Columbia Books

I find it hard to understand why this book hasn't received more attention, as it is both beautifully written and a hilarious page-turner. Its teenage protagonist, an endearingly naive Queens Catholic-schoolboy, is on a desperate mission to lose his innocence to the world of oddball adults (jaded, entrancingly perverse, or psychotically needy) he encounters while working in the Paramount Pictures mail room in Times Square in l965. Skoyles portrays the seamy vivacity of Times Square right before its decent into hard-core inferno and that portrayal and his treatment of the various characters who influence the 16-year-old John are illuminated by the author's vision of the fascinating oddness of people, their individuality. John, an innocent voyeur, is a perceptive foil and his growing-up over the summer feels both satisfying and wistful. The book has many pleasures but most striking to me is its humor -- I simply couldn't stop laughing while reading it.

Skoyles's "Secret Frequencies" is extraordinarily funny and moving--his sense of character is unbelievably vivid, as is his sense of what is at once dark and comic in a scene. This is the best memoir I've ever read of growing up with the hopes for a New York City, a life of bars and restaurants and clothes and taxi cabs, a life the narrator glimpses the summer he travels each day from Queens to work at Paramount Pictures in Times Square. Totally recommended!

Please inform us when this book is availabl

Please inform us when this book is availabl

Even if we make allowance for the impressive multi-volume literary histories of Konishi Jin'ichi and Kato Shuichi (as the first reader [1997] has noted), Professor Keene's four-volume opus is surely now the standard English general survey of Japanese literature. Seeds in the Heart, the last volume to be published, covers the very earliest period -- from the Record of Ancient Matters (712) to the "Late Sixteenth Century," spanning some 9 centuries. That leaves 3 volumes for the next four centuries, an indication of the author's personal leanings.

Of course, we all have our own preferences. Since I happen to be interested in Tale Literature (setsuwa), I feel that out of the book's 1265 pages devoted to the early period, setsuwa might have been given a bit more space than the 41 pages between p. 568 and p. 609 (see below). Others will doubtless have a different take; so I think it will be useful to the potential buyer/reader to see what is offered in the table of contents, along with the pagination.

Preface xiii, Introduction 1
EARLY AND HEIAN LITERATURE: 1. The Kojiki 33; 2. Writings in Chinese of the Nara Period 62; 3. The Man'yoshu 85; 4. Poetry and Prose in Chinese of the Early Heian Period 181; 5. The Transition from the Man'yoshu to the Kokinshu 218; 6. The Kokinshu 245; 7. Late Heian Collections of Waka Poetry 277; 8. Late Heian Poetry and Prose in Chinese 341; 9. Heian Diaries 358; 10. The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon 412; 11. The Beginnings of Fiction 433; 12. The Tale of Genji 477; 13. Courtly Fiction After The Tale of Genji 515; 14. Mirrors of History 551; 15. Tale Literature 568.

THE MIDDLE AGES: Introduction 609; 16. Tales of Warfare 613; 17. The Age of the Shin Kokinshu 643; 18. Waka Poetry of the Kamakura and Muromachi Periods 699; 19. Buddhist Writings of the Kamakura Period 749; 20. Courtly Fiction of the Kamakura Period 789; 21. Diaries of the Kamakura Period 825; 22. Essays In Idleness 852; 23. Medieval War Tales 868; 24. Renga 921; 25. Diaries and Other Prose of the Muromachi Period 971; 26. No and Kyogen as Literature 999; 27. Literature of the Five Mountains 1062; 28. Muromachi Fiction: Otogi-Zoshi 1092; 29. The Late
Sixteenth Century; Glossary 1176; Selected List of Translations into English 1184; Index 1189.

. . . in short, a highly informative, useful resource which I recommend to anyone curious about early Japanese literature.

Keene has written a book that, though using an immense range of Japanese scholarly sources, is easily accessible to the interested reader.
His narrative style is clear and appealing.
He not only describes the Japanese classical literary canon, and quotes large chunks of it, but also evaluates the poetry and prose he treats with a careful and cultivated aesthetic sensibility.
The book is a delight to read.
Nothing like it exists on Japanese literature in the English language.

Konishi Jin'ichi's literary history is designed for specialists, and Kato Shuichi's similar 3-volume history does not have the depth and breadth of Keene's book with its characteristic attention to detail as Kato wrote his study mainly with Japanese readers in mind.
In short, 'Seeds in The Heart" is the culmination of a lifetime's scholarship, and provides an extraordinarily moving feast for readers

This is a good book to have in your theater library (especially for black actors/thespians). There are some great contemporary pieces and monologues (especially for Black men). I have always been supportive of The Theodore Award winning plays. The characters are real and the language is rich. The writing is great. Most of the plays are short, so these plays would be good for a burgeoning African American theater company or ensemble to produce.

Since the early part of the 20th century, Chicago has been a national leader in the production of black theater. There are currently six black companies, and black productions are regularly featured at the three Tony Award-winning regional theater companies.

Theodore Ward (1902 - 1983) mentored and encouraged many aspiring dramatists in Chicago from 1968 until his death. To honor Ward, and to aid black playwrights in the development and production of scripts, Columbia College Chicago established the Theodore Ward Prize for African American Playwriting in 1985. Only full-length plays addressing the African American are considered, and the playwright must be of African American descent. Since one of the goals is to uncover and identify new works, scripts which have received professional production are not eligible.

This anthology of prize-winning plays is the first in a series to be published every three years. Compiled and edited by Chuck Smith (currently Resident Director at Chicago's Goodman Theater, and affiliated with the prize for fifteen years) it presents seven plays spanning nearly two decades, with diverse subject matter and treatments. Christopher Moore's "The Last Season" (First Prize 1987-88) immerses us in the final days of the Negro Leagues. The most recent offering, Shepsu Aakhu's "Kiwi Black" ( First Prize 2001-02) tells the story of adolescent son coming of age under the watchful eye of a tough-love father.

But my synopses can't possibly do these scripts justice. Highly recommended for any theater library!

Great Book, full of rare pictures and most important full of great drawings by Dr. Alessandro De Maddalena....
...is perfect for shark fans

Sharks of the Pacific Northwest Including Oregon, Washington, British Columbia & Alaska presents the combined wisdom of three marine experts in a beautiful guide to shark species featuring a wealth of gorgeous color photographs, as well as a handful of black-and-white diagrams. Accessible to lay readers, amateur naturalists, and professional researchers alike, Sharks of the Pacific Northwest is not only an identification guide to the 18 species of shark in the Pacific Northwest, but also offers general scientific information concerning the biology of sharks, the truth behind shark/human interaction, and more. In-depth profiles of the nuances of the eighteen species round out this handy guide, which is supplemented by a bibliography and an index. Enthusiastically recommended for anyone seeking to learn more about these wondrous and often misunderstood creatures.

Very well-written book re:Sherman's treck through Columbia, SC during the Civil War.
Highly recommend it!!

Professor Lucas has written a well researched analysis of the burning of Columbia, South
Carolina by the Federal army. There were strategic military reasons for Sherman's march
through central South Carolina. Columbia "was an important war manufacturing
center--one of the few still in Confederate hands--providing munitions, equipment, and
uniforms....central South Carolina contained the last Confederate sources of food
untouched by war." Governor Magrath pointed out to Jefferson Davis that the borders of
South Carolina were Richmond's second line of defense which was confirmed when
Richmond fell less than two months after Columbia surrendered.

The author outlines the wartime conditions in Columbia noting that both the civilian and
military authorities were tardy in realizing the obvious danger to the city and even slower
to act. Finally the author writes "The missing ingredient with the Confederate camp....was
a belief in the possibility of success. The defeatism of Beauregard's leadership was
abundantly clear...."

Chapter 2 gives a succinct account of the evacuation of Columbia noting that inspite of
the desperate condition of the Confederate armies, the large arsenals and war supplies in
Columbia were not evacuated. The cotton in storage was moved into the streets with
orders for it to be burned which contributed to the later fires. Columbia Mayor Goodwyn
surrendered the city while scores of bewildered Columbians, in an ill-conceived attempt to
placate a dreaded conqueror, began distributing alcoholic beverages to the soldiers. This
precipitated an insurmountable problem.

A balanced account of the burning of Columbia is given. The most damaging fire began
about eight p.m.on February 17th, was of inexplicable origin and was not extinguished for
six or seven hours when the wind abated. With drunken men roaming the streets, rioting
and acts of personal violence were bound to occur. Confusion reigned and most control
over the city was lost . The extent of the damage following the fire is reviewed. About
one-third of Columbia was destroyed with the business community virtually wiped out and
265 residences burned.

Regarding who burned Columbia, the conclusions were (and still are) along partisan lines.
South Carolinians charged Sherman as "morally responsible for the burning of Columbia".
Union officers and troops felt that while the events in Columbia were regrettable they
were the results of acts of war. Sherman entered South Carolina to disrupt the state's
transportation system and bring an end to the war by destroying Southern morale.
However, Professor Lucas notes "The failure of Sherman's psychological warfare, a new
kind of war which Southern civilians did not understand, was that the hatred generated
during the invasion did not terminate with the war's end."

The post war criticisms of and charges against Sherman and the Union army are reviewed.
The author notes that the Confederates as they evacuated the city began the looting and
plundering then the entering Federal troops seized what was left. The unanswered
question of incendiarism, the most disputed issue, is complicated by a lack of reliable
eyewitness accounts.
In summary, Sherman failed to take timely and sufficient action to control both the fires
and the riots. However, the author notes that the failure of Confederate leadership in the
defense of South Carolina and the evacuation of the city played a major role in creating a
situation which resulted in the destruction of the city. In addition no preparations were
made by Beauregard, Hampton or the city fathers for the official surrender of the city
when a formal declaration of Columbia as an open city may have produced positive
results.

In conclusion, Professor Lucas writes that the burning of Columbia was a great tragedy
for South Carolina and the Union stating "....when the Union Army left Columbia on
February 20, 1865, it left behind bitter hatred. Many citizens had lost everything they
possessed, while others had gone through the catastrophe relatively unscathed. All,
however, suffered psychologically. They had promised to give their "all" in defense of
South Carolina and the Confederacy; it was painfully apparent that few had done so. Long
before Columbia was captured, Columbians had given up."

When you read enough western literature you regretfully start finding fine books by fine writers that are no longer in print and will no doubt stay that way, which unfortunately is the case with this one. St. Pierre's stories in this collection are just wonderful - wryly humorous and sharply detailed in their understanding of his characters' behavior, motives, and feelings. Set mostly in the Chilcotin of British Columbia, the stories take place in the 1950s and share the same dozen or so characters - ranchers and their families, Indians, a cowboy or two, and a storekeeper. The longest story, "How to Run the Country," involves a handful of politicos in Vancouver who persuade a local rancher to run for office. The author, having served a term as a Member of Parliament himself, tells this story with considerable apparent delight as he interweaves the complex ironies of political careers and ambitions.

My favorites of the bunch include the premature funeral for an old Indian from the local reservation, the long suffering of a ranch wife who literally spills the beans on her husband, an elderly recluse's long-distance romance with a young woman, a mid-winter trip to town that evolves, thanks to a cowboy's gambling winnings, into a days-long bacchanal in a hotel room, and a husband and wife's indecision about whether to sell the ranch. Smith, the title character, is vividly drawn, perfectly believable, and as likable as he can be obtuse. The others, his wife Norah, sons Sherwood and Roosevelt, Arch McGregor, Morton Dilloughboy and his son Abel, cowboy Henry James, Ol Antoine the Indian patriarch, Frenchie and Frenchie's wife (who gets her own story), and Ken Larsen, whose arch-conservative values are no obstacle to his loyalty to the Liberal Party, all of them are equally memorable. Find a copy, kick off your boots, and enjoy.

Paul St. Pierre does for ranchers in British Columbia what James Herriott does for animals in Yorkshire. He has a knack for turning some of the most insignificant events of daily life into interesting stories. His characters start out as impulsive oddballs, but by the end of the story they become quite rational folks. This is one of those books that sneaks up on you. The first time I read it I thought it was entertaining, but nothing to visit again. But every once in a while one of the characters from the book pops into my mind and I dwell on the character and story for a few days. I usually re-read it every couple of years (I have a worn 1987 edition, now in retirement.)

This book was indeed a welcome and valuable addition to our high school library. It provides an interesting and comprehensive commentary on each mammal, including such topics as the special features or habits, the risks to the animal in today's world, efforts being made for its protection, descriptions of typical dens or living quarters, social group characteristics, food preferences and hunting, etc. Each article is signed and then followed by a summary such as would be found in a field guide (size, common names, references, etc.). Includes indexes by both common and scientific names, a glossary, bibliography, and photography credits.

This is the book I have been looking for all my life! It is the magnificent accomplishment of numerous experts in the field of Mammalology. The level of authoritive detail is unparalleled in any Field guide, Book of Mammals, or Wildlife manual. Coupled with excellent Photos (almost all color) and plenty of information on every species, This book dominates the literature on the subject. As informative as a species account in a scientific journal, but easy to read, this book is an absolute must have for nature lovers, wildlife professionals and everyone in between! The hands down winner of my extensive animal library. Deserves more stars (10! ).

This is the Powerful true life memoirs of Elizabeth Hudson, a drug addicted heroin addict who turned to prostitution on the Mean Streets of Calgary and Vancouver in the early seventies to support her drug habit. We only have to look at what has been happening in Vancouver's downtown eastside with the disappearances and murders of 69 women in the sex trade to know that violence against women has increased dramatically. This is Beth's journey through those mean streets of addiction and prostituion. It is a one of kind book that actually details the minute to minute, day to day life of a drug addicted prositute who in the end triumps over adversity through the strength of her human spirit. Beth's openness and honesty dealing with such a taboo subject is refreshing and this book Snow Bodies is a must read for anyone wanting to understand life on the streets. Elizabeth Hudson has survived life on these means streets, to go on to live a constructive and meaningful life, so many women do not.

Snow Bodies-Elizabeth Hudson attended Mount Royal College where she was awarded the Lorraine Hill Award and the George Kirby Scholarship. Her poems have been published in Tower Poetry, Other Voices, Pottersfield Portfolio and Amethyst Review. She has also written articles published in Macleans. Hudson's two sons have both graduated from university, and now she lives in the deep suburbs of Calgary with her husband, three dogs and a cat.

This is the Powerful true life memoirs of Elizabeth Hudson, a drug addicted heroin addict who turned to prostitution on the Mean Streets of Calgary and Vancouver in the early seventies to support her drug habit. We only have to look at what has been happening in Vancouver's downtown eastside with the disappearances and murders of 69 women in the sex trade to know that violence against women has increased dramatically. This is Beth's journey through those mean streets of addiction and prostituion. It is a one of kind book that actually details the minute to minute, day to day life of a drug addicted prositute who in the end triumps over adversity through the strength of her human spirit. Beth's openness and honesty dealing with such a taboo subject is refreshing and this book Snow Bodies is a must read for anyone wanting to understand life on the streets. Elizabeth Hudson has survived life on these means streets, to go on to live a constructive and meaningful life, so many women do not.

Snow Bodies-Elizabeth Hudson attended Mount Royal College where she was awarded the Lorraine Hill Award and the George Kirby Scholarship. Her poems have been published in Tower Poetry, Other Voices, Pottersfield Portfolio and Amethyst Review. She has also written articles published in Macleans. Hudson's two sons have both graduated from university, and now she lives in the deep suburbs of Calgary with her husband, three dogs and a cat.

If we examine the papers published in the epidemiological journals we will find that there is a growing interest in the social aspects of all angles of the epidemiological triangle- agent, host and environment. On the other side there is a growing interest in epidemiology as a concept and as a methodology among social sciences researchers. SOCIAL EPIDEMIOLOGY is an excellent textbook designed to introduce epidemiology to social scientists whose research touches upon health issues in its broadest application, to students and researchers of public health, health administration, and health policy. The book uses the SOCEPID MODEL (page 168) as its organizing heuristic to encourage those working in social epidemiology to look at the different sources of data that can inform research and practice. This book is written in a systematic and clear fashion with a very broad set of health issues used as illustrations for methods, research design and interventions. The advantage of the book is that it is suitable for social scientists who want to learn methods in public health and social epidemiology and for epidemiologists who want to include qualitative methods in order to enrich their quantitative research findings. We should thank Prof. Cwikel for the incredible investment that went into writing a comprehensive, informative book based on her experiences. It is an excellent choice for both epidemiologists and social scientists who are working on public health issues.

This important book introduces contemporary social epidemiology giving particular attention to historical precedents followed by an exhaustive discussion of experimental and analytic methods used in the field and by attention to the many social and environmental factors affecting the health of the human population. I found the historical perspectives described throughout the book most interesting and enlightening. The field is shown in extraordinary breadth, involving all aspects of public and population health - from problems of housing and homelessness, from bacterial and viral vectors to gun control and substance abuse, from violence to sexually transmitted disease including AIDS, from occupational exposures including radiation effects to pesticides- all are grist to the mill. In addition to the academic assessment of the role of the many factors affecting human health, the book points to practical ways in which these problems can be alleviated through public health activism and politics, giving many examples throughout the text, which is peppered with illustrative vignettes as well as personal humor. In general this well referenced book represents a clear minded, fresh and original approach to the role of social epidemiology in problems of human health.