Central Skagit Library District

"In this unique biography, Fred Kaplan emphasizes Thomas Jefferson's genius with language and his ability to use the power of words to inspire and shape a nation. A man renowned for many talents, writing was one of the major activities of the stateman's life, though much of his best, most influential writing--with the exception of the letters he wrote up to his death, numbering approximately 100,000--was done by 1789, when Jefferson was just forty-six....

"Ever since this nation's founding, the idea of an open and ever-expanding frontier has been central to American identity. Symbolizing a future of endless promise, the frontier made possible the United States' belief in itself as an exceptional nation -- democratic, individualistic, forward-looking. Today, though, the country has a new symbol: the border wall. In The End of the Myth, acclaimed historian Greg Grandin explores the effect that constant,...

"DOYLE'S WORLD is no ordinary biography about one of the world's most influential writers. It is instead a work that deciphers in particular the cryptic origins and actual scientific methods used by fiction's most famous consulting detective Sherlock Holmes-and a work that provides a detailed look into the psyche and working life of Holmes' creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The book follows Doyle's entire illustrious literary career, with emphasis...

A compelling dive into the life and times of Willa Cather, a fascinating woman who lived during the great migration across western America and whose works influenced a region.

"Dante brings the legendary author--and the medieval Italy of his era-- to vivid life, describing the political intrigue, battles, culture, and society that shaped his writing. Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy has defined how people imagine and depict heaven and hell for over seven centuries. However, outside of Italy, his other works are not well known, and less still is generally known about the context he wrote them in. In Dante, Barbero brings...

"Alfred Hitchcock was fixated--not just on the dark, twisty stories that became his hallmark, but also by the blond actresses who starred in many of his iconic movies. ... The lengths he went to in order to showcase (and often manipulate) these women would become the stuff of movie legend. But the women themselves have rarely been at the center of the story--until now. In [this book], bestselling biographer Laurence Leamer offers an intimate journey...

En el contexto de la celebración del VII Congreso Internacional de la Lengua Española en la ciudad argentina de Córdoba en marzo de 2019, esta edición rinde homenaje a uno de los autores en español más importantes de todos los tiempos y a su obra más emblemática, que conmocionó el panorama cultural de su tiempo y que no deja de encontrar lectores hasta nuestros días. La publicación de Rayuela en 1963 supuso una verdadera revolución en...

"In the early 1980s, art and writing labeled as graffiti transitioned from New York City walls and subway trains onto canvas and into art galleries. Young artists who freely sampled from their urban experiences and their largely black, Latino and immigrant histories infused the downtown art scene with expressionist, pop and graffiti-inspired compositions. Jean-Michel Basquiat was among the best known of these emerging artists. He and his fellow creators...