Roland Barthes, whose centenary falls in 2015, was a restless, protean thinker. A constant innovator, often as a daring smuggler of ideas from one discipline to another, he first gained an audience with his pithy, semiological essays on mass culture, then unsettled the literary critical establishment with heretical writings on the French classics, before going on to produce some of the most suggestive and stimulating cultural criticism of the late twentieth century ("Empire of Signs," "S/Z," "The Pleasure of the Text, Camera Lucida, Roland Barthes by Roland Barthes"). In 1976, the one-time structuralist outsider was elected to a chair at France s pre-eminent academic institution, the College de France, choosing to style himself its Professor of Literary Semiology, though this last somewhat hedonistic and more subjectivist phase of his intellectual adventure was cut short by his untimely death in 1980. The greater part of Barthes s published writings have been available to a French audience since the publication in 2002 of the expanded version of his "Oeuvres completes "[Complete Works], edited by Eric Marty. The present collection of essays, interviews, prefaces, book reviews and other occasional journalistic pieces, all drawn from that comprehensive source, attempts to give English-speaking readers access to the most significant previously untranslated material from the various stages of Barthes s career. It is divided (not entirely scientifically) into five themed volumes entitled: Theory, Politics, Literary Criticism, Signs and Images (Art, Cinema, Photography), and Interviews. Barthes was always concerned to frame his interventions in theoretical form. Even when turning away from the scientism of earlier years, his inclination was to "theorize" the challenge that emotions like pleasure and bliss represented for his former approach. From his early musings on grammar and his pioneering thoughts on the sociology of literature, through the high period of structuralism to the beginnings of a post-structuralist turn in his reflections on Derrida and the creative contribution of the "reader," the essays and interviews in this first volume, loosely grouped around the theme of theory, suggest a progression that is both straight line and spiral. "

An Honest, Hopeful Look at Unexpected Challenges Challenging surprises often lead to unexpected joy. Amy Julia opens eyes and softens hearts as she brings readers into her own story of disappointment turned to blessing. This is a journey of discovering strength through weakness, and the author learns to embrace the face that we are all dependent on God and one another. This books will inspire readers who appreciate beautiful writing coupled with deep insights about life and faith. "Amy Julia Becker has the courage and grace to tell the truth. Whether you are a parent or not, whether the children in your life are 'typical' or not, this story will shake you, change you, and encourage you."--Andy Crouch, author, Culture Making

It's Fall 2016 in flyover country and Jude Glick's mother has just died after a long battle with cancer, leaving behind a house in foreclosure, tens of thousands in medical debt, and compounding psychological trauma. Already a struggling standup comic and museum security guard, Jude thinks his life can't get any more humiliating. But poverty and institutional cruelty find new ways to grind him down-and beat him up-just as his childhood bully, Stephen Scheisskopf, becomes a household name as propaganda minister for a proto-fascist Presidential candidate. When this unnamed nominee improbably wins the election and Scheisskopf transforms the Glick family story into a partisan political symbol, Jude can't take it anymore and finally inflicts himself on the people, and country, he hates. Alternating between raw emotionalism, cutting satire, and wild flights of imagination, Gannis's brilliant debut novel builds to an unforeseen and shattering climax.

Based on the classic story in which a husband and wife sacrifice treasured possessions in order to buy each other Christmas presents.

The final volume in the renowned Danish poet Tove Ditlevsen’s autobiographical Copenhagen Trilogy ("A masterpiece" —The Guardian). Following Childhood and Youth, Dependency is the searing portrait of a woman’s journey through love, friendship, ambition, and addiction, from one of Denmark’s most celebrated twentieth century writers Tove is only twenty, but she's already famous, a published poet, and the wife of a much older literary editor. Her path in life seems set, yet she has no idea of the struggles ahead—love affairs, wanted and unwanted pregnancies, artistic failure, and destructive addiction. As the years go by, the central tension of Tove's life comes into painful focus: the terrible lure of dependency, in all its forms, and the possibility of living freely and fearlessly—as an artist on her own terms. The final volume in the Copenhagen Trilogy, and arguably Ditlevsen's masterpiece, Dependency is a dark and blisteringly honest account of addiction, and the way out.

This moving gift book truly stirs gratitude for the blessing of life and the everyday wonder and beauty of nature. It was inspired by the short film Gratitude, a viral video sensation by acclaimed filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg recently featured on Oprahs Super Soul Sunday. The book and film pair one of todays most uplifting poems—the Internet phenomenon “A Good Day,” written by revered spiritual leader Brother David Steindl-Rast—with stunning images by Schwartzberg. Perfect for graduations, birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays—or just as a gift for someone you love—this inspirational package includes not just the book but a DVD with two short films by Schwartzberg (including Gratitude) and Brother Davids own A Good Day video. The last page has a link to the “A Good Day” audio track, which you can use to create your own video or slide show on what you are grateful for.

In the tradition of Kaye Gibbons, Sheri Reynolds, and Dorothy Allison, Brenda Jernigan is an exciting and original Southern voice. This novel concerns a miraculous event -- with a contemporary spin -- that sets in motion a profoundly moving and often warmly human coming-of-age story. This is beautifully crafted writing, rich with unforgettable characters. Every Good and Perfect Gift is set in a small town in North Carolina, a place that is comfortable with tradition, including the traditional image of God. On a sultry Sunday morning when ten-year-old Maggie Davidson swoons from the heat and sees God -- and God is a woman -- people are quick to ascribe her vision to the fantasies of an overheated girl. But when Maggie begins to demonstrate a gift of healing, people's attitudes change. This is a story of a family of three strong women -- grandmother, mother, and daughter -- who live by the laws of love, loss, and pride. It is also the story of a community of good people gone wrong and bad people who find good in themselves. It is a knowingly detailed account of a particular part of America -- and of the wide landscape of human hearts and souls.