"Next Wave collects the work of today's finest young writers--nineteen creative reporters whose work builds upon foundations laid by previous generations. Although naysayers predicted the decline of quality long-form journalism with the rise of the Internet, Next Wave is evidence that the genre is thriving--aided by the very medium that was initially portrayed as the executioner. Next Wave is fascinating and beautiful reading for enthusiasts and students of vibrant, you-are-there, literary non-fiction. Each chapter includes a photo, a bio, a personal essay, and an outstanding magazine or newspaper story from a different up-and-coming writer. Compiled by two award-winning literary journalists/educators from the last generation, Next Wave is a celebration of today's greatest writing and a roadmap for aspiring practitioners of tomorrow, a joyful reminder that literary journalism alive and well, and that artful craftsmanship will never go out of fashion."--Publisher's website.

A collection of four plays by new American writers curated from the Emerging Writers Group at the Public Theater, New York. These plays represent the finest works developed by the Public Theater, addressing contemporary social preoccupations: race, class, heritage, economic hardship, family values and identity. The plays included are: Perish by Stella Fawn Ragsdale: when Porter's father kidnaps her son, she must go back to the woods of East Tennessee to find him, where she is distracted by a mysterious firebird. Textured with poetry and grit, this play follows the plight of women in Appalachia and the disappearance of the working class. The Hour of Feeling by Mona Mansour: in 1967, fuelled by a love of English Romantic poetry, a young Palestinian academic, Adham, and his new wife, Abir, take a trip to London, where he will deliver a career defining lecture. While the situation in his home "country" deteriorates and his marriage threatens to dissolve, Adham confronts his fear of failure and the reality that he may be an outsider no matter where he goes. Bethany by Laura Marks: when the going gets tough, the tough get going, and the going has gotten very tough indeed for Crystal. Her job is in jeopardy, her house has been repossessed and her daughter taken by social services. It's time for Crystal to get going. But in her effort to get her daughter back and put her life on the right track, Crystal is forced to question just how far she's willing to go to survive. Neighbors by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins: Black face, not on my doorstep, not today. Richard Patterson is not happy. The family of black actors that has moved in next door is rowdy, tacky, shameless, and uncouth. And they are not just invading his neighborhood-they're infiltrating his family, his sanity, and his entirely post-racial lifestyle. This wildly theatrical, explosive play on race is an unconventional comedy which uses minstrelsy both to explore the history of black theater and to confront tensions in 'post-racial' America.

Originally published in slightly different form in hardcover in 2011.

Don't Try to Ride the Wave of 20th-Century Ministry Leaders, are you called to a place where Jesus' name is most often spouted as a curse word? Because in the 21st-century, the culture is shifting. The "easy places" are increasingly post-Christian-even pre-Christian. If you want to minister successfully right now, you must: - Learn the mind-shifts necessary to make disciples in the world as it exists today - Rethink outmoded ideas of funding, metrics, and team-building - Find out how to model a faith community that's relevant to the needs of the culture where God's called you to serve Refresh the way you think about starting, growing, and sustaining faith communities in the 21st century. Are you ready to ride the Next Wave?

You may be familiar with the success stories of Spanx, GoldieBlox, and other women-owned businesses that have taken their markets by storm. But, today, only two percent of women-owned firms generate more than one million dollars annually. The Next Wave is here to help women drive up that number. Drawing on the Kauffman Firm Survey and many other sources, Susan Coleman and Alicia M. Robb cull together data-driven advice for women-owned, growth-oriented businesses as they finance their expansion. They not only consider the unique approaches and specific concerns of female business owners, but also take into account the growing pool of investors who will play a role in selecting and grooming a new generation of women entrepreneurs. Since growth-oriented firms typically require external capital, the investor perspective is critical. Telling entrepreneurs what the research means for them, outfitting them with resources, and illustrating the road ahead with real world cases, this book serves as a pioneering strategy guide for the next wave of women who want to "go big" to bring home their goals.

As Americans flee widespread civil conflict, one young refugee ekes out a living in a suspenseful, darkly comic novel: “An important writer in every sense.” —David Foster Wallace An Esquire “Best Book of Spring 2022” A Literary Hub “Most Anticipated Book of 2022” A San Francisco Chronicle “Most Anticipated Novel of 2022” In the future, sweeping civil disorder has forced America’s young people to flee its borders into an unwelcoming world. One such American is Ron Patterson, who finds himself on distant shores, working as a repairman and sharing a room with other refugees. In an unnamed city wedged between ocean and lush mountainous forest, Ron can almost imagine a stable life for himself. Especially when he makes the first friend he’s had in years—a mysterious migrant named Marlise, who bears a striking resemblance to a onetime classmate. Nearly a decade later—after anti-migrant sentiment has put their whirlwind intimacy and asylum to an end—Ron is living in “Little America,” an enclave of migrants in one of the few countries still willing to accept them. Here, among reminders of his past life, he again begins to feel that he may have found a home. He adopts a stray dog, observes his neighbors, and lands a new repairman job that allows him to move through the city quietly. But this newfound security, too, is quickly jeopardized, as resurgent political divisions threaten the fabric of Little America. Tapped as an informant against the rise of militant gangs and contending with the appearance of a strangely familiar woman, Ron is suddenly on dangerous and uncertain ground. Brimming with mystery, suspense, and Ken Kalfus’s distinctive comic irony, 2 A.M. in Little America poses questions vital to the current moment: What happens when privilege is reversed? Who is watching and why? How do tribalized politics disrupt our ability to distinguish what is true and what is not? This is a story for our time—gripping, unsettling, prescient—by an acclaimed National Book Award finalist. “My favorite book by one of America’s great living writers.” —Jonathan Safran Foer “A provocative dystopian story . . . takes hold of the reader.” —Publishers Weekly “A highly readable, taut novel.” —The New York Times Book Review “One of contemporary literature’s best-kept secrets.” —Esquire