heartfelt effusions from a modern minstrel wandering in babylon

Fieldwork extending over a thirty-year period provided materials for this book. Paths and Rivers offers an unusually deep and broad picture of the Sa’dan Toraja as a society in dynamic transition over the course of the past century. The Toraja inhabit the mountainous highlands of South Sulawesi, Indonesia, and are well known for their dramatic architecture, their unusual cliff burials, and their flamboyant ceremonial life, which places extraordinary economic demands on individuals and families. The analysis is informed, firstly, by a comparative perspective which sets Toraja social structure in the context of the Austronesian world. Secondly, the author delves deeply into Toraja social memory to show how people think about the past. She examines the usefulness of history and myth in the present as a source of identity, a template for action, or a resource by means of which to claim precedence. The book gives a clear picture of the structure and ethos of the indigenous Toraja religion, the Aluk To Dolo or "Way of the Ancestors", with its complex cycle of rituals. The book concludes with an analysis of the ceremonial economy, which draws upon both domestic subsistence production and the global market economy. Paths and Rivers draws together a fascinating picture of one society’s journey into modernity.

The infatuation that is born within me is to express myself using the medium of poetry. To stir your heart and mind with a graceful sound. Not relating a sense of being very profound. Rather, to convey a message with meaning, rhythm, and rhyme. Writing about life's experiences that involves people of all different kinds. It's about my awareness of the creation around. And showing my appreciation for such things in my written expression by means of poetry.

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. "These deceptively simple lines from the title poem of this collection suggest Robert Frost at his most representative: the language is simple, clear and colloquial, yet dense with meaning and wider significance. Drawing upon everyday incidents, common situations and rural imagery, Frost fashioned poetry of great lyrical beauty and potent symbolism. Now a selection of the best of his early works is available in this volume, originally published in 1916 under the title Mountain Interval. Included are many moving and expressive poems: "An Old Man's Winter Night," "In the Home Stretch," "Meeting and Passing," "Putting In the Seed," "A Time to Talk," "The Hill Wife," "The Exposed Nest," "The Sound of Trees" and more. All are reprinted here complete and unabridged. Includes a selection from the Common Core State Standards Initiative: "The Road Not Taken."

Adolescent novel about the agony and heartache of being in love. The author has worked as a teacher, librarian and lecturer and has published many novels as well as short stories and poetry.

more heartfelt effusions from one of the last of the old-fashioned bards. get them while you can!

Master storyteller, Lana Skauge, invites us to travel to fantastical worlds where courage is essential to meet change and move forward. This emotionally uplifting and thought-provoking collection of stories and poems is Lana’s fourth in the much-loved constellation of her works. Stories/Poems: Prelude by Sally V Truss Introduction by Lana Skauge The Pruner Because I was There Sacred Nobody’s Business Busana Interlude She Walked Away Sanali Interlude The Path Pax Interlude The Dance Drag, Shuffle, Bump The Teller About the Author: Lana Skauge has been a professional actor/singer since 1979. Twenty-three one woman shows later with eleven plays to her credit, Lana continues to paint her visions with a unique style combining ritualized gesture and words that are both spoken and sung. She has toured throughout Canada and the UK, is a recording artist and devotes her life to the creation of story. And it is all possible because long ago Glad Skauge (Lana’s Mom) told her that she could. Advance Praise: I devoured Lana’s book. It is wonderful. - Jim Brewer, writer/director Through masterful storytelling, Lana transports us to a new world, Lunasun. A fresh take on the role of mother, sister, and mentor - I highly recommend it. - Samantha Whelan Kotkas, producer/musician May her stories live in the Hall of Records forever. - Winn Bray Rathbun, playwright ... at times mythical, yet always recognizable, she nourishes the soul, never afraid to lay the heart open. - Weyman Chan, poet

There was no question that this author looked up to the United Kingdom as his mother country, where he emigrated to, at the age of 26. Although Ceylon, his actual birthplace gained independence from the British Empire when he was just 12 years old (1948). At secondary school he regularly won the class prize for English and contributed stories and essays not only to the college magazine, but also to the children’s pages of local daily newspapers. Under the title ‘Rudderless Living’ the author paints a succinct autobiographical picture of the main events of his nomadic life. ‘Overland’ describes not only a trio’s trip by car to Mumbai, India, starting from Cambridge, UK, but also refers to important background events in the author’s life. Over the years he had been writing short stories merely as a hobby, and the reader can expect a wide variety of real life events, as well as futuristic fables, in this collection. His poems were mostly written after he retired to Spain, and reflects his daily life there. A few of his poems won recognition as ‘Honorable Mentions’ at various competitions. ‘A Literary Smorgasbord’ is the product of his literary heritage exhibiting an undoubted mastery of the English language. Although he did not succeed in attending the then one and only University of Ceylon, he later gained academic qualifications from the University of London, and worked as an occupational psychologist until retirement age. As assessed by British Mensa he has an IQ falling within the top 3% of the population. There is no question that this is reflected in the essays, stories and poems so uniquely presented in this volume, ‘A Literary Smorgasbord’. A worthy read. (c. 280 words)