Welcome to Issue 53 of the SUPERIOR BOOK PRODUCTIONS newsletter!
If you missed the world premiere of my new play Willpower last year, now you can read it. Hot off the press, Willpower: An Original Play about Marquette’s Ossified Man contains the full libretto of the play, along with sheet music of the songs, numerous photos of the play as well as historical photos and commentary and an essay by the director.
Willpower is about Will Adams, a young man at the turn of the twentieth century who was stricken with ossification, which meant his body tissues hardened until he lost the use of his limbs and became a living statue. Despite that, he lived an incredibly productive life as a cartoonist, newspaper editor, and playwright. This inspiring tale of overcoming adversity is based on a true story and was first produced by the Marquette Regional History Center at Kaufman Auditorium in Marquette, Michigan in September 2014. I’m pleased now that those who did not see it or who did see it and want to re-experience it can do so with this new book version.
Willpower is available in local bookstores and gift shops in Upper Michigan and through my website www.MarquetteFiction.com. I’ll also have copies at the Outback Art Fair at Picnic Rocks in Marquette on July 25 & 26.
A DVD of the original production is also available exclusively through the Marquette Regional History Center’s gift shop.
And of course, more great books are below, so check them out and have a great summer catching up on your reading.
Tyler
New Books
Elle McLarin, known as “Badass Barbie” to her detractors, is the kind of girl whom readers just love to hate—at least she was until now. Mary Flinn introduced Elle in the first book of her Kyle and Chelsea series, The One, where Elle made an unforgettable debut as a high school senior so infatuated with Kyle that she gave him a roofie at a party to try to loosen him up so he’d have sex with her. That plan backfired—really backfired. When the party was raided by the cops, Kyle was found unconscious with his pants down. Elle ended up serving a prison term, during which time, she gave birth to her first child—out of wedlock, of course. Since then, Elle has dwelled on the margin of the Kyle and Chelsea series, occasionally being mentioned or making cameo appearances, but never having a chance to tell her own story.
Until now....
To read more, visit A Girl Like That.
Grace Blodgett, who has worked as a nurse for fifty years in numerous hospitals across the United States and has a Ph.D. in Human Sexuality, has too often seen how sexuality is an issue for people in the healthcare professions and for their patients. Now she has written this handbook, Understanding Patients’ Sexual Problems, so healthcare workers can have greater understanding of their patients’ sexual needs, concerns, and personal situations. Blodgett presents the facts, supported by extensive research, and she offers points for discussion and room for greater familiarity with various sexual issues, while avoiding offering personal opinions. The result is an invaluable tool for healthcare professionals from nurses to doctors and EMTs and anyone else who comes into contact with patients.
To read more, visit Understanding Patients’ Sexual Problems.
Since the beginning of time, humans have watched birds, been fascinated with them, and tried to imitate their ability to fly. Few of us, however, take the time to think deeply about feathers, their function, symbolism, and possibilities. Chris Maynard is an exception. He is an artist who likes to use the image of the feather to open up people’s minds and vision to the possibilities of art and new ways to see the world.
In Feathers, Form, and Function, Maynard offers us the opportunity to re-envision what feathers are—what is their meaning and purpose—and he complements his words with his beautiful, diverse, inspired, and surprising artwork. While I am not a visual artist like Maynard, but rather a writer, I am always interested and amazed by the works of other creative people and, especially in this case, by the attention Maynard gives to his craft.
To read more, visit Feathers, Form and Function.
Sue Mocker’s new book The Hope Factor is not a feel-good book, at least not at first. This is no head in the clouds, wishful thinking, unrealistic positive attitude book. Instead, Sue knows the difficulties of life. In fact, the book begins with the shocking revelation made by her husband that he’s in love with another woman. How more depressing and upsetting can life get?
But hold on. I’m not being critical. I say all this to let readers know that Sue is a woman who understands how hard life can be, yet she hangs onto hope regardless. In fact, she’s spent a lot of time turning the abstract concept of hope into a practical process that she calls Hope Pie, and through that process, she teaches us to put the pie pieces together so we can find the fruit of the pie, the hope that always exists when we look for it, and when we seek, we will find.
To read more, visit The Hope Factor.
We’ve all heard about “thinking outside the box,” but for Elena Rahrig, that’s just not good enough. She knows it’s hard to think outside the box when you’re afraid to come out of your box. Only people who aren’t afraid of putting themselves out there despite what other people think can truly think outside the box, and to do that, you have to be willing to step outside the box and stay out of it. For that reason, Elena created BoxCrushers, a motivational method to help people develop into being Warrior BoxCrushers. And now she is bringing that method to readers in her new book Are You Boxed In?
But why become a Warrior? Because being a Warrior, for Elena, means not being afraid to embrace your full potential.
To read more, visit Are You Boxed In?
Lyla Berg has never been afraid of taking a risk in life. No, let me rephrase that. She has learned how to overcome her fears—to leave her gilded cage—so she can benefit from the possibilities and successes that risk-taking can bring. Whether it’s getting married, getting divorced, raising a son, being a school principal, running for political office, traveling to foreign lands, or learning to dance Argentine tango, Lyla has learned to overcome her fears and self-doubts, embrace new opportunities, and find joy even in life’s most difficult moments.
How does she do it? First and foremost, she has learned to open her heart-soul connection. That is her secret for living life on her own terms. Early in Leaving the Gilded Cage, Lyla explains to us why she values the heart-soul connection so much:
To read more, visit Leaving the Gilded Cage.
