Parker

"What a pretty flower to keep locked in a big, rocky tower." Nineteen years ago, I was plucked from the heart of a bloody massacre that spared nobody else. Small. Fragile. An enigma. Now ward to a powerful High Master who knows too much and says too little, I lead a simple life, never straying from the confines of an imaginary line I've drawn around the castle grounds. Stay within. Never leave. Out there, the monsters lurk. Inside, I'm safe...though at a cost far greater than the blood I drip into a goblet daily. Toxic, unreciprocated love for a man who's utterly unavailable. My savior. My protector. My almost executioner. I can't help but be enamored with the arcane man who holds the power to pull my roots from the ground. When voracious beasts spill across the land and threaten to fray the fabric of my tailored existence, the petals of reality will peel back to reveal an ugly truth. But in a castle puddled with secrets, none are greater than the one I've kept from myself. No tower is tall enough to protect me from the horror that tore my life to shreds. To Bleed a Crystal Bloom is a dark Rapunzel reimagining full of immersive imagery and breathtaking angst.

"Hosts of all kinds, this is a must-read!" --Chris Anderson, owner and curator of TED From the host of the New York Times podcast Together Apart, an exciting new approach to how we gather that will transform the ways we spend our time together—at home, at work, in our communities, and beyond. In The Art of Gathering, Priya Parker argues that the gatherings in our lives are lackluster and unproductive--which they don't have to be. We rely too much on routine and the conventions of gatherings when we should focus on distinctiveness and the people involved. At a time when coming together is more important than ever, Parker sets forth a human-centered approach to gathering that will help everyone create meaningful, memorable experiences, large and small, for work and for play. Drawing on her expertise as a facilitator of high-powered gatherings around the world, Parker takes us inside events of all kinds to show what works, what doesn't, and why. She investigates a wide array of gatherings--conferences, meetings, a courtroom, a flash-mob party, an Arab-Israeli summer camp--and explains how simple, specific changes can invigorate any group experience. The result is a book that's both journey and guide, full of exciting ideas with real-world applications. The Art of Gathering will forever alter the way you look at your next meeting, industry conference, dinner party, and backyard barbecue--and how you host and attend them.

Romance takes center stage as West End theatre’s Richard Troy steps out with none other than castmate Lainie Graham “Lucy Parker’s books are all fabulous. Her writing voice never fails to make me giggle, while the chemistry between her characters makes me swoon.”—Frolic Richard Troy used to be the hottest actor in London, but the only thing firing up lately is his temper. We all love to love a bad boy, but Richard’s antics have made him Enemy Number One, breaking the hearts of fans across the city. Have the tides turned? Has English rose Lainie Graham made him into a new man? Sources say the mismatched pair has been spotted at multiple events, arm in arm and hip to hip. From fits of jealousy to longing looks and heated whispers, onlookers are stunned by this blooming romance. Could the rumors be right? Could this unlikely romance be the real thing? Or are these gifted stage actors playing us all? London Celebrities Book 1: Act Like It Book 2: Pretty Face Book 3: Making Up Book 4: The Austen Playbook Book 5: Headliners

Parker Curry wonders about what it takes to be a real ballet dancer. The first step may be opening her heart.

The offbeat musicals Fame 1980), Pink Floyd--The Wall (1982), The Commitments 1991) and Evita (1996)... The stylized biopics Midnight Express (1978), Mississippi Burning (1988), The Road to Wellville (1994) and Angela's Ashes (1999)... The visceral social dramas Shoot the Moon (1982), Birdy (1984), Come See the Paradise (1990) and The Life of David Gale (2003)... The one-of-kind genre films Bugsy Malone (1979) and Angel Heart (1987)... These are the films of British director, writer, producer and cartoonist Sir Alan Parker. Among many awards and a knighthood, Parker is the founding director of the Director's Guild of Great Britain, and in 2013 won the honorary British Academy of Film and Television Arts Fellowship Award. Parker is known for his humility as a director and has never considered himself an auteur: "I have total admiration for film crews. They are the true heroes of the filmmaking process, not directors." He has worked alongside producer Alan Marshall, cinematographer Michael Seresin and the late film editor, Gerry Hambling. This book is the first study of his complete body of feature films (1976-2003).

Dial Records catered to jazz musicians and record collectors. Charlie Parker was one of the major jazz artists to record with Dial. His Dial sessions occurred at the personal depths and artistic peaks of his career during which he introduced a number of such jazz staples as Ornithology and Scrapple from the Apple. His ten sessions associated with Dial are presented in detail and include the repertory, original issues and reissues, titles and notated transcriptions, and analyses of performances. Commentary explains many of the titles to Parker's pieces and collates the various recordings in which he performed his Dial repertory outside the confines of the Dial studios; these celebrated performances helped to shape modern jazz. In addition to the catalogue of Parker's Dial recordings, jazz historians and scholars alike will appreciate the historical narrative detailing the evolution of Dial Records, its owner Ross Russell, and its business relations with Charlie Parker. This examination of the 1940's jazz record business sheds light on the dissemination of jazz via records. Five appendices complete this well organized and thorough study of Charlie Parker and his legendary Dial recordings.

A New York Times bestseller! A visit to Washington, DC’s National Portrait Gallery forever alters Parker Curry’s young life when she views First Lady Michelle Obama’s portrait. When Parker Curry came face-to-face with Amy Sherald’s transcendent portrait of First Lady Michelle Obama at the National Portrait Gallery, she didn’t just see the First Lady of the United States. She saw a queen—one with dynamic self-assurance, regality, beauty, and truth who captured this young girl’s imagination. When a nearby museum-goer snapped a photo of a mesmerized Parker, it became an internet sensation. Inspired by this visit, Parker, and her mother, Jessica Curry, tell the story of a young girl and her family, whose trip to a museum becomes an extraordinary moment, in a moving picture book. Parker Looks Up follows Parker, along with her baby sister and her mother, and her best friend Gia and Gia’s mother, as they walk the halls of a museum, seeing paintings of everyone and everything from George Washington Carver to Frida Kahlo, exotic flowers to graceful ballerinas. Then, Parker walks by Sherald’s portrait of Michelle Obama…and almost passes it. But she stops...and looks up! Parker saw the possibility and promise, the hopes and dreams of herself in this powerful painting of Michelle Obama. An everyday moment became an extraordinary one…that continues to resonate its power, inspiration, and indelible impact. Because, as Jessica Curry said, “anything is possible regardless of race, class, or gender.” **FOREWORD BY ARTIST AMY SHERALD**