LITMIR.BIZ

The vivid and untold story of the Golden Age of classic animation and the often larger-than-life artists who created some of the most iconic cartoon characters of the twentieth century In 1911, famed cartoonist Winsor McCay debuted one of the first animated cartoons, based on his sophisticated newspaper strip “Little Nemo in Slumberland,” itself inspired by Freud’s recent research on dreams. McCay is largely forgotten today, but he unleashed an art form, and the creative energy of artists from Otto Messmer and Max Fleischer to Walt Disney and Warner Bros.’ Chuck Jones. Their origin stories, rivalries, and sheer genius, as Reid Mitenbuler skillfully relates, were as colorful and subversive as their creations—from Felix the Cat to Bugs Bunny to feature films such as Fantasia —which became an integral part and reflection of American culture over the next five decades.Pre-television, animated cartoons were aimed squarely at adults; comic preludes to movies, they were often “little hand grenades of social and political satire.” Early Betty Boop cartoons included nudity; Popeye stories contained sly references to the injustices of unchecked capitalism. “During its first half-century,” Mitenbuler writes, “animation was an important part of the culture wars about free speech, censorship, the appropriate boundaries of humor, and the influence of art and media on society.” During WWII it also played a significant role in propaganda. The Golden Age of animation ended with the advent of television, when cartoons were sanitized to appeal to children and help advertisers sell sugary breakfast cereals. Wild Minds is an ode to our colorful past and to the creative energy that later inspired The Simpsons , South Park , and BoJack Horseman .

Подробнее

The long-awaited capstone to the landmark trilogy that began with A Legend of the Future and The Year 200 by Agustín de Rojas, “one of Cuba’s greatest science fiction writers” — SF Signal The winner of Cuba’s prestigious Premio David in 1980, Spiral is another magisterial space opera from the late great science fiction author Agustín de Rojas. Deeply committed to the Revolution, Rojas presents a stunning critique of the Cuban regime under Fidel Castro by inviting the comparison of Spiral’s fictional moral universe, one in which Che Guevara’s principles of socialism are followed to the letter, with the brutal realities of everyday Cuba. Decades after the devastating Catastrophe, Earth has become a radioactive wasteland sparsely populated by bands of genetically modified humans struggling to survive on limited resources. An expedition of ten explorers from the Aurora planet returns to this desolate landscape to investigate the mysterious causes of its destruction. But when an unexpected guest breaks into their base, the team needs to wield all of its brain power not only to make sense of the helpless planet but also to stay together as a community. Spiral is a compelling novel concerned with the ethics of scientific exploration and the human relationships caught up in it. Weaving biology, ecology and sociology into this sci-fi narrative, Agustín de Rojas manages to paint a devastating picture of a planet torn apart by two irreconcilable economic powers that so closely resemble the Cold War context in which the story was published. The novel is very meticulous in its exploration of the professional dilemmas of this crew of scientists and explorers who need to stay true to the utopian values that made the journey possible. Yet it is their emotional responses as human beings that elevate the plot and make Spiral a captivating tale of endurance and curiosity for contemporary readers.

Подробнее

The first and only memoir written by early AIDS activist Ruth Coker Burks, All The Young Men is a heartfelt and personal account of Ruth’s work as an advocate for men with AIDS in Hot Springs, Arkansas in the mid-1980s. It is also an elegy to those on the front lines of the epidemic for whom she cared deeply. Single mother Ruth’s unexpected story of female empowerment and strong women’s activism evokes the stories of Erin Brockovich, Karen Silkwood, Gloria Steinem, and Harvey Milk. All The Young Men will also appeal to fans of the Oscar-winning film, Dallas Buyers Club and Angels in America by Tony Kushner. Ruth is widely admired by journalists and correspondents, namely Gio Benitez on GOOD MORNING AMERICA, and Ann Curry of PBS’ We’ll Meet Again, and has continuously been supported by Bill Clinton since his time as Governor of Arkansas. She was also the subject of a short film based on her life called Ruth (2017), directed by Rose McGowan, who has called her an “American Hero.” An Oscar-winning producer is adapting Ruth’s story for feature film and Dakota Johnson is attached to star as the author. Audible has purchased the audio rights in a sizeable acquisition and will be promoting the book. This is the first time Ruth has given us her own full and detailed portrait of the realities faced by AIDS patients in Arkansas during the 1980s. The depictions of deep discrimination in the conservative south are visceral and informative, as are the silenced voices of the brave men she profiles here. Ruth Coker Burk, also known as the Cemetery Angel, has been honored as an Unsung Hero by the Human Rights Campaign, The World AIDS Museum in Fort Lauderdale, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Florida, the National AIDS Memorial, and her story has been widely shared on media outlets such as NPR, BBC, CBS, Vanity Fair, Elle Magazine, and Katie Couric Media. Kevin O’Leary, Ruth’s co-writer, has written five New York Times bestselling books, including This Is Me with actress Chrissy Metz, and Open Book with singer Jessica Simpson.

Подробнее

[b]UPDATED WITH NEW MATERIAL FROM THE AUTHOR In The Curse of Oak Island , longtime Rolling Stone contributing editor and journalist Randall Sullivan explored the curious history of Oak Island and the generations of people who tried and failed to unlock its secrets. Drawing on his exclusive access to Marty and Rick Lagina, stars of the History Channel’s television show The Curse of Oak Island , Sullivan delivers an up to the minute chronicle of their ongoing search for the truth.[/b] In 1795, a teenager discovered a mysterious circular depression in the ground on Oak Island, in Nova Scotia, Canada, and ignited rumors of buried treasure. Early excavators uncovered a clay-lined shaft containing layers of soil interspersed with wooden platforms, but when they reached a depth of ninety feet, water poured into the shaft and made further digging impossible. Since then the mystery of Oak Island’s “Money Pit” has enthralled generations of treasure hunters, including a Boston insurance salesman whose obsession ruined him; young Franklin Delano Roosevelt; and film star Errol Flynn. Perplexing discoveries have ignited explorers’ imaginations: a flat stone inscribed in code; a flood tunnel draining from a man-made beach; a torn scrap of parchment; stone markers forming a huge cross. Swaths of the island were bulldozed looking for answers; excavation attempts have claimed two lives. Theories abound as to what’s hidden on Oak Island. Could it be pirates’ treasure or Marie Antoinette’s lost jewels? Or perhaps the Holy Grail or proof of the identity of the true author of Shakespeare’s plays? In this rich, fascinating account, Sullivan takes readers along as the Lagina brothers mount the most comprehensive effort yet to crack the mystery, and chronicles the incredible history of the “curse” of Oak Island, where for two centuries dreams of buried treasure have led intrepid treasure hunters to sacrifice everything.

Подробнее

Lee Smith says that Blue Marlin is one of the best things she has ever written. She brought it to Blair because she felt the novella, originally tucked into her story collection News of the Spirit under the inauspicious title “Live Bottomless,” never got the attention it deserved. Indeed, this novella—though set miles away from the Appalachia that is Smith’s home ground—is this iconic writer at her very best: sharp characterizations, wry humor, perfect pitch, and a quietly profound understanding of human nature.
Fans will clamor for this book, much as they did for her novella Christmas Letters, which was packaged with a small trim size, as Blue Marlin will be. Smith is hugely popular in the South but several of her books (notably, The Last Girls) did well nationwide. The Key West setting and the movie theme should broaden the geographic appeal.

Подробнее

Подробнее

Подробнее

This unique book explores how the aesthetic and cultural movement «Steampunk» persuades audiences and wins new acolytes. Steampunk is an aesthetic style grounded in the Victorian era, in clothing and accoutrements modeled on a heightened and hyper-extended age of steam. In addition to its modeling of attire and other symbolic trappings, what is most distinctive is its adherents' use of a machined aesthetic based on steam engines and early electrical machinery: gears, pistons, shafts, wheels, induction motors, clockwork and so forth.The aesthetic was first articulated in literature in the works of Jules Verne and H. G. Wells. The American West later contributed images to the aesthetic–revolvers, locomotives, and rifles of the late nineteenth century. Among young people steampunk has found common aesthetic cause with Goth style. Examples from literature and popular culture include William Gibson's fiction, China Miéville's novels, the classic film Metropoli s, and the BBC series Doctor Who . This volume recognizes that steampunk, a unique popular culture phenomenon, presents a prime opportunity for rhetorical criticism.Steampunk's art, style, and narratives convey complex social and political meanings. Chapters in Clockwork Rhetoric explore topics ranging from jewelry to Japanese anime to contemporary imperialism to fashion. Throughout, the book demonstrates how language influences consumers of steampunk to hold certain social and political attitudes and commitments.

Подробнее

Taking a long view of the three-party relationship, and its future prospects In this Asian century, scholars, officials and journalists are increasingly focused on the fate of the rivalry between China and India. They see the U.S. relationships with the two Asian giants as now intertwined, after having followed separate paths during the Cold War. In Fateful Triangle , Tanvi Madan argues that China’s influence on the U.S.-India relationship is neither a recent nor a momentary phenomenon. Drawing on documents from India and the United States, she shows that American and Indian perceptions of and policy toward China significantly shaped U.S.-India relations in three crucial decades, from 1949 to 1979. Fateful Triangle updates our understanding of the diplomatic history of U.S.-India relations, highlighting China’s central role in it, reassesses the origins and practice of Indian foreign policy and nonalignment, and provides historical context for the interactions between the three countries. Madan’s assessment of this formative period in the triangular relationship is of more than historic interest. A key question today is whether the United States and India can, or should develop ever-closer ties as a way of countering China’s desire to be the dominant power in the broader Asian region. Fateful Triangle argues that history shows such a partnership is neither inevitable nor impossible. A desire to offset China brought the two countries closer together in the past, and could do so again. A look to history, however, also shows that shared perceptions of an external threat from China are necessary, but insufficient, to bring India and the United States into a close and sustained alignment: that requires agreement on the nature and urgency of the threat, as well as how to approach the threat strategically, economically, and ideologically. With its long view, Fateful Triangle offers insights for both present and future policymakers as they tackle a fateful, and evolving, triangle that has regional and global implications.

Подробнее

Blair has built a considerable list of Appalachian voices, and when Wayne Caldwell submitted this gorgeous collection, his lines were read aloud in our editorial office—and the full staff fell in love with these poems that so beautifully employ the musical language of Appalachia. This work will appeal to those in Appalachia, the Southeast, and others who admire the work of Ron Rash, Kathryn Stripling Byer, and James Still.

Подробнее