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We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution
The U.S. Constitution is among the oldest constitutions in the world but also one of the most difficult to amend. Jill Lepore, Harvard professor of history and law, explains why in We the People, the most original history of the Constitution in decades--and an essential companion to her landmark history of the United States, These Truths.
Published on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding--the anniversary, too, of the first state constitutions--We the People offers a wholly new history of the Constitution. "One of the Constitution's founding purposes was to prevent change," Lepore writes. "Another was to allow for change without violence." Relying on the extraordinary database she has assembled at the Amendments Project, Lepore recounts centuries of attempts, mostly by ordinary Americans, to realize the promise of the Constitution. Yet nearly all those efforts have failed. Although nearly twelve thousand amendments have been introduced in Congress since 1789, and thousands more have been proposed outside its doors, only twenty-seven have ever been ratified. More troubling, the Constitution has not been meaningfully amended since 1971. Without recourse to amendment, she argues, the risk of political violence rises. So does the risk of constitutional change by presidential or judicial fiat.
Challenging both the Supreme Court's monopoly on constitutional interpretation and the flawed theory of "originalism," Lepore contends in this "gripping and unfamiliar story of our own past" that the philosophy of amendment is foundational to American constitutionalism. The framers never intended for the Constitution to be preserved, like a butterfly, under glass, Lepore argues, but expected that future generations would be forever tinkering with it, hoping to mend America by amending its Constitution through an orderly deliberative and democratic process.
Lepore's remarkable history seeks, too, to rekindle a sense of constitutional possibility. Congressman Jamie Raskin writes that Lepore "has thrown us a lifeline, a way of seeing the Constitution neither as an authoritarian straitjacket nor a foolproof magic amulet but as the arena of fierce, logical, passionate, and often deadly struggle for a more perfect union." At a time when the Constitution's vulnerability is all too evident, and the risk of political violence all too real, We the People, with its shimmering prose and pioneering research, hints at the prospects for a better constitutional future, an amended America.
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Yomigaeri Tunnel
This speculative coming-of-age YA novel follows a teenager as she undertakes a magical journey to bring her deceased childhood friend back to life. A poignant quest for hope with original, fantastical twists, perfect for fans of Dustin Thao and Ann Liang. Monika can't bring herself to celebrate her last summer before college. Instead, she's still grieving the loss of the one classmate who didn't make it to graduation, a boy named Shun with whom she had a complicated relationship. Then, during her final Japanese Club meeting, Monika hears about the Yomigaeri Tunnel, a local urban legend. Those who venture into this mythological passageway undergo harrowing trials to confront their hidden secrets and worst fears. According to the lore, anyone who makes it through is rewarded with the ability to resurrect one soul from the dead. Monika jumps at the chance to bring back Shun, but she soon discovers she's not alone. Sharp-tongued and fierce Shiori is hell-bent on reviving her mother and won't let anyone stop her. As Monika and Shiori confront the ghosts of their pasts, they have to decide: Are they friends, or foes? With fantastical twists, this emotional, offbeat book about hope and healing is an essential read for anyone who's ever needed a friend in the darkness. -
Let Us Play: Winning the Battle for Gender Diverse Athletes
A crucial subversion of the misconceptions around the participation of gender diverse athletes--advocating for the inclusion of trans and nonbinary athletes across all levels of sport The debate over the inclusion of gender diverse people in sport has become the latest battleground in the fight for basic human rights and equality. Trans and nonbinary people around the world are facing physical harm and violence--including death--at unprecedented rates. In Let Us Play, trans athlete Harrison Browne and investigative journalist Rachel Browne reveal how the opposition towards gender diverse athletes is fueled by fear and a moral panic as opposed to facts around what makes "a level playing field." Interweaving Harrison's first-hand experience as a transgender athlete with exclusive accounts--from athletes, coaches, policymakers, and advocates on the front lines--Let Us Play dismantles the illusion that sports have ever been fair, that trans athletes pose a threat to women's sports, and that gender-affirming healthcare for athletes should be prohibitive to play. Calling for a reframing of the binaries from youth and high school levels all the way to the national leagues, Browne and Browne offer a new path forward, led by solutions proposed by gender diverse athletes themselves. -
Apparently, Sir Cameron Needs to Die
In this hilarious, off-the-wall queer fantasy romance, a reclusive sorcerer is forced to protect a cowardly knight after a prophecy ties their fates together. Funny, touching and inventive, this brilliant debut is perfect for fans of Mortal Follies, A Marvellous Light and Dreadful. All his life, Sir Cameron has stayed as far away from danger as possible. He is, quite frankly, too handsome to die a violent and pointless death in battle. But when the Church hands down a prophecy to his fellow knights predicting that the only way to defeat their nemesis, the mad sorcerer Merulo, is to kill Cameron, he finds himself in a situation too sticky for even his considerable wiles. Short of ideas, Cameron throws himself on the mercy of the one person who now actually wants him to survive: the mad sorcerer. Merulo isn't thrilled to be babysitting a spoilt, attention-seeking knight, but fate has tied them together. And transmogrifying Cameron into a vulture is at least a great source of entertainment. Cameron, meanwhile, is on a voyage of self-discovery. It turns out he's really, really into surly sorcerers who lock him up and tell him what to do. Who knew? As a legion of knights surround their stronghold, the sorcerer's poisonous ambitions draw ever closer to fruition. Cameron is quite invested in not dying, but he finds he's also invested in Merulo. And sometimes, supporting the sorcerer you care about means taking an interest in their hobbies. Even if that hobby is trying to kill God. Even if it might get you killed, too. -
Blood Over Bright Haven
The first woman ever admitted to a prestigious order of mages unravels a secret conspiracy that could change the practice of magic forever in this standalone dark fantasy from the author of The Sword of Kaigen. For twenty years, Sciona has devoted every waking moment to the study of magic, fueled by a mad desire to achieve the impossible: to be the first woman ever admitted to the High Magistry at the University of Magics and Industry. When Sciona finally achieves her ambition and becomes a Highmage, she finds her challenges have just begun. Her new colleagues are determined to make her feel unwelcome--and instead of a qualified lab assistant they give her a janitor. What neither Sciona nor her peers realize is that her taciturn assistant was not always a janitor. Ten years ago he was a nomadic hunter who lost his family on their perilous journey from the wild plains to the city. But now he sees the opportunity to finally understand the forces that decimated his tribe, drove him from his homeland--and keep the privileged in power. At first, mage and outsider have a fractious relationship. But working together, they uncover an ancient secret that could change the course of magic forever--if it doesn't get them killed first. -
Other Networks: A Radical Technology Sourcebook
Other Networks is writer and researcher Lori Emerson's index of telecommunications networks that existed before and outside of the internet.
The internet as we know it is not a foregone conclusion. Indeed, the present corporatized, monolithic, surveilled state of our networked communications is just one possibility out of many, and there is radical promise in uncovering hidden alternatives: from pirate radio to barbed wire telegraph, from synthesizers transmitted over the telephone to encoded messages bounced off the surface of the moon. Other Networks is writer and researcher Lori Emerson's speculative index of communications networks that existed before or outside of the internet: digital as well as analog, IRL as well as imagined, state-sponsored systems of control as well as homebrew communities in the footnotes of hacker culture. Featuring explanatory descriptions of each network, archival images, and original artwork and design by Robert Beatty, Other Networks documents historically alternative networks with a particular eye towards their experimental usage by artists and writers. The result is a boldly creative taxonomy of our networked world, a liberatory sourcebook for readers eager to escape the hegemony of technological history, and a lovingly designed guide to the freedoms and communal possibilities that have been lost along the way.
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Wrath of the Fallen
Never before published! A viral favorite among fans of Rebecca Yarros and Carissa Broadbent, the slowburn, high-stakes epic romantasy series continues with this highly anticipated 4th installment. With the return of Samkiel, the rightful heir to the throne, tensions grow in the remaining realms. Battle lines begin to form between those pledging their loyalties to either Samkiel or Nismera. War looms on the horizon, and Samkiel must deal with his growing, untempered power. Without the ring of Oblivion, the dark ancient force living under his skin begins to lash out. Meanwhile, an ancient power calls to Dianna, plaguing her dreams with messages of retribution. Samkiel, seeking to protect the woman he loves, sets out on a desperate search for answers, but the solution will mean a dangerous voyage to the one place he dares not go. The Otherworld. Forces, primal and eternal, have taken notice, forcing Ig'Morruthens and gods to work together on a quest to reclaim an object capable of unraveling reality. An unlikely bond is formed in blood and fire, leaving all affected with no choice but one--save the realms or themselves. It is a race against time as Nismera hunts for Vincent and Camilla, seeking what they stole. Her thirst for power and her armada only grow stronger as she rampages across the realms. As new enemies emerge with debts of their own, demanding payment in blood, can Dianna and Samkiel find a way to reclaim the realms and his rightful throne? Or will their love burn them to the ground and consume everything they are trying to build? "Amber V. Nicole doesn't just write about magic, she creates it. Her beautifully wrought worlds suck you in. Her vivid characters keep you there. Amber has solidified her place as one of the genres most exciting and talented authors."--Brynne Weaver, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Butcher and Blackbird -
I, Medusa
From New York Times bestselling author Ayana Gray comes a new kind of villain origin story, reimagining one of the most iconic monsters in Greek mythology as a provocative and powerful young heroine. The first edition hardcover will feature stunning sprayed edges, a premium dust jacket with foil, and a gorgeous custom-stamped case--while supplies last! Meddy has spent her whole life as a footnote in someone else's story. Out of place next to her beautiful, immortal sisters and her parents--both gods, albeit minor ones--she dreams of leaving her family's island for a life of adventure. So when she catches the eye of the goddess Athena, who invites her to train as an esteemed priestess in her temple, Meddy leaps at the chance to see the world beyond her home. In the colorful market streets of Athens and the clandestine chambers of the temple, Meddy flourishes in her role as Athena's favored acolyte, getting her first tastes of purpose and power. But when she is noticed by another Olympian, Poseidon, the course of Meddy's promising future is suddenly and irrevocably altered. When her locs are transformed into snakes as punishment for a crime she did not commit, Medusa must embrace a new identity--not as a victim, but as a vigilante--and with it, the chance to write her own story as mortal, martyr, and myth. Exploding with rage, heartbreak, and love, I, Medusa portrays a young woman caught in the crosscurrents between her heart's deepest desires and the cruel, careless games the Olympian gods play. -
Matchmaking for Psychopaths
Love is a dangerous game when your clients are killers...from the bestselling author behind Love Letters to a Serial Killer. When Lexie's fiancé runs off with her so-called best friend on her birthday, her carefully crafted fairy-tale life shatters. Having survived horrors in her past, she was determined to finally get her happily-ever-after--and she's not giving up yet. To distract herself, Lexie throws herself into her unusual job: matchmaking psychopaths (a specialty her clients are blissfully unaware of). But the loneliness is crushing. So when a gorgeous, overprotective new client named Aidan insists they're soulmates, and another intriguing client, Rebecca, seems perfect to fill the best-friend-shaped hole in her life, Lexie can't help but find the attention comforting--despite her own professional boundaries. Then a human heart appears on Lexie's doorstep. As more threatening packages arrive and her fiancé mysteriously disappears, she must confront a terrifying question: did she inadvertently match herself with a killer? Between Aidan's claims that her fiancé will never return, Rebecca's growing presence in her life, and her own dark past resurfacing, Lexie's matchmaker instincts are being tested like never before. Because someone is determined to ensure her story ends with a funeral. -
Many Passions of Michael Hardwick: Sex and the Supreme Court in the Age of AIDS
Michael Hardwick had no idea that when a police officer stood at his bedroom door on August 3, 1982, he would become a face of the gay rights movement. Arrested for sodomy, Hardwick sued for his right to privacy all the way to the Supreme Court, even as the HIV/AIDS epidemic began its toll. When he lost, his era-defining case inspired a half-million people to protest, and the ruling became one of the most reviled of its time.
Today, Bowers v. Hardwick reverberates again, as the rights of privacy underpinning legal abortion, contraception, and same-sex relationships come under fire. But the individual Michael Hardwick has faded from memory--his story has been relegated to legal arcana, with only a pale rendering of his life outside of the Supreme Court case. In The Many Passions of Michael Hardwick, Martin Padgett assembles the complete kaleidoscope of Hardwick's life--as a child of Stonewall, as an artist, and as one of many thousands claimed by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Blending biography and history, Padgett traces how Hardwick became a political symbol, first by chance, then by his own choice, even when it made him an object of derision and scrutiny.
From the then-unopened archives of legal scholar Laurence Tribe--who argued Hardwick's case alongside the ACLU--to hours of new interviews with Hardwick's surviving family and friends, Padgett emerges with a story of someone who stood up for equality despite the infamy he knew would attach to him. He reveals how Hardwick forced America to come to grips with queer people--and to acknowledge its moral failures toward some of its most marginalized citizens.
In The Many Passions of Michael Hardwick, Martin Padgett reveals the halting shifts in American sexual politics over the last half-century, posing urgent questions about the deliberations of the Supreme Court, and returning to Hardwick the humanity stolen from him decades ago.
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We Live Here Now: A Novel [Limited Stenciled Edge Edition]
Limited edition printing with stenciled edges
Award-winning author of New York Times bestselling breakout novel (and hit Netflix show) Behind Her Eyes returns with a haunting Gothic novel about a house--and a marriage--gone terribly wrong. After an accident that nearly kills her, Emily and her husband, Freddie, move from London to a beautiful Dartmoor country house called Larkin Lodge. The house is gorgeous, striking--and to Emily, something about it feels deeply wrong. Old boards creak at night, fires go out, and books fall from the shelves, and all of it stems from the terrible presence she feels in the third-floor room. But these things happen only when Emily's alone, so are they happening at all? She's still medically fragile; her postsepsis condition can cause hallucinatory side effects, which means she can't fully trust her own senses. Freddie doesn't notice anything odd and is happy with their chance at a fresh start. Emily, however, starts to believe that the house is being haunted by someone who was murdered in it, though she can find no evidence of a wrongful death. As bizarre events pile up and her marriage starts to crumble, Emily becomes obsessed with discovering the truth about Larkin Lodge. But if the house has secrets, so do Emily and her husband. And they live here now. -
In the Absence of Men
The year is 1916. Vincent is 16 years old and, with almost every able-bodied man away at the front, he is approaching manhood. In his relationships with the soldier son of one of his parent's servants and with the writer, Marcel Proust, he enters a world of love, both erotic and platonic. -
Salt Bones
Three women in one twisted family race for answers in this "stunning" mystery set in the Mexicali borderlands that "breathes new life into the myth of Persephone and Demeter" (Ana Reyes, author of The House in the Pines) and "beautifully explores the dark complexities of mother-daughter relationships" (Erin E. Adams, author of Jackal).
At the edge of the Salton Sea, in the blistering borderlands, something is out hunting. . .Malamar Veracruz has never left the dust-choked town of El Valle. Here, Mal has done her best to build a good life: She's raised two children, worked hard, and tried to forget the painful, unexplained disappearance of her sister, Elena. When another local girl goes missing, Mal plunges into a fresh yet familiar nightmare. As a desperate Mal hunts for answers, her search becomes increasingly tangled with inscrutable visions of a horse-headed woman, a local legend who Mal feels compelled to follow. Mal's perspective is joined by the voices of her two daughters, all three of whom must work to uncover the truth about the missing girls in their community before it's too late.
Combining elements of Latina and Indigenous culture, family drama, mystery, horror, and magical realism in a spellbinding mix, Salt Bones lays bare the realities of environmental catastrophe, family secrets, and the unrelenting bond between mothers and daughters.
"Taut with a mother's fierce love and the corrosive power of secrets . . . this is storytelling at its most urgent and haunting." --Morgan Talty, author of Night of the Living Rez "A novel of visceral and celestial storytelling power, where the grieving land holds as many secrets as the characters." --Kali Fajardo-Anstine, author of Sabrina & Corina -
Sold outAngel Down
The critically acclaimed author of the "crazily enjoyable" (The New York Times) Whalefall returns with an immersive, cinematic novel about five World War I soldiers who stumble upon a fallen angel that could hold the key to ending the war. Private Cyril Bagger has managed to survive the unspeakable horrors of the Great War through his wits and deception, swindling fellow soldiers at every opportunity. But his survival instincts are put to the ultimate test when he and four other grunts are given a deadly mission: venture into the perilous No Man's Land to euthanize a wounded comrade. What they find amid the ruined battlefield, however, is not a man in need of mercy but a fallen angel, seemingly struck down by artillery fire. This celestial being may hold the key to ending the brutal conflict, but only if the soldiers can suppress their individual desires and work together. As jealousy, greed, and paranoia take hold, the group is torn apart by their inner demons, threatening to turn their angelic encounter into a descent into hell. Angel Down plunges you into the heart of World War I and weaves a polyphonic tale of survival, supernatural wonder, and moral conflict.Sold out -
Theater Kid: A Broadway Memoir
A coming-of-age tale from one of the most successful American producers of our time, Jeffrey Seller, who is the only producer to have mounted two Pulitzer Prize-winning musicals--Hamilton and Rent. Before he was producing the musical hits of our generation, Jeffrey was just a kid coming to terms with his adoption, trying to understand his sexuality, and determined to escape his dysfunctional household in a poor neighborhood just outside Detroit. We see him find his voice through musical theater and move to New York, where he is determined to shed his past and make a name for himself on Broadway. But moving to the big city is never easy--especially not at the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis--and Jeffrey learns to survive and thrive in the colorful and cutthroat world of commercial theatre. From his early days as an office assistant, to meeting Jonathan Larson and experiencing the triumph and tragedy of Rent, to working with Lin-Manuel Miranda on In the Heights and Hamilton, Jeffrey completely pulls back the curtain on the joyous and gut-wrenching process of making new musicals, finding new audiences, and winning a Tony Award--all the while finding himself. Told with Jeffrey's candid and captivating voice, Theater Kid is a gripping memoir about fighting through a hardscrabble childhood to make art on one's own terms, chasing a dream against many odds, and finding acceptance and community.