Chronicles Of My Life

"I sometimes think that if, as the result of an accident, I were to lose my knowledge of Japanese, there would not be much left for me. Japanese, which at first had no connection with my ancestors, my literary tastes, or my awareness of myself as a person, has become the central element of my life." In this eloquent and wholly absorbing memoir, the renowned scholar Donald Keene shares more than half a century of his extraordinary adventures as a student of Japan. Keene begins with an account of his bittersweet childhood in New York; then he describes his initial encounters with Asia and Europe and the way in which World War II complicated that experience. He captures the sights, scents, and sounds of Japan as they first enveloped him, and talks of the unique travels and well-known intellectuals who later shaped the contours of his academic career. Keene traces the movement of his passions with delicacy and subtlety, deftly weaving his love for Japan into a larger narrative about identity and home and the circumstances that led a Westerner to find solace in a country on the opposite side of the world. Chronicles of My Life is not only a fascinating tale of two cultures colliding, but also a thrilling account of the emotions and experiences that connect us all, regardless of our individual origins.

“Few memoirs have the concision, modesty, and charm that mark this late-life work by . . . America’s most renowned scholar and interpreter of Japan.”—Foreword Reviews In this eloquent and wholly absorbing memoir, the renowned scholar Donald Keene shares more than half a century of his extraordinary adventures as a student of Japan. Keene begins with an account of his bittersweet childhood in New York; then he describes his initial encounters with Asia and Europe and the way in which World War II complicated that experience. He captures the sights, scents, and sounds of Japan as they first enveloped him, and talks of the unique travels and well-known intellectuals who later shaped the contours of his academic career. Keene traces the movement of his passions with delicacy and subtlety, deftly weaving his love for Japan into a larger narrative about identity and home and the circumstances that led a Westerner to find solace in a country on the opposite side of the world. Chronicles of My Life is not only a fascinating tale of two cultures colliding, but also a thrilling account of the emotions and experiences that connect us all, regardless of our individual origins. “Lovingly illustrated by the artist Akira Yamaguchi, the book limns a life inseparably linked to its dominant passion . . . The history is fascinating, and the literary life Keene has doggedly carved out of it, remarkable.”—Time, Asia Edition “Keene’s book soars, largely because of his intriguing, highly personal account of the literary milieu of Japan, particularly its drama, whether on stage or screen . . . [An] engaging and eloquent memoir.”—Times Literary Supplement

Most girls in the Kingdom of Sevalia would be thrilled to receive an invitation to become one of the Queen's Ladies, but for tomboy Jenna Mallory, it was her worst nightmare. While the other Ladies would only worry about making a proper match, especially with three young princes up for grabs, for Jenna the stakes would be much higher. Not only would she need to suppress her natural "boyish" tendencies in order to meet her family's expectations and impress the nobility, but as the first girl invited to court without noble blood, any failure could jeopardize the future rights of other commoners in the Kingdom. Jenna knew it would not be easy. She would need to overcome not only her lack of social status, but her mixed heritage. Jenna received the invitation because her father was a wealthy merchant, but since her mother was from the desert across the sea, Jenna had inherited both her mother's darker coloring and two magical abilities, abilities that would seem odd to Sevalian nobles that all have magic of their own. Any hopes to lead a quiet life at court are quickly dashed after Jenna gets sucked into the world of court intrigue and becomes the subject of palace scandal when her magic is discovered.

"Nita and Paulo met early on in 1937, when he started attending the school owned by her father. In 1942, he became a teacher of Portuguese at the same school." "Both widowed, they married on March 27, 1988 in a religious ceremony in Recife, Brazil, and on August 19, 1988 in a civil ceremony in Sao Paulo."--BOOK JACKET.

Since its publication in 1984, The Mysteries of Harris Burdick has stimulated the minds of readers of all ages and backgrounds. Now the original fourteen drawings are available in a large portfolio edition of loose sheets. In addition, a newly discovered fifteenth drawing, titled The Youngest Magician, has been added, as well as an updated introduction by the author. The puzzles of these mysterious drawings will be even more provocative because of the larger size and the exceptional printing quality. For the first time, the drawings can be shared with groups or displayed singly. The Mysteries of Harris Burdick was a New York Times Best Illustrated Book of 1984.

The Principal Chronicles is a collection of funny and poignant short stories that follow the arc of one man’s life and career in education. These works of creative non-fiction—or, to be precise, of semi-autobiographical, pseudo-non-fictional memoir—have been refined by many years of telling and re-telling to David Garlick’s friends, family and, especially, to fellow educators. Some stories, such as “You’ve Got to Eat a Pound of Dirt Before You Die” depict childhood and teenage hijinks. Others, such as “Elvis Presley and My Second Teaching Report,” deal with Garlick’s years in the classroom. Many stories, bearing such salient titles as “I Hate High School Swimming Pools” and “Sometimes—in Fact, Almost Always—They Grow Up,” detail his years as a high school vice-principal and principal. Garlick spins lively, engaging tales about the funny situations in which he has so often found himself, from his earliest years all the way to retirement and beyond. By turns candid, poignant, insightful, and surprising, and always gently humorous, these stories invite readers to laugh about humanity’s quirks and appreciate the many large and small ways that people show each other kindness every day.

“As a bookseller, I loved Shelf Life for the chance to peer behind the curtain of Diwan, Nadia Wassef’s Egyptian bookstore—the way that the personal is inextricable from the professional, the way that failure and success are often lovers, the relationship between neighborhoods and books and life. Nadia’s story is for every business owner who has ever jumped without a net, and for every reader who has found solace in the aisles of a bookstore.” —Emma Straub, author of All Adults Here “Shelf Life is such a unique memoir about career, life, love, friendship, motherhood, and the impossibility of succeeding at all of them at the same time. It is the story of Diwan, the first modern bookstore in Cairo, which was opened by three women, one of whom penned this book. As a bookstore owner I found this fascinating. As a reader I found it fascinating. Blunt, honest, funny.” —Jenny Lawson, author of Broken (in the best possible way) The warm and winning story of opening a modern bookstore where there were none, Shelf Life: Chronicles of a Cairo Bookseller recounts Nadia Wassef’s troubles and triumphs as a founder and manager of Cairo-based Diwan The streets of Cairo make strange music. The echoing calls to prayer; the raging insults hurled between drivers; the steady crescendo of horns honking; the shouts of street vendors; the television sets and radios blaring from every sidewalk. Nadia Wassef knows this song by heart. In 2002, with her sister, Hind, and their friend, Nihal, she founded Diwan, a fiercely independent bookstore. They were three young women with no business degrees, no formal training, and nothing to lose. At the time, nothing like Diwan existed in Egypt. Culture was languishing under government mismanagement, and books were considered a luxury, not a necessity. Ten years later, Diwan had become a rousing success, with ten locations, 150 employees, and a fervent fan base. Frank, fresh, and very funny, Nadia Wassef’s memoir tells the story of this journey. Its eclectic cast of characters features Diwan’s impassioned regulars, like the demanding Dr. Medhat; Samir, the driver with CEO aspirations; meditative and mythical Nihal; silent but deadly Hind; dictatorial and exacting Nadia, a self-proclaimed bitch to work with—and the many people, mostly men, who said Diwan would never work. Shelf Life is a portrait of a country hurtling toward revolution, a feminist rallying cry, and an unapologetic crash course in running a business under the law of entropy. Above all, it is a celebration of the power of words to bring us home.