A digest of The Carmelites (published in Darien, IL, 1976-1988, 4 volumes in 5). The title recalls a classic work in the historiography of the Carmelite Order (Speculum carmelitanum (1686). This volume covers to the history of the Order from its foundations in the 13th century until 1959.

This is a very unique calendar featuring a quote each day from one of the Carmelite Saints or Blesseds, followed by a personal reflection on that quote. The nuns at that time wished to honor two significant dates; the first being the two hundredth anniversary of the arrival of four Carmelite Nuns who bravely set forth by ship from Belgium to found the first Carmel in America, in Port Tobacco, Maryland. The second date they were honoring was the 400th Anniversary of the holy death of St. John of the Cross in 1591, who accompanied and greatly helped St. Teresa of Avila in her foundations. These reflections are the fruit of prayer, spiritual reading and Lectio Divina of these Nuns, and are a wonderful way to become acquainted with the vitality and freshness of Carmelite spirituality. The Authors: the authors were the Nuns themselves of the Carmels that were members of the St. Teresa Association in 1990. At that time there were twelve Carmels, and each Carmel assumed responsibility for one month. Then the Nuns of that particular monastery would write up a quote from one of their Carmelite saints, and added their own personal reflection or meditation on that quote. So each day is entirely unique filled with the spirit and wisdom coming from those whose entire lives are suffused with the love of Carmelite spirituality.

Derived from interviews with a wide range of people who experienced or observed New York's 1991 Crown Heights racial riots, Fires In The Mirror is as distinguished a work of commentary on black-white tensions as it is a work of drama. In August 1991 simmering tensions in the racially polarized Brooklyn, New York, neighborhood of Crown Heights exploded into riots after a black boy was killed by a car in a rabbi's motorcade and a Jewish student was slain by blacks in retaliation. Fires in the Mirror is dramatist Anna Deavere Smith's stunning exploration of the events and emotions leading up to and following the Crown Heights conflict. Through her portrayals of more than two dozen Crown eights adversaries, victims, and eyewitnesses, using verbatim excerpts from their observations derived from interviews she conducted, Smith provides a brilliant, Rashoman-like documentary portrait of contemporary ethnic turmoil.

Annie Gray has an epiphany: she is not living the life she ’s always dreamed of. She decides to start fresh, drawing inspiration from her favorite classic Hollywood films. First, Annie moves into the picturesque Carmel bungalow belonging to her grandmother - a retired film star. Next up: landing an exciting job as a private investigator ’s assistant. But Annie ’s new boss is no Humphrey Bogart, and the work isn ’t quite what she pictured. Just when everything in Annie ’s screen-worthy plan teeters on the brink of disaster, she has another epiphany. Will this one land her in the arms of her own leading man?

Kessler and Ball have written the definitive book on the Carmel Melungeon settlement in Highland, Ohio. Available in both hardback and paperback.