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This "Bedside, Bathtub & Armchair Companion" to the world's
most famous vampire looks at all aspects of the Dracula phenomenon
in often unexpected ways - in true Bedside tradition, including
entries on the psychological and sociological implications of the
book and the stage plays; the movies; television versions; actors,
and, of course, the historical Dracula, Vlad the Impaler.Published
in 1897, Bram Stoker's "Dracula" was the last of the nineteenth
century's three major horror stories. It followed Mary Shelley's
"Frankenstein" and Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Strange Case of
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", but Stoker's novel had the greater impact
on our culture and our nightmares. Count Dracula has been called
the king of the vampires, but, in truth, he is the king of all the
monsters, and his influence can be seen everywhere today: in
everything from the number-obsessed Count on Sesame Street to the
vast fandom for Anne Rice's vampire chronicles.He is arguably the
most recognized of characters: certainly in his Lugosi incarnation.
With Stoker's novel serving as the backbone, this "Bedside, Bathtub
& Armchair Companion" to the world's most famous vampire will
look at all aspects of the Dracula phenomenon in often unexpected
ways - in the Bedside tradition: the book, its author, its
psychological and sociological implications, the stage plays, the
movies, television versions, the actors, and, of course, the
historical Dracula, Vlad the Impaler. More than 150 pictures
already have been collected for this companion by author and
journalist Mark Dawidziak, who traces his fascination with the
Count back to a viewing at age seven of Abbott & Costello Meet
Frankenstein, featuring Bela Lugosi's inspired revival of his
Dracula."The Bedside, Bathtub & Armchair Companions" are
concise, witty, and often unexpected takes on the great authors and
other figures who are seemingly all around us, like the air we
breathe. Perfect for reading or browsing, for the general reader,
for the beginning as well as the advanced student, the "Bedside,
Bathtub & Armchair Companions" include plot summaries (no
giveaways for the mystery writers!) , biographical information,
puzzles, posters, film stills, maps, Web sites, international clubs
and societies, and more. Stylish, lavishly illustrated, and
imaginatively structured, the "Bedside Companions" currently
include volumes on Agatha Christie, Sherlock Holmes, and
Shakespeare.
A Mystery of Mysteries is a brilliant biography of Edgar Allan Poe
that examines the renowned author's life through the prism of his
mysterious death and its many possible causes. It is a moment
shrouded in horror and mystery. Edgar Allan Poe died on October 7,
1849, at just forty, in a painful, utterly bizarre manner that
would not have been out of place in one of his own tales of terror.
What was the cause of his untimely death, and what happened to him
during the three missing days before he was found, delirious and
"in great distress" on the streets of Baltimore, wearing
ill-fitting clothes that were not his own? Mystery and horror. Poe,
who remains one of the most iconic of American writers, died under
haunting circumstances that reflect the two literary genres he took
to new heights. Over the years, there has been a staggering amount
of speculation about the cause of death, from rabies and syphilis
to suicide, alcoholism, and even murder. But many of these theories
are formed on the basis of the caricature we have come to associate
with Poe: the gloomy-eyed grandfather of Goth, hunched over a
writing desk with a raven perched on one shoulder, drunkenly
scribbling his chilling masterpieces. By debunking the myths of how
he lived, we come closer to understanding the real Poe--and
uncovering the truth behind his mysterious death, as a new theory
emerges that could prove the cause of Poe's death was haunting him
all his life. In a compelling dual-timeline narrative alternating
between Poe's increasingly desperate last months and his brief but
impactful life, Mark Dawidziak sheds new light on the enigmatic
master of macabre.
A 25th anniversary history and celebration of The Shawshank
Redemption, one of the most cherished American films of the late
twentieth century and one of the finest movies made from a Stephen
King story. The movie not only boasts a great story, it has a great
backstory, starting with the dollar deal that eventually led King
and co-stars Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman to put their trust in a
largely untested director making his first feature film. Although
the film received mostly positive reviews on its release in
September 1994, the box office was disappointing and it failed to
win many awards. But as Andy tells Red in the film, "no good thing
ever dies." The movie found new life, reaching an ever-growing
audience on cable and home video (through word of mouth, it became
one of the top-rented movies of 1995). Each year, The Shawshank
Redemption rises in polls asking film fans to name their favorite
movies. It has become nothing less than this generation's The
Grapes of Wrath, an inspiring story about keeping hope alive in
bleak times and under the most horrendous conditions.
America is cat crazy, and Mark Twain may have been the American
writer most crazy about cats. From his boyhood in Hannibal,
Missouri, to his last years in Connecticut, Mark Twain spent much
of his life surrounded by cats, and they stalk through many of his
best-known books, including The Innocents Aboard, Roughing It, The
Adventures of Tom Sawyer, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's
Court, and Puddn'head Wilson. In this lighthearted book, Twain
scholar Mark Dawidziak explores the writer's lifelong devotion to
cats through stories, excerpts, quotes, photos, and illustrations,
illuminating a little-known side of this famous writer's life that
will appeal to Twain aficionados and cat lovers alike.
A 25th anniversary history and celebration of The Shawshank
Redemption, one of the most cherished American films of the late
twentieth century and one of the finest movies made from a Stephen
King story. The movie not only boasts a great story, it has a great
backstory, starting with the dollar deal that eventually led King
and co-stars Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman to put their trust in a
largely untested director making his first feature film. Although
the film received mostly positive reviews on its release in
September 1994, the box office was disappointing and it failed to
win many awards. But as Andy tells Red in the film, "no good thing
ever dies." The movie found new life, reaching an ever-growing
audience on cable and home video (through word of mouth, it became
one of the top-rented movies of 1995). Each year, The Shawshank
Redemption rises in polls asking film fans to name their favorite
movies. It has become nothing less than this generation's The
Grapes of Wrath, an inspiring story about keeping hope alive in
bleak times and under the most horrendous conditions.
This collection of Mark Twain quotes presents the best of the
curmudgeonly writer's thoughts on diet, exercise, medicine,
smoking, drinking, romance, parenting, old age, fashion, finances,
politics, and stress management. Curated by a well-known Twain
expert and mining lesser-known texts, speeches, and notebooks, it's
the perfect gift for anyone who's had enough of Gwyneth's
self-righteous advice and the ramblings of the blogosphere. "Be
respectful to your superiors, if you have any."-from an April 15,
1882 speech "Training is everything. The peach was once a bitter
almond; cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college
education."-from Pudd'nhead Wilson "The less a man knows the bigger
the noise he makes and the higher the salary he commands."-from
"How I Edited an Agricultural Paper" Mark Dawidziak has been the
television critic at the Cleveland Plain Dealer since 1999 and is
the author of many books, including the 1994 horror novel Grave
Secrets and two histories of landmark TV series: The Columbo Phile:
A Casebook and The Night Stalker Companion. A recognized Mark Twain
scholar, his acclaimed books on the author include Mark My Words:
Mark Twain on Writing and Horton Foote's The Shape of the River:
The Lost Teleplay About Mark Twain. He is also a playwright,
director, and actor as well as an adjunct professor of journalism
at Kent State University.
Published in 1982, The Barter Theatre Story: Love Made Visible
tells the colorful history of a remarkable American cultural
institution. Opened by native Virginian Robert Porterfield in 1933,
the Barter Theatre offered the people of Abingdon, Virginia, and
the surrounding area entertainment and a much-needed escape from
their Depression-era working lives. It became the State Theatre of
Virginia in 1946 and it is where the likes of Gregory Peck, Ernest
Borgnine, Patricia Neal, Ned Beatty, and Hume Cronyn got their
starts. Mark Dawidziak, a journalist from New York who spent much
of his twenties in Appalachia and grew to admire the theater, tells
the improbable story of the Barter Theatre, which remains one of
the last year-round professional resident repertory theaters in the
country.
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