“Ursula Le Guin is more than just a writer of adult fantasy and science fiction . . . she is a philosopher; an explorer in the landscapes of the mind.” – Cincinnati Enquirer The recipient of numerous literary prizes, including the National Book Award, the Kafka Award, and the Pushcart Prize, Ursula K. Le Guin is renowned for her spare, elegant prose, rich characterization, and diverse worlds. "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" is a short story originally published in the collection The Wind's Twelve Quarters.

When her professional and family life collide, a playwright starts journaling every morning to push through her writer’s block in this laugh-out-loud and fresh take on family, friendship, and the chaos of midlife. “[A] winning adult debut…” –Publishers Weekly Elise Hellman was once heralded by audiences and critics as a “playwright to watch.” Then they forgot all about her. When a prestigious theater company unexpectedly offers her a generous commission to write a new play, she has an opportunity to turn her career around. With sixty-five days left until her deadline, Elise starts scribbling a few pages of stream-of-consciousness first thing every morning as a way to get over her writer’s block—a technique called Morning Pages, popularized in Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way. What emerges is a witty confessional in which Elise chronicles her life with her teenage stoner son and her overbearing and eccentric mother, who is losing her memory but not her profanity. She writes about her lingering feelings for her ex-husband, her best friend who is acting oddly, and the confusing encounters she has with a handsome stranger in an elevator. As she writes, the marked-up scenes from her play, Deja New, are revealed, as a story within the story. Morning Pages is about what life throws at you when you’re trying to write. It is both a humorous exploration of the creative process and a relatable coming-of-age tale for the generation sandwiched between caring for their parents and caring for their kids.

The author, a computer science professor diagnosed with terminal cancer, explores his life, the lessons that he has learned, how he has worked to achieve his childhood dreams, and the effect of his diagnosis on him and his family.

Character is doing what is right when no one else is looking. Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others. Never put the key to your happiness in someone else's pocket. Quantity is what you count; quality is what you count on. Very few burdens are heavy if everyone lifts. These are just a few of the quotations that I have included in this book. It is a culmination of over four decades of gathering quotes and sayings, noticing church and marquee signs and bumper stickers and, most recently, researching on the Internet. In the preface for this book, I went through and listed quotes that meant a lot to me, but as I look back, I realize that they all mean something to me. I hope that you can use them for motivation, reflection, and inspiration.

This 37th annual Bathroom Reader from Uncle John and his team is filled with highly entertaining and informative articles that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Uncle John’s Action-Packed Bathroom Reader will take longtime fans and new readers alike on a whirlwind world tour with stories that explore the realms of pop culture, history, sports, and science—plus new exploits of dumb crooks that will make you wonder “What were they thinking?” For this 37th annual edition, Uncle John and his team at the Bathroom Readers’ Institute have explored lands near and far to bring you this collection of entertaining and informative articles that include short reads for a quick trip to the throne room as well as longer page-turners for extended visits. Also included are plenty of amusing lists, factoids, quotes, and quizzes that will fill your head with all sorts of odd trivia that you can use to amaze your friends.