This seventh collection by acclaimed poet Susan Stewart offers a meditation on difficulty and the powers of nature.In the biblical book of Judges, the bramble is a figure of destructive leadership, thwarting the lives of trees. In ballads and fairy tales, roses grow “‘round the briar” in tragic contrast to heroines who are enveloped by the thorns. One of the oldest English words and an even older symbol, “bramble” reminds us of the entangled and unending struggle t...

Pleasant smells have long been associated not only with health, wealth and good hygiene but also sound moral character; bad smells indicate lack of cleanliness, ill health, poverty ‒ and immorality. Throughout history, people have applied scents to their bodies and clothing. They have carried perfumed objects, worn scented jewellery, sent scented letters, even exchanged scented coins. Aromas have been used to perfume private houses and public spaces from the ancient world to today. Gaining...

From a sequence, "The Countries Surrounding the Garden of Eden":Gihon, that compasseth the whole landAt the first frost we found our sheep with strangled hearts, lying on their backs in the frozen clover, their eyes wide open as if they were surprised by a constellation of drought or endless winter. The wolves walked into the snow, like men who have given up living without love; cows would no longer let go of their calves, hiding them deep in the birch groves. Everywhere th...

“One of the finest poets of the last fifty years.” —Saltto the Nth, like the truth of an endingunskeined across the crust of the white field.Though it happened only once, Iam sending the thoughtof the thoughtcontinuing.To return tothe field before the mowing.When a goldfinch swayedon a blue stem stalk,and the wind and the sunstirred the hay.—from “After t...

Throughout history, women (and men) have applied make-up to enhance, alter, conceal and even to disguise their appearance. Also, to a greater or lesser degree over time, cosmetics have been used as a visible marker of social status, gender, wealth and well-being. A closer look at the world of make-up gives us not only a mirror reflecting day-to-day life in the past, but also an indicator of the culture and politics of earlier periods in history. Susan Stewart guides the reader through the ...

"Brave New Stepfamilies is an excellent treatise on today′s families....This volume is a welcome addition to the field of family studies, and I highly recommend it."—Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, Columbia University"A thorough, balanced tour de force!"—Frances Goldscheider, University of MarylandBrave New Stepfamilies maps the changing landscape of American stepfamilies, taking readers on a t...

Existing portrayals of women who drink typically fall into two categories: disturbing stories of women hitting “rock bottom,” resulting in ruined careers, families, and futures, or amusing stories of fun and harmless “girls’ nights out,” with women drinking and overindulging as a temporary escape from a never-ending list of work and family demands. Drawing on original research and extensive interviews with a diverse group of women, author Susan Stewart challenges these stereotypes, reveali...

An existential detective story by one of France's most popular modern writers, set in a mid-nineteenth century mountain village, available in English for the first timeA King Alone is set in a remote Alpine village that is cut off from the world by rugged mountains and by long months when the ground is covered with snow and the heavens with cloud. One such winter, villagers begin mysteriously to disappear. Soon the village is paralyzed by terror, which giv...

Design and the Question of History is not a work of Design History. Rather, it is a mixture of mediation, advocacy and polemic that takes seriously the directive force of design as an historical actor in and upon the world. Understanding design as a shaper of worlds within which the political, ethical and historical character of human being is at stake, this textdemands radically transformed notions of both design and history. Above all, the authors posit history as the generation...

A richly illustrated commemorative 2025 edition marking the opening of Princeton University’s new art museumRenaissance: A New Museum for Princeton reflects on the history of the Princeton University Art Museum as one of the oldest collecting institutions in North America and the role of its architecture in campus making. The 2025 opening of its new building affirms the museum’s long-standing commitment to considering works of art in the original as essent...

Michael Moss on Archives brings together selected outputs from an internationally renowned archival scholar, who explored the theory and practice of archives and records management.Comprising a selection of 11 of Moss’ most significant archival writings, the book demonstrates the development of his thinking in archival theory and practice over the past 20 years. Michael Moss was a towering figure in modern archival writing and was able to push the boundaries of the discipl...

The plan was for beautiful Claire to marry the terrifyingly sinister Simon of Navarre, wizard in residence to Richard the Fair. Instead, her plain sister Alys takes her place, proving herself more than a match for the man with the secrets. Meanwhile, sweet Claire falls in love with a handsome knight, and the truly evil Richard the Fair tries to make life miserable for all.Set in medieval times, this is a rich, gorgeous tale of love, deception, and ultimate redemption.