Eloquently written essays about aspects of Asian American life comprise this collection that looks at how Asian-Americans view themselves in light of America's insensitivities, stereotypes, and expectations. My Chinese-America speaks on masculinity, identity, and topics ranging from Jeremy Lin and immigration to profiling and Asian silences. This essays have an intimacy that transcends cultural boundaries, and casts light on a vital part of American culture that surrounds and infl...

In 1978 James Alan McPherson made history as the first African-American writer to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Told from the perspective of one of McPherson’s closest friends and students, “Old School” is a celebration of writing, memory, and true friendship and its importance in our lives. It provides a brief yet touching glimpse into the life of one of the United States’ most distinguished writers. 

Accompany Jill McCorkle, Allen Gee, Georgi Markov, Own King, and others as they grapple with the disappearance of body, culture, and neighbors. Visit Guatemala to witness the evolution of a past life. Meet a Bulgarian radio voice killed for telling ordinary stories. Face boisterous sideline characters and sullen internet personalities. Grapple with dinner party discussions and take a trip to Disney World.Since 1971, Ploughshares has discovered and cultivated the freshest voices in ...

#1 New York Times bestselling author Anna Quindlen’s classic reflection on a meaningful life makes a perfect gift for any occasion.“Life is made of moments, small pieces of silver amidst long stretches of tedium. It would be wonderful if they came to us unsummoned, but particularly in lives as busy as the ones most of us lead now, that won’t happen. We have to teach ourselves now to live, really live . . . to love the journey, not the destination.”

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • This inspiring meditation on kindness from the author of Lincoln in the Bardo is based on his popular commencement address.Three months after George Saunders gave a graduation address at Syracuse University, a transcript of that speech was posted on the website of The New York Times, where its simple, uplifting message struck a deep chord. Within days, it had been shared more than one million times. Why? Becaus...

Anna Quindlen offers deep truths from her life to motivate and inspire you to become your most authentic self.“Trying to be perfect may be inevitable for people who are smart and ambitious and interested in the world and its good opinion. . . . What is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.”In Being Perfect, Anna Quindlen shares wisdom that, perhaps without knowing it, yo...

Deceptively simple and surprisingly addictive, Not Quite What I Was Planning is a thousand glimpses of humanity—six words at a time.One Life. Six Words. What's Yours?When Hemingway famously wrote, "For Sale: baby shoes, never worn," he proved that an entire story can be told using a half dozen words. When the online storytelling magazine SMITH asked readers to submit six-word memoirs, they proved a whole, real life can be told this way too. The results are fascinating, hila...

Stephen King's book Under The Dome has become a TV show. This book gives you the story background, information on the show's characters, TV plots and interesting analysis by a fan of the show.

The largest collection of successful college application essays available in one volume.These are the essays that helped their authors gain admission to Harvard, Yale, Brown, Columbia, Wellesley, Colby, and other outstanding schools—followed by invaluable comments by experts in admissions, placement, and college counseling at some of the best learning institutions around the country. This helpful guide includes:100 complete essays with professional commentaryExample...

Seven essays celebrating the beauty of the imperfect marriage.We hear plenty about whether or not to get married, but much less about what it takes to stay married. Clichés around marriage—eternal bliss, domestic harmony, soul mates—leave out the real stuff. After marriage you may still want to sleep with other people. Sometimes your partner will bore the hell out of you. And when stuck paying for your spouse’s mistakes, you might miss being single.

From the creators of Six-Word Memoirs comes The Moment, a collection of personal stories from writers both famous and obscure revealing how a single instant changed their lives forever. An innocuous decision, an unforeseen accident, a chance conversation, a tag sale, a terrorist strike, a tweet . . . sometimes all it takes is a single moment to redirect the course of an entire life. In the tradition of Smith magazine’s Not Quite What I Was Planning and the sensational Six-Word Memoirs on L...

An inspiring collection of standout quotes full of leadership wisdom from across history to motivate yourself to become the best leader you can be.For anyone preparing to step into a leadership role--be it a corporate CEO, business team leader, church deacon, or head of a household--this unique collection of quotes from 100 great leaders of armies, social movements, political revolutions, fashion revolutions, businesses, and nations is sure to inspire. From Abraham...