How can we "rejoice always" when the world often seems so broken? Andrew Klavan explores how artists' imaginative engagement with the darkness can point the way to living beautifully in the midst of a tragic world.In his USA Today bestselling The Truth and Beauty, Andrew Klavan explored how the work of great poets helps illuminate the truth of the gospels. Now, the award-winning screenwriter and crime novelist turns his attention to the dark side of human nature to discover how we might find joy and beauty in the world while still being clear-eyed about the evil found in it.The Kingdom of Cain looks at three murders in history--including the first murder, Cain's killing of his brother, Abel--and at the art created from imaginative engagement with those horrific events by artists ranging from Fyodor Dostoevsky to Alfred Hitchcock. To make beauty out of the world as it is--shot through with evil and injustice and suffering--is the task not just of the artist but, Klavan argues, of every life rightly lived. Examining how that transformation occurs in art grants us a vision for how it can happen in our lives.Klavan eloquently argues that it is possible to be clear-eyed about the evil in the world while remaining hope-filled about God's ability to redeem it all. Read more

How can we "rejoice always" when the world often seems so broken? Andrew Klavan explores how artists' imaginative engagement with the darkness can point the way to living beautifully in the midst of a tragic world.In his USA Today bestselling The Truth and Beauty, Andrew Klavan explored how the work of great poets helps illuminate the truth of the gospels. Now, the award-winning screenwriter and crime novelist turns his attention to the dark side of human nature to discover how we might find joy and beauty in the world while still being clear-eyed about the evil found in it.The Kingdom of Cain looks at three murders in history—including the first murder, Cain's killing of his brother, Abel—and at the art created from imaginative engagement with those horrific events by artists ranging from Fyodor Dostoevsky to Alfred Hitchcock. To make beauty out of the world as it is—shot through with evil and injustice and suffering—is the task not just of the artist but, Klavan argues, of every life rightly lived. Examining how that transformation occurs in art grants us a vision for how it can happen in our lives.Klavan eloquently argues that it is possible to be clear-eyed about the evil in the world while remaining hope-filled about God's ability to redeem it all. Read more

56th NAACP Image Award Winner for Outstanding Literary Work – Children (2025)#1 New York Times Bestseller!From award-winning actress and mental-health advocate Taraji P. Henson, You Can Be a Good Friend (No Matter What!) shows kids the great things that can happen when we approach others and ourselves with empathy, patience, and love.In this debut picture book from Taraji P. Henson, quirky, stylish and a bit off-the-cuff Lil TJ is ready for her first day of school. But when she gets there, TJ finds that everything she does is a little different than everyone else and she’s standing out in all the wrong ways. Once TJ’s classmate Beau notices, he relentlessly teases her. TJ is filled with anxiety and doubt until she recalls some important words of wisdom from her Grandma Patsy. When she looks inside to her own creativity and personality, she figures out how to help herself make new friends! —and helps someone else too!You Can Be a Good Friend (No Matter What!) is the perfect read for:Easing back-to-school jitters and setting a course for the new school yearHelping children ages 4-8 to overcome anxieties and embrace what makes them uniqueClassroom and library story time, as well as bedtime readingPromoting mental wellness and learning socialization skills, embracing the importance of standing in their own uniqueness, and promoting friendship over bullying.Includes author’s note with references for parents and teachers.Taraji P. Henson is an Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe winning actress, writer, and producer. She started the Boris Lawrence Henson foundation in 2018, which promotes mental health awareness and provides resources and services aimed at tackling the mental health crisis. Read more

A thoroughly revised and expanded edition of Thomas C. Foster’s classic guide—a lively and entertaining introduction to literature and literary basics, including symbols, themes and contexts, that shows you how to make your everyday reading experience more rewarding and enjoyable.While many books can be enjoyed for their basic stories, there are often deeper literary meanings interwoven in these texts. How to Read Literature Like a Professor helps us to discover those hidden truths by looking at literature with the eyes—and the literary codes—of the ultimate professional reader, the college professor.What does it mean when a literary hero is traveling along a dusty road? When he hands a drink to his companion? When he’s drenched in a sudden rain shower?Ranging from major themes to literary models, narrative devices and form, Thomas C. Foster provides us with a broad overview of literature—a world where a road leads to a quest, a shared meal may signify a communion, and rain, whether cleansing or destructive, is never just a shower-and shows us how to make our reading experience more enriching, satisfying, and fun.This revised edition includes new chapters, a new preface and epilogue, and incorporates updated teaching points that Foster has developed over the past decade. Read more

Your ticket from the twenty-first century to the era of Jesus and the first Christians. A listenable, two-volume introduction placing the entire New Testament and early Christianity in its original context, written by distinguished scholar and author N. T. Wright.An ideal guide for students, The New Testament in Its World addresses the many difficult questions faced by those studying early Christianity, including:What was the first century understanding of the Kingdom of God?What is the meaning of the resurrection in its original context?What were the Gospels, and how did they come about?Who was Paul and why are his letters so controversial?Written for both classroom and personal use, this book brings together decades of ground-breaking research, writing, and teaching into one volume. It presents the New Testament books—along with their subjects: Jesus and the early church—within the historical and social context of Second Temple Judaism and Greco-Roman politics and culture.The New Testament in Its World allows you to recover the excitement of what it was like to live as Christians in the first or second centuries.Features include:Surveys of each New Testament book that discuss their significance and provides commentary on their contents, along with implications for the Christian life.Major sections on the historical Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus, and Paul's chronology and theology.Up-to-date discussions of textual criticism and the canonization of the New Testament.Frequent illustrations, maps, charts, diagrams, and artwork provide additional explanations and insights.A distillation of the life work of N. T. Wright on the New Testament with input from Michael Bird.Accompanying figures, tables, images, and reference materials are available in the audiobook companion PDF download.PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio. Read more

A repackaged edition of the revered author’s collection of essays on writing fiction.C. S. Lewis—the great British writer, scholar, lay theologian, broadcaster, Christian apologist, and bestselling author of Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, The Chronicles of Narnia, and many other beloved classics—was a professor of literature at Oxford University, where he was known for his insightful and often witty presentations on the nature of stories. This collection assembles nine essays that encapsulate his ideas about fiction, including "On Stories," "The Death of Words," and "On Three Ways of Writing for Children," as well as eleven pieces that were unpublished during his lifetime. Read more

From a Robert Frost poem on her debut album to the myth of Cassandra on The Tortured Poets Department, Taylor Swift’s lyrics are filled with literary connections.Make sure you're catching them all with this expert guide to the novels, poems, and plays that influence her songwriting.Let a literature professor and a musical theater artist guide you through the Taylor Swift canon—from Shakespeare to the Brontë sisters to Daphne du Maurier! Learn what "New Romantics" has to do with the old RomanticsGet to know the Gothic monsters haunting MidnightsSpot Taylor's many Great Gatsby referencesDiscover what Taylor Swift and Emily Dickinson have in commonAnd find your new favorite tortured poet!Packed with fun facts, entertaining analysis, and literary-themed playlists that fans will love, Taylor Swift by the Book will turn anyone from a Taylor Swift lover into a Taylor Swift scholar.With full-color illustrations highlighting the literary eras of Dr. Swift (yes, she has an honorary PhD), it’s a perfect gift for the Swiftie in your life. Read more

Your ticket from the twenty-first century to the era of Jesus and the first Christians. A readable, one-volume introduction placing the entire New Testament and early Christianity in its original context, written by distinguished scholar and author N. T. Wright.An ideal guide for students, The New Testament in Its World addresses the many difficult questions faced by those studying early Christianity, including:What was the first century understanding of the Kingdom of God?What is the meaning of the resurrection in its original context?What were the Gospels, and how did they come about?Who was Paul and why are his letters so controversial?Written for both classroom and personal use, this book brings together decades of ground-breaking research, writing, and teaching into one volume. It presents the New Testament books—along with their subjects: Jesus and the early church—within the historical and social context of Second Temple Judaism and Greco-Roman politics and culture.The New Testament in Its World allows you to recover the excitement of what it was like to live as Christians in the first or second centuries.Features include:Surveys of each New Testament book that discuss their significance and provides commentary on their contents, along with implications for the Christian life.Major sections on the historical Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus, and Paul's chronology and theology.Up-to-date discussions of textual criticism and the canonization of the New Testament.Frequent illustrations, maps, charts, diagrams, and artwork provide additional explanations and insights.A distillation of the life work of N. T. Wright on the New Testament with input from Michael Bird.Also available are Video and Workbook companion resources (sold separately) to enhance learning and experience the world of the New Testament. Read more

The essential guide―updated, expanded, and easier to use than ever.Creating a successful literature review can be a daunting task, which is why so many researchers have relied on previous editions of this book to make the process more manageable. Using the six-step model, you’ll work seamlessly to narrow your research topic, focus your literature search, negotiate the myriad of books, periodicals, and reports about your topic―and, of course, write the review.Updated, expanded, and reorganized to improve ease of use, the fourth edition of this bestselling handbook includes:New and improved graphics ideal for visualizing the processMore explanations and tips, especially for writing in the early stagesAn expanded range of learning toolsAdditional reflection sections to direct metacognitive activitiesFour new reference supplementsThis pioneering book has provided countless graduate students and researchers with a road map to success. Its model takes you through the logical progression needed for producing a quality literature review―while taking the mystery out of the process. Read more

(Faber Piano Adventures ). Consists of carefully selected repertoire from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern periods with audio demos provided. Contents: KRIEGER: Minuet in A minor * DUNCOMBE: Fanfare in C Major * LULLY: Minuet in D minor * ANNA MAGDALENA BACH NOTEBOOK: Musette in D Major * Minuet in G Major * Minuet in G minor (PETZOLD) * March in D Major (C.P.E. BACH) * J.C. BACH: Solfeggio in D Major * GOSSEC: Tambourin * HASLINGER: Sonatina in C Major * HAYDN: German Dance in D Major * Minuet in G Major * Allegro in F Major * CLEMENTI: Sonatina in C Major, Op. 36, No. 1 * DIABELLI: Sonatina in G Major, 1st Movement, Op. 168, No. 2 * Rondo for Four Hands, Op. 163, No. 6 * BEETHOVEN: Two German Dances * LEOPOLD MOZART: Allegro in A Major * GURLITT: A Little Flower * BURGMULLER: Arabesque, Op. 100, No. 2 * Ballade, Op. 100, No. 15 * Harmony of the Angels, Op. 100, No. 21 * SCHUMANN: Wild Rider, Op. 68, No. 8 * Melody, Op. 68, No. 1 * ELLMENREICH: Spinning Song, Op. 14, No. 4 * HELLER: Avalanche, Op. 45, No. 2 * REINECKE: Gavotte, Op. 183, No. 1 * REBIKOV: Chinese Figurine * Playing Soldiers, OP. 31, No. 4 * FABER: The Moons of Jupiter * MCKAY: Song of the Range Rider * Cowboy Song * JACOBY: Sonatina Read more

Being responsive to God is at the heart of prophecy. But readers of ancient prophecies and apocalyptic literature—including those in the Old Testament—can come away thoroughly perplexed. Are the prophets speaking about their own times, about our present, or about some still-unrealized future?It's common to study prophecy with a focus on the sole question of prediction and fulfillment, either for the sake of apologetics or for understanding the end times, but such an approach can fail to track with the original intent of the authors.John Walton applies his signature method to help us recover the lost world of the prophets. To read these biblical books well, we must understand: the role of the prophet, the nature of prophetic literature, the theological significance of prophecy, and how apocalyptic differs from prophecy.A fresh reading of the Old Testament text in light of the ancient Near Eastern context can open new avenues of awareness. Walton provides a clear, helpful guide to the nature of biblical prophecy and apocalyptic literature that will help listeners avoid potential misuse and reclaim the message of the prophets for their lives. Read more

How can we "rejoice always" when the world often seems so broken? Andrew Klavan explores how artists' imaginative engagement with the darkness can point the way to living beautifully in the midst of a tragic world.In his USA Today bestselling The Truth and Beauty, Andrew Klavan explored how the work of great poets helps illuminate the truth of the gospels. Now, the award-winning screenwriter and crime novelist turns his attention to the dark side of human nature to discover how we might find joy and beauty in the world while still being clear-eyed about the evil found in it.The Kingdom of Cain looks at three murders in history--including the first murder, Cain's killing of his brother, Abel--and at the art created from imaginative engagement with those horrific events by artists ranging from Fyodor Dostoevsky to Alfred Hitchcock. To make beauty out of the world as it is--shot through with evil and injustice and suffering--is the task not just of the artist but, Klavan argues, of every life rightly lived. Examining how that transformation occurs in art grants us a vision for how it can happen in our lives.Klavan eloquently argues that it is possible to be clear-eyed about the evil in the world while remaining hope-filled about God's ability to redeem it all. Read more

(Faber Piano Adventures ). Each of these pieces is a proven favorite with students and is easily accessible at this level. Contents: CLARKE: King William's March * PETZOLD: Minuet in G Major * RAMEAU: Menuet en Rondeau * SPEER: Air in D minor * GRAUPNER: Bourree * J.C. BACH: Prelude in A minor * MOZART: Dance in F Major * Minuet in C Major, K. 6 * BEETHOVEN: Russian Folk Dance * Ecossaise * Sonatina in G Major * HUMMEL: Polka, Op. 280, No. 2 * SZYMANOWSKA: Mazurka * GURLITT: The Return, Op. 117, No. 24 * In the Garden, Op. 140, No. 4 * SCHUMANN: Soldier's March, Op. 68, No. 2 * The Happy Farmer, Op. 68, No. 10 * TCHAIKOVSKY: Old French Song, Op. 39, No. 16 * MCKAY: Long Gone Blues * REBIKOV: The Bear * FABER: Waltz Macabre * POE: Yiki Read more

(Faber Piano Adventures ). This collection of 21 authentic keyboard works represents the major periods of music - from Baroque to Contemporary - and serves as an excellent introduction to classical keyboard literature. Demo audio tracks are accessed online. Contents: VON DER HOFE: Canario * PRAETORIUS: Procession in G * TELEMANN: Gavott in C * MOURET: The Highlander * HOOK: Bagatelle * Minuet * TURK: Little Dance * DIABELLI: Morning * HAYDN: Quadrille * ATTWOOD: Sonatina in G * J.C. BACH: Adagio and Allegro * SCHYTTE: Little Prelude * Melody for Left Hand * SPINDLER: Two Preludes * WOHLFAHRT: Waltz for Four Hands * GURLITT: The Hunt * LYNES: Tarantella * ALT: On the Ocean Floor * DUBLIANSKY: The Busy Machine * SALUTRINSKAYA: Shepherd Pipes * FABER: Pantomime Read more

The compositions in this collection provide suitable material for study, recital, auditions, and musical recreation at the intermediate level. All selections are in original form and are set in approximate order of difficulty. Read more

The ancient Greeks left the world that came after them - particularly our own and our ways of seeing it - an incalculable legacy. Mention politics, philosophy, law, medicine, history, even the visual arts, and we barely scratch the surface of what we owe this extraordinary culture. How can we best learn about these people who have given us so much, who have deepened and enriched our understanding of ourselves, and whose world remains far closer than we might imagine? The 36 lectures of this sparkling series from a frequently honored teacher is an outstanding place to begin, as Professor Schenker opens up to us the epics of Homer; the dramatic genius of the playwrights Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes; and the poems of Archilochus, Sappho, and many others. He includes some of the world's greatest works of history and philosophy, and he gives rhetoric and oratory their proper due, as well. Beginning with Homer and the two great epics credited to him, the Iliad and the Odyssey - including a provocative discussion of whether Homer even existed - Professor Schenker offers a wide-ranging overview of the subject that is both instructive and entertaining. His lectures are rich in anecdote, so that the works are set against a vivid backdrop of their times, as exemplified by his description of the debut of Aeschylus's the Eumenides, first staged in Athens in 458 B.C.E. You'll learn that the presentation was said to have elicited full-blown terror in its audience. When the Furies - the hideous, avenging spirits roused from sleep by the ghost of the murdered Clytemnestra - appeared in the audience, men are said to have shrieked and fainted, with pregnant women miscarrying on the spot. Read more

For courses in Literature for Composition, Writing About Literature, and Introduction to Literature. This version of   Literature and the Writing Process has been updated to reflect the 8th Edition of the MLA Handbook (April 2016)* Great literature as a path to learning writing and critical-thinking skills Great literature is always thought provoking, always new — why not use it to improve students’ writing skills and sharpen critical thinking?  Literature and the Writing Process  combines an introductory anthology with detailed instruction in the writing process. By seamlessly integrating literature and composition into one multi-purpose text, the authors enable students to enjoy, understand, and learn from imaginative literature — and to write clearly and intelligently about what they have learned. Text writing assignments use literature as a tool of critical thought, a method for analysis, and a way of communicating ideas. Careful integration of rhetorical instruction with the critical study of literature guides students through the allied processes of analytical reading and argumentative writing.  As a result, students learn how to write essays about the major features that are involved in interpreting short stories, poems, and plays. * The 8th Edition introduces sweeping changes to the philosophy and details of MLA works cited entries. Responding to the “increasing mobility of texts,” MLA now encourages writers to focus on the process of crafting the citation, beginning with the same questions for any source. These changes, then, align with current best practices in the teaching of writing which privilege inquiry and critical thinking over rote recall and rule-following.

Thoroughly revised and expanded for a new generation of readers, this classic guide to enjoying literature to its fullest—a lively, enlightening, and entertaining introduction to a diverse range of writing and literary devices that enrich these works, including symbols, themes, and contexts—teaches you how to make your everyday reading experience richer and more rewarding.While books can be enjoyed for their basic stories, there are often deeper literary meanings beneath the surface. How to Read Literature Like a Professor helps us to discover those hidden truths by looking at literature with the practiced analytical eye—and the literary codes—of a college professor.What does it mean when a protagonist is traveling along a dusty road? When he hands a drink to his companion? When he’s drenched in a sudden rain shower? Thomas C. Foster provides answers to these questions as he explores every aspect of fiction, from major themes to literary models, narrative devices, and form. Offering a broad overview of literature—a world where a road leads to a quest, a shared meal may signify a communion, and rain, whether cleansing or destructive, is never just a shower—he shows us how to make our reading experience more intellectually satisfying and fun.The world, and curricula, have changed. This third edition has been thoroughly revised to reflect those changes, and features new chapters, a new preface and epilogue, as well as fresh teaching points Foster has developed over the past decade. Foster updates the books he discusses to include more diverse, inclusive, and modern works, such as Angie Thomas’s The Hate U Give; Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven; Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere; Elizabeth Acevedo’s The Poet X; Helen Oyeyemi's Mr. Fox and Boy, Snow, Bird; Sandra Cisneros’s The House on Mango Street; Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God; Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet; Madeline Miller’s Circe; Pat Barker’s The Silence of the Girls; and Tahereh Mafi’s A Very Large Expanse of Sea. Read more

The major texts of Western culture are a gateway to wisdom that can widen your views on self and society in enduring ways. The extraordinary body of literature given us by writers from antiquity to the present day, as Professor Weinstein notes, "is potent stuff, serving not only as transcription of history but also as a verbal Pandora's box, capable of shedding light on those transactions which remain in the dark for many of us: love, death, fear, desire. We are talking about more than artful language; we are talking about the life of the past and the life of the world." It is truly a monumental legacy. And now you can examine its most important works - whether drama, poetry, or narrative - in this series of 64 penetrating lectures that reveal astonishing common ground. You'll see how this award-winning teacher uses several different analytical perspectives, including Feminism, Marxism, Freudianism, Deconstruction, Postmodernism, and New Historicism, to give us fresh insight into persisting human themes like rites of passage; the "fit" or "misfit" between self and society; the creation of an identity; and the play, weight, and presence of the past in understanding our present. You learn how drama makes visible the conflicts and wars of culture in ways other forms cannot manage. How poetry can go to the heart of human existence with a purity and power akin to surgery, bidding us to challenge and change the way we usually do business. And how narrative can tell life stories in ways that enable a possession of that life that is hardly imaginable any other way. Read more

The acclaimed author of Lolita offers unique insight into works by James Joyce, Franz Kafka, Jane Austen, and others—with an introduction by John Updike.In the 1940s, when Vladimir Nabokov first embarked on his academic career in the United States, he brought with him hundreds of original lectures on the authors he most admired. For two decades those lectures served as the basis for Nabokov’s teaching, first at Wellesley and then at Cornell, as he introduced undergraduates to the delights of great fiction.This volume collects Nabokov’s famous lectures on Western European literature, with analysis and commentary on Charles Dickens’s Bleak House, Gustav Flaubert’s Madame Bovary, Marcel Proust’s The Walk by Swann’s Place, Robert Louis Stevenson’s “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” and other works. Edited and with a Foreword by Fredson Bowers. Read more