Kaname and Shima have been living together for a year. They have sex almost every day, and things are going well for the couple--at least until Kaname begins to think he's a sex addict and starts avoiding intimacy. Shima, on the other hand, mistakenly believes Kaname is bored of him. Will their long-awaited trip to Tokyo resolve this misunderstanding before it snowballs into an avalanche?
To celebrate its sesquicentennial, Central (1858-2008) has gathered a collection of histories, memories and musings from its members as well as former staff and their families. The result is a colorful patchwork quilt of both research and recollection that captures this venerable Atlanta congregation's rich array of ministries, programs and activities through the years. Members and visitors alike receive a warm welcome at Central Presbyterian Church in Atlanta--a church well known for its inclusive hospitality. Within this historic place, at the heart of the old city, all receive strength from the ministries of worship, education, and congregational nurture, and leave equipped to respond to the ever changing needs of the community and the world. Central as it appeared in 1937 provides a backdrop for the Palm Sunday march on Capitol Hill.
Dear Sister, It wasn't your fault; it was never your fault. You did nothing wrong. Hold this tight to your heart: it wasn't your fault. At night when you lay there and your mind fills with images and you wonder if only, if you had . . . if you hadn't . . . . Remember: it wasn't your fault. Dear Sister highlights the lessons, memories, and vision of over forty artists, activists, mothers, writers, and students who share a common bond: they are survivors of sexual violence. Written in an epistolary format, this multi-generational, multi-ethnic collection of letters and essays is a moving journey into the hearts and minds of the survivors of rape, incest, and other forms of sexual violence, written directly to and for other survivors. Dear Sister goes far beyond traditional books about healing, which often use "experts" to explain the experience of survivors for the rest of the world. Where other books about rape weave the voices of feminists and activists together and imagine what a world without violence might look like, Dear Sister describes the reality of what the world looks like through the eyes of a survivor. From a professor in the Midwest to a poet in Belgium, an escapee from a child prostitution ring, a survivor advocate in the Congo, and a sex worker in San Francisco, Dear Sister touches on issues of feminism, love, disability, gender, justice, identity, and spirituality. Lisa Factora-Borchers is a Filipina writer and editor whose work has been published in make/shift, Bitch, Left Turn, and Critical Moment. Contributors: Aaminah Shakur, Adrienne Maree Brown, Alexis Pauline Gumbs, Allison McCarthy, Amita Y. Swadhin, Amy Ernst, Ana Heaton, Andrea Harris, Angel Propps, anna Saini, Anne Averyt, annu Saini, Ashley Burczak, brownfemipower, Brooke Benoit, Denise Santomauro, Desire Vincent, Dorla Harris, "Harriet J.", Indira Allegra, Isabella Gitana-Woolf, Joan Chen, Judith Stevenson, Juliet November, Kathleen Ahern, Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, Marianne Kirby, Maroula Blades, Mary Zelinka, Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore, Melissa Dey Hasbrook, Melissa G., Mia Mingus, Michelle Ovalle, Premala Matthen, Rebecca Echeverria, Renee Martin, River Willow Fagan, Sara Durnan, Sarah M. Cash, Shala Bennett, Shanna Katz, Sofia Rose Smith, Sumayyah Talibah, Sydette Harry, Birdy, Viannah E. Duncan, and Zöe Flowers.
Celebrating the One Hundredth Anniversary of Anita O'Day's Birth. Jazz legend Anita O'Day was one of the most remarkable and unforgettable talents of the jazz world. A swinging, good-humored stylist, O'Day rose to fame as a vocalist with the Gene Krupa Big Band ("Let Me Off Uptown") and the Stan Kenton Band ("And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine") in the 1940s before she became a successful solo act in the 1950s—punctuated by her energetic performance at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival, as captured in the concert film Jazz on a Summer's Day. Unfortunately, O'Day was as well known for her drug problems as her jazz singing, and in High Times Hard Times, O'Day offers an unvarnished personal account of her life, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at the golden age of jazz. Starting out with her grisly 1966 overdose, then flashing back to tell all from the beginning, High Times Hard Times presents an intimate portrait of a larger-than-life jazz and big-band singer—the success of her early career, the tragedy of heroin addiction, her painful recovery, and her ultimate triumph. Filled with vivid characters, including Gene Krupa, Stan Kenton, Roy Eldridge, Billie Holiday, and other jazz legends, this candid, classic memoir is a must-read for anyone interested in the real details of jazz's golden age.
Escaping Cult Entrapment tells a compelling story beginning with a young teenage couple in despair, with two babies and no means to support their family. The story focuses on Sophia, the second oldest daughter, born in 1968. The couple falls victim to the enticements of the Children of God Cult and the promise of a new life in the early 1970s. The family becomes trapped by the cult's brainwashing and manipulation in a decade of widespread hippie movements. As the family grows, they live a life full of bewildering events that they consider honorable in the "missionary" work they perform based on their desire to serve God, but awful in tormenting events driven by the cult's deception and social isolation. The father, Sebastian, is increasingly entangled in the cult's web of lies and becomes alienated from his wife, Elizabeth, and their seven young children. With remarkable strength and faith Elizabeth carries out her decision to leave her husband and the cult. She conquers her fears in order to provide a better life for her and her children. Over the next 10 years Sophia's family endures a journey of chaos and triumph as they fight to integrate back into society. With little money, they have to figure out how to live their new life. At the same time, Elizabeth shows them the important things in life, knowing that you don't need money to have a loving home. The family is determined to overcome tremendous hardship. They have to adapt and survive as they are faced with emotional, social and financial challenges. Elizabeth teaches them strong will and that their circumstances are only temporary. Sophia's experiences are tragic during her younger years, but inspirational as she grows into an adolescent and young adult.