In this town, I'm free from shameA place where everyone knows my nameGlamorizing corpses to feed a needThat's why they call me Skeleton KingThey all worship me, but they don't know the real meAll they see is my painted faceTruth is, I'm terrified, all the hope inside me diedDeath and cold will forever be my morbid fateThen she showed me something moreSomehow stealing death's allureTrigger Warning: This book contains many triggers and this warning should be taken seriously. The sexual and graphically depicted scenes in this novel are not for the squeamish and will be disturbing for some readers.
Did you know that American burial traditions include aerial burial, in which the body is placed in tree branches? Have you ever wondered which religions believe in afterlife or reincarnation? Ever been curious about exactly what the embalming process entails? The answers all lie in R.I.P.: The Complete Book of Death & Dying by Constance Jones. Reminding us that almost no subject in the world elicits such universal fascination as death, Jones has masterfully collected information from diverse sources to explore, illuminate, demystify and enrich our understanding of the myriad issues related to death and dying. Publishers Weekly has praised Jones' approach as "clear-sighted" and "fearlessly inquisitive" and calls R.I.P.: The Complete Book of Death & Dying "invaluable and oddly uplifting." The book is divided into two parts and is equipped with a resource list of organizations, a bibliography and an index. "Part One" explores the cultural dimensions of death and dying, with chapters and sections on myths and legends explaining death, cultural traditions, the scientific study of death, demographic statistics, funerary customs, religious beliefs and historical anecdotes. Jones provides wide-ranging, informative, and occasionally humorous material that is thoughtfully and clearly organized. Topics covered include descriptions of the physiological changes at the moment of death, a history of cremation, and summaries of legal and ethical issues associated with death, such as capital punishment, euthanasia and suicide.
Scientific reportage on what we know and don’t know about the mega-earthquake predicted to hit the Pacific Northwest Scientists have identified Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver as the urban centers of what will be the biggest earthquake—the Really Big One—in the continental United States. A quake will happen—in fact, it’s actually overdue. The Cascadia subduction zone is 750 miles long, running along the Pacific coast from Northern California up to southern British Columbia. In this fascinating book, The Seattle Times science reporter Sandi Doughton introduces readers to the scientists who are dedicated to understanding the way the earth moves and describes what patterns can be identified and how prepared (or not) people are. With a 100% chance of a mega-quake hitting the Pacific Northwest, this fascinating book reports on the scientists who are trying to understand when, where, and just how big The Big One will be.
'It's funny how quick it happens and without you really noticing. Anton said once that it's like walking out into the sea, and you think everything's fine and the water's warm, but when you turn back you're suddenly miles from shore. I've never been much of a swimmer, but I get what he means. Like, being caught in a current or something. A rip.' A young woman, living on the street has to keep her wits about her. Or her friends. But when the drugs kick in that can be hard. Anton has been looking out for her. She was safe with him. But then Steve came along. He had something over Anton. Must have. But he had a flat they could crash in. And gear in his pocket. And she can't stop thinking about it. A good hit makes everything all right. But the flat smells weird. There's a lock on Steve's bedroom door. And the guy is intense. The problem is, sometimes you just don't know you are in too deep, until you are drowning.
Cemetery groundskeeper Roscoe Solomon is nobody's idea of a savior. Since derailing his old high school classmate Damon's football career amid a freak accident, his summers have consisted of weed whacking around tombstones. After an abandoned house is set aflame, Roscoe stumbles upon evidence that reveals the arsonist's next target. Evoking his childhood icon, the mighty Rip Orion, he recognizes the opportunity to become the superhero. Aided by his embattled sidekick Mitch, Roscoe vows to apprehend the pyromaniac. A budding relationship with the eccentric Marcy, who bears a striking resemblance to Rip Orion's love interest, reinforces his ambitions. Roscoe's fantasy unravels when he collides with his nemesis Damon, who harbors his own illusions of recapturing his glory days, and realizes Marcy's cryptic alter ego. Meanwhile, the arsonist runs amok. All seems doomed until Roscoe understands that to become like Rip Orion and save the world, he must play the role of villain.
Two centuries ago, native New Yorker Washington Irving exploded onto the literary scene of Europe with the publication of his breakout collection of stories, The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. Published in England and America in 1819–1820, and universally praised for its inventive characters and soul-searching qualities, including the immortal tales “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” the volume enjoyed remarkable transatlantic success, allowing Irving to become the first of his nation to support himself as a professional author. In this distinctive collection, historians and literary scholars come together to reassess Irving’s imaginative world and complex cultural legacy. Alternately a satirist and a nostalgia merchant, Irving was ever absorbed in reconstituting a lost past, which the volume dubs “Rip Van Winkle’s Republic.” The assembled scholars explore issues of Anglo-American culture, the power of imagery, race, and the treatment of time and history in Irving’s vast body of literature, as well as his status as a bibliophile, an antiquarian, and a prominent figure in an age of literary celebrity. Edited by acclaimed historians Andrew Burstein and Nancy Isenberg, Rip Van Winkle’s Republic marks a rediscovery of this marvelous author of social satire and fabled tales of the past.
Washington Irving's classics The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle-La leyenda de Sleepy Hollow y Rip Van Winkle are presented in English-Spanish parallel text, complete and unabridged. The earliest examples of American fiction still read today, these tales continue to fascinate and horrify. With chapter illustrations. The Bilingual Library presents world classics in parallel text. Each page in translation is mirrored by its original language on the facing page. Series editor D. Bannon is a member of the American Literary Translators Association (ALTA).
"Representative Plays by American Dramatists: 1856-1911: Rip van Winkle" by Charles Burke presents readers with a timeless classic of American drama. This ebook showcases Washington Irving's beloved tale of the man who slept for twenty years and awakened to a world vastly changed. Through Burke's skillful adaptation, readers can experience the whimsical and magical journey of Rip van Winkle, offering a glimpse into the past while contemplating the themes of time, change, and the enduring spirit of humanity. This ebook is an excellent introduction to the works of American dramatists, providing readers with a captivating and entertaining literary experience.
Two stories from the Catskill Mountains: one featuring a man who sleeps for twenty years, waking to a much-changed world and the other, a superstitious schoolmaster who encounters a headless horseman.
