To coincide with the celebration of Presque Isle State Park's 100-year anniversary in 2021, "Accidental Paradise: A Natural, Political, and Social History of Presque Isle" is targeted for publication by the Jefferson Educational Society in November 2020. Written by Erie historian David Frew with images coordinated and photographed by historian Jerry Skrypzak, the book marks the fifth collaboration by the two authors. Publication follows a three-year project in which Frew and Skrypzak address the geological formation of the peninsula, its natural history, and colorful political history leading to its creation as a state park. It also features the many people, events, and roles played by Erie's peninsula to the present day. Included is naval history, ecology, the Presque Isle Lighthouse, the story of famous squatter Joe Root, the Tom Ridge Environmental Center, Waldameer Park, fishing, environmental issues, the forerunners of the U.S. Coast Guard, and much more.

The acclaimed Nobel Prize winner challenges our most fiercely held beliefs as she weaves folklore and history, memory and myth into an unforgettable meditation on race, religion, gender, and a far-off past that is ever present—in prose that soars with the rhythms, grandeur, and tragic arc of an epic poem. “They shoot the white girl first. With the rest they can take their time.” So begins Toni Morrison’s Paradise, which opens with a horrifying scene of mass violence and chronicles its genesis in an all-black small town in rural Oklahoma. Founded by the descendants of freed slaves and survivors in exodus from a hostile world, the patriarchal community of Ruby is built on righteousness, rigidly enforced moral law, and fear. But seventeen miles away, another group of exiles has gathered in a promised land of their own. And it is upon these women in flight from death and despair that nine male citizens of Ruby will lay their pain, their terror, and their murderous rage. “A fascinating story, wonderfully detailed. . . . The town is the stage for a profound and provocative debate.” —Los Angeles Times

Why do people close to Roscoe Conklin keep showing up dead—and on the paradise island of Bonaire? After 25 years on the job, Detective Roscoe Conklin trades his badge for a pair of shorts and sandals and moves to Bonaire, a small island nestled in the southern Caribbean. But the warm water, palm trees, and sunsets are derailed when his long-time police-buddy and friend back home, is murdered. Conklin dusts off a few markers and calls his old department, trolling for information. It's slow going. No surprise, there. After all, it's an active investigation, and his compadres back home aren't saying a damn thing. He's 2,000 miles away, living in paradise. Does he really think he can help? They suggest he go to the beach and catch some rays. For Conklin, it's not that simple. Outside looking in? Not him. Never has been. Never will be. When a suspicious mishap lands his significant other, Arabella, in the hospital, the island police conduct, at best, a sluggish investigation, stonewalling progress. Conklin questions the evidence and challenges the department's methods. Something isn't right. Arabella wasn't the intended target. He was. Perfect for fans of Randy Wayne White's Doc Ford and Robert B. Parker's Spencer While the novels in the Roscoe Conklin Mystery Series stand on their own and can be read in any order, the publication sequence is: Diver's Paradise Paradise Cove

This book endorses Coleridge's statement: "nothing can permanently please which does not contain in itself the reason why it is so". It conceives 'Kubla Khan' as of a hypnotic poem, in which the "obtrusive rhythms" produce a hypnotic, emotionally heightened response, giving false security to the "Platonic Censor", so that our imagination is left free to explore higher levels of uncertainty. Critics intolerant of uncertainty tend to account for the poem's effect by extraneous background information. The book consists of three parts employing different research methods. Part One is speculative, and discusses three aspects of a complex aesthetic event: the verbal structure of 'Kubla Khan', validity in interpretation, and the influence of the critic's decision style on his critical decisions. The other two parts are empirical. Part Two explores reader response to gestalt qualities of rhyme patterns and hypnotic poems in perspective of decision style and professional training. Part Three submits four recordings of the poem by leading British actors to instrumental investigation.

Spizzerinctum, The Life and Legend of Robert “Black Bob” Renfro is an epic saga about a man with an indomitable will to succeed. As a young slave he accompanied his master’s family on a perilous 1000-mile river voyage to the lands along the Cumberland in Tennessee, surviving Indian attacks, smallpox, rapids and starvation. This was only the beginning. Through his own industry and ingenuity, he purchased his freedom and became the owner of Black Bob’s Tavern. More than twenty documents from the official records of North Carolina and Tennessee, as well as many newspaper accounts are used to reconstruct his life. Bob’s life was intertwined with the lives of Andrew and Rachel Jackson. Rachel was among the 170 women and children on the river voyage. Andrew was often the lawyer or judge in precedent setting legal cases involving Bob. One such case made Bob the first slave to be recognized as more than mere property. As a freeman he continued to utilize the legal system, frequently prevailing in cases adjudicated before white male juries and judges. Readers will rediscover an incredible man that history has overlooked. Those who love history and adventure, youth and black Americans will want to meet and know Robert “Black Bob” Renfro.

Exploring both the Enlightenment as a geographical phenomenon and the place of geography in the Enlightenment, 14 papers from a July 1996 conference in Edinburgh survey the many ways in which the world of the long 18th century was shaped through map, text, exploration, and argument and within and across spatial and intellectual borders. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

From Niagara Falls in the United States to Angel Falls in Venezuela, Victoria Falls in Africa, and Hannoki Falls in Japan, waterfalls provide some of the world’s loveliest panoramas. With their glistening spray and deafening roar, these astonishing natural wonders attract hordes of people each year who seek out, with cameras in hand, these terrifying and sublime examples of natural beauty. While waterfalls have often been considered in terms of their picturesque qualities, their rich cultural background has been neglected. In Waterfall, Brian Hudson portrays these marvels in a new light. He explores the many myths and legends waterfalls have inspired in cultures ranging from Native American to Celtic and Indian, and how they have been depicted in art, literature, film, and music. He also examines their influence on architecture and landscape design, as manmade waterfalls begin to be a staple of parks, gardens, and backyard landscaping. Hudson also discusses the ecology of waterfalls and the conflict that arises from their importance as both a source of hydroelectric power and tourist attractions in many countries. As erosion takes its own toll, the additional environmental impacts of human exploitation could be devastating. A superb addition to the library of any nature lover, this beautifully illustrated book provides a fascinating look at the history and value of these stunning cascades of water.