American writing in English has been acclaimed around the world for its radical innovative approaches towards, novel writing. The American writers match with the pace of the world, with their individuality, creativity and ideology. The women novelists are recognized from their originality and versatility of their works. They mirror the realistic picture of their contemporary world with the revolutionary spirit. These women writers have shaped their literary endeavors to establish American literature as an inextricable part and have highlighted the new dimension and depth of American fiction. The twentieth century novelists have played a noteworthy part in modern fiction and have viewed the society from a realistic attitude and humanistic concern. Philosophy, psychology and theology frame the method of characterization and plots. The American culture is presented at the exploration of the psychological state of human mind. They portray individuality within the social and political realities especially among the familial relationships. According to feminist writers, their writing is a process of discovering reality and an attempt to fathom and communicate the true significance of humanity.

This book explores a central phenomenon in the development of modern Jewish literature: the retelling of tradtional Jewish narratives by twentieth-century writers. It shows how and toward what ends Biblical stories, legends, and Hasidic tales have been used in shaping modern Hebrew literature. The author's impressive knowledge and careful analysis of both early and modern Hebrew texts reveal the main literary features of the genre, while making an important contribution to current discussions of the relationship between midrash and literature, the relationship between myth (and other traditional narratives) and modern literature, and the concept of intertextuality. The book also provides many fresh insights on the various issues of modern Jewish existence addressed in these works. Among these are: the revival of the Jewish tradition by reinterpreting it in light of new values, the preservation of Jewish identity entering into Western culture, the changing roles of men and women in Jewish culture, challenges to traditional Jewish views of sexuality, attempts to physically destroy the Jewish people, moral and political issues raised by the establishment of the State of Israel, and the conflict between Jews and Arabs.

This deeply personal account of emotion and vulnerability draws upon anecdotes related to individual works of art to present a chronicle of how people have shown emotion before works of art in the past.

It has been suggested that 'spirituality' has become a word that 'can define an era'. Why? Because paradoxically, alongside a decline in traditional religious affiliations, the growing interest in spirituality and the use of the word in a variety of contexts is a striking aspect of contemporary western cultures. Indeed, spirituality is sometimes contrasted attractively with religion, although this is problematic and implies that religion is essentially dogma, moralism, institutions, buildings, and hierarchies. The notion of spirituality expresses the fact that many people are driven by goals that concern more than material satisfaction. Broadly, it refers to the deepest values and sense of meaning by which people seek to live. Sometimes these values are conventionally religious. Sometimes they are associated with what is understood as 'the sacred' in a broader sense - that is, of ultimate rather than merely instrumental importance. This Very Short Introduction, written by one of the most eminent scholars and writers on spirituality, explores the historical foundations of the thought and considers how it came to have the significance it is developing today. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Bring the Life of the Dance into the Dance of Your Life Movement Medicine is a grounding and uplifting modern meditation practice rooted in the traditions of ecstatic dance. It's suitable for anybody in a body. Everyone, no matter their age, shape or background, has a dancer inside them. This dancer has the capacity to access wisdom, vitality and creativity that we cannot access with intellect alone. The exercises in this book combine movement and meditation to guide you on a profound and transformational journey. Movement Medicine invites you to take a journey to the soul through 9 Gateways. It is informed by a wealth of healing and transformational modalities, and is designed to support your soul to grow and flourish to face the challenges of life in the 21st century. The 9 Gateways are broken down into three journeys, each with a specific intent: The Journey of Empowerment - the Gateways of Body, Heart and Mind The Journey of Responsibility - the Gateways of Past, Present and Future Living the Dream - the Gateways of Fulfilment, Interconnection and Realisation. These 9 Gateways are all woven together to help you embody your essential self, expand your consciousness and live the most creative and fulfilling existence you can.

Utopia should be understood as a method rather than a goal. This book rehabilitates utopia as a repressed dimension of the sociological and in the process produces the Imaginary Reconstitution of Society, a provisional, reflexive and dialogic method for exploring alternative possible futures.

Glory Boughton has returned to Gilead to care for her dying father. soon her brother, Jack—the prodigal son of the family, gone for twenty years—comes home too, looking for refuge and trying to make peace with a past littered with torment and pain. A troubled boy from childhood, an alcoholic who cannot hold a job, Jack is one of the great characters in recent literature. He is perpetually at odds with his surroundings and with his traditionalist father, though he remains Reverend Boughton’s most beloved child. Brilliant, beguiling, lovable and wayward, Jack forges an intense new bond with Glory and engages painfully with John Ames, his godfather and namesake. Home is a moving and healing book about families, family secrets and the passing of the generations, about love and death and faith. It is arguably Marilynne Robinson’s greatest work, an unforgettable embodiment of the deepest and most universal emotions.