|
Pain and Memory: Reflections on the Strength of the Human Spririt in Suffering From the PREFACE by Fredericka A. Jacks, publisher: These writers recall not only the suffering but also the courage demonstrated by those who are sick and by those who participate in their illness. The writings consistently reminded us, in some ways, of Paul Tillich’s expression (and the title to one of his books), the courage to be. In many of these writings the reader will be grasped by the human need for connection and the desire for existential meaning when confronted with pain and suffering. In pain we suffer a fear of non-existence and want to forget, but in the anxiety of forgetting we risk denying life. From the FOREWORD by John F. Lennon: PAIN AND MEMORY refuses to shy away from looking at those tender moments of pain. Whether it is unflinchingly writing about the moment of death (“Mack the Hermit”) or trying to come to grips with the loss of a loved one (“Cartography”) or the reeling that happens at the end of a relationship (“Heartless”) or attempting to understand an injury (“After the Accident”) or finding the exact words to discuss the feeling of being abandoned (“Kiribiri”), this anthology does not Hollywoodize pain or sanitize its imprint on those who are affected by it. Instead, these stories pull back the gauze that hides the day to day wounds of our lives and, with surgical precision, allows us to viscerally experience them. In the process, what this anthology will allow us to do as readers is revisit our own stories that we comfortably tell and retell, forcing us to dissect our own memories under the harsh light of truth. And if we are brave enough to look at this pain, as these authors do, what we might discover is a strength that reveals itself at the core of our humanity. After all, if it is true that from our birth to our death we are wrestling with pain, then, as these stories can attest, we are also spending every second of this time persevering as well. CONTRIBUTORS: Daniel Cartaina, Jennifer Clark, Kathie Giorgio, Howie Good, Jomar Daniel Isip, Rivka Keren, Mitch Levenberg, Robert P. McParland, Tim Nees, Ryan C. Neighbors, Rebecca Newth, Elizabeth Primamore, Ruth Sabath Rosenthal, Lynne Shapiro, Anique Taylor, Cynthia Trenshaw, Anne Whitehouse, Elizabeth Yokas.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  ORDER from AMAZON here: Pride and Prejudice - Jane-Austen // Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
Bibliotkos editions are based on the texts published by Jane Austen during her life (or posthumously by her brother Henry and sister Cassandra). In spite of their original publication defects, a painstaking effort has been made to correct the texts, as best as can be determined, after a careful examination (every sentence and mark of punctuation) of various current academic or scholarly editions. For a complete textual note, please refer to Note on The Text in each edition. Each of these books is fully-loaded, not only with an excellent summative scholarly Introduction that introduces the reader to Jane Austen the author and person, but three separate bibliographies and a range of Study Materials to make for a more penetrating understanding and appreciation of the humanity of the novel.
These editions include:
For each edition, the Introduction aims to present the range and depth of scholarly research and interpretation, rather than taking a particular position. While the scholarship here will act as a catalyst for interpretation, the Study Materials are more important, in that they are designed to help each particular reader uncover and indeed to discover who he or she is (or wants to be) as a literary and critical thinker.
Reading can be a solitary activity, but we believe that understanding, interpreting, and expressing one’s ideas about literature can (indeed, should) include others and their responses. Undoubtedly literature is an expression of the individual, but without question the function of literature is more wide-ranging and strives to include many different types of readers. Although there are divergent readings of any particular book, what seems to be the most appropriate reading in line with the spirit of the text? Never settle for simple answers; address core themes of the entire work.
We are confident, then, that these editions will assist a reader in formulating his or her best reading (interpretation) of the text in hand. Who do you want to be as a reader?
|
