A playful, irreverent look at the African-American literary community.

Platitudes, cliches and adages are pervasive in almost every part of our everyday lives and in every part of our culture. Every day we either hear them or use them ourselves, often without thinking about them. These "words of wisdom" express our feelings about love, time, money, health, wealth, humor and every aspect of life in general. Usually, they are a shorthand way of expressing an idea. The words used, in most cases, are not meant to be taken literally. Because of their common usage we can ascertain their meaning even in their shorthand form. There are thousands of platitudes and no one can claim to have heard all of them. Each one can have variations, which express the same, or even different ideas and will change from region to region. Their meaning can also be open to interpretation by the person who uses them.

Publisher description

Here is a unique facsimile edition of a 1911 copy of Jackson's pithy platitudes with Chesterton's original readable handwritten responses on each page. Printed to look exactly like the original, this first time published volume is a rare book that blends wisdom and humor in a deluxe edition.

An anthology of writings on Music, Books and Politics by Jon Downes; Author, musician, filmmaker, manic-depressive, singer, grandad, editor, husband, stepdad, poet, cripple, cryptozoologist editor of Gonzo Weekly magazie, and Director, Centre for Fortean Zoology.

A powerful guide to owning our emotions—even the difficult ones—in order to show up authentically in the world, from the popular therapist behind the Instagram account @sitwithwhit. Every day, we’re bombarded with pressure to be positive. From “good vibes only” and “life is good” memes, to endless reminders to “look on the bright side,” we’re constantly told that the key to happiness is silencing negativity wherever it crops up—in ourselves and in others. Even when faced with illness, loss, breakups, and other challenges, there’s little space for talking about our real feelings—and processing them so that we can feel better and move forward. But if non-stop positivity is the answer, why are so many of us anxious, depressed, and burned out? In this refreshingly honest guide, sought-after therapist Whitney Goodman shares the latest research along with everyday examples and client stories that reveal how damaging toxic positivity is to ourselves and our relationships, and presents simple ways to experience and work through difficult emotions. The result is more authenticity, connection, and growth—and ultimately, a path to showing up as you truly are.

Jacques Barzun's masterful translation proves that Flaubert's Dictionary of Accepted Ideas--an acid catalogue of the clichés of 19th-century France--is as relevant today as ever.