“[A] well–edited collection . . . More than friends and less than lovers, Salter and Phelps were literary soul mates.” — Publishers Weekly It was James Salter’s third novel, A Sport and a Pastime —together with his film Three and a script he had written for Downhill Racer —that in 1969 prompted Robert Phelps to write a letter of admiration. Though the two writers didn’t know each other, their correspondence went on to span decades. The letters themselves are exceptionally alive, uninhibited, gossipy, touching, and brilliant. The successes of Salter and the struggles of Phelps are fully explored by the writers themselves in the kind of honest exchange only letters can divulge. With an insightful foreword by Michael Dirda, this book gives voice to a nearly forgotten figure and his friendship with a man he admired.

"Biespiel’s supple memoir of becoming a poet will surely inspire other writers to embrace the bodily character of writing and feel the power and, sometimes, the emptiness of the act of writing poetry." — Publishers Weekly (starred review) The Education of a Young Poet is David Biespiel’s moving account of his awakening to writing and the language that can shape a life. Exploring the original source of his creative impulse—a great–grandfather who traveled alone from Ukraine to America in 1910, eventually settling as a rag peddler in the tiny town of Elma, Iowa—through the generations that followed, Biespiel tracks his childhood in Texas and his university days in the northeast, led along by the ""pattern and random bursts that make up a life." His book offers an intimate recollection of how one person forges a life as a writer during extraordinary times. From the Jewish quarter of Houston in the 1970s to bohemian Boston in the 1980s, from Russia’s Pale of Settlement to a farming village in Vermont, Biespiel remains alert to the magic of possibilities—ancestral journeys, hash parties, political rallies, family connections, uncertain loves, the thrill of sex, and lasting friendships. Woven throughout are reflections on the writer’s craft coupled with a classic coming–of–age tale that does for Boston in the 1980s what Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast did for Paris in the 1920s and Broyard’s Kafka Was the Rage did for Greenwich Village in the 1950s. Restless with curiosity and enthusiasm, The Education of a Young Poet is a singular and universal bildungsroman that movingly demonstrates, "in telling the story of one’s coming into consciousness, all languages are more or less the same."

An “exquisite . . . spot on” ( The Hudson Review ) collection of poems from one of our best-loved and best-selling poets that is both personal, with poetry about love, nature and reflections on the stages of life, and political, ranging from the war in Iraq and Katrina to concerns such as women’s rights and the poet’s childhood in Detroit.

The haunting story of a woman who desires “something more, as if something more had been promised her that was not yet given.” Vivian Carpentier, confined by her role as an upper class woman in the 1940s, gleans meaning only from erotic love. Troubled by the elusiveness of men, yet convinced that they run the world, she can barely conceal her desperation to entice. Struggling with motherhood and the failure of marriage, she takes jobs to bridge intervals between lovers. She sings in a hotel bar, sells dresses, and nurses her father’s friend through his last illness, hoping to atone for a self-centered life. The constant in Vivian’s life is her son, David. Having seen her worst and best moments, he provides her with consolation and a reason for living.

" Inspired by treasured family memoirs and musings, Susan J. Gordon' s work strikes a chord of connections in the hearts of her many readers. Many of her early childhood experiences were instrumental in shaping her lifelong love of writing. " Most of her pieces are about universal topics such as marriage, family life, parenting, being Jewish, family histories, and growing up in a family of divorce. Over the years, they were published in many well-known, popular magazines and newspapers. " ' Childhood is as fleeting as falling leaves,' Gordon says, ' and home is where we can find our way in the dark. There are no secrets in families-- just things no one wants to talk about. The past is always present, I believe, whether or not we are conscious of it.' " -- Anne Garry, former Managing Editor of Victoria " Gordon' s research on the historical context of relatives' lives, and her explorations of family secrets and myths are models for the genealogical community." -- Renee Steinig, genealogist and former president of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Long Island

THE STORY: Four Manhattan yuppies strike up a friendship in a chic uptown restaurant after a bag lady in-volves them in an altercation. A month later, the four self-involved Manhattanites (three men and one woman), having fallen instantly in love w

Hip-Hop is the largest youth culture in the history of the planet rock. This is the first poetry anthology by and for the Hip-Hop generation. It has produced generations of artists who have revolutionized their genre(s) by applying the aesthetic innovations of the culture. The BreakBeat Poets features 78 poets, born somewhere between 1961-1999, All-City and Coast-to-Coast, who are creating the next and now movement(s) in American letters. The BreakBeat Poets is for people who love Hip-Hop, for fans of the culture, for people who've never read a poem, for people who thought poems were only something done by dead white dudes who got lost in a forest, and for poetry heads. This anthology is meant to expand the idea of who a poet is and what a poem is for. The BreakBeat Poets are the scribes recording and remixing a fuller spectrum of experience of what it means to be alive in this moment. The BreakBeat Poets are a break with the past and an honoring of the tradition(s), an undeniable body expanding the canon for the fresher.

Transmigration explores many kinds of journeys in, through and after death: the journey of a self from one gender to the next; the journey of the soul in and out of flesh; the journey of a marriage into and out of love; the journey of a body from amputation to wholeness. Boiling human existence down to love, wish and desperation, Joy (formerly Jay) Ladin cobbles many materials— shreds of Cosmo Girl, metaphysics and how-to text, intimate moments and moments of despair—into a halting, sometimes faltering path from a life that is unlivable to life that is fully lived.

Viva Chez Piggy! Located in the heart of Kingston, Ontario's historic downtown, the whimsically named Chez Piggy is the culinary offspring of Rose Richardson and Zal Yanovsky. Nearly 20 years ago, the couple renovated an abandoned limestone stable and launched a dining experience that blends grace and gusto, taste and imagination -- and helped make Kingston a destination for food lovers. In The Chez Piggy Cookbook , Rose and Zal share hundreds of restaurant favorites that have inspired loyalty among devoted diners from both near and far. For anyone who has ever delighted in a sizzling skillet of Gamgas al Ajillo while quaffing an ice-cold draft in Chez Piggy's sun-dappled courtyard or sipped an eggnog in the comfort of the cozy bar on a blustery winter's night, this cookbook's for you. And if you can't make the journey in person, treat yourself to the rich breadth of these offerings in your own home.

Early American Poets is a beautiful anthology of the poetry that helped define the American literary tradition. Louis Untermeyer has curated a selection of works from the likes of Whitman, Longfellow, and Poe, as well as many lesser-known poets. This book provides a fascinating glimpse into the early days of American poetry, and is sure to delight poetry lovers of all ages. 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.

Renoir Drawings is a comprehensive collection of drawings by the renowned French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir, compiled and curated by art historian John Rewald. The book features over 300 drawings, including sketches, studies, and finished works, spanning Renoir's entire career from his early years as a student to his later years as a master painter. The drawings are accompanied by insightful commentary and analysis by Rewald, providing readers with a deeper understanding of Renoir's artistic process and techniques. The book is a must-have for art lovers and collectors, as well as anyone interested in the history and evolution of Impressionism.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. 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 their original work.

The Great American Novel (1923) is an experimental novel by William Carlos Williams. Although he is predominately known as a poet, Williams frequently pushed the limits of prose style throughout his career. In the defining decade of Modernism, Williams sought to try his hand at the so-called "Great American Novel," a concept fueling impassioned debate in academic and artistic circles nationwide. Far from conventional, Williams' novel is a metafictional foray into matters more postmodern than modern, a commentary masquerading as narrative and a satire of the all-American overreliance on cliché in form and content. "If there is progress then there is a novel. Without progress there is nothing. Everything exists from the beginning. I existed in the beginning. I was a slobbering infant. Today I saw nameless grasses--I tapped the earth with my knuckle. It sounded hollow. It was dry as rubber. Eons of drought. No rain for fifteen days. No rain. It has never rained. It will never rain." Williams' novel begins with the word and a birth. Language describes the experience of awakening to experience, of coming into consciousness as a living being in a living world. Using words from everyday speech, he builds a novel out of observations, a book that remains conscious of itself throughout. Like the child whose first experience with the written word often comes from names and slogans stretched over trucks and billboards, the reader eventually comes to accept their new reality, a world where people love and succeed and fail, where history and art intercede to make meaning where they can. The Great American Novel showcases Williams' experimental form, stretching the meaning of "novel" to its outermost limit. This edition of William Carlos Williams' The Great American Novel is a classic of American literature reimagined for modern readers. Since our inception in 2020, Mint Editions has kept sustainability and innovation at the forefront of our mission. Each and every Mint Edition title gets a fresh, professionally typeset manuscript and a dazzling new cover, all while maintaining the integrity of the original book. With thousands of titles in our collection, we aim to spotlight diverse public domain works to help them find modern audiences. Mint Editions celebrates a breadth of literary works, curated from both canonical and overlooked classics from writers around the globe.

"Oren Safdie's GRATITUDE is an unflinchingly dark (and darkly funny) exploration of sexual power-play... [He] is clearly not a playwright to gingerly approach controversial issues... The provocations in the play are very much in line with those of Neil LaBute at his most caustic... You might have some strong post-show words for Safdie. What you won't be able to say is that he doesn't know how to put together a bracingly provocative and ferociously entertaining 75 minutes of theatre." Jim Burke, Montreal Gazette "The 75-minute play begins rather innocently, but dissolves into so much sexual tension and human desperation with a great deal of simplicity and humour. The acting is riveting, and brings out issues that teens handle amongst themselves within the sanctity of a private school with a great deal of force and authenticity." Stuart Nulman, Montreal Times "GRATITUDE offers a topical look at high school lust and longing.... The scenes are well-paced, engaging, funny." Rhiannon Collett, The Globe and Mail "Montreal-born playwright Oren Safdie has hit the proverbial ball out of the court with his new play GRATITUDE. Safdie's play captures youthful stirrings with all their passions and insecurities to devastating effect. GRATITUDE is a brave, provocative story exploring the realities around sex, love, consent, duty, gender roles and rebellion." Mike Cohen, The Suburban

"American readers who want to see rejuvenated form in untroubled action, giving brisk shape to contemporary and classical events, will find it in Lasdun." —Helen Vendler With this, his second collection of poetry, James Lasdun consolidates his reputation as a writer of rich, emotionally charged poems of utter virtuosity. The poems in this book concern themselves with transformations, dislocations, and metamorphoses. Vividly rendered landscapes from Tuscany to New Jersey evolve into meditations on love, myth, and sexual and social politics. Woman Police Officer in Elevator is a rigorous and compelling mix of the classical and the cosmopolitan.

The hero is a physicist who has been working on a military project and is brought up sharp with the pronouncement that he has acute leukemia and has only six months to live. The realization affects his relationship with his children and relatives, with the young woman who has fallen in love with him after his wife's death, and most importantly with his profession. Finally he decides to devote his remaining days to work with his son, who is a geneticist, in a world-wide effort to abolish further experiments in atomic weapons.

As outlined: "in the Vermont village of Greenfield Center, there is a genial, benevolent and greatly loved old physician who is very proud of his community. It is peopled with fine, wholesome folk, and it appears that Heaven rewards the civic virtue by seeing to it that mostly only those who are wicked at heart die. And the good Dr. Cook, who is willing to go out on sick calls at any hour of the day or night, is determined it should stay in that fortunate condition. When a young physician, who had known and loved Dr. Cook for years, returns to the village for a visit, he is delighted to see his venerable friend and benefactor again. Then a problem of medical ethics arises to haunt him. It may, he concedes, be excusable for a doctor to kill off incurable patients and the hopelessly deformed. But he thinks it is going too far to do away with disagreeable people who happen to be a blot on the fair community." And it is his attempt to make his mentor see reason on this point that brings on the gripping climax of the play, in which the two doctors, young and old, are pitted against each other in a scene of unforgettable, breath-stopping suspense and high drama.

The setting is the present-day Hamptons, that sun drenched stretch of expensive ocean frontage where the rich and privileged while away their summers. Two attractive college girls, Amy-Joy and Amy-Beth, are looking for a good time, and think they have found it in the person of Kip, a handsome preppie who is in flight from the lavish home he shares with his divorced, domineering and bitingly sophisticated mother and her narcissistic married lover. And romance does develop, if not quite in the manner anticipated, as the triangular affair of the young people is deftly counterpointed against the vapid relationship of the older couple. But while high comedy and sharp observation prevail, the play yields a lacerating portrait of a contemporary upper-middle-class that is, sadly and humorously, bored, self-indulgent and emotionally reckless -- Publisher's description.

"THE LOVE BOOK", transcendental jewel of American Poetry, banned as part of an illegal program of harassment, arrests, and mass confiscations instituted by then-governor Ronald Reagan, is back in all its notorious glory to claim its rightful place in San Francisco literary history.

David Biespiel's energetic language, so varied and musical and precise, is quite unmatched by that of other contemporary poets. The Book of Men and Women is his second collection in the Pacific Northwest Poetry Series, and as always he is the master of the long line, his words strung across its reach as tightly as beads. But new poems in this book explore the intimacies of the shorter line as well and display Biespiel's formal inventiveness and emotional range. The Book of Men and Women addresses our time and human condition in ways both domestic and global. The first section of the book is filled with the wonderful agitation of spell-making language. The poems are connected to the social and historical world, and yet at the same time, they prepare us for the mythic story about men and women that is promised in the book's title. The second section is more formally restrained and as such imbues the speaker with the distinction and melancholy gravitas that characterize the collection. We see this in the remarkable and fully imagined tour de force, "William Clark's Sonnets." The book concludes with a series of autobiographical poems that confront the frailties of love and desire with unflinching intimacy and gratitude. These last poems, composed during an intense three-month period of writing, as well as the other poems in this remarkable volume, showcase Biespiel at the very top of his form.

.In a time of spiritual decadence, still another poet has injured us with the visions of possibility. Here is a rare wedding of poetic prose, philosophy and psychological awareness without the wooden self-consciousness of most modern psychological writing. A human document. It touches the deepest places. .Informs and potentially heals its readers by communicating with love, a sense of what underlines the particulars of their lives. This book will live. -CARL A. FABER Ph.D. Psychologist, Lecturer, Author