Why would someone want to create or own the mounted skin of a dead animal? That's the question Dave Madden explores in The Authentic Animal. Madden starts his journey with the life story of Carl Akeley, the father of modern taxidermy. Akeley started small by stuffing a canary, but by the end of his life he had created the astonishing Akeley Hall of African Mammals at The American Museum of Natural History. What Akeley strove for and what fascinates Madden is the attempt by the tax...

"Beautifully crafted stories [that] move effortlessly between worlds where people misstep into tragic loss and end up in a circus act, or maybe even in love." —Jonis Agee, author of The Bones of ParadiseThis outstanding collection of short stories tells the tale of a different kind of difference—one not set in the glittering lights of New York or Los Angeles, but in the grand and wide American Midwest. For Dave Madden's characters, their queerness is part o...

From one of the most revered Catholic periodicals in the world comes a treasury of Christmas stories that listeners will find both heartwarming and spiritually nourishing. With subjects that range from saints to single mothers, from Depression-era childhoods and poverty to times of great peace and prosperity, these stories remind us of miracle and mystery, of faith and transformation, of all that lives in the spirit of Christmas. Stories include:"Dad's Perfect Christmas Tree" by Da...

Hungary offers the railway photographer a wealth of different trains to document; alongside the state railway operator MAV there are a number of private companies operating all over the country, such as GYSEV, Floyd and AWT. There are also a number of locomotives from the seven countries that border Hungary that work deep into the country. Floyd is a company well known to British railway enthusiasts because of the former British Rail Class 86s and Class 56s that it operates. The Class 86s ...

Thinking of a mid-career change? Downsized? Laid off? Or one of the many who took part in the great resignation? Sooner or later, we may face a time when we must make choices—important choices—about the future of our work lives. It's a big decision to make at any time, but significantly more important—even crucial—at the midpoint of one's career. You've worked hard to get where you are and have something at stake: a reputation, a good salary, and probably substantial benefits—to say nothin...