In the Library : Journey to Virginland by Armen Melikian

11/22/2012 Nativegrl77

Journey to Virginland by … Armen Melikian

At turns heartbreaking and diabolically funny, Journey to Virginland is a tour de force, delivered by a master storyteller.

The protagonist, a loutish and uber-cerebral antihero known simply as Dog, takes on the challenge to navigate the perilous paradigm shifts of our age, determined to find his proper place under the sun. Is he doomed to failure? Or will he pull it off by heeding his own irreducible voice, given the ebb of the old certainties?

Dog pursues the answer unrelentingly, through an impassioned quest for identity and meaning. He revisits his relationships with women, family, literature, and homeland, in the process illuminating his journey with commentaries on history, religion, politics, and culture that unravel our very fabric.

Marked by biting satire and tappings into lushest scholarship, Dog’s naked critique touches on some of the most pressing issues facing humanity: the arrogance of empire and organized religion; the persistence of bigotry, xenophobia, and social Darwinism; the double standards of sexual politics; the bankrupt rationale behind patriotism and state propaganda; and hypercapitalism and consumerism, among others.

An ocean of struggles and epiphanies takes Dog to a spiritual ground zero called Virginland, where the story unfolds. It is also in Virginland that Dog unearths an ancient calendar based on a cosmic worldview.

What emerges from the protagonist’s odyssey is not only a cogent depiction of what makes us tick, but, as day follows night, a dazzling new vista for social and spiritual transformation.

With its vibrant style, thematic breadth, and, ultimately, unfettered sense of humanity, Journey to Virginland establishes itself as a groundbreaking literary enterprise and a true original.

for more information about the writer and ordering, click on the link below

the info above is from the website …

http://www.journeytovirginland.com/order.htm

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Thank you from Zimbabwe – and around the world

11/22/2012 Nativegrl77

Thanksgiving has always been a day of gratitude — a time to remind ourselves what we are thankful for, and to remember those less fortunate.

This year, I’d like to pass along a letter of thanks from a young girl in Zimbabwe named Eunice. Her school was one of 50 that received hundreds of donated textbooks from Mercy Corps — 21,000 books in all.

Helping children learn is one of many important things we do to make life better for families in need. And it’s only possible because of you.

This Thanksgiving, I’m as grateful as ever for the support and generosity of all of you. Working together, we can change lives.
Click here to see the full letter ▸

On behalf of Eunice in Zimbabwe, and all of the people whose lives you touch, my deepest appreciation. Thank you.

Click here to see the rest of Eunice’s letter ▸

Sincerely,

Dan O'Neill, Mercy Corps Founder

~ Culture & History

Lonnie G. Bunch at The NMAAHC

11/22/2012 Nativegrl77

I’m writing to wish you and yours a happy Thanksgiving!

Today, I’d like to thank you for your support on behalf of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.

This has been a big year for us — in February, we celebrated our groundbreaking. Construction is underway, and we are on target to open our doors in 2015.

With your loyalty and support, millions of people will experience the American story through a different lens, that of African American history and culture.

Thank you again for helping us build this important new addition to the Smithsonian family of museums. We can’t wait to see you in the Museum when we open!

From all of us here, we wish you a very happy Thanksgiving.

Sincerely,
Edison Wato signature
Edison R. Wato, Jr.
Membership Program Manager

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You Should Forward this …

11/21/2012 Nativegrl77

Right now, President Obama is working with leaders of both parties in Washington to reduce the deficit in a balanced way so we can lay the foundation for long-term middle-class job growth and prevent your taxes from going up.

Your voice and action helped re-elect President Obama, and hundreds of thousands of you have already responded to our survey, which will help shape our next steps. Thanks to your feedback, we’re taking immediate action on one of your suggestions: keeping you informed about how the President is fighting for you so you can continue to talk to your friends, family, and neighbors. So here’s the deal:

That’s the President’s plan, but he’s not wedded to every detail. He is determined to work with Congress to find compromise and common ground. His guiding principle throughout this debate will be what’s best for the middle class. He’ll be fighting for you.

These problems are challenging, but they’re solvable. In fact, the Senate has already passed a bill to keep your taxes low. The House needs to pass it, and Congress should get it to the President as soon as possible.

There’s a lot at stake. With your help we’ll continue to move this country forward.

Please forward this email and spread the word on Facebook and Twitter:

http://my.barackobama.com/Share-This-Graphic

Thanks,

Obama for America

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Nancy Duff Campbell & Marcia Greenberger, National Women’s Law Center

11/21/2012 Nativegrl77

Two simple words, but they convey a world of meaning. Without your work, your time and your support, we would not be celebrating.

We’ve been through a lot together this year. Just think about it: since the beginning of 2012, we’ve seen attack after attack on women’s reproductive health, including attempts to roll back insurance coverage for birth control and other preventive health services we won under the new health care law. Our This Is Personal campaign is just one way we’re pushing back — and so far have prevailed!

Speaking of the health care law, the House of Representatives voted more than thirty times to gut the Affordable Care Act. Together, we stopped them in their tracks. The Center also helped defend the ACA in the courts, filing a friend of the court brief in the Supreme Court on behalf of sixty organizations. And of course, the Court upheld the law’s main provisions.

Meanwhile, members of Congress attempted to hollow out the programs so many women and families count on. They tried to cut taxes yet again for the most fortunate among us. Together we stopped them for now, but our struggles are far from over, and we’re calling on you again to make your voice heard during the budget debates in the year-end “lame duck” session of Congress.

And, just this month we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Center, and this summer we cheered the women athletes at the Olympics, which were dubbed the “Title IX Olympics” during what was also Title IX’s 40th anniversary year.

So much to celebrate and so much still to do. Thank you for everything you’ve done, and for everything we know you WILL do in the months to come. We’re truly grateful. For now, get some rest and enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday with your family and friends!

Sincerely,