"To truly understand the United States, one must understand the 'not-quite states of America." —Mark Stein, best-selling author of How the States Got Their ShapesEveryone knows that America is 50 states and…some other stuff. Scattered shards in the Pacific and the Caribbean, the not-quite states—American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands—and their 4 million people are often forgotten, even by most ...

Everyone knows that the USA is made up of fifty states and, uh . . . some other stuff. The territories of American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the US Virgin Islands are often neglected, but they are filled with American flags and national parks and US post offices and some 4 million people, many of whom are as proudly red-white-and-blue as any Daughter of the American Revolution.In The Not-Quite States of America, Doug Mack ventures 31,000 m...

The weight of burdens and challenges can sometimes overwhelm the joys of life, causing feelings of helplessness, emptiness, and confusion, which create a disconnect from true self and affect mental health. Fear and isolation can overwhelm to extinguish self-belief and spirit. In this photographic collection of 78 poems, including prayers and affirmations, a common thread of three poem groupings lay bare the complexities of life we weave and navigate. The poetry strives to provide calm intr...