Epic Encounters

Epic Encounters
Author: Melani McAlister
Publisher: Univ of California Press
Total Pages: 436
Release: 2005-07-05
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780520244993

Examines how popular culture has shaped the ways Americans define their "interests" in the Middle East. Author McAlister argues that U.S. foreign policy, while grounded in material and military realities, is also developed in a cultural context. American understandings of the region are framed by narratives that draw on religious belief, news media accounts, and popular culture. This book skillfully weaves readings of film, media, and music with a rigorous analysis of U.S. foreign policy, race politics, and religious history.--From publisher description.

Epic Encounters

Epic Encounters
Author: Melani McAlister
Publisher: Univ of California Press
Total Pages: 380
Release: 2001
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780520228108

"A wonderfully original and compelling study, essential for understanding the complex relations between the US and the nations and peoples of the Mideast. McAlister argues powerfully that American interests in the Mideast range far beyond the realm of foreign policy to become of paramount importance to the creation of American culture in the post World War II era. . . . A model for those interested in the interconnections of culture and foreign policy in an era of globalization. An engrossing read."--Amy Kaplan, author of The Social Construction of American Realism "Melani McAlister has written a marvelous book that draws together a vast array of materials from the media, archives, scholarly sources, and popular culture, interpreting it through her rich knowledge of cultural studies. Scholars in many fields--American studies, sociology, religious studies, political science, media studies, among others--will want to read this lively and engaging book."--Robert Wuthnow, author of After Heaven: Spirituality in America Since the 1950s, and Creative Spirituality: The Way of the Artist "A fascinating and completely original analysis of the relation between culture and foreign policy. . . this book casts entirely new light on US military, financial, and emotional investments in the Middle East. Conservative Christian sensibilities, television, Biblical epics, Black Power, and a host of gender-related representations--these and other factors all played a part in the shaping of American foreign policy in ways that have never before been noticed. No historian of twentieth-century American culture or politics should miss this brilliant book!"--Gail Bederman, author of Manliness and Civilization: A Cultural History of Gender and Race in the US, 1880-1917 "Diplomatic historians are now turning to Edward Said's Orientalism to explore the cultural dimensions of 20th Century America's representations of the Middle East. They are too late! Melani McAlister develops a "post-orientalist" approach to U.S. culture, foreign policy, and identity. Hers is also the first book ever to recognize that African -Americans matter to such a project. Epic Encounters is a blockbuster of a book."--Robert Vitalis, author of When Capitalists Collide: Business Conflict and the End of Empire in Egypt

Coyote Peterson’s Brave Adventures

Coyote Peterson’s Brave Adventures
Author: Coyote Peterson
Publisher: Mango Media Inc.
Total Pages: 203
Release: 2017-09-12
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 1633535789

#1 Bookscan in Juvenile Non-fiction! ─ Be Brave… Stay Wild! Animal Stories for Kids: Coyote Peterson's Brave Adventures: Wild Animals in a Wild World chronicles some of the wildest encounters Coyote Peterson has had over the course of his travels. The stories begin with his first snapping turtle catch as a kid and lead down a trail of incredible moments he and his camera crew have had while filming their Brave Wilderness shows. From a giant alligator that nearly caught Coyote in its bone crushing jaws, to an 800 pound Grizzly Bear that helped him teach the audience what to do and NOT do if you ever encounter one of these enormous predators in the wild, every tale is laced with fast paced action and daring adventure. With the presence of danger often looming for Coyote, each story reminds the reader that animals rule the wild places of this planet, and if we respect them from a safe distance, even the most frightening creatures are more likely to be afraid of us than we should ever be of them. Exciting animal stories for kids of all ages: This collection of short stories aims to give the reader a first-person perspective into some of Coyote’s most harrowing and heartwarming adventures.

Gilgamesh among Us

Gilgamesh among Us
Author: Theodore Ziolkowski
Publisher: Cornell University Press
Total Pages: 245
Release: 2011-12-15
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 0801463424

The world's oldest work of literature, the Epic of Gilgamesh recounts the adventures of the semimythical Sumerian king of Uruk and his ultimately futile quest for immortality after the death of his friend and companion, Enkidu, a wildman sent by the gods. Gilgamesh was deified by the Sumerians around 2500 BCE, and his tale as we know it today was codified in cuneiform tablets around 1750 BCE and continued to influence ancient cultures—whether in specific incidents like a world-consuming flood or in its quest structure—into Roman times. The epic was, however, largely forgotten, until the cuneiform tablets were rediscovered in 1872 in the British Museum's collection of recently unearthed Mesopotamian artifacts. In the decades that followed its translation into modern languages, the Epic of Gilgamesh has become a point of reference throughout Western culture. In Gilgamesh among Us, Theodore Ziolkowski explores the surprising legacy of the poem and its hero, as well as the epic’s continuing influence in modern letters and arts. This influence extends from Carl Gustav Jung and Rainer Maria Rilke's early embrace of the epic's significance—"Gilgamesh is tremendous!" Rilke wrote to his publisher's wife after reading it—to its appropriation since World War II in contexts as disparate as operas and paintings, the poetry of Charles Olson and Louis Zukofsky, novels by John Gardner and Philip Roth, and episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Xena: Warrior Princess. Ziolkowski sees fascination with Gilgamesh as a reflection of eternal spiritual values—love, friendship, courage, and the fear and acceptance of death. Noted writers, musicians, and artists from Sweden to Spain, from the United States to Australia, have adapted the story in ways that meet the social and artistic trends of the times. The spirit of this capacious hero has absorbed the losses felt in the immediate postwar period and been infused with the excitement and optimism of movements for gay rights, feminism, and environmental consciousness. Gilgamesh is at once a seismograph of shifts in Western history and culture and a testament to the verities and values of the ancient epic.

Crocodile Encounters!

Crocodile Encounters!
Author: Brady Barr
Publisher: National Geographic Books
Total Pages: 116
Release: 2012
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 1426310285

Presents stories and adventures of Brady Barr, a zoologist and daring explorer who sometimes dresses up in a crocodile suit or crawls into a hole full of crocodiles.

Male and Female in the Epic of Gilgamesh

Male and Female in the Epic of Gilgamesh
Author: Tzvi Abusch
Publisher: Penn State Press
Total Pages: 247
Release: 2014-04-20
Genre: History
ISBN: 1575067188

The deeds and struggles of Gilgamesh, legendary king of the city-state Uruk in the land of Sumer, have fascinated readers for millennia. They are preserved primarily in the Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the most well-known pieces of Mesopotamian literature. Studying the text draws us into an orbit that is engaging and thrilling, for it is a work of fantasy and legend that addresses some of the very existential issues with which contemporary readers still grapple. We experience the excitement of trying to penetrate the mind-set of another civilization, an ancient one—in this instance, a civilization that ultimately gave rise to our own. The studies gathered here all demonstrate Tzvi Abusch’s approach to ancient literature: to make use of the tools of literary, structural, and critical analysis in service of exploring the personal and psychological dimensions of the narration. The author focuses especially on the encounters between males and females in the story. The essays are not only instructive for understanding the Epic of Gilgamesh, they also serve as exemplary studies of ancient literature with a view to investigating streams of commonality between ancient times and ours

Casebook: UFOs and Alien Encounters

Casebook: UFOs and Alien Encounters
Author: Justine Fontes
Publisher: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc
Total Pages: 50
Release: 2009-07-15
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1607548712

Readers are in for a riveting ride as they follow the irresistible narrative and details about unidentified flying objects and alien encounters. Is there life in outer space and have they made contact already, or are we the victims of our own incredible imagination and hoaxes? Each graphic panel invites wondrous consideration and curiosities, allowing readers of all abilities to enjoy and learn.

The Ultimate Random Encounters Book

The Ultimate Random Encounters Book
Author: Travis "Wheels" Wheeler
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 176
Release: 2021-10-05
Genre: Crafts & Hobbies
ISBN: 1507216378

"Playing a role-playing game is a delicate dance. If everything runs smoothly, it feels like you and your friends are able to maneuver effortlessly through dramatic, epic, and uproariously silly scenes where everyone gets a chance to shine. And yet, other times it just doesn't come together. Combat slows to a repetitive grind, the Game Master runs out of good Non-Player Character (NPC) ideas, or after twenty-six rounds maybe even the most beautifully designed encounter just gets a bit stale. Sure, you could prep an absolute powerhouse of an all-killer-no filler role-playing session. Spend time getting fun character voices ready for every NPC. But that sounds like way too much work. This is the book you turn to for help. It's a big book of ideas designed to slot right into your existing campaign, organized into neat little tables. If you salivate at chaos magic effect tables and daydream about wild, unexpected die results, you already know it can also be fun to throw caution to the wind and let randomness determine as much as possible. Even the most organized GMs and the tightest adventure modules benefit from a little spice!"--

The Epic Adventures of Huggie & Stick

The Epic Adventures of Huggie & Stick
Author: Drew Daywalt
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 41
Release: 2018-10-23
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0399172769

* "A surefire read-aloud for any wannabe hero." --Booklist (starred review) From Drew Daywalt, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Day the Crayons Quit, comes a hilarious buddy-comedy picture book starring a grouchy stuffed bunny and a happy-go-lucky stick. When super cheerful Stick and grumpy stuffed bunny Huggie get thrown from a backpack, the adventure is on! Together this odd couple survives encounters with sea-faring pirates, raging rhinos in Africa, sword-wielding royalty in Europe, stick-eating panda bears in Asia, sharks in Australia, hungry penguins in Antarctica, and piranhas in South America--all before finally making it home to North America. A fantastically funny read-aloud about two unlikely friends and their epic journey around the world.

Ghosts in North America

Ghosts in North America
Author: Paige V. Polinsky
Publisher: Epic
Total Pages: 24
Release: 2024-09-17
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 1684528216

In South Carolina, a man dressed in grey walks along the beach. Is it someone going for a stroll? Or could it be a ghostly omen that warns residents of an oncoming storm? In this title, reluctant readers will explore ghost stories of North America. Creepy images and engaging text pull readers in, and additional special features connect stories to different cultures, highlight scientific explanations, and show the origins of these frightening fables.