The Story I Want To Tell Explorations In The Art Of Writing

The Telling Room is a nonprofit writing center in Portland, Maine, dedicated to the idea that children and young adults are natural storytellers. THE STORY I WANT TO TELL pairs the work of 20 aspiring young writers—including immigrants from war-ravaged countries—with original stories, essays, and poems from Richard Blanco, Richard Russo, Elizabeth Gilbert, Dave Eggers, Lily King, Jonathan Lethem, Bill Roorbach, Monica Wood, and other top writers in a call-and-response anthology. The book’s supplemental materials make it a perfect tool for writers’ groups and writing teachers.

In contemporary Paris, Nancy Roach is fed up with her flagging dissertation research and flees to the English countryside to escape the mounting pressure from her dissertation advisor. There, she stumbles upon an illustration of "The Parasol Flower" in a nineteenth-century treatise, which draws her into the life of Hannah Inglis, a talented artist who slipped out of art history and into the Malaysian wilderness. Working from Hannah's letters and a cache of paintings, Nancy attempts to reconstruct a pivotal year in Hannah's life. The year is 1896 and Hannah Inglis, a painter, is pushing back against her husband and their circle of ex-patriot friends in British Malaysia, who see her art as an uncivilizing influence. She finds support from two unlikely sources--the intimidating Eva Peterborough, an evolutionary biologist, and the Sikh police sergeant Darshan Singh who assists on treks to paint en plein air. With their help, she embarks on a search for a rare and legendary specimen--a flower that blooms as big as a lady's parasol. The Parasol Flower traces the borders of science, art, race, and class and establishes new boundaries.

Rediscover the lost art of excellent writing—a valuable skill through the ages, and even more so in the twenty-first century. Since the invention of writing, the written word has fueled humanity’s astonishing progress. Thus, the ability to write effectively and beautifully has long been revered and rewarded. And yet in the digital age, people have begun to believe that this talent is somehow obsolete: that writing is something unworthy of study beyond the basic mechanics of vocabulary and syntax and grammar, that mediocre prose is acceptable in a world crying out for clear and precise communication. Peter Yang believes otherwise. The Art of Writing is Yang’s highly practical treatise on the four key principles of dazzling, effective writing—economy, transparency, variety, and harmony. Far from your garden-variety style guide, this book offers principles that apply to everyone, whether you’re writing an inauguration speech, a novel, or a letter home to Mom. Great writing is a skill, and this book gives you the tools to make your words shimmer on the page (or the screen). Packed with real-world insights and advice, The Art of Writing is your ultimate guide to transforming your writing and unleashing your inner artist.

Reading is a revolutionary act, an act of engagement in a culture that wants us to disengage. In The Lost Art of Reading, David L. Ulin asks a number of timely questions - why is literature important? What does it offer, especially now? Blending commentary with memoir, Ulin addresses the importance of the simple act of reading in an increasingly digital culture. Reading a book, flipping through hard pages, or shuffling them on screen - it doesn't matter. The key is the act of reading, and it's seriousness and depth. Ulin emphasizes the importance of reflection and pause allowed by stopping to read a book, and the accompanying focus required to let the mind run free in a world that is not one's own. Are we willing to risk our collective interest in contemplation, nuanced thinking, and empathy? Far from preaching to the choir, The Lost Art of Reading is a call to arms, or rather, to pages.

"Marc Labriola's Dying Behaviour of Cats was chosen as the 2017 Ken Klonsky Award winner because it probes many of the soul's dark corners most of our contemporary authors are afraid to explore. It is a daring and challenging first book by a young author who is sure to find a place in Canadian literature. This book is about a man named Theo Galli has not left his house in seven years. When Hurricane Catalina hits, the streets are flooded and the animals of the city zoo escape. All are captured or killed, except one leopard who takes refuge on Theo's roof. He is caught in an international media circus, with crowds of spectators surrounding his house night and day, all captivated by the omen of a leopard who refuses to leave a rooftop, and the man inside who refuses to come out. The novel also deals with Theo's family struggles. There are also featured recurring references to jazz music, particularly the work of John Coltrane. A central character is also a jazz saxophonist. Another central character is a student of the anthropology of pre-literate civilizations, who offers an extensive anthropological theory in the novella."--

From a New York Times bestselling author and Caldecott-honor winning artist comes an exuberant illustrated story about playing dress up, having fun, and feeling free. The boy loves to be naked. He romps around his house naked and wild and free. Until he romps into his parents' closet and is inspired to get dressed. First he tries on his dad's clothes, but they don't fit well. Then he tries on his mom's clothes, and wow! The boy looks great. He looks through his mom's jewelry and makeup and tries that on, too. When he's discovered by his mother and father, the whole family (including the dog!) get in on the fun, and they all get dressed together. This charming and humorous story was inspired by bestselling and award-winning author Peter Brown's own childhood, and highlights nontraditional gender roles and self-expression.

National Bestseller and Winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction Oscar Feldman, the renowned figurative painter, has passed away. As his obituary notes, Oscar is survived by his wife, Abigail, their son, Ethan, and his sister, the well-known abstract painter Maxine Feldman. What the obituary does not note, however, is that Oscar is also survived by his longtime mistress, Teddy St. Cloud, and their daughters. As two biographers interview the women in an attempt to set the record straight, the open secret of his affair reaches a boiling point and a devastating skeleton threatens to come to light. From the acclaimed author of The Epicure's Lament, a scintillating novel of secrets, love, and legacy in the New York art world. "Mischievous...funny, astute...As unexpectedly generous as it is entertaining.... Christensen is a witty observer of the art universe." —The New York Times

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is semi-autobiographical, following Joyce's fictional alter-ego through his artistic awakening. The young artist Steven Dedelus begins to rebel against the Irish Catholic dogma of his childhood and discover the great philosophers and artists. He follows his artistic calling to the continent.