The Land of Opportunity and Other Fictions is a collection of related short stories that tell of a time long gone, when immigrants from Slavic countries arrived in America on boats in droves. Told in intimate detail, these stories portray the families who settled in the coal regions of Pennsylvania and the hardships that they endured as their communities grew to become burgeoning towns full of families. Times were tough as they forged their way in the new country. To many immigrants, America was not the land of opportunity. Many died because of the coal mines. Many died of influenza, but more than that, they found themselves fighting a war where the European soldiers against whom they fought were often family from their native countries. Among the stories are many memorable characters, like Nicholas Noble, the interpreter and mediator between the captain and the passengers on the Carpathia, a ship that brought many immigrants from Eastern Europe to America. The ship is notable in that it saved the few survivors of the sinking of the SS Titanic from the cold northern seas. In the end, the Carpathia was destroyed by German torpedoes, and Nicolas Noble along with it. Through these heartfelt and vivid stories, the experiences of the Eastern European immigrants and life in the coal towns of Pennsylvania will come to life.

For many of the Eastern European immigrants to the Anthracite region of Pennsylvania during the time when "Coal was King", America was not the land of opportunity in the sense that they had gained something; rather, they got the opportunity to lose something, whether it was life itself or their religious faith. Many died because of the coal mines; the central character in the story "This White Thing," struggles to pass on Old World traditions to her children, only to realize that it is futile; World War I offered the opportunity to fight against family members still living over in Europe; many of the immigrants escaped the 1918 Flu Epidemic in the Old World, only to contract it here in the New World. Although the readers may not be of Slavic origin, whether they be Irish, Cuban, or Israeli, they will be able to identify with the themes and characters that are embodied in these stories.

At a moment of cultural and political crisis, with forces of reaction seemingly ascendant throughout the West, it's fair to ask what use does anyone have for America, God, or any other similar fictions? What use does theological language have for the radical facing the apocalypse? Among the subjects considered: the need for an Augustinian left, legacies of American violence, speaking in tongues, the humanities facing climate change, the maturity of realizing that you will die, how to sail towards Utopia, and witches.

Silvertower, a large US-based real estate investment company, has experienced incredible success over the past ten years. However, to maintain their momentum, expanding into new markets is vital. CEO Patrick Miller thinks he has hit upon the perfect idea: investing in Africa. However, the road will be far from easy. Not only does the Rescue Africa rebel group stand in his way, so does Patrick’s long time business partner, Robert Bradford. Though written as a novel, this book employs fiction to reframe Africa as ... the next land of opportunity.

This is a collection of huang Fan's work in English. The anthology includes 'Zero', a futuristic novella that won the Unitas Prize, and three critically acclaimed short stories.

Uninsured in America goes to the heart of why more than forty million Americans are falling through the cracks in the health care system, and what it means for society as a whole when so many people suffer the consequences of inadequate medical care. Based on interviews with 120 uninsured men and women and dozens of medical providers, policymakers, and advocates from around the nation, this book takes a fresh look at one of the most important social issues facing the United States today. A new afterword updates the stories of many of the people who are so memorably presented here.

This collection of contemporary criticism explores her concern with racial and gender issues and analyzes her in relation to other major modern authors, her philosophical and religious speculations, and her preoccupation with the process of fiction-making. These classics provide a broad look at critical argument about Toni Morrison's meanings and significance during the past 10 years. From the formative effects of learning one's Otherness as a result of majority perception, to the apocalyptic implications of racial memory, to the moral and psychologically constructive act of storytelling, to the structural function served by improvisational jazz music, to the imagery associated with both flight and naming, to the uniquely female experience of community-major issues raised by Morrison's body of work are explicated here.