Encompassing some 130 years in Ironwood's history, Compassion, Michigan illuminates characters struggling to adapt to their circumstances starting in the present day, with its subsequent stories rolling back in time to when Ironwood was first founded. What does it mean to live in a small town--so laden with its glory day reminiscences--against the stark economic realities of today? Doesn't history matter anymore? Could we still have compassion for others who don't share our views? A Deaf woman, born into a large, hearing family, looks back on her turbulent relationship with her younger, hearing sister. A gas station clerk reflects on Stella Draper, the woman who ran an ice cream parlor only to kill herself on her 33rd birthday. A devout mother has a crisis of faith when her son admits that their priest molested him. A bank teller, married to a soldier convicted of treason during the Korean War, gradually falls for a cafeteria worker. A young transgender man, with a knack for tailoring menswear, escapes his wealthy Detroit background for a chance to live truly as himself in Ironwood. When a handsome single man is attracted to her, a popular schoolteacher enters into a marriage of convenience only to wonder if she's made the right decision. RAYMOND LUCZAK, a Yooper native, is the author and editor of 24 books, including Flannelwood. He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. "These are stories of extremely real women, mostly disappointed by life, living meagerly in a depleted town in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Sound depressing? Not at all. Luczak has tracked their hopes, their repressed desires, and their ambitions with the elegance and precision of one of those silhouette artists who used to snip out perfect likenesses in black paper; people 'comforted by the familiarity of loneliness,' as he writes." --EDMUND WHITE, author of A Saint in Texas “Filled with grief and hope, bitterness and tenderness, Raymond’s collection of short stories exudes compassion for its characters and their environs. With a confident eye to detail, and knowledge of the pulse of the place, he brings the reader into the quiet lives the people in the stories appear to be living only to reveal internal tensions around sexuality, belonging, and family. A pleasurable, nuanced portrayal of life in a small town by a talented writer with an understanding of the humanity we all share.” -- CHRIS STARK, author of Nickels: A Tale of Dissociation “Raymond Luczak’s Compassion, Michigan is a modern-day version of Winesburg, Ohio that proves William Faulkner’s statement that ‘The past is never dead. It is not even over.’ These stories describe a small town over the course of the twentieth century, experiencing change, being haunted by its past. Its residents live their lives of quiet desperation as queer, confused, disempowered or outcast members of their community. They seek love, sex, purpose, and the freedom to be themselves. In short, they are human, and they have much to teach us.” --TYLER R. TICHELAAR, Ph.D. and award-winning author of Narrow Lives Learn more at www.raymondluczak.com From Modern History Press www.ModernHistoryPress.com

In Compassion, ten scholars draw on literature, psychoanalysis, and social history to provide an archive of cases and genealogies of compassion. Together these essays demonstrate how "being compassionate" is shaped by historical specificity and social training, and how the idea of compassion takes place in scenes that are anxious, volatile, surprising, and even contradictory.

What is compassion, how does it affect the quality of our lives and how can we develop compassion for ourselves and others? Humans are capable of extreme cruelty but also considerable compassion. Often neglected in Western psychology, this book looks at how compassion may have evolved, and is linked to various capacities such as sympathy, empathy, forgiveness and warmth. Exploring the effects of early life experiences with families and peers, this book outlines how developing compassion for self and others can be key to helping people change, recover and develop ways of living that increase well-being. Focusing on the multi-dimensional nature of compassion, international contributors: explore integrative evolutionary, social constructivist, cognitive and Buddhist approaches to compassion consider how and why cruelty can flourish when our capacities for compassion are turned off, especially in particular environments focus on how therapists bring compassion into their therapeutic relationship, and examine its healing effects describe how to help patients develop inner warmth and compassion to help alleviate psychological problems. Compassion provides detailed outlines of interventions that are of particular value to psychotherapists and counsellors interested in developing compassion as a therapeutic focus in their work. It is also of value to social scientists interested in pro-social behaviour, and those seeking links between Buddhist and Western psychology.

A guide for facilitating discussions about socially divisive issues for students, educators, business managers, and community leaders

Presenting an outline of the four necessary steps for meeting suffering with compassion, this insightful book shows how to build a capacity for compassion into the structures and practices of an organization. --

Kindness is the fabric of our existence, and it drapes the world in so many different colors. It spans the globe infecting all the countries of the world positively. DeVere captures the essence of this behavior sent down from the heavenly Father. He provided many examples of generosity, humanity, goodwill, and a sense of endearment to the world. The author has a strong passion for displaying many forms of kindness in his book, which has always been a major component of his existence and trajectory. He displays many acts of goodwill toward people that he has made some contact with during his time on this earth, and he also shares some positive stories where people have extended their hand in kindness to him for many years. This book offers something for every human being on this earth that spans the universe. As you roam through the pages, you will get a glimpse of what makes this world so worthwhile, special, and intriguing because of the people that we encounter on our journey on this earth. This book will be a fascinating journey for you with some delightful examples of generosity to people who might be less fortunate than you are. The images in the book demonstrate that there is plenty of humanity to go around in the world when your heart is in the right place as he shares his manifesto with the world. Please sit back and enjoy the ride scanning through the pages of this book. You will walk away with a huge smile on your face with many blessings from above. DeVere also states, it does not always have to be about the world, it should always be about the people in the world.

Pope Francis is a pope of the people, and his teachings have been praised and shared by the faithful and nonreligious alike. Exploring themes universal to all people, Pope Francis’ Little Book of Compassion offers inspiration and hope from one of the world’s great spiritual leaders. In it, the Holy Father explores how living a life of compassion can be practiced in five areas of life: prayer, mercy, forgiveness, solidarity, and charity. Pope Francis appears to be changing the face of Roman Catholicism. He has infused the fusty institution with openness and optimism, faced off against established power interests within the Vatican, reformed the Church’s finances, and, most importantly, asked that Catholics approach one another and non-Catholics with candor, humility, and love. He has made the papacy and the Church relevant once again. Words from Pope Francis: “A little bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just.” “There is so much indifference in the face of suffering. May we overcome indifference with concrete acts of charity."