"Spine-tingling ghost stories . . . Thrilling tales of the Bluff City's past" ( Memphis Reads).Much like its muddy riverbanks, the mid-South is flooded with tales of shadowy spirits lurking among us. Beyond the rhythm of the blues and tapping of blue suede shoes is a history steeped in horror. From the restless souls of Elmwood Cemetery to the voodoo vices of Beale Street, phantom hymns of the Orpheum Theatre and Civil War soldiers still looking for a figh...

A magnificently illustrated classic of California natural history, now updated in a long-awaited reissue."This wonderful book is a vivid reminder of how things began, and also as a vision of the rich and beautiful world we can work toward in our shared future." —Kim Stanley Robinson"This brings a lost world straight back to life—and one hopes it will help us work to restore it in the real world." —Bill McKibben"I wo...

Memphis is a city founded on some of the great vestiges of our past. City staples such as steamboats, cotton plantations and exchange centers, relics symbolic of the city's rich industrial and agrarian legacy, have either been forgotten or completely lost. Every city, especially one as thoroughly modern as Memphis, naturally loses even the more recent aspects of its past through growth and expansion. Join Memphian and library historian Laura Cunningham as she unearths the lost hallmarks of...

Ghost stories from the Birthplace of Rock 'n Roll have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery! The haunted history of Memphis comes to life--even when the main players are dead. Come for the blues and barbecue, but stay for the ghosts. Have you heard about the spirits at the Memphis Zoo? Or how about the grisly history surrounding the Grand Carousel? Dive into this spooky chapter book for suspenseful tales of bumps in the night, paranormal investigations, and the unexplained; just ...

I have written poetry and captured photos around me for many years, so I have decided to share some of my words and insights with the world. I hope readers can find inspiration, comfort, and strength in my work as well.

A San Francisco Chronicle BestsellerRead the rocks as only a geologist can, with this deep drill-down into Oakland’s geological history and its impacts on the city’s urban present."This book has turned me into a newcomer to my own city, but has also changed the way I will view any landscape. I can think of few greater gifts than that."—Jenny Odell, author of How to Do Nothing"Spending time with And...

I address myself to the man or woman of talent—those people who have writing ability, but who need instruction in the manipulation of characters, the formation of plots, and a host of other points with which I shall deal hereafter. Although no school could turn out novelists to order there is yet enough common material in all art-work to be mapped out in a course of lessons. I shall show that the two great requisites of novel-writing are a good story to tell, and ability to tell it effecti...

Thanks to Attorney and business owner Bill Patton, you won't miss a thing when you visit downtown Memphis, Tennessee with this guide. Need a practical, useful guide to downtown Memphis's historic streets, buildings and neighborhoods? Look no further than A Guide to Historic Downtown Memphis. From Beale Street to the Bluffs, this guidebook covers all the essentials that no explorer of the River City should be without. Each chapter provides a map for a different section of downtown Memphis, ...

Before Alan Brown wrote Haunted Places in the American South, only the locals knew what was lurking in these locations. Slamming doors, eerie lights, and Confederate soldiers' ghosts kept some folks too scared to talk with outsiders.Above Peavey Melody Music in Meridian, Mississippi, children may be heard giggling and running down an abandoned hallway that turns icy cold.At the Jameson Inn in Crestview, Florida, an apparition appears on surveillance tapes after fil...

Discover this Cajun and Creole city where ghost stories abound . . . photos included!The Hub City boasts a multitude of spirits and specters, from those lost in Civil War skirmishes and fever outbreaks to those souls that simply can't say goodbye. Today, they wander the halls of bed-and-breakfasts and restaurants and linger along back roads and cemeteries. Pirates are rumored to guard buried treasure, and ancient French legends hide in the swamps, bayous, and woods...

Once the center of agricultural prosperity in Alabama, the rich soil of the Black Belt still features beautiful homes that stand as a testimony to the region�s proud heritage. Join author Jennifer Hale as she explores the history of seventeen of the finest plantation homes in Alabama�s Black Belt. This book chronicles the original owners and slaves of the homes, and traces their descendants who continued to call these plantations home throughout the past two centuries. Discover why the fam...

This collection uncovers the fascinating past of Tennessee's legendary Music City from true tall tales to larger than life characters and much more.Perched on the banks of the Cumberland River, Nashville is best known for its role in the civil rights movement, world-class education and, of course, country music. In this unique collection of columns written for The Tennessean, journalist and longtime Tennessee native George Zepp illuminates a less familiar ...