Healthcare Organization Essay

Social insurance associations are presently venturing up their procedures in improving their projects and frameworks. Business and advertising are worked together to support assets which are required to fill in as an advantage to their customers. Considering the way that HCOs comprise of social components and cultural impacts, it is essential for human services experts and in particular the administration to fabricate a more grounded establishment and estimate plan for their game-plans. The appearance of innovation and the tight rivalry in the market may obviously decidedly of contrarily sway HCOs. Subsequently, given the fitting ideas and methodologies outfitted with legitimate execution of planned ideas, any HCO is well on the way to endure (Longman, 2005). Straightforward ideas and speculations of showcasing and hierarchical conduct will help HCOs in conditions like hazard the executives, clashes, HR and different types of the like. Investigation Communication is one of the most significant fields in any association. Given the way that an association is made out of people with fluctuated attributes and characters, it is fundamental for these creatures to have a typical channel that will fill in as a scaffold in shutting arrangements and group interests. Innovation is maybe the central component in making a strong and proficient methods for correspondence (Mascarenhas, 1995). HCO may exploit this correspondence related improvement by procuring the most refreshed and best instruments in running the association. The latest sparkles of thought which end up being of incredible assistance to medicinal services specialists are e-Prescription and e-Documentation. It cleared a route for HCO to cause their administrations to turn out to be increasingly accessible not exclusively to customers inside their region however all around. Through the assistance of the web, they can embrace their items and their administrations with only a tick away. E-Documentation has helped each HCO clearly in light of the fact that it helped in the documentation of patient records and made these documents accessible in a protected database which empowered patients to follow their wellbeing related records bother free. These improvements in correspondence have even made HCOs everywhere throughout the world work together and convey effectively and all the more quickly. Acquiring them the all the time that they have to direct business. With respect to the instance of the Veterans Health Administration, the element is sufficiently blessed to get help from the state. Despite the fact that the advantages that the last gets keep on being reprimanded, their authoritative, arranging and promoting procedure ends up being surfacing in high grounds. They make sure that their projects are not just accessible and available to a famous few yet for the individuals who are equipped for their administrations. Hence, they would require a little improvement with respect to how they produce assets for their offices. Particularly since they are managing a continuum of patients that will develop every year, they should utilize refreshed civilities and hear the worries of their customers. They should make their administrative activities straightforward to general society and utilize exercises that will drive financial specialists to give for their motivation. Ends and further comments Having innovation start from a quick perspective is an open door for medicinal services associations to make the most out of their capacities. Citing the issue on VHA, they need correspondence effectiveness which basically ought to be improved in order to keep their clients’ trust on their capacity in social insurance. Medicinal services associations even so need to incorporate hierarchical systems particularly since they are manage the general public (Karlawish, Fox, and Pearlman, 2002). Money related security is likewise significant which is the reason they ought to figure out how to execute economy-slanted arrangements and systems for their generously tending association.

Preposition Review ESL Lesson Plan

Relational word Review ESL Lesson Plan Relational words are a test for practically all understudies. There are numerous explanations behind this, not least of which is the way that English has various phrasal action words. For this situation, theres little to do but to energize consistency and the capacity to listen cautiously to botches made. Regardless, there are a couple of exercises instructors can attempt to assist understudies with learning fundamental contrasts. Point: Develop acknowledgment of comparative relational word use through differentiation in composed exercise, audit of prepositionsActivity: Discussion of comparative relational words followed by a composed exerciseLevel: Intermediate Framework Bring a couple of items into the class, for example, a model vehicle, an apple, and so on. Utilize basic sentences to enable the class to comprehend the contrasts between in/into, out/out of, and so on utilizing the propositions.Give the understudies a portion of the items and urge them to think of their own sentences, particularly concentrating on the better contrasts between the relational words discussed.Discuss a portion of the fundamentals utilizing the relational word agenda beneath. Request that understudies think of special cases, for example, toward the beginning of the day, evening, and night however at night. Pass out the freebee and request that understudies get into sets to work through the short exercise.Correct worksheet as a class and talk about problemsâ or questions.Repeat first action to help fortify learning. Relational word Checklist Use to with action words of movement. She headed to the store./He strolled to the park.Use at with places inside a city with action words that don't communicate movement. Ill meet you at the shopping center./I like to unwind at home on the weekend.Use on with surfaces, both even and vertical. Thats a delightful picture on the divider./I like the container on the table.Use into, out of and onto to communicate development from one spot to another. She drove out of the carport./Please put the keys onto the table. Use in with months, years, urban areas, states, and countries. She lives in San Diego./I will see you in April.Use at with times. Lets meet at five oclock./I need to start the gathering at two.â A Strange Noise in the Night Worksheet It was late (at/in) night when I heard the commotion. I got (out of/outside) bed and chose to research. To begin with, I went (into/in) the family room and kitchen. Everything appeared to be OK in those rooms. At that point I heard the commotion (once more/finished). It was originating from (out/outside), so I put (on/off) my coat, opened the entryway and went (into/out of) the lawn. Sadly, I had neglected to (get/in) an electric lamp on my way (inside/out) the entryway. It was a dull night and there was a light downpour falling. I couldnt see a lot, so I continued venturing (into/onto) things in the yard. The sound kept on rehashing and was coming (over/from) the territory (on/in) the opposite side (to/of) the house. I gradually strolled (through/around) the house to perceive what was making the commotion. There was a little table (in/on) the patio which was (next/close) to the divider. (On/To) top of this table was a bowl with certain stones (into/inside). A little mouse was attemp ting to get (out/above) and was moving the stones (around/through) the bowl making the clamor. It was odd, yet now I could return (in/to) rest!

When Exactly Is It In Life When You Expect That Your Becoming An Adult

When precisely is it in life when you anticipate that your turning into a grown-up? For me I believe I'm still experiencing significant change. I am prepared for this present reality however I despite everything attempting to get use to being capable. I found a new line of work for the duty and to bring in cash yet when I ought to represent how much cash I make I basically slack off. Actually I don't do it. I ought to likewise be sparing however I can't do that. When I prepare my check I am to spend it and think twice about it later when I'm down and out. There have been commonly when I needed to fall back on the adjustment in my ashtray for gas cash. Growing up is something that I look as mixed. It's extraordinary that that I will have obligation and have more control of my life, however I likewise scars me. What in the event that I come up short? Consider the possibility that I settle on those terrible choices. I've never been a truly dependable individual, I seek other for help and for direction however I will need to begin doing it all alone. Obligation isn't hard however its something I need to get use to. Having a vocation is extraordinary. You have cash, you have obligation however I can't state Well, I don't want to work today so I'm not going in. It is a dedication and perhaps that is something that I had an issue with essentially in light of the fact that a sentiment of being caught. The inclination that you have a commitment that you should keep. Not all duties are negative. A great deal of these responsibilities help you develop as an individual. The best case of that is a relationship of mine. This relationship has assist me with developing from multiple points of view, it is the best thing that has occur in my life. I have discovered that you're not by any means the only one that issues on the planet and when I got into this relationship I out of nowhere reset my needs. I see what truly made a difference to me, and I put myself at the base. It's not on the grounds that I had no confidence or I wasn't justified, despite any potential benefits but since there are things in life that are a higher priority than just myself. I turned out to be progressively chivalrous. I'm still not as circumspect as I might want to be nevertheless I'm chipping away at it. I put the individuals that were the most essential to men at the top since I realized that they would be there for me when I required them. I might not have consistently been there for them yet they are still there for me since they truly care about me. Regardless of whether we got into a battle an hour prior, those individuals are happy to drop for you and your inclination and that is really when you realize that you are adored. An issue that I was just ready to find by and large is that I never actually a decent audience. It's one thing to hear something yet it's another to simply tune in for some individuals (for the most part folks). A great deal of the time individuals simply need you to tune in and get them, not attempt and fix it. They need you to comprehend what they are taking about and you can't generally concentrate on what they are discussing and attempting to make sense of an approach to explain it simultaneously. I doesn't take a lot to tune in. There are a great deal of time when individuals simply need to mention to you what's at the forefront of their thoughts, regardless of whether they have an issue or not. It's an inclination everybody adores. Being heard. Having the option to realize that somebody can see it the manner in which you see, realizing somebody can relate. Another large issue that I had was that I never was truly open with individuals. I never imparted my concern to the individuals that thought about me. I basically felt well; it's my concern. I should manage it. Why trouble any other individual with my issues? In any case, what I didn't see was that I was harming the individuals around me. At the point when you realize something isn't right with somebody and they won't let you know, you

Mental Models About a Persons World Essay Example for Free

Mental Models About a Persons World Essay Presentation: Meeting an individual just because, can either be a constructive or antagonistic experience and the manner in which somebody connects with this individual can likewise show both positive and negative practices. So the inquiry is, in what capacity can mental models about a people world, both guide them and furthermore limit their discernments when meeting an individual just because. Through investigating how and why these observations can be helped and restricted, we can begin to scrutinize the thinking behind our psychological models. MENTAL MODELS Consistently, scholarly writing has characterized a psychological model from multiple points of view, anyway the most ideal approach to comprehend what a psychological model is, is the profoundly imbedded perspectives or even certain pictures, that trigger suppositions and speculations, at last influencing the manner in which an individual reacts as well or carries on the planet, be it towards an individual or an actual existence circumstance (Senge 2006). A genuine case of a psychological model is, the speculation that solitary rich individuals live in the eastern rural areas of Sydney. This speculation might be valid at times, yet in different cases, others may live there in light of the fact that they have experienced their for their entire lives, thus, we can see this specific speculation or mental model has not be thoroughly considered. Not addressing mental models, can regularly prompt bogus speculations, this circumstance can likewise emerge when meeting an individual just bec ause. When meeting an individual just because, our psychological models can help us both comprehend and at last coexist with the individual or they can constrain our recognitions, which means we make presumptions or speculations that in the long run adjust our discernments about this individual or how we act towards them. All the time, we see that we are not deliberately mindful of our psychological models and the influences that they can have on our conduct (Chermack 2003), this thusly, confines our observations. Mental models are regularly obscure, deficient and loosely communicated (Karp 2005) in any case, once accepted, mental models are very hard to change (Chermack 2003). This is profoundly due to theâ fact that individuals are unconscious of their own psychological models, and the main path for an individual to change their psychological model, is for them to recognize that they have one to begin with. Mental models can be valuable as they can assist us with processing data and settle on choices rapidly (Unknown 1997) and they can likewise be basic establishments for building information about the world we live in (Karp 2005). For example, when an individual has a psychological model that all remove food is terrible for their wellbeing and prosperity, when parted with the choice of either having take food or a sound supper at home, the people mental model will subsequently lead them to rapidly choose to eat a solid feast at home. In any case, extremely solid mental models can thwart dynamic reasoning and the acknowledgment of new thoughts (Unknown 1997), and regularly emerge issues when they are implied, implying that they are beneath the degree of mindfulness (Senge 1992). Utilizing the case of the Detroit automobile producer, not perceiving that they had the psychological model that every one of that clients thought about was styling, accepting that all individuals care about is styling, clearly gives us that their psychological model had gotten inferred. This psychological model kept on being unexamined, and in light of the fact that this psychological model remained unexamined, the model stayed unaltered, and therefore as the world changed the hole developed between the psychological model of this Detroit automaker and the world (Senge 1992). Plainly, mental models can proceed as channels that screen approaching data that come to us, restricting our perspectives and furthermore our discernments (Unknown 1 997). A people mental model speaks to their view on the world, it additionally gives them the setting wherein they see and decipher new material and furthermore new individuals in which they meet just because (Kim 1993). It not just encourages us to comprehend what is happening around us, yet it can likewise limit our comprehension of a specific circumstance. For instance, when somebody has been named as not a pleasant individual, with never scrutinizing its legitimacy, individuals make a psychological model that, that individual isn't decent, thus when they do or say something pleasant it goes unnoticed, and along these lines, the conduct doesn't fit with the psychological model individuals have towards thisâ certain person. These untested suspicions or mental models can in the long run cause strife and false impressions between individuals. Creating abilities all things being equal and request can help us in understanding our psychological models and furthermore with managing others. At the point when we use aptitudes of reflection we hinder our perspectives and recognize how our psychological models are framed and how they influence our conduct. Where as aptitudes of request, is worried about how we work in up close and personal circumstances with others, particularly when we are managing complex and conflictual issues (Senge 2006). Along with the apparatuses and techniques used to build up these aptitudes these comprise the center of the control of mental models, which comprises of; the differentiations between upheld hypotheses and speculations being used, perceiving jumps of deliberation, uncovering the left-hand section and adjusting request and support (Senge 2006). At the point when an individual says that they worth or want something, that is known as upheld hypothesis, in any case, what they really state or do, is known as speculations being used (Bocham 2010). Recognizing the holes between what we state and what we do, can be viewed as a successful intelligent ability in getting increasingly mindful of our psychological models. Somebody may claim their view (embraced hypothesis) that individuals by and large are dependable, yet their activities (speculations being used) show in an unexpected way, as they never loan out cash and hush up about their assets (Senge 2006). As apparent in the model above, there is a hole between the people embraced hypothesis and their hypothesis being used. By perceiving the hole between embraced hypothesis and the hypothesis being used, learning can happen, as we as people question whether we truly esteem our upheld hypothesis (Senge 2006). At the point when we meet an individual just because, we can rapidly hop into speculations as we never might suspect to address them. For instance, when we meet an individual and they state that they are a specialist, we consequently expect that they are shrewd, as it is a speculation that all specialists are keen we never appear to scrutinize this psychological model. These are known as jumps of deliberation. Jumps of deliberation happen when we move from direct perceptions to speculations without addressing them, this ultimatelyâ impedes learning since it gets proverbial, as what was at one time a supposition that is currently treated as a reality (Senge 2006). Thusly, this turns into another constraint, wherein mental models can have on our recognitions when we meet individuals just because. Nonetheless, these jumps of reflection can without much of a stretch be distinguished when individuals ask what their speculation depends on and whether the speculation is mistaken or deceivi ng (Senge 2006) Senge (2006) recognizes the left-hand segment as a ground-breaking procedure whereby people start to perceive how their psychological models work in contrasting circumstances. This activity can show people that they undoubtedly have mental models and give them how those models have a functioning influence in here and there contrary collaborations with individuals, not exclusively do these individuals become mindful of their psychological models, yet they start to recognize why managing these suppositions is basic (Senge 2006). All together for good correspondence between people to emerge, individuals need to perceive that all together for the correspondence procedure to be successful, mental models must be overseen appropriately, this is finished by adjusting promotion and request (Peggy Bronn 2003). Support is the way toward imparting a people perspectives and thinking in a way that makes it understood for other people (Peggy Bronn 2003). When there is backing without request, it just prompts more promotion, and along these lines prompts two people expressing their methods of thinking and thinking, the two of them are quick to here the others sees, however don't ask into what they are stating in light of the fact that they accept that what they are stating is at last the most ideal perspective. An approach to handle this, is through the procedure of request. Request connects with two people into the correspondence procedure in a joint learning process (Peggy Bronn 2003). Here the goal is to comprehend the thinking and thinking about the other individual, this should be possible by approaching them inquiries with the end goal for them to decide the birthplace for their decisions and explanations (Peggy Bronn 2003). People can do this by posing inquiries, for example, What is it that drives you to that position? what's more, would you be able to represent your point for me? (Senge 2006). In this manner, it is evidentâ that getting a handle on the expertise of adjusting promotion and request, is exceptionally profitable in interfacing with others, particularly those you meet just because. End: Thusly, it is basic and exceptionally invaluable for us to scrutinize our psychological models in ordinary circumstances, for example, meeting individuals just because, as it will deflect us from naturally making suppositions and making speculations. Through recognizing jumps of reflection, utilizing the left-hand section strategy and furthermore expressly acing the aptitude of adjusting promotion and request, we can figure out how to scrutinize these psychological models, and hence addressing whether they truly hold their incentive in our reality. In this way, when we meet an individual just because, before we make presumptions and speculations, we may need to perceive our imbedded mental models and figure out how to address them, consequently supporting the procedure of correspondence to be a positive encounter. REFERENCE LIST: Bochman, DJ Kroth, M. 2010, Immunity to transformational learning and change, _The Learning Organization,_ vol. 17, no. 4,

Interpersonal Relationship Analysis Characters of the Film Public Enemies Free Essays

string(173) of advancing the relationship further by expanding self-revelation to check whether the different responds a similar degree of divulgence and addition input on their impressions. Interchanges 100 Interpersonal Analysis Effective relational correspondence is critical to improvement of all sections of connections between at least two people; from move connections shared between a specialist and patient, to non-romantic connections shared between companions. Primarily, relational correspondence is seemingly the most basic perspective adding to the achievement or disappointment of a sentimental connection between a dyad. Correspondence legitimately impacts the kind of relationship members share, how the relationship unfurls, and how fulfilling that relationship is to the people sharing it. We will compose a custom paper test on Relational Relationship Analysis: Characters of the Film Public Enemies or on the other hand any comparable subject just for you Request Now An absence of correspondence between people in a personal connection, for example, one shared between a beaus and a sweetheart, commonly brings about shared disappointment which can prompt a decrease in soundness of the people, both genuinely and inwardly, and at last, the deterioration of the relationship by and large. Peruse additionally Analysis of Characters in Flannery O’Connor’s â€Å"The Life You Save May Be Your Own† Sentimental connections create and change after some time as individuals speak with each other. The development of the relationship can be delineated through four explicit models; Irwin Altman and Dalmas Taylor’s Social Penetration Theory, Mark Knapp and Anita Vangelisti’s Knapp’s Stage Model, Leslie Baxter and Connie Bullis’s Turning Point Model and, Leslie Baxter’s Dialectical Theory. The movement of sentimental connections can without much of a stretch be broke down in films since they are strikingly delineated and frequently over overstated. Michael Mann’s 2009 film, Public Enemies, an adjustment of the verifiable book by Bryan Burrough, Public Enemies: America’s Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933-34, narratives the movement of the sentimental connection between the infamous burglar John Dillinger and Billie Frechette while he is sought after by FBI specialist Melvin Purvis amidst the Great Depression. The relationship Frechette and Dillinger complete in the film flawlessly shows the characteristic movement of a personal connection through the initial five stages of the flight of stairs in Knapp’s Stage Model. Knapp’s Stage Model is a correspondence model that conceptualizes social advancement as a flight of stairs comprising of five stages, with each progression speaking to a separate phase of the relationship, that lead up toward duty followed by five stages that dive from responsibility towards the finish of a relationship. The five stages that lead upwards towards responsibility in sequential request are: starting, testing, escalating, coordinating, and holding. John Dillinger and Billie Frechette met one night at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago where the starting stage happened. Starting is the point at which the people attempt to set up as constructive an impression of oneself as conceivable to seem amiable and charming. This stage is the place the early introductions are produced using a welcome and physical appearance. Nonetheless, all together for the starting stage to happen, the people need to flag enthusiasm for starting contact by any means. In our general public, particularly verifiably in timeframes like the Great Depression, men normally start hetero sentimental connections, yet simply after the lady sends signs that they are single and intrigued essentially through kinesics nonverbal correspondence like eye to eye connection and grins. The portion from the film content beneath shows the pre-inception stage where Dillinger first observes Frechette and she sends nonverbal signals from over the jam-packed assembly hall that she is both accessible and intrigued: ARAGON BALLROOM-NIGHT JOHN DILLINGER is viewing an attractive young lady on the move floor. He dismisses her†¦ He’s anticipating somebody. At that point, Dillinger sees her once more: dark black hair in a sway, earthy colored eyes, high and an incredible grin. She illuminates a room. She is BILLIE FRECHETTE. She feels the gaze and investigates. She examines him, at that point, turns away. Dillinger alters his seat to look for the young lady. Dellinger can’t see Billie any longer. Billie returns, hitting the dance floor with a youngster. Dillinger watches out for Billie. Music closes. Youngster accompanies her to her table. He attempts to join her. She turns him down. Dillinger completes his beverage, approaches. He currently perceives how wonderful Billie is. She looks at Dillinger straight without flinching. Clear skin, dim eyes with humor playing about the edges. He startlingly begins to feel anxious. He gives her his best smile. Next is the starting stage where Dillinger starts correspondence keeping a standard relational content for meeting a renewed individual comprising of an icebreaker and starting a presentation. Billie structures an initial introduction of Dillinger dependent on her impression of him. Billie sorts him by marking him in her brain as â€Å"Not a hustler† and deciphers that â€Å"he’s holding something back† from the tactile info she chose to concentrate on. She at that point gives criticism demonstrating her common enthusiasm to continue to the testing stage. DILLINGER I don’t comprehend what you said to your companion, however I sure am happy you did. What’s your name? Billie looks him more than: a very much made man in a decent suit with an extraordinary grin. What's more, Catch 22s: he effectively converses with ladies yet he’s not a hawker. He’s youthful, yet there’s a universe of involvement with his face. Open, yet he’s keeping something down. Billie Frechette. DILLINGER Can I get you a beverage? Billie rises and they cross the bar. Is that French? BILLIE On my father’s side. There’s a â€Å"e† toward the end. Do you have a name? DILLINGER Jack Harris. Music changes to â€Å"Bye Bye Blackbird. † The testing stage on social improvement is the point at which the members attempt to get familiar with one another by posing inquiries and start to self-uncover data to build up normal interests. Regularly, the proxemics saw between two individuals who are simply starting to become familiar is at an individual separation of eighteen creeps to four feet. In any case, in light of the fact that the movement of connection among Dillinger and Frechette is portrayed in a film that is just shy of two hours in span, the testing stage is joined with the procedure escalating stage. Hence, Billie and Dillinger rapidly move to a private separation while moving to expand their connectedness. This stage is loaded with â€Å"tests. † First, people test the capability of advancing the relationship further by expanding self-revelation to check whether the different responds a similar degree of divulgence and increase input on their impressions. You read Relational Relationship Analysis: Characters of the Film Public Enemies in classification Papers Billie tests Dillinger to perceive how he responds to her ethnicity in period wherein darker physical attributes were not esteemed as exceptionally on the social examination size of engaging quality. Billie communicates her self-idea discernments that that been impacted by the reflected examinations from society when she shares her essential personality by expressing â€Å"I’m Menominee Indian,† and auxiliary character by expressing â€Å"I check coats at the Steuben Club. † BILLIE Do you move, Jack? DILLINGER I don’t know how. BILLIE How come you don’t realize how to move? It’s simple. Tail me. This is a two-advance. She grins a pretty grin at him. She remains an inch or two far off in his arms. It’s moderate and languorous. He follows her with little trouble. DILLINGER My, yet you are lovely. They investigate each other’s eyes. He pulls her closer, needs to kiss her long smooth neck. He nearly can’t resist†¦ Their lips are an inch separated. And afterward she lays her cheek on his shoulder and the kiss that wasn’t lingers palpably around them. He whispers†¦ Daddy’s French, what’s on the opposite side? BILLIE Im Menominee Indian OK. In any case, most men don’t like that†¦ She scowls at him. DILLINGER I’m not most men. BILLIE And I check coats at the Steuben Club. What do you do, Jack? DILLINGER I’m getting up to speed. BILLIE Catching up on what? DILLINGER On life, meeting somebody like you. Dim, delightful, similar to the dark winged creature in that tune He contacts her hair. She chuckles at the sweet talk. Holds his eyes a beat with an unexpected look. He restores the look. They turn away. State, how’d you like some supper? Billy gestures. He gestures considerately to her lady friends, snatches her jacket, puts a hand around Billie’s midsection and steers her out. It’s cold in the road. Dillinger pulls her nearby. Following, is the reconciliation phase of relationship development. During the fourth step, the most profound degrees of self-divulgence start flagging trust and closeness and the people depict themselves as couple. Billie and Dillinger go to a café together appearing to others as a team. This scene additionally impeccably represents the three key variables vital in the impact of one’s appreciation for another: vicinity, physical appeal, and similitude. GOLD COAST RESTAURANT †NIGHT Dillinger slips him bills. He and Billie are appeared to a table. The customer base is North Shore old cash and representatives. A portion of the ladies are in stunning dresses despite the fact that it’s mid-Depression. A couple of gaze at Billie. She’s out of her group. BILLIE What is it, precisely that you accomplish professionally? She gazes at him, disregarding her menu. He investigates the highest point of his menu DILLINGER. Iâ€?

A Great Big Guide to Wonderful Books of 2016 from 100+ Indie Presses

A Great Big Guide to Wonderful Books of 2016 from 100+ Indie Presses I’m calling this the ICYMI List: It stands for “indie contributions you must ingest!” I love independent publishers, and I love lists, so I’m so excited to have the opportunity to get peanut butter in the chocolate  and tell you about really amazing books at the same time! Feast your eyes on  some of 2016’s best books from indie publishers. Ive included a brief description about each from the publishers. Here’s hoping you  find a hidden gem  for a friend, a loved one, or yourself. This is in no way a complete list of indie presses! But its a good jumping off point. Tell us in the comments about which of these you’ve read, or other indie books you loved, or books you loved in general, or other awesome indie publishers. Lets have one big indie love fest! Akashic Books The Book of Harlan by Bernice L. McFadden Based on exhaustive research and told in McFaddens mesmeric prose, The Book of Harlan skillfully blends the stories of McFaddens familial ancestors with those of real and imagined characters. Unsportsmanlike Conduct: College Football and the Politics of Rape by Jessica Luther This book is about a different kind of playbook: the one coaches, teams, universities, police, communities, the media, and fans seem to follow whenever a college football player is accused of sexual assault. Its a deep dive into how different institutionsthe NCAA, athletic departments, universities, the mediarun the same plays over and over again when these stories break. The Bear Who Wasnt There: And the Fabulous Forest by Oren Lavie (Author), Wolf Erlbruch (Illustrator) As whimsical as Winnie-the-Pooh and as wryly comic as Klassens bear who wants his hat back, The Bear Who Wasnt There joins a select crew of unusual bears who have captured the imagination of children for generations. And Other Stories Publishing I’ll Sell You a Dog  by Juan Pablo Villalobos  (Author), Rosalind Harvey (Translator) A delicious take-down of pretensions to cultural posterity, I’ll Sell You a Dog is a comic novel whose absurd inventions, scurrilous antics and oddball characters are vintage Villalobos. Bret Easton Ellis and the Other Dogs by Lina Wolff (Author), Frank Perry (Translator) Mordantly funny, dryly sensual, written with a staggering lightness of touch, the debut novel in English by Swedish sensation Lina Wolff is a black and Bolaño-esque take on the limitations of love in a dog-eat-dog world. Arcade Publishing Venom Doc: The Edgiest, Darkest, Strangest Natural History Memoir Ever by Bryan Grieg Fry Steve Irwin meets David Attenborough in this jaw-dropping account of studying the world’s most venomous creatures. More by Hakan Günday (Author), Zeynep Beler (Translator) This is a powerful exploration of the unfolding crisis by one of Turkey’s most exciting and critically acclaimed young writers who writes unflinchingly about social issues. Archipelago Books The First Wife: A Tale of Polygamy  by Paulina Chiziane (Author), David Brookshaw (Translator) In this brilliantly funny and feverishly scathing critique, a major work from Mozambiques first published female novelist, Paulina Chiziane explores her countrys traditional culture, its values and hypocrisy, and the subjection of women the world over. Wayward Heroes  by Halldor Laxness (Author), Phillip Roughton (Translator) It is a masterfully written tragicomedy about the oath-brothers Thorgeir and Thormod, inspired by the old Icelandic sagas Saga of the Sworn Brothers and Saga of Saint Olaf. Arsenal Pulp Press Becoming Unbecoming by Una The book is a no-holds-barred indictment of sexual violence against women and the shame and blame of its victims that also celebrates the empowerment of those able to gain control over their selves and their bodies. Tomboy Survival Guide by Ivan Coyote Tomboy Survival Guide warmly recounts Ivan’s adventures and mishaps as a diffident yet free-spirited tomboy, and maps their journey through treacherous gender landscapes and a maze of labels that don’t quite stick, to a place of self-acceptance and an authentic and personal strength. Biblioasis The Life-Writer by David Constantine After the death of her beloved husband, Katrin, a literary biographer, copes with the loss by writing his personal history. While researching the letters and journals he left behind, however, she comes to the devastating conclusion that his life before their marriage was far richer than the one they shared. The Adjustment League by Mike Barnes At a psychiatric hospital in the eighties, patients formed what they called The Adjustment League to protect themselves against the depredations of a corrupt and abusive staff. Many years later, the leader of this groupâ€"a man known only as The Superâ€" receives a letter leading to the discovery of a pornographic ring in need of adjustment. Black Balloon Publishing Flying Couch: A Graphic Memoir by Amy Kurzweil Amy weaves her own coming-of-age as a young Jewish artist into the narrative of her mother, a psychologist, and Bubbe, her grandmother, a World War II survivor who escaped from the Warsaw Ghetto by disguising herself as a gentile. B.O.S.S PWR VOL  by Nick Scandy (Author), Aaron Zonka (Illustrator), mini and the Bear (Contributor) In PWR VOL, the frenetic rhythms, absurdist delusions, and cacophonous irrealities of modern life all find themselves pumped through full stacks of amplifiers, powerfully blasted at the maximum volume they deserve. Brain Mill Press Documenting Light by EE Ottoman With sympathy and cutting insight, Ottoman offers a tour de force exploration of contemporary trans identity. Canarium Books Palace of Subatomic Bliss  by Darcie Dennigan Poetry. Drama. This book contains a play about a woman who dies twice, a treatise on why there are no female absurdists, and several unfortunate references to goldfish. Lucinda: A Poem by John Beer Using Friedrich Schlegels novel Lucinde as a starting point, Beer has written Lucinda, an incredible read unlike anything else. Catapult Margaret the First by Danielle Dutton Margaret the First is very much a contemporary novel set in the past. Written with lucid precision and sharp cuts through narrative time, it is a gorgeous and wholly new approach to imagining the life of a historical woman. Am I Alone Here?: Notes on Living to Read and Reading to Live by Peter Orner An elegy for an eccentric late father, and the end of a marriage, Am I Alone Here? is also a celebration of the possibility of renewal. At once personal and panoramic, this book will inspire readers to return to the essential stories of their own lives. Nine Island by Jane Alison Nine Island is an intimate autobiographical novel, told by J, a woman who lives in a glass tower on one of Miami Beach’s lush Venetian Islands. After decades of disaster with men, she is trying to decide whether to withdraw forever from romantic love. Chelsea Green Publishing Gods, Wasps, and Stranglers:  The Secret History and Redemptive Future of Fig Trees by Mike Shanahan They are trees of life and trees of knowledge. They are wish-fulfillers … rainforest royalty … more precious than gold. They are the fig trees, and they have affected humanity in profound but little-known ways. Gods, Wasps and Stranglers tells their amazing story. Chicago Review Press The Doomed City by  Arkady and  Boris Strugatsky  (Authors), Bromfield Andrew  (Translator) The Doomed City was so politically risky that the Strugatsky brothers kept its existence a complete secret even from their closest friends for sixteen years after its completion in 1972. It was only published in Russia during perestroika in the late 1980s, the last of their works to see publication. Chizine Publications The Rib From Which I Remake the World by Ed Kurtz Black magic and a terrifying Luciferian carnival boil up to a surreal finale for the town of Litchfield, and Jojo Walker is forced to face his own identity in ways he could never have imagined. Meatheads, or How to DIY  Without Getting Killed by Noah Wareness A surrealist, post-apocalyptic novel that is Chuck Palhaniuk intersecting with Hunter S. Thompson, Meatheads relates the bizarre, high-octane quest of mind-bent punks navigating the zombie-infested wasteland of San Angeles. Cinco Puntos Press Rani Patel in Full Effect by Sonia Patel Losing herself just as she finds herself, Rani discovers her need to speak out against those who would silence herâ€"no matter the personal danger it leads her into. City Lights Publishers Dated Emcees by Chinaka Hodge Form blends with content in Dated Emcees as she examines her love life through the lens of hip-hops best known orators, characters, archetypes and songs, creating a new and inventive narrative about the music that shaped the craggy heart of a young woman poet, just as it also changed the global landscape of pop. Civil Coping Mechanisms Bruja by Wendy C. Ortiz With Bruja, Ortiz continues to upend and reinvent the memoir in inventive and deeply emotional ways to better fit the terms and trajectory of her exploration. Transitory by Tobias Carroll Tobias Carroll introduces us to a perspective of the world as uncanny as it is erudite, as revealing as it is hidden, where the absurd is often the most preferable of outcomes. The Book of Endless Sleepovers by Henry Hoke The Book of Endless Sleepovers is wry and finely-wrought, a philosophical fever dream studded with the pleasure of proper names and surprising turns of phrase, a lyric page-turner. -Maggie Nelson Cleis Press Dirty Thirty: A Memoir by Asa Akira Personally revealing as well as universal, Dirty Thirty marks the coming of age of a new literary star. Coach House The Island of Books by Dominique Fortier (Author), Rhonda Mullins (Translator) A fifteenth-century portrait painter, grieving the untimely death of his unrequited love, takes refuge at the monastery at Mont Saint-Michel, an island off the coast of France. The Hidden Keys by André Alexis Based on a reading of Robert Louis Stevensons Treasure Island, The Hidden Keys questions what it means to be honorable and what it means to be faithful. Coffee House Press Among Strange Victims  by Daniel Saldaña París (Author), Christina MacSweeney (Translator) Earthy, playful, and sly, Among Strange Victims is a psychedelic ode to the pleasures of not measuring up. The Revolutionaries Try Again  by Mauro Javier Cardenas Extravagant, absurd, and self-aware, The Revolutionaries Try Again plays out against the lost decade of Ecuadors austerity and the stymied idealism of three childhood friendsâ€"an expat, a bureaucrat, and a playwrightâ€"who are as sure about the evils of dictatorship as they are unsure of everything else, including each other. Unbearable Splendor  by Sun Yung Shin Sun Yung Shin moves ideasâ€"of identity (Korean, American, adoptee, mother, Catholic, Buddhist) and interest (mythology, science fiction, Sophocles)â€" around like building blocks, forming and reforming new constructions of what it means to be at home. Copper Canyon Press Then Come Back: The Lost Neruda by Pablo Neruda (Author), Forrest Gander (Translator) Originally composed on napkins, playbills, receipts, and notebooks, Nerudas lost poems are full of eros and heartache, complex wordplay and deep wonder. Counterpoint Grace by Natashia Deón It is a universal story of freedom, love, and motherhood, told in a dazzling and original voice set against a rich and transporting historical backdrop. The Penny Poet of Portsmouth: A Memoir Of Place, Solitude, and Friendship by Katherine Towler The Penny Poet of Portsmouth, bracing in its intimacy and elegance, is so much more than a memoir, or a biography, or even an elegy. It is the fable of a shared journey and a portrait of an abiding friendshipâ€" a fitting tribute to the Penny Poet of Portsmouth. Moshi-Moshi by Banana Yoshimoto (Author), Asa Yoneda (Translator) With the lightness of touch and surreal detachment that are the hallmarks of her writing, Banana Yoshimoto turns a potential tragedy into a poignant coming-of-age ghost story and a life-affirming homage to the healing powers of community, food, and family. Every Kind of Wanting by Gina Frangello By turns funny, dark and sexy, Every Kind of Wanting strips bare the layers of the American family today. Tackling issues such as assimilation, the legacy of secrets, the morality of desire, and ultimately who owns love, the charactersâ€"across all ethnicities, nationalities, and sexualitiesâ€"are blisteringly alive. Curbside Splendor Publishing The Telling by Zoe Zolbrod The Telling is an intimate examination of one womans reckoning with a past she cant always explain, and a life lived in search for the right words. Mickey by Chelsea Martin Told in a series of vignettes, Mickey is one young woman’s journey to figuring out life (or not) amidst drunken mistakes, reality TV marathons, bathroom sex, and the daydreamed titles of imaginary art installations. Dalkey Archive Press Bottoms Dream by Arno Schmidt (Author), John E. Woods (Translator) Since its publication in 1970 Zettel’s Traum/Bottom’s Dream has been regarded as Arno Schimdt’s magnum opus, as the definitive work of a titan of postwar German literature. Dark House Press Scratch by Steve Himmer After an aimless life, Martin Blaskett is ready to settle down, unaware of the tension rising in his new town from unknowable forces. When he draws the attention of a shape-shifter from local legend, his world is shaken, and he is led across the hazy border of the feral wilderness with a tempestuous history. Deep Vellum Seeing Red by Lina Meruane (Author), Megan McDowell (Translator) Fiction and autobiography intertwine in an intense, visceral, and caustic novel about the relation between the body, illness, science, and human relationships. One Hundred Twenty-One Days by Michèle Audin (Author), Christiana Hills (Translator) This debut novel by mathematician and Oulipo member Michèle Audin retraces the lives of French mathematicians over several generations through World Wars I and II. Before  by Carmen Boullosa  (Author), Peter Bush (Translator) Part bildungsroman, part ghost story, part revenge novel, Before tells the story of a woman who returns to the landscape of her childhood to overcome the fear that held her captive as a girl. Eve Out of Her Ruins  by Ananda Devi (Author), Jeffrey Zuckerman (Translator) Eve out of Her Ruins is a heartbreaking look at the dark corners of the island nation of Mauritius that tourists never see, and a poignant exploration of the construction of personhood at the margins of society. Dorothy, a publishing project The Babysitter at Rest by Jen George Combining slapstick, surrealism, erotica, and social criticism, Jen Georges sprawling creative energy belies the secret precision and unexpected tenderness of everything she writes. Suite for Barbara Loden by Nathalie Leger (Author),  Natasha Lehrer and Cécile Menon (Translators) Moving contrapuntally between biography and auto-fiction, film criticism and anecdote, fact and speculation, Suite for Barbara Loden is a stunning meditation on knowledge and self-knowledge, on the surfaces of life and art, and how we come to truthâ€"a kind of truthâ€"not through facts alone but through acts of the imagination. Dzanc Books Late One Night by Lee Martin In Late One Night, Lee Martin examines the devastating effect of rumors and the resilience of one family in the face of the ultimate tragedy. Clothed, Female Figure: Stories by Kirstin Allio Through ten independent but thematically linked stories, Allio conjures women in conflict and on the edge, who embrace, battle, and transcend their domestic dimensions. The Pavilion of Former Wives: Stories by Jonathan Baumbach In 14 thematically linked stories, Jonathan Baumbach explores the sour and bitter sweetness of relationships just beginning and already over, and the frailty that love makes of us. ECW Press The Conjoined  by Jen Sookfong Lee Moving between present and past, The Conjoined unflinchingly examines the myth of social heroism, how race and class can assign unwanted roles to society’s most vulnerable individuals, and the well-intentioned social service workers who mean to help. The Clay Girl by Heather Tucker Through the sexual revolution and drug culture of the 1960s, Ari struggles with her father’s legacy and her mother’s addictions, testing limits with substances that numb and men who show her kindness. Ari spins through a chaotic decade of loss and love, the devilish and divine, with wit, tenacity, and the astonishing balance unique to seahorses. Emily Books Problems by Jade Sharma This book takes every tired trope about addiction and recovery, likeable characters, and redemption narratives, and blows them to pieces. I’ll Tell You in Person: Essays by Chloe Caldwell Flailing in jobs, failing at love, getting addicted and un-addicted to people, food, and drugsâ€"Ill Tell You in Person is a disarmingly frank account of attempts at adulthood and all the less than perfect ways we get there. Europa Editions The Golden Age by Joan London With tenderness and humor, The Golden Age tells a deeply moving story about illness and recovery. It is a book about learning to navigate the unfamiliar, about embracing music, poetry, death, and, most importantly, life. The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood The Natural Way of Things is at once lucid and illusory, a brilliantly plotted novel of ideas that reminds us of mankinds own vast contradictionsâ€"the capacity for savagery, selfishness, resilience, and redemption all contained by a single, vulnerable body. Marriage Material  by Sathnam Sanghera In a fresh narrative voice that wryly observes, questions, and reflects, Sanghera confronts the complexities of tradition, culture, love, and family. Readers will find more laughter than sadness, smiling even when the Banga familys story seems hopeless. The Feminist Press Black Wave by Michelle Tea While living in an abandoned bookstore, dating Matt Dillon, and keeping an eye on the encroaching apocalypse, Michelle begins a new novel, a sprawling and meta-textual exploration to complement her promises of maturity and responsibility. Death Is Stupid by Anastasia Higginbotham Necessary, beautiful, and ultimately reassuring, Death Is Stupid is an invaluable tool for discussing death, but also the possibilities for celebrating life and love. Future Tense Books The Folly of Loving Life by Monica Drake The Folly of Loving Life features linked stories examining an array of characters at their most vulnerable and human, often escaping to somewhere or trying to find stability in their own place. Sing the Song by Meredith Alling With an ancient ham crawling out from a sewer to tell fortunes, a lone blonde at a party for redheads, and a mother outsmarting a masked criminal, Sing the Song bleeds and breathes with dreamlike surprise. Gorsky Press Everyone Loves You Back by Louie Cronin Louie Cronin’s breakthrough novel is a coming-of-middle-age story that pays homage to the everyday. Graywolf Press Thrill Me: Essays on Fiction by Benjamin Percy An urgent and entertaining missive on craft, Thrill Me brims with Percys distinctive blend of anecdotes, advice, and close reading, all in the service of one dictum: Thrill the reader. Riverine: A Memoir from Anywhere but Here by Angela Palm It means trying to chart, through the mesmerizing, interconnected essays of Riverine, what happens when a single event forces the path of her life off course. Swallowed by the Cold: Stories by Jensen Beach The intricate, interlocking stories of Jensen Beachs extraordinarily poised story collection are set in a Swedish village on the Baltic Sea as well as in Stockholm over the course of two eventful years. The Art of Waiting: On Fertility, Medicine, and Motherhood by Belle Boggs In The Art of Waiting, Boggs deftly distills her time of waiting into an expansive contemplation of fertility, choice, and the many possible roads to making a life and making a family. Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter Part novella, part polyphonic fable, part essay on grief, Max Porters extraordinary debut combines compassion and bravura style to dazzling effect. Blackass  by A. Igoni Barrett A. Igoni Barretts Blackass is a fierce comic satire that touches on everything from race to social media while at the same time questioning the values society places on us simply by virtue of the way we look. Grove Atlantic Lions by Bonnie Nadzam Bonnie Nadzamâ€"author of the critically acclaimed, award-winning debut, Lambâ€"returns with this scorching, haunting portrait of a rural community in a living ghost town on the brink of collapse, and the individuals who are confronted with either chasing their dreams orâ€"against all reasonâ€"staying where they are. The Core of the Sun  by Johanna Sinisalo (Author), Lola Rogers (Translator) Set in an alternative historical present, in a “eusistocracy”â€"an extreme welfare stateâ€"that holds public health and social stability above all else, it follows a young woman whose growing addiction to illegal chili peppers leads her on an adventure into a world where love, sex, and free will are all controlled by the state. Bottomland by Michelle Hoover Told in the voices of the family patriarch and his children, this is a haunting literary mystery that spans decades before its resolution. Hoover deftly examines the intrepid ways a person can forge a life of their own despite the dangerous obstacles of prejudice and oppression. Interlude Press Not Your Sidekick by C. B. Lee Despite her heroic lineage, Jess is resigned to a life without superpowers and is merely looking to beef-up her college applications when she stumbles upon the perfect (paid!) internship only it turns out to be for the towns most heinous supervillain. Luchador by Erin Finnegan Surrounded by a makeshift family of wrestlers, Gabriel charts a course to balance ambition, sexuality, and loyalty to find the future that may have been destined for him since childhood. Jellyfish Highway Daughters of Monsters by Melissa Goodrich Melissa Goodrichs debut short story collection, Daughters of Monsters, is a raw and magical book of spells, an honest yet harrowing look at the wonder and threat of the world. John F. Blair, Publisher The Minotaur Takes His Own Sweet Time by Steven Sherrill In The Minotaur Takes His Own Sweet Time, M has moved north, from a life of kitchens and trailer parks, to that of Civil War re-enactor at a run-down living history park in the dying blue-collar rustbelt of central Pennsylvania. Lazy Fascist Press Witch Hunt by  Juliet Escoria The much-anticipated full-length poetry collection by the critically acclaimed author of Black Cloud, Witch Hunt delves into the terror and beauty that occurs when love, madness, and addiction collide. Leapfrog Press The Solace of Monsters by Laurie Blauner The Solace of Monsters contrasts the creation of life with its ending. How does an artificial creature discover life? What do her adventures tell us about natural life and our own attempts to surviveâ€"and find solaceâ€"in the world? Lookout Books We Show What We Have Learned and Other Stories by Clare Beams As they capture the strangeness of being human, the stories in We Show What We Have Learned reveal Clare Beams’s rare and capacious imaginationâ€"and yet they are grounded in emotional complexity, illuminating the ways we attempt to transform ourselves, our surroundings, and each other. McSweeneys The Abridged History of Rainfall by Jay Hopler Jay Hoplers second collection, a mourning song for his father, is an elegy of uproar, a careening hymn to disaster and its aftermath. In lyric poems by turns droll and desolate, Hopler documents the struggle to live in the face of great loss, a task that sends him ranging through Floridas torrid subtropics, the mountains of the American West, the streets of Rome, and the Umbrian countryside. Melville House Good on Paper by Rachel Cantor A deft, funny, and big-hearted novel about second chances, Good on Paper is a grand novel of family, friendship, and possibility. The Insides by Jeremy Bushnell Now, magic is back in Ollie’s life and she’s being chased through New York City, with the fabric of space-time tattering around her and weird inter-dimensional worms squirming their way into her kitchen.  And before its all over she’s going to need to face up to the Possible Consequences of some bad decisions, to look at the uncomfortable truths that she stuffed away long ago, deep down  inside . . . The Mirror Thief by Martin Seay Set in three cities in three eras, The Mirror Thief calls to mind David Mitchell and Umberto Eco in its mix of entertainment and literary bravado. Trainwreck: The Women We Love to Hate, Mock, and Fear . . . and Why by Sady Doyle For an age when any form of self-expression can be the one that ends you, Sady Doyle’s book is as fierce and intelligent as it is funny and compassionateâ€"an essential, timely, feminist anatomy of the female trainwreck. The Queue by Basma Abdel Aziz (Author), Elisabeth Jaquette (Translator) Written with dark, subtle humor, The Queue describes the sinister nature of authoritarianism, and illuminates the way that absolute authority manipulates information, mobilizes others in service to it, and fails to uphold the rights of even those faithful to it. Milkweed Editions The Orange Grove  by Larry Tremblay (Author), Sheila Fischman (Translator) Both current and timeless, written with the sharp purity of desert poetry, The Orange Grove depicts the haunting inheritance of war and its aftermath. Four Reincarnations: Poems by Max Ritvo Reverent and profane, entertaining and bruising, Four Reincarnations is a debut collection of poems that introduces an exciting new voice in American letters. Into the Sun  by Deni Ellis Béchard In this monumental novel, Deni Ellis Béchard draws an unsentimental portrait of those who flock to warzones, indelibly capturing these journalists, mercenaries, idealists, and aid workers. The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Mans Love Affair with Nature by J. Drew Lanham By turns angry, funny, elegiac, and heartbreaking, The Home Place is a remarkable meditation on nature and belonging, at once a deeply moving memoir and riveting exploration of the contradictions of black identity in the rural Southâ€"and in America today. Nation Books Invisible Man, Got the Whole World Watching: A Young Black Mans Education by Mychal Denzel Smith In Invisible Man, Got the Whole World Watching, Mychal Denzel Smith chronicles his own personal and political education during these tumultuous years, describing his efforts to come into his own in a world that denied his humanity. Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi In shedding much-needed light on the murky history of racist ideas, Stamped from the Beginning offers us the tools we need to expose themand in the process, gives us reason to hope. Necessary Trouble: Americans in Revolt by Sarah Jaffe Necessary Trouble is the definitive book on the movements that are poised to permanently remake American politics. Another Day in the Death of America: A Chronicle of Ten Short Lives by Gary Younge This powerful and moving work puts a human faceâ€"a childs faceâ€"on the “collateral damage” of gun deaths across the country. This is not a book about gun control, but about what happens in a country where it does not exist. What emerges in these pages is a searing and urgent portrait of youth, family, and firearms in America today. New Directions Memoirs of a Polar Bear by Yoko Tawada (Author), Susan Bernofsky (Translator) The Memoirs of a Polar Bear stars three generations of talented writers and performers?who happen to be polar bears. The Last Wolf Herman by László Krasznahorkai (Author), John Batki and George Szirtes (Translators) Two short masterworks by the most recent winner of the Man Booker International Prize: here, in miniature, is every reason why he won. Ema the Captive  by César Aira  (Author), Chris Andrews (Translator) As is usual with Aira’s work, the wonder of the book is in the details of customs, beauty, and language, and the curious, perplexing reality of human nature. The New Press Birth of a Dream Weaver: A Writers Awakening by Ngugi wa Thiongo In this wonderful memoir, Kenyan writer Ngugi wa Thiong’o recounts the four years he spent in Makerere University in Kampala, Ugandaâ€"threshold years where he found his voice as a playwright, journalist, and novelist, just as Uganda, Kenya, Congo, and other countries were in the final throes of their independence struggles. Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right by Arlie Russell Hochschild Strangers in Their Own Land goes beyond the commonplace liberal idea that these are people who have been duped into voting against their own interests. Instead, Hochschild finds lives ripped apart by stagnant wages, a loss of home, an elusive American dreamâ€"and political choices and views that make sense in the context of their lives. New Vessel Oblivion by Sergei Lebedev (Author), Antonina W. Bouis (Translator) In one of the first twenty-first century Russian novels to probe the legacy of the Soviet prison camp system, a young man travels to the vast wastelands of the Far North to uncover the truth about a shadowy neighbor who saved his life, and whom he knows only as Grandfather II. Nightboat Books Proxies: Essays Near Knowing by Brian Blanchfield A go-for-broke essay collection that blends cultural close reading and dicey autobiography. Night by Etel Adnan This striking new book continues Adnan’s meditative observation and inquiry into the experiences of her remarkable life. Night Shade Books Firewalk by Chris Roberson A modern-day supernatural crime thriller set in a fictional west coast city, from the New York Times bestselling author and co-creator of the comic book-turned hit TV show iZombie. A Trail Through Time: The Chronicles of St. Mary’s Book Four by Jodi Taylor The fourth book in the bestselling British madcap time-travelling series, served with a dash of wit that seems to be everyone’s cup of tea. Nouvella Books One Day Soon Time Will Have No Place Left to Hide by Christian Kiefer Structured as a kinoroman, a novella-as-film-script-as novella, the text explores the nature of art, of watching and of being watched, of life put on display, all the while focusing on the day-to-day existence of one couple as they work through the incendiary materials of their lives together. NYRB Classics Catlantis by Anna Starobinets (Author), Andrzej Klimowski (Illustrator), Jane Bugaeva (Translator) Baguette, a seemingly ordinary house cat, is a descendant of the magic Catlanteans who lived long ago in peace and happiness on the island of Catlantis. Black Wings Has My Angel by Elliott Chaze Black Wings Has My Angel careens through a landscape of desperate passion and wild reversals. It is a journey you will never forget. Zama  by Antonio Di Benedetto (Author), Esther Allen  (Translator) First published in 1956, Zama is now universally recognized as one of the masterpieces of modern Argentine and Spanish-language literature. One World Publications The Island by Olivia Levez A gripping and thoughtful story about a girl determined to survive against all odds and find the courage to become the person she wants to be. Umami  by Laia Jufresa (Author), Sophie Hughes (Translator) In prose that is dazzlingly inventive, funny and tender, Laia Jufresa immerses us in the troubled lives of her narrators, deftly unpicking their stories to offer a darkly comic portrait of contemporary Mexico, as whimsical as it is heart-wrenching. The Onslaught Press The Lightbulb Has Stigmata by Helen Fletcher A stunning (and startling) debut collection of daring, thought-provoking, multi-voiced poems from a rising star of the UK scene. Open Letter One of Us is Sleeping  by Josefine Klougart (Author), Martin Aitken (Translator) The English-language debut from one of Denmarks most exciting, celebrated young writers, One of Us Is Sleeping is a haunting novel about loss in all its forms. The Clouds  by Juan José Saer  (Author), Hilary Vaughn Dobel (Translator) Fascinating as a faux historical novel and written in Saers typically gorgeous, Proustian style, The Clouds can be read as a metaphor for exileâ€"a huge theme for Saer and a lot of Argentine writersâ€"as well as an examination of madness. Justine  by Iben Mondrup (Author), Kerri A. Pierce (Translator) A personal meditation on artistic identity, the creative process, and the male-dominated art scene, the novel veers between the erotic and the savage, resulting in a spellbinding read from one of Denmarks edgiest contemporary feminist writers. Other Press A Very English Scandal: Sex, Lies, and a Murder Plot at the Heart of the Establishment by John Preston A behind-the-scenes look at the desperate, scandalous private life of a British MP and champion manipulator, and the history-making trial that exposed his dirty secrets. At the Existentialist Café: Freedom, Being, and Apricot Cocktails with Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Albert Camus, Martin Heidegger, Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Others by Sarah Bakewell Featuring not only philosophers, but also playwrights, anthropologists, convicts, and revolutionaries, At the Existentialist Café follows the existentialists’ story, from the first rebellious spark through the Second World War, to its role in postwar liberation movements such as anticolonialism, feminism, and gay rights. Among the Living by Jonathan Rabb Set amid the backdrop of America’s postwar south, Among the Living grapples with questions of identity and belonging, and steps beyond the Jewish experience as it situates Yitzhak’s story within the last gasp of the Jim Crow era. OR Books Kingdom of the Unjust: Behind the U.S.-Saudi Connection by Medea Benjamin In seven succinct chapters followed by a meditation on prospects for change, Benjamincited by the L.A. Times as one of the high profile members of the peace movementshines a light on one of the weirder, and most important, elements of our foreign policy. Outpost19 Books What Becomes Us by Micah Perks Following a near fatal accident, Evie, a mild-mannered, pregnant school teacher, abandons her controlling husband and flees Santa Cruz, California for the wilds of western New York. She rents a farm house on a dead end road in a seemingly ideal, multi-cultural community. The Adventures of Joe Harper by Phong Nguyen Inspired by Twain’s storytelling, Phong Nguyen expertly evokes the beloved world of Tom Sawyer and extends Twain’s savvy commentary to the struggles of Chinese Americans, women, and outcasts in Reconstruction America. The Overlook Press Cosmosapiens: Human Evolution from the Origin of the Universe by John Hands John Hands’s extraordinarily ambitious quest is to bring together this scientific knowledge and evaluate without bias or preconception all the theories and evidence about the origin and evolution of matter, life, consciousness, and humankind. Duet in Beirut: A Thriller by Mishka Ben-David (Author), Evan Fallenberg (Translator) As revealing in its psychological acuity as it is in its portrait of life in the Mossad, Duet in Beirut is an essential thriller of espionage and political intrigue, written by an acclaimed novelist whose twelve years of service as an intelligence agent inform every gripping scene. Pegasus Books A Murder in Time by Julie McElwain When brilliant FBI agent Kendra Donovan stumbles back in time and finds herself in a 19th century English castle under threat from a vicious serial killer, she scrambles to solve the case before it takes her life?200 years before she was even born. In Sunlight or In Shadow: Stories Inspired by the Paintings of Edward Hopper edited by Lawrence Block A truly unprecedented literary achievement by author and editor Lawrence Block, a newly-commissioned anthology of seventeen superbly-crafted stories inspired by the paintings of Edward Hopper, including Jeffery Deaver, Joyce Carol Oates, Stephen King, Lee Child, and Robert Olen Butler, among many others. PM Press Damnificados  by JJ Amaworo Wilson Uses magical realism, revolutionary politics, and romantic adventure to bring to life a colorful community of squatters in an imaginary Latin American city. Publishing Genius Beatrice by Stephen Dixon The most famous Beatrice in history is Dantes Beatrice, who appears in the Divine Comedy as the guide that must accompany Dante, after Virgil can travel with him no higher, through the upper reaches of Purgatory and into Heaven. Stephen Dixons novel will make you think of her, because it seems as though Beatrice arrives in Dixons book with a similar purposeâ€"even though, perhaps, she does not fulfill that purpose, or even though the main character prevents her from fulfilling that purpose by betraying the trust she has placed in him. Pushkin Press Death Going Down  by María Angélica Bosco (Author), Lucy Greaves (Translator) Death Going Down contains all the ingredients of a classic detective novel, and is set during the aftermath of World War II, when many immigrants were making their way to Argentina, some of them with dark pasts in Europe to hide Rare Bird Books Vow of Celibacy by Erin Judge Clever, sexy, and hilarious, Vow of Celibacy delves into the perilous terrain of love and relationships, the uncertainty of early adulthood, and the sustaining force of friendship. This is an irresistible novel about the stories we can’t help but tell ourselves about others, and it captures in perfect pitch what it’s like to be a young woman coming of age in America today. Brat Pack America: A Love Letter to 80s Teen Movies by Kevin Smokler Including interviews with actors, writers, and directors of the era, and chock full of interesting facts about your favorite 80s movies, Brat Pack America is a must for any fan. Smokler went to Goonies Day in Astoria, OR, took a Lost Boys tour of Santa Cruz, CA, and deeply explored every nook and cranny of the movies we all know and love, and it shows. Reel by Tobias Carroll Reel follows two lives that collide at a Seattle punk show, and the strange consequences that arise. Relegation Books A Single Happened Thing by Daniel Paisner Daniel Paisners enchanting new novel about neurosis, intimacy, and balancing familial needs while juggling two careers and the demands of modern life is also a charming and memorable parable about losing your mind and finding yourself in the age of anxiety. The Loved Ones by Sonya Chung Spanning generations and divergent cultures, The Loved Ones maps the intimate politics of unlikely attractions, illicit love, and costly reconciliations. 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Tin House Relief Map by Rosalie Knecht A small town swept up in a manhunt for a fugitive from foreign soil and a teenage girl struggling to make the right choices with little information and less time. Ninety-Nine Stories of God by Joy Williams Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalist Joy Williams has a one-of-a-kind gift for capturing both the absurdity and the darkness of everyday life. In Ninety-Nine Stories of God, she takes on one of mankind’s most confounding preoccupations: the Supreme Being. Ghost Songs: A Memoir by Regina McBride A searingly beautiful coming-of-age memoir about a girl who begins to see her parents ghosts after their tragic deaths. Before the Feast by  SaÅ¡a StaniÅ¡ic (Author) Anthea Bell (Translator) Old stories, myths, and fairy tales are wandering about the streets with the people. 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Altruistic Obsessions Tragic Flaws in The Boy in the Suitcase and In the Time of the Butterflies - Literature Essay Samples

The critical nature of modern society causes the people being judged to feel isolated, ashamed, and worthless. Due to this, contemporary individuals believe that they have to be perfect, in appearance and character traits, in order to conform with others. As a result, people spend tremendous amounts of time developing certain traits to make themselves more likeable. Unfortunately, they are missing vital information regarding the danger of possessing positive personality traits. Lene Kaaberbà ¸l and Agnete Friis, authors of The Boy in the Suitcase, and Julia Alvarez, author of In the Time of the Butterflies, investigate the transformation of positive character traits into tragic flaws through their main characters. In their novels, the authors demonstrate that excessive devotion to noble personality traits leads to the characters’ undoing. The main characters from both novels, the Mirabal sisters from In the Time of the Butterflies and Nina Borg from The Boy in the Suitcase, possessed noble intentions when carrying out their work. In addition, they were further encouraged to continue contributing to their causes by the support of other people. Maria Theresa, one of the Mirabal sisters, wrote in her diary about her feelings regarding the revolutionary movement in the Dominican Republic: â€Å"Something big and powerful spread its wings inside me. Courage, I told myself. And this time, I felt it† (Alvarez 238). When opposing the dictatorial regime of Rafael Trujillo, the Mirabal sisters were largely guided by their courage and the desire to make a positive change to their lives. In a similar way, Nina Borg from The Boy in the Suitcase was guided by righteous intentions when attempting to return Mikas to his mother while saving him from Jucas; Nina â€Å"spends her spare time helping all the children, women, and c rippled little men no one else in all of fucking Denmark seemed to care about† (Kaaberbà ¸l and Friis 160). Being a Red Cross nurse and mother, Nina Borg felt that it was her duty to save the little boy from being a victim of child trafficking, which says a lot about the kindness of her character. Having such noble intentions, the main characters from the two novels were also supported by people around them, which encouraged them to continue their work. The Mirabal sisters were encouraged by many people around the Dominican Republic. While the sisters were in prison, â€Å"everyone was beating on the bars, shouting,  ¡Viva la Mariposa!† (Alvarez 238). Surely, the tremendous support from other people motivated the sisters to continue their opposition to Trujillo’s regime. Although Nina Borg did not have the same quantity of supporters as the sisters, she still had a few people who trusted her and helped her. While telling Nina to take the suitcase from the locker, her friend Karin noted, â€Å"I can’t do this†¦ But you [can]. You’re always so keen on saving people† (Kaaberbà ¸l and Friis 34). Through her words, Karin shows trust in Nina’s abilities and highlights Nina’s desire to save people. In addition to Karin, Ninaâ⠂¬â„¢s colleagues show respect to her and value her contribution to the organization. In summary, the main characters from the two novels committed righteous actions because of their positive personality traits and the support they were receiving. At this point, it seems like the main characters dedicate themselves to their respective causes and become better people because of it. This, unfortunately, begins to change as the characters become more committed to their causes. Guided by external support and noble intentions, the main characters from the two novels became obsessed with their causes, which jump-started the process of their destruction. Minerva, one of the Mirabal sisters, gave away her son Manolito to Patria so that she could focus on the revolution. When Minerva did this, Patria responded to her, â€Å"But Minerva, your own child.† Patria then saw that â€Å"it did hurt [Minerva] to make this sacrifice she was convinced she needed to make† (Alvarez 155). Determined to remove Trujillo from power, Minerva chose the revolution over her own family. Since Minerva made painful sacrifices to the cause, her shift from family loyalty to loyalty to the revolution signifies an obsession. In a similar fashion, the loyalty of Nina Borg to her family has always been below her loyalty to helping other people in the Red Cross. After calling Morten, Nina realized that â€Å"it had been her turn [to pick up Anton from child care], had to have been, and somehow she would have felt better about it, more secure, if Morten had thrown a fit†¦ Morten had already forgotten she was there† (Kaaberbà ¸l and Friis 70-71). Even before encountering Mikas, Nina often forgot to care for her own children, which is seen by the absence of a response from Morten, who is accustomed to her irresponsibility. She once left her five-month-old daughter with Morten while she travelled as a volunteer nurse to Liberia, all without telling him until she was at the airport. Being a nurse and helping other people began replacing other important things in Nina’s life, like her family. Likewise, Minerva viewed many things in her life as distractions from the revolution. Before joining the revolution, Marà ­a Theresa compared Minerva and Manolo’s relationship to her own with Leandro in her diary: â€Å"I would never be able to give up Leandro to some higher ideal the way I feel Minerva and Manolo would each other if they had to make the supreme sacrifice† (Alvarez 147). Minerva’s actions convinced Mate that the only thing on her mind was the revolutionary struggle. In fact, Minerva’s marriage to Manolo can be viewed as a revolutionary partnership because they spent most of their time partaking in the movement. Comparably, Nina’s marriage to Morten turned into a partnership as their relationship worsened. Nina’s rash behavior caused Morten to take care of the children on his own while she engaged in her work with the Red Cross. In a way, Nina used Morten in order to fulfill her dreams and her obsession. In summary, the noble causes of the Mirabal sisters and Nina Borg replaced other aspects of their lives and made them addicted. Although their efforts were genuine and were caused by their positive personal qualities, their minds were clouded by their goals. The amount of time they spent contributing to their respective causes directly correlated with the deterioration of their relationships with others. Not only did the actions of the main characters induce their relationships with others to degenerate, but they also led to their downfall in the case of the Mirabal sisters and almost became the undoing of Nina Borg. In In the Time of the Butterflies, Patria and Mate soon followed Minerva in her revolutionary struggles against Trujillo. After Patria decided to join the revolution, she described herself: â€Å"here in that little room was the same Patria Mercedes, who wouldn’t have hurt a butterfly, shouting, ‘Amen to the revolution’† (Alvarez 163-164). Minerva’s preoccupation with the revolution spread to Patria, making her almost as obsessed with it as Minerva was. Like the Mirabal sisters, Nina Borg lost her head over trying to find Mikas’s mother. When Barbara showed up at Nina’s door, Nina immediately thought that it was â€Å"Mikas’s mother, holding her hand and thanking her, as only one mother could thank another. Her happ y ending. It was here, now† (Kaaberbà ¸l and Friis 257). As Nina saw Barbara, she was instantly convinced that she was the genuine mother and mentally granted herself the title of a heroine. Nina’s obsession with helping people clouded her mind when she had the chance to have a happy ending and to fulfill her goal. As a result of her reckless actions, she let Jucas into her home, who battered her and left a bag tied around her head so that she suffocated. By pure luck, Nina woke up before she asphyxiated and managed to pull the bag away from her face. By clouding her mind, her obsession with helping people almost got her killed. Although initially righteous and harmless, Nina’s kind personality trait became her mania that almost made her perish. Unlike Nina, the revolutionary Mirabal sisters were not saved by luck. Dedà © described what happened to her sisters: â€Å"They killed them good and dead†¦ they put the dead girls in the back of the Jeep†¦ t hey pushed the car over the edge† (Alvarez 303). Because of the revolutionary work the Mirabal sisters have done, Trujillo’s henchmen assassinated them and made it look like an accident. The dedication of the sisters to the revolution became their hamartia. In the novels, the Mirabal sisters died and Nina Borg came close to death because of their excessive commitment to their noble causes. Although guided by positive personality traits, these characters took it too far, and their obsession caused them to severely underestimate their abilities. A positive personality trait becomes a tragic flaw when the person is obsessed with it and guided solely by it. Although the courage of the Mirabal sisters inspired others around them, it proved harmful to the sisters themselves. In Nina’s case, her kindness helped her save a child, but she almost died because of it. In addition, her relationship with Morten worsened due to her willingness to help others. Because of these negative effects of personality trait obsession, modern people need to be aware of the dangers of blindly following a single trait, even if it is a positive one. Thomas Jefferson once said, â€Å"The moment a person forms a theory, his imagination sees in every object only the traits which favor that theory.† Likewise, when a person finds a passion in a personality trait, they instantly begin seeing opportunities where to implement that trait. As Thomas Jefferson said, the imagination of the person takes no notice of the reasons against the theory, or in the case of personality traits, reasons to not apply them to a situation. Of course, having a positive personality trait has its benefits, but efforts must be made to prevent it from governing one’s actions. Works Cited Alvarez, Julia. In the Time of the Butterflies. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2010. Kaaberbol, Lene, and Agnete Friis. The Boy in the Suitcase. Soho Crime, 2012.