Download or read book Voices from the Underworld written by Fabian Graham and published by Manchester University Press. This book was released on 2020-02-11 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Singapore and Malaysia, the inversion of Chinese Underworld traditions has meant that Underworld demons are now amongst the most commonly venerated deities in statue form, channelled through their spirit mediums, tang-ki. The Chinese Underworld and its sub-hells are populated by a bureaucracy drawn from the Buddhist, Taoist and vernacular pantheons. Under the watchful eye of Hell’s ‘enforcers’, the lower echelons of demon soldiers impose post-mortal punishments on the souls of the recently deceased for moral transgressions committed during their prior incarnations. Voices from the Underworld offers an ethnography of contemporary Chinese Underworld traditions, where night-time cemetery rituals assist the souls of the dead, exorcised spirits are imprisoned in Guinness bottles, and malicious foetus ghosts are enlisted to strengthen a temple’s spirit army. Understanding the religious divergences between Singapore and Malaysia through an analysis of socio-political and historical events, Fabian Graham challenges common assumptions on the nature and scope of Chinese vernacular religious beliefs and practices. Graham’s innovative approach to alterity allows the reader to listen to first-person dialogues between the author and channelled Underworld deities. Through its alternative methodological and narrative stance, the book intervenes in debates on the interrelation between sociocultural and spiritual worlds, and promotes the de-stigmatisation of spirit possession and discarnate phenomena in the future study of mystical and religious traditions.

Download or read book Alice written by Ivy Anderson and published by Heyday.ORIM. This book was released on 2016-01-01 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The collected memoirs of a 1913 San Francisco sex worker, their effect on society at the time, and where they fit in today’s world. In 1913 the San Francisco Bulletin published a serialized, ghostwritten memoir of a prostitute who went by Alice Smith. “A Voice from the Underworld” detailed Alice's humble Midwestern upbringing and her struggle to find aboveboard work, and candidly related the harrowing events she endured after entering “the life.” While prostitute narratives had been published before, never had they been as frank in their discussion of the underworld, including topics such as abortion, police corruption, and the unwritten laws of the brothel. Throughout the series, Alice strongly criticized the society that failed her and so many other women, but, just as acutely, she longed to be welcomed back from the margins. The response to Alice's story was unprecedented: four thousand letters poured into the Bulletin, many of which were written by other prostitutes ready to share their own stories; and it inspired what may have been the first sex worker rights protest in modern history. An introduction contextualizes “A Voice from the Underworld” amid Progressive Era sensationalistic journalism and shifting ideas of gender roles, and reveals themes in Alice's story that extend to issues facing sex workers today. Winner of the California Historical Society Book Award “Essential reading for anyone interested in the rich history of sexual commerce in the United States.”—Gretchen Soderlund, author of Sex Trafficking, Scandal, and the Transformation of Journalism, 1885-1917 “Not only for Bay Area history buffs, Alice will enlighten all readers to early shifts in gender roles and societal correlations today.”—Cassie Duggan, Literary Hub

Download or read book written by Maningning C. Miclat and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Why Hell Stinks of Sulfur written by Salomon Kroonenberg and published by Reaktion Books. This book was released on 2013-06-15 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When people go looking for hell, they go underground. Dante, Aeneas, and Odysseus all journeyed beneath the earth to find the underworld, a place where the dead are tortured according to their sins. Buffy the Vampire Slayer had to deal with a huge underground pit infested with demons below her high school called the Hellmouth. And when Homer Simpson ate the forbidden donut for which he’d sold his soul to the devil, he was sucked through a fiery hole in the ground. Though humans actually haven’t gone more than 7.5 miles into the earth, we associate this mysterious underground realm with darkness and death, and the depths of the earth’s interior remain an inspiration for writers and artists trying to imagine hell. Why Hell Stinks of Sulfur uses subterranean mythology as a point of departure to explore the vast world that lies beneath our feet. Geologist Salomon Kroonenberg takes us on an expedition that begins in Dante’s Inferno and continues through Virgil, Da Vinci, Descartes, and Jules Verne. He investigates the nine circles of hell, searches a lake near Naples for the gates of hell used by Aeneas, and turns a scientific spotlight on the many myths of the underworld. He uncovers the layers of the earth’s interior one by one, describing the variety of gasses, ores, liquids, and metals that add to the immense variety of color that can be found below us. Kroonenberg views the inside of the earth as a living ecosystem whose riches we are only beginning to discover, and he warns against our thirst for natural resources exhausting the earth. From the underground rivers and lakes that have never seen the light of day to the story of Saint Barbara—the patron saint of mineworkers—Kroonenberg’s pursuit of the geological foundations of hell is a fascinating journey to the center of the earth.

Download or read book Underworld written by David Saunders and published by Getty Publications. This book was released on 2022-01-11 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abundantly illustrated, this essential volume examines depictions of the Underworld in southern Italian vase painting and explores the religious and cultural beliefs behind them. What happens to us when we die? What might the afterlife look like? For the ancient Greeks, the dead lived on, overseen by Hades in the Underworld. We read of famous sinners, such as Sisyphus, forever rolling his rock, and the fierce guard dog Kerberos, who was captured by Herakles. For mere mortals, ritual and religion offered possibilities for ensuring a happy existence in the beyond, and some of the richest evidence for beliefs about death comes from southern Italy, where the local Italic peoples engaged with Greek beliefs. Monumental funerary vases that accompanied the deceased were decorated with consolatory scenes from myth, and around forty preserve elaborate depictions of Hades’s domain. For the first time in over four decades, these compelling vase paintings are brought together in one volume, with detailed commentaries and ample illustrations. The catalogue is accompanied by a series of essays by leading experts in the field, which provides a framework for understanding these intriguing scenes and their contexts. Topics include attitudes toward the afterlife in Greek ritual and myth, inscriptions on leaves of gold that provided guidance for the deceased; funerary practices and religious beliefs in Apulia, and the importance accorded to Orpheus and Dionysos. Drawing from a variety of textual and archaeological sources, this volume is an essential source for anyone interested in religion and belief in the ancient Mediterranean.

Download or read book Criminal Masterminds written by Charlotte Greig and published by Arcturus Publishing. This book was released on 2005-06-01 with total page 351 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thinking big and thinking bad, fifty of the world's most notorious criminal masterminds have lied, cheated, murdered and swindled their way onto the pages of this book. Many of these miscreants had the brains and charisma to be successful in legitimate walks of life, yet they chose to take a different path - a path that perhaps got them richer more quickly, certainly in the cases of mobster Al Capone, robber Ronnie Biggs and drug baron Howard Marks, but which ultimately was to lead to their downfall. The impetus to cross the moral boundary into criminal territory is not provided just by a desire for great wealth, however, as this compelling narrative reveals. Consider the motivation of spies such as the Cambridge Four, terrorists such as Osama bin Laden and Carlos the Jackal and outlaws such as Bonnie and Clyde. The aims of such individuals transcend the merely material. Their criminality is driven by a need to exert power and then experience the thrill the exerting of this power brings in its wake. Criminal Masterminds provides a fascinating insight into the careers and character flaws of the most audacious reprobates that have come to the attention of the world's lawmakers. It will entertain, astound and sometimes shock you. It might even give you ideas...

Download or read book Hounds of the Underworld written by Dan Rabarts and published by Raw Dog Screaming Press. This book was released on 2017-07-26 with total page 185 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On the verge of losing her laboratory, her savings, and all respect for herself, Pandora (Penny) Yee lands her first contract as scientific consult to the police department. And with seventeen murder cases on the go, the surly inspector is happy to leave her to it. Only she’s going to need to get around, and that means her slightly unhinged adopted brother, Matiu, will be doing the driving. But something about the case spooks Matiu, something other than the lack of a body in the congealing pool of blood in the locked room or that odd little bowl. Matiu doesn’t like anything about this case, from the voices that screamed at him when he touched that bowl, to the way his hateful imaginary friend Makere has come back to torment him, to the fact that the victim seems to be tied up with a man from Matiu’s past, a man who takes pleasure in watching dogs tear each other to pieces for profit and entertainment. Hounds of the Underworld blends mystery, near-future noir and horror. Set in New Zealand it’s the product of a collaboration by two Kiwi authors, one with Chinese heritage and the other Māori. This debut book in The Path of Ra series offers compelling new voices and an exotic perspective on the detective drama.

Download or read book Captive in the Underworld written by Lianyu Tan and published by Shattered Scepter Press. This book was released on 2021-01-08 with total page 327 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A dark lesbian romance retelling of the Hades/Persephone abduction story, set in mythological ancient Greece. In the land of the dead, Queen Hades’ word is law. Hades gets what she wants—always—and what she wants is a certain goddess of the springtime. Innocent Persephone chafes beneath her mother’s hawkish gaze and mercurial temper. Demeter has rebuffed all her daughter’s suitors, but she is not yet satisfied; she strives to crush Persephone’s spirit. Still, when Hades pulls her into the dark realm of the underworld, Persephone longs for the world above, even if it means an eternity under her mother’s thumb. With her tears and pleas for freedom ignored by pitiless Hades, Persephone must learn to satisfy her keeper in all ways, lest she suffer the consequences. And though she cannot deny that something blooms within her, something forbidden, Persephone despairs of ever feeling the sun upon her skin once more. No matter the cost, Hades intends to keep her. Forever. * * * Captive in the Underworld is a standalone dark lesbian romance novel set in mythological ancient Greece. It is rooted in the misogyny and cruelties of the Hades/Persephone myth and contains sensitive material. Due to mature content and dark themes, this book is intended for adult readers only. It contains scenes depicting non-consensual sex, death, abuse, kidnapping, assault, and other intimate partner violence. It is not recommended for readers sensitive to such content. PRAISE FOR CAPTIVE IN THE UNDERWORLD “A dark sapphic romance based on the myth of Persephone and Hades... entertaining, captivating, and exceptionally enjoyable... I read it twice in a row without stopping… if you like my work, I bet you’ll like this a whole lot!” ―Rae D. Magdon, author of Lucky 7 “I adored this brutally ruthless Hades... She was everything I wanted her to be... frightening and passionate all at once... a beautiful example of classic dark romance... Gorgeous novel, highly recommend.” ―Roses and Thorns Book Reviews “[The] best Hades/Persephone story I've ever read… such a gripping read I literally devoured it whole in one sitting like I was Kronos eating his kids… the world and the characters are so lush and compelling I'm tempted not to finish this review and just start rereading the book instead.”―Katarina, Goodreads reviewer

Download or read book Hummingbird in Underworld written by Deborah Tobola and published by She Writes Press. This book was released on 2019-07-23 with total page 219 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At the age of forty-five, Deborah Tobola returns to her birthplace, San Luis Obispo, to work in the very prison her father worked in when he was a student at Cal Poly. But she’s not wearing a uniform as he did; she’s there to teach creative writing and manage the prison’s arts program—a dream job. As she creates a theatre program for prisoners, Tobola finds plenty of drama off the stage as well. Inside the razor wire she finds a world frozen in the ’50s, with no contact with the outside except by telephone; officers who think prisoners don’t deserve programs; bureaucrats who want to cut arts funding; and inmates who steal, or worse. But she loves engaging prisoners in the arts and helping them discover their voices: men like Opie, the gentleman robber; Razor, the roughneck who subscribes to The New Yorker; charismatic Green Eyes, who really has blue eyes; Doo Wop, a singer known for the desserts he creates from prison fare. Alternating between tales of creating drama in prison and Tobola’s own story, Hummingbird in Underworld takes readers on an unforgettable literary journey—one that is frank, funny, and fascinating.

Download or read book Voices from Below written by E A Rappaport and published by . This book was released on 2015-05-28 with total page 326 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Minaras, a master elementalist, was killed in battle against a half-dragon, but his voice keeps Halia awake at night. At first she thinks it must be a hallucination, but when Xarun hears the pleas as well, they embark on a quest to assist their friend in the netherworld. Along the way, they enlist the aid of a necromancer whom Halia and her companions had seemingly murdered during a graveyard raid. Meanwhile, Inar, whose brother was killed by the necromancer, will stop at nothing to get his revenge.

Download or read book Coming of Age in Contemporary American Fiction written by Kenneth Millard and published by Edinburgh University Press. This book was released on 2007-04-18 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores the ways in which a range of recent American novelists have handled the genre of the 'coming-of-age' novel, or the Bildungsroman. Novels of this genre characteristically dramatise the vicissitudes of growing up and the trials and tribulations of young adulthood, often presented through depictions of immediate family relationships and other social structures. This book considers a variety of different American cultures (in terms of race, class and gender) and a range of contemporary coming-of-age novels, so that aesthetic judgements about the fiction might be made in the context of the social history that fiction represents. A series of questions are asked:* Does the coming-of-age moment in these novels coincide with an interpretation of the 'fall' of America?* What kind of national commentary does it therefore facilitate?* Is the Bildungsroman a quintessentially American genre?* What can it usefully tell us about contemporary American culture? Although the focus is on the conte

Download or read book A Quest for Remembrance written by Taylor & Francis Group and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2021-12-13 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Quest for Remembrance brings together a range of arguments exploring connections between the descent into the underworld, also known as katabasis, and various forms of memory.

Download or read book The Further Adventures of Jimmie Dale written by Frank Lucius Packard and published by . This book was released on 1919 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Packard s Mammoth Jimmie Dale written by Frank Lucius Packard and published by . This book was released on 1922 with total page 648 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Bob Knows written by Marco Zoppas and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2023-11-10 with total page 195 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Beyond revolutionizing rock and roll, Bob Dylan became a preacher on stage in the late 1970s, won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016, opened a series of exhibits of his paintings, wrote three books, worked as a film director, and performed as an actor. Despite his decades in the public eye and vast range of artistic achievements, he remains an enigmatic figure. This book contains original interviews with 13 leading Dylanologists about why Dylan has remained such a compelling and important artist to the present day. Topics discussed are diverse, including his music, his time in cinema and his comparisons to Stanley Kubrick, his spiritual wisdom, and his award-winning poetry.

Download or read book The Bonds written by I. A. Noah and published by . This book was released on 2017-01-01 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Irene had lost her grandmother just a couple of days after she got married to the man she loved. Being the woman who had raised Irene, Jessica, Irene's grandmother couldn't easily let go of her granddaughter. Then, her ghost started to haunt her granddaughter, Irene, all in the name of love. For love sake, Pete had to save his wife from the visiting spirit of Jessica at all costs. To do so, he had to undergo through an unprepared journey. "Will Pete ever return back to me?" That was the echoing voice she heard in her head days and nights...

Download or read book Emmaus Road written by Rev. Gary M. Schimmer and published by WestBow Press. This book was released on 2017-07-24 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How do we cultivate a deeper faith as we walk our Christian paths? And as we walk, where can we turn to look for hope within hopelessness, or joy within despair? Just as Jesus revealed himself to the disciples on the road to Emmaus, he continues to reveal himself today to modern-day believersoffering us guidance and nourishment, and patiently and compassionately walking with us in faith. In Emmaus Road: Stories, Scripture, Hymns, and Art for the Christian Journey, author and Reverend Gary M. Schimmer shares stories of humor, surprise, justice, sorrow, and hope from his congregational ministrystories that will stir your emotions and deepen your knowledge of the churchs faith and practice. Each story has a corresponding Bible verse, theological reflection, hymn, and art suggestion, and Rev. Schimmer invites believers to dwell on their spiritual growth in all of these ways and begin a journey to a deeper faith. These moments of faith are offered as a gift for your reflections on the theology and practice of the Christian faith. Believers can use them to grow spiritually and to improve their preaching and teaching. More than anything, dwelling on the presence of Gods hand in the everyday lives of his children will help you deepen your faith and draw closer to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.