"An incisive and vulnerable yet powerful and provocative collection of essays, Savala offers poignant reflections on living between society's most charged, politicized, and intractably polar spaces: between black and white, between rich and poor, between thin and fat - as a woman. The daughter of an Afro-Latinx father and a white mother, Savala's light complexion has always contrast her kinky hair and broad nose to embody what old folks used to call "a whole lot of yellow wasted." With her mother's beckoning, she began her first diet at the age of three and has been nearly skeletal and truly fat, multiple times. She has lived in poverty and had an elite education, with regular access to wealth and privilege. She has been in the in between. It is these liminal spaces - the living in the in-between of race, class and body type that gives the essays in Nearly, Not Quite their strikingly clear and refreshing point of view on the defining tension points in our culture. Each of the twelve essays, that comprises this collection are rife with unforgettable and insightful anecdotes, and are as humorous and as full of Savala's appetites as they are of anxieties. The result is a lyrical and magnetic read. In "On Dating White Guys While Me," Savala realizes her early romantic pursuits of rich, preppy white guys wasn't about preference, but about self-erasure. In "Don't Let it Get You Down" we traverse the beauty and pain of being Black in America as men of color face police brutality and "large Black females" are ignored in hospital waiting rooms. Savala offers an angle to inequities that is as deft as it is lyrical. In "Bad Education" we mine how women learn to internalize violence and rage in hopes of truly having power. And in "To Wit and Also" we meet Filliss, Peggy, and Grace the enslaved women owned by her ancestors, reckoning with how America's original sin lives intimately within our stories. Over and over again, Savala reminds readers that our true identities are often most authentically lived not in the black and white in the grey, in the in-between. Perfect for fans of Heavy by Kiese Laymon and Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay, this book delivers a fresh perspective on race, class, bodies, and gender, that is both an entertaining and engaging addition to the ongoing social and cultural conversation"--

A powerful and provocative collection of essays that offers poignant reflections on living between society' s most charged, politicized, and intractably polar spaces— between black and white, rich and poor, thin and fat.Savala Nolan knows what it means to live in the in-between. Descended from a Black and Mexican father and a white mother, Nolan' s mixed-race identity is obvious, for better and worse. At her mother' s encouragement, she began her first diet at the age of three and has been both fat and painfully thin throughout her life. She has experienced both the discomfort of generational poverty and the ease of wealth and privilege.It is these liminal spaces— of race, class, and body type— that the essays in Don' t Let It Get You Down excavate, presenting a clear and nuanced understanding of our society' s most intractable points of tension. The twelve essays that comprise this collection are rich with unforgettable anecdotes and are as humorous and as full of Nolan' s appetites as they are of anxieties. Over and over again, Nolan reminds us that our true identities are often most authentically lived not in the black and white, but in the grey of the in-between.

Presents descriptions of the various "turkeys" of contemporary life in all fields--repairmen, restauranteurs, professionals--as well as comments on "turkeys" in general.

DON'T LET THEM GET YOU DOWN is a deeply dark novel about depression and the madness inside each one of us. When Peter Radcliffe loses his wife it will take more than pills and therapy to help him find his way back to a world where normality reigns and the desperate are left alone to fend for themselves, to reacclimate into a savage world... or perish trying. A broken love story about self, despair, and the lengths we'll go to find our way back.

Poetry from Heaven Book 1 is pure poetry pertaining to the heavenly FATHER GOD creator of all and his SON JESUS IMMANUEL intended to give strength and hope to those in need it also glorifies and give praise to GOD encouraging people to worship and give thanks to the heavenly FATHER GOD creator of all every poem is filled with powerful inspirational words for those to grasp on to hopefully helping them to get thru their times of trials and tribulations that they may be experiencing in life i personally think of it as a psalms for hope and uplifting the mind body and soul also as a dedication and appreciation to the heavenly FATHER GOD the creator of all and his SON JESUS IMMANUEL thank you! and GOD bless you! In JESUS IMMANUEL mighty name we pray Amen!

“Clap your hands, rattle your jewelry, and twist and shout for Erin Hosier’s Don’t Let Me Down….Fierce, catchy, hilarious—like your favorite vinyl punk 45—this bird can sing. A glorious memoir.” — Brando Skyhorse, author of Take This Man This fierce and witty memoir about a father-daughter relationship “is a beautifully written, honest, and often funny account of what it is to grow up as a woman” (Nancy Balbirer, author of A Marriage in Dog Years). Erin Hosier’s coming-of-age was full of contradictions. Born into the turbulent 1970s, she was raised in rural Ohio by lapsed hippies who traded 1960s rock ‘n’ roll for 1950s-era Christian hymns. Her mother’s newfound faith was rooted in a desire to manage her husband’s mood swings, which could alternately fill the house with music or with violence. With the Beatles providing the soundtrack, Erin grew up adoring her larger than life father, Jack. Together, they bonded over their iconic songs, even as they inspired Erin to question authority—both her father’s and others’. Don’t Let Me Down is about a brave girl trying to navigate family secrets and tragedies and escape from small-town small-mindedness. With her lyrical and tender writing, Erin “doesn’t shy away from the complications and contradictions of love, sharing both the best and the worst of her volatile, vibrant father and detailing—in her singular and often hilarious voice, the difficulty of leaving childhood, home, and the people who loved you first” (Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney, New York Times bestselling author of The Nest).

No matter what happens, you don't have to pick up a drink or drug today." These words tend to strike fear in the hearts of many alcoholics and addicts who are new to recovery, because just one day without booze or drugs may as well be an eternity. It can seem like an impossible task to get through twenty-four hours, never mind a week or a month - so just how do we get that proverbial monkey off our back? This book is full of suggestions that can work for anyone who is new to recovery or trying to get clean and sober again. The author has drawn on her own experiences and that of others in early recovery to determine the 'Fifty Things Every Alcoholic and Addict Should Know, ' including: The First Thirty Days - What to expect and how to get through it Things to Avoid - Protecting your recovery and coping with stress Relapse - Warning signs and moving forward if it happens Family - How to include them and re-build relationship Dating in Recovery - The not so good, the bad and the ugly Dry Drunk - How not to be one Twelve Step Programs - How they work and what you should know "If you have a substance abuse problem and want to quit or are new to sobriety and don't know what to expect, read this book. It's different, down to earth and a very easy read. 'Don't Let the Bastards Grind You Down is not your typical recovery book". - Tom Chenault, Radio Talk Show Host and Recovering Alcoholic.