought you knew.Join E. Phillips Oppenheim on a thrilling journey with "Mr. Marx's Secret," where the stakes are high, loyalties are tested, and the truth lies just beyond reach. This novel is an invitation to dive into a world of secrets and intrigue, where nothing is as it seems and the line between friend and foe is blurred. Get ready to embark on a gripping adventure with "Mr. Marx's Secret."

Edgar Morin, one of France's greatest living intellectuals, tells the story of his father, Vidal Nahoum, but also the story of Sephardic Jews, and of Europe. In this 'holographic history' Vidal's story, and that of his family, carries within it the flowering, decline, and death of Jewish culture in Spain, the passage from Empires to Nation States, the complex relations between Jews and Gentiles, between East and West, and, ultimately, the history of the twentieth century itself. Morin's work ranges from the great sweep of global historical events to the everyday details of individual lives, letters, feelings, reflections, and experiences. Vidal was born in 1894 in the Ottoman Empire's great Macedonian port. His great-grandfather came from Tuscany and spoke Italian. His mother tongue was fifteenth-century Spanish. He learned French and German as a child. When he was an adolescent, he dreamed of living in France; he was deported there as a prisoner, and then liberated by the French Prime Minister. He lived through the Balkan wars, the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, and two World Wars. Vidal cannot be isolated from his family. And as Edgar Morin explains, "this book also tells the stories of the men and women in his immediate family When, as his son, I inevitably come into his story... I describe him as objectively as possible. The reverence that inspired me did not call for a work of edification; it implied that I should attempt to write a truthful book. For this reason, the book is not in the least respectful, or at least not in the usual sense of the word. Vidal felt that loving someone meant being able to tease him. The author of these lines, who has inherited something of this trait, does not think it disrespectful to tease or make fun of the people he loves."

.echo takes you on a fascinating journey with Nikuko Meat-Girl into the language of avatars, transliterate lovemaking and virtual subjectivity. While interacting with Sondheim's supernatural eroticism, readers will lose themselves in a net.fiction charged with sex, obsession, codework and real bodies pushed to the limit.

Exploring the worlds of love and dating with humor and insight. Some of this book with drawings by Frank Renlie examines love and dating in a humorous and frivolous manner, but other parts reveal love and dating as a crucial and disturbing phenomenon. But whether we approach love with tears or laughter, it is clear that love is the core and central meaning in the human experience. From its passions arise the continuity of life itself - survival of the species. Love can be the most exhilarating and satisfying emotion of all existence, and yet it can also be destructive and painful. Still, no life is complete without it.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

A lively and entertaining comic opera that tells the story of a young woman's quest for love and happiness. Featuring catchy melodies, witty lyrics, and engaging characters, The Dove of Peace remains a popular and enduring classic of the American musical theater. This edition includes the full libretto, as well as historical background and commentary. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This classic French tale of love and honor comes to life in Walter Damrosch's celebrated opera. With its soaring melodies and dramatic lyrics, Cyrano is a masterpiece of the operatic genre, capturing the passion and pathos of 17th century France in vivid detail. From duels at dawn to moonlit trysts, Cyrano is a feast for the senses, and a must-see for any lover of classical music. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

In eleven original, surprising and deliciously dark stories, Victoria Redel moves effortlessly between men's and women's perspectives in stories that explore marriage, divorce and parenthood. A newly divorced mother stumbles her way back into single life. A young man and his girlfriend clean out his dead mother's overstuffed home. A woman struggles to hide her affair from a doting husband and inquisitive daughter. A man descends into a drug-fueled dream as he imagines losing his pregnant wife to a historical, nineteenth century figure. Redel indelibly captures the ways we love, the ways we yearn and the ways we sabotage each. Throughout the collection, children struggle to make sense of the adult world's uncertainties as husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, find themselves pressed up against their own limits, "the exaltations and treasons of one's own mothy heart." Redel has again done what Grace Paley said of Redel's first collection, "Only a poet could have written this prose. Only a storyteller could keep a reader turning these pages so greedily."