American Magic

In this fast-paced, international thriller, chaos erupts after a shadowy figure with ties to an elite and ancient society posts incantations on the dark web that allow people to perform real magic. When an enigmatic message uploaded to the dark web turns out to contain an ancient secret giving regular people the power to do impossible things, like levitate cars or make themselves invisible, American government officials panic. They know the demo videos on YouTube and instructions for incantations could turn from fantastical amusement to dangerous weapon at the drop of the hat, and they scramble to keep the information out of the wrong hands. They tap Ben Zolstra, an ex-CIA field operative whose history with the Agency is conflicted at best, to lead the team that’s racing to contain the dangerous knowledge—and track down the mysterious figure behind the leak who threatens that even more dangerous spells will be released one by one until the world as we know it no longer exists. This sweeping, globe-spanning thriller explores the dark consequences of a question mankind has been asking for centuries: What if magic were real?

Don DeLillo once remarked to an interviewer that his intention is to use "the whole picture, the whole culture," of America. Since the publication of his first novel Americana in 1971, DeLillo has explored modern American culture through a series of acclaimed novels, including White Noise (1985; winner of the American Book Award), Libra (1988), and Underworld (1997). For Mark Osteen, the most bracing and unsettling feature of DeLillo's work is that, although his fiction may satirize cultural forms, it never does so from a privileged position outside the culture. His work brilliantly mimics the argots of the very phenomena it dissects: violent thrillers and conspiracy theories, pop music, advertising, science fiction, film, and television. As a result, DeLillo has been read both as a denouncer and as a defender of contemporary culture; in fact, Osteen argues, neither description is adequate. DeLillo's dialogue with modern institutions, such as chemical companies, the CIA, and the media, respects their power and ingenuity while criticizing their dangerous consequences. Even as DeLillo borrows from their discourses, he maintains a tenaciously opposing stance toward the sources of collective power.

Les arrels del realisme màgic en els escrits de Borges i altres autors d'Amèrica Llatina han estat àmpliament reconeguts i ben documentades produint una sèrie d'estudis crítics, molts dels quals figuren en la bibliografia d'aquest treball. Dins d'aquest marc, aquest llibre presenta als lectors una varietat d'escriptores de grups ètnics, conegudes i menys conegudes, i les col·loca en un context literari en el que es tracten tant a nivell individual com a escriptores així com a nivell col·lectiu com a part d'un moviment artístic més ampli. Aquest llibre és el resultat del treball realitzat a les universitats de Sheffield i la de València i representa una valuosa investigació i una important contribució als estudis literaris.

20+ Diverse Traditions from New England to the West Coast Drawing on the expertise of twenty-four renowned practitioners, this book features contemporary folk traditions from all over North America. Diverse as the landscapes they thrive on, these authentic practices will expand your worldview and inspire you to enrich your own spirituality. Explore the history, tools, and spiritual beliefs of many different paths of folk magic from Mexico, the United States, and Canada. You'll tour the continent's rich and varied cultures region by region, taking an insider's look at more than twenty traditions, including: Appalachian Mountain Magic • Brujeria Curanderismo • Detroit Hoodoo Florida Swamp Magic • Irish American Folk Magic Italian American Magic • Melungeon Folk Magic New England Cunning Craft • New Orleans Voodoo Ozark Folk Magic • Pennsylvania Powwow & Braucherei Slavic American Folk Magic • Southern Conjure Stephanie Rose Bird • H. Byron Ballard • Starr Casas • Ixtoii Paloma Cervantes • Kenya T. Coviak • J. Allen Cross • Alexander Cummins • Morgan Daimler • Mario Esteban Del Ángel Guevara • Lilith Dorsey • Morrigane Feu • Via Hedera • Cory Thomas Hutcheson • Melissa A. Ivanco-Murray • E. F. E. Lacharity • Dee Norman • Aaron Oberon • Robert Phoenix • Jake Richards • Sandra Santiago • Robert L. Schreiwer • Eliseo “Cheo” Torres • Benebell Wen • Brandon Weston

A vital instrument of power, telecommunications is and has always been a political technology. In this book, Headrick examines the political history of telecommunications from the mid-nineteenth century to the end of World War II. He argues that this technology gave society new options. In times of peace, the telegraph and radio were, as many predicted, instruments of peace; in times of tension, they became instruments of politics, tools for rival interests, and weapons of war. Writing in a lively, accessible style, Headrick illuminates the political aspects of information technology, showing how in both World Wars, the use of radio led to a shadowy war of disinformation, cryptography, and communications intelligence, with decisive consequences.

Counterculture, while commonly used to describe youth-oriented movements during the 1960s, refers to any attempt to challenge or change conventional values and practices or the dominant lifestyles of the day. This fascinating three-volume set explores these movements in America from colonial times to the present in colorful detail. "American Countercultures" is the first reference work to examine the impact of countercultural movements on American social history. It highlights the writings, recordings, and visual works produced by these movements to educate, inspire, and incite action in all eras of the nation's history. A-Z entries provide a wealth of information on personalities, places, events, concepts, beliefs, groups, and practices. The set includes numerous illustrations, a topic finder, primary source documents, a bibliography and a filmography, and an index.

From the earliest slave narratives to modern fiction by the likes of Colson Whitehead and Jesmyn Ward, African American authors have drawn on African spiritual practices as literary inspiration, and as a way to maintain a connection to Africa. This volume has collected new essays about the multiple ways African American authors have incorporated Voodoo, Hoodoo and Conjure in their work. Among the authors covered are Frederick Douglass, Shirley Graham, Jewell Parker Rhodes, Zora Neale Hurston, Richard Wright, Ntozake Shange, Rudolph Fisher, Jean Toomer, and Ishmael Reed.

More than the most prestigious regatta and match race in the sport of sailing, the America’s Cup is a test of boat design, sail design, and management skills. It is not surprising that its passionate skippers, builders, and managers often become embroiled in disputes. Recognizing this, and the need to deal quickly and professionally with any divergency, an arbitration panel has become an established part of the Cup’s organization. This book—the fifth of a series that over time constitutes a unique corpus of decisions rendered over more than twenty years—compiles all the directions and decisions issued by the 36th America’s Cup Arbitration Panel in the context of the nineteen cases submitted to it, as well as all supporting documents elucidating the context in which the decisions were issued. In addition to all the decisions, the following are also included: the Protocol of the 36th America’s Cup and amendments made thereto; the 36th America’s Cup Arbitration Panel Rules of Procedure; applicable versions of the World Sailing Racing Rules, the AC75 Class Rule, and the so-called Prada Cup Conditions and Match Conditions; previously unpublished documents related to proceedings which have led to the amendment and/or interpretation of the Deed of Gift by the Supreme Court of the State of New York; and previously unpublished court-related material pertaining to the key Mercury Bay case (1987-1990). An extensive and valuable introduction provides detailed historical and factual context. Expert commentary addresses issues of special interest decided by the 36th America’s Cup Arbitration Panel, including privileged insight into the previously undocumented dispute resolution during the 35th America’s Cup (2013-2017) and the World Intellectual Property Organization’s Electronic Case Management Facility (ECAF). A table containing a summary of the subject matter of each decision and a keyword index help find which argument is dealt with in which decision. Because arbitration plays a key role in this context, and because what happens in the America's Cup is of general interest to the sport and arbitration communities, this book’s many insights into the kinds of issues that fuel disputes in sports events offer a significant extension of the knowledge base available to lawyers, arbitrators, and scholars in several branches of law and legal practice.