· 1999
"[This work] will represent the principal study of ancient Greek beliefs in the intervention of the dead, a topic of acute relevance to the study of classical literature, Greek religion, and the later cultures that spawned curse tablets and versions of Christianity."—David Frankfurter, author of Religion in Roman Egypt "This is an incontestably useful book. . . . The author's scholarship is remarkable and her competence indisputable. Her laudably courageous and original analysis of the Erinyes leads us from archaic poetry, via the purificatory rituals and reforms of cult brought about by the mysterious Epimenides, to the Orphic tradition recently discovered in the Derveni papyrus—all of which enables Sarah Johnston to conclude by proposing an enthralling rereading of Aeschylus' Oresteia."—Philippe Borgeaud, author of The Cult of Pan in Ancient Greece
· 2007
Introducing a dramatic new chapter to American Indian literary history, this book brings to the public for the first time the complete writings of the first known American Indian literary writer, Jane Johnston Schoolcraft (her English name) or Bamewawagezhikaquay (her Ojibwe name), Woman of the Sound the Stars Make Rushing Through the Sky (1800-1842). Beginning as early as 1815, Schoolcraft wrote poems and traditional stories while also translating songs and other Ojibwe texts into English. Her stories were published in adapted, unattributed versions by her husband, Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, a founding figure in American anthropology and folklore, and they became a key source for Longfellow's sensationally popular The Song of Hiawatha. As this volume shows, what little has been known about Schoolcraft's writing and life only scratches the surface of her legacy. Most of the works have been edited from manuscripts and appear in print here for the first time. The Sound the Stars Make Rushing Through the Sky presents a collection of all Schoolcraft's extant writings along with a cultural and biographical history. Robert Dale Parker's deeply researched account places her writings in relation to American Indian and American literary history and the history of anthropology, offering the story of Schoolcraft, her world, and her fascinating family as reinterpreted through her newly uncovered writing. This book makes available a startling new episode in the history of American culture and literature.
· 2024
Reprint of the original, first published in 1881.
Feral pigeons are among the most familiar and abundant birds in the world, urban creatures living in close association with humans yet possessing the characteristics of highly adapted wild birds. However, they are seldom studied, even though the domesticated pigeon has long been one of the major bird models for laboratory research. This definitive monograph focuses on the population, biology, and behavioral ecology of feral pigeons, including a thorough listing of primary references of U.S. and European scholarly literature. Professional and amateur ornithologists, pigeon breeders, and students will find this an invaluable and fascinating study of a species that has evolved from familiar breeds of domesticated birds.
· 2024
To Have and to Hold by Mary Johnston is a captivating historical romance set in 17th-century Colonial Virginia. The novel explores the complexities of love and family drama against the backdrop of early American frontier life. It follows the journey of settlers as they navigate the challenges and adventures of establishing a new life in colonial America. The story intertwines a passionate love affair with the broader social conflicts and struggles of the time. As characters confront personal and societal obstacles, Johnston crafts a rich narrative that highlights the resilience and determination required to thrive in the harsh yet promising landscape of early Virginia. Through vivid depictions of frontier life and the evolving dynamics of colonial society, To Have and to Hold offers readers an immersive experience into the historical and emotional challenges faced by its characters, making it a compelling addition to historical fiction.
· 2009
Religious beliefs and practices, which permeated all aspects of life in antiquity, traveled well-worn routes throughout the Mediterranean: itinerant charismatic practitioners peddled their skills as healers, purifiers, cursers, and initiators; and vessels decorated with illustrations of myths traveled with them. This collection of essays, drawn from the groundbreaking reference work Religion in the Ancient World, offers an expansive, comparative perspective on this complex spiritual world.
· 1993
This relatively short book is widely regarded as the best on the apparition of Our Lady in 1531 in Mexico City. Tells the complete story, from the Conquest of Mexico and the conversion of the Aztecs, through the development of the devotion and into the modern era. Shows that the picture is not a painting, but more like a photograph, and how under normal circumstances it should have disintegrated in 20 or 30 years. Describes several miracles that saved it and the remarkable power of the devotion. An enthralling story and an essential devotion.
· 2004
"As the first substantial investigation of commercial art in China, Selling Happiness explains how the early twentieth century Chinese public came in accept Western style art as mainstream and the heretofore ignored process by which the Chinese art world became (in some sectors at least) thoroughly cosmopolitan. A monumental study of the most important genre of modern Chinese commercial art, this volume will appeal not only to historians of Chinese art but also to those interested in literary, economic, and social history. It will be an essential resource for comparative studies of visual culture."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved