6 May - 20 May, 2018
As part of Želimir Žilnik exhibition “Shadow Citizens”, more than 20 Žilnik’s films will be available for online viewing. Many of these are rarely screened, and all are being made available online to this extent for the first time. The films trace various periods and different working conditions within Žilnik’s practice. They are organized in five sections, each available for viewing during the exhibition for two weeks.
The descriptions of the films were composed using material provided by Želimir Žilnik, primarily through several long conversations in Novi Sad and Zagreb, which extended over many months. They are stories that follow the curiosity of the curators surrounding Žilnik’s memories of the experiences of making each film, which he patiently and generously shared. As personal traces such as these open up future research and interpretations, the particular method of their collection, if there was one, was described by Želimir with yet another story: “As Mao Zedong said to his successor Hua Guofeng: With you in charge of business, I can relax.”
Merlyn has been helping to pacify the Balkans by turning tricks with countless Serbian men. She acts a lightning rod that shelters Belgrade—calming violent nighthawks, swanky big spenders, miserable loners, and horny young studs, and taking on the charge that would otherwise befall little girls, unprotected mothers, and helpless old women. Combined with guns, this unbridled energy would otherwise eventually lead to bloodshed. Merlyn cools the boiling blood of violent man and enriches it with love. Johnny returns from war and arrives home in Belgrade. His motives are apparently similar to Merlyn’s—he also wants to cool boiling blood, but he does it by letting it out through holes in the human body, which he makes with bullets and knives. Marble Ass is a treatise on the different methods of resolving conflicts, as resorted to by Merlyn and Johnny.
The semi-fictional character of Merlyn is played by actor Vjeran Miladinović, who appeared in a few of Žilnik’s previous movies, and with whom a chance encounter prompted the making of this film. She was the one who introduced Žilnik to Belgrade’s trans bars and hangouts, where he realized that, in the midst of the war, this felt like the most normal and levelheaded community. The movie was funded by the earnings of Tito Among the Serbs for the Second Time. It was very successful, receiving the Teddy Award at the 1995 Berlin International Film Festival and shown in numerous LGBT film festivals around the world.
The film portrays the amateur writer Bora Joksimović, who works by day as a heating maintenance mechanic at the Zrenjanin theater. Unhappy with the shows he sees at the theater, he decides to try his luck as a playwright. He ends up writing fifty-three plays with “mighty plots,” including Hitler and Stalin: Conversations in Hell, Life of a Croatian Woman in Belgrade, Fratricide, and so on. In the film, some of the scenes from his plays are staged.
When, in the autumn of 1976, Žilnik returned to Yugoslavia from Germany, he was asked to make a film for television. There was a high demand at the time for original programming in the drama department, which was broadcast every Monday at 8 p.m., and each Yugoslav republic was required to produce a certain amount of this programming. Žilnik was immediately intrigued by how to deal with the fact that after the evening news, a broad audience would continue watching this program (the average number of viewers was between 3 and 4 million people), while at the same time maintaining his critical interest in portraying neglected topics and people. Because of his controversial reputation, he was first asked to produce a comedy, so he became interested in investigating the amusing story of Bora Joksimović, who later also played in his docudrama serial Hot Paychecks in 1987.
People from the village of Jazak, located on the Fruška Gora Mountain in Vojvodina, show how they fought underground against the occupying forces during the Second World War. They speak of dramatic events such as how they helped to hide partisans and how young people joined partisan units in Bosnia. We listen to people’s recollections of the arrests, persecution, and torture. In the last quarter of the film, the participants speak about the events that took place in the autumn of 1944, when the village was liberated and Russians passed through the area. They remember the joy and great expectations they had for the forthcoming freedom and socialism.
The film was produced by Cinema Club Pančevo, with which Žilnik had collaborated earlier, as an amateur. This production house had a job filming a commercial for a hotel close to Jazak. During the day, the crew and the equipment were used for that job, and during the evening hours, Žilnik used them to make his own movie.
Žilnik’s approach to this film was motivated by a political shift in the cultural sphere in Yugoslavia, since the interference of party apparatchiks was becoming more direct. The space for critical films was shrinking, and even award-winning movies were taken out of distribution. This included some of Žilnik’s films, such as The Unemployed, Black Film, June Turmoil, and others. The emphasis in state-sanctioned cinema was only on expensive, Hollywood-like partisan spectacles in which foreign actors starred (for example, Richard Burton played Tito in Battle of Sutjeska (1973)) and that presented partisan guerillas in a way that was far from any reality. Uprising in Jazak is Žilnik’s answer to that trend. The committee for evaluating films banned it, saying that Žilnik had gathered a bunch of thugs and made them play partisans. Žilnik returned to Jazak to inform the protagonists of the film that it had been banned. They were extremely offended, so they gathered up their old guns and all their official war honors and stormed back to the city together with Žilnik, directly to the Ministry of Culture. The minister now recognized a few of them, who were prominent partisan fighters, and became frightened by their shouts of “fascist traitor” and threats to sue him. He found the official paper banning the movie, tore it apart in front of them, and said, “Comrades, this was a mistake.”
Ivana, a young seamstress, quits her job in a sweatshop in Novi Pazar and accepts an offer to become a waitress in a joint privately owned by Mr. Šećo in Gusinje, a Montenegrin village at the Yugoslav-Albanian border. She and the head waitress become fast friends. Brothers Skelzen and Becir come to Gusinje from New York on a holiday; they meet the waitresses, and romances ensue. We watch the meeting of Serbian and Albanian cultures, languages, customs, and family traditions in the fascinating, mountainous landscape. While the men promise the girls marriage and life in America, there are numerous obstacles in the realization of the plan, and the brothers return to New York alone.
This is one of Žilnik’s bigger TV productions, as he was given a decent budget after the success of his previous films, and he also garnered a lot of support from the local community, which was happy about his interest in them. Žilnik had heard about an Albanian village with a large number of emigrants to New York, and went to investigate it. He was introduced to the head of the village, who said he had four sons in the US, and that if Žilnik wanted to show how good, strong, and honest this community was, they would all be glad to help. They saw the film before it was publicly broadcast and “approved” it. In a time of rising nationalist tensions, the film offered a precious appreciative view of the Albanian minority and relations between peoples.
Tito Among the Serbs for the Second Time (1994), 43 min
A man dressed in Marshal Tito’s uniform appears and, instantly, groups of people flock around him. In this film, Žilnik brings the former Yugoslav leader back to the streets of Belgrade to see how his people are now living without him. Tito’s double wanders around the city and procures remarkable reactions as people come up to speak to him, feeling the need to articulate their destinies to him. Žilnik collects statements from a cross-section of Yugoslav society, revealing its attitudes toward the past and the current government.
In the dark political climate of the 1990s in Serbia, Žilnik approached the prominent critical and oppositional radio station B92 and suggested they should also start producing movies. They said they had no budget, but could spare 300 DM. Žilnik and his cameraman, Miodrag Milošević, assembled a small crew (nearly all voluntary), found the actor Micko Ljubičić to play the role of Tito, and made the film in two six-hour shoots. On the first evening, they were confronted by police for being in the way of traffic, and the director and cameraman were arrested. But then “Tito” came to pick them up at the station, and the policemen let them go, saluting Tito as they left. This film was extremely popular and many thousands of copies sold. It was also shown on local television, as well as in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, and even Japan.
Žilnik and his crew used the funds from it to make Marble Ass a year later, a film that also deals with wartime Serbia and was produced by B92.


Omega Graduate School has been leading trips for our students to the University of Oxford’s Bodleian Library for almost 30 years.
Integral to our program, this life-changing seminar immerses students into one of the world’s most prestigious libraries. With over 120 miles of occupied shelving, 29 reading rooms, and 2,490 places for readers, many students describe it as the most enriching and rewarding experience of their coursework.
The University of Oxford Trip includes:
- Hands-on experience at one of the world’s most prestigious libraries
- Induction as readers into the Bodleian Library
- Seminars presented on contemporary issues facing society
- Morality and Law course offered annually at this location
- Required for the D.Phil degree (Reading and Research Seminar)
Students with health or special needs that prevent travel may request persmission to complete alternate sessions on campus in Tennessee.


A more Strategic and Participatory Approach for Rural Development
To help enrich the studies of the Japanese Grant Aid for Human Resource Development Scholarship (JDS) recipients of Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) a one-day roundtable workshop on rural development was convened in February 2011. The workshop brought academics and practitioners from the fields of evaluation and development to give presentations and facilitate group discussions on the topic. The aim of the roundtable was to explore issues and tools to improve rural development policy, as well as to provide a forum for expression and discussion for the participants.
I hope that this volume of publication will contribute to further development of discussions on rural development, as well as conceptualization and understanding for more effective practices.
Community, community capacity, community development, economic development, evaluation,
governance, local governance, participation, participatory evaluation, resources, rural
developmentOpen in New Tab


This story (web novel?) was adapted from my Indonesian manuscript “Legenda Eiwa”. The storyline might be different from the original novel, but I hope its fun.
When the Great Creator went missing, the Chaos descended upon the Three Realms. War and conflict erupted in every nine major realms, and no one able to stop the great waves of change. Empire, kingdom, country, even cities, many were gone within the river of history; while new powers rose and claimed sovereignty of lands and realms. Five thousand years later, a child was born on a noble family of a small kingdom, with his birth he brings a locked secret of entire Three Realms. And this is his story.
Here are the chapters:
- Magi 11 – Ione
- Magi 10 – Fear Not
- Magi 9 – Book of Pono
- Magi 8 – Strength
- Magi 7 – The Silver Swan and Golden Duck
- Magi 6 – Halfmoon under the Past
- Magi 5 – Unsilver-spooned Baby
- Magi 4 – Arrijana Adelina
- Magi 3 – Family
- Magi 2 – The Baby and the Poem


My son was an intern at The Ken Blanchard Companies last summer when he asked me “What do you think is the best book on leadership?” I was stumped, because there are so many wonderful books on leadership—by not only business leaders but also many other types of leaders, past and present.
Let’s give a nod to the great political leaders whose journeys of provoking and leading change on a massive scale provide worthwhile leadership lessons: King Solomon, Cleopatra, Queen Elizabeth, Abraham Lincoln, Mohandas Gandhi, Winston Churchill, and Martin Luther King, Jr., to name a mere handful.
Then we have to acknowledge the modern writers on leadership specifically: Drucker, Bennis, Maxwell, Blanchard.
But this is about the leadership books that have made the biggest difference for coaches. I have asked several of our Blanchard coaches and many of my peers, and here are the results:
Tony Klingmeyer, one of our Blanchard Master coaches, chose Management of the Absurd by Richard Farson. Tony says “It is wonderfully written, about many of the dilemmas and paradoxes our clients face when leading in organizations.” In this short and sweet book, Farson details the complexities of navigating human beings and debunks some well meaning management advice.
Renee Freedman, MCC, former director of The SupporTED Coaching Program, says her favorite book is The Leadership Dojo by Richard Heckler Strozzi. Renee says “Although there is much great guidance here, two primary things about this book sucked me in and made me fall in love with it: 1) it treats leadership as a somatic experience and that’s how I experience it; and 2) it has a 5-step leadership process of entering, centering, facing, extending, and blending—which I find extremely simple, effective, and trainable. It changed leadership for me from believing that only 1% of people can lead to understanding that anyone can lead, including me!”
Ann Marie Heidingsfelder picked Wooden on Leadership: How to Create a Winning Organization by John Wooden.
Many coaches on a recent webinar chose Primal Leadership by Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, and Annie McKee. It is essentially the application of the concepts of emotional intelligence to leadership. How many clients really need to understand the fundamentals of self awareness, self regulation, awareness of others, and modifying self to be more effective with others? All of them.
Then there’s Leadership BS by Jeffrey Pfeffer. A recent addition to the canon, I personally love the devil’s advocate position the author takes against some of the baloney being peddled by leadership companies out there. No nonsense, brass tacks, and really useful for coaches helping clients navigate the insanity of the global business world. My particular favorite moment is when the author debunks the notion that leaders need to be “authentic.” This book is validating for natural subversives and required reading for idealists.
Why Smart Executives Fail by Sydney Finkelstein is one of my all time favorites and should be required reading for anyone aspiring to senior leadership—and those who coach them. You might think because it came out in 2003 that it is obsolete, but you would be wrong. Finkelstein examines some of the whopping business failures and teases out the mistakes that were made. These lessons are timeless. But my favorite chapter is “The Seven Habits of Spectacularly Unsuccessful People.” Just the title makes me laugh out loud.
Another great book is Coaching for Leadership by Goldsmith, Lyons, and McArthur. This one is kind of a no-brainer, because it is an anthology with writings from leadership and coaching experts with extremely targeted practical advice for all kinds of situations (understanding purpose, gender differences, working cross generationally and culturally, etc.). Of course, Goldsmith’s entire body of work is must-know—particularly What Got You Here Won’t Get You There—but this is a different resource altogether.
Finally, a crowd favorite: Leadership and Self-Deception from The Arbinger Institute. A fairly fast and easy read that outlines the effects of self-deception and how to fix it. The fundamental premise is that when we behave in ways that do not match our values, we betray ourselves.
How does that match up with your list? Any books you’d add? Just include them in the comments section!
9 thoughts on “8 Top Leadership Books for Coaches”
Thanks for this post and answering that question for your son. I just read Leadership BS (Pfeffer) and loved it. On this recommendation (and the title of the last chapter), I’m going to give Why Smart Executives Fail (Finkelstein) a shot.
Oh, good. I am so excited that the list was helpful. What other books on leadership have been useful to you?
Dear Madeline – thanks for this collection. I’d add John Gardner’s “On Leadership” which calls for vision and values as the foundation.for leadership. For a different take and perspective, I offer my own new book on faith-based leadership “Thy Will Be Done – Strategic Leadership, Planning, and Management for Christians.” See the link: http://www.christianleadership.co/ Thanks for the great articles and insights!
Thank you Peter for the add! I love the title of your book!
Thanks Madeleine for sharing. Lots to look at there! One book I’d recommend (which isn’t generally described as a ‘leadership’ book) is Time to Think by Nancy Kline. Why do I recommend this? Because it examines in detail the profound effects of listening – on the listener and the person being listened to. To my mind listening is a key skill that leaders in particular need to consciously cultivate. The creation of the Thinking Environment that Nancy proposes as the basis for meetings and interactions would take collegiality and appreciative cooperation in organisations to a new level.
Hi Newbycoach, thanks for the addition. I love learning about books that have escaped my notice. I agree that space to think, listening and reflection are in short supply all round these days, and are critical for quality leadership.
Thanks Madeleine. Useful posting
Reblogged this on Gr8fullsoul.
Pingback: Summer Reading for the Business Professional? Ask Madeleine | Blanchard LeaderChat


I was browsing through some books at a book shop the other day, when my eyes fell on the ‘kid’s corner’ section to my left. There was a rack filled with several old, popular fairy tale books that I had read as a child and ‘Cinderella’ was among my favorites. The story’s popularity had tempted several film makers to make successful movies of it but Walt Disney’s version was the best.
As I was leafing through the book and reading the story after maybe over two decades, I felt a sense of nostalgia for that ‘little innocent and naive girl’ in me who believed in ‘knights in shining armors’ and the ‘happily ever after'. Things were so different then. Girls married as a rule and wanted to raise a family although they secretly yearned for a prince to sweep them off their feet and whisk them off to a distant castle to live happily ever after. Sure, there were dedicated girls who wanted careers, but there were an exception, not a rule.
Fast-forward to the present day and age, the current generation of liberated young people, who are very focused in their careers. They are a generation of achievers, tech-savvy, enthusiastic, aiming great heights with killer instincts to match. They interact more with appliances like mobiles, iPad, computers and other devices, than with humans, leaving them with poor social skills and aggressive tendencies.
Family bonds are deteriorating and going out together as a family has become a thing of the past. ‘Each to his own’ is the present norm. The young girls today, unlike our time, regard marriage as a means not an end and it is last in their list of priorities. They are more realistic about the practicality of fairy tale endings and analytical about the plot. They wonder if Cinderella was really excited to meet the prince or was she just keen to go to the ball and thrilled that she could outwit her stepsisters? After marrying the prince, did she really live happily ever after? Did he turn out to be a wife-beater or a sadist or a drug addict or even worse, a serial killer? Did she wish she was back where she came from, in her bedroom up in the attic, with the birds and other furry animals to wake her up every morning?
Back then, we never questioned fairy tales, preferring to lose ourselves in the story and believing that there was a ‘happy ever after’ and ‘true love’ forever. Maybe I’m being foolish but if you realize that true love need not be equated with perfect love, then you will certainly find your way to ‘happily ever after’.


Listed below are some links related to locations where Elder John Leland had visited or traveled through in his day and you may visit today. Each location is filled with history – so plan to learn much and allow the time to take it all in!
The Leland-Madison Memorial Park is located on VA-20 at Clifton Rd in Orange, VA. This is the location of where Elder John Leland met Congressman James Madison met in 1788 to present the idea of sending James Madison to Washington, D.C. with the provision that there be a Bill of Rights which guaranteed the freedom of religion. Without a doubt, this is an important location of United States history which revisionists would like to keep hidden from the minds of the American people today. Here is a link and several pictures of the monument and park. Also the GPS location, with a map and directions to the park in Orange County, Virginia are listed here . . . http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMF79H_Leland_Madison_Memorial_Park_Orange_County_VA Colonial Williamsburg, Williamsburg, Virginia is a most delightful, enjoyable and excellent place to take yourself and your family! We highly recommend coming here and spend a few days – at least! You will learn much about our Colonial history there and see first hand what it was like to live during this exciting time of Revolution. The Actors/Interpreters do an excellent job of portraying the colonials and their various struggles in the fight for freedom. And perhaps you will see Elder John Leland while you are there for your visit!
http://www.colonialwilliamsburg.com Yorktown, Virginia is nearby Colonial Williamsburg and it is very much worth your while to visit! This is not only the town where John Leland preached to the British troops and baptized his converts, it is also the location of the final major battle of the Revolutionary War and Cornwallis’ surrender. Set alongside the York river this quiet town is filled with colonial history . . .
For Your Reading Enjoyment . . .
America in Crimson Red, By James R. Beller – this an excellent book to read. We have greatly enjoyed reading this well documented volume and highly recommend it. In it you will see how the hand of God superintended the Awakenings and Revivals to bring about the Revolutionary War with England. This book can be purchased through:


On Saturday, July 7, 2018, the Golden Crown Literary Society, the nation’s only lesbian literary organization whose mission is education and the promotion and recognition of lesbian literature, announced the winners of the 14th Annual Literary Awards. Pam Stewart, chair of GLAAD’s board of directors, emceed the ceremony at Bally’s Hotel Las Vegas, where over 350 attendees and sponsors celebrated lesbian literature across all genres.
Ann McMan for An Outsider Inside received the Tee Corine Award for Outstanding Cover Design, which sets a professional bar for the look of lesbian books. The award provides recognition for artistic work that contributes to the promotion of a quality product, and honors cover designs that create a beautiful representation of the story and put a professional face on the lesbian genre. Tee Corinne was a photographer, author, and editor notable for the portrayal of sexuality in her artwork. This award is named after her to honor a trailblazer for lesbian visibility and give the award prestige with those who recognize how daring she was in her art and quest to make lesbians visible to the world.
Judy Comella was honored with the Directors’ Award. The GCLS Directors’ Award is presented to a single GCLS member in recognition of contributions made to the Golden Crown Literary Society during the past year and/or to the ongoing mission of the organization over a longer period. Comella has volunteered with GCLS since 2014, working as the organization’s conference manager.
Mary Phillips, executive director of GCLS, said of Comella, “She works tirelessly as the Conference Manager, keeping all wheels in motion, and spends endless hours all year long working behind the scenes.”
Lynch said of Dykewomon, “Elena’s characters travel the world. She encourages us to live our true stories. She’s practically a myth herself now. Riverfinger Women is utterly lesbian. The book’s language is wall-to-wall poetry. This powerhouse of a writer writes lesbian truths.”
In her acceptance, Dykewomon said, “It’s an honored indeed to be valued by your peers. I’ve always been a lesbian since I fell in love with my nursery school bus driver. At 21, I decided to write a lesbian novel with a happy ending. It’s not novel, but it was at the time.”
Allison describes herself as a feminist and working-class storyteller who writes to change the world. She’s a National Book Award Finalist, bestselling author with many awards. The Trailblazer Award is granted for lifetime achievement and is presented each year to a single author in recognition of the contributions made to the field of lesbian literature. The author must have published a significant body of work over a period of at least 20 years and written lesbian-themed works that have had a positive impact upon the growth and visibility of the field of lesbian literature.
Allison said in her remarks, “I regret that I will not live long enough to bring this country to account. I am what you get when you educate the working class. I am what you get when you model justice but do not deliver it. Let yourself accept being appreciated. It’s very hard for someone like me. I’m a nasty piece of work.”
The GCLS Literary Awards focus solely on lesbian content. Content in all categories must include significant lesbian characters and/or themes and meet one of the following criteria: (1) the main character identifies as a lesbian; (2) the main character is or ends up in a lesbian relationship; or (3) the theme or plot deals with lesbian issues or lesbian life.
“Did you know that the GCLS Literary Awards Program,” said executive director Mary Phillips, “is the only awards program in the nation that recognizes the best in lesbian literature? We are truly a community of like-minded women who come together every year to discuss books about women loving women. I’m deeply grateful to work with a team of dedicated and talented volunteer Board and committee members who are helping to grow GCLS and share our mission with more and more women every year.”
Debut Author Awards: Bend by Nancy J. Hedin, Frame by Frame by C.J. Murphy, Marriage of a Thousand Lies by S.J. Sindu, and The Road to Wings by Julie Tizard
Anthology/Collections (Fiction): Our Happy Hours: LGBT Voices from the Gay Bars By S. Renée Bess and Lee Lynch (Story Collectors)
Non-Fiction: Grief Map by Sarah Hahn Campbell
Contemporary Romance Short: Bait and Switch by Blythe H. Warren, Echo Point by Virginia Hale, and Unexpected by Jenny Frame
Contemporary Romance Mid-Length: Night Voice by C.F. Frizzell, Right Here, Right Now by Georgia Beers, Sidebar by Carsen Taite, and The Butterfly Whisperer by Lisa Moreau
Contemporary Romance Long: Perfect Rhythm by Jae, Vacationland by Susan X. Meagher, and Who’d Have Thought by G. Benson
Erotica: Her Best Friend’s Sister by Meghan O’Brien
General Fiction: Goldenrod by Ann McMan
General Fiction: The Price of Cash by Ashley Bartlett
Historical Fiction: The Sniper’s Kiss by Justine Saracen
Mystery/Thriller: Genuine Gold by Ann Aptaker, Lethal Care by Claire McNab with Katherine V. Forrest
Paranormal/Horror: Little Dip – Garoul Series Book V by Gill McKnight
Poetry: The Girls with Stone Faces by Arleen Paré
Romantic Suspense/Intrigue/Adventure: A More Perfect Union by Carsen Taite
Romantic Suspense/Intrigue/Adventure: Into Thin Air by Jeannie Levig, Lucy’s Chance by Jackie D.
Science Fiction/Fantasy: Erased by Robbi McCoy, Shattered by Lee Winter, Spark by Catherine Friend
Young Adult: Girls Like Me by Nina Packebush
by Joey Amato Indianapolis has always felt like a second home to me. I used to publish a gay magazine…
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History of Buddhist spirituality lends itself to two very different perspectives. On one hand, it is a history of transmission and continuation, featuring institution building and cultural naturalization. For the most part, this is the story of schools and sects, politics and economy, controlled discourse and imperial sponsorship. On the other hand, it's also a history of inspiration and innovation, brimming with creativity, breakthroughs, and original thinking.
I've recently talked to John Peacock, scholar and Associate Director of The Oxford Mindfulness Centre. His studies of the earliest Buddhist writings have revealed to him a very human Buddha and a very different Buddhism than we know today.
David Chapman has opened a new series of articles entitled "Reinventing Buddhist Tantra." If you're not familiar with David's work so far, especially the series on Consensus Buddhism, please look at the "Consensus: Outline" - for the whole Consensus series, look here. The new series on Buddhist tantra is exciting in that it jumpstarts a curious discussion on possibilities for a 21st century tantric Western Buddhism.
As if yesterday, 20 years ago I enjoyed the work of Rick Fields and his narrative "How the Swans Came to the Lake", copious writings of Sangharakshita, and later in 2002 the "Westward Dharma" edited by Prebish and Baumann. Reading on Buddhism in the West makes you think of Western Buddhism. 20 years later, and in many ways, too little has changed.


European dictionary with terms for young people
Realization of the project The European dictionary with terms for young people began in summer of 2010.
Realization of the project The European book with terms for young people began in summer of 2010.
The main goal of the project was to bring the main concepts of young people’s lives closer to the EU.
The dictionary with its 40 headings covers topics of youth mobility, information, youth benefits and opportunities for young people in the region from the EU perspective. The dictionary also covers the main EU institutions, organizations, networks and programs related to these topics. The target group of the publication is representatives of local youth offices and youth NGOs in the region.
The project was funded by the European Youth Foundation, supported by the Ministry of Youth and Sports.


Cogswell Genealogical Research
the Thomson surname
All materials on this website copyright © 1998 – 2024 by the owners of the aberlegenealogy.com domain
It has been well established that Elizabeth Thomson (who married John Cogswell in 1615) was the daughter of William and Phyllis Thomson. William’s given name also appears in various records of the time as “Willmus” and “Guilielmus” (the Latin version of the name William). Phyllis was the sister (or perhaps half-sister) of John White, longtime Vicar at Cheriton (now Chirton), a village near Devizes in Wiltshire, England. Baptismal records have yet to be located for both William and Phyllis, but researchers are focusing in the early 1570’s period in which they hope to find them.
William was a member of the clergy and served as a Vicar between 1603 and his
death in 1623.
The words “Willmus Thomsonn Vicarius” appear just below the column
1603, Westbury parish register entry regarding Vicar William Thomson
The digital photographs contained on this web page are of the original parish registers stored at the Wiltshire and Swindon Record Office in Trowbridge (now the Wiltshire and Swindon Archives in Chippenham), Wiltshire, England. They were taken in May of 2002.
These images have been edited slightly for clarity to eliminate stray lines from characters appearing in the entries before and after the one shown.
William and Phyllis Thomson were married prior to his appointment as the Vicar at Westbury. No records of them exist in the parish registers prior to 1603, so their marriage, as well as their daughter Elizabeth’s baptism, occurred in an unknown parish outside that area. Information also has yet to be found to establish whether this marriage was the first for both William and Phyllis.
In July 1608, Phyllis (White) Thomson died and was buried at Westbury. William remarried in April 1610 to Elizabeth Shepherd. In July 1623, William Thomson died and was buried at Westbury. Information as to what became of Elizabeth (Shepherd) Thomson after William’s death has not yet been uncovered.


[ Pdf River of Blue Fire â anglo-saxon PDF ] by Tad Williams ✓ I struggled with this I finished it, then started the next one I m halfway through that, and you know what I just don t care any I m going to stop without reading the last book and a half The thing I like about sci fi is internally consistent worlds that the reader has to work out This is just page after page of wouldn t it be cool if and then they woke up rambling.
When last we left Our Heroes, they were caught in the Otherland an immense virtual reality program built by people with money than God with no idea where to go and no idea what to do They were lost, confused and had no way out.
Oh yes back before Neo got his clock punched by Agent Smith, Renie, Xabbu, Orlando, Fredericks and all the other Otherland explorers discover that they are in danger than they realize if they die on the network, then they ll die in real life And, almost right out of the gate, people start dying Whether they re tiny biologists living among the ants or a lifetime gamer warring against the different factions of a twisted Oz, they die in unpleasant and, ultimately real ways And it s up to our heroes to not only avoid death themselves, but also to figure out what the hell they re supposed to be doing in there.
One of the things I like about this series is that Tad Williams openly admits to stealing er, paying homage to the great writers of the past At the end of book one, when all the main characters have been gathered together and are being told about the great dangers they will face, and how they are part of a plan to defeat the Grail Brotherhood and their Nefarious Scheme, most of the people there want nothing to do with it It s up to Orlando Gardiner, our young barbarian warrior slash progeriac teenager to say, Hey, this the the Council of Elrond We have a mission here Unfortunately, while the Fellowship of the Ring gets a clear mission before leaving Rivendell, the Otherland explorers are scattered before they know what to do, and their main goal is to run for their lives As this book progresses, they start to learn about the vast Otherland network, what its nature is and why it was made They also learn that it is unstable, and possibly a living thing in its own right.
Almost immediately, the group gets split up That is, as all ensemble writers know, the best way to really build a meaty story, and it works really well here Unfortunately, while there are three groups, the strongest and most interesting characters get put into two of them Orlando and Fredericks get sent off into a world bizarre than any online gaming ever prepared them for Renie and Xabbu end up in a horribly twisted version of The Wizard of OZ, if Oz had invaded Kansas, taken over, and started a three way fight between the Scarecrow, the Lion and the Tin Man.
This leaves us with the third and largest group being somewhat less interesting than the others Not completely, of course we have a blind woman who can sense the information flow of the simulation, a teenage net freak who only speaks in online slang, a campy death clown named Sweet William, a Chinese grandmother and an abrasive German woman They re not bad characters by any means, and each one is special in his or her own right It s just that most of them were introduced later in the first book, and so we ve had less time to get to know them Putting a familiar character in that group might have made them interesting, or it might have overshadowed them Who knows One thing that the third group has, however, is a secret one of them is not who he or she appears to be One of them has been co opted by the sociopathic assassin, Dread The only one with the freedom to go on and offline at will, he has nearly godlike power at his fingertips And he intends to use it.
I can imagine that Tad Williams had a great deal of fun working out these novels, mainly because he created a concept that allowed for incredible freedom in world building After all, on a super powerful VR platform, any conceivable simulation can be created So whether it is the mythical land of Xanadu, a cartoon kitchen where the groceries come to life at night, a world where people fly like birds, or the legendary land of Ithaca, the settings in these books are only limited to what Williams can think up and work with What s really interesting is that he seems to take great pleasure in reminding us that we are, in fact, reading a story he goes so far as to have one character reflect on exactly what kind of character he is People are reminding themselves that they re not in a story, even though they are, and at the same time recognizing that the entire structure of their virtual universe is patterned on the rules of fiction It s a strange type of meta fiction that rewards the careful reader.
So, as the book comes to a close, we have some new threads to follow The Otherland explorers begin to find their purpose and learn about their situation We ve met a strange type of character which exists in many worlds at once the beautiful, birdlike woman who tries to help Paul Jonas and Orlando Gardiner find their way the horrible Twins, whose only job is to pursue Paul Jonas wherever he may go These people can be found around any corner, and the outcome of meeting them is always uncertain.
Offline, real world investigations into the mysterious comas that afflict children begin to bear fruit a young lawyer named Catur Ramsey is trying to help the parents of Orlando and Fredericks find out what happened to their children, and the search leads him to a strange woman, Olga Pirofski, who may have a vital clue Renie s father involves himself with some very dangerous people indeed The police in Sydney find themselves working on a five year old murder case that will eventually lead them to the malicious assassin hacker Dread A mysterious group called The Circle makes itself known to a select few, and reveals its mission to oppose the Lords of the Otherland and their relentless pursuit of immortality All through this, those Lords of the Otherland struggle amongst themselves to see who will ultimately control it.
The tale becomes stranger with the telling, but I can guarantee you ll be good and ready to jump right into book three.
Otherland In Many Ways It Is Humankind S Most Stunning Achievement A Private, Multidimensional Universe Built Over Two Generations By The Greatest Minds Of The Twenty First Century But This Most Exclusive Of Places Is Also One Of The World S Best Kept Secrets, Created And Controlled By An Organization Made Up Of The World S Most Powerful And Ruthless Individuals, A Private Cartel Known To Those Who Know Of Their Existence At All As The Grail Brotherhood Though Their Purpose In Creating Otherland Is Still A Mystery, It May Not Remain So For Long For They Have Exacted A Terrible Price From Humanity In The Process, And Even Their Highly Organized Global Conspiracy Cannot Hide The Nature Of Their Crimes Forever And Now A Small Band Of Adventurers Has Penetrated The Veil Of Secrecy That Prevents The Uninitiated From Entering Otherland But Having Broken Into The Amazing Worlds Within Worlds That Make Up This Universe, They Are Trapped, Unable To Escape Back To Their Own Flesh And Blood Bodies In The Real World And As Dangers And Circumstances Split Their Party Into Small, Widely Scattered Groups, Their Only Hope Of Reuniting Lies In Returning Again And Again To The River That Flows In One Form Or Another Through All The WorldsBut The Odds Seem To Be Completely Against Them As They And The One Outsider With Whom They Might Join Forces Become Hopelessly Lost In Realms Where An Ice Age Tribe S Fears Can Only Be Quenched In Bloodwhere Insects Are As Large And Deadly As Dinosaurswhere They Are Caught In The War Between A Man Made Of Straw And One Made Of Tinwhere Cartoon Ads Take On A Life Of Their Ownwhere Humans Strive To Survive In The Aftermath Of An Alien Invasionand Where One Among Their Party Is Actually The Grail Brotherhood S Most Terrifying Weapon A Sociopathic Killer Who Has Never Failed And Whose Current Mission Is To Make Certain That Not Even One Member Of This Little Invasion Force Lives Long Enough To Reveal The Truth About Otherland To The People Of Earth Executive Summary Slow start, and many slow places throughout The good parts make up for a lot of it, but for that reason I m rounding my 3.
5 stars down.
Audio book Another great job by George Newbern He definitely Full Review I really enjoyed the first book Not so much for the characters, but for the setting and the cool ideas I ve always loved the idea of virtual worlds, and Mr Williams made an excellent blend of Fantasy and Sci Fi that seemed to hit my buttons in the right way.
Unfortunately, the the cool ideas of the first one weren t enough to overcome some slowness, and the characters were important to my enjoyment of the book I found some of them annoying, or uninteresting, and it made their plotlines a bit slower Renie who I enjoyed in the first book, got on my nerves at times Thankfully Xabbu was there to help that story along The most interesting plotline for me was probably Orlando, though Paul s story was pretty good as too The rest of them I found good at times, and very slow at times It felt like there were far too many POVs this go around I guess with a 4 book door stopper series like this, that s to be expected, but I feel some of it could have been tightened up.
Much of this book seemed to be a way for Mr Williams to live out fantasy of worlds he d like to visit explore from history and or fiction I suspect if he chose worlds that I found fascinating, I d have enjoyed those parts much I found the time spent in bug land particularly tedious.
Yet somehow despite all this, I still enjoyed the book The ideas and the overarching story have its hooks into me I want to know what happens next I will definitely be picking up the third book once my audio time frees up a little I m just hoping the pace of the story picks up in the next book.
This is a great series and the second book does not disappoint I can t recommend this series highly enough.
8 10In the second book of the series Tad Williams continues to impress as he has added characters than the previous book, worlds and much incredible ideas combining them all into a complex, and weirder, story where only himself could have made.
The story continues right where the previous one left of with Williams expanding his world building, making it even greater than what he showed in the first book, and with the protagonists going through incredible, and unbelievable, adventures while in the meantime some revelations start coming about the plans of their enemies and what they re, ultimately, after.
Of course the book has also some problems, though small, as I felt that the story drags a bit than it needed mostly in the middle of the book , but as it goes on it becomes and better and with the ending having a really good cliffhanger while Williams leaves a lot of promises for the next books.
Overall I can say that, besides its few flaws, I m quite pleased of how this book turned out in the end, as also with Williams writing that I m starting to believe that he actually fits better with Sci Fi stories.
I think I ll try to write a review for every book I read from now on I know not many read this probably, but it s good to put my thoughts somewhere I will also keep every review as spoiler free as possible, so don t worry about anything major being said here With all this said here is my first daily review, Otherland River of Blue FirePROS Similar to the first book, Otherland has managed to make me use my imagination is ways that I never have before The idea of the Net has allowed Williams to create a sort of surreal environment The stakes are higher in the this book, there s action, and the story CONS So far, I ve been pretty disappointed with the antagonists For two whole books, all we ve really gotten is the same old rich and powerful want to take over the world kinda of scenario And quite frankly, I m getting a bit tired of this Sure, we have a couple people who we re supposed to hate like Dread, and maybe Osiris It also seems like Nemesis is going to play a big role Still, I haven t developed the level of hate yet for these people that I normally feel for your typical villains Hopefully in the next two novels we ll get something deeper than rich and power are bad Another problem I have with this novel is the lack of story progression I loved tumbling through the various simluations with the characters While this was all fun, I felt it didn t exactly end up anywhere Overall 4 5 Enjoyable, but takes its timeThe second installment of the Otherland series by Tad Williams picks up where the last leaves off The heroes gathered by Mr Sellers at the Golden City narrowly escape into another simulation, one that seems perfectly normal except that they are now 1 100th their real size Gigantic insects and birds populate the world, going about their natural activities, but those are hazardous when you re the size of the next meal Soon, events beyond their control shatter the small company and each remnant must find its own way through the increasingly disturbing simulations Renie and Xabbu find themselves in Oz gone wrong where they meet a mysterious man who can overcome the rules of the simulation and a naive young girl named Emily who needs rescuing Meanwhile, Orlando and Fredericks find themselves in the kitchen sink of a cartoon simulation Soon, they are drawn into a quest to save a baby match yes, a match called Little Spark from evildoers who have kidnapped him for nefarious reasons The river becomes a stream of spilled water where Orlando, Fredericks and Chief Strike Anywhere s the match s father lives are threatened by ravenous salad tongs that call the river home.
Shortly after Orlando and Fredericks are swept away, the others find themselves in a world where the river takes on the form of a jet stream, where flight is as natural as walking Martine becomes the voice of this segment of the group, keeping a log of what s happening and to whom The mystery of who is Dread takes hold as several of her log entries note anomalous behavior by various members, a mystery that keeps you guessing until the very end.
Finally, Paul Jonas continues his quest for the mysterious winged woman who haunts his dreams Plagued by the tireless Twins, once known as Finch and Mullet, he runs from simulation to simulation, some quite horrifying Gally, a kid who is neither puppet part of the program or citizen human guest makes another appearance but fails to recognize Paul from before.
In the real world , the family and friends of those trapped play out their own dramas Jeremiah is dismayed with Long Joseph abandons him to see his son who is still in the hospital Christabel worries for her friend, Mr Sellers, who has taken Cho Cho, a scary street boy as his assistant Catur Ramsey, a lawyer representing the Gardinar and Fredericks families, tracks down leads, including the skittish agent, Beezle Bug, who seems to want to help but cannot do so without his comatose master s permission, and one of the stars of a popular kids show on the net And in Australia, a detective takes a closed case as a personal challenge and begins to unravel a mystery that may reveal the earliest conquest of a serial killer.
A common theme throughout is the feeling of hopelessness, despair, and perhaps even boredom of both those trapped in Otherland and those in the real world It s difficult at times to believe that things will get better.
The River of Blue Fire is complex, vivid, and at times scary The action is intense and hard to predict, which is something I like in a story, and the characters are well developed and interesting On the other hand, this book reminds me of The Two Towers, by J.
R Tolkien, in that it s a continuation of a story in progress, sort of like a bridge There is no true beginning or ending, though certain plot elements are resolved along the way Like Tolkien, the story isn t rushed and in some places seems to linger just a bit too long The length of the book and the pace may be daunting to those who are unprepared for it If you have trouble finishing The Lord of the Rings or Battlefield Earth, you might have trouble finishing The Otherland series.
Overall, however, I really liked this story I would recommend it to anyone who likes epic fantasy, epic sci fi, or the idea of living in a fantastic, yet unpredictable, virtual world.
So, this one goes straight onto the favourites shelf becuase this continuation turned this series from one I really liked into one I loved The story picks up straight after the ending of the previous book, and I really loved seeing the instant re immersion.
Some of the elements of this series which I most enjoy The blend of Sci Fi Fantasy elements into a convincing, bizarre and fun world filled with exciting scenes The characters there are SO MANY great characters within this series from Renie Xabbu to Martine who really developed a lot for me in this one with the addition of her diary entries and backstory to Orlando and Fredricks a gamer pair who are great friends to Cristabel a young girl and the narrative is told from her world view so you see everything through a lens of innocence to Paul the lost wanderer to all the others We honestly get to meet so many fabulous characters and I loved all the plotlines which is marvellous becuase it s a long book The pacing I know for some people a slower story isn t what they like to see, but I find myself falling and in love with super chunky books and stories if they are done well and spend the slow plot time to develop characters worlds The imaginative worlds This story is set in a world where VR Virtual Reality is a huge part of day to day life and some of the ultra high tech is so capable of simulation that it s virtually like you re in another world We pass through all sorts of crazy places within this story Some of my favourites being the Emlar land where all the Emilies live, the War of the Worlds version of London and the giant Kitchen world you can see they re a bit crazy We definitely see a lot of travelling in this book and see our character encountering all manner of creatures, cartoons and manifestations in these wacky worlds The plot we re following a group of characters who are trapped on the Net and travelling through various Sims The plot didn t ever feel too drawn out for me especially if you compare it to something like Malazan or Wheel of Time both super long yet I enjoy both a lot and I found myself speeding through the majority of the audiobook which is excellent by the way in a day when I was travelling The diverse elements we have characters from all walks of life and from all over the world Although it s set in South Africa predominantly when we follow the characters of Xabbu and Renie, we also have an Englishman, Frenchwoman, Australian people and much I also love that we have people from vastly different cultures even within the same country like Xabbu who is from a Bushamen tribe and has excellent stories to tell about this The fun this story truly is that I feel as though we re always encountering new things and it s always a little on the crazy side We get to see God like beings ruling over their own specially crafted domains, meet the three blind mice and the scarecrow from Oz, and a world where everyone has the same name All of this, and much , made this into a crazy story but one I always knew was filled with vibrant, imaginative ideas.
Overall I really, really loved this I whizzed through the book and I devoured it, and I NEED to go into the next book and final book really, really soon I just found this to be a book which I loved from start to end, and I think it really worked out well for me at the time to be travelling and binge reading this 5 s and I will certainly saw this is a series which stays on your mind and is just filled with life Highly recommend this story Filler.
The first novel was long, but it was unraveling a mystery This is just the main characters being herded through sim after sim, with a few character in the real world having enough screen time to be reminded that they exist It gets old, because it s not necessary to the plot.
1 A character Paul Jonas or team of them Rennie, Xabbu land in a sim word reminding us of something, sometimes blatantly.
2 They get captured or chased.
3 They leave to the next.
This is the bulk of the book What s left is 4 Plot events that don t have any real resolution.
5 Introducing even characters, like a police detective hunting Dread, or a virtual actor.
6 A very tiny amount of plot events that set up real difficulties.
The problem with this is that there are three books in the series If this were setting up the last volume, it could be forgiven But this is just a middle, filler novel, and is souring me on the series It s still very well written, to the point where each sim could be its own novel There are times when some great moments peek through Xabbu as always is a wonderful character, and each character is different enough not to blur together.
Still, the sheer amount of running in place is frustrating, and the fact that this wont be neatly tied up in a third volume reduces the rating I give These are not slender books at all.


Gillian Wallace was born in Montreal and lived in the area until she was nine, when her family moved to the city where Jumbo the Elephant died: St. Thomas, Ontario. Having earned her BA in music (performance) at the University of Western Ontario, she went on to do graduate work (MA Toronto, PhD Ottawa) in the psychology of religion. She taught part-time at the University of Ottawa for five years while writing her thesis on original sin.
Once done, she turned her attention to literature, graduating from the Humber School for Writers in fiction in 2004. She started writing poetry seriously in 2007 but continues to work on novels, polishing her first one to be publisher ready (learner ones lie buried in a drawer) and editing the first draft of another one.
Gillian now makes her home in Ottawa where she lives in a glass house with her geographer husband and is a member of the OtherTongues poetry group.
2012 2nd Prize, Poetry, This Magazine, Great Canadian Literary Hunt
2012 Honourable Mention, Poetry, Room Magazine 2012 Contest
2010 Hot Ottawa Voice in Poetry, Tree Reading Series
2009 Diana Brebner Prize for Poetry, Arc Poetry Magazine,
. ‘Crow, of the family Corvidae’
2009 Finalist, Origami Crane Open-Mic Prize, Tree Reading Series
Poems Published In:
2012 in Descant 159: A Winter’s Guide to Melancholia, 3 poems
2012 in This Magazine, online, 1 poem
2012 in Room Magazine, online, 1 poem
2012 in After the Bookstore Closes for the Night Chapbook, 3 poems
2011 in a wall’s sharp white Chapbook, 1 poem
2010 Parliamentary Poem of the Month, December
2010 in Arc Poetry Annual 2011, 1 commissioned poem
2010 in Room Magazine 33.1, 2 poems
2010 in Arc Poetry Magazine, Winter, 1 poem
2010 in Barely Their Chapbook, 2 poems
2009 in ottawater, 5th Issue, 1 poem
2008 in The Antigonish Review, 154, 1 poem
2007 in Ottawa Arts Review, Fall, 1 poem
‘Crow, of the family Corvidae’ – firstly… there is not a misstep anywhere, not a bump or confusion or weak word; the language throughout is accomplished and lyrical. Secondly, the poem is integrated: it is whole, complete, entirely satisfying. Finally, although it reads like a gentle nature lyric, it encompasses tensions between death and life, loneliness and community, youth and age, natural and human violence… Susan McMaster
Sept 18 Arc Poetry Annual 2011 Poetry Art Chain, Manx Pub, Ottawa
Sept 18 Barely Their Poetry Obelisk Launch, outside Blink Gallery, Ottawa
Aug 10 Hot Ottawa Voices, Tree Reading Series, Arts Court, Ottawa
Feb 16 Diana Brebner Prize, Arc Launch, Collected Works Bookstore, Ottawa
Jan 29 Ottawater 5 Launch, Arts Court, Ottawa
2010 Guerilla Magazine
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phaidon press | wood design book
Brand: Phaidon Press
Please note: if the quantity is down to 1 it may be a display item. We will be in touch with you to discuss if this is the case.
The humble brick has been an architectural staple for centuries – but is rarely celebrated. Brick is a fresh, insightful and surprising look at one of the world’s most familiar and popular building materials. From the strange remains of the Ziggurat of Ur dating from 2100 BC, to the stunning Winery Gantenbein (built by robotic arm in 2006), Brick shows the extraordinary and inspiring potential of fired earth.
The world’s best architects have explored the qualities of brickwork. Alvar Aalto, Antoni Gaudí, Frank Gehry, Mies van der Rohe, and Jørn Utzon all built with the material, and bricks were integral to Frank Lloyd Wright’s vision for an American vernacular in his Prairie Houses. Equally striking and memorable structures by lesser-known newcomers are also shown.
Brick is a beautiful and informative visual exploration of a material that is often overlooked, and sometimes considered limiting, but is actually full of spectacular potential.
Hardback | 224 pages | 180 illustrations
With 170 structures from the last 1,000 years, Wood features projects from some of the world's most celebrated architects. Renzo Piano's otherworldly New Caledonian Cultural Centre is found alongside projects from Tadao Ando and Peter Zumthor. Even the work of Le Corbusier, an architect best known for his work in concrete, is shown - his humble Mediterranean log cabin, Le Cabanon, was his last home.
Arranged to promote comparison and discussion, the selected projects take the reader on a global tour of inspiring and intriguing structures: a Vietnamese village hall sits beside a state-of-the-art Belgian laboratory, an Italian anatomical theatre alongside a luxurious Canadian sauna and an onion-domed Russian church next to a fortified Japanese castle.
Illustrated with extraordinary photographs, each project includes an extended caption providing an insightful commentary on the building.
An essay by the bestselling author and naturalist Richard Mabey explores the close relationship between trees and architecture.Wood is a beautiful and informative visual exploration of a natural material that harbours an extraordinary range of expression and potential and has inspired architects for generations.
Item code: phb-97807148734
members earn $3.00 top3 credits
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Galia, a young teacher, and Natan, a
retired bank clerk, live in the same apartment building. But their little world
is turned upside down when a Bulgarian migrant worker, in flight from his
employer, enters their building. Confronting the harsh rules of the global
village and its absurd immorality, the two neighbors come up with a plan to
smuggle the Bulgarian out of the country.
In the background, Galia starts a romantic relationship with Michael,
who has unusual views on education. He introduces Galia to Sealand, a
micro-nation situated on a military offshore platform 12 kilometers off the
eastern coast of England―a metaphor for a quiet rebellion,
to create one’s own rules within the law. Michael also tells Galia about
his wish to set up a personal video channel where he can broadcast 24/7 as an
artistic statement. Galia encourages this idea, which stimulates the young
couple and plays an interesting role in their relationship.
Sealand is an intimate story about seemingly ordinary people
who lead subversive lives. The meeting between
the four characters leads each one to examine the limits of his or her personal
space and those of law and sovereignty.
PARTIAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION AVAILABLE (for publishers only).
Albalach is a daring writer, whose originality and love of literature can be
seen in each of her short stories and in this novel. She has many
contradictions: her concise language is splendid, her irony is refined…Her
writing is original and full of vitality, opening the eyes and the heart, helping
her readers to see the world in which we live, and to understand it a little
better. A little differently. Her novel Sealand deserves a special
mention … It is filled with fine and precise observations saturated in restrained
humor, and is excellently organized with abundant variations on the central
theme: The desperate attempt to break through the thick skin of existence and
to tough out the extreme, the unique, the mysterious, the anarchic, and
ultimately the human.
Minister's Prize Committee, December 2015
Sealand, Albalach’s first novel, deepens her
unique voice. She creates sensitive, clear and touching insights from ordinary daily
materials, even news items…With delicate irony and compassion, she leads her
quiet protagonists along a daringly subversive path.
A book that is a little gem … It is very
important to today’s Israel. I highly recommend it.
style is distinctive: clear and restrained, with very little decoration. But as
Sealand’s protagonists proceed on their journey, everything becomes more
open and freer: the protagonists’ gestures to each other, the writing itself…Even
the supporting characters are described with sensitivity and enrich the scene.
Halperin, Israel Hayom
injects into the heritage of Kenaz a surprising and non-manipulative warmth
that strengthens the impact of her writing.
Glasner, Yedioth Ahronoth
use a musical metaphor, Noga Albalach is a great composer. She knows how to
pass the story from one character to another; when to speak and when to remain
Ehrlich, Makor Rishon
this wonderful novel, Albalach uses a narrative method that is different from what
we are used to in Israeli literature; few details of the past are known, the
future is obscure.
High-quality, restrained prose that allows the reader to get to know the characters intimately … Albalach has created profound and intriguing characters.
Meital Sharon, Mako
Sealand flows along as you read. Albalach gives precise descriptions of what is going on, both in the surroundings and inside the soul, and creates the feeling that we know the characters.
Sarit Flain, Literary blog
Sealand is an island of sanity in this insane world of ours … It is all the small and generous gestures that make the recipients happy and the givers even happier. Highly recommended!
Shuli Malka, Tolaat Sfarim
A short novel that leaves an appetite for more.
Eidelheit, Literary blog
It will be easy for you too to connect with the plot of this book … The language is polished but not highfalutin.


Famous Guests commenting visit in Liberiaprojekt’s Reading Room, Monrovia:
Laudatio for Mary Saab, THE WINNER 2017, first published on Facebook:
Smart, Articulate, Aspiring and Bright – SAAB!
Excuse me, am I allowed to take this novel home to read? She asked. Nope, sorry maybe next time, the librarian replied. But still astounded and intrigued by her interest to read a voluminous novel, he went further…which class are you? I am in the 11th grade, she responded. Wow, that explains why you are requesting to read Charles Dickens’ renowned novel Oliver Twist. There is an essay writing competition going on in the parish by the way, you should participate? He recommended in a loud voice. Are you sure, …actually I did not know this. Sure I will! She replied in excitement. This conversation was one week to the deadline of the 2017 Essay Writing competition organized by Pro-Liberia, “From Street to School”, a local NGO supporting and encouraging education for underprivileged school going kids. For her to be pressed with the stress of meeting a deadline and coming up to the very top, is what prompted us to write this post. Dear friends, kindly permit me to introduce to you the WINNER of the 2017 Essay Writing competition, Miss Mary Saab.
Mary as she I famously known, is an 11th grade student of the Bright Brains Academy High School. She is an excellent reader and writer and will prefer those over cooking any day. Born on March 9, 2002, Mary is 15 years old and has predominately reading and singing amongst other things as her hobbies. She is currently the dux of her class and last academic year she dux her school with high prospects of doing it again for this academic year 2016/17. She’s active in the parish as well as her school and is a member of children’s ministry choir and lectors/readers.
In this age of our country Liberia, where reading is being treated as a taboo by most young people, it is only proper that we encourage, promote and commend the few young people who adore, love and appreciate reading. The youth of Christ the King Catholic Church on the other hand were extremely proud that one of its own is amongst those few.
Congrats Mary! And continue in the path of God for he has greater plans for you. Eyes are watching you kiddo. Hats off!
“Enjoying time with students from the German-Liberian “Pro-Liberia” partnership in Monrovia! Reading empowers!” (Michael Jentzsch, 3/28 2016)
What is the Reading Room?
Reading Room is what young people need for purposes of learning, informing each others, tutoring one another and reading and playing just for fun. All facilities are available in presence only. Reading Room is a small library where friends can be meet and books can be ordered and are provided for common use.
Where is the Reading Room located?
Kindly find our Reading Room in Christ the King Parish in the Old Road Community, Monrovia. For contact and further support contact Father Boniface. He is supported by several members of the Liberiaprojekt.
What’s done by people in the reading room?
All participants are fond of sharing knowledge and helping each other. It is a save place for young people, quiet and sympathetic to everyone who is open for serious academic working and the pleasure of reading.
All working in the reading room agree on further purchasing of books until the boards are completely filled. What books is decided democratically and on expressed need! There are young people who know, what they want and are couraged and self consciously working on their wishes to become true.
That’s up to you – join and play an important role. May be in one of the broadcasts in Radio Veritas as to be seen here:


Book Review: The Making of Biblical Womanhood
Author: Beth Allison Barr
Length: 246 pages (Kindle)
Publisher: Brazos Press
Beth Allison Barr's latest book is a masterpiece of narrative history. She weaves her personal experience together with first rate historical commentary to make the case that "biblical womanhood", most often expressed in the belief that women have not and cannot be leaders in the church, is not supported by the biblical text.
This is a popular level read with enough references to back up her point. One reviewer missed the point entirely when they stated that scholars (like Moo and Carson) should have been cited over popular figures like Bill Gothard (who is called "fringe"). Ironically, it is the Gothards of the evangelical world that have more lasting influence based on sheer numbers. His organization claims that over 2.5 million people have attended their seminars which rely on heavy forms of patriarchy. I doubt either Moo nor Carson can claim that kind of reach (and that is no disrespect to Moo and Carson!).


The members of Readium Foundation (Readium.org), an independent open source consortium developing software to advance adoption of EPUB and the Open Web Platform for publishing, have elected a representative Board of Directors. The initial directors and their affiliations are: Micah Bowers - Bluefire, Pierre Danet - Hachette, Jim Dovey - independent, James English - New York Public Library (NYPL), Bente Franck-Saetervoll - Bokbasen, Hadrien Gardeur - Feedbooks, and Bill McCoy - International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF). The directors subsequently elected initial officers including Bill McCoy (President), Micah Bowers (Secretary), and Bente Franck-Saetervoll (Treasurer). This initial election featured very strong participation. Out of forty member organizations, fifteen candidates self-nominated for positions and over 90% of member organizations cast votes. The seven candidates receiving the most votes were elected.


- Central Texas is home to the state’s capital city (Austin), as well as other destinations like Bellville, Brenham, Cedar Creek, College Station, Bryan, and San Marcos. Places to be sure to visit on your next trip to Central Texas include the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library in Austin, the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library in College Station, the University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University in College Station, Baylor University in Waco, Texas State University in San Marcos, and the site of the signing of the Texas Declaration (in Washington County). Central Texas welcomes all of its visitors with its overpowering and unique hospitality.
Click on city name to find a Central Region Texas Bed & Breakfast:
Enjoy Hill Country Views from all rooms at The Inn Above Onion Creek Bed & Breakfast in Kyle, Texas. With welcoming and elegant accommodations featuring comfortable queen and king guest beds, whirlpool tubs, Satellite TV, and large breakfast, the inn is perfect for romantic escapes, girlfriends’ getaways and single travelers. more...


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We are excited that our chapter entitled “The Role of Responsive Library Makerspaces in Supporting Informal Learning in the Digital Humanities” in Digital Humanities, Libraries, and Partnerships: A Critical Examination of Labor, Networks and Community, edited by Robin Kear and Kate Joranson (Chandos, 2018) is now published.
In the book, the authors “reflect on the collaborations they have formed around digital humanities work” and “examine a range of issues, including labor equity, digital infrastructure, digital pedagogy, and community partnerships”.
Here is the abstract of our chapter, which was co-authored by Karen Miller, Erik Champion, Lise Summers, Artur Lugmayr and Marie Clarke,
Makerspaces make a unique contribution to the partnership between academic libraries and digital humanities by providing a creative, informal space for learning skills and new knowledge, sharing materials and equipment, and exploring and experimenting through an problem-solving, inquiry-based learning approach. The concept of the makerspace as a “liminal” space, containing inherent contradictions and tensions between formal and informal learning, structure and agency, forms a basis for understanding the role the makerspace plays in shaping, and being shaped by, a digital humanities community of practice. This chapter discusses particular experiences that demonstrate some of the ways in which the Curtin Library Makerspace in Western Australia has been involved in digital humanities since it was established in 2015. It has nurtured a creative environment for informal learning through facilitating maker activities; fostered collaborations with teaching academics to support the curriculum; and supported the development of longer-term research projects. We discuss the issues particular to each of these experiences, as the Makerspace negotiated the challenge of retaining the informality of the makerspace, while at the same time recognizing the need for infrastructural support to enable it to participate as an equal partner in digital humanities research projects.
A pre-print will be available soon from Curtin Library’s E-Space, but until then you can download it here [DOCX, 40kB].
Curtin would like to pay respect to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members of our community by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which the Perth campus is located, the Whadjuk people of the Nyungar Nation; and on our Kalgoorlie campus, the Wongutha people of the North-Eastern Goldfields.


Understanding Misunderstanding. Vol.1: Cross-Cultural Translation
Tamara Brzostowska-Tereszkiewicz, Magdalena Rembowska-Pluciennik, Beata Sniecikowska
This book explores the covert and overt creative potential of misunderstanding. Viewed from the authors’ perspective, misunderstanding proves an elementary and unavoidable aspect of linguistic and cultural communication that can have a surprisingly beneficial impact on social relations and concomitantly stimulate the emergence of new cultural forms. As the authors of the book prove, cross-cultural contact is definitely a dynamic and asymmetric process rather than a static and symmetric transfer of values from one culture to another.


I hope everyone had a safe and fun New Year! If you are like me, it is flying by too fast! I suppose that could be the case for me because I have been so busy getting ready for FETC (I will be co-presenting digital storytelling) . I also was determined to try to publish my first children's book. I have been dreaming of writing a children's book for as long as I could remember. In fact- going through the whole process reminded me a lot of the young Author's Program that I participated in when I was a kid. My young author's book "Sara and the Surfing Team" won first place when I was in elementary school and I was so thrilled! (I wish I knew where it was- I would love to read it again- and probably laugh) I guess what got me really thinking I could and should really try to publish are all the new tech tools and applications that make it so easy to publish something these days. The two platforms that you can use are- Kindle Direct Publishing which has a free application that you can download to you pc or computer.https://kdp.amazon.com/kids If you prefer the apple platform- on the iPad there is an app called Book Creator that you can use to easily create and share a book through the apple store. There is also always Teachers Pay Teachers but I really wanted to try the Kindle Platform. The concept of my book is based on an art lesson that I do with 2nd and 3rd grade- Prehistoric Cave Paintings. When I teach my students about cave paintings I use a great book called the Cave Painter of Lascaux by Roberta Angeletti. I also show them a website with an cool virtual tour of the cave and I refer to the Children's Book Art. While researching the lesson plan, I came across a cool story about how the cave was discovered by three boys and a dog named Robot in the 1950's. I always wished that there was a neat way to share this story with my students so that was the basis of my book, The Discovery of Lascaux. It is only roughly based on the story. All the pages were drawn in my sketchbook first with pencil, watercolor pencil and marker. Then
I scanned the pages into my computer and added the text using Gimp (an image editing software). I really enjoyed the process and hope to do more (it may become a series!) and even get my students in on the publishing business! Afterall, they are super creative and have awesome ideas. So check out my kindle book, The Discovery of Lascaux, told by Robot the dog, and let me know what you think! Thanks!


The Unhistorical Jesus
Inevitably, when the US media wants to interview a scholar on the subject of the life of Christ, the media chooses from their ready pool of liberal scholars such as the participants from the Jesus Seminar. A recent example of this was the PBS network TV investigative news program Frontline which aired a series titled "From Jesus to Christ." This series was a prime-time showcase for scholarship such liberal scholars as John Dominic Crossan, Elaine Pagels, Helmut Koester, and others. Great emphasis was placed on "evidence" from the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Mary, etc. Conservative scholars are not consulted or are marginalized as liberal scholars are lauded.
While not written specifically as a response to the PBS series, the 1996 book, "The Historical Jesus", by Gary Habermas, takes on these liberal scholars by dissecting their arguments. The book has two parts. The first part of the book looks at the recent history of the historical Jesus scholarship. The second part examines the actual evidence for the historical Jesus. By critiquing the critics and providing an Thus, the book presents both a negative and a positive case. Habermas effectively deals with the writings of the early Church Fathers as well as those of the early skeptics against Christianity. This paper examines some of the key evidence which Haberman presents in his case for Christianity.
Dr. Samuel Mikolaski's "Theological Sentences" traces the development of the historical Jesus over the past couple of centuries. Habermas has a similar approach in his introduction to the subject. This paper does not discuss how we got here, but rather the current state of the situation.
The approach of Josh McDowell in his popular book, "More Than a Carpenter", is the Lord, Lunatic, Liar trilemma. McDowell borrowed this argument from C. S. Lewis. The problem with this formulation is that it does not take into account the actual critics positions. This "trilemma" needs to include a fourth category, "Legend" as that's the current dominant position of the skeptics. To have an effective Christian witness we need to understand the positions against the faith and have appropriate responses to them. In fairness to McDowell, he does first lay a foundation for the reliability of the NT.
Skeptical of the Skeptics
Ironically, the news media is skeptical of conservative Christianity, but not of the skeptics claims. Applying many of the same techniques of the skeptics against their own thesis is an effective tool for criticism. Habermas does that quite nicely in the book. In particular, Habermas notes that the members of the Jesus seminar commit the genetic fallacy when they address the origin of the idea rather than the facticity of the idea. Futher, numerous examples of arguments from silence can be found in the skeptics writings. Finally, the a priori rejection of miracles is criticized.
The Gnostic Sources and the Modern Day Gnostics
A major part of the quest of the liberal scholars is to find textual evidence to support their flimsy theories. The discovery of the so-called "Gospel of Thomas" has added fuel to the fire of the Gnostic scholars. One of the stronger proponents of this view is Elaine Pagels, of Princeton University who wrote a book titled, "The Gnostic Gospels".
One claim of these modern day Gnostics is that there was a wide expression of Christianity in the first few centuries with the claim made that there were hundreds of Gospels floating around. They claim is that the Church autocratically forced the canonical Gospels onto the rest of the world making a sort of "orthodoxy by definition" or "orthodoxy by exclusion". The discovery of texts such as the Gnostic "Gospel of Thomas" is used by these scholars as proof of the diversity of early Christianity. The Jesus Seminar goes as far as to title Thomas "The Fifth Gospel".
Habermas points out several factors often dismissed by the modern Gnostics which mitigate against their thesis.
The Kerygma in 1 Cor
Habermas and Mikolaski both make note of the early dating of the account in 1 Cor 15 of the passion and resurrection. Although Paul wrote 1 Cor in the 50's (still close to the original dates), they reflect an earlier tradition of eyewitness tradition which dates to the late 30's when Paul traveled to Jerusalem and met with Peter and others. Thus, this text provides the earliest record of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, less than a decade after the event itself. This is useful since atheist Michael Martin has stated that finding early evidence to support orthodoxy is necessary for historicity. See http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/tyler_wunder/davis/5.html for the atheistics response to Habermas.
The arguments of the skeptics exist to serve their presuppositions. Many of these presuppositions are based in an anti-supernatural bias. Others have Gnostic tendencies and look hard for evidence of Gnostic thought existing in parallel with the historical orthodox Church. There is no concensus with the skeptics with each one casting Jesus in the light of their own personal opinions. The fact that each of the scholars culls down the data to make their own Jesus testifies to the facticity of the varied NT evidence.
The book by Habermas is an effective case for the historical record of the New Testament with regard to the life of Christ. His discrediting of sources which appear to be friendly to the Christian message, but are probably not authentic, such as the Acts of Pilate, adds to his credibility. The very fact that his book has been attacked by such groups as the Internet Infidels demonstrates that it has been effective.
My Letter to PBS About the Frontline Program
This is the letter than I mailed off to PBS in response to their Frontline "From Jesus to Christ" series.
The "scholars" Frontline chose for this series presented a one-sided view of Early Church History.
These "scholars" have each been refuted point-by-point by a number of fine recent books such as Gregory Boyd's (1995) "Cynic, Sage, or Son of God?", Gary Habermas' (1996), "The Historical Jesus: Ancient Evidence for the Life of Christ", Wilkin's/Moreland's (1995), "Jesus Under Fire: Modern Scholarship Reinvents the Historical Jesus", Ben Witherington's (1997), "The Jesus Quest: The Third Search for the Jew of Nazareth", Luke Timothy Johnson's (1996), "The Real Jesus", or I. Howard Marshall's (1977), "I Believe in the Historical Jesus." Many other examples could be cited.
Will PBS choose to consult conservative Christian scholars in the future for needed balance, or will these one sided presentations continue to be unanswered by locking out conservative Christians?
I guess we can be thankful for one thing: the unbalanced presentation by the media such as Frontline has created a market for these conservative books as people of faith seek answers to the skeptical challenge to their faith.
Copyright 2001 - Douglas Gilliland


Are you having a hard time trying to explain to your children about your chronic pain or illness?
My girls were only 2 & 3 years old when things got really bad and hard for me. I wasn’t able to pick them up anymore and do the things with them that I had been. It was heartbreaking saying no to what were our normal daily routines and watch them get confused and upset.
I trialed different ways to help make it easier, like cuddles and movies in my bed in exchange for playing and going to parks. Explaining my helpful aids that i use to support me daily living, like my walking stick, reachy grabby thing etc. But I wanted to help them to understand more, and not think that anything was their fault or that I was longer interested in playing so much with them.
That first book
One day, a good friend of mine had an author, Julieann Wallace, at her kindergarten doing a visit with the children. My beautiful friend purchased one of her books for my girls. It is called ‘Vanilla Swirl’. It is about a little girl whose mum is sick. It is written from the child’s perspective. It talks about the prospect of hope and curing all the illnesses of the world. This book was a beautiful gesture from my friend, and it gave me the idea to see if there were any more books for children to help explain chronic pain more. Turns out there was!
3 books that helped me explain why my chronic pain left me with limitations as a mum to my girls:
Mommy has to stay in bed – by Annette Rivlin-Gutman
Another book that is written from the child’s perspective that also rhymes which makes it easy to follow and catchy. It covers what what they miss out on but also all the things that they CAN do together still. It also covers emotion relating to how the child feels and how her mother encourages her to feel the emotions. Great for younger kids.
Why does mommy hurt? – by Elizabeth M. Christy
This, again, is told from the child’s perspective. He talks about how his mom has chronic pain and can’t always do a lot because of her pain. It goes a little more in depth but is still very child friendly as relatable. It also covers the emotions associated and what they can still do together. We read this one the most when my girls were a bit younger .
How many marbles do you have? – by Melinda Malott
Here is a book that is also a great tool to use along side marbles yourself, to explain each days allocated marbles within your own family. Also written from the child’s perspective, this book talks about his mom using marbles similar to spoons in the spoon theory.
An extra ‘feel good’ book
One last extra book that doesn’t talk about pain or illness but instead love and connection is ‘The Invisible String’ by Patrice Karst. We have been reading this book for over 5 years and it has helped with the times I have had to spend away in hospital. It is about two children who are scared during a thunder storm and their mum explains all about the invisible string that connects them and everyone that they love, all the time.
More books out there to choose from
There are more books out there, however these are just the ones that I can personally recommend. Tried and tested,as I own them and have read them with my own children. They helped a LOT with helping my girls understand more. Even though they don’t really remember a time when I wasn’t limited or in pain, picture books are a great visual for kids to relate to and therefore better understand.
Do you have any other books that have helped you explain your chronic illness/pain to your children? We’d love to hear any more reviews!


I received a children's book to review the other day titled "Little Black Ant on Park Street" and I have to say, I'm so happy to have it in our family's library. Knowing how much Evan adores ants (and I mean ADORES. We have ant farms and pet ants and he is forever sitting on the sidewalk beside the grass, studying how they move and walk.) he was enthralled with it and has read it several times already!
Illustrated by Kathleen Rietz and written by Janet Halfmann, the pictures are absolutely beautiful to accompany a sweet story about a little ant's adventures in an ordinary yard.
Little Black Ant on Park Street is part of the Smithsonian's Backyard collection. This grouping of children's books is focused on the animals that our kids may find in their own backyards. The habitats, life cycles and other important facts about ants, bullfrogs, badgers and more come to life through the lovely artwork and age appropriate descriptions.
I highly recommend them all!
Breaking the Seal - Springtime always makes me nostalgic. Hopeful, happy, and wistful... This year, with so many monumental changes in my life, just seeing the trees yesterday...
3 months ago