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< Times Square Red, Times Square Blue > < Zami: A New Spelling of My Name (Crossing Press Feminist Series) > < Stone Butch Blues: A Novel > < The History of Sexuality: An Introduction > < Creating a Place For Ourselves: Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Community Histories > < Interzones: Black/White Sex Districts in Chicago and New York in the Early Twentieth Century > Samuel Delany,Samuel R. Delany

price： 190
NYU Press(2001-11-12)
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customer 's review
(hey, reader! stop giving no-star ratings to this book!)

(Prelude and fugue)

(An intelligent, touching book)

(Sex and the City)

(Not worth it)

A confused"Amazon Customer"is repeatedly inserting blurbs from other periodicals into the"customer review"section of this page, AND failing to give"star"ratings to these inserts -- thus steadily dragging down the star-rating of this book. Since the blurbs are positive and have been repeatedly entered, I assume this"Amazon Customer"wants people to be interested in the book. Well, by failing to give a star rating, you're doing exactly the opposite! So either stop inserting blurbs altogether, or start giving them star ratings. This book is too cool to be muddied up by your confusion.
Samuel Delaney has done the near imposible - he has written a book that is both titillating and informing. Dividing his cogent 21st Century social philosophy into two parts is at first disconcerting: Why are we reading (buying) a book that lets us in on the gossip of firsthand observation of Times Square New York, then in a page turn becomes a sophisticated academic treatise on our current social problems, in the City, and in a Country? Once past this mirage of a hurdle Delaney makes it patently clear why he chose this format. If we are introduced to a problem in a seductive manner, we pay closer attention to the bigger issues. This superb little book is illuminating in its exploration of where we are in our interpersonal relationships, our interplay with those around us (street, neighborhood, city, country), and our current drive to homogenize our world. Beautifully written, immensely readable, and a very important contribution to our social perceptions!
I always thought of Samuel Delaney as a writer of science fiction, my least favorite genre, so this is my first book by him. I was impressed and delighted. The worst thing I can say about it is that Mr. Delaney has a love of dependent clauses strung along inside comma-copious sentences that were sometimes hard to read. But he has awesome insights too, and compassion and wisdom lace every page. Makes me wish I was old enough to partake of that culture.
A remarkable book, with both the frankest discussion of people's sexual desires and needs of any book I've read in years, and a compelling argument about the crucial role places like the old Times Square play in the life of a city. A paeon to America's cities and an intimate history of a culture being destroyed. Delany's masterful prose makes this brief book a treat to read. A great stocking stuffer for the intellectually and sexually adventurous.
This book promises to be a history and social commentary on Times Square's sleazy recent past. But in reality the book is told from a very narrow and restrictive point-of-view (. . . )There's nothing wrong with that except he practically ignores the fact that the West 42nd Street sex shops, peep shows, and massage parlors were also an attraction for heterosexual men. The reader will get painfully tired of reading endless descriptions of Delaney's sexual exploits among the XXX theater crowd. Additionally, the handfull of black and white photos of the empty storefronts of the "Forty Deuce" were taken after most of the shops had been driven out of business. Without good photos of the way 42nd Street used to be, the vibrant nature of the area is greatly diminished and Delaney's text doesn't make up for it. If you are looking for a social history of the old Times Square, something balanced and better illustrated, try Josh Alan Friedman's "Tales of Times Square" instead.
An award-winning science fiction writer, esteemed professor of comparative literature at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and celebrated essayist and memoirist, Samuel Delany is one of America's keenest observers. He was also a longtime habitué of many of the sex theaters in New York City's Times Square, spending, by his own estimate, "thousands and thousands of hours" at the Capri, Variety Photoplays, the Eros, and the Venus. In the 1990s all of these theaters were shut down through new restrictive zoning laws, part of a combined effort by the Walt Disney Corporation and the administration of Mayor Rudy Giuliani to gentrify the area, replacing these seedily memorable institutions with antiseptic, innocuous architectural and cultural creations in the name of health safety. But as Delany reveals in his new book,Times Square Red, Times Square Blue, the decision to clean up Times Square had little to do with public health, and everything to do with corporate greed.

In the two essays that comprise this eloquent, provocative book, Delany grieves for the loss of this strip of sexual release. Though he is careful not to romanticize or sentimentalize the peep shows and porn theaters, he does illuminate the way in which these venues crossed class, racial, and sexual orientation lines, providing a delightfully subversive utopia--and a microcosm of New York life. In the first essay, "Times Square Blue," Delany details his shared erotic and conversational encounters with working-class and homeless men in the theaters (which primarily showed straight porn films) and the genuine friendships that resulted; these immensely personal reminiscences also provide a social history of late-20th-century Times Square. Drawing on historical and theoretical resources in the second essay, "Three, Two, One, Contact: Times Square Red," Delany next builds a thoughtful and passionate argument against the gentrification of the area and the classist, characterless direction in which he sees New York heading. Read together, the essays ofTimes Square Red, Times Square Blueare both heartfelt homage to a beloved city and lament for a quirky vitality increasingly phased out by encroaching capitalism.--Kera Bolonik

"Measured but emotional, illuminating but challenging."
—The San Francisco Chronicle

"A profoundly humane and intelligent book."
— Thom Bunn inThe Los Angeles Times

"In a provocative and persuasively arguedcri de coeuragainst New York City's gentrification and the redevelopment of Times Square in the name of 'family values and safety,' acclaimed science fiction writer Delany proves himself a dazzlingly eloquent and original social commentator. . . . This bracing and well-calibrated blend of journalism, personal history and cultural criticism will challenge readers of every persuasion."
—Publishers Weekly[starred review]

"Both a celebration of the kaleidoscopic possibilities inherent in urban diversity and a eulogy for the plurality of human contact and stimulation squelched by the Times Square makeover."
—Village Voice

"The book presents an interesting assessment of the reality behind the Disney takeover of Times Square."
—Philadelphia Gay News

"[An] incredible polemic in defense of queer public sex...well worth our time"
—el boletin

If one street in America can claim to be the most infamous, it is surely 42nd Street. Between Seventh and Eighth Avenues, 42nd Street was once known for its peep shows, street corner hustlers and movie houses. Over the last two decades the notion of safety-from safe sex and safe neighborhoods, to safe cities and safe relationships-has overcome 42nd Street, giving rise to a Disney store, a children's theater, and large, neon-lit cafes. 42nd Street has, in effect, become a family tourist attraction for visitors from Berlin, Tokyo, Westchester, and New Jersey's suburbs.

Samuel R. Delany sees a disappearance not only of the old Times Square, but of the complex social relationships that developed there: the points of contact between people of different classes and races in a public space. InTimes Square Red, Times Square Blue, Delany tackles the question of why public restrooms, peepshows, and tree-filled parks are necessary to a city's physical and psychological landscape. He argues that starting in 1985, New York City criminalized peep shows and sex movie houses to clear the way for the rebuilding of Times Square. Delany's critique reveals how Times Square is being "renovated" behind the scrim of public safety while the stage is occupied by gentrification.

Times Square Red, Times Square Bluepaints a portrait of a society dismantling the institutions that promote communication between classes, and disguising its fears of cross-class contact as "family values." Unless we overcome our fears and claim our "community of contact," it is a picture that will be replayed in cities across America.

Rerations
< Times Square Red, Times Square Blue > < Zami: A New Spelling of My Name (Crossing Press Feminist Series) > < Stone Butch Blues: A Novel > < The History of Sexuality: An Introduction > < Creating a Place For Ourselves: Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Community Histories > freaks

< Ai No Kusabi The Space Between Volume 3: Nightmare (Yaoi Novel) (AI No Kusabi: The Space Between) > < Ai No Kusabi The Space Between Volume 2: Destiny (Yaoi Novel) > < Ai No Kusabi The Space Between Volume 1: Stranger (Yaoi Novel) > < Ai no Kusabi The Space Between Volume 4: Suggestion (Yaoi Novel) > < Caged Slave (Yaoi Novel) > < A Foreign Love Affair (Yaoi) > Reiko Yoshihara

price： 895
Digital Manga Publishing
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customer 's review
(Good middle of story volume)

(Loved the 2nd book in the series)

Of the subtitles for each of the volumes of Ai no Kusabi so far released in English, "Nightmare" seems to have been chosen most appropriately. This book is one long bad dream of the suffering and near insanity of the characters forced to be involved.

This volume chronicles the specific events of the three years that Riki spent as Iason Mink's "pet" that were previously unknown to readers of the original release of the novel or viewers of the anime OVA. Rieko Yoshihara added most of the contents of this particular volume for the five volume re-release of the story in 2004, which is probably why a number of reports about the book claim it has been "altered" from the original manuscript. This is perfectly all right with me, as I think this particular part of the story is not only very engaging, but also reveals details about societal secrets and character depth that might have otherwise been left unknown.

And if anyone is unhappy with there being "differences" between this release and the original one-volume printing of the novel in Japan so many years ago, I would offer up the fanservice to be found in this book as compensation. Indeed, if Yoshihara-sensei did not add this piece of the story we would never have been able to experience the graphic details of Iason and Riki's early physical encounters. The scenes are grotesque, graphic to the point of almost being psychologically damaging to the reader who is forced to bear witness to the abuse Riki suffers at the hands of his new "owner." Disturbing, yes, but in the same way that one can't help but look on at the carnage of a car accident as they pass by the scene.

Not only that, but we get a much better glimpse into the mind of Iason Mink than has been shown previously. At one point in the book he even bitterly admits the insanity of his uncontrollable obsession with Riki and laments to his Blondy friend, Raoul, that if he admitted his feelings for the slum mongel he would be laughed at.

Additionally, we get another piece of the puzzle of Riki's time at Guardian, particularly some more details about his relationship with the information peddler Robbie, "God's Grim Reaper," and what happened between them back then. Not the whole story yet, but essentially a "promise" for even more reveals in future volumes.

We also learn some startling facts about Katze and the origins of the "furniture" of Eos. As we are treated to the intricate details of the lives and fates of the "pets" of the Tanagura elite, we are also exposed to their marginalization of human beings, something that leaves more than just a bad taste in one's mouth. The terms "furniture" and "pets" to describe human beings, genetically engineered or not, can lead one to question the ways in which our own society uses and understands the same words, or at least it did for me. The "furniture" is an appliance that serves its master without question, and a "pet" is nothing more than an aesthetic status symbol, neither one having any value outside of those functions or freedom to choose its own path in life. Being presented with the real personality and feelings of the "furniture" tasked with Riki's care, Daryl, and his generally resigned "happiness in slavery" attitude, the horror of the Tanagura system becomes all the more apparent.

Kelly Quine again does a superb job with the translation. There were even fewer typographical errors in this volume than in previous ones. Still a few mistakes, but I'm very glad to see this kind of improvement in DMP's novel localizations and hope for more consistently high quality endeavors in the future. Katsumi Michihara's illustrations seemed to hit at their appropriate points in the story all the way through this time as well. I also noticed that DMP did away with the unnecessary extra two maps of Tanagura that were presented in the previous two volumes.

The book jumps back and forth along the timeline of the last four years of the story, so at times it is hard to follow. It is usually clear when the timeline shifts (and generally they are physically separated by an extra line spacing between paragraphs), but as each skip becomes incredibly engrossing in its own right, it is sometimes forgotten that what is being read is actually an "aside" to the events that are supposed to be taking place in the "active" scene of a particular chapter until it jumps back in and you are left a bit disoriented.

As a result, I would definitely not recommend starting this book series with this volume. I highly recommend reading the story as a whole, but starting with the first book and working your way through it to here. I would like to reiterate, however, to anyone looking for the light at the end of the tunnel, or the rainbow at the end of the storm, that this book is a true "tragedy," and if you are looking for a happy ending you are going to be seriously disappointed. However, if you are looking for an incredible story, within a rich universe that pulls you in and keeps you hanging to the very last page, I can't recommend Ai no Kusabi enough.
This is a very well written Science Fiction story and I highly recommend it. I loved the story line about the future world and the division between the classes. The Rikki is a wonderful character and is beautifully written. This is a yaoi story from Japen which means M/M but when you read that they live in an artificial world run by a computer, Venus and that only 10% of the population are female it makes sense.

This story is about people who hope for more and the elite who think nothing of them except what use they have for their amusement.

I can't wait for the next book in the series and if you are hesitant because the first book was hard to read then rest assured this book was much easier.

A Blondie takes a street mongrel as a pet?! The entire city buzzes with the scandal! However, Riki, ever the defiant pet, appears to be losing his master's interest. Is he on the verge of being abandoned? And will his pride survive?
Rerations
< Ai No Kusabi The Space Between Volume 3: Nightmare (Yaoi Novel) (AI No Kusabi: The Space Between) > < Ai No Kusabi The Space Between Volume 2: Destiny (Yaoi Novel) > < Ai No Kusabi The Space Between Volume 1: Stranger (Yaoi Novel) > < Ai no Kusabi The Space Between Volume 4: Suggestion (Yaoi Novel) > < Caged Slave (Yaoi Novel) > freaks

< Sleeping With the Past > < Condor One > < When Adam Met Jack > < The Good Thief > < No Going Home > < Murder Most Gay > Cassidy Ryan

price： 266
Torquere Press(2008-08-06)
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customer 's review
(Sleeping with the Past)

(Sleeping with the Past by Cassidy Ryan)

Professor Asher Munro has been getting threatening letters but he's ignoring them. Asher's teaching assistant, Ellie Holden, is concerned so she takes the latest one to her dad, Detective Nathaniel Holden, who in turn pays a visit to Asher. Every time Nathaniel sees Asher his desire for him grows. He's way in the closet and he plans to stay there. Then Asher is attacked and Nathaniel becomes Asher's bodyguard. While Nathaniel is trying to keep his hands off of Asher, Asher is letting Nathaniel know that the feeling is mutual. However, Asher is still in danger. If Nathaniel can't stop the threat, he'll never know what might have been.

Sleeping with the Past is a great story with a suspenseful plot. Asher and Nathaniel are very compatible. They are passionate and fun. They're great guys. Nathaniel's hesitation creates just enough angst to keep things intense but not overwhelming. Sleeping with the Past has a good ending too, but I want more! Asher and Nathaniel have so much more to tell!

Nannette
reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed
Sleeping with the Past can only be defined as a sweet romance with a tinge of suspence.

Asher is a literature professor in a smalltown University with a brilliant parallel career as mystery writer. He is also openly gay and an activist. So when he starts to receive threatening missives, he assumes to have treaded on one more toe, and ignores the matter. But Ellis, his assistant, is not of the same idea and asks help to her father, the handsome detective Nathaniel.

Nat is a single father and a gay in the closet. He has always avoided to be alone with Asher to deny the attraction between them, but when someone nearly kills the professor, he is assigned as his personal bodyguard, and they have to share a lot more time together that he would have wanted.

The mystery is pretty good, Cassidy Ryan gives us three or more possible suspects, and all of them could be the culprit. Maybe from only a clue you can undestand the real villain and I have no intention to say you that.

But as I said I think this one is also a sweet romance: sex is almost nonexistent, but instead there is a lot of sexual tension. I like very much as Cassidy Ryan as chosen to deal with the matter: Nathaniel is a more than 20 years gay in the closet and it would have been quite unbelievable that, all of sudden, he had chosen to coming out, not matter how strong is the attraction he feels for Asher.

Asher instead is very nice, a man really at comfort with his sexuality but who is in love like a teenager with his first crush. But he isn't oppressive and he can wait the right moment to laid his claim on the man he loves.

The book has an open ending, some things are still hanging (not so heavy to not give a close point to the story) and probably they could be a good start for another novel: Asher's family, Nathaniel's family (his daughter and his brother), their lifes after all is happen between them... if so, I would be glad to read it.

Nathaniel is a cop, assigned to protect professor and well-known writer Asher Munro. Asher has been receiving threats, and as the situation gets worse and worse, Nathaniel and Asher have to spend a lot of time together, for Asher's protection. Their attraction goes far beyond what a policeman should feel for someone under his care, so Nathaniel denies what he feels, even when Asher confronts him with his own needs. Someone wants Asher dead, though, and Nathaniel wants the man very much alive. Can they keep Asher safe and deal with what they feel for each other?
Rerations
< Sleeping With the Past > < Condor One > < When Adam Met Jack > < The Good Thief > < No Going Home > freaks

< Taking Woodstock > < Woodstock - 3 Days of Peace&Music (The Director's Cut) > < Woodstock '69 Festival - 3 Days of Peace and Music > < Woodstock: The Oral History > < Woodstock: An Encyclopedia of the Music and Art Fair (American History Through Music) > < The Complete Monterey Pop Festival - Criterion Collection > Elliot Tiber,Tom Monte

price： 848
Square One Publishers
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customer 's review
(halarious!)

("It takes a village" ... and half a million people)

(Totally awesome and even far out and groovy!)

(WOW)

(An Interesting Read)

This book just takes me back to the Woodstock Days....I was 19 and never went as I had a 3 month old baby at the time..lived in Brooklyn..reading Elliot Tibbers book about the White Lake area brings back such funny memories as my parents used to take my brother and I to the bungalow colonies in Monicello NY and Woodridge area each summer.
I was just cracking up at his accurate discriptions of the area and reading this book reminded me so much of my own Jewish parents and paternal grandmother from Minsk, Russia.
Wonderful book!
The above would be an appropriate subtitle for this heartfelt but energetic and witty coming-of-age autobiography/memoir by Elliot Tiber, whose main claim to fame is that he fought the petty politics and narrow-mindedness of his small town of Bethel, NY, in order to make possible the Woodstock Festival in 1969.

The author (born Eliyahu Teichberg) grew up in the richly ethnic neighborhood of Bensonhurst, Brooklyn in an emotionally-starved but hardworking family with his Russian-Jewish immigrant parents. His father worked as a roofer, while his mother ran a housewares store in which they all helped out. Elliot finished college and began a moderately successful career in art design, primarily starting out dressing store windows and painting murals for rich Manhattanites. A trip to the Catskills resulted in the family buying a run-down motel right off Highway 17B at White Lake, in the town of Bethel NY, and Elliot found himself splitting his time, working weekdays in NYC and spending weekends doing whatever had to be done to keep the motel operational and barely financially afloat.

At the same time, Elliot came to the realization that he was gay, and - for whatever reason - favored the underground S&M flavored scene that existed in NYC in the mid 1960's. He met and partied with Robert Mapplethorpe, Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, and even encountered Rock Hudson at one point. Of course, coming out to his conservative parents wasn't an option for him at the time, but his "secret life" during the week somewhat served to make bearable the weekends at the motel, scrubbing toilets and dealing with customer complaints (The Teichbergs cut a few corners in customer service. For example, they had phones in each room, but they weren't connected to anything. The TV was an empty box, as was the air conditioner sleeve below the window. Need soap and a towel? It'll cost ya extra, but you're lucky you made it in today, since Dad has hosed off your sheets - the only cleaning they ever got - just yesterday.)

In early 1969, Elliot read with interest the news accounts that the promoters of the planned Woodstock Music and Art Festival had been denied a permit by the town of Walkill, their planned location. As president (nobody else wanted the job) of Bethel's Chamber of Commerce, he had the authority to issue festival permits, and contacted the promoters about the possibility of moving the festival to Bethel, and offered the meadow of a friend, dairy farmer Max Yasgur, as the perfect venue. Much of the book details the whirlwind events that followed, as the festival took on a life of its own, eventually attracting around 500,000 people to the small town, resulting in threats by locals, payoffs to those who opposed it, nudity, drugs, gangsters, people bathing in the lake, shortages of food and water, but - despite it all - the most historic event in music and counterculture history, after which nothing would ever be the same again for Elliot and his family.

The author has a gift in telling a story, even one as obviously self-centered as this one is, for the most part. Witty and engaging, sure to bring back memories of that era. Loved the reversible (regular/psychodelic) dust jacket! 5 stars out of 5.
Born Eliyahu Teichberg, poor Elli struggles to break what he calls the "Teichberg Curse" and changes his name to Elliot Tiber--hoping that would break the curse. Always on the brink of financial ruin and trying to hide his deepest secret, he dreams of the miracle that would change his life.

In 1969, he got that miracle. Manager of his Jewish parents' failing resort hotel El Monaco in White Lake, New York on the weekends, Elliot runs during the week to Greenwich Village where he can live the life he chooses as an interior designer and meeting the likes of Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams and Robert Mapplethorpe--all the while keeping his gay life a secret from his family. That is, until June 28, 1969, when he finds himself at the Stonewall Inn and the famous "Stonewall Riot" that would revolutionize the gay culture breaks out. With a newfound boldness, he finds out in July that the town of Wallkill has revoked the permit for the Woodstock festival. So he contacts Mike Lang, the concert's promoter, to offer his 15 acres for the concert. While Elliot hopes this is the miracle he has been waiting for, Mike Lang and his entourage arrive by helicopter but they end up feeling that the swampland of his resort hotel won't work for the concert. Tiber assures Lang and company that, since he has been the president of the Bethel Chamber of Commerce and has held a concert and art show for the past few years, he can get the necessary concert permit. Quickly, he calls his good friend Max Yasgur--who supports everything Elli does and only lives four miles up the road--and asks him to hold the concert. Elli explains to Mike that Max has a dairy farm on a hundred acres--more than enough to hold a concert. Arrangements are made and, before he knows it, Elli is caught up in the magic that will change his life forever. He is introduced to the hippie scene where everyone is accepted no matter who or what you are and learns he can love himself.

Whoa! Totally awesome and even far out and groovy! This book is absolutely amazing! This reviewer couldn't put it down--in fact, read it twice before writing this review. If you've ever dreamed of being at Woodstock or even if you were there, the author Elliot Tiber will take you back. The Sixties will come alive and you won't want the trip to end! But that is only part of the story, as Elliot takes you through the time of his troubled past and describes in perfect word pictures the struggles of his secret life, his childhood, the insanity of running the hotel resort, and dealing with bigoted locals who persecute him because of his Jewish heritage. In the end, you'll feel you know everyone and that you were there, too.

See Woodstock through the eyes of someone who lived it, who helped bring it to life - you'll never look at this period of history the same again. Don't pass this one by, as this autobiography guarantees to be one of the best reads of 2007 and is to be released just in time for the media's annual August remembrance of that great music festival. Also an awesome unique feature that this reviewer really likes is the reversible dust jacket--one side conservative, the other psychedelic. This feature, according to Square One's publisher Rudy Shur in Publishers Weekly, represents "The notion of duality [that] has been a central theme throughout Elliot's life, and we wanted the book to represent that notion of difference in a very direct and colorful way." So whichever trip you decide to take, this is one you'll never forget.

Cheri Clay
Reviewer's Bookwatch

wow. a great book to collectors of woodstock trivia and the awful
stuff during that time of vietnam to one of peace and music! the
author shows a great ability to tell a story that kept me glued to the
pages. read it overnight!!! someone ought to make a movie of this
unusual tale.

Being just a bit too young to have lived the Woodstock experience, I have been left to rely on the tales of others, mainly from an audience point of view. Having read Tiber's accounts of the experience from conception to fruition, brings a new appreciation for the era, the event and the effect on those who were a part of it.
Rerations
< Taking Woodstock > < Woodstock - 3 Days of Peace&Music (The Director's Cut) > < Woodstock '69 Festival - 3 Days of Peace and Music > < Woodstock: The Oral History > < Woodstock: An Encyclopedia of the Music and Art Fair (American History Through Music) > freaks

< The Phoenix Affirmations: A New Vision for the Future of Christianity > < Asphalt Jesus: Finding a New Christian Faith Along the Highways of America > < Christianity for the Rest of Us: How the Neighborhood Church Is Transforming the Faith > < The Spirituality of Imperfection: Storytelling and the Search for Meaning > < Jesus: Uncovering the Life, Teachings, and Relevance of a Religious Revolutionary > < Everything Must Change: Jesus, Global Crises, and a Revolution of Hope > Eric Elnes

price： 194
Jossey-Bass
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customer 's review
(Fantastic Small Group/Adult/Young Adult Class Text)

(A Kinder, Gentler Christian Vision)

(Treastise on Progressive Christianity)

(Progressive Christianity)

(Thoughtful&Thought-provoking)

I just came from a workshop. This book was a reference for one of our discussion groups. The author helped our diverse groups navigate through some dicey territory as we learned to accept each other as the beautiful creations God made us to be. I realize some think this book did not stand up to critical scriptural analysis and it may not have supported some more conservative or historical theologies. The underlying theme was modeled on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ in very current examples that are effective in opening doors to those who would not feel welcome in the fancy traditional churches. The author's views do support the growing trend of "invitiational ministry" modeled on Christ's demonstration of love and grace for all who will listen and choose to follow. This book is worth an objective read and definitely a good starting point for lively discussions in a small group setting. Highly recommended for Adult/Young Adult groups. Enjoy.
Thirty years of Christian fundamentalism as a dominant political and spiritual force in the United States has meant that the words "judgmental," "militaristic" and "self-righteous" are now the first words that come to mind when one hears the word "Christian" in an American context. Fortunately, progressive Christianity--hopeful, tolerant, joyful, compassionate--is coming to the fore, and The Phoenix Affirmations is one of the clearest articulations of this movement. Without denying the necessity of such basics of Christian living as prayer, Bible study, worship and service to others, these affirmations encourage Christians to treat other faiths with respect; to celebrate God's Spirit in nature and one's fellow human beings; to see beyond the boundaries of gender, class, race and sexual orientation; to walk humbly in the presence of a loving Lord; and to stand always with the poor and disenfranchised. For anyone who would follow Jesus but is put off by fundamentalism's "my way or the highway" approach, The Phoenix Affirmations provides a roadmap for a different way to follow the Jesus path.
Rev. Elnes book is a wonderful, concise explanation of core principles of progressive christianity. The book clearly lays out the foundation for individuals and churches to begin moving towards a compassionate faith. This book show that their is a "Religious Left" and that the "Religious Right" isn't the only Christian viewpoint. I highly recommend this book for any thinking chrisitian who is tired of "parking their brain" in the church parking lot before entering church.
The core values of Christianity are challenged in this summary of what many of today's Christians think and believe today.

I won't go into much detail on the theology of this little book -- suffice it to say that the size of the book has nothing to do with the HUGE impact these affirmations will have on fundamental/conservative/evangelical/liberal Christianity. The thoughts expressed here are those of a "new" look -- progressive Christianity and so challenge the core beliefs of Christianity that the thoughts expressed here would be difficult to accept for any of the "normal" theological liones of thought.

Having said that, however, these affirmations are, as the authors clearly state, only a beginning in the process of discovering what Christianity will have to be about if it is to survive into the 21st century. Read this book with an open mind and heart and it will affirm and challenge you. Coming from an evangelical background, it was both challenging and frightening -- but not in a way that was altogether negative. Judging from the thought that went into these concepts, and the wave of interest they are generating around the USA (the world?), the church is alive ... and growing. It will truly be exciting to see what Christianity wil be like in the 21st century!
The Phoenix Affirmations,named for the town in which the principles were created and the mythological bird adopted by ancient Christians as a symbol of resurrection, offers disillusioned and spiritually homeless Christians and others a sense of hope and a more tolerant, joyful, and compassionate message than those we often hear from the media and some Christian leaders. These twelve central affirmative principles of Christian faith are built on the three great loves that the Bible reveals: love of God, love of neighbor, and love of self. They reflect commitments to environmental stewardship, social justice, and artistic expression as well as openness to other faiths. Transcending theological and culture wars, inclusive and generous in spirit and practice, these principles ask believers and seekers alike to affirm their Christian faith in a fresh way.
Rerations
< The Phoenix Affirmations: A New Vision for the Future of Christianity > < Asphalt Jesus: Finding a New Christian Faith Along the Highways of America > < Christianity for the Rest of Us: How the Neighborhood Church Is Transforming the Faith > < The Spirituality of Imperfection: Storytelling and the Search for Meaning > < Jesus: Uncovering the Life, Teachings, and Relevance of a Religious Revolutionary > freaks

< Confessions of the Other Mother: Non-Biological Lesbian Moms Tell All > < The Ultimate Guide to Pregnancy for Lesbians: How to Stay Sane and Care for Yourself from Pre-conception through Birth, 2nd Edition > < The New Essential Guide to Lesbian Conception, Pregnancy, and Birth > < The Lesbian Parenting Book: A Guide to Creating Families and Raising Children > < Emma and Meesha My Boy: A Two Mom Story > < For Lesbian Parents: Your Guide to Helping Your Family Grow Up Happy, Healthy, and Proud >

price： 512
Beacon Press
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customer 's review
(Great for "other mothers" out there...)

(The other mother needs to read these!)

(Not Just For The Other Mother!)

(All is told... and it makes the world a better place!)

(Much Need Voice)

Very easy to read. Nice glimpses of a variety of moms (and babas) and how they fit in their roles and how families come together to make it work. As a future "other mom," I found this really helpful and validating.
We have read them together and it was helpful to start discussions about some of our fears for our family!
As the biological lesbian mom, reading this book; as our little boy still squirms around in my belly, has helped prepare me/us for some of the other issues or concerns we may face as a lesbian couple preparing to raise a child. It has been a wonderful tool for my partner and me to discuss topics and concerns that we hadn't yet thought of. It has also given me a new perspective and sensitivity to the issues she may be faced with as the other mother.

I especially enjoyed the variety in authors. Each chapter takes on a whole new personality, making it very diverse and quite entertaining. Each story is so well written and articulate, not to mention funny, heartbreaking, and touching.

A great read for anyone who is looking to be entertained and enlightened.
The book is funny and touching, honest and real. It is a reflection of a part of our society, that is often ignored from within.

This is not just a "lesbian mom" book. It is a "everyone" book. There is something for everyone and will touch you at some point in the book on many levels.

I could not put it down!

This book provides a much needed voice to the world of parenting essays and writing. The essays range from serious to hysterical, covering a wide range of experiences. I highly recommend the book for all parents, gay, straight, biological or non-biological. It's about being parents.
After author Harlyn Aizley gave birth to her daughter, she watched in unanticipated horror as her partner scooped up the baby and said, "I'm your new mommy!" While they both had worked to find the perfect sperm donor, Aizley had spent nine months carrying the baby and hours in labor, so how could her partner claim to be their child's mommy?

Many diapers later, Aizley began to appreciate the complexity of her partner's new role as the other mother. Together, they searched for stories about families like their own, in which a woman has chosen to forgo her own birth experience so that she might support her partner in hers. They found very few. Now, in Confessions of the Other Mother, Aizley has put together an exciting collection of personal stories by women like her partner who are creating new parenting roles, redefining motherhood, and reshaping our view of two-parent families. Contributors include Hillary Goodridge, who was one of the lead plaintiffs in the case for same-sex marriage in Massachusetts, stand-up comedian Judy Gold, and psychologist and author Suzanne M. Johnson

This candid peek into a previously unexamined side of lesbian parenting is full of stories that are sometimes humorous, sometimes moving, but at all times celebratory. Each parenting tale sheds light on the many facets of motherhood, offering gay and straight readers alike a deeper understanding of what it means to love and parent in the twenty-first century.

Harlyn Aizley is the author of Buying Dad: One Woman's Search for the Perfect Sperm Donor. Her work has appeared in national journals, magazines, and anthologies and has aired on public radio stations nationwide. Aizley resides in the Boston area with her family, where she works as a writer and teacher.
Rerations
< Confessions of the Other Mother: Non-Biological Lesbian Moms Tell All > < The Ultimate Guide to Pregnancy for Lesbians: How to Stay Sane and Care for Yourself from Pre-conception through Birth, 2nd Edition > < The New