An incomparable magical cello, made from a Venetian instrument maker's beloved tree, is played during the Grand Carnival only after a famous young musician lets down his public facade and faces the instrument with honesty and heartfelt desire.
Foreword by Academy Award-winner Mahershala Ali “A comprehensive masterpiece. . . . Throughout the course of my life, I have struggled to be heard. With Denise’s insightful tutelage and easy-to-apply techniques, I have not only manage to find my voice, but to powerfully express myself so others listen! If you want to feel inspired and completely empowered give yourself the gift of this beautiful read!”—Halle Berry, Academy Award-winning actor An internationally renowned and highly sought-after Hollywood voice coach shares proven practices to help anyone utilize the often-untapped power of their own authentic voice. From a toddler's first words to professional public speaking, from a marriage proposal to asking for a raise, our voice is our most crucial instrument of expression. The world judges us by our voice. And yet there has been no authoritative guide to mastering its full capacity and expressing our true selves in every aspect of life, from relationships and family to work. Until now. As one of the nation’s most sought-after vocal coaches, Denise Woods has worked with everyone from Mahershala Ali, Will Smith, and Idris Elba to Kirsten Dunst and Jessica Chastain. In The Power of Voice, for the first time ever, Woods shares the secrets, tips, lessons, and stories that have helped Hollywood’s biggest stars become confident, effective communicators. Readers will learn how to: Articulate clearly Gain confidence in any situation Release tension and stress Address speech issues such as upspeak, vocal fry, and nasality Become powerful public speakers Find their truest form of expression With her unmatched ability to teach vocal mastery in real-world terms, Woods offers a much-needed, proven, practical, and invaluable set of tools that will forever change how we communicate and, ultimately, how we see ourselves and affect others.
In this remarkable blend of memoir and criticism, James Wood, noted contributor to the New Yorker, has written a master class on the connections between fiction and life. He argues that, of all the arts, fiction has a unique ability to describe the shape of our lives and to rescue the texture of those lives from death and historical oblivion. The act of reading is understood here as the most sacred and personal of activities, and there are brilliant discussions of individual works - among others, Chekhov's story "The Kiss," W.G. Sebald's The Emigrants, and Penelope Fitzgerald's The Blue Flower. Wood reveals his own intimate relationship with the written word: we see the development of a provincial boy growing up in a charged Christian environment, the secret joy of his childhood reading, the links he makes between reading and blasphemy, or between literature and music. The final section discusses fiction in the context of exile and homelessness. The Nearest Thing to LifeÊis not simply a brief, tightly argued book by a man commonly regarded as our finest living critic - it is also an exhilarating personal account that reflects on, and embodies, the fruitful conspiracy between reader and writer (and critic), and asks us to reconsider everything that is at stake when we read and write fiction.
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Robert Beatty comes a spooky, thrilling new series set in the magical world of Serafina. Move without a sound. Steal without a trace. Willa, a young nightspirit of the Great Smoky Mountains, is her clan's best thief. She creeps into the homes of day-folk in the cover of darkness and takes what they won't miss. It's dangerous work—the day-folk kill whatever they do not understand. But when Willa's curiosity leaves her hurt and stranded in a day-folk man's home, everything she thought she knew about her people—and their greatest enemy—is forever changed.
The search for a missing boy and his dog illuminiates the inner lives of a multitude of individuals with charged needs and desires; a confession of faith, and a love song to the world.
A dark relationship evolves between a high schooler and her English teacher in this breathtakingly powerful memoir about a young woman who must learn to rewrite her own story. “Have you ever read Lolita?” So begins seventeen-year-old Alisson’s metamorphosis from student to lover and then victim. A lonely and vulnerable high school senior, Alisson finds solace only in her writing—and in a young, charismatic English teacher, Mr. North. Mr. North gives Alisson a copy of Lolita to read, telling her it is a beautiful story about love. The book soon becomes the backdrop to a connection that blooms from a simple crush into a forbidden romance. But as Mr. North’s hold on her tightens, Alisson is forced to evaluate how much of their narrative is actually a disturbing fiction. In the wake of what becomes a deeply abusive relationship, Alisson is faced again and again with the story of her past, from rereading Lolita in college to working with teenage girls to becoming a professor of creative writing. It is only with that distance and perspective that she understands the ultimate power language has had on her—and how to harness that power to tell her own true story. Being Lolita is a stunning coming-of-age memoir that shines a bright light on our shifting perceptions of consent, vulnerability, and power. This is the story of what happens when a young woman realizes her entire narrative must be rewritten—and then takes back the pen to rewrite it.
In 2001, The Voice of the Heart began a steady journey into the lives of those looking for more. Since its initial release, The Voice of the Heart has been handed one friend to another and has helped thousands of people begin to speak the truth of their story and to live more fully from the heart. Answer the call to full living.
A special 10th anniversary edition of this wonderful winter tale! Booksellers, librarians, parents and educators have treasured this award-winning, bestselling book since its first publication ten years ago. This wonderfully heartwarming winter story about forest animals' curiosity and confusion over a snowman that has magically appeared in their woods, has become a festive favourite year after year. When Stranger in the Woods appeared ten years ago it became a #1 New York Times bestseller and won several awards, including the Benjamin Franklin Award and the International Reading Association Award, and has since been published in seven languages. This beautiful 10th anniversary edition contains the original story in its entirety, and boasts a new lenticular cover - creating a lovely, visual delight!
Since 1968, Bernie Krause has traveled the world recording the sounds of remote landscapes, endangered habitats, and rare animal species. Through his organization, Wild Sanctuary, he has collected the soundscapes of more than 2,000 different habitat types, marine and terrestrial. With powerful illustrations and compelling stories, Krause provides a manifesto for the appreciation and protection of natural soundscapes. In his previous book, The Great Animal Orchestra, Krause drew readers’ attention to what Jane Goodall described as “the harmonies of nature . . . [that are being] one by one by one, snuffed out by human actions.” He now explains that the secrets hidden in the natural world’s shrinking sonic environment must be preserved, not only for our scientific understanding, but for our cultural heritage and humanity’s physical and spiritual welfare. Krause’s narrative—supplemented by exclusive access to field recordings from the wild—draws on a compelling range of personal anecdotes, histories, and examples to document his early exploration of this field and to lay the groundwork for future generations.
The Hanham brothers must try and survive the trenches and not be broken by conflict while the world around them is shattered. Back in London their sister Kathleen, dealing with her own complicated life, attempts to hold together a family soon ravaged by war... Hanham is based on an inspiring true story. Written from the point of view of Stuart, Eric and Basil and their eldest sister Kathleen 'Hanham' is the harrowing true story of a family who lived and fought during one of the most shattering episodes of modern world history. Genuine letters, documents, and diaries help to tell this wonderful story of love, life and sacrifice during the war to end them all. The author came by the story in 2015 when his father, military historian, battlefield tour guide and former soldier himself, purchased at auction a tobacco tin that saved a young man's life during the First World War, wedged into it the bullet sent to kill him. The lot however turned out to be much more than this rare piece of history and the truly inspiring story of the three Hanham brothers and their family was revealed.