Gay life has become increasingly open in the last decade. In Beyond the Closet , Steven Seidman, a well-known author and leading scholar in sexuality, is the first to chronicle this lifestyle change and to look at the lives of contemporary gays and lesbians to see how their "out" status has changed. This compelling, well-written, and smart account is an important step forward for the gay and lesbian community.

A collection of essays that demonstrate how LGBT people played critical roles in local, state, and national politics In the 1970s, queer Americans demanded access not only to health and social services but also to mainstream Democratic and Republican Party politics. The AIDS crisis of the 1980s made the battles for access to welfare, health care, and social services for HIV-positive Americans, many of them gay men, a critically important story in the changing relationship between sexual minorities and the government. The 1980s and 1990s marked a period in which religious right attacks on the civil rights of minorities, including LGBT people, offered opportunities for activists to create campaigns that could mobilize a base in mainstream politics and contribute to the gradual legitimization of sexual minorities in American society. Beyond the Politics of the Closet features essays by historians whose work on LGBT history delves into the decades between the mid-1970s and the millennium, a period in which the relationship between activist networks, the state, capitalism, and political parties became infinitely more complicated. Examining the crucial relationship between sexuality, race, and class, the volume highlights the impact gay rights politics and activism have had on the wider American political landscape since the rights revolutions of the 1960s. The three sections of Beyond the Politics of the Closet conceptualize LGBT politics both chronologically and thematically. The first section highlights the ways in which the immediate post-rights revolution period created new demands on the part of sexual minorities for social services, especially in health care and housing. The second examines the impact of the AIDS crisis on different aspects of national and local LGBT politics. The last section considers how analyzing LGBT politics can reorient our understanding of "the closet" and illuminate the challenges for those seeking to integrate questions of sexual rights into broader political narratives, whether of the left or the right. Contributors: Ian M. Baldwin, Katie Batza, Jonathan Bell, Julio Capó, Jr., Rachel Guberman, Clayton Howard, Kevin Mumford, Dan Royles, Timothy Stewart-Winter

The Bioshock series looms large in the industry and culture of video games for its ambitious incorporation of high-minded philosophical questions and retro-futuristic aesthetics into the ultraviolent first-person shooter genre. Beyond the Sea marks ten years since the release of the original game with an interdisciplinary collection of essays on Bioshock, Bioshock 2, and Bioshock Infinite. Simultaneously lauded as landmarks in the artistic growth of the medium and criticized for their compromised vision and politics, the Bioshock games have been the subject of significant scholarly and critical discussion. Moving past well-trodden debates, Beyond the Sea broadens the conversation by putting video games in dialogue with a diverse range of other disciplines and cultural forms, from parenting psychology to post-humanism, from Thomas Pynchon to German expressionist cinema. Offering bold new perspectives on a canonical series, Beyond the Sea is a timely contribution to our understanding of the aesthetics, the industry, and the culture of video games. Contributors include Daniel Ante-Contreras (Miracosta), Luke Arnott (Western Ontario), Betsy Brey (Waterloo), Patrick Brown (Iowa), Michael Fuchs (Graz), Jamie Henthorn (Catawba), Brendan Keogh (Queensland), Cameron Kunzelman (Georgia), Cody Mejeur (Michigan State), Matthew Thomas Payne (Notre Dame), Gareth Schott (Waikato), Karen Schrier (Marist), Sarah Stang (York/Ryerson), Sarah Thorne (Carleton), John Vanderhoef (California State, Dominguez Hills), Matthew Wysocki (Flagler), Jordan R. Youngblood (Eastern Connecticut State), and Sarah Zaidan (Emerson).

Sailor flees her home to avoid an attack by gang members. She stashes herself in the garage of her neighbor, Timi, who invents equipment at a military black site and who also tinkers in his garage. One of the gang members, Rocky, tails her into the garage, so Sailor takes her chances with Timi’s invisibility device still under development instead of facing the gang’s violence. Rather than become invisible, Sailor transports to a world, Notia, in another universe, but Rocky pursues her there. The ruler or caretaker for that territory, Slick, dips into the minds of all living creatures as easily as dipping a toe into water. Meanwhile, Timi supposes his device killed his neighbor, so he struggles with ironing out the final kinks in it while his boss, the colonel, schemes to get his hands on it. Sailor’s driving urge to return home pales with the possible military invasion of Notia by the colonel. Compounding that with the decimation of Earth as well leaves Sailor, Timi, and Slick as the only three to avert the destruction of two worlds. The story celebrates individualism and friendship. It also challenges the notion that striving toward a goal is the only way to reach it. As Slick says, “A better strategy sometimes is to escape what binds you to your particular rut, break through the barriers restraining you, so to speak, and then your paths to possibilities open up.”

The Devil Wears Prada meets Steel Magnolias in this fictionalized account of the real-life rise of Kathleen Flynn-Hui, star of the hot Manhattan Salon AKS. Welcome to Jean-Luc, New Yorks hottest salon of the minute, where high above Madison Avenue, Georgia Watkinsstar coloristtends to the hair of socialites, actresses, models and moguls.Georgia wasnt born to the Manhattan elite, but she was born to color hair; back in rural New Hampshire, her single mother struggled to pay rent on her own small-town beauty parlor and keep her family afloat. But Georgia wanted more. And so, after a stint at Wilfred Academy, Georgia landed a job at Jean-Luc and moved to New York City. Thrust into a glitzy, glittering over-the-top world, Georgia finds herself highlighting dogs hair to match that of their owners, making house calls to the Hamptons, and barely batting a well-groomed eyelash at a thousand dollar tip. A rising star in the salon, Georgia is far too busy for romance or even a day offuntil she finds that her quiet, handsome colleague Massimo has more to offer than styling pointers.But when Jean-Luc betrays them, Georgia finds her loyalty and her love are put to the test, and she must depend on the most unlikely sources to help her navigate the ugly side of the world of beauty.

Some of Janice Romneys earliest memories bring back painful images of sexual abuse, and the guilt and turmoil from that abuse at age five carried throughout her life. In Beyond the Power of Love, Romney narrates her life story from the perspective of a mother and woman who lived through abuse, divorce, marriage, transformation, and fallen dreamsonly to discover the healing power of love. In this new revision of her earlier book, Beneath Wings of Angel, she provides firsthand insight deep into the heart of a disturbing and terrifying world of abuse. She shares a journey filled with heartbreaking challenges as she moves from domestic violence to freedom. Even with its difficulties, however, her story is one of great healing, faith, and love.

FBI Agency brass and Sullivan family connections force Special Agent Bobbie Leighton into an undercover operation with inactive Homicide Detective Joe Sullivan. Posing as a wealthy Texas cattleman and his arm-candy wife the two are assigned to infiltrate Bradley Sterling's black-market operation. Suspected of baby trafficking, Sterling may be connected with Jimmy Sullivan's murder. How do Bobbie and Joe adhere to their professional code of conduct living under the same roof? Can they forget their personal history, ignore their volatile feelings for each other and ensnare their target when they might be next on Sterling's victims list

The book in question explores the complex nature of the human mind, perception, and consciousness. It starts by discussing the model of the mind and how it influences our perception of reality. The author then goes on to suggest that reality is akin to a video game, and understanding this concept is crucial for personal growth. The book delves into the importance of shadow work. The author suggests that it is only by facing these shadow aspects that we can move toward self-actualization and inner peace. Additionally, the book explores the source of consciousness and how it can be affected. Overall, this book provides valuable insights into the complexities of the mind and consciousness, offering practical guidance for those seeking personal growth and inner transformation.

Early in my life, the written word took on a special meaning to me. It became my way of describing events, people, places, and most of all, feelings. It was also a way to collect old memories and preserve them with the words. This book contains a collection of such poems and prose. Some are very light in humor. They may poke a little fun at what is transpiring or even at me. All are based on the real happenings that I have encountered along life’s way. Others are more serious. These are the poems that try to capture the feelings surrounding a particular occasion. Some merely just pose questions—questions that may or may not have answers. Nonetheless, all are representative of the dreams and challenges of the writer. As such, some may offer comfort and/or solace, but all will certainly lead the reader to their own understanding. Capturing the reflections of life is not a simple task. But when the words come from the heart, they are written in a language that all can comprehend. From that which is the most beautiful or joyous, to that which may be the most frightening, we all live by way of our feelings. These are poems about life from the beginnings to its end. Along the way there are a multitude of events that shape our very beings. The poems selected for this book are meant to reflect the feelings we have as we go through life’s journey.