IN THE BEGINNING: CREATION MYTHS FROM AROUND THE WORLD is a beautifully illustrated and informative collection of creation stories from 15 cultures, using indigenous sources. These stories demonstrate that creation is ongoing, everywhere and always, and that all of us are creators all of the time. This engaging book of images and stories is ultimately about creativity in all its forms. Originally an exhibition, IN THE BEGINNING has appeared in museums, galleries, churches, and schools in several U.S. cities. An audio version of the book, in which the myths are read by Amy Walker, is available from Findhorn Press.

Chantel, Adam, Holly and Owen are eager to begin the next stage of their adventure. "The Stones have stirred," Ava, Hawkwoman and Wise One, tell Owen, "The time is near for the Circle Dance." The stones are the ancient stone circle of Avebury in England. But the Dark Being approaches, and her servant, a wraith, blocks the children’s progress. When Ava is hurt, the children are thrown back on their own resources. They must discover the ritual that will release the circlet. Each child has a part to play in finding the circlet and holding back the Dark Being.

Guest-edited by Agostino De Rosa, Alessio Bortot and Francesco Bergamo Penumbra, from the Latin paene (almost) and umbra (shadow), can be defined as an intermediate zone of transition between light and shadow. Penumbra is therefore that space, both physical and imaginary, where everything is possible: it is the place of the uncanny, where presence and/or absence can produce wonder or horror. This AD positions the presence of this archetype in the contemporary world of architecture, investigating the ways it permeates different expressive forms – from critical theory to architectural drawing, from design and planning to photography. The contributors illustrate and discuss how penumbra has shaped their creativity and modified their approach to the design process. As a physical phenomenon, penumbra has supra-historical and global connotations; nonetheless, different cultures elaborate its symbolism in different ways. Its wide semantic spectrum powerfully inspires creative forms that hover between fullness and emptiness, presence and absence, past and future. The critical perspectives in this issue offer a wide analysis of penumbra’s expressive potential and the key to an in-depth understanding of this elusive layer of reality. Contributors: Matthias Bärmann, Silvia Benedito, Filippo Bricolo, Edwin Carels, Javier Corvalán, Dris Kettani, Stephen Kite, Giancarlo Mazzanti, Akira Mizuta Lippit, Susanna Pisciella, Renato Rizzi, Paul O Robinson, and Antonella Soldaini. Featured architects and artists: Alexander Savvich Brodsky, Neri&Hu studio, Quay Brothers, Ursula Schulz-Dornburg, and Marco Tirelli.

The book is a chronological reading of Alexander Pope’s poems, from the Pastorals (1709) to the four-book Dunciad (1743). Each of the 26 chapters forming the volume selects examples for detailed scrutiny, demonstrating how close reading can generate understanding of a whole poem and how critical appraisal can build into a creative survey of an entire poetic career. The book’s approach is intended to be both scholarly and accessible and 'Wit's Wild Dancing Light' will be of interest to scholars, students and anybody interested in Pope’s masterful poetry.

What is the place of materiality—the expression or condition of physical substance—in our visual age of rapidly changing materials and media? How is it fashioned in the arts or manifested in virtual forms? In Surface, cultural critic and theorist Giuliana Bruno deftly explores these questions, seeking to understand materiality in the contemporary world. Arguing that materiality is not a question of the materials themselves but rather the substance of material relations, Bruno investigates the space of those relations, examining how they appear on the surface of different media—on film and video screens, in gallery installations, or on the skins of buildings and people. The object of visual studies, she contends, goes well beyond the image and engages the surface as a place of contact between people and art objects. As Bruno threads through these surface encounters, she unveils the fabrics of the visual—the textural qualities of works of art, whether manifested on canvas, wall, or screen. Illuminating the modern surface condition, she notes how façades are becoming virtual screens and the art of projection is reinvented on gallery walls. She traverses the light spaces of artists Robert Irwin, James Turrell, Tacita Dean, and Anthony McCall; touches on the textured surfaces of Isaac Julien’s and Wong Kar-wai’s filmic screens; and travels across the surface materiality in the architectural practices of Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Herzog & de Meuron to the art of Doris Salcedo and Rachel Whiteread, where the surface tension of media becomes concrete. In performing these critical operations on the surface, she articulates it as a site in which different forms of mediation, memory, and transformation can take place. Surveying object relations across art, architecture, fashion, design, film, and new media, Surface is a magisterial account of contemporary visual culture.

Death is only the Beginning. Nivian's job is simple. Protect the balance of life and death above all else, even her own existence. So when the sudden and lingering dark presence makes her question if death is coming for her, Nivian is determined to be the hunter, not the hunted. An unknown force is threatening the balance and putting all of existence at risk Tension breaks out between the Watchers and the Dark Guardians with each shift, threatening everything. A struggle for power leads to unimaginable consequences that will endanger everything they’ve all been working to protect, with Nivian caught in the middle. Betrayal will take everything when Nivian is forced to make a choice that will forever alter everyone’s destinies.

A mix of experiences that you will feel, emotions to make you smile, cry, laugh, and sometimes, weep. Who knows where my poems may take you or what emotions you will feel. The Journey has just begun and will venture through the many unpublished poems yet to come. Some will make you think in thought-provoking ways, others will astound you with the twists. Other poems will make you relate to the experiences you may have had or felt in situations of your life. So the journey begins.

Looking for that open door Slightly ajar to begin with, we are all looking for and finding goals slightly out of grasp Losing a grip of a loosely held clasp And in the end losing it all, watching it all slip away in the reality of the cold light of day Isn't life like that? Terry Powell has been penning poetry for nearly twenty years. Now he shares the entirety of his work in one collection that offers inspiration for everyone. Powell’s diverse poems reflect on his personal experiences, true events, and moments in time. He explores a variety of subjects and themes that include naughty children, the deliciousness of chocolate, an old, forbidding house, the climb up a craggy mountain face, the joys of first love, the spectacular colors of the autumn season, and the veteran soldiers who helped transform the course of history. Anthology of My Own Poems shares the entirety of one man’s original writings as he lyrically explores his experiences, thoughts, and life itself.

Do you hunger to have a deep, personal relationship with God. Do you long to know more of His character? Do you need to find more of His peace, love, and mercy? Do you want more strength to face the challenges and trials of life and emerge victorious? God is so awesome it is impossible to confine Him to mere words. No two people relate the same way to God, and God is fresh in His dealings with each individual. Yet His character is constant and eternal, the same yesterday, today, and forever. We glean foremost from His Word but also by the insights of others, inspired by the Holy Spirit, to discover His Workings in the lives of mankind. These can be beams of light on our own pathway through life. The first part of this book attempts to capture a fragment of Who God is in poetry and verse. The second part is stories from the life of the author and her ancestors which proclaim God in every day living. God is to be in every part and aspect of life, and this book relates stories of life's joys, sorrows, heartrending trials, triumphs, and special times with God, as well as the mundane and the funny happenings of living. There are also poems of God's hand in nature outside the author's backdoor. To proclaim God, you must also live God. This book presents not only His Word but also how His Word can be applied to real-life situations and God's faithfulness throughout generations.

An Ancient Evil A Promised King A World Besieged Mhorag’s name is whispered in every land. For some there is no greater dread; for others no greater hope. But in this new age of rage and wonder, what is hope? In growing darkness, Sgarrwrath’s quest for domination of the world is interrupted by these whispers and prayers, and stars aligning to reveal the Living Flame. All hangs in the balance as the forbidden desire that started it all culminates in a battle of wills that will darken the stars, shatter the Sun and raise the dead.