Letters Language

An inspiring and eminently useful guide to the art of letter writing, including prompts and exercises to help deepen our most important connections and heal old wounds, by a beloved “letter midwife.” “A pragmatic, empathetic, urgent call to stop avoiding the hardest conversations and start...

This audiocourse, titled "American Language for Beginners," is meticulously designed to introduce learners to the foundational aspects of American Sign Language (ASL), one of the most widely used languages among the deaf and hard-of-hearing communities in the United States. Spanning several comprehensive lessons, this course starts by teaching common signs and then reviews the ASL alphabet and numbers, where each is described in detail, ensuring that learners can grasp the hand shapes and movements associated with each character.

J.R.R. Tolkien’s writings on the Second Age of Middle-earth, collected for the first time in one volume. J.R.R. Tolkien famously described the Second Age of Middle-earth as a ‘dark age, and not very much of its history is (or need be) told’. And for many years readers would need to be...

A collection of three medieval English poems, translated by Tolkien for the modern-day reader and containing romance, tragedy, love, sex and honour. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Pearl are two poems by an unknown author written in about 1400. Sir Gawain is a romance, a fairy-tale for...

A heartfelt and inspiring memoir and celebration of Deaf culture by Nyle DiMarco, actor, producer, two-time reality show winner, and cultural icon of the international Deaf community Before becoming the actor, producer, advocate, and model that people know today, Nyle DiMarco was half of a pair...

Scarlet sin. Public shame. Puritan nonsense. What’s a Sweary Classic? The complete, unabridged original story—same plot, same characters, same emotional devastation—just translated into modern, hilarious, sweary language that doesn’t require a theology degree to understand. Think: all the guilt, zero God-bothering sanctimony. Hester Prynne gets dragged into the middle of a Puritan dumpster fire after having an affair and giving birth to a child she’s forced to raise alone. The town brands her with a scarlet “A” and treats her like a moral contagion, while Reverend Dimmesdale, ...

'A breathtaking adventure through the alphabet... An absolutely delightful read, filled with jewels of lightly worn scholarship and dazzling insight. I just couldn't recommend it more highly.' Stephen Fry 'An excellent read.' Susie Dent 'You'll never look at a keyboard the same way after reading...

Words shape laws. They justify force. They decide who is protected and who is punished. In this installment of the Letter to America series, a U.S. Navy Veteran examines how powerful terms like domestic terrorist, threat, and extremist have expanded in meaning, and why that expansion matters to every citizen. This short, reflective letter explores: How legal definitions can be stretched through interpretation Why permitted actions like protesting or lawful carry can still result in punishment The growing gap between rights on paper and rights in practice What happens when language is used ...

Combined into one volume, this is the definitive collection of Tolkien’s five acclaimed modern classic ‘fairie’ tales in the vein of The Hobbit, read by Derek Jacobi. The five tales are written with the same skill, quality and charm that made The Hobbit a classic. Largely overlooked...

Building on the story begun in The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring, this is the second part of Tolkien’s epic masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings. Frodo and the Companions of the Ring have been beset by danger during their quest to prevent the Ruling Ring from falling into the hands of...

A fascinating history of American profanity that traces how taboo language has shaped US politics, religion, and pop culture, and how it has evolved into an expression of power and rebellion. For four hundred years, Americans have been told to watch their language. For four hundred years, they...

One of the key benefits of phonological awareness instruction is its ability to support typical listeners. By providing explicit and systematic instruction in phonological awareness, educators can help students develop strong phonemic awareness skills, which are crucial for decoding words, understanding spelling patterns, and developing fluency. This, in turn, leads to improved reading comprehension and overall literacy skills.

This evocative and gripping investigative look into romantic relationships between incarcerated people and their spouses on the outside “is impossible to put down” (The Globe and Mail, Toronto). What is it like to fall in love with someone in prison? Over the course of five years, Elizabeth...

"The Comprehensive Guide to Language: Foundations, Forms, and Functions" is an expansive exploration into the essence of human communication, designed to bridge the gap between academic linguistics and the curious general reader. This guide serves as a portal into the world of language, offering a panoramic view of its role as the foundation of culture, thought, and social interaction. Structured into three primary sections—Foundations, Forms, and Functions—this guide delves into the scientific study of language, the astonishing diversity of linguistic expression across the globe, and ...

What remains when the voice is silenced, but the heart still longs to speak? Letters from the Margins of Grace gathers the lost voices of the nineteenth century—the women and men who wrote from asylums, prisons, garrets, and forgotten parlors. Some letters were sent and never answered; others were never sent at all. Each bears the quiet imprint of endurance: faith whispered in solitude, forgiveness written without witness, and love preserved against the silence of history. Through these pages, the human spirit speaks across centuries—not in proclamation, but in prayer. In an age that ...

One of The New Statesman's Best Books of the Year One of Kirkus Reviews' Best Nonfiction Books of 2024 One of The New Yorker's 'Best Books We've Read in 2024 So Far' THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITORS' CHOICE The letters of one of the greatest observers of the human species, revealing...

In this brilliant collection, the follow-up to her New York Times bestseller Reading Like a Writer, the distinguished novelist, literary critic, and essayist celebrates the pleasures of reading and pays homage to the works and writers she admires above all others, from Jane Austen and Charles...

This volume of short essays and other pieces by C. S. Lewis is part of a larger collection, C. S. Lewis: Essay Collection and Other Short Pieces. In addition to his many books, letters, and poems, C. S. Lewis wrote a great number of essays and shorter pieces on various subjects. He wrote...

Scarlet is the colour of sin, and the letter ’A’ stands for ’Adultery’. In the 1600s, in Boston, Massachusetts, love was allowed only between a husband and a wife. A child born outside marriage was a child of sin. Hester Prynne must wear the scarlet letter on her dress for the rest of her life. How can she ever escape from this public shame? What will happen to her child, growing up in the shadow of the scarlet letter? The future holds no joy for Hester Prynne.

For anyone who wants to make fewer (not less) grammar mistakes, this “passionate, enlightening, and easily navigable manual is certainly the right book at the right time” (Publishers Weekly)—reminiscent of the New York Times bestseller Eats, Shoots & Leaves. Our language is changing...