In a work of striking breadth and clarity, Paul Conkin offers an even-handed and in-depth look at the major American-made forms of Christianity--a diverse group of religious traditions, each of which reflects a significant break from western Christian orthodoxy. Identifying six distinctive types, Conkin examines the major denominations representative of each original variety of American Christianity: restoration (Churches of Christ, Disciples of Christ); humanistic (Unitarians, Universalists); apocalyptic (Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses); Mormon (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints); spiritual (Christian Science, Unity); and ecstatic (Holiness and Pentecostal denominations). Focusing on the early years and maturation of these groups, he discusses their founders and leaders, origins and Old World roots, and essential doctrines and practices. Conkin closes each chapter with a guide to further reading. The first comprehensive survey of these American originals, this book will serve as a valuable resource on a number of religious traditions whose members not only comprise a significant percentage of the American population but also make up an increasing proportion of Christian converts worldwide.

The novellas and stories in American Originals convey the power of the West Texas desert to swallow people—literally, or through the rituals of labor, or through the raptures of ecstatic vision, induced by blessings or madness—and people’s ability to forge connections in spite of extreme conditions. Each piece in this thematically-linked collection assumes a unique shape, whether poetically compressed, echoing (only to break) the contours of mystery stories, or redolent of the forms of classical prayer. The Texas of AMERICAN ORIGINALS becomes the landscape of strife and hope, struggle and love, lost and found. The characters in the stories and novellas here learn, sometimes the hard way, the truth of T. S. Eliot's insight that the "end of all our exploring" in life is to "arrive where we started" and to know, for the first time, who we really are. Saints and sinners, and the blurred lines between them, drive these spare narratives set in the plains and deserts of Texas. [Daugherty's fiction] "leaves us dry-eyed and wiser in that place far beyond tears that we know from our own lives."--Shelby Hearon "Daugherty combines the serious and literary with the funny and offbeat, resulting in sparkle-plenty prose with an ear for dialogue that never fails."--Beverly Lowry

In a work of striking breadth and clarity, Paul Conkin offers an even-handed and in-depth look at the major American-made forms of Christianity_a diverse group of religious traditions, each of which reflects a significant break from western Christian orth

Who are the American Originals? They are photographer William Abranowicz's pantheon of extraordinary subjects--painters, poets, rock stars, designers, tastemakers, politicians, performers--for whom the home represents the ultimate canvas of self-expression. In every one of the more than 250 photographs, most never before published, Abranowicz's classical sensibility for light, form, and composition mingles with his innate curiosity and sense of humor, producing stunning, unconventional portraits of these living spaces and workplaces. The text recounts Abranowicz's personal interactions with his subjects and their homes. American Originals is sure to be an essential source of inspiration not only for interior design but also for ways of living authentically and creatively in the modern world.

Hailed by The New York Times as "America's Aristophanes," Will Rogers was one of this century's most astute and beloved humorists. If as he often remarked, he never met a man he didn't like, it is also true that Rogers never met a man he didn't like to make fun of. Everyone from congressmen and Presidents to Hollywood movie moguls and wealthy industrialists bore the brunt of his gently lacerating wit--and seemed, mostly, to be charmed in the process. So popular did Rogers become--through dozens of films, a daily column that ran for nine years in newspapers across the country, and countless lectures and stage performances--that he was often urged to run for Congress and even the Presidency. Upon receiving a mock appointment as Congressman-at-Large for the whole United States, Rogers protested, "I regret the disgrace that's been thrust upon me here tonight. I've tried to live my whole life so that I would never become a congressman." In American Original, Ray Robinson chronicles the trajectory of Will Rogers' remarkable life. Written with engaging immediacy and filled with a wealth of delightful anecdotes, this lively portrait follows Rogers from his childhood in the Indian Territory of what is now Oklahoma, to his first spellbinding lariat performances in the Wild West shows (where he would often lasso prominent audience members and drag them on stage), to his stardom in vaudeville and the Ziegfeld Follies, to his early silent movies and the later "talkies," and finally to his astonishing influence as a "cowboy philosopher" columnist read by over 40 million Americans. Far more than other biographers, Robinson excels at conveying Rogers' impact as a political commentator ("I belong to no organized political party. I am a Democrat.") and his great success as an actor in Hollywood, where he was the leading star of Fox Films. And along the way, Robinson paints a vibrant portrait of one of America's most colorful eras. We follow the early evolution of modern entertainment, enjoy vivid snapshots of W.C. Fields, Charlie Chaplin, Florenz Ziegfeld, Eddie Cantor, Samuel Goldwyn, Shirley Temple, and John Ford, and, perhaps most important, witness the major political events of the era through Will Rogers' uniquely perceptive eyes. American Original succeeds most appealingly in bringing Will Rogers before us with all the spontaneity, intimacy, and honesty of a live performance. In it we are given front row seats to the life of a character unabashedly American and unforgettably original.

At the end of the 1970s, Eleanor Munro embarked upon a series of interviews with some of the leading visual artists in the nation, including Georgia O'Keeffe, Alice Neel, Helen Frankenthaler, Louise Bourgeois, and Jennifer Bartlett. The resulting portraits led to a book as significant and exciting as the artists within it. Now Munro has added a new generation of women -- including Kiki Smith and Julie Taymor -- and a new introduction to her landmark entry in the literature of visual art, ensuring its status as an invaluable resource well into the twenty-first century.

What makes America, American - The land of the free, the home of the brave, the land of opportunity? Since its founding in 1776, America has grown from the 13 original colonies to the 50 United States, all while nourishing a progressive and entrepreneurial spirit. On a mission to achieve ÐThe American Dream,Ó many people over the years have built, tinkered, invented, sung, danced, wrote, played, worked, imagined and reimagined, thus fostering a nation of seekers and creators. In order to identify what really defines America, the Editors of TIME looked at artifacts, entities, and ideas through the years; from California to the New York Island, we collected, compiled, and curated what we consider to be essential in understanding what makes this land our land. TIME 100 American Originals: The Things That Shaped Our Culture includes our top list of not only what we believe to be iconic in American history, but what has been revolutionary _ what has changed the way Americans think, act, see and behave. Featuring monuments and buildings, vehicles and explorations, inventions, food and living, art and culture, leisure, and iconic objects, Time 100 American Originals chronicles the American authenticity of the Declaration of Independence, the Wright Brothers' plane, The Wizard of Oz, Facebook, and more in both engaging text and beautiful graphics. Our list aims to capture what lies at the heart of America and what has defined American culture, society, and identity over the years.