Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
From the #1 bestselling author of Me Talk Pretty One Day and Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim comes a collection of the short stories David Sedaris loves most. Containing the work of both contemporary and classic writers, CHILDREN PLAYING BEFORE A STATUE OF HERCULES, edited and introduced by Sedaris, gives his legions of fans a glimpse at the writing he finds inspiring - and helps them discover the truth abut loneliness, hope, love, betrayal, and certain, but not all, monkeys.

David Sedaris fell in love with short stories while living in Odell, Oregon. Sedaris writes, "When apple-picking season ended, I got a job in a packing plant and gravitated toward short stories, which I could read during my break and reflect upon for the remainder of my shift. A good one would take me out of myself and stuff me back in, outsized, now, and uneasy with the fit." Featuring such notable writers as Alice Munro, Tobias Wolff, Lorrie Moore, and Joyce Carol Oates, readers will reconnect with classics, as well discover fantastic but lesser-known writers.

Included in CHILDREN PLAYING BEFORE A STATUE OF HERCULES are:

Introduction by David Sedaris

"Oh, Joseph, I'm So Tired" by Richard Yates

"Gryphon" by Charles Baxter

"Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri

"The Garden Party" by Katherine Mansfield

"Half A Grapefruit" by Alice Munro

"Applause, Applause" by Jean Thompson

"I Know What I'm Doing About All the Attention I've Been Getting" by Frank Gannon

"Where the Door Is Always Open and the Welcome Mat Is Out" by Patricia Highsmith

"The Best of Betty" by Jincy Willett

"Song of the Shirt, 1941" by Dorothy Parker

"The Girl with the Blackened Eye" by Joyce Carol Oates

"People Like That Are the Only People Here: Canonical Babbling in Peed Onk" by Lorrie Moore

"Revelation" by Flannery O'Connor

"In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson Is Buried" by Amy Hempel

"Cosmopolitan" by Akhil Sharma

"Irish Girl" by Tim Johnston

"Bullet in the Brain" by Tobias Wolff

Epilogue by Sarah Vowell

Borrowing the book's name from an Adriaen van der Werff painting, CHILDREN PLAYING BEFORE A STATUE OF HERCULES is David Sedaris's attempt to share his passion for short stories with a wider audience-and his enthusiasm is contagious. "The authors in this book are huge to me, and I am a comparative midget, scratching around in their collective shadow. 'Pint sized Fanatic Bowing Before Statues of Hercules' might have been more concise, but people don't paint things like that, and besides, it doesn't sound as good."

David Sedaris is publishing this book to support 826NYC, a nonprofit tutoring center in Brooklyn, New York. All of his proceeds, after permission expenses, from CHILDREN PLAYING BEFORE A STATUE OF HERCULES will benefit this organization designed to help students ages six to eighteen develop their writing skills through free writing workshops, publishing projects, and one-on-one help with homework and English-language learning. In the book's epilogue, Sarah Vowell describes the fine work done by 826NYC. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

I'll love what he writes, and apparently what he reads too.
I loved this book.I always wonder what my favorites favorite's are, and now I know at least some of David Sedaris' favorites.Nothing I can say any better than (or even close to) what Sedaris himself says about each piece of literature included here so I won't even try.Read the Forward by Sedaris, that will make you want to read the book.
This is an exquisite collection of shorts that reinfected me with short fiction fever!

An Excellent Anthology
So, short stories. I do like them, but have trouble reading several by one author as they end up feeling like Faberge eggs. You know, you see one and it's exquisite. And then you see the next one and, hey, it's quite nice too, but by the third or fourth, any elements of surprise are gone and after a half dozen I'm a little bored and looking forward to the cafe. An anthology of some sort is a different matter. Each author spins their perfect little tale and then is finished. I don't become jaded with a dozen instances in a row of subdued disappointment or witty dialogue, but get to be astonished all over again with the next story.

This book is a collection of short stories gathered by David Sedaris. There is the expected Dorothy Parker (Song of the Shirt, 1941), but there's also Richard Yates (Oh, Joseph, I'm So Tired), Joyce Carol Oates (The Girl with the Blackened Eye) and Jhumpa Lahiri (Interpreter of Maladies). Sedaris favors stories with emotional resonance over clever wordplay, and the best two stories in the book were amazing; Revelation by Flannery O'Connor and Cosmopolitan by Akhil Sharma.

I loved rediscovering how a short story can compress all the emotion and heft of a novel into a dozen or so pages. I think I may start reading from all those Collected Stories of I have sitting around, but one at a time, with a few months between each story so that I can be newly astonished with each one.

Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules
I am a big fan of David Sedaris.Unfortunately this book, despite having his name on it, was not written by him.It is an anthology of works by other writers.If you are looking for a book by David Sedaris do NOT buy this book.I think Amazon could have done a much better job of making it clear that he did not write this book.I am very disappointed.

An Incredibly Pleasant Surprise
Like some others that reviewed the book, I hastily ordered it and failed to realize that the collection was simply edited and introduced by Mr. Sedaris, not written by him.But I decided to read the book despite my mistake, and I was rewarded instantly.From the first story by Richard Yates to the last by Tobias Wolff, I was entranced; I had to limit myself to a story or two a day so that I could savor the collection longer. Of all the books I have ordered on Amazon, this is the first I have felt compelled to review.

My wife loved it
She reads Sedaris a lot and this one was chewed down in a little over a week. ... Read more

Product Description
NAUGHTY OR NICE?
Meet three sophisticated women who aren't above a little mischief under themistletoe to relieve holiday stress.

CHRISTMAS PRESENCE ~ Donna Birdsell

Young widow Astrid Martin wants to boycott Christmas -- but her husband'sghost won't let her! Before long she has a tree, even a gift-wrapping job at themall, where she meets the man who holds the key to her Christmas future.

Customer Reviews (2)

three sugar without spice Yuletide romances
"Christmas Presence" by Donna Birdsell.Widow Astrid Martin wants to boycott Christmas as this will be the first year she faces the holidays since her husband died.However, the ghost of her spouse refuses to allow the woman he loved in life to grieve.He forces her to obtain work at the mall where he insures she meets someone else.

"Secret Santa" by Lisa Childs.Single mother Maggie O'Brien worries that she and her children will miss Christmas as the bills are too great.However, a secret Santa keeps sending gifts to her and her family.She wonders who he is and will he arrive at her home gift wrapped on Christmas Eve?

"You're All I Want for Christmas" by Susan Crosby.She was supposed to spend the holidays in the Bahamas, but instead Lauren Wright is grounded at the airport due to weather.However, a fellow stranded passenger begins to cheerfully chat with her; soon she gets into the Christmas spirit as he makes her feel good that she is not in the Bahamas, but instead with him.

These three sugar without spice Yuletide romances will warm the hearts of contemporary romance readers.

Harriet Klausner

3 Wonderful Christmas Tales of Love
What great Christmas novellas I'm so happy I read them.

Donna Birdsell's CHRISTMAS PRESENCE--Astrid Martin's husband had been killed in an auto accident last holiday season so Astrid doesn't want a thing to do with this year's celebration. It seems as though David's ghost is making her *do* Christmas after all and while volunteering at Resources for Underprivileged Furry Friends, R.U.F.F. gift wrapping booth she also meets a man, he has every gift he buys wrapped by Astrid, and asks her out for coffee. Astrid refuses several times but Blake persists. How does she fit Blake into her life? Cute, sweet story!

Lisa Childs' SECRET SANTA--Maggie O'Brien has an ex, Derek, that is such a jerk, a boss, Hal, who depends too much on her and a car that is a real lemon! but she has a hunky mechanic. It's Christmas time and she's trying to do more than usual and work full-time and get those 3 children all they want from St Nick. Her car doesn't want to start again so she calls the garage late one evening. The owner Patrick Mallehan answers and picks her up along with the car, it needs more work!, and takes her home to an empty house. He flirts and *finds* her SS gift in the car before he heads back to the shop. Her gift was Victoria's Secret Pure Seduction bath salts, body wash & lotion. She feels that the SS could be her boss, her ex or Patrick. The boss isn't the type though, the ex can't even shop for his own children and Patrick, who is a great guy but she doesn't know much of his personal life other than he is divorced and has been for some time. Next day she gets another gift from Victoria's Secret. Each gift has a note saying *take care of the woman you are* With a little more thought Patrick does get Maggie a lot closer to him and she loves it! Oh This novella is spicy!

Susan Crosby's YOU'RE ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS--Ms Crosby's Dear Reader letter sits up the story as a *eyes meet across a crowded room and the what if happens*? So Lauren Wright is stuck due to weather delays in Denver at Chicago's O'Hare Airport while sitting and waiting she happens to be looking around and sees a good looking, mid 40s man, about her age, without a laptop and just an occasional call on his cellphone, very different. Before she knows it Joe is sitting next to her and offering to get them each a cup of coffee. They chit-chat and give their fellow travelers a *story* just guessing why someone else is here and what's happening with them and exchange some personal info while doing so. Lauren's from Cedar Rapids, Iowa and going to Nassau to meet her sister for Christmas, Joe's from Portland, Maine on his way to have Christmas with his daughter in Salt Lake City as the day progresses so do the cancellations. Finally both Lauren and Joe's flights were canceled. Joe suggests they go into Chicago to get a meal and room for the night. Lauren is scared and Joe is so kind and keeps telling her it's all her choice and he doesn't want to push her--what a night though! Each do go on with their plans but what happens now? Lauren doesn't even know Joe's last name by her choice. I don't want to give away too much more because it's a wonderful story that you will enjoy reading yourself LOL Oh yes it is very spicy too!
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Product Description
Bold and deeply affecting, Awake in the Dark is a provocative and haunting work of fiction about who we are and how we are formed by history. These luminous stories portray the contemporary lives of the children of Holocaust victims and perpetrators as they struggle with the legacy of their parents -- their questions of identity, family, and faith. In "The House on Kronen-strasse," a woman returns to Germany to find her childhood home; in "The Porcelain Monkey," the shocking origins of an Orthodox Jewish woman's faith are revealed; in "The Lamp," the harrowing experiences of a young woman leave her with the perfect daughter and a strange light; and in "Dark Urgings of the Blood," a patient is convinced that she shares a disturbing history with her psychiatrist.

Rendered in powerful, unaffected prose, Awake in the Dark is an illuminating and startling book about the disguises we don, the secrets we keep, and the consequences of our silences.

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Customer Reviews (16)

Yikes...I thought this was a true story!
When I order this book I was under the impression that it was true stories of the holocaust. While reading it I was really scratching my head for it seemed difficult to believe most of the coincidences. Then I come to find out it is a fictional novel. ugh! Not what I wanted at all!While the book did hold my interest, I find it somewhat disheartening now looking back that someone would create a work of "fiction" out of all the historical truths that took place. I don't know, maybe it's me...but I don't want to read made up stories of these horrific events when there are real stories to tell about it. To me it would be like writing a novel of fictional stories surrounding 9/11.Who would want to read fictional stories about that? I certainly wouldn't. However I do have to respect those who would........so this is just my opinion of course.

As for the writing in this book.........I think the writer was overly descriptive of every single thing. I found myself fast forwarding through endless descriptions of how the character felt, what she was now looking at, where she was now sitting, breathing...on and on and on through out the entire book. I was glad when it ended.

Intense and Satisfying
Haunting and gripping. You'll want to read these stories more than once, there's so much in them.Read this in our book club.We voted it as our best ever book club book. Painful, yes, but this author has so much heart. This book is full of beauty. Magnificently written. Highly recommended.

heartbreaking and inspiring
Moving, made me think about the secrets (skeletons) in my own family's closets. It speaks to anyone from a background where secrets caused pain.Isn't that everyone? Left me feeling inspired. The characters in this book shine with a love of life.And the will to go on and make lives for themselves. One message: that history doesn't have to defeat us.

Wow and double wow
could not put this down. gulped the book in one weekend. hang on to your seats. the twists and turns will take you by surprise.

memorable and beautiful
I cried my way through this beautiful book. When I put it down, I wished it wasn't over. It left me feeling hopeful and aware of the beautiful things in life.It made me want to make the most of everything I have.Mary Gordon writes on the cover that the book avoids being sentimental and it does.It is a book that is about deep human truths.Not to be missed. ... Read more

Product Description
"Christmas Classics" is proud to present you a carefully selected range of fiction and prose for the most beautiful time of the year. Besides best-known classics we also offer a huge variety of out-of-print books and titles long forgotten. All volumes have been completely digitally revised, optimized for Kindle and include an interactive table-of-contents, if applicable. Look out for more "Christmas Classics" titles here on Amazon.com. You can spot them easily by the red book cover and the golden bells in the middle.

Many readers have felt the need and expressed the desire for a select collection of children's Christmas stories in one volume. This book claims to be just that and nothing more. Each of the stories has already won the approval of thousands of children, and each is fraught with the true Christmas spirit. See what you will find inside:

CONTENTS

I - CHRISTMAS AT FEZZIWIG'S WAREHOUSE
II - THE FIR-TREE
III - THE CHRISTMAS MASQUERADE
IV - THE SHEPHERDS AND THE ANGELS
V - THE TELLTALE TILE
VI - LITTLE GIRL'S CHRISTMAS
VII - "A CHRISTMAS MATINEE"
VIII - TOINETTE AND THE ELVES
IX - THE VOYAGE OF THE WEE RED CAP
X - A STORY OF THE CHRIST-CHILD
XI - JIMMY SCARECROW'S CHRISTMAS
XII - WHY THE CHIMES RANG
XIII - THE BIRDS' CHRISTMAS
XIV - THE LITTLE SISTER'S VACATION
XV - LITTLE WOLFF'S WOODEN SHOES
XVI - CHRISTMAS IN THE ALLEY
XVII - A CHRISTMAS STAR
XVIII - THE QUEEREST CHRISTMAS
XIX - OLD FATHER CHRISTMAS
XX - A CHRISTMAS CAROL
XXI - HOW CHRISTMAS CAME TO THE SANTA MARIA FLATS
XXII - THE LEGEND OF BABOUSCKA
XXIII - CHRISTMAS IN THE BARN
XXIV - THE PHILANTHROPIST'S CHRISTMAS
XXV - THE FIRST CHRISTMAS-TREE
XXVI - THE FIRST NEW ENGLAND CHRISTMAS
XXVI - THE CRATCHITS' CHRISTMAS DINNER
XXVII - CHRISTMAS IN SEVENTEEN SEVENTY-SIX
XXVIII - CHRISTMAS UNDER THE SNOW
XXIX - MR. BLUFF'S EXPERIENCES OF HOLIDAYS
XXX - MASTER SANDY'S SNAPDRAGON
XXXI - A CHRISTMAS FAIRY
XXXII - THE GREATEST OF THESE
XXXIII - LITTLE GRETCHEN AND THE WOODEN SHOE
XXXIV - CHRISTMAS ON BIG RATTLE



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Customer Reviews (1)

Christmas stories...
Christmas at Fezziwig's Warehouse by Charles Dickens,
The Fir Tree by Hans Christian Anderson,
The Christmas Masquerade by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman,
The Shepherds and the Angels..adapted from Bible,
The Telltale Tile by Olive Thorne Miller,
A Christmas Matinee by M.A.L. Lane,
Toinette and the Elves by Susan Coolidge,
The Voyage of the Wee Red Cap by Ruth Sawyer Durand,
A Story of the Christ-Child by Elizabeth Harrison,
Jimmy Scarecrow's Christmas by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman,
Why the Chimes Rang by Raymond McAlden,
The Birds Christmas by F. E. Mann,
The Little Sister's Vacation by Winifred M. Kirkland,
Little Wolff's Wooden Shoes by Francois Coppee & translated by Alma J. Foster,
Christmas in the Alley by Olive Thorne Miller,
A Christmas Star by Katherine Pyle,
The Queerest Christmas by Grace Margaret Gallaher,
Old Father Christmas by J.H. Ewing,
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens,
How Christmas Came to the Santa Maria Flats by Elia W. Peattie,
The Legend of Babouscka (Russian Folk Tale),
Christmas in the Barn by F. Arnstein,
The Philanthropist's Christmas by James Weber Linn,
The First Christmas Tree by Lucy Wheelock,
The First New England Christmas by G.L. Stone and M.G. Fickett,
The Cratchit's Christmas Dinner by Charles Dickens,
Christmas in Seventeen Seventy-Six by Anne Hollingsworth Wharton,
Christmas Under the Snow by Olive Thorne Miller,
Mr. Bluff's Experience of Holidays by Oliver Bell Bunce,
Master Sandy's Snapdragon by Elbridge S. Brooks,
A Christmas Fairy by John Strange Winter,
The Greatest of These by Joseph Mills Hanson,
Little Gretchen and the Wooden Shoe by Elizabeth Harrison,
Christmas on Big Rattle by Theodore Goodridge Roberts.
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Product Description
Ex-military policeman Jack Reacher is settling into lazy Key West when a stranger comes looking for him. When the man is found dead, Reacher follows the trail to New York, where he discovers an opponent more vicious than any he's ever faced.Amazon.com Review
Ex-military policeman Jack Reacher is lying low in Key West, digging upswimming pools by hand. He is not at all pleased when a private detectivestarts asking questions about him. But when the detective, Costello, turnsup dead with his fingertips sliced off, Reacher realizes it is time to moveon.

As in Lee Child's two previous thrillers, Die Trying and Killing Floor, Reacher issoon up to his neck in lethal trouble, this time involving a vicious Wall Streetmanipulator, a mysterious woman (of course), and the livelihood of a wholecommunity. Even the fate of soldiers missing in action in Vietnam isstirred into the brew.

But this is not a book by one of the new breed of U.S. thriller writers.Child prides himself on his ability, as an Englishman, to write American thrillersthat are utterly convincing in milieu and toughness of action, without atrace of English sensibility. Tripwire is no exception. Every bit aslean and compulsive as its predecessors, it also builds on the freshestaspect of those books: Reacher may be a tough, epic hero, but he alwaysremains human and vulnerable. --Barry Forshaw ... Read more

Customer Reviews (158)

Another great Reacher book
Tripwire is probably one of his top three books in my opinion, good plot, hateful bad guy, lots of action and intrigue, and the usual things Childs does in the Reacher series.If you like the Reacher books, you have already read it; if not, read it anyway.I am not biased, just enlightened (yeh, right, and I have a halo over my head too).Seriously, treat yourself to a good book for a rainy day.

Tripwire
Good book but the ending left you thinking that the story could have gone another way, with a better ending.

Early and implausible
Besides the many implausible events, stopping a bullet with iron hard pecs, buying a plane ticket sans id, for cash and getting all sorts of info from Army files tout suite, etc.,there are major factual errors - a confusion of viet cong with montagnards and the absolute total incorrectness of how body identifications are made at the Army Central Identification Lab, Hawaii being the most egregious.

3 bad plots don't make a good one
I really hate it when authors take multiple mediocre plots and braid them together with feeble constructions or coincidences and call it a book. That's what we have here - a 400 page book that's really 3 x 133 page books braided together, none of them could stand alone. I said it about the earlier book Die Trying - the author needs to learn about ballistics. Luckily I didn't buy these - I picked them up in a local free exchange - hope I didn't drag home any more.

Bad OCR Software for kindle version!does anyone proofread??
The story was great.Typical Jack Reacher what I have come to expect from Lee Child.My poor rating isn't due to that but my annoyance at paying $8.99 for a digital product that once it is produced costs the publisher and Amazon essentially nothing and it seems that just about nothing is about what they put into producing in.It seems they just scanned the print copy of the book and used OCR software to change it into the Kindle format and then no one ever did a thorough proof read of it.I have never in my life read a published book with so many typos.Some of them occurred in the same words throughout the book such as "corner" would be "comer".Instead of "I" there would be the numeral "1".The list goes on and on.I don't think I made it through five pages without a typo, and it just annoyed me.This is a published book that I paid for!Amazon or whoever is responsible: Do better! ... Read more

Product Description
In this thoughtful and engaging collection, 11 acclaimed authors explore the highs and lows of growing up and shining on in the face of obstacles. A parent's departure, a sister's illness, a cheerleader's breakup, a family's secrets . . . these stories sensitively capture the challenges—and triumphs—of finding the way to a bright tomorrow.

Featuring powerful stories by Lois Lowry, Meg Rosoff, Meg Cabot, Melvin Burgess, Sue Limb, and more. . . .

A portion of the money generated from the sale of this book will benefit CureSearch National Childhood Cancer Foundation and Children's Oncology Group, partners in the search for a cure for childhood cancer. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good theme, some great reads
I love compilation books, and this one is another good read. Because most of the authors are British, I am not familiar with a lot of their writings, but I plan on reading quite a few of them now that I have gotten a taste. And isn't that what compilations are for--I mean besides supporting whatever charity the proceeds of the books are supporting, that is?

All of the stories in Shining On: 11 Star Authors' Illuminating Stories center on teens overcoming whatever challenges life throws at them, and the proceeds of this particular book benefit children's cancer research and treatment.

There are a couple of standouts that illustrate this theme very poignantly. "Humming Through My Fingers" by Malorie Blackman is about a blind girl who teaches a boy to "taste shapes and hear colors," and "Skin Deep" by Rosie Rushton is about a girl who loses her self-identity along with her boyfriend after a bomb disfigures her face.

Two humorous anecdotes made me laugh out loud. The never-failing Meg Cabot's "Allie Funklestein's Rules for Boyfriends" tells the email story of a girl whose pain over her boyfriend's infidelities is eased when she admits to having a crush on her geeky tutor, and Cathy Hopkins' "John Lennon Said..." describe the panicked thoughts of a girl who has no clue what she wants to be when she grows up.

I wasn't a big fan of Celia Rees' "Calling the Cats," and I also couldn't figure out why Lois Lowry, who edited the book, included an excerpt from her novel that was published years ago (A Summer to Die) rather than writing a new story or submitting something from a book in progress.

Overall, the stories were heartfelt, inspiring and easy to read. It's a great book for any summer reading list and provides some deep though on tough issues while still keeping a fairly light tone. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (6)

Desire, Mores and the Law
Schulman, Sarah. "The Child", Arsenal Pulp, 2008.

Desire, Mores and the Law

Amos Lassen

Sarah Schulman has proven herself to be a keen observer of American life with her book "The Child". It is both an intelligent and angry look at America with the thought provoking story which examines homophobia and gay teen sexuality as well as pedophilia.
Stew Mulcahey is a fifteen year old boy who is gay and troubled and this takes him into the arms of 39 year old David Ziernska and his partner, Joe. He meets David online and later David and Joe are arrested for child molestation. This causes great problems for Stew and emphasizes his poor relations with his family and his own mental breakdown which leads to the senseless murder of Victor, his young nephew. Stew is tried as an adult for the murder and if that is the case that he is treated as an adult then Joe and David cannot be guilty of child molestation. David has a gay lawyer, Hockey Notkin, who is struggling with his partner's death from AIDS. Notkin turns to a law partner, Eve Krasner .who has her own problems, for help but she is also having problems with her lover Mary and is also facing a health problem. This is a rough case for the both of them because to create a case for David was to push the blame on Stew for the murder of his nephew and while he is not theclient they are working for, they feel that he is more the victim of his own family's and the American justice system's homophobia.
There are many characters and subplots in the novel and as the novel progresses facades are stripped away and Sarah Schulman gives us several iconoclastic images. She deals with the unfairness with the way gay youth is treated. The subjects discussed in "The Child" are serious subjects and that makes this thin book quite heavy reading. We, too often, see individuals destroyed by the systems which try to help them; the systems that are supposed to offer them protection. The book is important to the GLBT experience as so many problems seem to arise from it and this is probably because it is not understood and many do not want to understand it. Schulman has taken a difficult subject and brought it home in a way that is a compelling read.

No country for old men, but they're running things anyway...
If you know who Procrustes was, and what "procrustean" means, then you'll be at home in this book. That mythical character is alive and well, but his modus operandi has changed since Greek times: now s/he's the person who asks "Can't we all just get along together?" when what s/he really means is, "Why aren't you more like me and how can I force you to become so without being perceived as a monster?"

This novel is part of a line of great works of art that show, in very entertaining terms, how individuals are often destroyed by the helping systems that are supposed to protect them. I think of "The Consul" by Gian Carlo Menotti as a similarly great work with the same timely overarching theme. This is not to say that if you loved Menotti's "The Consul", you'll love Schulman's book - but you *might* if you are willing to re-read the book until you 'get it'.

About the humor: Wonderful! but I missed a lot of it at first read because there are so many other things that grabbed my attention. Examples: Eva's riffs on voice mail systems at large companies; and there are screamingly funny sentences all throughout the book, one being something like 'I can't believe f****** Michele disconnected me!' (Michele being a sour and uninformed operator at some unnamed company.) Some writers would get a chuckle out of such a line; the way Schulman writes, it is so beautifully set up that I laughed, in pain, out loud, on the subway, for a long time. People were suspicious: "What is wrong with that man that he is laughing in public in front of strangers."

How can something so humiliating feel so cathartic?

"The Child" is rooted in a set of Gay/Lesbian experience that seems pretty common to me, so "What happens next, and Why" made total sense. That said, Schulman has a whole cosmology that some people won't get at first, even if they're headed in the same direction already. For me, her books feel more insightful as I get older, so maybe they will for you, too. Throughout this book, people throw in the towel in different ways - and only a few of them move forward again. If you care about sex in America in any way, her books are worthwhile reading. DISCLAIMER: This being American, I need to make it clear that I have contempt for pedophiles and that this book did not make me more sympathetic to them. What it did make me realize is that media stories about them are simplified so that they lose all connection to reality and, as a result of that, we as a society lose all hope of addressing the outcomes. That's partly why we in such dire straits as a country.

I wanted to like this book
I wanted so much to read this book.The existence of an incisive novel about the terrible unfairnesses which gay youth commonly face seemed to promise the telling of a difficult but necessary story.There is still too much discomfort and nervous throat-clearing around the idea that anyone younger than college age could possibly be gay, or have romantic or sexual urges of any stripe.But despite two attempts, I couldn't get beyond the first twenty or thirty pages of The Child because of Sarah Schulman's difficulty in making most of the characters in this book at all believable.I know she does have the ability to write well and do justice to a character; the inner monologue of Eva waiting in line at the health clinic was sharp and satisfying and fully-rounded.But this only emphasized the strange contrast to the clunky lines spoken by Stew and his lover and his parents and the police and most of the other characters.It seemed that Schulman was possibly unfamiliar with how a high-school-aged boy might talk, and the parents and other adults seemed like caricatures designed to get the reader to dislike them as quickly as possible.Trying to be charitable, I found myself thinking "Well, this is a noble effort for a first-time writer," only to find that Schulman had published seven previous novels.

I've seen nothing but praise for "The Child," and for Schulman in general, wherever I've looked, and indeed the subjects she addresses are serious and well worth considering.Perhaps my aversion to her writing style is a peculiar matter of taste, but after finding myself for page after page mentally re-working every line of dialog I read, or trying in vain to imagine those written words actually coming spontaneously out of the mouth of any real person, I finally, with heavy heart, had to give up.

Nobody Is Listening
I took Sarah Schulman's book "The Child" with me on a little August retreat to the northern shore of Lake Superior.I suppose that I could have taken something a little less cumbersome--although it is a thin little novel, its subject matter and the pathetic characters that populate the story weigh the reader down sufficiently enough.

Stew is a fifteen-year old young man in a dysfunctional family who has finally found happiness in the arms of a couple of men he has met through an internet connection.The two men, David and Joe, are a gay couple who sincerely care for Stew, but underestimate just how unstable the boy actually is.An alternate thread of the story involves Eva, a woman who we first meet in a clinic as she undergoes a humiliating breast examination.She is fearful of a possible cancer diagnosis, she is lamenting professional failures, she is mourning her family's complete alienation from her (due to her lesbian lifestyle), she wonders about the stability of her relationship with Mary, her lover, and she is almost certain that she is being molested by this doctor who is examining her breast.Yes -- all of this is going on in her head during the course of this procedure, and it is no wonder that the activities and dialogue that take place in the room all seem to come to Eva out of some sort of fog.And that, ultimately, is the hook of Ms Schulman's novel.The inner dramas that are going on within the major characters of her story tend to be just as prominent as the external dramas.In fact, sometimes they take over.The characters find themselves completely lost in their musings until something drags them out, and you can almost see them blinking and shaking the cobwebs out of their heads.As a reader, I was initially frustrated with this.There were complete sections of dialogue that seemed completely disconnected--a character would say something, but would receive a response that seemed to have nothing to do with the thread of the conversation.NO ONE IS ACTUALLY LISTENING.They are too absorbed in their inner conversations.And, of course, that is Schulman's point.

Eva's and Stew's stories begin to intersect when David and Joe are ultimately outed by Stew--a police detective takes advantage of Stew's confusion and fear and coerces him into confessing their trysts.David is arrested, and Eva is invited to join the legal team that will attempt to defend him.As she and her legal partner organize their defense, Stew's nightmare intensifies.Rather than receive any form of compassion from his family, he discovers that they are totally clueless and even scared of him.They want him out of the house, which of course fills him with enormous fear.With David and Joe out of the picture now, he literally has nowhere to go.In desperation, he attempts to forge a bond with his young nephew, Viktor, with disastrous results.It is another scene that involves loud exchanges, but absolutely no real communication.Stew is accused of molesting Viktor, and although he did no such thing, he can't seem to defend himself.And, this ultimately sets up what will be the tragic ending of the novel.

As Eva learns about Stew through her involvement with David's case, the cruel irony of this whole story becomes painfully apparent.The one person who probably could have given Stew what he needed--understanding, clarity, compassion--is someone that he never gets an opportunity to meet.This sad, sad truth is echoed in David's last words to Stew in the final pages of the book."Save yourself, Stewie."The boy is, literally, all alone.And, he admits this with his mournful response, "I don't know how."

"Gay children need parents, too, and sometimes gay adults are the only ones who can give that kind of knowing love"
The 'child' of the (ironic) title is Stew, a typical, lonely, 15 year old gay male living with his self-involved parents. He meets a gay male couple though the internet and starts building a full relationship (including sexual elements) with them. For a brief moment he believes that he has found happiness and acceptance - perhaps life is worth living after all? On the way back from a visit with them, he is the subject of a entrapment scene is a public toilet; arrested, he is taken to a police station whereupon he is manipulated into revealing where he had been. The gay couple are arrested on charges of 'child abuse', and Stew's nightmare begins:

"He was surrounded by walls, his family, the police. No one was flexible. No one had a reasonable explanation for their behavior, and no one had to."

A variety of characters and sub-plots populate this novel, with particular precedence given to Eva, a lesbian woman and a lawyer, who becomes involved in defending one of the partners in the gay couple detained on 'child abuse' charges. Indeed, the novel focuses not so much on the subsequent legal processes, but rather on the background cast of characters involved: Eva; her relationship with her partner Mary; Stew's family; the social worker assigned to Stew; and Hockey, an HIV+ lawyer working alongside Eva. This broader perspective enables the author to capture her primary theme: exposing the delusions that individuals create in order to satisfy their own egoistic desires.

Consequently, the various characters' façades are stripped away, and the author presents a myriad of iconoclastic images: the child who is not merely 'a child' but a human, with rights and desires; the parents whose 'love' for their child is instead a need to propagate their own sense of self-worth; the child welfare infrastructure that does not genuinely care about the child; the lesbian social activist who desires love more than a successful outcome; the law enforcement officers whose hatred of their perceived enemy far eclipses any professed concern for the child's well-being; the HIV+ lawyer who is unsympathetic to any hint of weakness in others; the judicial system that allows a young male to bear criminal responsibility for his actions but denies him the right to love freely.

Clearly this perspective will be unsettling to readers unused to confronting the darker reality of life. Nevertheless - and indeed, for this reason - the novel deserves the broadest possible audience. 'The Child' is an important work; as with Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness', it is concerned to challenge the cozy self/group delusions that mainstream society most desires to cherish - and accordingly serves as a courageous assertion of independent writing, which is all-too-often suppressed in favor of promulgating society's false idealism. Sarah Schulman's novel is written with fluid, fearless originality, and is highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description

A real author's visiting Eddie's school, and Eddie can hardly wait! After reading lots of the author's books, he has an important question. It turns out he's not the only one with a big question on the day of the assembly, though. It seems like everyone wants to ask something! So he waits. And waits. And when he finally gets his chance, Eddie gets an even better answer than he'd hoped for.... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A nice story for any age
Third-grader Eddie Lewis and the other students at Riverside Elementary School are eagerly preparing for October 10th, when "a real author" will be visiting the school.Eddie likes to both read and write.His teacher encourages him by saying, "We are all authors with important stories inside us."Each child has prepared a question for the author.Eddie's question is: "How do you write books that have parts meant for me?"But during the author's presentation, Eddie doesn't get a chance to ask his question.The author sees him afterward and makes a special effort to talk with him and give him a chance to pose his question in person.Eddie is awed by the experience, and he intends to write about it.

While the identity of "The Author" is kept anonymous throughout the text -- a technique that lends even *more* mystique to the specialness of her appearance -- this book is obviously an autobiographical story for Borden and is based on her own school visits.The narration is told in such a way that the reader's anticipation builds just like it would if we were looking forward to meeting a celebrity ourselves.We've all been there. Even adults become nervous and tongue-tied when faced with speaking to someone they admire and respect.Thus does this book transcend audience level.We can *all* relate to Eddie's situation.

Adam Gustavson's realistic paintings add greatly to the story.They convey freeze-frames of realistic emotion from every character, especially of Eddie and The Author.

This title is certainly useful for preparing elementary students for author visits.Secondarily, it's highly recommended for aspiring writers of *any* age who seek advice from "a real author."

Amazing illustrations !!
Another fabulous book illustrated by one of todays top childrens book artists.Can't wait to see his next book ! ... Read more

Product Description
Presents a selection of short fiction written by students in grades four through twelve followed by Bauer's comments on each, detailing what works well and making suggestions for improvements. ... Read more

Product Description
From the editors of From One Experience to Another comes a new collection featuring celebrated writers for young adults. Contributors include Newbery Medal winners Jerry Spinelli and Betsty Byars, Paul Zindel, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and Jon Scieszka, author of The Stinky Cheese Man & Other Fairly Stupid Tales, a New York Times "Notable Book of the Year." Other authors include T.A. Barron, Tamora Pearce, Mary Ann McGuigan, Lois Metzger, Mel Glenn, Joyce Hansen, Rich Wallace, Joan Abelove and Eleanora E. Tate.
Amazon.com Review
When reading a book or story by one of our favorite authors, who among us has not asked the question feared and loathed by every writer: Where do you get those great ideas? Here is the book that provides the answer, at least for those lucky readers of contemporary young-adult fiction. Editors M. Jerry and Helen S. Weiss have gathered together some of the finest writers for teens today and challenged them to define their inspirations. Their responses are as varied and fascinating as the authors themselves. Adele Griffin (The Other Shepards) remembers the '80s and the attempts by her peers to pattern themselves after skeletal supermodels in "As Skinny Does," while Rich Wallace (Wrestling Sturbridge) infuses "Final Cut" with all the pain and delight of first love and basketball tryouts. Comedic Jon Scieszka reveals the evolution of his writing with incredibly droll nursery-rhyme variations in "Thirteen Diddles," and the usually funny Paul Zindel takes a serious turn as he spins a multicultural tale of real and imagined monsters in "Rachel's Vampire." Joan Abelove, Mel Glenn, Joyce Hansen, and Tamora Pierce contribute to this collection as well.

Because many of the writers draw on events of their own adolescence, these stories will be all the more significant to teen readers. Each piece is accompanied by a short explanation as to where and when the muse struck, describing how the seed of each experience germinated into a story. A superb choice for aspiring young authors and discriminating readers alike. (Ages 11 and older) --Jennifer Hubert ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Good Book!
As a teenager, I can relate to almost all of the fiction in this book. Every story provides at least one bit of comedy. I recommend this book to anyone purchasing a gift for a teenager.

Dear Author: How and Why do your stories grow?
Do you know a teen who would like to be a writer?Or do you have ambitions to write?I highly recommend this book for both groups, as wellas for young adults who just love short story collections.The first storyabout a high school fencer, by Jerry Lubar, was my favorite.It appeals tothat part in all of us that loves to root for the underdog, and see himcome out on top.It's also delightfully funny!It reminded me very muchof Chris Crutcher's writing. Not all of the stories are as strong asLubar's, but I love the collection anyway.Each story is prefaced by anote from the author, telling what inspired the author to write THISparticular story.It helps budding authors to see where writers get theirideas and, perhaps more interesting, WHY they get their ideas.It alsoshows the aspiring writer that there are many different ways to tell astory - whether in a straight forward format (most of the stories), a prosepoem interview (Mel Glenn's Kids in the Mall), or an unconventional nurseryrhyme (John Scieszka's Thirteen Diddles).The prefaces also allow thereader to see the authors as real live once-upon-a-teen people, who justhappened to grow up and make their living by writing. A word of warning,however - THIS IS NOT, as a previous reviewer said,a book for the HarryPotter lover.I love the Rowling books, but this is not designed to servethe reader in the same way.Don't buy it thinking that it is similar inany way to the Potter books.Do buy it if you are intrigued by the processof writing, if you like short stories, or if you enjoy learning about howauthors work their magic on readers.

Great collection for young readers
Thirteen authors of books aimed at adolescents contributed a story based on a true event in their lives when they were in school or, as in one case,observing students as an adult.The tales center on showing how thewriters get an idea for a story based on an experience even if thatincident(s) is turned into something supernatural or science fiction innature.

The well-written stories are clearly designed for theyounger reader.This collection would make a wonderful follow-up to fansof Harry Potter (the most influential books in many years by virtue ofbringing literature to youngsters).This anthology provides a writer'sfocus within interesting stories to that same Potter age group.Along withthe Weiss' previous book (see the award winning FROM ONE EXPERIENCE TOANOTHER), young readers will gain another perspective on thenon-programming written word.

Great book!
Here is a great book that uses wonderful authors and their talents and combines their real life story with a pinch of fiction. I liked this bookbecause it keeps you going, a book that is hard to set down. A wonderfulbook to tease your mind and give it inspiration! :) ... Read more

Product Description
As a flock of sparrows faces a war, Duskin must set out to find their one hope and his true identity. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Delightful Read
A delightful children's book with an endearing cast of characters in a story of good versus evil.Beautifully illustrated. I look forward to reading future works from this promising young author.

The Sword of Ivendar
This is a wonderful fantasy story for all ages!Kept my attention from
the first page!The illustrations are outstanding, very well written!
Kudos to the author!

The Sword of Ivendar
The Sword of Ivendar
Well written, Well illistrated, and very readable.The story is not only enjoyable it shows imagation and a mastery of the written english language. ... Read more

Product Description
The fascinating life of Louisa May Alcott, from her happy childhood to her successful career as a writer. Children who loved Little Women will enjoy reading about the real-life Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

An Excellent Book
I absolutley loved Invincible Louisa.The book is full of character, and almost each person is described fully.Corneila Meigs seemes to have a special understanding of the Alcotts.I liked how Invincible Louisa had so much description.It is one of my favorite books, and I reccomend it to people who like Little Women.

A true reflection of Ms. Alcott
This is a great biography of Louisa May Alcott, in the fact that it is written in a style similar to her own (Which, as anyone who's ever read her work can tell you, is no small feat!) The reason I give it four stars is that at times, it seems to focus a little too much on things that didn't really seem important to the telling of HER life.Overall, though, a wonderful read!

A Wonderful Story That's True!
This is an incredible book, and the most incredible thing about it is thatit is true.In this book, you can see how Louisa May Alcott's 'LittleWoman' is based on the true story of Louisa and her sisters.If you liked'Little Woman,' you'll like this book. ... Read more