Who doesn't love Santa Claus? From award-winning photographer Ron Cooper comes a beautifully curated collection of fifty professional Santas from across the country. We Are Santa is a fascinating glimpse into the lives of those who slip into the red suit to spread Christmas cheer. Before and after portraits, behind-the-scenes stories of custom made costumes and specialized training, and surprising anecdotes of on-the-job encounters bring these Santas to life. Just as Humans of New York captures the lives of everyday people, We Are Santa celebrates the humanity of everyday Santas. From a third-generation Kris Kringle to an Orthodox Jew who has been playing Santa for fifty years, Cooper's portraits are a testament to the holiday spirit. When Santa Mike, a Navy veteran and aircraft mechanic, meets a six-year-old girl with a prosthetic hand just like his own, he says, "Her eyes got big, and she threw her arms around my neck. It was the highlight of my season. That's why I’m Santa.
When Purvis Driggers, a South Carolina Low Country loser with little judgment and even less chance for a decent life beyond his parents' house, home town, and whatever part-time work he can scrounge up, seeks to rob an old man of the rumored millions hidden in his house and fails, he's drawn to the sound of music across the creek. There, he discovers a beautiful woman in a white gown being baptized in the water. Surely Martha, beautiful Martha, will give Purvis the escape he imagines. With the Martha boat come to his rescue, Purvis decides, he'll never have to worry about drowning. But Martha Umphlett is trapped, too. Made to take care of her obese mother and forced to participate in a baptism she has no interest in whatsoever, Martha, in her own way, is every bit as desperate as Purvis, but far more capable and a good deal more dangerous. As funny as it is sad, as beautiful as it is ugly, as authentic as it is shocking, and as powerful as anything you'll ever read, Ron Cooper's Purple Jesus is a mystery, a love story, a religious allegory, and, most importantly, a dark and comic descent into the lives and world views of these unbelievable and unforgettable characters.Purvis Driggers is a South Carolina Low Country loser. With little judgment and even less chance for a decent life beyond his parents' house, home town, and whatever part-time work he can scrounge up, he's sure he's figured a way out: Rob an old man of the rumored millions hidden in his house. But all he finds is the old man dead and the money, if there was any, already gone. Disappointed and defeated, Purvis is drawn to the sound of music across the creek. There, he discovers a beautiful woman in a white gown being baptized in the water. Surely Martha, beautiful Martha, will give Purvis the escape he imagines. With the Martha boat come to his rescue, Purvis decides, he'll never have to worry about drowning. But Martha Umphlett is trapped, too. Married and just as quickly divorced, Martha's been condemned to return to the home she'd once escaped. Made to take care of her obese mother and forced to participate in a baptism she has no interest in whatsoever, Martha, in her own way, is every bit as desperate as Purvis, but far more capable and a good deal more dangerous.Their paths cross with that of Brother Andrew, a monk at a nearby monastery whose call more and more is not to God, but to nature, and more importantly, to somewhere else. He wanders the swamp to watch birds, practice archery, and meditate, but it becomes clearer and clearer to him that the answers he seeks are not to be found in his monastery, his vow of silence, or the life he's thus far known. But maybe the answer is in the girl he, too, sees being baptised across the creek. Perhaps Martha will make Andrew happy. All three want and need something different in their lives, but the paths they'll take are neither clear nor pretty, and they will not end well. Infatuated with Martha, and certain she's the answer to his dreams, Purvis sets out to do whatever is necessary to prove his love, all the while terrified that the FBI will pin the old man's murder on him. Is he demented, or just crazy with love? Does Martha care for Purvis, or will she simply exploit him? Is Brother Andrew straying too far toward both of them and too far away from his faith? And just what is necessary for Purvis to prove himself to Martha?Told from the characters' alternating points of view, this darkly humorous story wends its way through a web of murder and dismemberment, a twisted love triangle, and a woodland monster known as the Hairy Man. As funny as it is sad, as beautiful as it is ugly, as authentic as it is shocking, and as powerful as...
Barely adequate philosophy professor Legare Hume has a mind-body problem. No matter how far he goes, no matter how hard he thinks, he can't escape the world he lives in. On the run from his wife Tally, Legare joins brilliant but exceptionally awkward colleague Saul Grossman to attend the American Philosophical Association's Charleston, South Carolina conference, where worlds and walks of life collide in a strange and satirical amalgamation that can only be described as reality. Legare's mission is simple enough: put up with the conference, read a paper he never thought anyone would want to hear, receive the tenure he isn't sure he wants, and return, or not, to the wife who nearly killed him before he left. But his plans are hijacked by a botched hotel reservation and the all-too-convenient presence of the Southern family Legare has worked very hard all his adult life to avoid. Hume's Fork is a brilliantly satirical and philosophical novel, every bit as funny as it is intelligenta true original. Legare's conflictHume's fork, if you will becomes the reader's, for all worlds are one, and nothing can truly be separate from everything else.
Richard Murray, is tricked or Shanghai'd into joining two shipmates on an ocean voyage to Seattle. Too late, he learns that the boat is a modern day pirate vessel involved in the drug trade. This trip turns into the adventure of a lifetime.
What if Erma Bombeck and James Michener took off in an RV together to see America, wandering from place to place with no particular destination or schedule? "Boldly Going Somewhere" is a lighthearted account of our two years and 100,000 miles living on the road, experiencing our big, wild country and its quirky denizens. Written in a feisty back-and-forth style and filled with love and laughter, it gives the reader a close look at the things that make America a fascinating place to explore, while providing insight into the not-so-glamorous moments that make living in an RV an adventure for any relationship.
A history of American cameramen covering the news of World War I, from the dangerous front line and the risk of execution to red tape and censorship. At the start of hostilities in World War I, when the United States was still neutral, American newsreel companies and newspapers sent a new kind of journalist, the film correspondent, to Europe to record the Great War. These pioneering cameramen, accustomed to carrying the Kodaks and Graflexes of still photography, had to lug cumbersome equipment into the trenches. Facing dangerous conditions on the front, they also risked summary execution as supposed spies while navigating military red tape, censorship, and the business interests of the film and newspaper companies they represented. Based on extensive research in European and American archives, American Cinematographers in the Great War, 1914–1918 follows the adventures of these cameramen as they managed to document and film the atrocities around them in spite of enormous difficulties. “The first book to explore the work and working conditions of American cinematographers active on the different fronts of the First World War. It is a pioneering study which has already attracted a good deal of attention in the academic and archive world.” —Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television
Union County is a paramount of Southern hospitality and Appalachian charm. A true picture of scenic beauty, this mountainous haven enjoys the overwhelming presence of nature, as manifested in its abundant forests, native animals, flowing streams, and waterfalls. Families, retirees, and visitors alike enjoy the serenity of this North Georgia destination. Since its beginning in the early part of the 19th century, Union County has experienced considerable political, economic, and social growth, while still maintaining its quiet comfort and beauty. The admirable work ethic of Union Countians is an ever-present force, which has given way to economic expansion, a proudly conservative government, the creation and endurance of quality educational institutions, strong civic organizations, and a myriad of recreational opportunities. The images in this pictorial volume illustrate such accomplishments, while also paying tribute to the county's military tradition, sports, area attractions, and distinguished individuals. Union County: 1970-2003 includes highlights of the area's natural beauty, while also providing a glimpse of the lasting contributions of local residents over the last 30 years of the 20th century.
As sheriff of Rankin County, Axel Cooper holds the distinction of being the first elected Montana County Sheriff not born in the state in the last sixty years. Unfortunately for Cooper, hell soon be known for much more than that. Montanas governor has just enlisted Cooper to act as the local liaison for a raid on a high-altitude, seasonal cattle ranch called Crestfallen. The raids purpose is twofold: apprehend a federal fugitive and shut down a meth lab. Directed by U.S. Marshall Jack Hiltondescribed by some as General Patton on steroidsthe operation takes a fateful turn when shots are fired and two men are dead. The shooter is Cooper, and one of the dead is an undercover FBI agent. Cooper contends the shooting was self-defense. But Hilton, looking for a scapegoat, charges that Cooper is nothing more than a revenge-seeking, rogue cop and should be prosecuted for the shooting. As Cooper probes more deeply into the incident gone awry at Crestfallen, he has more questions than answers. Something about the raid just doesnt seem right; hes determined to solve the riddle that could either end his career or his life.
Keith "Coop" Cooper's shocking decision to refuse a Pulitzer Prize and walk away from journalism soon goes out the window as he finds himself immersed in a grizzly Nazi scheme in Buenos Aires involving: The amputation of Argentine President Juan Peron's hands, A vault with $500,000,000 in missing Nazi loot, A blood thirsty cult of pure Aryan Nazis. An invisible secret weapon impossible to stop, A world-wide plot to launch a Fourth Reich. Coop embarks on a deadly quest to find the Nazis behind the grizzly plot. Along the way he makes a devastating discovery about his own family.
Just before World War II, Piet Mondrian fled from Paris to London and later to New York, where he lived until his death in 1944. Upon his arrival in Manhattan, the artist began reworking seventeen of the paintings he brought with him, many of which had already been finished and exhibited. He changed lines and added blocks and bars of color to give them what he called "more boogie-woogie." By inscribing these so-called transatlantic works with a double date, for example "38/42," Mondrian emphasized the exceptional history of the series.
Welcome to the short stories of Ron Carlson, where strange beach towels turn up in the living room; where the ordinary son of a family of geniuses spins a rollicking tale of happiness and disappointment; and where a teenaged magician seduces the prettiest girl in high school with devastating consequences.
Union County is a paramount of Southern hospitality and Appalachian charm. A true picture of scenic beauty, this mountainous haven enjoys the overwhelming presence of nature, as manifested in its abundant forests, native animals, flowing streams, and waterfalls. Families, retirees, and visitors alike enjoy the serenity of this North Georgia destination. Since its beginning in the early part of the 19th century, Union County has experienced considerable political, economic, and social growth, while still maintaining its quiet comfort and beauty. The admirable work ethic of Union Countians is an ever-present force, which has given way to economic expansion, a proudly conservative government, the creation and endurance of quality educational institutions, strong civic organizations, and a myriad of recreational opportunities. The images in this pictorial volume illustrate such accomplishments, while also paying tribute to the county's military tradition, sports, area attractions, and distinguished individuals. Union County: 1970-2003 includes highlights of the area's natural beauty, while also providing a glimpse of the lasting contributions of local residents over the last 30 years of the 20th century.
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