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In 1984 Joel and Ethan Coen burst onto the art-house film scene with their neo-noir Blood Simple and ever since then they have sharpened the cutting edge of independent film. Blending black humor and violence with unconventional narrative twists, their acclaimed movies evoke highly charged worlds of passion, absurdity, nightmare realms, and petty human failures, all the while revealing the filmmakers penchant for visual jokes and bravura technical strokes. Their central characters may be blind to reality and individual flaws, but their illusions, dreams, fears, and desires map the boundaries of their worldsworlds made stunningly memorable by the Coens.In The Brothers Grim: The Films of Ethan and Joel Coen, Erica Rowell unmasks the filmmakers as prankster mythmakers exploiting and subverting universal storytelling modes to further what seems to be their artistic agenda: to elicit laughs. Often employing satire and allegory, the Coens movies hold a mirror up to American society, allowing viewers to both chuckle and gasp at its absurdities, hypocrisies, and foibles. From business partnerships (Blood Simple, The Ladykillers) to marriage (Intolerable Cruelty) to friendship and ethics (Millers Crossing), the breakdowns of relationships are a steady focus in their work. Often the Coens satires put broken social institutions in their cinematic crosshairs, exposing cracks in ineffective penal systems (Raising Arizona; O Brother, Where Art Thou?), unjust justice systems (The Man Who Wasnt There), a crooked corporate America (The Hudsucker Proxy), unnecessary wars (The Big Lebowski), a tyrannical Hollywood (Barton Fink), and the unbridled, fatuous pursuit of the American Dream (Fargo). While audiences may be excused for missing the duos social commentary, the depth and breadth of the brothers films bespeak an intelligence and cultural acuity that is rich, highly topical, and hard to pigeonhole.
The relationship between John Wesley and George Whitefield has often been viewed as suffering from irreconcilable theological differences. In fact, for several years, the relationship between these two leaders of the revival of the Christian faith in eighteenth-century England was strained almost to the breaking point. Whitefield, a Calvinist, believed that each individual who ever lived was either destined for the glories of heaven or the horrors of hell due to an irrevocable decree of God. Wesley on the other hand argued that each person has placed before them two options: either to accept God's forgiveness or to reject it in favor of following one's own way. Most books in the past have focused on these John Wesley's and George Whitefield's differences, but what has been overlooked is the lasting friendship between these two men, which, after a brief period of separation, was restored for the sake of the continuation of the revival movement on two continents. Catholic Spirit: Wesley, Whitefield, and the Quest for Evangelical Unity in Eighteenth-Century British Methodism focuses on the key themes upon which both men agreed. It stresses the commonalties between the two leaders of British Methodism and illustrates the great lengths both went to in order to further the revival of the Christian religion in England and North America. Both Wesley and Whitefield claim to possess "e;Catholic spirits,"e; that is, they both believed the importance of working with other like-minded individuals to spread the message of salvation through Christ. Author James Schwenk argues that they were successful in promoting that spirit of cooperation, even as some of their followers failed to understand how hard they worked at making "e;molehills out of mountains."e;
The Korean Holiness Church originated as an evangelical holiness movement through indigenous work and the American holiness mission. From its inception, the Korean Holiness Church believed that its primary task was not only to promote "scriptural holiness," as John Wesley and primitive Methodism had preached, but also to preach the "fourfold gospel," which may be summarized as regeneration, sanctification, divine healing, and the premillennial second coming of Christ. The Rise of the Korean Holiness Church in Relation to the American Holiness Movement argues that the theological foundation of the Korean Holiness Church can best be understood by analyzing the fourfold gospel in the history of the Korean Holiness Church and its internationally connected holiness movement. The brief, though rich, biographical accounts of the Korean Christians and American and British Missionaries woven into this book finally give these great men and women their due.
The Military and Teens covers the major issues young adults should consider before making a decision to join the armed forces. Although each branch of the military provides print and electronic materials on what it has to offer enlistees, very few YA books take a pro-and-con look at military service. Moreover, commercial military books mostly cover specific wars or give tips on surviving induction and training. From deciding to serve, to what it's like to face death, to being forced to kill, to discrimination in the military, and to life afterwards, this work presents the benefits and downsides of military service. Kathlyn Gay covers the many available choices of careers in the military and points out where to go for more information. Both primary and secondary sources have been used to provide information on young participants in the American Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War, World Wars I & II, as well as the Korean, Vietnam, and Gulf wars. In the final pages of the book, the comprehensive list of available sources of information includes books, magazine articles, and websites for further research. Enhanced by young people sharing their personal experiences as enlistees and as members of military families, The Military and Teens is a useful resource for both teens and those who work with teens to advise them on career choices.
The U.S. military''s use of smart bombs and guided missiles has become commonplace in modern warfare. The ability to destroy a single floor of one building in a densely populated metropolitan area, while minimizing civilian casualties stands in stark contrast to the massive bombings that took place during World War II. However, it was from that war that the technology of today''s precision munitions programs was first developed. Near Miss: The Army Air Forces'' Guided Bomb Program in World War II is a story that has remained untold for over 60 yearsΓÇöindeed, it might be the last major subject of the air war during WWII to remain unexplored in unclassified accounts. Author Donald Hanle outlines the research, development, and combat employment of these early, first generation guided bombs in the first major history of the Army Air Force''s guided munitions program in the Second World War. While guided missile histories have occasionally mentioned Operation Aphrodite or the JB-2 jet bomb, Near Miss is the only single volume work that focuses on every major guided bomb designed by or for the AAF during the war. It examines not only the weapons systems, but it also explains why these systems succeeded or failed as combat weapons, as well as why the guided munitions program suddenly ground to a halt after WWII ended. Including never before published combat photos of guided bombs in-flight and hitting their targets, no airpower enthusiast''s or WWII air war historian''s bookshelf will be complete without Near Miss.
Louis 'Satchmo' Armstrong was not only jazz's greatest musician and innovator, but also arguably its most famous entertainer and the frontal figure in the development of contemporary popular music. Overcoming social and political obstacles, he created a long and impressive career and an enormous musical output. Now, his ground breaking musical career is amassed and detailed in this discography of all his works, from professionally made commercial releases, to amateur and unissued recordings. All of Me is a comprehensive, chronological discography born out of love and admiration for Louis Armstrong, and devotion to years of collecting his musical accomplishments. Author Jos Willems has meticulously compiled all of Satchmo's known recordings_both studio and live performances_and with assistance from internationally renowned specialists, has assembled an impressively detailed, accurate, and complete listing. This volume is superbly formatted and presented, logically organized, and thoroughly indexed by song title and individual. Researchers, collectors, and enthusiasts can easily look up any detail of a recording: issues and releases of particular songs; publishing companies; producers; catalog numbers; dates, times, and locations of recordings; musicians Armstrong played with; and format, be it 78 or 45 RPM records, LPs, CDs, or media appearances. Every detail of Armstrong's career is listed in this impressive volume, shedding light on the enormity of his impact on jazz and popular culture. This is the ultimate reference guide for the complete works of Louis Armstrong.
In February 1931, Universal Studios released Dracula, starring Bela Lugosi. As a result of the film''s considerableΓÇöand unexpectedΓÇösuccess, Universal and the other Hollywood studios quickly cashed in on this genre. In the following decade such classics as Freaks, Frankenstein, King Kong, White Zombie, The Mummy, The Wolfman, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, along with a number of lesser known but significant works, were produced. But these films tend to be neglected as a serious object of study. The main interest shown in them comes from fanzines whose critics often place the accent on the anecdotal at the expense of analysis. And serious studies undertaken by sociologists and specialists in cultural studies either prefer themes and content or choose to study the films as reflecting the concerns, albeit unconsciously, of the period. In The Hollywood Horror Film, 1931-1941: Madness in a Social Landscape, Reynold Humphries analyzes representative films of this era and discusses their impact upon audiences at the time. He evaluates what their success says about the society that consumed them and about the filmmakers who produced themΓÇöparticularly the unconscious dimension of the films and their ideological ramifications. According to Humphries, prejudices of a social, racial, and sexual nature on the part of Hollywood''s censors and the press went hand in hand with a sense of growing unease at what was being portrayed on the screen. Concentrating on abnormal and often sadistic acts, on an unbridled striving after power, and on the mad doctor/scientist''s indifference to others, horror films of the era act out society''s division along lines of class and economics. Brutal exploitation went beyond the monstrous acts of an individual to assume a social dimension where collective interests come to the fore by the way they are trampled on. One of the aims of this book is to pinpoint how the "political unconscious" of the films in question reveals points of contact
Now in paperback! A timeless classic. Includes 8,200 songs in 818 lists for nine voice classifications; indexed by composer, title, vocal range, and publisher. The complete work represents the living song repertoire of today drawn from recital programs, recordings, broadcasts, telecasts, and other sources, and is comprised of Part I: Coloratura, Lyric and Dramatic Soprano, Part II: Mezzo Soprano and Contralto, Part III: Lyric and Dramatic Tenor, and Part IV: Baritone and Bass.
As the grandson of actress Ivy Close and son of director Ronald Neame (Straight from the Horse''s Mouth; Scarecrow, 2003), Christopher Neame''s roots in the film business were already firmly established by the time he joined the family profession. In his first memoir, Rungs on a Ladder, Neame gave readers an insider''s look into a number of productions of the 1960s and 70s produced by Hammer Studios. Christopher followed this with A Take on British TV Drama, in which he recounted the challenges and rewards of working on some of the most distinguished works of British television, including The Flame Trees of Thika, Monsignor Quixote, and Danger: U.X.B. In Principal Characters, Neame fills in the gaps of his illustrious career by providing brief intimate portraits of the many important film figures he has worked with. In this charming collection of anecdotes, he asks and answers questions about the stars, who reveal both their carefree and vulnerable moments alike: Was Richard Harris really such a hell-raiser as a young man? What was Peter Sellers like to work with? How did Robert Mitchum find himself in trouble? How many faces did Alec Guinness have? What was behind Peter O''Toole and a bomb threat in Paris? Looking behind the camera lens, Neame captures director Karel Reisz (This Sporting Life) wearing a producer''s hat, marvels at cinematographer Geoffrey Unsworth ''painting'' Cabaret with light, discloses Kenneth Tynan''s unusual predilection, and weighs in on the culinary skills of Ismail Merchant (A Room with a View). Throughout these accounts, Christopher looks both acutely and often amusingly at many who are household names, and when he feels it is appropriate to do so, he doesn''t pull punches. This work is a fitting conclusion to an autobiographical "trilogy," and will be of interest to all those curious about the film industry and especially the stars and directors Christopher Neame has worked with over the years.
Abu Raihan Biruni (973 - 1053 CE) was an Iranian scholar whose extraordinary achievements include predicting the existence of landmasses (North and South America) on the opposite side of the Earth and calculating the radius of the Earth five centuries before the European Renaissance. For the first time, the complete list of Biruni''s numerous books on cartography, mathematics, astronomy, history, and geology is provided in a single volume. Divided into five parts, the book provides general background information on Biruni''s time, his world, and his life. It includes the full names of the 183 books written by Biruni. The titles of these books are given in Arabic, Persian, transliteration of the Arabic title, and English, and they are all annotated and if available the number of folios is given for each one. A list of available references in English on Biruni, including articles, bibliographies, books, internet sites, a dissertation, and even a film. A list of Persian reference sources is also included.
Exclusively written for teenagers and young adults dealing with a wide variety of learning disabilities_including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), dyscalculia, and dyslexia_this accessible resource offers the tools for taking a proactive role in identifying, understanding and overcoming the obstacles facing teens with learning disabilities. Learning Disabilities provides a clear and informative overview of the most common disabilities. Appealing to teenagers with its easy-to-read format and positive tips for success, the book also teaches students how to advocate for themselves, informing them of their rights under law both during the school years and after high school graduation. Assistive technology that can help students improve their learning abilities such as Optical Character Recognition (OCR) systems, screen reading software, books on tape, electronic notebooks, and other tools that aid student learning are covered. The most recent research on brain structure and function, and the role they play in learning disabilities is presented, as well as a step-by-step guide to test reports, so that teens can understand how their disabilities are diagnosed. Gathering information from students, high school guidance counselors, and from medical and other professionals, authors Paquette and Tuttle also show teens they are not alone in their struggles, profiling famous people that also have learning disabilities.
There are many books that provide advice and booktalks for adults who work with children and teens. However, Something to Talk About: Creative Booktalking for Adults is the first book to focus solely on adults. Working as Fiction Specialists in a public library, Ann-Marie Cyr and Kellie M. Gillespie have a combined total of 43 years of public library experience and have presented thousands of booktalks to children, teens, and adults, as well as a number of workshops and conference programs on how to create and present booktalks.This is an instruction manual and a material sourcebook in one. The first section provides step-by-step instructions on how to choose a book, write a booktalk, publicize, and present a program for adults. Chapters give information on the benefits of booktalking, explain what a booktalk is, and the difference between a booktalk and a book review. Other chapters discuss what makes a book appealing, how to tailor a program for a specific audience, and the different locations the reader could utilize to reach out to the community. Each booktalk provides bibliographic information on the title as well as a list of genres in which the book could be used. The last chapter in this section provides practical information on what to bring to the program, methods of publicity, checklists, and more. The second section provides nearly 90 sample booktalks in 11 different genres: Chillers, General Fiction, Historical Fiction, Humorous Fiction, Multicultural Fiction, Mysteries, Non Fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Sea Adventures, and Women's Fiction. If you work with adults or are interested in reaching out to adults in your community, this is an ideal reference that provides practical information and a wide variety of booktalk samples to enhance your next program.
In teaching how to read literature and enjoy it, Katona gives 11 good reasons to make reading a part of regular life and includes a list of tried and true page-turners with their movie counterparts. Teachers of reading, students, general readers of literature, and those just developing an interest in reading will find this guide appealing.
The last of a long line of distinguished Russian aristocrats, Yevgeny Mravinsky emerges from the 20th Century musical scene as a noble conductor and exceptional treasure of Soviet culture. His friendship of some forty years with Dmitri Shostakovich led to the opening of that composer's music to the Soviet public in spite of the State's condemnation of Shostakovich's work in the influential newspaper Pravda. His associations with many other prominent musicians were instrumental in bringing their works into the Soviet consciousness.In these pages, the family history, major formative life events, and the many musical accomplishments of Mravinsky are chronicled, revealing an introverted musician who put all his feelings into his interpretation of the scores he conducted. It was Mravinsky who was largely responsible for introducing the Soviet people in the 20th Century to the music of Debussy, Scriabin, and Stravinsky.Along with those of Feodor Chalyapin, George Balanchine, Nikolai Cherkasov, and Yuri Grigorovich, Mravinsky's life reveals much about the psychology and credo of the artist in the Soviet State. Enriched with rare photographs of Mravinsky in his various milieus, and a helpful chronology and bibliography, this study will be of great significance to students of Russian history, music history, and the creative process.
Library music materials require a more complex shelflisting approach than books in order to account for extremely prolific composers, works with generic titles, opus numbers, and thematic index numbers. Shelflisting Music provides clear, straightforward instructions and flowcharts to guide the cataloger through the process of shelflisting music-whether in score or recorded format-enabling anyone to produce call numbers that are consistent, accurate, and in accordance with standard Library of Congress "e;M"e; classification practices.After a brief explanation of the conceptual basis of music shelflisting, Richard P. Smiraglia brings together and clarifies shelflisting practices that are otherwise difficult to find or understand, providing concise and easy-to-follow instructions for assigning shelflist numbers. Smiraglia also includes a glossary of terms, as well as flowcharts to illustrate the process graphically. This small, easily accessible book can be kept by a computer workstation and consulted quickly for shelflisting guidance by anyone who catalogs music materials, from novices to experts.
Science for Girls: Successful Classroom Strategies looks at how girls learn, beginning with the time they are born through both the informal and formal education process. In the author's current role as professor of science education, Dr. Goetz has surveyed hundreds of female elementary education majors in their junior and senior year of college. The results of her study show that the majority of the future teachers do not feel confident teaching science at the elementary level, feel ill prepared to teach science in general, and have had negative experiences during their elementary, middle, and high school years in science classes. Dr. Goetz raises the question of whether or not there is a cycle of poor science instruction during the early years delivered by poorly-prepared teachers, who themselves had poor instruction from poorly-prepared teachers. In order to break this cycle, it is necessary to better prepare our future female teachers, who will then model excitement, enthusiasm, and expertise in science instruction. Perhaps then we'll begin to see our girls show increased interest and achievement in the sciences. While the focus of Science for Girls is on science education, information about current research in the area of female learning styles in general is also presented. Furthermore, the author is careful to point out that the strategies suggested will not only benefit female students but also their male counterparts. Containing current research, lesson plans, and learning strategies and resources in science education, this book will be of benefit for classroom teachers, parents, and most importantly, the students they are teaching.
While Singapore is relatively small in size and population, its impact is considerably larger. This rising financial center has evolved from its early days as an entrepot for Southeast Asia into the transport hub and export-source for the world that it is today. More than this, it has served as a model for many developing countries, showing just how much can be achieved by hard work and intelligent policy even when there are almost no natural resources or other evident sources of wealth available. The Encyclopedia of Singapore focuses on the period since the island-nation''s independence but also provides essential background on the country''s history. It includes brief entries on the leaders of the struggle for independence and economic progress and includes many cultural figures as well. Other entries describe important places, institutions, and events. In addition, there is a brief chronology and an introductionΓÇöto place events in their historical contextΓÇöand a bibliography for any reader who wants to learn more.
Uniform Titles for Music explains the concept and practice of uniform titles for musical works by a single composer and works of unknown or collective authorship. The book provides a step-by-step approach to establishing uniform titles.
In-House Bookbinding and Repair is a working document that contains information on setting up both a basic bookbindery and repair lab (i.e. the design, equipment, tools, and supplies needed) and instructions on rebinding and repairing cloth-bound books. Highly illustrated to greater enhance its usefulness, this manual also covers various aspects of book repair and conservation, and contains appendixes on manufacturers and suppliers of materials and products discussed in the text, an extensive Glossary of terms, a separate section on World Wide Web Resources, and a helpful bibliography. This manual will prove valuable to libraries of all sizes and locations. Library managers and administrators will find it a worthwhile resource as they contemplate the utility of an in-house lab. Library staff charged with various aspects of bookbinding and book repair will find the manual to be a practical reference tool. The volume is also designed to be used as a primer for related courses in Library and Information Science Studies programs and may be of interest to individuals interested in private practice.
A review of developments in Africana librarianship during the last fifteen years with a view toward the future.
With the invention of desktop computers, electronic learning or e-learning has become a convenient learning tool of choice for individuals with busy schedules. For the past several years, there has been a continuous stream of much needed innovation in the use of e-learning and these have now become second nature to both e-learning providers and users. But just as e-learning has enhanced and enriched our lives, challenges have increased as the creation of courses and e-learning material evolve. Technology, although it makes our lives easier, can come with a 'not so affordable' price tag. As creators of e-learning content, after raising money to provide a costly e-learning initiative, how do we know if our customers or target audience are really learning? Who is going to maintain the technology? Who will subsidize the upkeep costs? How do we know if there is a better product on the horizon that can do it more cheaply and with more advanced technology infrastructure? E-learning and Business Plans: National and International Case Studies provides a comprehensive view on how to develop non-profit business plans for both small and large-scale e-learning projects. Editors Tiffini Travis and Elaina Norlin present both national and international case studies covering many elements of a typical non-profit business plan and reveal the experiences individuals have had while developing their project. This book will be useful to professionals, non-profit organizations, and academic researchers who are currently considering working on large-scale e-learning or high cost/high risk projects. While many issues are library-related, the book is relevant to non-librarians as well.
Country-by-country, this comprehensive, annotated bibliography brings together the vast number of articles, books, conference papers, theses and dissertations, and reports that have been written about librarianship in the Islamic World during the past fifty years.
As technology and the idea of distance education is rapidly changing, so too must the law that protects copyrighted material. In 2003 U.S. copyright law was amended with the legislation now known as TEACH (Technology Education and Copyright Harmonization). Tomas Lipinski discusses these changes to copyright law and how they may ultimately affect traditional distance classrooms. Providing a step-by-step explanation of the law and how it impacts these pedagogical issues, Lipinski discusses instructor ownership issues, a general application of "fair use," and other issues that will inevitably arise when technology, intellectual property, and education all intersect. Tomas Lipinski is a lawyer, and he approaches these volatile (and very new) issues from a legal perspective. This book, however, is written in intermediate terms that will make it accessible (as well as necessary) to the distance educator and administrator. As the framework for distance education and technology (particularly copyright) law is now set in place, this book will prove an invaluable resource for years to come.
This guide identifies major concerns and involves interested parties in thoughtful consideration and discussion of challenges and opportunities embedded in managerial and administrative practice. By talking about the management of information places and with managers and mangers-to-be, authors Curran and Miller provide a more thorough and realistic outlook on the managerial experience. The authors assert that: ┬╖ Information agencies of all stripes share a common purpose ┬╖ The act of deciding is the primary administrative/managerial responsibility ┬╖ Knowledge Management must replace mere acquisition, storage and dissemination ┬╖ The budget process is every bit as important as the budget document ┬╖ Interpersonal issues dominate ┬╖ Meetings soak up time Tackling many issues that other management books won''t touch (e.g. sex in the office place, cliques, emphasis on political behavior, specific mistakes that cripple managers, and managing contradictions and paradoxes), this book is an excellent resource for all administrators.
A study that integrates the biography, creative writing, and criticism of one of the important figures in young adult literature. This work is aimed at teachers, librarians, and scholars of young adult literatures, as well as devoted fans and students doing research on Chambers or the subjects of his novels.
Provides a mechanism for teachers - pre-service through veteran - to develop an understanding of multicultural literature and the criteria used to evaluate it. This work discusses picture books, folklore, fairytales, myth, legends, fantasy, historical fiction, realistic fiction, and nonfiction works appropriate for grades K-8.
These eye-witness accounts, written by war correspondents, service men and women, home front civilians, and defense workers, among others, constitute an invaluable and underutilized resource for historians, geographers, and students of this great historical event.
Mercé Rodoreda is one of the best-known Catalan authors. Her works have enjoyed great success in academic circles, as well as in the general public. In the last 15 years, more than 150 articles and books about her work have been published, mainly in the United States and Spain. This annotated bibliography selects and comments on 198 critical narrative works, including nine biographical studies. It provides a detailed analysis of the critical perspectives which have been used to analyze Rodoreda''s works, referring the reader to the bibliographical entries which best illustrate certain theoretical approaches or themes. This work will facilitate the work of researchers and students by summarizing the existing criticism and referring readers to appropriate sources of information, allowing them to identify themes and aspects of Rodoreda''s works that have yet to receive the critical attention they deserve. This work is cosponsored by the Mercé Rodoreda Foundation.
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