The Outer Wards, Sadiqa de Meijer’s new collection, explores questions of maternal love and duty—and the powerlessness that comes with the disruption of that role through illness. “I was awake. / The hour was wrong,” de Meijer writes, and her poems track, in visceral and tender detail, the distraction, exhaustion, exhilaration, and fear of child-rearing through crisis. For de Meijer, the experience was also a crisis of language, and the struggle to find new terms for her state. Ad...

alfabet / alphabet is the record of Sadiqa de Meijer’s transition from speaking Dutch to English. Exploring questions of identity, landscape, family, and translation, the essays navigate the shifting cultural currents of language by using an eclectic approach to storytelling. As such, fellow linguistic migrants to anglophone Canada will recognize elements of their experience in alfabet / alphabet, while lifelong English speakers will perceive their mother tongue in a new light.

In The Field, Sadiqa de Meijer’s follow up to the Governor General’s Award winning alfabet/alphabet, brings us essays that move searchingly through their central questions. What meaning does a birthplace hold? What drives us to make contact with a work of art? How do we honour the remains of the dead? This writing constitutes a form of fieldwork grounded in intimate observation. In The Field is an extraordinary book, one that invites readers to bring renewed attention to their own lives an...

Without a clear focus, its too easy to buckle under to distractions. Set targets for every day beforehand. Decide what youll do; then do it. Without a clear focus, its too easy to buckle under to distractions. Set targets for every day beforehand. Decide what youll do; then do it.

Roo is a dog like no other. He doesn’t conform to conventional expectations; instead, he listens to his heart and celebrates his individuality. Through his kindness and authenticity, he not only enriches his own life but also uplifts those around him. Isn’t that the essence of what we all aim for in our journeys and for future generations? Embracing differences and change can be challenging, yet the author illustrates that Roo’s artistic talent, kindness, and ability to inspire others reve...

The State of Black Louisville report is a collection of essays from engaged community members around Louisville, Kentucky. The report depicts how African Americans in Louisville are doing. The report is packed with data, reflective commentary, and insightful analysis from leading figures and field experts. The State of Black Louisville is a road-map to address longstanding inequities and, more importantly, to pave the way for greater progress.

Surviving the U.S. Health System is a comprehensive, relevant, accessible guidebook to staying healthy and effectively using our nation’s health system during this time of dynamic change. The book, divided into four sections--Insurance, Providers, Well Care and Sick Care--is an invaluable reference for consumers as well as healthcare professionals and professionals-in-training. Surviving the U.S. Health System is packed with information, resources and practical tips unavailable elsewhere i...