The bold and boundlessly original debut novel from the Oscar®-winning screenwriter of Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Synecdoche, New York. LONGLISTED FOR THE CENTER FOR FICTION FIRST NOVEL PRIZE • “A dyspeptic satire that owes much to Kurt Vonnegut and Thomas Pynchon . . . propelled by Kaufman’s deep imagination, considerable writing ability and bull’s-eye wit."—The Washington Post “An astonishing creation . . . riotously funny . . . an exceptionally good [book].”—The New York Times Book Review • “Kaufman is a master of language . . . a sight to behold.”—NPR NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR AND MEN’S HEALTH B. Rosenberger Rosenberg, neurotic and underappreciated film critic (failed academic, filmmaker, paramour, shoe salesman who sleeps in a sock drawer), stumbles upon a hitherto unseen film made by an enigmatic outsider—a film he’s convinced will change his career trajectory and rock the world of cinema to its core. His hands on what is possibly the greatest movie ever made—a three-month-long stop-motion masterpiece that took its reclusive auteur ninety years to complete—B. knows that it is his mission to show it to the rest of humanity. The only problem: The film is destroyed, leaving him the sole witness to its inadvertently ephemeral genius. All that’s left of this work of art is a single frame from which B. must somehow attempt to recall the film that just might be the last great hope of civilization. Thus begins a mind-boggling journey through the hilarious nightmarescape of a psyche as lushly Kafkaesque as it is atrophied by the relentless spew of Twitter. Desperate to impose order on an increasingly nonsensical existence, trapped in a self-imposed prison of aspirational victimhood and degeneratively inclusive language, B. scrambles to re-create the lost masterwork while attempting to keep pace with an ever-fracturing culture of “likes” and arbitrary denunciations that are simultaneously his bête noire and his raison d’être. A searing indictment of the modern world, Antkind is a richly layered meditation on art, time, memory, identity, comedy, and the very nature of existence itself—the grain of truth at the heart of every joke.
Covenant Retreat is a special place in the gorgeous mountains of Virginia. There is a very large old Plantation home in the middle of the retreat that has a wonderful balcony overlooking the entire property. A babbling river runs right through the middle of the land and empties into a sparkling pond. Rolling hills of flowers and open fields of hay are all surrounded by a forest of trees. Bentley Bennigan the beekeeper, lives in the big house and sits on his balcony watching over all his treasured creatures. Three red barns are placed around the retreat and the largest one sits on top of the highest hill with a special beehive of honey bees. There are twenty-six bees in this hive that were chosen by the beekeeper because of their great attitudes. Each bee has been given a name by the beekeeper to match his or her special attitude. The bees all work together to help each other and their friends out. These bees are very busy using their gifts to prosper their hive but also work hard to pollinate their beautiful surroundings. As the bees go through their days, they encounter other creatures who struggle with certain issues so they try to help them learn a better way to do things.
Richly illustrated and delightfully written, Journey to the Ants combines autobiography and scientific lore to convey the excitement and pleasure the study of ants can offer. Bert Hölldobler and E. O. Wilson interweave their personal adventures with the social lives of ants, building, from the first minute observations of childhood, a remarkable account of these abundant insects’ evolutionary achievement.
The author, a computer science professor diagnosed with terminal cancer, explores his life, the lessons that he has learned, how he has worked to achieve his childhood dreams, and the effect of his diagnosis on him and his family.
"The Ant and the Elephant" "A Story of Courage and Friendship in the Jungle." The outline of this story: The tale of Andy the ant and Elly the elephant is a beautiful example of how to persevere in the face of adversity, demonstrate courage, and form lasting friendships. A modest anthill was home for Andy and his family, where they shared the space with other ants. He always got up very early, went out to find something to eat, and then worked nonstop throughout the entire day. When he was foraging for food one day, he came across a large elephant with the name Elly. Elly was taking a stroll through the woods, taking in the scenery and appreciating the fresh air. Andy was awestruck by how enormous the elephant was and puzzled over how it managed to make a living in the wild despite its massive size. Elly instilled in Andy the importance of having courage, fighting for what you believe in, and being kind as their friendship developed. They had to collaborate to find solutions to the many challenges they faced in the wilderness, such as rescuing animals that were in danger and preventing people from cutting down trees. Andy and Elly demonstrated that they could triumph against even the most formidable foes by cooperating with one another and making full use of all their abilities. In the wild, they transformed into heroes who encouraged others to fight together for what they believed in and stand up for what they believed to defend their homes and their lives. The selfless and courageous actions that they took were taken note of. When the other animals in the jungle learned what they had done, they congratulated them for their bravery and their determination. Andy and Elly's exploits in the jungle had become legendary. They were revered and admired by every other animal in the forest. The narrative imparts valuable life lessons, like how crucial it is to put in hard work, to have courage, and to be compassionate. It demonstrates how effective it is to collaborate with others to achieve a goal, as well as how vital it is to speak up for what one believes in. Andy and Elly passed away at the same time, but both remained steadfast in their commitment to preserve the forest and inspire others to do the same. They were aware that there was still a great deal of work ahead of them, but they were also aware that if they worked together, they could accomplish anything. Readers of any age will find inspiration in the timelessness of Andy and Elly's story, which is a tale of friendship, bravery, and unwavering persistence. This is how the story began: Andy was an ant who used to reside in a very large forest. Once upon a time. Andy was a hard-working ant who had a lot of determination. Andy, a hard-working ant, and his family and other ants all shared a modest anthill as their home. The anthill was situated on the border of the forest and was encompassed on all sides by dense vegetation and leaves. There was a steady flow of new ants entering and exiting the anthill throughout the day. Andy's family was a close-knit group that looked out for each other in order to stay alive while they were out in the wilderness. They would emerge from the anthill in the wee hours of the morning to search for food. Within the ant colony, each individual ant served a specific purpose. While some ants went in search of food, others brought what they found back to the anthill. The queen ant, who served as the colony's leader, would always remain in the anthill to produce offspring. After they emerged from their eggs, the caterpillars fed on the food that was brought to them by the worker ants until they were mature enough to transform into adults. Andy cared deeply for his family and the people in his community, and he exerted a lot of effort to ensure that they would all be safe. Every day, even though doing so required him to leave the anthill, he went in search of food. He was never one to whine about the burdens of carrying heavy goods on his back. He was aware of the significance of the strenuous effort he was making for the survival of his group. Andy's fervor and doggedness impressed the other ants, who admired him for it. They were aware that he played an essential role in the community and appreciated the work that he accomplished. Despite the challenges they faced, the colony of ants living in the anthill was joyful and robust. They were able to overcome any challenges by relying on one another and cooperating with one another. Andy was aware that he was only a minor contributor to a much larger group, but he also understood the significance of his role. He took great pride in the fact that he was an ant and that he lived in a colony that was so nearby.
With boredom setting in Mr. Williferd had the urge to add excitement to his life. Feeling alone and drained he decided it was time to find what his life was missing. Little did Mr. Williferd know that a dangerous enemy was waiting just beyond the garden.
These mini plays are designed to be used in a fun, interactive way. The characters may be acted out live, or the black and white figures following each English and Spanish lesson (leccin) may be cut out and colored and attached to construction paper and mounted on craft sticks to produce puppet plays. Use your imagination, change names of characters to fit the people acting them out, and even write your own plays illustrating moral and ethical qualities that are good for us humans to practice. Enjoy the process as youand weall make our ways closer to Gods dream of perfection for each of us.
The summer started with ‘Brown Sugar’ and it ended with The Who at The Oval cricket ground, where they turned live rock music into a mesmerizing, pulsating miracle. And bound up in this heady atmosphere of 1971 was the pure, unadulterated love of football and all its absurdities, where sex, snakebite and the slide tackle scythed their way through everything. Shortfall College, a gaunt and brooding building, reminiscent of the Industrial Revolution cut a dark slice of shadow across the South London sky. It was here that an oddball, dotty selection of students set out in search of the Holy Grail – the South London Intercollegiate Cup – aided by spurious tactics and hindered by countless distractions. From Marlene, the landlord’s wife, a goddess and vixen with a predilection for ice who couldn’t keep her hands off Baz, to Norman, a ringer, with a rather unhealthy lopsided grin who completely snapped when trying to remove an opponent’s ear with his teeth. Driven ever onwards by The Bear, their captain and inspiration, and Baz, his defensive henchman, they try to rein in the Ant, who possesses the aerodynamics of a spear and a footballing philosophy whereby the ball isn’t absolutely necessary.
