A challenge to traditional criticism, this study demonstrates that issues of sexuality - and same-sex desire in particular - were of central importance in the literary production of the Southern Renaissance. Gary Richards draws on contemporary theories of sexuality in reading the fiction of six writers of the era.

A trapped immortal planning escape... A prince who is the key... And a magic book that may lead the key to open the lock... Just turned 18, Prince Temmin Antremont has finally joined his father's court, only to walk straight into a power struggle between the secular and the sacred. The twin gods of love and sex call Temmin to serve in the Lovers' Temple for two years, a call made even more tempting by the seductive twins who embody the gods. Prophecy suggests that Temmin's entrance into the Temple spells the kingdom's end, and the King will stop at nothing to prevent it. But the king's own advisor, a strange immortal called Teacher, comes to Temmin's aid. Why? And does the kingdom's fate really hinge on one young man's decision? Lovers and Beloveds is the first book in the acclaimed Victorianesque fantasy series An Intimate History of the Greater Kingdom, which continues with Son in Sorrow. Raves and a 4-star average at Goodreads! "Everything I adore in high fantasy--lush worldbuilding, political intrigue, and compelling characters--combined with something I rarely find in high fantasy--intelligent, well-written, relevant sex. MeiLin Miranda's a damn fine writer and definitely one I'll be keeping my eye on in the future!" -- M.K. Hobson, author of The Native Star "If George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series captures the gritty realism of medieval history, Lovers and Beloveds reveals the intimate and personal dynamics of power in aristocracies. It weaves together a rich multi-layered story that explores how sex and power shape history and individual destiny--sharing a perspective that's beyond the 'men, swords, and thrones' (capital H) history that's often seen in fantasy." -- book blogger Frida Fantastic "[C]aptivating - almost like an anthropological study of sex, identity, gender, relationships, power, fetish, etc. Unlike your normal smut novel or porn piece, the sex is heart-breakingly realistic, full of warts and rough edges. ... Overall Rating: 4.5 stars. Thought-provoking, well-written, emotionally powerful." -- Maria T. Violante, Write, Read, Review blog Books in This Series: Lovers and Beloveds (Book One)Son in Sorrow (Book Two)"Accounts: An Allis and Issak Obby Story" (prequel short story)"The Gratification Engine: An Allis Obby and Anda Barrows Story" (prequel erotic short story) Keywords: epic fantasy, fantasy series, family saga, fantasy family saga, immortal, gods, goddesses, pantheon, Victorian, Victorianesque, 19th century, empire, colonialism, redemption, free, free ebook, free fantasy book, freebie, sexual politics, intrigue, political intrigue, fantasy history, hidden, secrets, battles, sexuality, bisexuality, sexual exploration, coming of age, literary fantasy, large cast of characters, politics, sacred sexuality, sprawling cast, plots, counter plots, history, mystery, deception, betrayal, family drama, magic, hidden magic, suppressed history, destiny, prophecy, nobility, large cast, story in story, lost magic, no DRM, DRM-free, free first in series, royalty, power exchange

It is Alfredo who speaks in these pages, his Love for those of us who follow the Way under his guidance and for those who seek but have not yet found, because his teaching is transmitted from Heart to Heart. Simple, but not easy, essential: Attention, Intention, Dedication practiced with patience and moved forward with impeccability and joy. Immersed in this Love, Caterina offers her extraordinary experience with delicacy and poetry, with the intention of giving pearls that come from the master and offering us another opportunity now that "the solar winds blow stronger," until for us as well, the Love, the Lover, and the Beloved are One.

DIVExamines the "golden age" of the culture of the Ottoman empire in the 16th century, exploring sexuality, gender and literary society, as well as the demographics, economics, politics, society of love and other cultural productions of the Ottoman/div

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Toni Morrison’s Beloved is a spellbinding and dazzlingly innovative portrait of a woman haunted by the past. Sethe was born a slave and escaped to Ohio, but eighteen years later she is still not free. She has borne the unthinkable and not gone mad, yet she is still held captive by memories of Sweet Home, the beautiful farm where so many hideous things happened. Meanwhile Sethe’s house has long been troubled by the angry, destructive ghost of her baby, who died nameless and whose tombstone is engraved with a single word: Beloved. Sethe works at beating back the past, but it makes itself heard and felt incessantly in her memory and in the lives of those around her. When a mysterious teenage girl arrives, calling herself Beloved, Sethe’s terrible secret explodes into the present. Combining the visionary power of legend with the unassailable truth of history, Morrison’s unforgettable novel is one of the great and enduring works of American literature.

“One of my favorite authors.”—Colleen Hoover An insightful, delightful, instant #1 New York Times bestseller from the author of Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation. Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2022 by Oprah Daily ∙ Today ∙ Parade ∙ Marie Claire ∙ Bustle ∙ PopSugar ∙ Katie Couric Media ∙ Book Bub ∙ SheReads ∙ Medium ∙ The Washington Post ∙ and more! One summer. Two rivals. A plot twist they didn't see coming... Nora Stephens' life is books—she’s read them all—and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby. Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters’ trip away—with visions of a small town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times and it’s never been cute. If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again—in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow—what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves.

“The heart of Orr’s poetry, now as ever, is the enigmatic image . . . mystical, carnal, reflective, wry.”—San Francisco Review This book-length sequence of ecstatic, visionary lyrics recalls Rumi in its search for the beloved and its passionate belief in the healing qualities of art and beauty. Concerning the Book that is the Body of the Beloved is an incantatory celebration of the “Book,” an imaginary and self-gathering anthology of all the lyrics—both poems and songs—ever written. Each poem highlights a distinct aspect of the human condition, and together the poems explore love, loss, restoration, the beauty of the world, the beauty of the beloved, and the mystery of poetry. The purpose and power of the Book is to help us live by reconnecting us to the world and to our emotional lives. I put the beloved In a wooden coffin. The fire ate his body; The flames devoured her. I put the beloved In a poem or song. Tucked it between Two pages of the Book. How bright the flames. All of me burning, All of me on fire And still whole. There is nothing quite like this book—an “active anthology” in the best sense—where individuals find the poems and songs that will sustain them. Or the poems find them. Gregory Orr is the author of eight books of poetry, four volumes of criticism, and a memoir. He has received numerous awards for his work, most recently the Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Orr has taught at the University of Virginia since 1975 and was, for many years, the poetry editor of The Virginia Quarterly Review. He lives with his family in Charlottesville, Virginia.