Washoe County Library System

Author Dean Sluyter, a meditation teacher, spent 33 years teaching English and the literature of enlightenment at the Pingry School in New Jersey. In this book designed to engage students and general readers, he interprets classics of literature through the lens of Buddhism. Writing in a conversational style with a sense of humor, he uncovers passages that mirror major concepts of Buddhism, in works by writers from Frederick Douglass and William Blake...

"An account of extraordinary artists and activists whose determination to live - and to create - with courage and conviction took them as far as the Spanish Civil War"-- "An extraordinary account of the women artists and activists whose determination to live—and to create—with courage and conviction took them as far as the Spanish Civil War “Now, as certainly as never before, we are determined or compelled, to take sides.” —Nancy Cunard...

"The beloved New York Times bestselling author reflects on home, family, friendships and writing in this deeply personal collection of essays"--

Sharing candid interviews with 13 top children's and young adult authors who discuss why their books have faced censorship, an historian and critic puts First Amendment challenges into historical context and examines the support network that protects and defends young people's rights.

New York Times bestselling author Douglas Preston teams up with Italian investigative journalist Mario Spezi to present a gripping account of crime and punishment in the lush hills surrounding Florence, Italy. The Monster of Florence is a remarkable and harrowing story involving murder, mutilation, and suicide--and at the center of it, Preston and Spezi are caught in a bizarre prosecutorial vendetta.--From publisher description.

Presenting the essential writings of black lesbian poet and feminist writer Audre Lorde, Sister Outsider celebrates an influential voice in twentieth-century literature. In this charged collection of fifteen essays and speeches, Lorde takes on sexism, racism, ageism, homophobia, and class, and propounds social difference as a vehicle for action and change. Her prose is incisive, unflinching, and lyrical, reflecting struggle but ultimately offering...

"Beloved writer Samantha Irby has returned to the printed page for her much-anticipated, sidesplitting fourth book following her 2020 breakout, Wow, no thank you, a Vintage Books Original. The success of Irby's career has taken her to new heights. She fields calls with job offers from Hollywood and walks the red carpet with the iconic ladies of Sex and the City. Finally, she has made it. But, behind all that new-found glam, Irby is just trying to...

Examines the environmental legacy of FDR and the New Deal, evaluating the creation of the Civilian Conservation Corps and the dozens of State Park systems that were protected by his decisions.

Author Ann Patchett relates the story of her friendship with fellow writer Lucy Grealy, and of Lucy's zest for life despite a long struggle with a disfiguring childhood cancer.

"A fresh take on George Orwell as a far more nature-loving figure than is often portrayed, and a dazzlingly rich meditation on roses, gardens, and the value and use of beauty and pleasure in the face of brutality and horror. "In the spring of 1936 a man planted roses." That man was George Orwell, shortly before he went off to fight against fascism in Spain. Today, those rosebushes are still thriving. This is the starting point for Rebecca Solnit's...