The Unchosen Ones

Since the refugee crisis of 2015, the topic of migration has moved to the center of global political debates. Despite the frequently invoked notion that current developments are without historical precedent, migration has been a constant feature of contemporary history, particularly in Europe. Jannis Panagiotidis considers a particular type of migration, co-ethnic migration, where migrants seek admission to a country based on their purported ethnicity or nationality being the same as the country of destination. Panagiotidis looks at immigration from Germany to Israel in three individual cases where migrants were not allowed to enter the country. These rejections confound notions of an "open door" or a "return to the homeland" and present contrasting ideas of descent, culture, blood, and race. Panagiotidis shows that migration is never a simple matter of moving from place to place. Questions of historical origins, immigrant selection and screening, and national belonging are deeply ambiguous and complicate migration even in nations that are purported to be ethnically homogenous.

The Unchosen Ones, a new book by award-winning photographer R. J. Kern, features portraits of future farmers in America's heartland. Kern's subjects are Minnesota 4-H members posing with their farm animals. Each one spent a year raising an animal, which they then entered into a 4-H competition. Kern first photographed them in 2016, and none of the children who sat for him succeeded in winning an award, despite the obvious care they had given to their animals. Kern's poignant images represent the bloom of youth and the striving of the young people who grow up on farms. The formal qualities of lighting and setting endow these young people with a gravitas beyond their years. The evocative poses and expressions of these young people and their relationships with these animals reveals self-directed dedication in some, and in others, perhaps, the pressures of traditions imposed upon them. These beautiful and stirring portraits capture a certain America, a rural world, and a time in life when the layered emotions of youth are irrepressibly laid bare. Four years later, in 2020, Kern returned to photograph and interview his young subjects. The new images are poignant when juxtaposed with the originals, tapping into the mindset of America's agricultural youth. In the book, the diptychs of the children are punctuated by lush landscapes of the farms where these children have grown up.As he took the second group of photographs, he inquired about what his young subjects had carried forward from their previous experience. What were their thoughts, their advice, their dreams and their goals for the future? How do they fit in future agricultural America?

The Unchosen Ones takes place on the sidelines of county fair animal contests in Minnesota in 2016. One isn't born a winner or loser, but a chooser. This theme is explored in this photographic series.The project consists of over 60 portraits made at 10 Minnesota county fairs in 2016. The photographs showcase the subject facing the camera, allowing the viewer to decide what connects and distinguishes these subjects.

Katharyn Blair crafts a fiercely feminist fantasy with a horrifying curse, swoon-worthy sea captains, and the power of one girl to choose her own fate in this contemporary standalone adventure that's perfect for fans of The Fifth Wave and Seafire, and for anyone who has ever felt unchosen. For Charlotte Holloway, the world ended twice. The first was when her childhood crush, Dean, fell in love—with her older sister. The second was when the Crimson, a curse spread through eye contact, turned the majority of humanity into flesh-eating monsters. Neither end of the world changed Charlotte. She’s still in the shadows of her siblings. Her popular older sister, Harlow, now commands forces of survivors. And her talented younger sister, Vanessa, is the Chosen One—who, legend has it, can end the curse. When their settlement is raided by those seeking the Chosen One, Charlotte makes a reckless decision to save Vanessa: she takes her place as prisoner. The word spreads across the seven seas—the Chosen One has been found. But when Dean’s life is threatened and a resistance looms on the horizon, the lie keeping Charlotte alive begins to unravel. She’ll have to break free, forge new bonds, and choose her own destiny if she has any hope of saving her sisters, her love, and maybe even the world. Because sometimes the end is just a new beginning.

Racial and gender inequities persist among college students, despite ongoing efforts to combat them. Students of color face alienation, stereotyping, low expectations, and lingering racism even as they actively engage in the academic and social worlds of college life. The Unchosen Me examines the experiences of African American collegiate women and the identity-related pressures they encounter both on and off campus. Rachelle Winkle-Wagner finds that the predominantly white college environment often denies African American students the chance to determine their own sense of self. Even the very programs and policies developed to promote racial equality may effectively impose “unchosen” identities on underrepresented students. She offers clear evidence of this interactive process, showing how race, gender, and identity are created through interactions among one’s self, others, and society. At the heart of this book are the voices of women who struggle to define and maintain their identities during college. In a unique series of focus groups called “sister circles,” these women could speak freely and openly about the pressures and tensions they faced in school. The Unchosen Me is a rich examination of the underrepresented student experience, offering a new approach to studying identity, race, and gender in higher education.

In 2016, award-winning Minnesota-based photographer R. J. Kern made portraits of youth contestants at Minnesota county fairs. Each participant—some as young as four years old—had spent a year raising an animal, which they had then entered into a 4-H livestock competition. None of the youths who sat for him had succeeded in winning an award, despite the obvious care they had given to their animals. The Unchosen Ones depicts the bloom of youth and the mettle of the kids who grow up on farms, reminding us how resilient children can be when confronted with life's inevitable disappointments. The formal qualities of the lighting and setting endow these young people with a gravitas beyond their years, revealing self-directed dedication in some, and in others, perhaps, the pressures of traditions imposed upon them. Kern's beautiful portraits capture a particular America, a rural world, and a time in life when the layered emotions of youth are laid bare. Four years later, in 2020, Kern returned to photograph his young subjects. The most recent photographs show how the children have grown into adolescence or young adulthood: some of them have continued to pursue animal husbandry, while others have developed other interests. It is likely that some of these kids will not choose to continue running their family farms—an unpredictable and demanding way to make a living. These diptychs are punctuated by lush landscapes of the farms that are their homes. As Kern made the second group of photographs, he asked his young subjects what they had carried forward from their previous experience. What were their thoughts, their dreams, and their goals for the future? How would they fit into the future of agricultural America?

*Series Complete!* Five magical artifacts. Two worlds under threat. And five ordinary students tasked with saving the universe. The last thing Kire expected was to be running for his life. But after his bullies chase him into a hidden cave in the forest, he stumbles upon a mysterious ancient ruin with a sinister magical secret at its core. A parallel universe is desperately calling for help – and five unlikely students are destined to become its saviors. Five magical items, each with unique powers, beckon them. Kire quickly finds himself roped into a ragtag team with his two worst bullies, a shy bookworm, and a cheerleader with a long-buried secret. Their two worlds are about to collide. A magical book holds the key to preventing disaster – but Kire is the only one who can read it. Stuck with the seemingly impossible burden of defeating a horde of evil magical creatures and struggling to work together with his newfound allies, can Kire and the rest of the Unlikely Defenders save both of their worlds from destruction? Step into a thrilling urban fantasy saga that’s packed with explosive action and page-turning suspense. The first book in the Unlikely Defenders series is a hard-hitting read that will delight fans of fast-paced YA adventures. Scroll up and grab your copy now.

Kay, Debbie, and Ellen are best friends and share the same experiences of being the "have-nots" and "undesirables."