The River Styx was the barrier between Earth and the Underworld in Greek mythology. In the mid-nineteeenth century the name was also given to a small creek that ran along Hamilton's western border. The story of what happened to Styx Creek and how it became the vast, straight "drain" that slices through Broadmeadow and Hamilton North, forms the backdrop to this book. Equal parts diary, inquiry and observation, A year down the drain invites you on a journey with the author into Newcastle's watery underworld.
An incisive critique of Canada's drinking water gatekeepers. Canada is celebrated for its abundance of fresh water, and few Canadians question the safety of the water that comes from our taps. But is this trust justified? One study estimates that contamination of drinking water causes 90,000 cases of illness and ninety deaths every year. In this authoritative review of decades of legislation, research, and independent regulatory critiques, accompanied by riveting stories of the many failures of our water supply, award-winning journalist Chris Wood and Canadian water policy expert Ralph Pentland expose how governments at every level have failed to protect our drinking water. The authors review the history of water management in Canada and approaches to the problem in Europe and the United States, then analyze our own approach in recent times, and finally propose a strategy to protect our water--including a new charter that will hold our government to account.
Enter into the worlds of fifteen young women who, despite their vastly different circumstances, seem to negotiate an eerily similar and unavoidably dangerous emotional terrain. With a visceral bite or a surreal edge, each electrically charged story in Circling the Drain presents women trying to understand the nature of loss--of leaving or being left--and discovering that in the throes of feverish conflict, things are rarely what they seem. By turns dark and lyrical, ferocious and playful, these stories are precise, startling, and undeniably original. Reading them is a cathartic, mesmerizing literary experience.
"Sally loved taking baths. It wasn't because the water was full of bubbles ... or because she had the bathroom all to herself ... and it was not because she always came out squeaky clean ... Sally loved taking baths because it was the only time she could talk to the little boy who lived down the drain. Sally found out about him when her mother sang to Sally's baby brother about Baa Baa Black Sheep and his three bags of wool ... one of which went to the little boy who lived down the drain. And thus a friendship was born. Every bath that Sally took was devoted to finding more out about her new friend."--Amazon.com.
Banished is an eye-opening, deeply personal account of life inside the cult known as the Westboro Baptist Church, as well as a fascinating story of adaptation and perseverance. You've likely heard of the Westboro Baptist Church. Perhaps you've seen their pickets on the news, the members holding signs with messages that are too offensive to copy here, protesting at events such as the funerals of soldiers, the 9-year old victim of the recent Tucson shooting, and Elizabeth Edwards, all in front of their grieving families. The WBC is fervently anti-gay, anti-Semitic, and anti- practically everything and everyone. And they aren't going anywhere: in March, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the WBC's right to picket funerals. Since no organized religion will claim affiliation with the WBC, it's perhaps more accurate to think of them as a cult. Lauren Drain was thrust into that cult at the age of 15, and then spat back out again seven years later. Lauren spent her early years enjoying a normal life with her family in Florida. But when her formerly liberal and secular father set out to produce a documentary about the WBC, his detached interest gradually evolved into fascination, and he moved the entire family to Kansas to join the church and live on their compound. Over the next seven years, Lauren fully assimilated their extreme beliefs, and became a member of the church and an active and vocal picketer. But as she matured and began to challenge some of the church's tenets, she was unceremoniously cast out from the church and permanently cut off from her family and from everyone else she knew and loved. Banished is the story of Lauren's fight to find herself amidst dramatic changes in a world of extremists and a life in exile.
A groundbreaking story about a teenage girl who discovers she's intersex . . . and what happens when her secret is revealed to the entire school. Incredibly compelling and sensitively told, None of the Above is a thought-provoking novel that explores what it means to be a boy, a girl, or something in between. What if everything you knew about yourself changed in an instant? When Kristin Lattimer is voted homecoming queen, it seems like another piece of her ideal life has fallen into place. She's a champion hurdler with a full scholarship to college and she's madly in love with her boyfriend. In fact, she's decided that she's ready to take things to the next level with him. But Kristin's first time isn't the perfect moment she's planned—something is very wrong. A visit to the doctor reveals the truth: Kristin is intersex, which means that though she outwardly looks like a girl, she has male chromosomes, not to mention boy "parts." Dealing with her body is difficult enough, but when her diagnosis is leaked to the whole school, Kristin's entire identity is thrown into question. As her world unravels, can she come to terms with her new self?
The words of the Dean of Students echoed in his mind like a message of doom. "Well, Mr. Brady, I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but you still didn't make it." At first, there had been that brief moment of shocked disbelief. Surely, he had thought, he's not really saying this. But then, the awesome finality of the pronouncement hit him. He had botched his second and final attempt to score high enough on the English comprehensive exams to graduate. The realization that he would now never get his degree from Princeton stunned him. It was as if he had been dealt a vicious physical blow. How was he going to face the embarrassment and the shame of forever having to explain how he had completed four years in this place and had nothing to show for it? But, more immediately-and far more distressing-what was going to happen when he told his father? The news could lead to another stroke. Walter had never felt so devastated and alone. Pummeled by even further misfortune and tragedy, Walter, in a make-or-break attempt to get his life back on track, takes an extraordinary gamble-he embarks on the long and daunting quest to become a naval aviator.
Set in the mind ofa man who unwittinglyhas his mind and bodytaken over to becomethe President of TheUnited States in a notso distant future,where the action ofsurgical body-tradingreigns supreme in theUnderworld of Las Vegas.
"With its gentle affirmations, inspirational quotes, fill-in-the-blank lists and tasks — write yourself a thank-you letter, describe yourself at 80, for example — The Artist’s Way proposes an egalitarian view of creativity: Everyone’s got it."—The New York Times "Morning Pages have become a household name, a shorthand for unlocking your creative potential"—Vogue Over four million copies sold! Since its first publication, The Artist's Way phenomena has inspired the genius of Elizabeth Gilbert and millions of readers to embark on a creative journey and find a deeper connection to process and purpose. Julia Cameron's novel approach guides readers in uncovering problems areas and pressure points that may be restricting their creative flow and offers techniques to free up any areas where they might be stuck, opening up opportunities for self-growth and self-discovery. The program begins with Cameron’s most vital tools for creative recovery – The Morning Pages, a daily writing ritual of three pages of stream-of-conscious, and The Artist Date, a dedicated block of time to nurture your inner artist. From there, she shares hundreds of exercises, activities, and prompts to help readers thoroughly explore each chapter. She also offers guidance on starting a “Creative Cluster” of fellow artists who will support you in your creative endeavors. A revolutionary program for personal renewal, The Artist's Way will help get you back on track, rediscover your passions, and take the steps you need to change your life.
As your bath water drains, that slurping sound it makes is the Bath Monster—dirty bath water is his SECOND favorite food. No one wants to find out what his FIRST favorite food is . . . until Jackson decides he doesn't believe in the Bath Monster anymore and refuses to take a bath ever again. Starving, the Bath Monster visits Jackson for his FIRST favorite food . . . Thank goodness it's not little kids, but mud pies!
