Mama Said

Mothers often feel they are running as fast as they can to keep up or to stay just ahead of those who want a piece of their time, energy, and self. Author, speaker, and mother Jenn Doucette offers a humorous and insightful look at how every mom on the run can head for much-needed rest stops by: experiencing girl time choosing contentment setting boundaries and achieve freedom getting a grip on emotions giving themselves a break With comedic flair, Doucette confesses to her own failings as well as God's successes in the face of them, reminding mothers that it is healthy to laugh, take a break, and practice grace.

Tumi Morake modelled her public persona on her mother, a charming and contentious woman who used her big, bold voice to say what others were afraid to utter. It's the personality that Tumi took on stage in the mostly male space of stand-up comedy, and the one that gave her the courage to join a white, Afrikaans radio station and comment about apartheid on air. But there's only so much you can find out about Tumi from the stage, the screen and the internet. And Then Mama Said ... is the voice of Tumi in private, as well as a behind-the-scenes perspective of a pioneering South African star who has been both deeply loved and viciously hated by her audiences. Tumi gets frank about the race row at Jacaranda FM; the Jaguar car accident that cyber bullies said she deserved; the body-shaming she endured on the set of Our Perfect Wedding; and her tumultuous relationship with her beloved husband. Throughout her story, she carries the voice of her mother, and with it the indispensable life lessons that made her who she is today.

For almost half a century, Foxfire has brought the philosophy of simple living to hundreds of thousands of readers, teaching creative self-sufficiency and preserving the stories, crafts, and customs of Appalachia. Inspiring and practical, this classic series has become an American institution. The Foxfire 45th Anniversary Book continues the beloved tradition of celebrating a simpler life, this time with a focus on Appalachian music, folk legends, and a history full of outsized personalities. We hear the encouraging life stories of banjo players, gospel singers, and bluegrass musicians who reminisce about their first time playing at the Grand Ole Opry; we shiver at the spine-tingling collection of tall tales, from ghosts born of long-ago crimes to rumors of giant catfish that lurk at the bottom of lakes and quarries; we recollect the Farm Family Program that sustained and educated Appalachian families for almost fifty years, through the Depression and beyond; and we learn the time-honored skills of those who came before, from building a sled to planting azaleas and braiding a leather bull-whip. Full of spirited narrative accounts and enduring knowledge, The Foxfire 45th Anniversary Book is a piece of living history from a fascinating American culture.

THE TERM "REDNECK" ORIGINATED FROM THE RED SUNBURNED NECKS OF FARMERS THAT WORKED IN THE FIELDS. SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY IT WAS CHANGED TO DESIGNATE SCUMMY LOW-LIFE POOR WHITE TRASH. THEN ALONG ABOUT THE MID-SIXTIES IT MIRACULOUSLY TOOK ON A DIFFERENT TERMINOLOGY. THAT OF A CULTURED INTELLECTUAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL ERUDITE. TO BE REFERRED TO AS A "REDNECK" WAS THEN TRULY A COMPLIMENT. 1967-MAMA'S PLACE, A SLEAZY BEER JOINT NEAR SMACKOVER, ARKANSAS WILL FOREVER HAVE THE FAME OF BEING THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE CULTURED ERUDITE "REDNECK". WARNING: If you are offended by crude, obscene, vulgar and downright sinful language. DO NOT read this book.

Renowned playwright Osonye Tess Onwueme's powerful new drama illuminates the effect of national and global oil politics on the lives of impoverished rural Nigerians. What Mama Said is set in the metaphorical state of Sufferland, whose people are starving and routinely exploited and terrorized by corrupt government officials and multinational oil companies-that is, until a voice erupts and moves the wounded women and youths to rise up and demand justice. Onwueme's powerful characters and vibrant, emotionally charged scenes bring to life a turbulent movement for change and challenge to tradition. Aggrieved youths and militant women-whose husbands and sons work in the refineries or have been slaughtered in the violent struggle-take center stage to "drum" their pain in this drama about revolution. Determined to finally confront the multinational forces that have long humiliated them, Sufferland villagers burn down pipelines and kidnap an oil company director. Tensions peak, and activist leaders are put on trial before a global jury that can no longer ignore the situation. What Mama Said is a moving portrayal of the battle for human rights, dignity, compensation, and the right of a nation's people to control the resources of their own land.

High school freshman Joe McKinnon loves pizza, hates public speaking, and has fallen hard for a girl. Pretty typical. Not so typical is Joe’s prosthetic leg, which he’s had since the car crash two years ago that killed his father and left him with a burning desire to rid the world of automobiles. The object of Joe’s affections, Jun Song, is a year behind Joe in school, yet way ahead of him in smarts. When Jun is brutally attacked on her way home one day, her already-protective mother shifts into overdrive, making it virtually impossible for Jun and Joe to see each other. But Joe’s into Jun in a big way, and he needs her ginormous brain to make his dream a reality. Giving up is not an option. Joe signs up for the “Science Team ExtreMe” competition, which, as luck would have it, is the perfect way to be with Jun while progressing his ideas for an automated, planet-wide monorail system. Joe enlists former enemy Praveen and new friends Sam and Zoey to begin the design until Jun comes on board and the work really gets started. Now the only things standing between Joe and his dream are Jun’s mom, team drama, PTSD, archaic competition rules, seemingly impossible feats of engineering, and a plague of self-doubts. No problem. Danielle Peterson is a graphic designer, orchestral flutist, and open/champion level Irish dancer who lives in Arizona.