Books with author Michael Calvin

In the last ten years Overlook's Freddy the Pig rediscovery has delighted hundreds of thousands of readers around the world. But who created this famous pig? Walter R. Brooks shared much in common with his most famous literary creation, including a love of travel and adventure, a sparkling wit and intelligence, an abiding faith in friendship, and a wonderful way with words. Together, Brooks and Freddy the Pig rank among the great pioneers and heroes of classic American children's literature. Author and librarian Michael Cart (himself a lifelong fan of Freddy the Pig of Bean Farm) gracefully combines archival research, firsthand accounts from Brooks's personal files, and interviews with his second wife to present the first complete biography of the man behind the pig. Much of the series sprang from Brooks's idyllic childhood in turn-of-the-century upstate New York among a colorful cast of family and friends. Brooks spent his adult life writing iconoclastic columns and book reviews as well as original, often fantastical stories for numerous popular publications. Talking Animals and Others is a long-awaited homage to the gentle genius of this great American author and to the pig who lives on in the hearts of devoted readers everywhere.

The Sleepy Meadow ranch is among the few remaining, truly pristine locations in the United States. The ranch rests in a majestic meadow in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The owners: John and Helen have managed to avoid the evils of the civilized world and have formed a close knit family which includes their twenty two donkeys. John and Helen use their donkeys to take people on tours into the hills. Special needs children are among their favorite guests. Even with the harsh South Dakota winters, the valley provides an idyllic life for humans and for donkeys. Spring brings new life in the hills and on the ranch. Like most young children in the human world, the new born foals on the Sleepy Meadow ranch form cliques that exclude those donkeys who are a different. Alex is the different one. He is gullible, less than hansom, awkward and innocent. This makes him an ideal target for bullying by the other new foals. In spite of these faults Alex must grow to become strong, courageous, and wise donkey. Most importantly he must form a close bond with the Great Father and His Colt. He will need that closeness with the Father in the coming year. Just outside the confines of the Sleepy Meadow ranch looms an ancient evil that is biding its time for just the right moment to attack; that moment is near. Alex has been given a duty to pass along the Great Father message to future generations of donkeys. The message; in the form of stories, must be told and retold one generation at a time. But the ancient evil; the same evil that has destroyed millions of lives and taken souls of past generations lurks just beyond the pasture fence. It will do everything in its power to stop Alex from spreading the Great Father’s word.

Bold, innovative, and eclectic—that’s Rush Hour, a cutting-edge literary journal featuring original stories, essays, art, poems, and excerpts from forthcoming novels from today’s most distinguished voices, both established and new. Sin is the tantalizing theme of Volume One. You commit it. You judge it. You avoid it. From the Bible to the big screen, from classrooms to homes, sin is powerful, arresting, and rarely clear-cut. In Volume One, Rush Hour tempts readers with 19 stellar contributors’ interpretations of sin. This first issue marks the debut of an unprecedented, pulsating new journal, published twice a year and focused on charged themes today’s readers care about most—because original sin was just the beginning.