The phenomenon online personal diaries and blogs is described. Insights from literary criticism, from psychoanalytical theory and social sciences are given. The author describes the historical roots of self-representational writing in America and the features on the Internet.

"This anthology of personal essays from around the globe demystifies the individual significance of the veil by taking you inside the hearts and minds of those who have experienced it first hand. How do different societies relate to a veiled woman? Can covering the hair be an act of defiance and empowerment? Can the veil be seen as an expression of one's own sensuality? Part academic and part confessional, the stories inside help answer these questions by moving beyond the religious significance attached to this controversial stretch of fabric. Instead they explore the psychological, sociological and spiritual implications of veiling, giving voice to men and women of varied religious and cultural backgrounds who have been touched by the veil." -- Back cover.

The Islamic headscarf has become the subject of heated legal and political debate. France and Germany have legislated against it, and even the UK, long a champion of multiculturalism, has recently restricted the veil proper. Ever since home-grown Islamic terrorism struck Europe, these debates have become even more prominent, impassioned and wide-ranging, with vital global importance. In this concise and beautifully written introduction to the politics of the veil in modern societies, Christian Joppke examines why a piece of clothing could have led to such controversy. He dissects the multiple meanings of the Islamic headscarf, and explores its links with the global rise of Islam, Muslim integration, and the retreat from multiculturalism. He argues that the headscarf functions as a mirror of identity, but one in which national and liberal identities overlap, exposing the paradox that while it may be an affront to liberal values, its suppression is equally illiberal. Veil: Mirror of Identity will illuminate, challenge and provoke readers, and will make compelling reading for scholars, students and general readers alike.

An unbelievably believable story about the afterlife, with documenting photographs from the former publisher of a major metropolitan newspaper. An unbelievably believable story about the afterlife, with documenting photographs from the former publisher of a major metropolitan newspaper. In 2004, Janis Heaphy Durham's husband, Max Besler, died of cancer at age 56. The daughter of a Presbyterian minister, she practiced her faith as she struggled with her loss. Soon she began encountering phenomena unlike anything she'd ever experienced: lights flickering, doors opening and closing, clocks stopping at 12:44, the exact time of Max's death. But then something startling happened that changed Heaphy Durham's life forever. A powdery handprint appeared on her bathroom mirror on the first anniversary of Max's death. This launched Heaphy Durham on a journey that transformed her spiritually and altered her view of reality forever. She interviewed scientists and spiritual practitioners along the way, as she discovered that the veil between this world and the next is thin and it's love that bridges the two worlds.

Spenser not only dedicated The FAerie Queene to Queen Elizabeth but asserted that his romantic epic was in some sense about her rule and her realm. The informed attention that O'Connell gives to the relationship between Spenser's reflections on contemporary history and his moral design makes this volume a convincing reading of the great poem. The author shows how Spenser used Vergil as his model in celebrating and judging his own age. Originally published in 1977. A UNC Press Enduring Edition -- UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.

Theirs is a world of opposites. The privileged live in sky manors held aloft by a secretive magic known only as the Mysteries. Below, the earthbound poor are forced into factory work to maintain the engine of commerce. Only the wealthy can afford to learn the Mysteries and they use their knowledge to further lock their hold on society. Cettie Pratt is a waif doomed to the world below until an admiral attempts to adopt her. But in her new home in the clouds, not everyone treats her as one of the family. Sera Fitzempress is a princess born into power. She yearns to meet the orphan girl she has heard so much about but her father deems the girl unworthy of his daughter's curiosity. Neither girl feels that she belongs. Each seeks to break free of imposed rules. Now, as Cettie dreams of living above and as Sera is drawn to the world below, they will follow the paths of their own choosing. But both girls will be needed for the coming storm that threatens to overturn both their worlds.

Legend has it that the love of Prince Vlad Dracula's life committed suicide during a siege when the odds of winning were slim. This is the story of Ecaterina Floari, consort to the Wallachian prince who served as inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula. A ruthless warlord in the fifteenth century, Prince Dracula fought valiantly against those who would control the land of his ancestors. As his consort, Ecaterina accompanied him in the turbulent years of exile and discovered an ancient force influencing their lives. Her devotion to him was eternal, and she followed him into immortality...