Ravenna Gets

Tony Burgess has been experimenting with apocalypse fiction in numerous earlier works: the language/speech virus in 'Pontypool', the enigmatic small world in the big world of Caesarea, and other less elaborate speculations. News coverage of the fall of Baghdad and its aftermath were the inspiration for 'Ravenna,' especially the smaller stories of people being killed suddenly in their homes in the middle of otherwise normal days. Each story in 'Ravenna Gets' begins as any novel might,but abruptly loses the luxury of becoming a novel through a seemingly random and violent intrusion from beyond the world established by the story. The effect is intended to be that of the experience of war as the sudden end of stories, rather than being a war story itself. This destabilizing 'pinch' seeps into the consciousness of some of the stories, not as a consciousness of events, but rather as nightmarish bends in experience and perception. 'Ravenna Gets' could probably be classified as speculative fiction, influenced by J.G. Ballard, and, though experimental in spirit, it employs strong conventional storytelling techniques."...out on the edge and experimental to the point of reader-confusion, but surprisingly alluring. When taking a reader to the cliff edge, then the writing must be as enticing as chocolate even if the story smells bad. I don't get it and I didn't enjoy it, but I couldn't look away: This poetic, fast-flying nihilistic narrative of carnage is well done." - Globe & Mail" 'Ravenna Gets', in particular, concerns itself with sudden and convulsive deaths; Christmas reading this is not. Many of the tales, which are all named after an address in Collingwood, begin like a standard short story - what Burgess calls "the lightness and the pointlessness of establishing life" - before its characters are suddenly dispatched in a variety of ghoulish ways." - The Ottawa Citizen" 'In Ravenna Gets', Tony Burgess is up to his old, sick, satisfying tricks. Small Ontario towns are whacking each other with more gore than Hostel, more pitchforks than American Gothic. This is a pitiful excuse for literature and Tony Burgess is our only hope." - Clint Burnham, author of 'Smoke Show' and 'Airborne Photo'

Mankind has fought the war against ghouls of all kinds since the beginning of time. The last stronghold of evil in the known world is the American frontier, but for how long? Bounty hunter Uriah Zane and US marshal Aubrey Coffin are humanity's last hope to rid the world, once and for all, of this demon scourge... The Hell's Angels are a gang of werewolves who have escaped from Hellsgarde Federal Penitentiary. Originally they were recruited out of eastern Europe by Abraham Lincoln to mercilessly tear the Confederates into submission at Gettysburg, thus ending the Civil War. But the Hell's Angels never returned home. They headed west-to join the legions of other ghouls... Armed with an arsenal of weapons, the deadliest being Marshal Aubrey Coffin, notorious ghoul-hunter Uriah Zane must stop the hordes of shape- shifting creatures pushing west. Aided by a beautiful Mexican witch and necromancer, werebeasts are searching the deserts for a coveted key, a key that could give the ghouls everlasting life and final dominion over the earth-with humans as their servants. But first they must face the wrath of Zane, a man who understands better than most the twisted soul of the wolves....

A riveting history of the city that led the West out of the ruins of the Roman Empire At the end of the fourth century, as the power of Rome faded and Constantinople became the seat of empire, a new capital city was rising in the West. Here, in Ravenna on the coast of Italy, Arian Goths and Catholic Romans competed to produce an unrivaled concentration of buildings and astonishing mosaics. For three centuries, the city attracted scholars, lawyers, craftsmen, and religious luminaries, becoming a true cultural and political capital. Bringing this extraordinary history marvelously to life, Judith Herrin rewrites the history of East and West in the Mediterranean world before the rise of Islam and shows how, thanks to Byzantine influence, Ravenna played a crucial role in the development of medieval Christendom. Drawing on deep, original research, Herrin tells the personal stories of Ravenna while setting them in a sweeping synthesis of Mediterranean and Christian history. She narrates the lives of the Empress Galla Placidia and the Gothic king Theoderic and describes the achievements of an amazing cosmographer and a doctor who revived Greek medical knowledge in Italy, demolishing the idea that the West just descended into the medieval "Dark Ages." Beautifully illustrated and drawing on the latest archaeological findings, this monumental book provides a bold new interpretation of Ravenna's lasting influence on the culture of Europe and the West.

For a Kentucky girl, coming of age takes a leap of faith in a novel that “will knock you sideways with its Southern charm” (O, The Oprah Magazine). It’s summer in Kentucky. The low ceiling of August is pressing down on the religious town of East Winder, and on thirteen-year-old Charmaine Peake who can’t shake the feeling that she’s being tested. She and her mother get along better with a room between them, but circumstances have forced them to relocate to a tiny trailer by the river. The last in a line of local holy men, Charmaine’s father has turned from prophet to patient, his revelation lost in the clarifying haze of medication. Her sure-minded grandmother has suffered a stroke. And at church, where she has always felt most certain, Charmaine discovers that her archrival, a sanctimonious missionary kid, carries a dark, confusing secret. Suddenly Charmaine’s life can be sorted into what she wishes she knew and what she wishes she didn’t. In a moving, hilarious portrait of mothers and daughters, “one of the most astonishingly talented writers today,” brings us into the heart of a family weathering the toughest patch of their lives. But most of all, Angela Pneuman marks out the seemingly unbearable realities of growing up, the strength that comes from finding real friendship, and the power of discovering—and accepting—who you are (Julie Orringer). “Pneuman captures the voice of adolescence and the uncertainty of faith in this endearing novel.” —Minneapolis Star-Tribune “Pneuman is a master of dark comedy, and the grimmer the material, the funnier it becomes in her twisted but capable hands. Like her literary ancestor, Flannery O’Connor, she shows how myopic allegedly religious people can be, but she doesn’t take cheap shots at religion either.” —San Francisco Chronicle

From Venetian Renaissance art to corner trattorias, dig into the city known as La Serrenissima ("Her Most Serene") with Moon Venice & Beyond. Explore In and Around the City: Get to know Venice's most interesting neighborhoods, like San Marco, Cannaregio, and Castello, and nearby areas, including Padua, Vicenza, Verona, the Dolomites, and more Go at Your Own Pace: Choose from tons of itinerary options designed for foodies, history buffs, art lovers, and more See the Sights: Gaze at the golden mosaics lining the ceiling of St. Mark's Basilica, step inside the grand Doge's Palace, walk across the Rialto Bridge, and take a gondola ride through the city's winding canals Get Outside the City: Linger in the colorful fishing village of Burano or the romantic city of Verona, and marvel at the Giotto frescoes in Padua Savor the Flavors: Sample traditional seafood dishes, unbeatable sweet treats, and classic cicchetti (a delicious assortment of finger foods) Experience the Nightlife: Relax at a canal-side bar, chat with locals as the wine decants at a rustic enoteca, and sip locally-produced Prosecco Get to Know the Real Venice: Follow local suggestions from Italian transplant Alexei Cohen Full-Color Photos and Detailed Maps Handy Tools: Background information on Venetian history and culture, plus tips on ethical travel, what to pack, where to stay, and how to get around Day trip itineraries, favorite local spots, and strategies to skip the crowds: Take your time with Moon Venice & Beyond. Exploring more of Italy? Check out Moon Florence & Beyond or Moon Milan & the Italian Lakes.

A particularly robust approach to Rome's antique past was taken in the Middle Ages, spanning from the Late Antiquity in the fourth century, until roughly the thirteenth century AD. The Spolia Churches of Rome looks at how the church-builders treated the architecture of ancient Rome like a quarry full of prefabricated material and examines the cultural, economic and political structure of the church and how this influenced the building's design. It is this trend of putting old buildings to new uses which presents an array of different forms of architecture and design within modern day Rome. This book is both an introduction to the spolia churches of medieval Rome, and a guide to eleven selected churches.