John Franklin Bardin's most acclaimed work plays a virtuoso performance on music and madness in this unforgettable thriller. In 1946 New York, Ellen, a world-renowned musician, is suffering from the effects of her latest mental breakdown. Amongst other challenges, a chance meeting with a folk singer from her past causes her psychological well-being to rapidly deteriorate. Over the following terrifying weeks, Ellen finds herself becoming both a criminal and a victim as she attempts to contend with the darkness within. "We have all had these feelings, more or less, and now and then. The healthier among us try to step back from the brink, try to laugh at what might have happened if we had gone a bit further. The reader of these tales will read in horror—those who can take it. And they will not forget very soon." —Patricia Highsmith

A poetic treatment of the period of American history between the beginning of the Mexican War and the end of the Civil War, by Michigan poet Vievee Francis. The title of Blue-Tail Fly comes from an antebellum song commonly known as "Jimmy Crack Corn." The blue-tail fly is a supposedly insignificant creature that bites the horse that bucks and kills the master. In this collection, poet Vievee Francis gives voice to "outsiders"—from soldiers and common folk to leading political figures—who play the role of the blue-tail fly in the period of American history between the Mexican American War and the Civil War. Through a diverse range of styles, characters, and emotions, Francis's poems consider the demands of war, protest and resistance to it, and the cross-cultural exchanges of wartime. More than a narrowly themed text, Blue-Tail Fly is a book of balances, weighing the give-and-take of people and cultures in the arena of war. For lovers of poetry and those interested in American history, Blue-Tail Fly will illustrate the complexities of the American past and future.

Welcome to Real Country Lyrics Volume Fourteen (songs #7251 - 7500) If you want to get back to real country music, you have to start with Real Country Lyrics. The kind that was sung by Sons of the Pioneers, Roy Acuff, Patsy Cline, Hank Williams Sr, Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys and a host of other pioneers of Country, Cowboy and Western music. This collection brings back the kind of classic and vintage songs written in the middle of the 1900's when country music was established.

William Studwell has struck gold again! Providing a heterogenous mixture of songs that mirrors the diversity of the United States and its culture, The Americana Song Reader is an entertaining and informative collection of over 130 historical essays on various American and foreign songs that have had a significant impact on U.S. popular culture. The essays give you basic historical data on the work, refer to any related or affiliated works, and touch upon the cultural context of its creation and popular usage in the United States. Presented in an offbeat, somewhat irreverent, yet scholarly style, the author has once again compiled a reference book that is fun to read. In addition to presenting information useful for reference, The Americana Song Reader contains anecdotes, ironic sidelights, poetry, and allusions to parodies. For ease of use, the book is divided into several sections. These sections, with some representative songs listed, include: Dancing Songs: “After the Ball,” “The Hokey Pokey,” “Sleeping Beauty Waltz” Marching Songs: “March of the Toys,” “When the Saints Go Marching In” Rural and Western Songs: “The Big Rock Candy Mountain,” “Jessie James,” “The Streets of Laredo” Songs That Excite or Amuse: “An American in Paris,” “1812 Overture,” “The Sidewalks of New York” Songs That Soothe or Bring Tears: “Beautiful Dreamer,” “I'm Always Chasing Rainbows,” “My Wild Irish Rose” Children's Songs: “Hansel and Gretel,” “Pop Goes the Weasel,” “Sing a Song of Sixpence” Circus Songs: “Barnum and Bailey's Favorite,” “Be a Clown,” “The Flying Trapeze” Drinking Songs: “Auld Lange Syne,” “Little Brown Jug,” “Ninety Nine Bottles of Beer” College Songs: “Iowa Corn Song,” “Notre Dame Victory Song,” “The Whiffenpoof Song” Song title index and author/group index Whether the music comes from New York City, remote rural areas of the South or West, or from Vienna or Paris, all music having some sort of impact on the lives of everyday Americans is in a very true way part of Americana. In The Americana Song Reader, you'll see the songs both as small pieces of the American culture puzzle and, collectively, as a large segment of the music of the country. This newest addition to William Studwell's collection of song readers will delight the general public, musicians, and librarians.

A celebration of African American life and culture brings together four hundred years of folklore, traditional tales, recipes, proverbs, legends, folk songs, and folk art.

Expert settings of 25 American folk classics by a well-known composer and arranger for young pianists. Includes Amazing Grace, Aura Lee, Blue Tail Fly, Go Down Moses, and much more.