In this eagerly-anticipated second edition of Ugly Naked People, Giselle Renarde brings readers eight works of queer fiction as engaging as they are diverse. One minute you’re fainting on a Toronto subway, the next you’re fleeing mythological monsters in the Yukon. First a sidewalk psychic’s convincing you new love is right around the corner, and then your family’s reuniting you with an old flame. With Giselle at the wheel, you never quite know what’s around the bend, but you can be sure to enjoy the ride.
The first complete translation into English of this Tibetan text, together with the informative commentary by the 8th century master Buddhaguhya. This text is of seminal importance for the history of Buddhist Tantra, especially as very little has been published concerning the origins of Tantra in India.
When Elizabeth opened the letter from Australia, mailed three weeks before, she was wondering who that George who had sent it could be. She was even more surprised by its content. This is a collection of novellas (The Letter, The Painter, Desperate for Love, Twist of Fate, The Teacher) whose plot is mainly set in London.
From popular humor writer and social media sensation Anna Lind Thomas comes the second book of charming and uproarious essays that capture our universal need for life to just slow down—we weren't ready for this! Anna Lind Thomas wants everyone to just calm down and give her a minute, okay? She's not ready for this! In fact, through her latest collection of laugh-out-loud essays, she'll prove she's never been ready for anything in her life. Adult decisions, marriage, parenting, crow's feet, large pores, skinny jeans--you name it, she ain't ready for it! Don't even get her started on that one time she appeared on national TV in a blazer two sizes too small because she thought she'd lose twenty pounds before the shoot. Good grief, she just wasn't ready! I'm Not Ready for This will give you the encouragement you need to: Embrace the unexpected aspects of life Appreciate the incredible power of vulnerability Let God push you forward, even if you feel like you're not ready Through her signature wit, charm, and painful relatability, Anna reminds us that no one's truly ready for anything--so we might as well go for it and see what happens. She bets it'll be real good--or at the very least, real funny.
This is a collection of essays and short stories accumulated during the 80's and 90's, all loosely connected via a continuous narrative. This is an introduction to a reality that few have time to see while busy with creation of their own. This is a book for intelligent adults who are not afraid of challenging ideas and who insist on the right to think for themselves. The collection is a worm's eye view of British society at the bottom. The narrative is blunt and uncompromising, takes a wry, bitter but often humorous look at many absurdities in the way we conduct our affairs and is more illuminating of humanity in its gloomlight descriptives than the clinically bright light of academic studies by Oxbridge social isolates.
This is a narration of my most memorable encounters with the opposite sex delivered in an easy-to-digest and entertaining manner. What started out as diary entries to overcome a particularly painful break-up became stories spanning over three continents. The stories do not follow a strict chronological order, but are geographically organized into chapters such as Ile-de-France, Balkania, Northern Africa, Bella Italia, Germany & Co. The protagonists were named after the characteristics I remember them by and were given appropriate nicknames such as Bastardo I & II, Dr. Freak, Hermit, Naso... This book certainly contains sad times and heartbreak, but also lots of hilarious situations and encounters of the plain weird kind, mais c'est la vie!
The New York Times bestseller now in paperback. One of the preeminent linguists of our time examines the realms of language that are considered shocking and taboo in order to understand what imbues curse words with such power--and why we love them so much. Profanity has always been a deliciously vibrant part of our lexicon, an integral part of being human. In fact, our ability to curse comes from a different part of the brain than other parts of speech--the urgency with which we say "f&*k!" is instead related to the instinct that tells us to flee from danger. Language evolves with time, and so does what we consider profane or unspeakable. Nine Nasty Words is a rollicking examination of profanity, explored from every angle: historical, sociological, political, linguistic. In a particularly coarse moment, when the public discourse is shaped in part by once-shocking words, nothing could be timelier.
Skye Green's mum is driving her insane! When she's not posting EMBARRASSING pictures of Skye online or experimenting with BIZARRE clothing, she's forever taking up new hobbies - and her latest obsession is ballroom dancing! It's only a matter of time until she waltzes down the street in spandex and sequins - and to make matters worse, Skye's younger brother is wildly (and irritatingly) enthusiastic about Mum's new hobby, and about wearing Mum's sparkly new outfits! As if this wasn't HORRIFIC enough, Skye's mum has also enlisted the new neighbour's son to come and 'babysit' when she's at dance class, and he's only a year older than Skye! Talk about MORTIFYING in the EXTREME! At least Skye's best friend, Aubrey is there to help Skye cope with her family's madness. They've been friends since before they can remember, and nothing will ever, EVER change that . . . right?
Written by an authoritative expert, Friends Behind the Scenes: Backstage Pass to the Series, A Comprehensive History is the most in-depth book ever written about the series. It provides a unique insider perspective and dishes the dirt on never-before-revealed secrets, such as outing the cast member who was nearly fired from the series—TWICE! Friends Behind the Scenes commences with the showrunners’ backstory and a comprehensive recounting of the series’ concept, the pitch presented to NBC, and the network’s objections. Fans get a confidant’s look into the TV industry and the trio’s struggle to protect their pilot concept and creative vision. The journey also uncovers early script drafts with jaw-dropping disclosures about the main characters—there was a highly promiscuous female, an arrogant, self-centered jerk from Chicago, and a homosexual. The next chapters immerse the sitcom enthusiast into the laborious casting process with amazing revelations, such as the two costars who turned down guaranteed roles and a once-rejected cast member who was only hired because NBC insisted. The likelihood of all six actors being chosen for the pilot was astronomically minuscule, especially since two of the costars were committed to other projects and a handful of famous actors were offered costarring roles in the series. Friends Behind the Scenes unravels the mysteries behind shooting the pilot, how a test audience’s negative report nearly capsized the series, and what finally convinced NBC to gamble on adding the show to its fall schedule. The following pages methodically outline the showrunners’ diligent efforts to assemble an incomparable creative team and hire brilliant wardrobe, hair, and makeup specialists who redefined 1990s fashion. Of course, TV junkies cannot forget the memorable title sequence with all the fountain frivolity and the mind-numbing theme song that captivated the world. Astonishingly, the original intro was completely different with an up-tempo singalong by a famous rock band that refused to license the track because the lead singer despised the hit single. Avid enthusiasts will discover how The Rembrandts were eventually hired and why they did not want their name attached to the bubblegum pop ditty. Readers are transported backstage to witness how episodes were produced and how guest stars were chosen, with dazzling insight into the ones that got away, including a famous pop singer, three iconic movie stars, and a rock legend. In addition, tome-travelers will get an insider scoop into the world of stand-ins, body doubles, and famous extras who appeared on the show, and marvel at the history of sets, how they were designed and decorated, and even the story behind famous props and set dressings like the peephole picture frame and burnt-orange sofa. Further interviews unearth the private salary negotiations that eventually made the cast the highest-paid actors on television. Actors’ confessions shed light on how success impacted their lives, and what made the sextet decide to call it quits after ten seasons. Friends disciples will be privy to the soundstage hysteria during the final days of shooting and the epochal send-off by NBC, while sitcom purists will be enraptured by the historical overview of the show’s evolution from struggling newbie to ratings giant en route to its unprecedented success in syndication and streaming. Finally, the remaining chapters detail the societal impact of Friends, and offer numerous trivia tidbits that have evaded most Friends aficionados for decades.
A striking feature of atrocities, as seen in genocides, civil wars, or violence against certain racial and ethnic groups, is the attempt to dehumanize — to deny and strip human beings of their humanity. Yet the very nature of dehumanization remains relatively poorly understood. The Routledge Handbook of Dehumanization is the first comprehensive and multidisciplinary reference source on the subject and an outstanding survey of the key concepts, issues, and debates within dehumanization studies. Organized into four parts, the Handbook covers the following topics: The history of dehumanization from Greek Antiquity to the 20th century, contextualizing the oscillating boundaries, dimensions, and hierarchies of humanity in the history of the ‘West’; How dehumanization is contemporarily studied with respect to special contexts: as part of social psychology, as part of legal studies or literary studies, and how it connects to the idea of human rights, disability and eugenics, the question of animals, and the issue of moral standing; How to tackle its complex facets, with respect to the perpetrator’s and the target’s perspective, metadehumanization and selfdehumanization, rehumanization, social death, status and interdependence, as well as the fear we show toward robots that become too human for us; Conceptual and epistemological questions on how to distinguish different forms of dehumanization and neighboring phenomena, on why dehumanization appears so paradoxical, and on its connection to hatred, essentialism, and perception. Essential reading for students and researchers in philosophy, history, psychology, and anthropology, this Handbook will also be of interest to those in related disciplines, such as politics, international relations, criminology, legal studies, literary studies, gender studies, disability studies, or race and ethnic studies, as well as readers from social work, political activism, and public policy.
