When a giant sperm whale washes up on the local beach it tells Joe Gunner that death will follow him wherever he goes. Joe knows that the place he needs to go is back home. Having stormed out two years ago, it won't be easy, nor will returning to the haunted river beside the house where words ripple beneath the surface washing up all sorts of memories. Joe turns to his sister, Birdee, the only person who has ever listened. But she can't help him, she drowned two years ago. Then there's Tim Fysh, local fisherman and long-time lover. But reviving their bond is bound to be trouble. As the water settles and Joe learns the truth about the river, he finds that we all have the capability to hate, and that we can all make the choice not to. Ransom's fractured, distinctive prose highlights the beauty and brutality of his story, his extraordinarily vivid sense of place saturates the reader with the wet of the river, and the salty tang of the sea.

"For nonwriters, it is a glimpse into the trials and satisfactions of a life spent with words. For writers, it is a warm, rambling, conversation with a stimulating and extraordinarily talented colleague." — Chicago Tribune From Pulitzer Prize-winning Annie Dillard, a collection that illuminates the dedication and daring that characterizes a writer's life. In these short essays, Annie Dillard—the author of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek and An American Childhood—illuminates the dedication, absurdity, and daring that characterize the existence of a writer. A moving account of Dillard’s own experiences while writing her works, The Writing Life offers deep insight into one of the most mysterious professions.

Abe Kobo (1924–1993) was one of Japan's greatest postwar writers, widely recognized for his imaginative science fiction and plays of the absurd. However, he also wrote theoretical criticism for which he is lesser known, merging literary, historical, and philosophical perspectives into keen reflections on the nature of creativity, the evolution of the human species, and an impressive range of other subjects. Abe Kobo tackled contemporary social issues and literary theory with the depth and facility of a visionary thinker. Featuring twelve essays from his prolific career—including "Poetry and Poets (Consciousness and the Unconscious)," written in 1944, and "The Frontier Within, Part II," written in 1969—this anthology introduces English-speaking readers to Abe Kobo as critic and intellectual for the first time. Demonstrating the importance of his theoretical work to a broader understanding of his fiction—and a richer portrait of Japan's postwar imagination—Richard F. Calichman provides an incisive introduction to Abe Kobo's achievements and situates his essays historically and intellectually.

In the last novel written before his death in 1993, one of Japan's most distinguished novelists proffered a surreal vision of Japanese society that manages to be simultaneously fearful and jarringly funny. The narrator of Kangaroo Notebook wakes on morning to discover that his legs are growing radish sprouts, an ailment that repulses his doctor but provides the patient with the unusual ability to snack on himself. In short order, Kobo Abe's unraveling protagonist finds himself hurtling in a hospital bed to the very shores of hell. Abe has assembled a cast of oddities into a coherent novel, one imbued with unexpected meaning. Translated from the Japanese by Maryellen Toman Mori.

Kobo Abe, the internationally acclaimed author of Woman in the Dunes, combines wildly imaginative fantasies and naturalistic prose to create narratives reminiscent of the work of Kafka and Beckett. In this eerie and evocative masterpiece, the nameless protagonist gives up his identity and the trappings of a normal life to live in a large cardboard box he wears over his head. Wandering the streets of Tokyo and scribbling madly on the interior walls of his box, he describes the world outside as he sees or perhaps imagines it, a tenuous reality that seems to include a mysterious rifleman determined to shoot him, a seductive young nurse, and a doctor who wants to become a box man himself. The Box Man is a marvel of sheer originality and a bizarrely fascinating fable about the very nature of identity. Translated from the Japanese by E. Dale Saunders.

You can write a book-anyone can. But if you want to write a book that people will want or even need to read, it's not as simple as sitting down to write. In fact, that's one of the biggest mistakes unsuccessful authors make. Writing a book can be one of the smartest moves for your business success. But you need more than writing skills to create an impressive book that readers will love. You also need a plan to market, sell, and leverage your book into a new level of leadership within your industry to reach your professional goals. In Self-Publish & Succeed, trusted best-selling author and entrepreneur Julie Broad shows you that writing a successful nonfiction book starts long before you write your first chapter. To write a book that boosts your brand, generates a profit, and makes you an influencer in your industry, you need the #noboringbooks way. You're about to discover: -The reason why you're not finishing your book-and how to overcome it. -Why most books are boring, and how to keep yours from being one of them. -Which editors you need to perfect your story and where to find them. -The one simple page that could generate thousands of sales. -Seven places to sell your book (and only one starts with "A!"). Nonfiction doesn't mean no fun. Write a money-making book that delivers meaningful impact. Self-Publish & Succeed is your step-by-step guide to writing, publishing, and marketing a book that will get attention, explode your career, and change people's lives-including yours.

Here's how to use and love your Kobo Wi Fi eReader, the gadget dedicated to reading! Want to carry hundreds of books, magazines, and newspapers everywhere and not hurt your back? Load this e-book onto your Kobo Wi Fi eReader and we'll show you how! It's a quick-and-easy course in reading electronically, shopping for e-books, converting your own files for the eReader, getting the most from the device, and keeping your Kobo Wi Fi happy. Hello, Kobo — get acquainted with all the features and controls and learn how to charge the battery Go shopping — download e-books, find free books, and subscribe to newspapers or magazines Carry more than books — load PDFs of your travel itinerary, phone numbers, or presentation notes onto your eReader Get connected — set up and configure your Kobo Wi Fi eReader to access online bookstores Find free stuff — explore Project Gutenberg, Manybooks.net, Feedbooks, and Google Books for books in the public domain Fix annoying glitches — find misplaced e-books, resize PDFs, solve wireless connection problems, and reset a stalled eReader Open the book and find: Why E Ink can be better than an LCD screen How to adjust the type size for your comfort Files your eReader can't take Tips for managing and organizing your reading list The difference between EPUBs and PDFs How to reset your Kobo Wi Fi eReader if all else fails Ten must-have accessories for your Kobo Wi Fi Information about valuable software utilities like calibre and Adobe Digital Editions