Timothy Shay Arthur wrote many popular moral stories in the nineteenth century. In this tale, a family sends their son to a prestigious boarding school where he can academically prosper. Though things start off well, he soon falls in with the wrong crowd. The story mirrors the plot of the New Testament parable of the prodigal son, which shows the depth of forgiveness and the power of redemption.

Oscar Wilde upholds his reputation for literary wit from the first line of this 1887 short story: “Unless one is wealthy there is no use in being a charming fellow.” The young Hugh Erskine wants to get married, but his bride’s father declares him too poor. Dejected, Erskine gives his last coin to a beggar who is posing for a portrait. This clever story takes a turn for the better at the end, proving that kindness to strangers reaps unexpected rewards.

This is a charming children’s story penned by the great literary legend Oscar Wilde. The giant protects his beloved garden from intrusion...but at a cost of eternal winter inside. Then one day a special young boy shows up who changes everything. Though infused with religious symbolism, you don’t have to embrace religious faith to appreciate this timeless lesson about love and generosity.

After criticizing US involvement in WWI, Eugene Debs found himself testifying in court for violation of the Sedition Act of 1918. Debs, an outspoken socialist and advocate, stated that he saw this law “as a despotic enactment in flagrant conflict with democratic principles and with the spirit of free institutions.” In his address to the court, he defends his socialism by discussing his working-class childhood and the plight of the American poor. Despite facing years in prison, Debs’ ended ...

While he celebrated higher education as the engine of progress in every aspect of American life, George Keller also challenged academia’s sacred cows and entrenched practices with provocative ideas designed to induce “creative discomfort.” Completed shortly before his death in 2007, Higher Education and the New Society caps the career of one of higher education’s exceptional minds.Refining and expanding ideas Keller developed over his fifty-year career, this book is a clar...

This fine collection of vintage mysteries from the pulp magazines presents 13 tales sure to thrill the armchair detective. Included are:HANDS OF DOOM, by David H. KellerEVIDENCE, by Murray LeinsterTHE DRUMS OF DEATH, by J. Allan DunnHAIR OF THE CAT, by Robert TurnerHELL’S SIPHON, by George Harmon CoxeDIBBLE DABBLES IN DEATH, by David Wright O’BrienCLOSE TO MY HEART, by Chester S. GeierTHE RAG-TAG GIRL, by Norbert DavisMASTER O...

On June 16, 1918, union leader Eugene Debs delivered this speech at the Ohio State Socialist Party Convention. In it, he famously criticized the USA’s involvement in World War I. Four days later, the federal grand jury condemned his speech by way of the Sedition Act of 1918, and he was sentenced to ten years in prison. Debs serves as an inspiration for all those who persistently advocate for the working class despite opposition.

When an American sea captain sees a Spanish slave ship in distress, he reaches out with an offer to help. Once on board, however, the odd behavior of the captain, crew, and slaves leave him with an uneasy feeling that something is not as it seems. Melville based the plot of this novella on real events that occurred off the coast of Chile in 1799. Though it is not Melville’s best-known work, it is favored among scholars as one of his most complex.

While sitting on his private piazza, the narrator imagines life at an idyllic home in the mountains. In his daydream, he meets a lonely young woman who often gazes at his house from afar and wonders about him. Using prose rife with literary allusions, Melville explores the limitations of idealism. This story is found in his collection of short fiction, The Piazza Tales.

George Keller’s case study of Elon University’s transformation from a struggling college with a limited endowment into a top regional university is now available in paperback.Ten years after the publication of Transforming a College, Elon University continues to thrive as a school that reinvented itself and its community around the idea of inspiring and guiding students. George Keller’s now-classic account has been used as an inspiration and playbook for m...

In this story, the narrator is recovering from an illness in the company of Lucy Latimer, a local lady who loves to help the ailing. When he notes a look of sadness in her eyes, she tells him of the “one great sorrow” of her life. Her brush with tragedy reveals the fruits such experiences can have in our lives. Though relatively unknown today, Timothy Shay Arthur was a highly influential voice in nineteenth-century life.

“Jabberwocky” is one of the most well-known nonsense poems in the English language. Though full of playful made-up words like “brillig,” “mimsy,” and frumious,” the poem still tells a story. A young warrior faces up against the fearsome Jabberwock, armed with a “vorpal blade,” and comes out triumphant: “O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!” This poem first appeared in the middle of Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There, Carroll’s follow-up to the well-beloved children’...