This work focuses on the teachings of an outstanding Zen master of 13th century China -- Shiqi Xinyue, "Mind-Moon" of Stone River. Stone River was a religious leader who served as the abbot of a number of major Zen temples, and was honored by the imperial authorities as an eminent holy man.

Timothy Walsh's study of the function and significance of absence in literature demonstrates its centrality in terms of both literary technique and philosophical consequence. Textual gaps, narrative lacunae, and strategic vagueness, together with the uncertainties that such devices inevitably generate, have been essential elements of literature from Lao-Tzu to Lawrence, from Chaucer to Faulkner and beyond. Walsh finds that poststructural approaches to indeterminacy tend to overlook the specific and productive roles that absence and uncertainty often play within the overall design of a work. The aesthetic generation of uncertainty, he demonstrates, is not a roadblock on the path to meaning or a sign of some radical and suppressed internal contradiction; rather, it is as basic an artistic aim as the desire to evoke sympathy, laughter, or outrage. Coining the phrase "structured absence" to explain a central tenet in his discussion of the "mechanics" of uncertainty, Walsh analyzes various literary devices and tropes involved in generating a felt sense of absence and a purposeful uncertainty. Structured absences, he demonstrates, combine to form intricate patterns and networks, which explains how the dynamic potential of uncertainty can increase exponentially through a deft orchestration of absence. Walsh argues that the use of absence in works of art--of silence, shadow, blankness, and void--is a principal means by which the inherent biological limitations of human consciousness and of human language are encoded in aesthetic constructs. Because of the limitations of our senses and because we often are more attuned to what lies beyond the threshold of perceptual limits, the lacunae in artistic works represent attempts to replicate the real and inescapable limits of human experience.

Last night I finished reading all the rest of this lovely book. After each short chapter, rich with wisdom and love, I just kept being moved by Ron Gordons life path as poet, philosopher, educator, and person-centered practitioner. May this book soon be in many peoples hands and homes and in classrooms and therapists offices. Had Carl Rogers known Ron, I imagine he would rest well, knowing what Ron has done with his work and beyond (Gay Swenson Barfield, PhD). Gay Swenson Barfield, along with Dr. Carl Rogers, was founding codirector of the Carl Rogers Institute for Peace at the Center for Studies of the Person, La Jolla, California. She is currently in private practice as a licensed marriage and family yherapist. This book is absolutely great! Im thoroughly enjoying and benefiting from this brilliant book in countless ways. Bravo! This book will deepen and enrich your life (Noelie Rodriguez, PhD). Noelie Rodriguez is coauthor of Systematic Self-Observation (SAGE Publications) and is a professor of sociology at the HCC campus of the University of Hawaii.

Appalachian fiddle music, based on the musical traditions of the people who settled in the mountainous regions of the southeastern United States, is widely-known and played throughout North America and parts of Europe because of its complex rhythms, its catchy melodies, and its often-ancient-sounding stylistic qualities. The authors explore the lives and music of 43 of the classic Appalachian fiddlers who were active during the first half of the 20th century. Some of them were recorded commercially in the 1920s, such as Gid Tanner, Fiddlin’ John Carson, and Charlie Bowman. Some were recorded by folklorists from the Library of Congress, such as William Stepp, Emmett Lundy, and Marion Reece. Others were recorded informally by family members and visitors, such as John Salyer, Emma Lee Dickerson, and Manco Sneed. All of them played throughout most of their lives and influenced the growth and stylistic elements of fiddle music in their regions. Each fiddler has been given a chapter with a biography, several tune transcriptions, and tune histories. To show the richness of the music, the authors make a special effort to show the musical elements in detail, but also acknowledge that nothing can take the place of listening. Many of the classic recordings used in this book can be found on the web, allowing you to hear and read the music together.

An anthology of poetry representing well-known and little-known authors as well as original language and translations of works from eighth- century China to contemporary America.