Carnival

Winner of the Quebec Writers' Federation Hugh MacLennan Prize for Fiction and shortlisted for the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize In the Carnival city there are two types of taxi drivers -- the spiders and the flies. The spiders patiently sit in their cars and wait for the calls to come. But the flies are wanderers - they roam the streets, looking for the raised hands of passengers among life's perpetual flux. Fly is a wanderer and a knower. Raised in the circus, the son of a golden-haired trapeze artist and a flying carpet pilot from the East, he is destined to drift and observe. From his taxi we see the world in all its carnivalesque beauty and ugliness. We meet criminals, prostitutes, madmen, magicians, and clowns of many kinds. We meet ordinary people going to extraordinary places, and revolutionaries trying to live ordinary lives. Hunger and injustice claw at the city, and books provide the only true shelter. And when the Carnival starts, all limits dissolve, and a gunshot goes off... With all of the beauty, truth, rage, and peripatetic storytelling that have made Cockroach and De Niro's Game international publishing sensations, Carnival gives us Rawi Hage at his searing best. Alternately laughing at absurdity and crying out at oppression, by turns outrageous, hilarious, sorrowful, and stirring, Carnival is a tour de force that will make all of life's passengers squirm in their comfortable, complacent backseats.

An exploration of the meanings of the Andalusian carnival, focusing in particular on the songs, or coplas. The author offers translations of many of these carnival productions, and contends that they are less about revolution or politics, than about the ambivalence of all human feeling.

With a riotous mix of saints and devils, street theater and dancing, and music and fireworks, Christian festivals are some of the most lively and colorful spectacles that occur in Spain and its former European and American possessions. That these folk celebrations, with roots reaching back to medieval times, remain vibrant in the high-tech culture of the twenty-first century strongly suggests that they also provide an indispensable vehicle for expressing hopes, fears, and desires that people can articulate in no other way. In this book, Max Harris explores and develops principles for understanding the folk theology underlying patronal saints' day festivals, feasts of Corpus Christi, and Carnivals through a series of vivid, first-hand accounts of these festivities throughout Spain and in Puerto Rico, Mexico, Peru, Trinidad, Bolivia, and Belgium. Paying close attention to the signs encoded in folk performances, he finds in these festivals a folk theology of social justice that—however obscured by official rhetoric, by distracting theories of archaic origin, or by the performers' own need to mask their resistance to authority—is often in articulate and complex dialogue with the power structures that surround it. This discovery sheds important new light on the meanings of religious festivals celebrated from Belgium to Peru and on the sophisticated theatrical performances they embody.

Carnival songs resemble a tabloid newspaper in their verve, spirit and range of themes. They are a measure of social change and an annual summary of events and opinion. The songs involve considerable artistry and are renowned as well for their raucous humor and vulgar concerns. (Promiscuity and sexual misalliances are common subjects.) Banned by Franco during the Spanish Civil War, the Cádiz carnival began a revival in the 1960's following decades of repression. This fascinating book examines carnival song and society during the last years of the Franco dictatorship and the succeeding period of the new constitutional monarchy, when the Andalusians found their voice and Carnival enjoyed an extraordinary florescence. Songs from rural and urban carnivals in several locales throughout the province of Cádiz provide a compelling picture of Andalusian life in both troubled and more flourishing times.

Carnival is a holiday celebrated in many different countries, but Latin America has some of the biggest festivals in the world. This book teaches young readers all about carnival, from its history rooted in Catholic tradition to its outrageous costumes and decorations. Vivid, colorful photographs transport readers right into the heart of this vibrant celebration and the age-appropriate language is engaging and fun to read. Young readers will have a blast exploring this holiday that is full of beloved traditions for many Latin American cultures.

Readers beware the rides may take your arms! You are traveling into a dark and humorous place. We start you off with light, soft stories, but be warned. You will find yourself falling into the ever darker, gorier, and more demonic stories with each passing story. From heartwarming endings to feeling like you just walked out of the Carnival Port-a-potty into another dimension - this collection will leave your mind spinning. The Fried Food stall, the Ferris Wheel, and even that carnival themed hotel in Vegas... all of it will never be the same for you after your visit to the Demonic Carnival. Remember... First Ticket’s Free...

A book for language students and anyone interested in Italian culture and traditions Practice Italian while learning all about one of the oldest traditions still alive in Italy. Colorful illustrations and text in Italian and English will make learning fun for students of all ages. Use as an introduction to Italian language and traditions, as school activity and language practice for College students and travelers. The book includes: - how Carnival started - where the most famous shows and parades are - what the traditional costumes look like - how to make a delicious Carnival treat easily at home - a map of Italy that shows the locations mentioned in the book - five pages of language activities - many colorful illustrations - several pages with large print suitable for young readers. Bilingual book: Italian text with English translation. Language level: Intermediate