Michael Farris Smith imagines the troubled pre-Gatsby years of Fitzgerald’s Nick Carraway
In Nick, a new novel depicting the life of Nick Carraway before the turbulent summer of The Great Gatsby, Michael Farris Smith drags his hero through war, heartbreak, and the violent underworld of New Orleans.
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Tina Turner shares her spiritual practice of 50 years
Tina Turner, an American entertainment icon whose influence extends across generations, now adds life coach to her list of accomplishments. In her latest book, she turns the spotlight on her spiritual life — specifically her 50 years as a practicing Buddhist — which she credits for much of her success: “This is how I saved myself,” she says. “This is how I made my wildest dreams come true.”
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Unlikely Angel delves into Dolly Parton’s formidable skill as a songwriter
With Unlikely Angel: The Songs of Dolly Parton, musicologist Lydia Hamessley gives long-overdue consideration to Parton’s formidable body of work as a songwriter.
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A granddaughter discovers an unexpected legacy of memories, questions, and untold stories
For years, I thought I was the sole oddball in my family obsessed with memorabilia. If not for an impromptu visit to my Aunt Doris’s house, I might never have known otherwise.
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My intuition said we were headed for disaster
Reading the order of worship, I began to warm with Christmas sentiment — authentic gratitude for God’s incomparable expression of love — as I slowly worked my thoughts through the list of familiar hymns and carols we would soon sing or hear. Then one stopped me cold.
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Sometimes even the best rules must be broken
The mood in the Jeep quieted when we turned down a dirt road running through a trailer park. Every trailer had at least two, sometimes three dogs lounging by their porch steps. I guessed that none were spayed or neutered.
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