Popular culture Books

Book SynopsisOffers a critical examination of children's and YA comics. The anthology is divided into five sections: structure and narration; transmedia; pedagogy; gender and sexuality; and identity, that reflect crucial issues and recurring topics in comics scholarship during the twenty-first century. The contributors are likewise drawn from a diverse array of disciplines.

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Book SynopsisContributions by Jerold J. Abrams, José Alaniz, John Carey, Maurice Charney, Peter Coogan, Joe Cruz, Phillip Lamarr Cunningham, Stefan Danter, Adam Davidson-Harden, Randy Duncan, Stephen Graham Jones, Richard Hall, Richard Heldenfels, Alberto Hermida, Víctor Hernández-Santaolalla, A. G. Holdier, Tiffany Hong, Siegfried Kracauer, Naja Later, Ryan Litsey, Tara Lomax, Tony Magistrale, Matthew McEniry, Cait Mongrain, Grant Morrison, Robert Moses Peaslee, David D. Perlmutter, W. D. Phillips, Jared Poon, Duncan Prettyman, Vladimir Propp, Noriko T. Reider, Robin S. Rosenberg, Hannah Ryan, Lennart Soberon, J. Richard Stevens, Lars Stoltzfus-Brown, John N. Thompson, Dan Vena, and Robert G. WeinerThe Supervillain Reader, featuring both reprinted and original essays, reveals why we are so fascinated with the villain. The obsession with the villain is not a new phenomenon, and, in fact, one finds villains who are 'super' going as far back as ancient religious and myt

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Book SynopsisContributions by Joshua T. Anderson, Chad A. Barbour, Susan Bernardin, Mike Borkent, Jeremy M. Carnes, Philip Cass, Jordan Clapper, James J. Donahue, Dennin Ellis, Jessica Fontaine, Jonathan Ford, Lee Francis IV, Enrique García, Javier García Liendo, Brenna Clarke Gray, Brian Montes, Arij Ouweneel, Kevin Patrick, Candida Rifkind, Jessica Rutherford, and Jorge SantosCultural works by and about Indigenous identities, histories, and experiences circulate far and wide. However, not all films, animation, television shows, and comic books lead to a nuanced understanding of Indigenous realities.Acclaimed comics scholar Frederick Luis Aldama shines light on how mainstream comics have clumsily distilled and reconstructed Indigenous identities and experiences. He and contributors emphasize how Indigenous comic artists are themselves clearing new visual-verbal narrative spaces for articulating more complex histories, cultures, experiences, and narratives of self.

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Book SynopsisContributions by Lauren R. Carmacci, Keridiana Chez, Kate Glassman, John Granger, Marie Schilling Grogan, Beatrice Groves, Tolonda Henderson, Nusaiba Imady, Cecilia Konchar Farr, Juliana Valadão Lopes, Amy Mars, Christina Phillips-Mattson, Patrick McCauley, Jennifer M. Reeher, Jonathan A. Rose, and Emily Strand Despite their decades-long, phenomenal success, the Harry Potter novels have attracted relatively little attention from literary critics and scholars. While popular books, articles, blogs, and fan sites for general readers proliferate, and while philosophers, historians, theologians, sociologists, psychologists, and even business professors have taken on book-length studies and edited essay collections about Harry Potter, literature scholars, outside of the children''s books community, have paid few serious visits to the Potterverse. Could it be that scholars are still reluctant to recognize popular novels, especially those with genre labels children''s literat

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Book SynopsisOutside the world of children''s literature studies, children''s books by authors of well-known texts for adults are often forgotten or marginalized. Although many adults today read contemporary children''s and young adult fiction for pleasure, others continue to see such texts as unsuitable for older audiences, and they are unlikely to cross-read children''s books that were themselves cross-written by authors like Chinua Achebe, Anita Desai, Joy Harjo, or Amy Tan. Meanwhile, these literary voices have produced politically vital works of children''s literature whose complex themes persist across boundaries of expected audience. These works form part of a larger body of activist writing for children that has long challenged preconceived notions about the seriousness of such books and ideas about who, in fact, should read them. They Also Write for Kids: Cross-Writing, Activism, and Children''s Literature seeks to draw these cross-writing projects together and bring them to th

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Book SynopsisA legendary figure of underground comix, Robert Williams (b. 1943) is an important social chronicler of American popular culture. The interviews assembled in in this volume attest to his rhetorical powers, which match the high level of energy evident in his underground comix and action-filled canvases.

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Book SynopsisArtists are everywhere, from celebrities showing at MoMA to locals hoping for a spot on a café wall. They are photographed at gallery openings in New York and Los Angeles, hustle in fast-gentrifying cities, and, sometimes, make quiet lives in Midwestern monasteries. Some command armies of fabricators while others patiently teach schoolchildren how to finger-knit. All of these artists might well be shown in the same exhibition, the quality of work far more important than education or income in determining whether one counts as a "real" artist. In The Work of Art, Alison Gerber explores these art worlds to investigate who artists are (and who they're not), why they do the things they do, and whether a sense of vocational calling and the need to make a living are as incompatible as we've been led to believe. Listening to the stories of artists from across the United States, Gerber finds patterns of agreements and disagreements shared by art-makers from all walks of life. For professionals and hobbyists alike, the alliance of love and money has become central to contemporary art-making, and danger awaits those who fail to strike a balance between the two. The stories artists tell are just as much a part of artistic practice as putting brush to canvas or chisel to marble. By explaining the shared ways that artists account for their activities—the analogies they draw, the arguments they make—Gerber reveals the common bases of value artists point to when they say: what I do is worth doing. The Work of Art asks how we make sense of the things we do and shows why all this talk about value matters so much.Trade Review"The Work of Art offers an intimate investigation of the economics of earning a living making art: where the money comes from and where it goes, and how artists justify, to themselves and others, their strategies for supporting their work. Alison Gerber makes a solid contribution to sociology, to economics, and to our understanding of the practicalities of an artistic career."—Howard S. Becker, author of Art Worlds"Alison Gerber's The Work of Art is a welcome treatment of how artists develop their self-conceptions and their production practices. This account expands our insight into a cutting edge area of economic and cultural sociology, examining the art world where questions of valuation and good work are highly salient, and provides an exciting approach to how material objects are given value. Personal and powerful, Gerber's work will alter how those who care about the lives of artists think about the role of money and identity in the creative process."—Gary Alan Fine, author of Everyday Genius"The Work of Art is an important and much-needed contribution to the neglected question of how artists value their work and time. It is a well-written account that paints a nuanced portrait of art as work and pushes forward sociological thinking about valuation, especially in nontraditional employment."—Elise Herrala, American Journal of Sociology"For those who are interested in the practice of art, the art world, and how artists see themselves,The Work of Artprovides a fascinating account with its innovative approach. Revealing that artists ultimately lead 'decommensurated lives,' where they coexist with different and competing values,The Work of Artilluminates how artists make sense of this in their careers and own lives. A wonderful and insightful read not only for artists but for all people who are trying to navigate the values of the market and what it means to be human."––Lee Trapanier, VoegelinView"The Work of Art is an important contribution to the sociology of art, and may also be of great use as a case study in economic sociology. It is a lively and accessible book, and a useful window into a topic that people rarely discuss with the candor elicited in Gerber's ethnographic interviews."—Nicholas P. Dempsey, Social ForcesTable of Contents1. Art Work? 2. The Work of Art 3. Making Cents of Art 4. Making Sense of Art 5. This Way Be Monsters 6. Doing Things with Words 7. The Audit of Venus Methodological Appendix

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Book SynopsisA Next Big Idea Club "Must Read" for December 2023 As all aspects of our social and informational lives increasingly migrate online, the line between what is "real" and what is digitally fabricated grows ever thinner—and that fake content has undeniable real-world consequences. A History of Fake Things on the Internet takes the long view of how advances in technology brought us to the point where faked texts, images, and video content are nearly indistinguishable from what is authentic or true. Computer scientist Walter J. Scheirer takes a deep dive into the origins of fake news, conspiracy theories, reports of the paranormal, and other deviations from reality that have become part of mainstream culture, from image manipulation in the nineteenth-century darkroom to the literary stylings of large language models like ChatGPT. Scheirer investigates the origins of Internet fakes, from early hoaxes that traversed the globe via Bulletin Board Systems (BBSs), USENET, and a new messaging technology called email, to today's hyperrealistic, AI-generated Deepfakes. An expert in machine learning and recognition, Scheirer breaks down the technical advances that made new developments in digital deception possible, and shares behind-the-screens details of early Internet-era pranks that have become touchstones of hacker lore. His story introduces us to the visionaries and mischief-makers who first deployed digital fakery and continue to influence how digital manipulation works—and doesn't—today: computer hackers, digital artists, media forensics specialists, and AI researchers. Ultimately, Scheirer argues that problems associated with fake content are not intrinsic properties of the content itself, but rather stem from human behavior, demonstrating our capacity for both creativity and destruction.Trade Review"There is something bold, perhaps reckless, in preaching serenity from the volcano's edge. But, as Scheirer points out, the doctored-evidence problem isn't new. Our oldest forms of recording—storytelling, writing, and painting—are laughably easy to hack. We've had to find ways to trust them nonetheless."—Daniel Immerwahr, The New Yorker"The Internet is awash in disinformation and conspiracy theories, with AI-generated 'deepfakes' looming on the horizon. A History of Fake Things on the Internet explains how fakes of all kinds have been a central part of Internet history and culture from the beginning. It is essential reading for understanding how we got here and where we are headed."—Sean Lawson, coauthor of Social Engineering: How Crowdmasters, Phreaks, Hackers, and Trolls Created a New Form of Manipulative Communication"In this captivating book, Walter J. Scheirer artfully combines the skills of a cultural critic, historian, and computer scientist to explore the many facets of technological duplicity. Going beyond cliches, the book delves into an array of historical and contemporary cases involving computer hackers, digital artists, media forensics specialists, and AI researchers. By doing so, he unveils how exactly emergent media becomes the basis for myths, falsehoods, and trickery, and with what consequences."—Gabriella Coleman, author of Hacker, Hoaxer, Whistleblower, Spy: The Many Faces of Anonymous"By historicizing fakeness online, Walter J. Scheirer helps readers understand the very real consequences, contexts, and stakes of digital participation. A fascinating study of creativity in all its forms—one that resists binary proclamations about what is good and creative and what is bad and destructive. Instead, the book says yes in many directions."—Whitney Phillips, coauthor of You Are Here: A Field Guide for Navigating Polarized Speech, Conspiracy Theories, and Our Polluted Media Landscape"Drawing on a framework developed by the pioneering anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss in the 1960s, Scheirer argues that humanity always occupies 'two parallel timelines: the physical world (i.e., the historical timeline) and the myth cycle (i.e., a fictional timeline).' Both are indispensable: We are confined to reality, but we cannot confront facts (or even make sense of them) without the salve of fiction."—Becca Rothfeld, Washington PostTable of Contents1. Restyling Reality 2. On the Virtual Frontier of the Imagination 3. Photoshop Fantasies 4. Cheat Codes for Life 5. Speculative Sleuths 6. Virtualized Horror 7. Dreams of a Clairvoyant AI 8. Creative Spaces

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Book SynopsisAn avid gamer and sharp media critic explains meritocracy’s negative contribution to video game culture—and what can be done about it Video games have brought entertainment, education, and innovation to millions, but gaming also has its dark sides. From the deep-bred misogyny epitomized by GamerGate to the endemic malice of abusive player communities, gamer culture has had serious real-world repercussions, ranging from death threats to sexist industry practices and racist condemnations. In The Toxic Meritocracy of Video Games, new media critic and longtime gamer Christopher A. Paul explains how video games’ focus on meritocracy empowers this negative culture. Paul first shows why meritocracy is integral to video-game design, narratives, and values. Games typically valorize skill and technique, and common video-game practices (such as leveling) build meritocratic thinking into the most basic premises. Video games are often assumed to have an even playing field, but they facilitate skill transfer from game to game, allowing certain players a built-in advantage.The Toxic Meritocracy of Video Games identifies deep-seated challenges in the culture of video games—but all is not lost. As Paul argues, similarly meritocratic institutions like professional sports and higher education have found powerful remedies to alleviate their own toxic cultures, including active recruiting and strategies that promote values such as contingency, luck, and serendipity. These can be brought to the gamer universe, Paul contends, ultimately fostering a more diverse, accepting, and self-reflective culture that is not only good for gamers but good for video games as well.Trade Review"Christopher A. Paul is an incisive critic, and The Toxic Meritocracy of Video Games is essential reading for researchers, industry professionals, and players trying to make sense of gaming's culture wars."—Carly A. Kocurek, author of Coin-Operated Americans: Rebooting Boyhood at the Video Game Arcade"Paul offers a compelling and carefully supported argument to deconstruct and reconsider meritocracy in video game culture. An engaging read."—CHOICE "This is a carefully considered book that shines a much-needed light on the toxicity of video game culture and presents some earnest suggestions for how to reform it and the games that inspire it." —First Person ScholarTable of ContentsIntroduction: Growing Up Gamer1. Leveling Up in Life: How Meritocracy Works in Society2. A Toxic Culture: Studying Gaming’s Jerks3. Coding Meritocracy: Norms of Game Design and Narrative4. Judging Skill: From World of Warcraft to Kim Kardashian: Hollywood5. Learning from OthersConclusion: An Obligation to Do BetterAcknowledgmentsNotesGameographyIndex

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Book SynopsisHow the otherworldly worlds created by the author of the Southern Reach Trilogy speak to—and even affect—our own If ever a moment and a writer were made for each other, that time is now and Jeff VanderMeer is that writer. Reaching more and more readers as his fantastic fiction delves deeper and deeper into the true weirdness of our day, VanderMeer presents a unique opportunity to explore the cultural frictions and fault lines in today’s—and tomorrow’s— literary landscape. In the first book-length study of this provocative writer, Benjamin J. Robertson focuses on the three major series that have propelled VanderMeer to prominence (his Vennis fictions, Ambergris novels, and Southern Reach Trilogy) as well as his recent stand-alone novel Borne. Most salient for Robertson is how VanderMeer grapples with the transformation of human meaning and being in the contemporary moment. None of This Is Normal reveals how VanderMeer creates fictions that directly address our Anthropocene epoch, in which humanity must reckon with the unprecedented nature of its impact on the environment and with the consequent obsolescence of its methods of representing itself in this altered world. In Robertson’s reading it becomes startlingly clear that certain fiction, especially when willing to abandon humanist assumptions about history, has the power to not simply show us a world “out there” but to actively participate in that world. As realist fiction and even science fiction conventionally reduce the scale and complexity of the Anthropocene to human-sized dimensions, None of This Is Normal shows how VanderMeer’s work conjures what Robertson calls a “fantastic materiality”: a reality that stands apart from us as a model of thinking, irreducible to our own.Trade Review"None of This Is Normal is the first book-length study of the weird fiction of Jeff VanderMeer. Benjamin J. Robertson not only highlights the beauty and power of VanderMeer's fiction, but also shows how this writing is central to any attempt to think through the plight of humanity in what has come to be called the Anthropocene."—Steven Shaviro, author of The Universe of Things: On Speculative Realism"This spirited book disturbs the new normal of the Anthropocene by way of the ‘New Weird’ in Jeff VanderMeer's fiction. At once a meditation on fantastic materiality and a step toward life after aftermath, this first dedicated study of VanderMeer tells a new story about humans and nonhumans both."—Wai Chee Dimock, Yale University"None of This Is Normal offers readers a rich, extended conversation between VanderMeer and Robertson, pointing out how crucial literary texts are to theorizings of themselves." —American Literary HistoryTable of ContentsIntroduction: All of This Is Normal1. Ambergris Rules: Genre and Materiality in the Anthropocene2. Let Me Tell You about the City: The Veniss Milieu and the Problem of Setting3. No One Makes It Out, There May Be a Way: Ambergris as Words and World4. There Is Nothing but Border. There Is No Border.: Area X and the Weird PlanetConclusion: Life after AftermathAfterwordJeff VanderMeerNotes

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Book SynopsisTraces a tradition of ironic and irreverent environmentalism, asking us to rethink the movement’s reputation for gloom and doomActivists today strive to educate the public about climate change, but sociologists have found that the more we know about alarming issues, the less likely we are to act. Meanwhile, environmentalists have acquired a reputation as gloom-and-doom killjoys. Bad Environmentalism identifies contemporary texts that respond to these absurdities and ironies through absurdity and irony—as well as camp, frivolity, irreverence, perversity, and playfulness. Nicole Seymour develops the concept of “bad environmentalism”: cultural thought that employs dissident affects and sensibilities to reflect critically on our current moment and on mainstream environmental activism. From the television show Wildboyz to the short film series Green Porno, Seymour shows that this tradition of thought is widespread—spanning animation, documentary, fiction film, performance art, poetry, prose fiction, social media, and stand-up comedy since at least 1975. Seymour argues that these texts reject self-righteousness and sentimentality, undercutting public negativity toward activism and questioning basic environmentalist assumptions: that love and reverence are required for ethical relationships with the nonhuman and that knowledge is key to addressing problems like climate change.Funny and original, Bad Environmentalism champions the practice of alternative green politics. From drag performance to Indigenous comedy, Seymour expands our understanding of how environmental art and activism can be pleasurable, even in a time of undeniable crisis.Trade Review"Bad Environmentalism confronts serious environmental problems by way of ‘unserious’ texts. Nicole Seymour takes on complex ideas with lucidity, economy, and a witty sense of humor. Against the familiar affects that tend to characterize both environmentalism and environmental studies—such as awe, love, guilt, reverence, and earnestness—Bad Environmentalism pits less solemn alternatives, including playfulness, impropriety, irreverence, irony, frivolity, and glee. I am a convert. Bad environmentalists, unite!"—Jennifer K. Ladino, author of Reclaiming Nostalgia: Longing for Nature in American Literature"In an era in which environmental crises have been normalized and environmentalists are viewed by many as overly earnest irritants, Nicole Seymour gives us something we crave (even if we’re loathe to admit it!). Bad Environmentalism offers stunningly original, creative, and playful readings of a diverse range of cultural forms, refuses the binaries of eco-purity politics, and advances a hearty support of ambiguity, irreverence, contradiction, humor, and pleasure, while holding firm against the racism and homophobia that often undergird mainstream environmentalist campaigns and logics. This is a challenging, often hilarious, and game-changing book."—David Naguib Pellow, author of What is Critical Environmental Justice? "As it turns out, climate change and the environment can be a laughing matter—at least, at an absurd or satirical level."—Foreword Reviews "Bad Environmentalism stands as an important example of the ways that humanities scholarship can make important interventions into issues of great political importance such as climate change."—LSE Review of Books "A valuable contribution to ecocriticism"—CHOICE "Given the increasingly flawed assumption that environmental knowledge will inevitably lead to action, Seymour’s Bad Environmentalism creates a space to engage with texts and critical approaches that question, ironize, and challenge the limits of environmental knowledge and feeling, and that open up new ways of thinking ecologically."—The Goose "One must give credit to Bad Environmentalism for creating space for such self-reflexivity among political activists, scholars, and students alike."—Social and Cultural Geography "Films... burden the environmental movement with demands for an unattainable and easily critiqued form of perfect environmental morality. Rather, as Bad Environmentalism unswervingly proposes, environmentalists do not need to be perfect. Demands of flawlessness often allow those who deny climate change to consistently define activists as hypocritical when those campaigners drive gas-powered cars to protests, use jet fuel to fly to movie premieres, or load trash bins with protest signs."—Interface "This book was a joy to read. That is not how I feel about anything Wendell Berry or Terry Tempest Williams ever wrote, however, and Nicole Seymour’s aim (in part) is to explain why, and why I should not feel ashamed about it. Environmentalism, she insists, is a performance, and, more often than not, its performance has featured suffocating earnestness, sanctimony, seriousness, and self-righteousness. Bad Environmentalism exposes and challenges this “good affect” by turning attention away from the mainstream and toward “dissident” cultural margins. "—Environmental History "Calling for alternative and expressive environmentalisms, Nicole Seymour’s Bad Environmentalism exposes the limited affects associated with mainstream environmentalism."—ISLE "She has crafted an important book that asks us—but also teaches us—to drop hierarchies of morality and identity and open our eyes to alternative visions of surviving on this planet, equitably, together."—Public Books "I consider Seymour’s analysis a crucial intervention in the privileging of the mainstream environmental messages found in documentaries by Al Gore, James Balog, and others. "—The Year’s Work in Critical and Cultural Theory "A crucial intervention in the privileging of the mainstream environmental messages found in documentaries by Al Gore, James Balog, and others."—Ecocriticism "Nicole Seymour’s Bad Environmentalism: Irony and Irreverence in the Ecological Age offers its archive of “bad environmentalism” to help dismantle the affective and ideological barriers that situate the environment as our sanctified, unfunny, nonhuman Other, one whose moral, ethical, and aesthetic standards we fail to live up to (even as we threaten to destroy it)."—H-Net Reviews "Bad Environmentalism, besides reminding us to check our privilege and our blind spots, gives us permission to employ affective modes that we might, in these troubling times, be tempted to suppress. Perhaps it’s not wrong to laugh as well as cry, even as the Amazon burns. Perhaps we can allow ourselves to be irritated by the sanctimony of some environmentalist voices. "—Ecozon@ "Theoretical in nature, the book never overwhelms the reader with deep dives into critical theorists unfamiliar to historians. Instead, it is funny, enjoyable and a call for a new type of action. "—Not Even Past Table of ContentsIntroduction1. “I’m No Botanist, but . . .”: Irony, Ecocinema, and the Problem of Expert Knowledge2. “So Much to See, So Little to Learn”: Perverting Nature/Wildlife Programming3. Climate Change Is a Drag and Camping Can Be Campy: On Queer Environmental Performance4. Animatronic Indians and Black Folk Who Don’t: Rewriting Racialized Environmental Affect5. Gas-Guzzling, Beer-Chugging, Tree Huggers: Toward Trashy EnvironmentalismsConclusion AcknowledgmentsNotesBibliography Index

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Book SynopsisHow celebrity strategic partnerships are disrupting humanitarian space Can a celebrity be a “disrupter,” promoting strategic partnerships to bring new ideas and funding to revitalize the development field—or are celebrities just charismatic ambassadors for big business? Examining the role of the rich and famous in development and humanitarianism, Batman Saves the Congo argues that celebrities do both, and that understanding why and how yields insight into the realities of neoliberal development. In 2010, entertainer Ben Affleck, known for his superhero performance as Batman, launched the Eastern Congo Initiative to bring a new approach to the region’s development. This case study is central to Batman Saves the Congo. Affleck’s organization operates with special access, diversified funding, and significant support of elites within political, philanthropic, development, and humanitarian circuits. This sets it apart from other development organizations. With his convening power, Affleck has built partnerships with those inside and outside development, staking bipartisan political ground that is neither charity nor aid but “good business.” Such visible and recognizable celebrity humanitarians are occupying the public domain yet not engaging meaningfully with any public, argues Batman Saves the Congo. They are an unruly bunch of new players in development who amplify business solutions. As elite political participants, celebrities shape development practices through strategic partnerships that are both an innovative way to raise awareness and funding for neglected causes and a troubling trend of unaccountable elite leadership in North–South relations. Batman Saves the Congo helps illuminate the power of celebritized business solutions and the development contexts they create. Trade Review "This is an exciting, original, and fascinating book. It’s important not just for what it reveals—the Janus-faced, contradiction-laden nature of celebrity development politics—but for how this work was done. Batman Saves the Congo sets the standard for following high-profile development interventions from the privileged boardrooms where they are conceived to the coffee fields they seek to support. It’s a triumph."—Dan Brockington, author of Celebrity Advocacy and International Development "This is a thoughtful and thought-provoking contribution to current debates on celebrity activism in the humanitarian sector. Using Ben Affleck’s intervention in the Congo, the book offers a razor-sharp analysis of the inner workings of celebrity strategic partnerships as a new entrepreneurial model of aid. More than this, it develops an important criticism of humanitarianism and its entanglement with corporate and entertainment logics that, despite good intentions, work to hide colonial legacies behind the glamour of celebrity stardom."—Lilie Chouliaraki, author of The Ironic Spectator: Solidarity in the Age of Post-Humanitarianism "Thoroughly researched and often laugh-out-loud funny, Batman Saves the Congo is a critically important look at a growing and under-examined — and frequently absurd — segment of the aid industry. "—Washington Post "This is a well-written, entertaining study that deserves a wide audience among readers interested in celebrity humanitarianism and the international politics of development in the Democratic Republic of the Congo."—CHOICE "The book Batman Saves the Congo is deeply researched, utilises a brilliant mix of methods of inquiry, and exposes a complex web of actors engaged in development efforts in the Congo."—Journal of Humanitarian Affairs Table of ContentsContentsAbbreviationsIntroduction: Batman Saves the Congo1. Celebrity, Disruption and Neoliberal Development2. Narrating the Congo: Dangerous Single Stories and the Organizations that Need Them3. Choosing the Congo: How a Celebrity Builds a Development Organization4. Marketing the Congo: Products that Sell Development5. Saving Congolese Coffee: Celebrities and the Business Model for Development6. Celebrities and the Local Politics of Development: As Seen from Kinshasa7. Conclusions on Celebrity and Development: Disruption, Advocacy and CommodificationEpilogue: COVID-19 and Making ECI Relevant AgainAcknowledgmentsAppendix A. Methodology and Data CollectionAppendix B. Affleck, ECI, and ECI Partner’s Interactions with Congress, 2011–2017Appendix C. K&L Gates Lobbying on Behalf of Eastern Congo InitiativeNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisSmart Ball follows Major League Baseball's history as a sport, a domestic monopoly, a neocolonial power, and an international business. MLB's challenge has been to market its popular mythology as the national pastime with pastoral, populist roots while addressing the management challenges of competing with other sports and diversions in a burgeoning global economy. Baseball researcher Robert F. Lewis II argues that MLB for years abused its legal insulation and monopoly status through arrogant treatment of its fans and players and static management of its business. As its privileged position eroded eroded in the face of increased competition from other sports and union resistance, it awakened to its perilous predicament and began aggressively courting athletes and fans at home and abroad. Using a detailed marketing analysis and applying the principles of a ""smart power"" model, the author assesses MLB's progression as a global business brand that continues to appeal to a consumer's sense of an idyllic past in the midst of a fast-paced, and often violent, present.

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Book SynopsisFandom, Now in Color gathers together seemingly contradictory narratives that intersect at the (in)visibility of race/ism in fandom and fan studies. This collection engages the problem by undertaking the different tactics of decolonization - diversifying methodologies, destabilizing canons of 'must-read' scholarship by engaging with multiple disciplines, making whiteness visible but not the default against which all other kinds of racialization must compete, and decentering white fans even in those fandoms where they are the assumed majority. These new narratives concern themselves with a broad swath of media, from cosplay and comics to tabletop roleplay and video games, and fandoms from Jane the Virgin to Japan's K-pop scene. Fandom, Now in Color asserts that no one answer or approach can sufficiently come to grips with the shifting categories of race, racism, and racial identity.Contributors: McKenna Boeckner, Angie Fazekas, Monica Flegel, Elizabeth Hornsby, Katherine Anderson Howell, Carina Lapointe, Miranda Ruth Larsen, Judith Leggatt, Jenni Lehtinen, joan miller, Swati Moitra, Samira Nadkarni, Indira Neill Hoch, Sam Pack, Rukmini Pande, Deepa Sivarajan, Al ValentÍnTrade Review“This anthology integrates critical race and postcolonial theory into fan studies, which assumes whiteness as a default, and begins to set standards for a much-needed foundational change that is made more urgent by the current political climate in which overt racism and white supremacy is making a comeback under Trump.”—Robin Anne Reid, Texas A&M University-Commerce “This collection highlights scholars who are making groundbreaking contributions on race in fan studies. If we are moving toward decolonizing the field, this book will be a great start toward that endeavor in showcasing the quality of critical work being done, and making the issues of race less of a niche subinterest.”—Bertha Chin, coeditor, Crowdfunding the Future: Media Industries, Ethics, and Digital Society

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Book SynopsisHow ideas and ideals of an imagined, protean, national Middle Ages have once again become a convergence point for anxieties about politics, history and cultural identity in our time - and why. After a period of abeyance, the link forged in the nineteenth century between the Middle Ages and national identity is increasingly being reclaimed, with numerous groups and individuals mining an imagined medieval past to present ideas and ideals of modern nationhood. Today's national medievalism asserts itself at the interface of culture and politics: in literature and television programming, in journalism and heritage tourism, and in the way political actors of various stripes use a deep past that supposedly proves the nation's steady exceptionalism in a hectic globalised world. This book traces these ongoing developments in Switzerland and Britain, two countries where the medieval past has recently been much invoked in negotiations of national identity, independence and Euroscepticism. Through comparative analysis, it explores examples of reemerging stories of national exceptionalism - stories that, ironically, echo those of other nations. The author analyses depictions of Robert the Bruce and Wilhelm Tell; medievalism in the discourse surrounding Brexit as well as at the Welsh Senedd; novels like Paul Kingsnorth's The Wake; community-based art such as the Great Tapestry of Scotland; and elaborate public commemorations of Swiss victories (and defeats) in battle. Basing his critical readings in current theories of cultural memory, heritage and nationalism, the author explores how the protean national Middle Ages have once again become a convergence point for anxieties about politics, history and cultural identity in our time - and why.Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgements Author's Note List of Abbreviations Introduction 1 Constructing Continuity: Four Nations Imagine Their Beginnings PART I THE POLITICS OF AUTOCHTHONY 2 For Freedom Alone: The Scottish Independence Referendum 3 2016 and All That: Brexit 4 Freiheit statt Vögte: The Swiss National-Conservatives PART II THE OTHERS OF NATIONAL MEDIEVALISM 5 Masculine Middle Ages: Gender 6 In Strange Lands: Race, Ethnicity, Immigration Conclusion: The Demands of the Past Afterword: National Medievalism in the Age of COVID-19 Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisBollywood’s New Woman examines Bollywood’s construction and presentation of the Indian Woman since the 1990s. The groundbreaking collection illuminates the contexts and contours of this contemporary figure that has been identified in sociological and historical discourses as the “New Woman.” On the one hand, this figure is a variant of the fin de siècle phenomenon of the “New Woman” in the United Kingdom and the United States. In the Indian context, the New Woman is a distinct articulation resulting from the nation’s tryst with neoliberal reform, consolidation of the middle class, and the ascendency of aggressive Hindu Right politics. Trade Review"Essays in this exciting and welcome collection show us how India’s economic liberalization ushers in new figurations of women. Tracking Bollywood’s New Woman across revised filmic tropes, unconventional screen bodies, emergent technological formats and cosmopolitan geographies, they reveal gender’s starring role in the unfolding story of India’s neoliberalism and cinema." -- Priya Jaikumar * author of Where Histories Reside: India as Filmed Space *"A sumptuous and well-rounded volume of essays by leading experts on Indian cinema. This book is recommended for all scholars and students for an in-depth understanding of the gender dynamics in post-globalization Bollywood." -- Rini Bhattacharya Mehta * author of Unruly Cinema: History, Politics, and Bollywood *"Insightful and wide-ranging, Bollywood’s New Woman brings together some of the most exciting new scholarship in South Asian film and cultural studies. The figure of the ‘New Woman’ has emerged as the site on which many of India’s current desires and anxieties come to be rehearsed and executed. This anthology is essential reading for anyone interested in gender, politics, and popular culture in contemporary India and beyond." -- Meheli Sen * author of Haunting Bollywood: Gender, Genre and the Supernatural in Hindi Commercial Cinema *"A timely and valuable collection, Bollywood’s New Woman offers a critical assessment of nearly three decades of post-economic liberalization India through a focus on the changes and consistencies, in female characters and stars in Hindi cinema. The close readings situate films in diverse industrial formations—big-budget, small films, multiplex, hatke—that shape the many manifestations of these ‘new’ women. And, the perceptive readings anchored in genres, star texts, and new media skillfully show how these ‘new’ women navigate, question, and/or embrace the tradition/modern dyad in neoliberal and Hindu nationalist India." -- Monika Mehta * author of Censorship and Sexuality in Bombay Cinema *"There is an emerging gap in classical narrative or textual analysis which marked the early blossoming of film studies in India. Anwer and Arora’s edited volume on Bollywood’s New Woman addresses precisely this gap by taking the attention back to the text to comment on gender, history and society. This collection of articles, spread across fourteen chapters and four sections attempts to reconfigure screened womanhood from the post-liberalization era." * Studies in South Asian Film and Media *"These authors deconstruct the tools that filmmakers use and how the characters themselves strategize to assert identity and individuality. Localized, globalized, and contextualized within the larger Indian landscape and yet focusing on the intersections of place, class, caste, and age, the book offers an overview of the New Bollywood Woman." -- Uma Vangal * Quarterly Review of Film and Video *Table of ContentsContents Introduction Part I Family and Nation 1. Koel Banerjee and Jigna Desai, “Mompreneur in the Multiplex: Entrepreneurial Technologies of the “New Woman” Subject in the Age of Neoliberal Globalization” 2. Sangita Gopal, “Lethal Acts: Bollywood’s new woman and the Nirbhaya Effect” 3. Baidurya Chakrabarti, “Beyond the Couple Form: The Space of the New Woman in Yash Raj Films” 4. Aparajita De, “Mera Saaya: Shadows of the Woman in Bollywood’s Cultural Imagination” Part II Body Matters 5. Gohar Siddiqui, “New Womanhood and #LipstickRebellion: Feminist Consciousness in Lipstick Under My Burkha” 6. Debadatta Chakraborty, “Queering Bollywood: Sexuality of the disabled Body – A Case Study” 7. Ajay Gehlawat, “Plus-size Femininity: The Multiple Figurations of Bhumi Pednekar” 8. Puja Sen, “The Many Bodies of Vidya Balan: The Dirty Picture, Kahaani, and Tumhari Sulu” Part III Geographies of the New Woman 9. Anjali Ram, “Out of India: Educating the New Woman in Queen, EnglishVinglish, and Badrinath ki Dulhaniya” 10. Prathim-Maya Dora-Laskey, “Learning to Love The(ir) World: Using Feminist Spaces and Cosmopolitan Impulses against the Heteropatriarchy in Queen and English Vinglish” 11. Namrata Rele Sathe, “Single in the City: The Female Flâneur in Queen” 12. Madhavi Biswas, ”Dedh Ishqiyaand Ishqiya “Glocal Women: Gender, Genre, and Performance in Abhishek Chaubey’s Part IV New Media and the New Woman 13. Kuhu Tanvir, “All Broken Up and Dancing: Looking at Katrina Kaif in eight GIFs” 14. Tanushree Ghosh, “Reshaping ‘Bollywood’: Dissident New Media Femininities and Hindi Cinema” Acknowledgments Notes on Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisMainstreaming Gays discusses a key transitional period linking the eras of legacy and streaming, analyzing how queer production and interaction that had earlier occurred outside the mainstream was transformed by multiple converging trends: the emergence of digital media, the rising influence of fan cultures, and increasing interest in LGBTQ content within commercial media. The U.S. networks Bravo and Logo broke new ground in the early 2000s and 2010s with their channel programming, as well as bringing in a new cohort of LGBTQ digital content creators, providing unprecedented opportunities for independent queer producers, and hosting distinctive spaces for queer interaction online centered on pop culture and politics rather than dating. These developments constituted the ground from which recent developments for LGBTQ content and queer sociality online have emerged. Mainstreaming Gays is critical reading for those interested in media production, fandom, subcultures, and LGBTQ digital media. Trade Review"Mainstreaming Gays investigates the role that LGBTQ media professionals, television, and online content played at a pivotal moment in media convergence and the consolidation of multiplatform content delivery. Impeccably researched and accessibly written, Eve Ng’s book offers a nuanced analysis of the central role LGBTQ media and marketing played during a vital period in media history." — Katherine Sender, professor and director of Graduate Studies, Department of Communication, Cornell University "How did legacy TV morph into streaming and take queerness with it? Eve Ng brings intellectual force and clarity to a key change in queer media, redefining what 'mainstream' means and showing us how power, capital, and reinvention have long sparred—and danced—on the fields of queer culture." — Lisa Henderson, Dean, Faculty of Media and Information Studies, Western University "Chronicled in these pages are a host of culturally significant portals for LGBTQ news and entertainment which, Ng convincingly argues, contributed to the mainstreaming of historically marginalized communities. With her rigorous investigation into the people who created and benefited from these sites, Ng shows how the distance between the margins and the center, fans and producers, amateurs and professionals, is much narrower than scholars typically assume. This is an essential book for scholars of queer media.” — Aymar Jean Christian, author of Open TV: Innovation Beyond Hollywood and the Rise of Web TelevisionTable of ContentsIntroduction – Between Legacy and Streaming Chapter 1 – New Convergences in LGBTQ Media Production: Digital Pathways Into Commercial Media Chapter 2 – The New Queer Digital Spaces Chapter 3 – Gaystreaming, Dualcasting, and Changing Queer Alignments Chapter 4 – Beyond Queer Niche: Remaking the Mainstream Conclusion – Legacies and Futures for Mainstreaming Gays Appendix – List of Research Interviews and Events Acknowledgments Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisHonorable Mention, 2019 Foreword INDIES Awards - Performing Arts & Music Honorable Mention, Graphis 2021 Design Annual Competition Popular music has long been a powerful force for social change. Protest songs have served as anthems regarding war, racism, sexism, ecological destruction, and so many other crucial issues. Music Is Power takes us on a guided tour through the past one hundred years of politically conscious music, from Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie to Green Day and NWA. Covering a wide variety of genres, including reggae, country, metal, psychedelia, rap, punk, folk, and soul, Brad Schreiber demonstrates how musicians can take a variety of approaches— angry rallying cries, mournful elegies to the victims of injustice, or even humorous mockeries of authority—to fight for a fairer world. While shining a spotlight on Phil Ochs, Gil Scott-Heron, the Dead Kennedys and other seminal, politicized artists, he also gives readers a new appreciation of classic acts such as Lesley Gore, James Brown, and Black Sabbath, who overcame limitations in their industry to create politically potent music Music Is Power tells fascinating stories about the origins and the impact of dozens of world-changing songs, while revealing political context and the personal challenges of legendary artists from Bob Dylan to Bob Marley. Supplemental material (Artist and Title List): https://d3tto5i5w9ogdd.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/24001955/Music_Is_Power_Supplementary_Artist_Title_List.doc Trade Review"Talk with Ted" interview with Brad Schreiber https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-s3b37-e5cbf5— Talk with Ted podcast "Madame Perry's Salon" interview with Brad Schreiber, part two https://www.blogtalkradio.com/madameperryssalon/2020/05/14/writer-producer-brad-schreiber— Madame Perry's Salon, part two Parallax Views with J.G. Michael interview with Brad Schreiber https://parallaxviews.podbean.com/e/schreiber/— Parallax Views "Coast to Coast AM" interview with Brad Schreiber, part 3— Coast to Coast AM, part 3 "A fun and informative read from first page to last."— Midwest Book Review Louisiana Radio Network "Talk Louisiana" interview with Jim Engster and Brad Schreiber https://www.wrkf.org/post/monday-january-20th-faye-williams-daryl-glasper-brad-schreiber— Louisiana Radio Network “Brad Schreiber understands both music and politics, as well as the jagged lines where they overlap and intersect. His clarity, intelligence, and insight provide lasting rewards.” — Anthony DeCurtis, Grammy Award–winning journalist, for Rolling Stone, author of Lou Reed: A Life "Brad Schreiber Visits Madame Perry's Salon" podcast interview https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brad-schreiber-visits-madame-perrys-salon/id1063919048?i=1000465223311 — Madame Perry's Salon "Coast to Coast AM" interview with Brad, Schreiber, part 1— Coast to Coast AM, part 1 "Episode 37: "Music Is Power: Popular Songs, Social Justice, and The Will to Change" with Brad Schreiber" https://allmusicbooksdeepdive.podbean.com/e/episode-37-music-is-power-popular-songs-social-justice-and-the-will-to-change-with-brad-schreiber/— Deep Dive podcast "Brad Schreiber talks about this topic perfectly...You did a lot of research." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Gaim6C8E3wfeature=youtu.be— The Allan Handelman Show interview with Brad Schreiber: Music Is Power" "How Tom Odell’s Another Love became an unlikely anthem for Ukraine," by James Hall— The Telegraph Unstructured Podcast interview with Brad Schreiber https://unstructuredpod.com/psychotically-eclectic-author-brad-schreiber/— Unstructured Podcast Music Is Power mention in Planet Proctor, December 2019 issue— Planet Proctor Brad Schreiber's Playlist for His Book "Music is Power: Popular Songs, Social Justice, and the Will to Change"— Largehearted Boy "Passing Through" KAAD-LP 103.5 FM interview with Brad Schreiber — Passing Through “A stirring survey of the sometimes sad, sometimes joyful, sometimes angry but ever hopeful music that is the soundtrack for America’s struggle to become a more fair and just society.” — Seth Rosenfeld, journalist, winner of the George Polk Award, author of Subversives: The FBI’s War on Student Radical "Brad Schreiber interview – Episode 288" http://readingandwritingpodcast.com/brad-schreiber-interview/— Reading and Writing podcast "Tuesday, December 8th: Andrea Gallo, Brad Schreiber"— "Talk Louisiana," WRKF "Coast to Coast AM" interview view Brad Schreiber, part 2— Coast to Coast AM, part 2 The Stuph File Program interview with Brad Schreiber— The Stuph File Program "Music Is Power covers the socio-political history of important music, from Bob Dylan to hip-hop, including genres like punk, comedy, folk, psychedelia, RB/soul and major musicals, and encourages listeners to respond to this powerful music with real world activism. It’s a timeless New Year’s gift!"— Planet Proctor "What’s better than a book you didn’t know you needed? Music Is Power is a history of the nexus of music and protest, from Wobbly-turned-musician Joe Hill to Green Day, from folk to hip-hop."— Razorcake "Chatting with Sherri," BlogTalkRadio interview with Brad Schreiber https://www.blogtalkradio.com/rithebard/2020/06/25/chatting-with-sherri— Chatting with Sherri - Blog Talk Radio "Music is Power: Author Brad Schreiber digs into he history and power of protest music" interview with Brad Schreiber https://wgnradio.com/2019/12/10/music-is-power-author-brad-schreiber-digs-into-he-history-and-power-of-protest-music/— Nick Digilio Show - WGN INTERVIEW WITH BRAD SCHREIBER ON ‘MUSIC IS POWER’: PART 1—DIXIE CHICKS, MARVIN GAY https://shadowproof.com/2020/03/31/music-is-power-interview-schreiber-dixie-chicks-marvin-gaye/— Shadowproof "Much has been written about these artists elsewhere, but Schreiber’s focus sets this study apart. He goes beneath the surface to detail how their social consciousness evolved during the course of their careers, and how they came to understand their music’s power to address social ills. This carefully researched book is suitable for fans and scholars alike. Recommended." — Choice "In Music Is Power, Brad Schreiber argues that socially or politically conscious music emerges from practically every genre of popular music, and he takes the reader on a journey through the various ways that musicians have addressed the issues of their day."— Shalon Van Tine, Western Folklore journal “Music Is Power - Part 3: Black Sabbath, Gil Scott-Heron, Public Enemy” https://shadowproof.com/2020/04/28/music-is-power-schreiber-gil-scott-heron-black-sabbath/— Shadowproof, Part 3 "Brad Schreiber, 'Music Is Power: Popular Songs, Social Justice And The Will To Change'" https://www.wortfm.org/brad-schreiber-music-is-power-popular-songs-social-justice-and-the-will-to-change/— Madison Bookbeat Interview with Brad Schreiber on The Stuph File Program— The Stuph File "MWN Episode 144 – Music is Power (Part 2) with Brad Schreiber" https://midnightwriternews.com/mwn-episode-144-music-is-power-part-2-with-brad-schreiber/— Midnight Writer News Interview on "Deep Dish Radio with Tim Powers" with Brad Schreiber https://play.acast.com/s/deepdishradio/7424927b-bdc3-4183-a884-a84f4ba85c5f— Deep Dish Radio with Tim Powers Brad Schreiber interview on “Passing Through” on KAAD-LP 103.5 FM— Passing Through, part 2 "INTERVIEW WITH BRAD SCHREIBER ON ‘MUSIC IS POWER’: PART 2—JIMI HENDRIX, PINK FLOYD"— Shadowproof, Part 2 “An inspiring tour through the history of making change with music and an important call for retrieving music’s intrinsic ability to challenge power.” — Douglas Rushkoff, documentarian, professor of Media Theory and Digital Economics at CUNY/Queens, author of Team Human *Special episode * Music is Power: Donna and Dr Adam in conversation with author Brad Schreiber— Love's A Secret Weapon podcast "An intensively researched yet rollicking tour of socially charged music...A compelling read on the intersection of popular music and social activism, from Pete Seeger to Zappa to Public Enemy and beyond."— American Songwriter Beyond Reality Paranormal Podcast - Hidden History episode interview with Brad Schreiber https://anchor.fm/brparanormal/episodes/Hidden-History---Brad-Schreiber---102020-elclvh— Beyond Reality Paranormal podcast MWN Episode 136 – Popular Songs , Social Justice, and the Will to Change with Brad Schreiber— Midnight Writer News Law and Disorder Radio interview with Brad Schreiber https://lawanddisorder.org/2019/11/law-and-disorder-november-25-2019/— Law and Disorder High Road to Humanity - Music Is Power! Popular Songs, Social Justice, with Guest Brad Schreiber https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55j15fa54NIfeature=youtu.be— Nancy Yearout's High Road to Humanity Music's Connection to Societal Issues The Patty Hearst/SLA Case - interview with Brad Schreiber https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AHdxbXK6Ys— Beyond Reality Radio "In-Depth Interview: Author Brad Schreiber Talks..." interview on the Peter B. Collins Show https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/peter-b-collins-newscomment/e/66984975— The Peter B. Collins Show "A fun read. It provides the old timer with a quick sail down the streams of memory and the younger reader with a useful and concise look at the music of the West that helped form the culture of today."— CounterPunchTable of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1: Musical Workers of the World Unite: Joe Hill, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger Chapter 2: There For More Than Fortune: Phil Ochs, Joan Baez, Bob Dylan Chapter 3: Caged Artists: Lesley Gore, Janis Ian, P.F. Sloan Chapter 4: Parody and Poetry: Tom Lehrer, Peter, Paul and Mary, The Smothers Brothers Chapter 5: Psychedelicate Situation: Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd Chapter 6: Reason and Blues: Marvin Gaye and The Temptations Chapter 7: Say It Loud, We’re Blocked but Proud: James Brown and Curtis Mayfield Chapter 8: Hard Rock Turns Metallic: The Who and Black Sabbath Chapter 9: More Than a Working Class Hero: John Lennon Chapter 10: Out of Place and In Your Face: The Dead Kennedys and The Sex Pistols Chapter 11: Word: Gil Scott Heron and Grandmaster Flash Chapter 12: Global Music Consciousness: Bob Marley and Peter Gabriel Chapter 13: Weird, Funny, Angry: Frank Zappa vs. Everybody Chapter 14: Rap, Not Hip Hop: N.W.A. and Public Enemy Chapter 15: Weapons of Mass Deconstruction: Dixie Chicks and Green Day Epilogue Bibliography

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Book SynopsisDreamWorks Animation brings Puss in Boots back to the big screen, following the daring outlaw as he risks his last life to find the fabled Wishing Star, which holds the power to restore his nine lives. The Art of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish celebrates the studio’s latest installment from the Shrek universe, presenting hundreds of character designs and concept art from the making of the movie, along with exclusive interviews from the writers, artists, and filmmakers who brought this story to life. Featuring a foreword from Antonio Banderas, this insider’s guide provides a glimpse into the creative process and celebrates everyone’s favorite leche-loving, swashbuckling, fear-defying feline.

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Book SynopsisIncludes an array of cat characters take the starring roles in a variety of instantly recognizable settings. This compilation features feline re-imaginings of scenes from art, theatre, opera, ballet and films.Trade Review'Cat lovers will be eager to get their claws on this beautiful book' - wwd.com'Irresistible' - Daily Express'Captures the mood of each of the original works so eloquently that we can’t help but be enamoured' - artnet.comTable of ContentsCats in Art • Cats on Stage • Cats in the Movies

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Book SynopsisFilled with earnest quotes, snarky observations, episode recaps, inspirational mantras, and classic images readers with fond memories of the 1980s classic cartoon He-Man and the Masters of the Universe! will use the wit and wisdom found in this affordable and affable volume to launch their own plans toward planetary domination.Thanks to its multitude of dynamic characters and rich fantasy and science-fiction storytelling, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe has resonated with fans for more than thirty years. Skeletor, He-Man's evil nemesis in the show, remains an icon of villainy for generations who grew up hearing his cackle.Now, for the first time, all of the diabolical wit and wisdom gleaned from Skeletor's unrelenting campaign to wreak havoc on the planet Eternia are collected into one practical, and practically hilarious, volume. This fully authorized, comical, and empowering guide places the evil Skeletor in a variety of troubling scenarios that will

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Book SynopsisAN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERNAMED A BEST BOOK OF 2024 BY NPR, TIME, AND THE ECONOMIST?Get the Picture is one of the funniest books I?ve read . . . Brilliant.??The Washington Post ?A gripping and often hilarious investigation into the art world. . . . Bosker goes full Tom Wolfe.??TIME ?Funny, whip-smart, and gorgeously written, Get the Picture will forever transform the way you see. . . . I loved every word.??Suleika Jaouad, New York Times bestselling author of Between Two Kingdoms The New York Times bestselling author of Cork Dork takes readers on another fascinating, hilarious, and revelatory journey?this time burrowingdeep insidethe secretive world of art and artistsAn award-winning journalist obsessed with obsession, Bianca Bosker?s existence was upended when she wandered into the art world?and couldn?t look away. Intrigued by artists who hyperventilate around their favorite colors and art fiends who max out credit cards to show hunks of metal they think can change the world, Bosker grew fixated on understanding why art matters and how she?or any of us?could engage with it more deeply.In Get the Picture, Bosker throws herself into the nerve center of art and the people who live for it: gallerists, collectors, curators, and, of course, artists themselves?the kind who work multiple jobs to afford their studios while scrabbling to get eyes on their art. As she stretches canvases until her fingers blister, talks her way into A-list parties full of billionaire collectors, has her face sat on by a nearly-naked performance artist, and forces herself to stare at a single sculpture for hours on end while working as a museum security guard, she discovers not only the inner workings of the art-canonization machine but also a more expansive way of living.Probing everything from cave paintings to Instagram, and from the science of sight to the importance of beauty as it examines art?s role in our culture, our economy, and our hearts, Get the Picture is a rollicking adventure that will change the way you see forever.

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Book SynopsisFrom Superman and Batman to the Fantastic Four and the X-Men, these pop-culture juggernauts, with their "powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men," thrilled readers and audiences. The author shows how creators turned to science fiction to convey the reality of the paranormal they experienced in their lives.Trade Review"Intriguing." (Times Literary Supplement) "The message is that we need to step backwards from our culture to see these hidden patterns, and in this endeavor Kripal provides new maps of the secret world of superpowers. To access these deep strata of reality and to achieve a measure of self-realisation, we need to embrace this strangeness and not be frightened of it.... Kripal has a lively style and a deep love of (perhaps reverence for) his subject matter." (Fortean Times)

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Book SynopsisNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A life-altering journey through the science of neuroaesthetics, which offers proof for how our brains and bodies transform when we participate in the arts—and how this knowledge can improve our health, enable us to flourish, and build stronger communities.“This book blew my mind!”—Angela Duckworth, #1 New York Times bestselling author of GritA BLOOMBERG BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR • Finalist for the Inc. Non-Obvious Book Award and the Porchlight Business Book AwardMany of us think of the arts as entertainment—a luxury of some kind. In Your Brain on Art, authors Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross show how activities from painting and dancing to expressive writing, architecture, and more are essential to our lives.We’re on the verge of a cultural shift in which the arts can deliver potent, accessible, and proven solution

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Book SynopsisGonzo journalist and literary roustabout Hunter S. Thompson flies with the angels—Hell’s Angels, that is—in this short work of nonfiction.   “California, Labor Day weekend . . . early, with ocean fog still in the streets, outlaw motorcyclists wearing chains, shades and greasy Levis roll out from damp garages, all-night diners and cast-off one-night pads in Frisco, Hollywood, Berdoo and East Oakland, heading for the Monterey peninsula, north of Big Sur. . . The Menace is loose again.”   Thus begins Hunter S. Thompson’s vivid account of his experiences with California’s most notorious motorcycle gang, the Hell’s Angels. In the mid-1960s, Thompson spent almost two years living with the controversial Angels, cycling up and down the coast, reveling in the anarchic spirit of their clan, and, as befits their name, raising hell. His book successfully captures a singular moment in American history, when the

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Book SynopsisOver 20 year's worth of seed breeding experience from the legendary DJ Short. Friendly advice for both beginners and serious breeders, covering essential breeding topics.

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Book SynopsisFrom its first publication in 1997, Altered State established itself as the definitive text on Ecstasy and dance culture. This new edition sees Matthew Collin cast a fresh eye on the heady events of the acid house 'Summer of Love' and the rave scene's euphoric escalation into commercial excess as MDMA became a mass-market narcotic. Altered State is the best-selling book on Ecstasy culture, using a cast of memorable characters to track the origins of the scene and its drug through psychedelic subcults, underground gay discos and the Balearic paradise of Ibiza, to the point where Tony Blair was using an Ecstasy anthem as an election campaign song. Altered State critically examines the ideologies and myths of the scene, documenting the criminal underside to the blissed-out image, shedding new light on the social history of the most spectacular youth movement of the twentieth century.Trade ReviewAt last somebody has written the real history of the last ten years, and written it with such wit, verve, empathy and profound intelligence. I can't recommend this marvellous piece of work enough. * Irvine Welsh *Altered State is not just timely; it was crying out to be written * Independent *Altered State remains the definitive story of the last decade's love affair with MDMA and mucking about in fields just off the M25 * Q *[A] full-blooded, abrasive exploration of the rise and fall of the ecstasy scene. -- Julian Fleming * Sunday Business Post *[E]ssential reading -- Rupert Howe * Q *The first book to forensically document the acid house explosion... It's written with the authority of the first-hander, but what makes the book so compelling is his political perspective. -- Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton [DJ History] * Mixmag *

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Book SynopsisRedheads have a glorious reputation for a fiery temperament to match their exquisite beauty, and artist Raffaele Marinetti has a distinct penchant for capturing such fireworks! Noted for his many delightful ginger pin-ups, Raffaele has collected a full colour (mainly red, naturally) gallery of curvaceous crimson wonders!

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Book Synopsis New York Times BestsellerForeword by Steven Pinker,...

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Book SynopsisA collection of seven fanzines filled with funny/creepy musings, fake celebrity gossip and found art.

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Book SynopsisA fun, informative overview of cannabis via words, pictures, and smellsTrade Review" It turns out the Scratch & Sniff Book of Weed is one fact-filled book. Covering 4,000 years of weed's cultural, sexual, psychoactive, and medical impacts, Seth Matlins and Eve Epstein offer up one seriously informative tour with ample scratch-and-sniff detours" * Men's Journal *

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Book SynopsisSimple cultivation solutions make this book appealing to novice and seasoned gardners alike.

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Book SynopsisA collaboration between Belgian artist François Schuiten and French writer Benoît Peeters, The Obscure Cities is one of the few comics series to achieve massive popularity while remaining highly experimental in form and content. Set in a parallel world, full of architecturally distinctive city-states, The Obscure Cities also represents one of the most impressive pieces of world-building in any form of literature. Rebuilding Story Worlds offers the first full-length study of this seminal series, exploring both the artistic traditions from which it emerges and the innovative ways it plays with genre, gender, and urban space. Comics scholar Jan Baetens examines how Schuiten’s work as an architectural designer informs the series’ concerns with the preservation of historic buildings. He also includes an original interview with Peeters, which reveals how poststructuralist critical theory influenced their construction of a rhizomatic fictional world, one which has made space for fan contributions through the Alta Plana website. Synthesizing cutting-edge approaches from both literary and visual studies, Rebuilding Story Worlds will give readers a new appreciation for both the aesthetic ingenuity of The Obscure Cities and its nuanced conception of politics. Trade Review"In this compelling study of world making and storytelling in The Obscure Cities by François Schuiten and Benoît Peeters, Jan Baetens offers a subtle and intelligent reading of how structures of authorship, character, image, and world draw readers into a truly fictional universe in which interpretation and rereading are key. With this book, Baetens has certainly brought The Obscure Cities into its rightful place in the history of American and European comics."— Nancy Pedri, Memorial University of Newfoundland "Baetens ‘monograph is devoted to the overall concept of a series that was not originally conceived as such. The heterogeneity of the individual, complementary and contradicting volumes that stand for themselves and can be read in the context of the other volumes."— Comic.de "With clarity, insight, and depth, Jan Baetens’ Rebuilding Story Worlds gives the reader all the essential keys to navigate François Schuiten and Benoît Peeters’ sprawling graphic novel series The Obscure Cities—Belgium’s most sophisticated, contemporary bande dessinée opus."— Jean-Paul Gabilliet, author of Of Comics and Men: A Cultural History of Comic Books in AmericaTable of ContentsContents List of Illustrations 1 A New Series, A New Type of Author 2 A World of Its Own 3 More than a Possible World 4 Between Chapter and Series 5 A New Fantastic 6 In and Out the Medium 7 Doing Politics in Comics 8 Close-reading The Leaning Girl 9 A Conversation with Benoît Peeters 10 Image Gallery Acknowledgments Primary Sources Secondary Sources Index

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Book Synopsis For fans of Gudetama, this adorable talking figurine is the perfect addition to any desktop. Meet Gudetama -- everyone''s favorite lazy egg with the can''t-be-bothered attitude. This one-of-a-kind kit includes a 3 talking Gudetama figurine with a retractable bacon blanket to activate the sound and a mini sticker book. Sound clips include: Leave me alone Don''t care So lazy Meh Can you not? Please don''t Okay okay And please stop.

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Book SynopsisWaiting is an inescapable part of life in modern societies. We all wait, albeit differently and for different reasons. What does it mean to wait for a long period of time? How do people narrate their waiting? Waiting is about the senses. If you do not sense it, there is no waiting. We sense waiting in the form of boredom, despair, anxiety and restlessness, but also anticipation and hope. Prolonged waiting is like insomnia - a state of wakefulness, a kind of mood, an emotional state. But it is also about politics; affecting and affected by gender, citizenship, class, and race. Blending ethnography, philosophy, poetry, art, and fiction, this book is a collection of works by scholars, visual artists, writers, architects and curators, exploring different forms of waiting in diverse geographical contexts, and the enduring effects of history, power, class, and coloniality.

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Book SynopsisCuba is a land of contradictions that is easy to enjoy but difficult for first-time visitors to decipher. The largest island in the Caribbean, it is a tropical paradise that Christopher Columbus called "the most beautiful land that human eyes have ever seen." It is famous for the romantic charm of its crumbling colonial cities, the beauty of its white sand beaches, and its irresistible Afro-Cuban dance beats. But it is also a land of shortages and tight government control, which has been in a sixty-year political standoff with its superpower neighbor, the USA. The homegrown version of single-party socialism created by Fidel Castro has kept Cuba in a Cold War time warp that only now is beginning to change. As travel restrictions are relaxed US tourists can once again visit the island. Greater flexibility toward private enterprise is opening it up to boutique hotels and high-quality home-based restaurants. There is a boom in special-interest tourism for cyclists, hikers, birdwatchers, and scuba divers, while foreign entrepreneurs are eagerly exploring investment opportunities. Culture Smart! Cuba will take you beyond the usual descriptions of Havana nightlife, vintage cars, and hand-rolled cigars and give you an insider's view of an island that is teetering on the brink of historic change. It offers insights into Cuba's fascinating history, national icons, unique food, vibrant cultural scene, and world-renowned music. Practical tips help business travelers gain an edge on the competition. But most of all, this book aims to show you how best to break the ice and get a better understanding of the infinitely resourceful Cuban people, who despite severe hardships and shortages over many years remain optimistic and fiercely proud of their heritage and culture.Trade ReviewCulture Smart! has come to the rescue of hapless travellers...' Sunday Times Travel, ' the perfect introduction to the weird, wonderful and downright odd quirks and customs of various countries.' Global Travel, ' full of fascinating, as well as common sense, tips to help you avoid embarrassing faux pas.' Observer, ' as useful as they are entertaining.' Easy Jet Magazine, ' offer glimpses into the psyche of a faraway world.' New York TimesTable of ContentsBrief History Politics - Economic Life Traditions - Friendships & Family Relationships Bureaucracy Religion Humour - Local Holidays Taboos Invitations Gifts Dress - Business etiquette - Punctuality & Appointments - Team working Communication Negotiating - Women in Society Tips - Eating Out - Traditional Food - Dos and Don t - Making Friends

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Book Synopsis#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ? For the child in all of us, a timeless illustrated story about connection and compromise brought to life with imagination, from the acclaimedauthor of Born a Crime?Whimsical and wise, bursting with quirky characters and clever humor . . . the ideal gift for the new parent (or child-at-heart) in your life.??Oprah Daily?But sooner or later your mother will find us,? Walter said, looking back at the house. ?She always does.?The boy?s eyes lit up again. He had an idea.?Then this time we need to go where we?ve never gone before,? he said. ?Into the uncut grass!? In the tradition of The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse comes a gorgeously illustrated fable about a young child?s journey into the world beyond the shadow of home, a magical landscape where he discovers the secrets of sharing, connection, and finding peace with the people we love. Infused with the author?s signature wit and imagination, in collaboration with visionary artist Sabina Hahn, it?s a tale for readers of all ages?to be read aloud or read alone.

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Book SynopsisIn the attention economy, online influencers are an emerging class of power brokers. How can you harness their potential? Break the Internet takes a deep dive into the influencer industry, tracing its evolution from blogging and legacy social media such as Tumblr to today’s world in which YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok dominate. Digital strategist Olivia Yallop goes undercover amongst content creators to understand how online personas are built, uncovering what it is really like to live a branded life and trade in a ‘social stock market’. The result is an insider account of a trend that is set to dominate our future — experts estimate that the economy of influence will be valued at $24 billion globally by 2025.Trade Review‘This is a book that looks deeply at the commodification of the self, and the increasingly blurred line between leisure and labour … Behind our small screens is an unimaginable vastness, which Break the Internet manages to shape into something understandable, even to the influencer-ignorant such as me … wryly funny.’ -- Eleanor Margolis * The Guardian *‘It is refreshing to read a book that eschews the usual sneering anti-influencer condescension. Break the Internet is devoid of snobbery, placing the emergence of influencers within a wider economic context … persuasive and well-written.’ -- James Bloodworth * The Times *‘Riveting. A dizzying and nuanced deep dive into the evolution of content creation, with extraordinary breadth of research.’ -- Pandora Sykes‘Olivia Yallop has written the definitive insider account of influencer culture. Break the Internet is erudite, smart, entertaining, and essential.’ -- Will Storr, author of Selfie‘In 2021 publishers are reckoning with a problem: how do you publish a book about internet culture that doesn’t immediately become outdated? ... Scribe may be the first to find an answer with Break the Internet … A pacy story that’s of the moment but goes beyond it, too.’ -- Sarah Manavis * New Statesman *‘Yallop is an authoritative guide, balancing her experience at a digital agency … with the necessary critical distance of someone with only a few hundred Instagram followers. Her analysis benefits from being grounded in rigorous, real-world reporting … a comprehensive account of a phenomenon that seems more likely to explode than to go away.’ -- Elle Hunt * New Scientist *‘Rigorous and authoritative.’ * The Week *‘An immersive study of the last decade’s most divisive profession.’ -- Lauren O’Neill * Vice *‘Lucid, readable, and sometimes alarming.’ -- Jane Shilling * Daily Mail *‘There was lots in it that I didn’t know ... The analysis I really enjoyed was about how we can’t hold back technology, and everything from printing presses to moving trains has freaked the hell out of people, but how fragile and open to misuse influencer follower count values really are.’ -- Alexandra Heminsley‘The result of Yallop’s immersive investigation is a comprehensive education on influencer culture, its evolution and future … essential reading material for anyone interested in internet culture and a masterclass in engaging non-fiction.’ -- Alice Crossley * Reaction *‘An engaging analysis of online culture, including insights into the dizzying amounts of money influencers make, the decline of traditional media, the philosophy of fame, and the excess and inequality of late capitalism. Consider us influenced.’ * Norton *‘In Olivia Yallop’s new exploration of this cultural phenomenon, she goes far beyond the typically superficial understandings of what an influencer is — and more importantly — how to become one. A fascinating and whip-smart read, Break the Internet is for anyone who wishes to understand influencer culture and its place within the modern context.’ -- Dan Shaw * HappyMag, starred review *‘[Olivia Yallop is] well placed to deliver on the premise of her fascinating debut book, Break the Internet … [She] takes seriously the often-dismissed “creator economy” while maintaining a journalistic scepticism. Her engaging, authoritative account thus considers the broad swathe of internet culture that falls “under the influencer umbrella”.’ -- Gemma Nisbet * The West Australian *‘Along with the advent of social media has come a divergent cohort of individuals who have harnessed its power to attain influence. In Break the Internet … [Olivia Yallop] has connected the dots for many who wish to understand how individual influencers have collectively made a seismic impact in society and commerce. Through extensive research and interviews, Yallop sheds light on what it’s like to have a monetisable internet presence — and more importantly — what it takes to maintain it. She goes to school with the next generation of aspiring influencers to learn what it takes to make it. All this is couched within a historical and cultural context, showing readers the very real-world repercussions of online influence.’ -- Dan Shaw * HappyMag *‘A digital strategist and tech commentator dives into the world of social media influencers … Yallop, who dabbled in influencing before moving to an agency that works in the online space, has plenty of stories involving fantastic numbers, and she writes with clarity and a certain amount of tongue-in-cheek humour … A capable guide takes us on an entertaining, authoritative, and sometimes scary journey.’ * Kirkus Reviews *‘Break the Internet will find a broad audience from social media marketers and strategists to teens and young adults.’ * Booklist *‘Yallop takes us inside the workings of influencers and the ways in which brands and companies can utilise this ready-and-willing corps to help boost their image, reach, and profits. Well-written, engaging, and accessible. This should appeal to anyone with an interest in modern online culture, life, and business/marketing.’ -- Stefan Fergus

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisOffers a critical analysis of the production of a distinct form of twenty-first century celebrity constructed through the exploding coverage of reality television cast members in Us Weekly magazine.Trade Review“Highly engaging and readable, Extraordinarily Ordinary is a clear, in-depth analysis of both the celebrity gossip magazine genre and the nature of fame in the 21st century.” -- Andrea McDonnell * coauthor of Celebrity: A History of Fame *"Erin A. Meyers provides a masterful, lively account of reality TV celebrity. Extraordinarily Ordinary is a must-read for anyone eager to understand the meaning and power of celebrity today." -- Julie Wilson * coauthor of Mothering through Precarity: Women’s Work and Digital Media *“Highly engaging and readable, Extraordinarily Ordinary is a clear, in-depth analysis of both the celebrity gossip magazine genre and the nature of fame in the 21st century.” -- Andrea McDonnell * coauthor of Celebrity: A History of Fame *"Erin A. Meyers provides a masterful, lively account of reality TV celebrity. Extraordinarily Ordinary is a must-read for anyone eager to understand the meaning and power of celebrity today." -- Julie Wilson * coauthor of Mothering through Precarity: Women’s Work and Digital Media *Table of ContentsThe Ordinary and the Extraordinary: Unpacking the Celebrity Image The Labor of Ordinariness: Famous for "Being Yourself" Celebrity Lifestyle Labor: Making the Ordinary Extraordinary Lauren Conrad: Us Weekly and the Extraordinarily Ordinary Celebrity Conclusion: The Future of the Extraordinarily Ordinary Celebrity

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Book SynopsisClowns are people, too – and sometimes, eggs! This mesmerising book catalogs more than 150 clowns, both their individual looks and personal stories, in a unique and strangely moving art book and tribute to one of pop culture's most misunderstood characters.

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Book SynopsisThrough a series of interviews with a wide range of people connected to Pink Floyd in their earliest days, John Cavanagh paints a vivid picture of how this remarkable debut album was created. He brings to life the stories behind each track, as well as Pink Floyd's live performances.Trade Review...short, but intense...Piper at the Gates of Dawn is packed with interviews...and with great stories. * Anna Battista, www.erasingclouds.com *John Cavanagh combines interviews with early associates of Pink Floyd and recording-studio nitty-gritty to vividly capture the first and last flush of Syd Barrett's psychedelic genius on the Floyd's '67 debut. * Rolling Stone (4 star review) *

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Book SynopsisAn exploration of what it means to be fabulousand why eccentric style, fashion, and creativity are more political than everFabulous does not simply track new club worlds, it takes us to them. The book does not just tell us about fashion and clubs, it is immersed in the scenes it conjures. This is engaging, relevant, and glamorous. Jack Halberstam, author of Female Masculinity and The Queer Art of FailureFabulous lives up to its title. Who knew there was such riveting sociopolitical drama behind those velvet ropes?New York Times Book Review Prince once told us not to hate him 'cause he's fabulous. But what does it mean to be fabulous? Is fabulous style only about labels, narcissism, and selfieslooking good and feeling gorgeous? Or can acts of fabulousness be political gestures, too? What are the risks of fabulousness? And in what ways is fabulous style a defiant response to the struggles of living while marginalized? madison moore answers these questions in a timely and fascinating bookTrade Review“Fabulous lives up to its title. Who knew there was such riveting sociopolitical drama behind those velvet ropes?"—New York Times Book Review“This joyful cultural analysis looks at fabulousness as a queer aesthetic and political statement.”—Francesca Carington, Tatler“Fabulous is an absorbing, engagingly written, and highly insightful study of how ‘beautiful eccentrics’ creatively self-fashion themselves to articulate identity, assert presence, and reclaim power on the streets and in the nightclub.”—Harvey Young, author of Black Theater Is Black Life"Fabulous does not simply track new club worlds, it takes us to them. The book does not just tell us about fashion and clubs, it is immersed in the scenes it conjures. This is engaging, relevant, and glamorous." —Jack Halberstam, author of Female Masculinity and The Queer Art of Failure"Celebrating the joys of being beautifully eccentric in a bland world, Fabulous offers a theory of fabulousness as political glitter that’s both deviant and defiant. This vivid account of queer motion through clubland’s portals of possibility is a clarion call for a new and colorful consciousness that can collapse stale categories, confront privilege, and combat toxic Trumpism."—Victor P. Corona, author of Night Class: A Downtown Memoir

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