Fragile Dreams
Fragile Dreams

Author: John A. Gould

Publisher: University of Michigan Press

Published: 2021-10-20

Total Pages: 261

ISBN-13: 0472055046

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"In Fragile Dreams, John A. Gould examines Central European communism, why it failed, and what has come since. Moving loosely chronologically from 1989 to the present, each chapter focuses on topics of importance to the fields of comparative politics, sociology, and feminist and gender studies. He addresses literature and key events related to the following: uprisings and social movements; communism and liberalism; the 20th century communist experience; post-communist liberal economic and political reform; politicized identity (with a focus on nation, gender and sexual orientation); democratization and EU accession; homophobia; and finally, populism and democratic decline. He draws heavily from his own research and experience as well as case studies of the former Czechoslovakia, Western Balkans, and Hungary-but much of the analysis has general applicability to the broader postcommunist region. Broad in its coverage, this academically rigorous book is ideal for students, travelers, and general readers. Gould writes in the first person and seamlessly blends theory with stories both from the existing literature and from 30 years of regional personal experience with family and friends. Throughout, Gould introduces key concepts, players, and events with precise definitions. Wherever possible, he emphasizes marginalized narratives, centering theory and stories that are often overlooked in standard comparative political science literature"--

House of Fragile Dreams
House of Fragile Dreams

Author: Anne Moose

Publisher: Act Two

Published: 2021-06-16

Total Pages: 290

ISBN-13: 9780578900681

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Still recovering from a divorce and the death of her parents, Rachel is living in the large house she grew up in. Upon meeting an African American veteran and his five-year-old son, she begins to hope for a new life. But when her estranged brother shows up demanding to move in to her back cottage, he threatens to ruin everything. He is disturbed, gun-obsessed, and, as Rachel discovers, involved with people who threaten much more than her dream of a happy home. Addressing themes of love, hate, social fracturing, and violent white supremacy, House of Fragile Dreams is not just a suspenseful love story; it's a poignant reflection of a country in troubled times. "For readers drawn to our contemporary social issues, House of Fragile Dreams is a must read. In crafting this compelling tale of the relationship between a privileged white woman and a struggling black veteran with a child, Moose unapologetically highlights today's hot-button issues of family conflict, race, domestic terrorism, poor choices, and more." - Nancy Klann-Moren, award-winning author of The Clock of Life and Like The Flies On The Patio "On its surface, House of Fragile Dreams is a tale of two estranged siblings: one driven by filial duty and compassion, the other tormented by obsession, and maybe something far darker and more deadly. But, guided by the sure hand of this gifted author, the narrative evolves into an exploration of the machinations of the heart, and the tragic repercussions from a single regrettable decision. The prose itself is confident and conversational, the dialogue both passionate and keenly observed. In all, this lovely book reverberates with realism, insight, and empathy, ultimately revealing an uncommon understanding of the myriad strengths and frailties of the human spirit." - Baron R. Birtcher, award-winning author of Fistful of Rain

Einstein's Dreams
Einstein's Dreams

Author: Alan Lightman

Publisher: Vintage

Published: 2011-03-02

Total Pages: 146

ISBN-13: 0307789748

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NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A modern classic explores the connections between science and art, the process of creativity, and ultimately the fragility of human existence. “A magical, metaphysical realm ... Captivating, enchanting, delightful.” —The New York Times Einstein’s Dreams is a fictional collage of stories dreamed by Albert Einstein in 1905, about time, relativity and physics. As the defiant but sensitive young genius is creating his theory of relativity, a new conception of time, he imagines many possible worlds. In one, time is circular, so that people are fated to repeat triumphs and failures over and over. In another, there is a place where time stands still, visited by lovers and parents clinging to their children. In another, time is a nightingale, sometimes trapped by a bell jar. Now translated into thirty languages, Einstein’s Dreams has inspired playwrights, dancers, musicians, and painters all over the world. In poetic vignettes, it explores the connections between science and art, the process of creativity, and ultimately the fragility of human existence.

Our Fragile Dreams
Our Fragile Dreams

Author: Johnny Perrem

Publisher: Xlibris Corporation

Published: 2017-05-19

Total Pages: 108

ISBN-13: 154348557X

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This is Johnny Perrems first publication. These poems were written between 2004 and 2017. The subject matter covers a broad range of topics: his parents; some of his eleven siblings (both alive and deceased); his wife, Bernadette; his children, Nathan and Lucy; and his granddaughters Nessa and Elizabeth, both born about one year ago. His experiences in and feelings about fighting several cancers (four) are explored. Some are reflections about previous relationships with special women over the years since his youth. He describes his thoughts and feelings about a few friends and his eldest stepdaughter, Aoife. A few deal with political events.

Before Us Like a Land of Dreams
Before Us Like a Land of Dreams

Author: Karin Anderson

Publisher: Torrey House Press

Published: 2019-05-28

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 1948814048

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"This masterwork flouts expectations." —FOREWORD REVIEWS, starred review Before Us Like a Land of Dreams follows a disheartened mother traveling an evocative route through the arid West. As her narration fades, the ancestral dead speak directly: a ragged Mormon boy yearns after a Shoshone family. A defeated polygamous wife shuts her mouth for good. A hoarder's queer son demolishes the artifacts of his lonely Idaho childhood. Descendants of British squatters sustain family delusions until a devastating suicide shatters their royal dreams. An elite colonial clan gradually awakens to the stark blue of the Great Salt Lake. The dead yield no answers, but they conjure vivid mortal moments set in iconic—and diminishing—American places. KARIN ANDERSON is a gardener, writer, mother, wanderer, heretic, and English professor. She hails from the Great Basin of Utah.

Fragile Darkness
Fragile Darkness

Author: Ellie James

Publisher: Macmillan

Published: 2012-11-27

Total Pages: 353

ISBN-13: 0312647042

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In the wake of tragedy, sixteen-year-old Trinity Monsour loses her psychic visions but still senses danger surrounding a new friend and, as she enters the confusion of the New Orleans party scene, the mercurial Dylan Fourcade is at her side, helping but confusing her at ever turn.

The Power of Dreams
The Power of Dreams

Author: Dave & Rosemary Neads

Publisher: Hancock House

Published: 2021-09-15

Total Pages: 304

ISBN-13: 9780888397188

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The Power of Dreams tells the story of a couple, already in their 40?s, who uprooted themselves from urban life to follow their dream of living in the wilderness. They settled in a remote mountain valley called Precipice Valley, part of the ancient trade route linking B.C.'s Chilcotin plateau to the Pacific Coast. Surrounded by mountain vastness they lived there for nearly three decades, much of it in near-total isolation. Their dreams sustained them while they carved out a lifestyle that was both rewarding and challenging. These are the stories of how the two of them designed and hand-built a solar powered, two-storey post and beam house, which they named Firhome, all the while learning how to live off-grid and in conjunction with nature. They share their experiences with you; vivid descriptions of the events, places, practical solutions and ingenuity that filled their lives. Some of these stories are philosophical, ethereal or humourous - some are sad. These vignettes will give you a feeling for life in the wilderness and perhaps inspire you to fulfill your own wilderness dream, helping you find a path through these challenging times when new ideas and insights are so desperately needed.

In the Dream House
In the Dream House

Author: Carmen Maria Machado

Publisher: Graywolf Press

Published: 2019-11-05

Total Pages: 280

ISBN-13: 1644451026

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A revolutionary memoir about domestic abuse by the award-winning author of Her Body and Other Parties In the Dream House is Carmen Maria Machado’s engrossing and wildly innovative account of a relationship gone bad, and a bold dissection of the mechanisms and cultural representations of psychological abuse. Tracing the full arc of a harrowing relationship with a charismatic but volatile woman, Machado struggles to make sense of how what happened to her shaped the person she was becoming. And it’s that struggle that gives the book its original structure: each chapter is driven by its own narrative trope—the haunted house, erotica, the bildungsroman—through which Machado holds the events up to the light and examines them from different angles. She looks back at her religious adolescence, unpacks the stereotype of lesbian relationships as safe and utopian, and widens the view with essayistic explorations of the history and reality of abuse in queer relationships. Machado’s dire narrative is leavened with her characteristic wit, playfulness, and openness to inquiry. She casts a critical eye over legal proceedings, fairy tales, Star Trek, and Disney villains, as well as iconic works of film and fiction. The result is a wrenching, riveting book that explodes our ideas about what a memoir can do and be.