Shunned at school because he sprouts flowers every full moon, Rink Bowagon makes a special pair of shoes for a classmate who is able to appreciate his unique abilities.

"... succeeds in conveying the exciting and fascinating character of the concert party genre, as well as showing clearly how this material can be used to rethink a number of contemporary theoretical themes and issues." --Karin Barber Under colonial rule, the first concert party practitioners brought their comic variety shows to audiences throughout what was then the British Gold Coast colony. As social and political circumstances shifted through the colonial period and early years of Ghanaian independence, concert party actors demonstrated a remarkable responsiveness to changing social roles and volatile political situations as they continued to stage this extremely popular form of entertainment. Drawing on her participation as an actress in concert party performances, oral histories of performers, and archival research, Catherine M. Cole traces the history and development of Ghana's concert party tradition. She shows how concert parties combined an eclectic array of cultural influences, adapting characters and songs from American movies, popular British ballads, and local story-telling traditions into a spirited blend of comedy and social commentary. Actors in blackface, inspired by Al Jolson, and female impersonators dramatized the aspirations, experiences, and frustrations of their audiences. Cole's extensive and lively look into Ghana's concert party provides a unique perspective on the complex experience of British colonial domination, the postcolonial quest for national identity, and the dynamic processes of cultural appropriation and social change. This book will be essential reading for scholars and students of African performance, theatre, and popular culture.

Introduction. Shale shaker design. Shale shaker selection. Cascade systems. Dry shakers. Shaker user's guide. Non-oilfield uses. Screen cloth. Screen panel technology. Appendixes: Solids control equipment. Dilution. Cutpoints. Comparison of shaker performances. Calculating drilled solids concentrations. Centrifugal pumps. Electric motors. Dewatering. API 13C. Pre-well checklist. Troubleshooting guide. Glossary. Shaker specifications. Shaker manufacturers. Screen manufacturers. Derrickman's pages.

As the Civil War looms, a teenager finds refuge from her abusive father in a Shaker community in this “lovely and thought-provoking” novel (Kirkus Reviews). Rosemary Elizabeth likes Pleasant Hill. Unlike her former home, the Kentucky Shaker community is serene and full of beautiful things. The food is plentiful and delicious, and she dresses in spotless white garments. Above all, she and her younger siblings are now safe from their drunken, often violent, father, and from the war between the Union and the Confederacy, which is said to be drawing closer every day. Perfection is the goal at Pleasant Hill, and Rosemary Elizabeth vows to be perfect so she’ll be allowed to stay. As time passes, however, she finds herself more and more at odds with the Shaker path, the rules that are supposed to govern everything she says and does and even what she dreams. If she eliminates all the imperfections the Shakers find in her, will anything remain? “Built around a historical incident—a visit by the soldiers of Morgan’s Raiders to Pleasant Hill in 1862—this fine coming-of-age novel rewards readers with an unusual glimpse into a rarely portrayed religion as well as a different perspective on the Civil War.” —Booklist

The intimate guide to life as a Shaker in 19th century America "Never make more free with your inferiors than you are willing they should make with you; it learns them to be saucy." Such sage words of advice come from Mother Ann Lee's Society of the Shakers, who in 1844 published A Juvenile Guide, or Manual of Good Manners, Consisting of Counsels, Instructions, & Rules of Deportment for the Young. Known for their piety, their economy, and (perhaps most famously) their celibacy, the Shakers knew a thing or two about etiquette and proper decorum. With this incredible artifact of a bygone era, you can experience what it was like to live in a rural 19th century religious community, where children were taught to "be careful not to talk too loud, nor too much" and to "always have a place for every thing, and keep every thing in its place."