A homeless man trapped in a hell of his own making finds a reason to hope in "Redemption Song." A camping trip turns into a race for survival after the discovery of a bizarre artifact in "The Taking of Michael McConnolly." A man begins to question his sanity as patrons at a cafe begin to vanish one by one in "Charlie's Lunch." Over two dozen exceptional tales of terror by one of the most talented new voices in the genre.
Beneath the surface is a collection of poetry about overcoming trauma, navigating love, enduring heartbreak, dealing with depression and anxiety, and coping through it by becoming emotionally resilient. The book is split into five chapters: Roots. Love. Hear break. Internal Struggle. Resilience.
Praise for Jamaal May: "Linguistically acrobatic [and] beautifully crafted. . . . [Jamaal May's] poems, exquisitely balanced by a sharp intelligence mixed with earnestness, makes his debut a marvel."—Publishers Weekly Following Jamaal May's award-winning debut collection, Hum (2013), these new poems explore parallel landscapes of the poet's interior and an insidious American condition. Using dark humor that helps illuminate the pains of maturity and loss of imagination, May uncovers language like a skilled architect—digging up bones of the past to expose what lies beneath the surface of the fragile human condition. From: "Ask Where I've Been": Ask about the tornado of fists. The blows landed. If you can watch it all—the spit and blood frozen against snow, you can probably tell I am the too-narrow road winding out of a crooked city built of laughter, abandon, feathers and drums. Ask only if you can watch streetlights bow, bridges arc, and power lines sag, and still believe what matters most is not where I bend but where I am growing. Jamaal May is a poet, editor, and filmmaker from Detroit, Michigan, where he taught poetry in public schools and worked as a freelance audio engineer and touring performer. His poetry won the 2013 Indiana Review Poetry Prize and appears in journals such as Poetry, Ploughshares, the Believer, NER, and the Kenyon Review. May has earned an MFA from Warren Wilson College as well as fellowships from Cave Canem and The Stadler Center for Poetry at Bucknell University. He founded the Organic Weapon Arts Chapbook Press.
We all have a surface self we present to the world, but our smiling faces often hide our pain that comes from unsuccessful attempts to find relief through harmful choices. How can we keep past wounds from damaging us? Learn to allow God to heal triggers, insecurities, and more so you can experience spiritual health and wholeness. Every driver knows the importance of avoiding potholes when navigating a route. Besides the uncomfortable bump, they can create permanent damage to vehicles and endanger entire roadway systems. The same is true of our lives. We all have potholes that have been formed by pain, trauma, or choices that we’ve made. Usually we find a quick fix, filling the hole with activities and even addictions disguised as culturally acceptable life choices. But before long, the hole is back—and often wider and deeper—waiting to catch us off-guard, which in the end creates even more permanent damage. In The Thing Beneath the Thing, pastor Steve Carter asks the simple question, “How is life working for you?” He knows that potholes exist and that the longer we live disconnected from answering this question, the more we will fill those holes with harmful choices. The solution? Allow God to fill them with His grace and love so that we can discover the beauty of peace and wholeness He has for us. The process lies in discovering our: Triggers: the setup that sets us off Hideouts: where we go to escape the pain of our story Insecurities: the false stories we create about ourselves Narratives: the false stories we create about others Grace: the place where we discover how to become whole, holy, and spiritually healthy Journey with a seasoned fellow traveler who has learned how to ask key questions that help us unlock the places where we’ve buried things. Then we can dig deep, invite healing, and learn new ways to operate so we can begin experiencing the life of freedom Jesus promised.
*Now a New York Times Best Seller* Over the course of two decades, John Hargrove worked with 20 different whales on two continents and at two of SeaWorld's U.S. facilities. For Hargrove, becoming an orca trainer fulfilled a childhood dream. However, as his experience with the whales deepened, Hargrove came to doubt that their needs could ever be met in captivity. When two fellow trainers were killed by orcas in marine parks, Hargrove decided that SeaWorld's wildly popular programs were both detrimental to the whales and ultimately unsafe for trainers. After leaving SeaWorld, Hargrove became one of the stars of the controversial documentary Blackfish. The outcry over the treatment of SeaWorld's orca has now expanded beyond the outlines sketched by the award-winning documentary, with Hargrove contributing his expertise to an advocacy movement that is convincing both federal and state governments to act. In Beneath the Surface, Hargrove paints a compelling portrait of these highly intelligent and social creatures, including his favorite whales Takara and her mother Kasatka, two of the most dominant orcas in SeaWorld. And he includes vibrant descriptions of the lives of orcas in the wild, contrasting their freedom in the ocean with their lives in SeaWorld. Hargrove's journey is one that humanity has just begun to take-toward the realization that the relationship between the human and animal worlds must be radically rethought.
Joseph resisted the seductive advances of his master's wife; David gave in to temptation and had an adulterous affair with Bathsheba. Author Bob Reccord observes that both men had human limitations, but Joseph recognized his weakness while David overestimated his strengths.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO COPE ALONE Depression and mental illness don't discriminate. Even in the most picture-perfect life, confusion and turmoil are often lurking beneath the surface. For a teenager in a world where anxiety, depression, and other mental illnesses are commonplace, life can sometimes feel impossible. Whether or not you or someone you love is suffering from any of these issues, it's important to be able to recognize the warning signs of mental illness and know where to turn for help. This comprehensive guide provides the information, encouragement, and tactical guidance you need to help yourself or others experiencing: - Depression - Academic or parental pressures - Eating disorders - Bullying - Self-harm - PTSD - Peer pressure - Anxiety - Substance abuse - Technology addiction - Suicidal thoughts or actions
Blakely My life is a stage. Followed by millions, and loved by none. And me, the captain of control, steering my image through choppy waters. Making sure I stay on top. No one ever sees me. No one ever looks. Until him. But he's everything impossible, and a thousand shades of wrong. Falling for him would ruin everything I've worked for. So why can't I stay away?JacksonMy life is a back-up plan. Surrounded by friends, and loved by none. And me, the king of heartbreak, gluing my pieces back together. Making sure they stick. No one ever sees me. No one ever looks. Until her. But she's everything off-limits, and a thousand shades of sin. Falling for her would ruin everything I've worked for. So why won't she stay away?
Micah has done the research and has all but proven his theory. He's confident that he can single-handedly solve the world's devastating water crisis - he just needs the funding. After a shocking financial setback to his own non-profit's crucial fundraising attempt, Micah takes the world's fate into his own hands. Convinced his discovery of a freshwater well deep within the Pacific Ocean is the solution to the world's depleting water sources, Micah recruits his wife, a scientist and philanthropist in her own right, two professional acquaintances and one stranger to help him achieve his goal. The unconventional team sets out to accomplish the impossible, hopefully convincing a key investor to fund their full expedition in the process. As the team gets closer to successfully fulfilling their mission, they begin to discover that some things lurking in the deep of the ocean should be left beneath the surface.
