...Teaching Guide The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin The Novel at a Glance SUMMARY The book opens with the essay “My Dungeon Shook,” written as a letter to Baldwin’s nephew on the one hundredth anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. Baldwin says that the celebration is a hundred years too early, because black people in America are still not free. He exhorts his nephew to approach life with love, even though he lives in a racist world. In the second essay, “Down at the Cross: Letter from a Region in My Mind,” Baldwin describes his visit to the leader of the Nation of Islam, Elijah Muhammad. Baldwin concludes that he does not agree with the Nation of Islam’s bitter beliefs about white people. In closing, Baldwin says that if Americans stop thinking of the United States as a white nation, it can transform the world. MORE ABOUT THE WRITER When James Baldwin was sixteen, he began one of the most important friendships of his life. As a confused and self-doubting teenager, he needed a mentor, and he found one in Beauford Delaney, a painter who lived in Greenwich Village in New York City. A black man and an artist, Delaney provided Baldwin with a model of how to respond to experience and transform it into works of art. Virtually taking the place of a father, Delaney introduced his young protégé not only to music and art, but also to a wide circle of friends, and Baldwin began to recognize new possibilities for himself. Through Beauford Delaney and his scratchy phonograph...
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...The novel, The Fire Next Time, by James Baldwin, is a narrative composed of two essays, “My Dungeon Shook” and "Down at the Cross”. Both of these essays discuss the problems faced in America in the 1960s, surrounding the time of the Civil Rights Movement. The narrative has quite a few different themes but the themes that stuck out to me from both the reading and the lectures are the ineffectiveness of religion and “the negro problem”. These two themes, as different as they may seem, are both interconnected. “The Negro Problem” refers to the racial tension primarily between black and white Americans during this time and is a very important concept. The ineffectiveness of religion has to do with religion’s inability to deal with “the Negro Problem”....
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...The Rime of the Ancient Mariner BY SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE Argument How a Ship having passed the Line was driven by storms to the cold Country towards the South Pole; and how from thence she made her course to the tropical Latitude of the Great Pacific Ocean; and of the strange things that befell; and in what manner the Ancyent Marinere came back to his own Country. PART I It is an ancient Mariner, And he stoppeth one of three. 'By thy long grey beard and glittering eye, Now wherefore stopp'st thou me? The Bridegroom's doors are opened wide, And I am next of kin; The guests are met, the feast is set: May'st hear the merry din.' He holds him with his skinny hand, 'There was a ship,' quoth he. 'Hold off! unhand me, grey-beard loon!' Eftsoons his hand dropt he. He holds him with his glittering eye— The Wedding-Guest stood still, And listens like a three years' child: The Mariner hath his will. The Wedding-Guest sat on a stone: He cannot choose but hear; And thus spake on that ancient man, The bright-eyed Mariner. 'The ship was cheered, the harbour cleared, Merrily did we drop Below the kirk, below the hill, Below the lighthouse top. The Sun came up upon the left, Out of the sea came he! And he shone bright, and on the right Went down into the sea. Higher and higher every day, Till over the mast at noon—' The Wedding-Guest here beat his breast, For he heard the loud bassoon. The bride hath paced into the hall, Red as a rose...
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...The Wedding-Guest's reaction turns from bemusement to impatience and fear to fascination as the Mariner's story progresses, as can be seen in the language style: for example, Coleridge uses narrative techniques such as personification and repetition to create either a sense of danger, of the supernatural or of serenity, depending on the mood of each of the different parts of the poem. The Mariner's tale begins with his ship departing on its journey. Despite initial good fortune, the ship is driven south off course by a storm and eventually reaches Antarctica. An albatross (symbolizing the Christian soul) appears and leads them out of the Antarctic but, even as the albatross is praised by the ship's crew, the Mariner shoots the bird ("with my cross-bow / I shot the albatross"). The crew is angry with the Mariner, believing the albatross brought the south wind that led them out of the Antarctic. However, the sailors change their minds when the weather becomes warmer and the mist disappears ("'Twas right, said they, such birds to slay / that bring the fog and mist"). However, they made a grave mistake in supporting this crime as it arouses the wrath of spirits who then pursue the ship "from the land of mist and snow"; the...
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...Richard Allen was a regular man whose contributions greatly impacted American society. A self educated man, he was not a visionary nor did he enter this world privileged. Rather he was a man who knew what he believed and stood by those beliefs no matter what the consequences. He was an exemplary man by any standard, and influential for both black and white Americans both in his day and for years to come. BIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY Richard Allen was born into slavery on February 14, 1760, in Philadelphia. Not much is known of his childhood, including the names and birthdates of his parents and siblings. However his father is said to have been of pure African descent while his mother was of mixed blood. At the time of Richard’s birth he and his family were owned by prominent local lawyer Benjamin Chew. However, poor economic conditions and increasing competition from younger lawyers brought about a decline in Chew’s law practice by the latter part of the decade. In order to prevent public embarrassment to his family he was forced to sell six members of the Allen family; father, mother, and four children including young Richard. The Allen family was sold as a unit which was untypical in those days, as families were usually broken apart and sold off as individuals. The new owner of the Allen family was a man named Stokeley Sturgis who farmed in Kent County near Dover, Delaware. Eventually Stokeley also ran into economic difficulties and sold Allen's parents and three of his younger siblings...
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...system that incorporates not just the Game Masters; GM’s for short, but also the creation of multiple advanced artificial intelligences that support’s the virtual world and create new events and areas as the game progresses. Besides that another amazing feat is that the NPCs and Mobs of the game cannot be easily told apart from any other players. The Beta testers where surprised and overwhelmed by the games realism and by its gameplay. They played throughout a number of regions on the continent of Tellus starting at one of the four kingdomsRedstone, Thorcyn, Thlyiss, and Andesit. Each kingdom home to the four core races of Humans, Elves, Halflings, and Dwarves. After the six month testing time the programmer of the game accelerated the game’s time over a 1000 years in game time adding more history and lore. With the games production finished and production wrapped up it is the day of the Games Release. It’s finally the Day Alan Duke has been waiting for, the Release of Mythical Legends. Alan had ordered the game months in advance with the money he had been savings but now with impassions he left earlier then he planned and has been waiting in line for over seven hours at his neighborhood gaming store....
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...And The Mountains Echoed -Khaled Hosseini One fall 1952 So, then. You want a story and I will tell you one. But just the one. Don’t either of you ask me for more. It’s late, and we have a long day of travel ahead of us, Pari, you and me. You will need your sleep tonight. And you too, Abdullah. I am counting on you, boy, while your sister and I are away. So is your mother. Now. One story, then. Listen, both of you, listen well. And don’t interrupt. Once upon a time, in the days when divs and jinns and giants roamed the land, there lived a farmer named Baba Ayub. He lived with his family in a little village by the name of Maidan Sabz. Because he had a large family to feed, Baba Ayub saw his days consumed by hard work. Every day, he laboured from dawn to sundown, ploughing his field and turning the soil and tending to his meagre Pistachio trees. At any given moment you could spot him in his field, bent at the waist, back as curved as the scythe he swung all day. His hands were always callused, and they often bled, and every night sleep stole him away no sooner than his cheek met the pillow. I will say that, in this regard, he was hardly alone. Life in Maidan Sabz was hard for all its inhabitants. There were other, more fortunate villages to the north, in the valleys, with fruit trees and flowers and pleasant air, and streams that ran with cold, clear water. But Maidan Sabz was a desolate place, and it didn’t resemble in the slightest the image that its name, Field of...
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...RISE OF THE DRAGONS (KINGS AND SORCERERS—BOOK 1) MORGAN RICE Morgan Rice Morgan Rice is the #1 bestselling and USA Today bestselling author of the epic fantasy series THE SORCERER’S RING, comprising seventeen books; of the #1 bestselling series THE VAMPIRE JOURNALS, comprising eleven books (and counting); of the #1 bestselling series THE SURVIVAL TRILOGY, a postapocalyptic thriller comprising two books (and counting); and of the new epic fantasy series KINGS AND SORCERERS. Morgan’s books are available in audio and print editions, and translations are available in over 25 languages. Morgan loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.morganricebooks.com to join the email list, receive a free book, receive free giveaways, download the free app, get the latest exclusive news, connect on Facebook and Twitter, and stay in touch! Select Acclaim for Morgan Rice “A spirited fantasy that weaves elements of mystery and intrigue into its story line. A Quest of Heroes is all about the making of courage and about realizing a life purpose that leads to growth, maturity, and excellence….For those seeking meaty fantasy adventures, the protagonists, devices, and action provide a vigorous set of encounters that focus well on Thor's evolution from a dreamy child to a young adult facing impossible odds for survival….Only the beginning of what promises to be an epic young adult series.” --Midwest Book Review (D. Donovan, eBook Reviewer) “THE SORCERER’S...
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...book with another person, please contact Karla Akins at Karla.Akins@KarlaAkins.com. Thank you for repsecting the hard work of the author. [Document subtitle] [Document subtitle] DEDICATION For Wissa. You will always be my sweet princess. How very much privileged I am to have you in my life. You are very much loved. England, 1839 Foller the horses, Johnny me laddie, Foller them through me canny lad, oh! Foller the horses, Johnny me laddie, Oh lad lye away me canny lad oh! --Old Collier’s Rant Kate’s Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandparents, James and Jane Harrison “Whoa there, girl, steady as ye go now, Charlotte. This is the last trip o’ the day. That’s a good girl. C’mon now.” James Harrison patted the pony’s thick neck and coughed. He tried to breathe deeply, but instead of filling his lungs with air, he wheezed and coughed some more. He leaned just a little on the tired Welsh pony straining to pull a wagon of heavy coal. She matched the bandy-legged man’s steps as he gently tugged at her harness and spoke to her with kindness in his voice. The copper-toned beast’s coal-smudged withers twitched as she at batted flies with her tail. A pick swung from the extended arm of a small blackened figure next to the narrow tracks on which the wagon rolled. Its tip nearly missed James’ foot. “Hey there now, watch where ye be landin’ that.” John grabbed the grimy youngster by the collar. “How old are ye, lad?” “Old enough.” The boy wiped his runny...
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...soul as well as our collective consciousness.’ – Deepak Chopra, world-renowned spiritual guru and bestselling author ‘Amish is a fresh new voice in Indian writing – steeped in myth and history, with a fine eye for detail and a compelling narrative style.’ – Shashi Tharoor, Minister of State in the Indian government and celebrated author ‘Furious action jumps off every page.’ – Anil Dharker, renowned journalist and author ‘Tripathi’s Shiva Trilogy is already being touted as India’s Lord of the Rings.’ – Hindustan Times ‘…Amish has mastered the art of gathering, interpreting and presenting India’s many myths, folklores and legends, and blending all of that into fast-paced thrillers that change your views about gods, cultures, histories, demons and heroes, forever.’ – Hi Blitz ‘Amish’s Shiva Trilogy has a refreshing storyline… The narration forces you to impatiently turn the page to know what secret is going to be revealed about the “Neelkanth” next.’ – The Telegraph ‘It’s a labour of love... Amish also humanizes his characters, something which most popular Indian writers fail miserably at.’ – Mint ‘Amish’s philosophy of tolerance, his understanding of mythology and his avowed admiration for Shiva are evident in his best-selling works.’ – Verve ‘Tripathi is part of an emerging band of authors who have taken up mythology and history in a big way, translating bare facts into delicious stories.’ – The New Indian Express ‘[Amish] has combined his love for history...
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...Revolutions 159 Revolutions 1688-1815 Chapter 15 W Louis XIV’s bedroom in Versailles. Each day officially began with a ceremony of getting him out of bed, his “rising,” and ended with a similar retiring ceremony at night. The small fence was to keep the onlookers at a safe distance, somewhat like a fence at a zoo. hen William and Mary ascended to the British throne in 1688 it was hailed as “the Glorious Revolution” for no blood had been shed and the British had a nation with greater political freedom than any other in Europe. Their ascent to the throne was quickly followed by a Declaration of Rights which guaranteed things like trial by jury and parliamentary representation to all British citizens. John Locke, the author and philosopher who supplied much of the intellectual foundation of the glorious resolution wrote in his Second Treatise on Government: “Man being born, as has been proved, with a title to perfect freedom, and an uncontrolled enjoyment of all the rights and privileges of the law of nature, equally with any other man, or number of men in the world, hath by nature a power, not only to preserve his property, that is, his life, liberty and estate, against the injuries and attempts of other men…” Locke further contended that the role of government is to preserve these rights and that the power of government is a result of the individual citizens collectively agreeing to be ruled. In July of 1776 Thomas Jefferson would modify Locke’s treatment of natural...
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...Christopher Paolini. KNOPF, BORZOI BOOKS, and the colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc. www.randomhouse.com/teens LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA Paolini, Christopher. Eragon / Christopher Paolini. p. cm. — (Inheritance ; bk. 1) SUMMARY: In Alagaësia, a fifteen-year-old boy of unknown lineage called Eragon finds a mysterious stone that weaves his life into an intricate tapestry of destiny, magic, and power, peopled with dragons, elves, and monsters. eISBN 0-375-89036-X [1. Fantasy. 2. Dragons—Fiction.] I. Title. PZ7.P19535Er 2003 [Fic]—dc21 2003047481 SAPHIRA’S EYE (From the original Front Cover done by the author) This book is dedicated to my mom, for showing me the magic in the world; to my dad, for revealing the man behind the curtain. And also to my sister, Angela, for helping when I’m blue. TABLE OF CONTENTS .........................................................................................................................5 SAPHIRA’S EYE............................................................................................5 (From the original Front Cover done by the author)........................................5 This...
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...vampire who's been waiting for just the right moment to slip inside Anita's head and heart. 1 The most beautiful corpse I'd ever seen was sitting behind my desk. Jean-Claude's white shirt gleamed in the light from the desk lamp. A froth of lace spilled down the front, peeking from inside his black velvet jacket. I stood behind him, my back to the wall, arms crossed over my stomach, which put my right hand comfortably close to the Browning Hi-Power in its shoulder holster. I wasn't about to draw on Jean-Claude. It was the other vampire I was worried about. The desk lamp was the only light in the room. The vampire had requested the overheads be turned out. His name was Sabin, and he stood against the far wall, huddling in the dark. He was covered head to foot in a black, hooded cape. He looked like something out of an old Vincent Price movie. I'd never seen a real vampire dress like that. The last member of our happy little group was Dominic Dumare. He sat in one of the client chairs. He was tall, thin, but not weak. His hands were large and strong, big enough to palm my face. He was dressed in a three-piece black suit, like a chauffeur except for the diamond stickpin in his tie. A beard and thin mustache lined the strong bones of his face. When he'd entered my office, I'd felt him like a psychic wind tripping down my spine. I'd only encountered two other people who had that...
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...too ready to believe the most. "Oh, that's the Paradise-in-bloom," I said; And truly it was fair enough for flowers had we but in us to assume in march Such white luxuriance of May for ours. We stood a moment so in a strange world, Myself as one his own pretense deceives; And then I said the truth (and we moved on). A young beech clinging to its last year's leaves. Robert Frost www.PoemHunter.com - The World's Poetry Archive 3 A Brook In The City The farmhouse lingers, though averse to square With the new city street it has to wear A number in. But what about the brook That held the house as in an elbow-crook? I ask as one who knew the brook, its strength And impulse, having dipped a finger length And made it leap my knuckle, having tossed A flower to try its currents where they crossed. The meadow...
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...his hand, clasping it around her neck, refusing her challenge for him to compel an answer out of her. "Thank you," Elena continued reaching out for the necklace but Damon pulled back his hand. "Please give it back…" she said as fear crept into her eyes, unwillingly as her mind automatically recounted that fateful night. It played in her mind—how she walked in and found him, just like tonight, with that look in his eyes that almost made her run to him when he saved her. "I just have to say something," Damon said stepping closer to her, the words almost spilling out of him with urgency. "Why do you have to say it with my necklace?" Elena said instinctively pulling away from him as flashes of his urgent kiss, the anguish in his eyes and Jeremy dead in her arms. "Because what I'm about to say is probably the most selfish thing I've ever said in my life," Damon said, his eyes reflecting the pain behind the decision. "Damon don't go there," Elena pleaded, her heart beating rapidly as her mind continued on overdrive, making her relive the horror of a night so much like the one unfolding before her and in anticipation of the words that will define why he...
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