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...

Miniature books, eighteenth-century novels, Tom Thumb weddings, tall tales, and objects of tourism and nostalgia: this diverse group of cultural forms is the subject of On Longing, a fascinating analysis of the ways in which everyday objects are narrated to animate or realize certain versions of the world. Originally published in 1984 (Johns Hopkins University Press), and now available in paperback for the first time, this highly original book draws on insights from semiotics and ...

How have ruins become so valued in Western culture and so central to our art and literature? Covering a vast chronological and geographical range, from ancient Egyptian inscriptions to twentieth-century memorials, Susan Stewart seeks to answer this question as she traces the appeal of ruins and ruins images, and the lessons that writers and artists have drawn from their haunting forms.Stewart takes us on a sweeping journey through founding legends of broken covenants and original si...

“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 ...

Susan Stewart is an Olympic athlete who represented Canada in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics as a member of the women's basketball team. She also represented Canada as a player at the FIBA World Championship, the FIBA World Olympic Qualifying tournament, the Pan American Games and the FISU World Student Games. Sue has enjoyed a vibrant career, teaching and coaching basketball teams throughout Canada and the United States. She has also accumulated a long list of accomplishments, including a Mast...

As hairdressers we can afford to forget the real us. No matter how we are feeling we tend to put on a show for our clients. A good friend once said, There are two Sues Sue, my friend, and Sue, my hairdresser!Have You Had Lunch? aims to guide you through a realistic career in everyday Hairdressing. It will give you an insight as to what life as a Saturday girl/boy, apprentice and stylist is all about.Throughout this demanding yet very rewarding career, you may bathe...

"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...

Co-sleeping—parents and children sharing a bed—can be a fraught topic for parents. Some experts recommend parents never bring children into bed with them, while other experts extol the benefits of parents and children sharing a sleep space. Given the importance of sleep to our well-being, the topic can generate such strong feelings and controversy that parents can be afraid to share their experiences.Co-Sleeping takes readers inside the reality of co-sleeping for a diverse range of...

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...