Shaw Books

David Watson candidly shares his journey from "life to life" in a comforting and encouraging manner. With the Lord as his travelling companion, Watson reveals the most important pursuit given to humanity - to seek God's face.

David Watson's honest reactions as he fights cancer are not just for those who are dealing with illness. They are for all of us who struggle with fear and faith. As I read this book, I remembered another David's difficult times recorded in the Book of Psalms. That David always ended an emotional cry by looking into the face of God and trusting. In the depths of crisis David Watson finds a love relationship with God which does not deny a difficult reality, but which carries him through. This book has greatly encouraged me.

Baumgaertner examines Flannery O'Connor's interest in exaggerated visual representation and discusses how "sight and insight are intimately connected metaphors" in her stories.

Refers to how, "At key moments -- often at the height of a story's crisis, sometimes at a moment of foreshadowing -- O'Connor clicks the camera and catches a strange picture." Ties this technique to seventeenth-century "emblems": visual representations that "literalized a motto, epigram, or scriptural passage to provoke a new response to an old and often too familiar saying." Discusses O'Connor's stories, "The Geranium," "The Barber," "The Crop," "The Turkey," "Good Country People," "The Life You Save May Be Your Own," and "The Comforts of Home," in this context.

Considers the role of belief in the work of the Christian writer and the difficulty such writers have "in making revelatory action believable to the modern reader." Notes that "the closer and more prolonged her characters' encounters with the divine," the more frequent the appearance of emblems in O'Connor's fiction.

Offers readings of "Parker's Back," "The Lame Shall Enter First," "The Artificial Nigger," "The Displaced Person," "A Temple of the Holy Ghost," "The Enduring Chill" and "The River." Also discusses her view of the sacrament and her use of symbols and images of the Holy Ghost in this context.

Follows with biblically informed readings of "A Good Man Is Hard to Find," "A Late Encounter With the Enemy," "A View of the Woods," "A Circle in the Fire," "Everything That Rises Must Converge," "Greenleaf," and "Revelation."

Describes her novel, Wise Blood, as the story of "a modern pilgrim who does not want to progress, who is in fact more interested in moving backwards than forwards."

Explores the "allegoric and emblematic resonance in The Violent Bear It Away," noting that the three principal characters, "The Christian, the Modern Man, [and] the boy," could represent "characters from a morality play, or archetypes from mythology."

Closes with a close examination of "Judgement Day," noting that O'Connor hurried her revisions and was "still not completely satisfied with the story."

R. Neil Scott / Middle Tennessee State University

Several years ago I did extensive college-level work on the writings of Flannery O'Connor. I found two books particularly helpful in understanding the fullness of O'Connor's achievement, this book and Brian Ragen's "A Wreck on the Road to Damascus." Baumgaertner writes from a similar theological perspective, and though I do not believe she is a Roman Catholic as O'Connor was, she writes with understanding and sympathy for O'Connor's position. I bring up the religious issue only because any in-depth study of O'Connor must face the fact of her deep commitment to her beliefs.
The books is very readable, and though Jill Baumgaertner is a professor (at Wheaton College, Illinois) she takes pains to avoid the academic jargon that marrs much critical writing today. If what you want is a sympathetic insightful reading of O'Connor then there is no better book to start with. However, if what you want is "hip" academic jargon then read Kreyling's collection.

Offers a range of essays intended to represent the range of new critical perspectives on the literary art of Flannery O'Connor and reflect the directions in which O'Connor scholarship has moved over the previous fifteen years.

Rath remarks in the Introduction that, while some of the essays "probe issues that, until recently, had been ignored," others address "longstanding debates in light of new critical insights from gender studies, rhetorical theory, dialogism, and psychoanalysis."

Essays feature discussions of O'Connor's early stories, her canonical status, and the feminist undertones in her use of the grotesque.

Of particular interest is the volume's 200+ item bibliography and its cumulative index.

Along with Rath's ten page "Introduction," the volume includes the following essays by a literal "who's who" of the O'Connor scholarly community:

Brinkmeyer, Robert H., Jr. "Asceticism and the Imaginative Vision of Flannery O'Connor."

Fodor, Sarah J. "Marketing Flannery O'Connor: Institutional Politics and Literary Evaluation."

Gentry, Marshall Bruce. "Gender Dialogue in O'Connor."

Giannone, Richard. "Displacing Gender: Flannery O'Connor's View from the Woods."

Gordon, Sarah. "'The Crop': Limitation, Restraint, and Possibility."

Kennelly, Laura B. "Exhortation in Wise Blood: Rhetorical Theory as an Approach to Flannery O'Connor."

Paulson, Suzanne Morrow. "Apocalypse of Self, Resurrection of the Double: Flannery O'Connor's The Violent Bear It Away."

Reesman, Jeanne Campbell. "Women, Language, and the Grotesque in Flannery O'Connor and Eudora Welty."

Shaw, Mary Neff. "'The Artificial Nigger': A Dialogical Narrative."

Yaeger, Patricia. "Flannery O'Connor and the Aesthetics of Torture."

R. Neil Scott / Middle Tennessee State University

I was privileged to be introduced to Flannery O'Connor's works in Dr. Rath's Fiction class at Louisiana State University in Shreveport. At the time, I wasn't aware that Dr. Rath is considered to be one of the most important authorities on O'Connor's work and life.

Dr. Rath once told us in class that he would describe his feelings toward O'Connor and her writings as love, and were she alive, he might seriously consider leaving Mrs. Rath for her. Of course, he was joking, but Dr. Rath writes about Flannery O'Connor's work and life with a passion that few can match.

Flannery O'Connor is perhaps a greater writer about the South than William Faulkner. She had a life cut short by chronic illness but in her short life she managed to write some of the most memorable stories I've ever read.

You will enjoy Dr. Rath's writings about Flannery O'Connor. I encourage you to do an online search for his articles and essays once you have read his book on the subject.

I've owned a copy of this 1964 publication for quite a while; my paperback copy is of the 1973 third printing. It is a personal favorite among a shelf-full of folklore volumes. I no longer remember whether it was an impulse purchase, or I needed it for one or another undergraduate or graduate class, and if so whether it was in Scandinavian Literature, or Germanic Mythology, or Folklore Studies.

And that should give you a clue that Amazon has used guesswork in rating it as suitable for 4 to 8 year olds. (Yes, I've reported / complained about it; maybe, against precedent, this will change soon.)

Not that there aren't stories in here quite suitable for reading to young children; there are some. But the book is heavily weighted with historical and theoretical introductions, and elaborate notes to the stories, many of which are either aimed at adults, or chosen to illustrate traditional beliefs as much as to entertain. The volume was an early entry in the University of Chicago Press "Folktales of the World" series, well-produced volumes which featured forewords by the distinguished American folklorist Richard Dorson, and were generally edited by specialists from the nations covered. (It was officially number 5; but number 1, Kurt Ranke's "Folktales of Germany," did not actually appear until 1966!) Unfortunately, most other volumes in the series seem to be out of print; "Folktales of Ireland" (Sean O'Sullivan) may be the only other exception.

The editor of this volume, Reidar Christiansen, an important Norwegian folklorist, drew on both earlier published collections and archival sources to illustrate a wide variety of genres of oral narrative in Norwegian tradition. He includes: Historical Legends (#1-#11, with sub-divisions); Legends About Magic and Witchcraft (#12-#20); Legends About Ghosts, the Human Soul, and Shapeshifting (#21-#23, again with sub-divisions); Legends About Spirits of the Sea, Lakes, and Rivers (#24-#30); Legends About Sprits of the Air (#31-#32); Legends About Spirits of Forest and Mountain (#33-#60); Legends About Household Spirits (#61-#66); and, finally, Fictional Folktales (#67-#82). The translation, by Pat Shaw Iversen, is, with some minor exceptions, extremely readable.

Some pieces are anecdotes about supernatural beings, illuminating, but uninspiring if read in bulk for amusement. Some of the legends are extremely well told, and nicely localized in terms of Norwegian landscapes. The concluding portion is made up of first-rate wonder tales, mainly Norwegian variants of international fairy tales, told with unusual complexity and skill, which are closest to what the Amazon age rating would suggest.

It is a rewarding book for adults, and probably for teenagers, and perhaps late pre-teens; anyone buying it for small children will not be so happy with it, with the exception of those comfortable with retelling the tales, or with drawing inspiration from them for your own. (Which is great, if you happen to be a small-scale Tolkien...!)

Some Norwegian folktales, although rarely identified as such, are surprisingly well known. According to my own completely unscientific survey, those which are remembered and recognized by their origin tend to be a couple of anecdotes about Trolls, bridges, and Billy-Goats, which is a shame, given the actual variety and sophistication of the tradition. (Of course, some of the best may tend to be lumped in with their fairly close counterparts elsewhere.) Those who enjoy the present work may wish to turn elsewhere for more stories; the seriously curious will look for more examples of beliefs and legends.

Unhappily, what one will generally find are either retellings or shorter selections, more or less obviously chosen for children, and often directly or indirectly based on existing translations; I will mention one partial exception below. The most nearly comparable collection with which I am familiar is an old George W. Dasent translation, drawn directly from a great nineteenth-century collection by P.C. Asbjornsen and Jorgen Moe, "Norske Folke Eventyr." (First edition 1843-44, expanded edition 1852; also given as *Folke-eventyr* and *Folkeeventyr.* My apologies for anglicizing the spelling of Norwegian names at this point, and most other places; I'm not going to trust that everyone else will read this in Unicode!)

The Norwegian original is a long-established classic in its native country. Dasent's translation (1858; expanded 1859; third edition 1888) was known to, and cited by, Tolkien, under its original title of "Popular Tales from the Norse." It was available for decades in an illustrated version from Dover Publications, under the title "East o' the Sun & West o' the Moon: Fifty-nine Norwegian Folk Tales from the Collection of Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe, With 77 illustrations by Erik Werenskiold, Theodor Kittelsen and Others" (1970). The illustrations in the Dover edition -- taken from a 1936 three-volume edition of "Samlede Eventyr" [Collected Fairy Tales] -- varied from almost ethnographic (compare photographs in Janice S. Stewart's "The Folk Arts of Norway" [1953, 1972; third edition, 1999]), to whimsical, to weird, many displaying some combination of these traits.

The strengths and weaknesses, and distinct character, of the Christiansen/Iversen volume can be illustrated by a brief comparison.

The Victorian translation, stripped by Dover of some of its original (racist, and otherwise quite obsolete) introductory material, has many pieces not found in "Folktales of Norway," but there is overlap -- over a dozen instances. In some particulars, Dasent's translation is better than Iversen's renderings of the same passages. For example, in one story (#53a), Iversen has a white animal referred to in the title and in a critical moment as a "tabby," which, of course, implies a patterned coat, and in context makes no sense. In this case, Dasent had a more general colloquial term in the text, and a properly incorrect word in his story title. (Sorry to be opaque, but why spoil the tale -- which includes a species identification error beyond even Pepe LePew! -- for those who haven't read it?)

Some differences may be in part due to variations in the underlying Norwegian texts (subjected to varying treatment since they were taken down in regional dialects), others to Iversen's attempts to provide completely new renderings. On the whole, Iversen's judgment seems sound. "The Red Knight" is much more intelligible a designation than Dasent's "Ritter Red," which, by incorporating an un-translated title (that looks like a loan-word from German), makes it sound like a personal name.

The nineteenth-century collection is obviously weighted very heavily toward the (Norwegian) title category of "eventyr" -- essentially the familiar "fairy tales" of princesses and unlikely heroes, talking animals and magical helpers, known throughout the Old World. They are rendered in a style closer to Icelandic sagas than, say, to Perrault, or even the Grimms, and, although not treated in a strictly "scientific" manner by their collectors/editors, are utterly distinct from Hans Christian Andersen's contemporary inventions.

Some of the stories translated by Dasent incidentally include distinctly Norwegian material, but this is comparatively scarce -- ironic, given Dasent's interest in England's supposed shared Nordic heritage and the genius of the "Germanic race." The contents are mainly variants of widely distributed tale-types. It is in part for the localized legends and specifically Norwegian versions of the supernatural (which Asbjornsen, among others, had published separately) that ""Folktales of Norway" is so valuable.

Iversen's more modern English *might* make stories in the final section easier for some readers. On the whole, Dasent's translation, although a bit old-fashioned, does lend itself to reading to children -- if the adult is familiar with the story first, and exercises a little judgment. (Dasent warned against some items, especially two he moved to the end when re-ordering the collection; he also seems to have omitted at least one tale. My list of possible problems would be completely different.) More advanced young readers, with appetites sharpened by, for example, Tolkien, Lewis, Lloyd Alexander, or Rowling, might want to tackle it for themselves -- which I would consider less likely, although hardly impossible, with "Folktales of Norway."

Unhappily, the 400-plus page Dover edition, with its wonderful Norwegian illustrations, has been supplanted by a less expensive, but much less satisfactory, short selection ("Thrift Edition"), under the same main title, in the Dover catalogue. The full version can still be found on Amazon, at this writing, with a little searching; it is, and should continue to be, available used. But the hardcover edition to which Amazon currently has it linked is one of the more dramatically abridged modern editions (a new illustrated version of what looks like one story!). If it were not for the possibility of confusion among these different books, I might have urged ordering both Dasent and Christiansen -- but then, I'm used to thinking of the 1970s prices of the copies in front of me! -- or suggesting them both to your local library.

As it is, the next best alternative to the Dasent translation currently (and unambiguously) in print is the much shorter (192 pages) "Norwegian Folktales" in The Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library (1982), thirty-five tales selected from the work of Asbjornsen and Moe, edited by Iversen (again) and Carl Norman. This also includes illustrations by Werenskiold and Kittelsen: the introduction is on "The Norwegian Folk Tales and Their Illustrators." As previously suggested, it is at least packaged as suitable for children; for what it is worth, Amazon rates it for ages 9-12. I am perhaps too severe a judge of its merits; my choice of stories for re-translation would have been rather different, and I have sometimes wondered if some tales were selected over others because of more attractive illustrations available for them.

(Speaking of illustrations again, I have long tried to ignore the pseudo-Viking stereotypes on the cover of "Folktales of Norway" -- accepting the art was an unusually bad decision by the University of Chicago Press.)

Those with an informed interest in traditional oral literatures will certainly want to know "Folktales of Norway," and at least for now it seems to be quite readily available.

Seems like the definitive readily available book for serious treatment of Norway's folktales. None of the dumb-it-down treacle that is so often pitched at kids, even includes notes re where the tale was collected, how common such tales are, etc. Not necessarily tales that will amuse your 4-year old, but an interesting window into what interested folk in earlier times. Highly recommended.

I have never been one for history books, but I have to tell you that if my history classes had books like this, I would have gotten straight A's. This book is truly fascinating not only because it highlights examples of courage in history, but it also leaves you considering your own character. The stories are inspiring and the book is very well-written. It does not read like a history textbook, yet I learned so much. It is amazing to think about the courage that people have inside of them, facing their fears fully knowing the potential consequences. This is a must read!

Why are some people courageous and others not? Just what is courage? Robinson addresses these questions in Part One with writing that is neither dry nor academic. This is not a textbook, it is an interesting read that explains a lot about the nature of courage and the way courage has shaped the history of America. In Part Two, Robinson presents seven compact biographies of Americans who have shaped American history: George Washington, David Crockett, Robert Gould Shaw, Crazy Horse, Matthew Henson, Rachel Carson, and Karen Silkwood.

While I appreciated the narrative style of "Founding Courage" and enjoyed it as an informative historical book, students will especially find it useful.

Drawing on his vast pastoral experience, including his time as Director of the Catholic Information Center in downtown DC from 1998 to 2004, Father McCloskey has distilled in this book (written together with Russell Shaw) some pointed reflections on how best to serve as God's instruments in the conversion of others.
The book starts from a twofold premise. Firstly, in our "age of the laity", the specific call of lay people is to be apostles to the world rather than crowd the sanctuary. (Father McCloskey's "Sermon for Our Times", on page 58 of the book, is a forceful invitation to avoid the risk of "clericalizing" the lay person, a danger against which para. 45 of the 2004 Instruction "Redemptionis sacramentum" by the Roman Congregation for Divine Worship called to a sane relationship of complementarity between the cleric and the lay person, each one with his complementary gifts.) Secondly, effective apostolate is not a light endeavor but (as Father McCloskey writes on page 91) an investment into spiritual growth by the evangelizer himself/herself: it "must flow from prayer and mortification and participation in the sacraments - from one's own ongoing ascetical struggle to put on Jesus Christ."
On the basis of these premises, Father McCloskey shares his insights, with the help of actual stories by converts, into how best we can help others to have a personal encounter with Christ.
The book is enriched by an appendix containing the "Catholic Lifetime Reading Plan", a list of solid works for Christian formation compiled by Father McCloskey while a Director of the Catholic Information Center.

Good News, Bad News is a wonderful book for anyone seeking to share the Catholic faith, for it illustrates many reasons why non-Catholics become interested in, and ultimately convert to Catholicism. Fr. McCloskey is a gifted evangelist, but more: he is a gifted listener. Story after story illustrates that Catholic evangelization is not about coercion, but about listening to God in prayer, listening to others, then pointing them in the right direction based upon what God says and what they say. Readers will be inspired and challenged by one of McCloskey's central theses: Catholicism is about the Truth, the Truth makes demands, and when those demands are adhered to, life becomes more beautiful even if more challenging. Read this book, but only if you are ready to change your life.

A 2005 edition is now available. It has the year in the upper right corner of the cover. If no date visible, enter 0972732438 in the search box at the top of the page and click GO, Amazon will take you to the new edition.

The new edition is very similar to the old, with only a few minor changes. It is not worth buying the new edition if you have the old one.

This is the only book you'll need if you are ready to get off the couch and into the great outdoors---a little at a time. If you are one of those people who keep saying that you SHOULD check out those trails that all of your active friends are talking about---this is the book that will inspire you.It is so well organized. The authors have second-guessed you and answered EVERY question(about each trail)before you even leave home! They even tell you what to look for when you're out there.
Read this litte gem then lace up your walking shoes!

Great story-teller, moving real stories of women's lives, many from the New England area.

Written with much heart and wit, this little gem of a book touches on the ordinary and profound experiences that make up a woman's life...a poignant and satisfying collection...funny and sad, inspiring and awfully funny.

--Chicago Tribune

La question importante, c'est croyez-vous en Dieu et en Jesus-Christ? Ou bien montrez-vous incommode avec eux? Mais ne pas s'accorder avec eux, ca veut dire trebucher dans le monde epouvantable de l'irrealite. C'est ce que dit l'auteur de l'Epitre au Hebreus. La seule realite, ca commence par croire en Jesus-Christ. Quant a l'auteur Gladys Hunt, mettre en action les vers de l'epitre nous mene a la croyance la plus profonde, la vie plus belle de tous les jours.

The point of life is finding out how to get along with God. Otherwise, the writer of The Epistle to the HEBREWS says that we stumble through an imperfect copy, or shadow, of a real world until the shadows end and reality begins with faith in Jesus. Author Gladys Hunt asks questions aimed at understanding what the epistle verses say and how to apply their meaning to a more spiritual daily life. Her study guide makes for helpful and relevant reading, particularly with Richard Bach's ILLUSIONS, Ari Goldman's THE SEARCH FOR GOD AT HARVARD, Thomas Merton's LIFE AND HOLINESS, and Teresa of Avila's THE WAY OF PERFECTION.

Lew has the ability to pack whole paragraphs into single sentences ... it's thoughful thinking and careful writing. Listen to the cadences of his voice on one of his tapes and your reading his material will come even more alive.

I am often left with a lack for the proper words when someone shares one of life's problems with me. This book has given me the words and the confidence to use them when one of these opportunities comes my way now.

It has helped the lives of those I come into contact with as well as my own life.