Author: Scott Borchert
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ISBN: 0374719055
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 400
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Book Description
A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice | Winner of the New Deal Book Award An immersive account of the New Deal project that created state-by-state guidebooks to America, in the midst of the Great Depression—and employed some of the biggest names in American letters The plan was as idealistic as it was audacious—and utterly unprecedented. Take thousands of hard-up writers and put them to work charting a country on the brink of social and economic collapse, with the aim of producing a series of guidebooks to the then forty-eight states—along with hundreds of other publications dedicated to cities, regions, and towns—while also gathering reams of folklore, narratives of formerly enslaved people, and even recipes, all of varying quality, each revealing distinct sensibilities. All this was the singular purview of the Federal Writers’ Project, a division of the Works Progress Administration founded in 1935 to employ jobless writers, from once-bestselling novelists and acclaimed poets to the more dubiously qualified. The FWP took up the lofty goal of rediscovering America in words and soon found itself embroiled in the day’s most heated arguments regarding radical politics, racial inclusion, and the purpose of writing—forcing it to reckon with the promises and failures of both the New Deal and the American experiment itself. Scott Borchert’s Republic of Detours tells the story of this raucous and remarkable undertaking by delving into the experiences of key figures and tracing the FWP from its optimistic early days to its dismemberment by the House Committee on Un-American Activities. We observe notable writers at their day jobs, including Nelson Algren, broke and smarting from the failure of his first novel; Zora Neale Hurston, the most widely published Black woman in the country; and Richard Wright, who arrived in the FWP’s chaotic New York City office on an upward career trajectory courtesy of the WPA. Meanwhile, Ralph Ellison, Studs Terkel, John Cheever, and other future literary stars found encouragement and security on the FWP payroll. By way of these and other stories, Borchert illuminates an essentially noble enterprise that sought to create a broad and inclusive self-portrait of America at a time when the nation’s very identity and future were thrown into question. As the United States enters a new era of economic distress, political strife, and culture-industry turmoil, this book’s lessons are urgent and strong.
Author: Sion Alford
Publisher: Gateway Press
ISBN: 9780996566261
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0
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Book Description
We are impatient to get started. Once God confirms our life's calling, we want to dive straight in. But God often orchestrates a detour for our benefit that prepares us for more than we could ever imagine.
Author: Jenna Evans Welch
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1534478140
Category : Young Adult Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 704
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Book Description
"Includes Love & gelato, Love & luck"--Title page.
Author: Jerry White
Publisher: Tyndale House
ISBN: 1612914462
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 116
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Book Description
Life is full of disappointments and detours. If the road you’re traveling is unexpected or you’re struggling to reconcile your new reality with dashed dreams, take heart. Jerry and Mary White have been there, and they know there are more options for the road ahead than what you can see right now. The best way to focus on areas of unfinished work in your life is through the lens of Scripture and encouragement. Gain perspective on your past and find hope for the journey ahead.
Author: Steven Johnson
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 9781594489259
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 332
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Book Description
"It is the summer of 1854. Cholera has seized London with unprecedented intensity. A metropolis of more than 2 million people, London is just emerging as one of the first modern cities in the world. But lacking the infrastructure necessary to support its dense population - garbage removal, clean water, sewers - the city has become the perfect breeding ground for a terrifying disease that no one knows how to cure." "As their neighbors begin dying, two men are spurred to action: the Reverend Henry Whitehead, whose faith in a benevolent God is shaken by the seemingly random nature of the victims, and Dr. John Snow, whose ideas about contagion have been dismissed by the scientific community, but who is convinced that he knows how the disease is being transmitted. The Ghost Map chronicles the outbreak's spread and the desperate efforts to put an end to the epidemic - and solve the most pressing medical riddle of the age."--BOOK JACKET.
Author: Bill James
Publisher: ACTA Publications
ISBN: 0879466081
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 271
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Book Description
Since he first began publishing his Baseball Abstracts in the 1980s, Bill James has constantly challenged conventional wisdom by asking simple questions like, "Is that really true?" or "What if we looked at the question this way?" He has sparked a virtual revolution in the way the game of baseball is understood and played, from how players are evaluated or positioned to whether or not they should attempt to bunt or steal a base. In Solid Fool s Gold James continues his lifelong work with new analyses of: Hot pitchers, clutch pitching, and "late career" players The predictability of RBI A better way to organize the minor leagues The 33 best starting rotations and the worst teams of all time The best pitching matchups of the 1980s (and 2010) How the "Expansion Time Bomb" will affect the Hall of Fame But it is not just baseball that draws James inquisitive eye. He discusses the growing expectation for tips and decreasing effectiveness of advertising; his new method for measuring rainfall; the counterproductive use of physical stop lights and red-light cameras; and the statistical inefficiencies of the federal Transportion Security Administration. James wonders how Buck O Neil would have related to his ancestor s cousin (Supreme Court Justice James Clark McReynolds), proposes whimsical rules for Olympic NASCAR Racing, and poeticizes about Ricky Weeks and WikiLeaks. He compares the chances of a particular-size town producing a Justin Verlander or a William Shakespeare, imagines Roger Maris apologizing in heaven for having beaten Babe Ruth s single-season home run record, and explains how to "battle expertise with the power of ignorance." As a bonus, he includes one of his seminal articles from The Bill James Baseball Abstract 1983 titled "The Law of Competitive Advantage" and looks at how it has held up over the intervening years.
Author: Jane Vollbrecht
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780982285817
Category : Female friendship
Languages : en
Pages : 224
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Book Description
Two women navigate the pitfalls of traffic, sprained ankles, children, dogs, and relationships as they discover that when life sends a detour, the wise traveler finds a way to enjoy the scenery.
Author: Tony Evans
Publisher: B&H Publishing Group
ISBN: 1433686597
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 205
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Book Description
Dr. Tony Evans walks readers through what it is like to recognize God's will and his plan for your life.
Author: Daniel Wilkinson
Publisher: Duke University Press
ISBN: 9780822333685
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 396
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Book Description
Written by a young human rights worker, "Silence on the Mountain" is a virtuoso work of reporting and a masterfully plotted narrative tracing the history of Guatemala's 36-year internal war, a conflict that claimed the lives of more than 200,000 people.
Author: Leigh Merryday Porch
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0593328736
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 289
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Book Description
Reflections on autism, parenting, and embracing destinations unknown. In The Scenic Route, Leigh Merryday Porch offers insight into how parents of children with autism can redefine hope in a world that often has a narrow view of what hope is supposed to look like for their kids. As an educator and expert on autism spectrum disorders as well as the mother of a son who is autistic, Porch knows well the pressure parents of special needs children feel to overcome any and all challenges their children face. But not all disabilities result in heartwarming viral stories. According to Porch, we must write our own stories about what is possible for our kids and love them just as they are. A chronicle of one family’s journey from the shock and uncertainty of a severe autism diagnosis to acceptance and advocacy, in this beautifully written book Porch shares the lessons she has learned about charting your own course. From learning to cope with sleepless, worry-filled nights to asking friends and family for the help and support you actually need, she offers readers a road map for helping our children thrive while still taking the time to stop and enjoy the beauty in life’s unforeseen detours.
