Showing results by publisher "Blackstone Audio, Inc." in Essays

Vanity Fair is a cultural filter, sparking the global conversation about the people and ideas that matter most. With a dedication to journalistic excellence and powerful storytelling, Vanity Fair is the first choice - often the only choice - for the world's most influential and important audience. From print to social media, the big screen to the smartphone and now on audio, Vanity Fair is the arbiter of our era.

What defines Boston? Its history? Its landmarks? Its sports teams and shrines? Perhaps the question should be, who defines Boston? From Henry David Thoreau to Dennis Lehane, Boston has been beloved by many of America's greatest writers, and there is no better group of men and women to capture the heart and soul of the Hub. In Our Boston, editor Andrew Blauner has collected both original and reprinted essays from Boston-area writers past and present, all celebrating the city they love.

It is hardly an exaggeration to call Mark Twain one of the true giants of American literature, a master humorist, and a brilliant novelist. But while he is rightfully famed for such masterpieces as Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, the range and depth of his lesser known works is equally impressive. The Mark Twain Sampler is an unforgettable collection of some of his most witty, passionate, fiery, and profound writings.

Written as a series of vignettes, this rewarding book recounts the life and adventures of respected writer Mary Fisher. Decades of travel through America and Europe supply the fodder for these tales, with wonderful details of the people, places, foods, and thoughts that have flavored her journey.

When Jack and Denny Smith decided to build a vacation dream house in Baja, California, they had no idea they were entering a phase of their lives "that would capture the fancy of readers throughout the United States". Through a series of strange and whimsical adventures, they would find that building a house takes God and Mr. Gomez.

Jennifer Worick had a bad day. And then a bad week. She channeled her aggravation into creating the blog “Things I Want to Punch in the Face”, which became a sensation. Although her bad week passed, she has continued to take note of the little irritations that torment us all daily, from old guys with ponytails to 20-minute coffee prep, bizspeak to vanity plates, celebrity baby names to emoticons. Now, just in time for the holiday season, the book showcases more than 100 of Worick’s most punch-worthy aggravations, rated on a scale of 1 to 5 fists.

The handsome Texas sailor who offers dinner to a runaway in Central Park. The Midwestern college girl who stops a cop in Times Square for restaurant advice. The Brooklyn man on a midnight subway who helps a weary tourist find her way to Chinatown. The Columbia University graduate student who encounters an unexpected object of beauty at the Metropolitan Museum of Art....

The Light in the Piazza takes place in Italy in the summer of 1953. Margaret Johnson and her beautiful, twenty-six-year-old daughter, Clara, are touring the Tuscan countryside. While sightseeing, Clara meets a good-looking young Italian man, Fabrizio, and quickly embarks on a whirlwind romance with him, despite her mother's stern disapproval.