Kazuo Ishiguro: New Critical Visions of the Novels

Kazuo Ishiguro is one of the finest contemporary authors who possesses that increasingly rare distinction of being a writer who is both popular with the general reading public and well-respected within the academic community. Kazuo Ishiguro: New Critical Visions of the Novels presents eighteen fresh perspectives on the author's work that will appeal to those who read him for pleasure or for purposes of study. Established and rising critics reassess Ishiguro's works from the early 'Japanese' novels through to his short story cycle Nocturnes, paying particular attention to The Remains of the Day, The Unconsoled, When We Were Orphans and Never Let Me Go. They address universal themes such as history, memory and mortality, but also provide groundbreaking explorations of diverse areas ranging from the posthuman and 'minor literature' to ethics, science fiction and Ishiguro's musical imagination. Featuring an insightful interview with Ishiguro himself, this collection of essays constitutes a significant contribution to the appreciation of his novels, and forms a lively and nuanced constellation of critical enquiry. Preface by Brian W. Shaffer. Essays by: Jeannette Baxter, Caroline Bennett, Christine Berberich, Lydia R. Cooper, Sebastian Groes, Meghan Marie Hammond, Tim Jarvis, Barry Lewis, Liani Lochner, Christopher Ringrose, Victor Sage, Andy Sawyer, Motoyuki Shibata, Gerry Smyth, Krystyna Stamirowska, Motoko Sugano, Patricia Waugh, Alyn Webley.

Literature & Fiction

Lewis, Barry

Groes, Sebastian

Matthews, Sean

British & Irish

Red Globe Press

This edited collection of new and insightful critical essays brings together a wide range of academics whose work stages a forum exploring the key aspects of Kazuo Ishiguro's novels. Featuring an interview with Ishiguro, this groundbreaking book is ideal for anyone studying the work of this major contemporary author.

The guide to contemporary British literature and culture introduces literature and its context since 1979. It includes the work of a wide range of major novelists, poets and playwrights which includes Salman Rushdie and Jeanette Winterson; Mark Ravenhill and Sarah Kane; Carol Ann Duffy and Paul Muldoon; an overview of the cultural and intellectual background including philosophy, politics, technology and visual culture; concise explanations of key terms needed to understand the literature and criticism; key critical approaches to modernism from contemporary critics to the present; a chronology mapping social and political events and literary works and further reading including websites and electronic resource.

Contemporary British Literature and Culture (Introductions to British Literature and Culture)

History & Criticism

Bloomsbury Academic

Introductions to British Literature and Culture provide practical guides to key literary periods. Guides in the series help to orientate students as they begin a new module or area of study, providing concise information on the historical, cultural, literary and critical context and acting as an initial map of the knowledge needed to study the literature and culture of a specific period. Each guide includes an overview of the historical period, intellectual contexts, major genres, critical approaches and a guide to original research and resource materials in the area, enabling students to progress confidently to further study.The guide to contemporary British literature and culture provides students with the ideal introduction to literature and its context since 1979 including: - the cultural and intellectual background including philosophy, politics, technology and visual culture - a wide range of major writers covering prose, poetry and theatre: e.g. Salman Rushdie and Jeanette Winterson; Mark Ravenhill and Sarah Kane; Carol Ann Duffy and Paul Muldoon- concise explanations of key terms needed to understand the literature and criticism - key critical approaches to modernism from contemporary critics to the present - a chronology mapping social and political events and literary works and further reading including websites and electronic resources

Sean grew up impoverished in Baltimore's housing projects where he witnessed unspoken violence, murder, open-market drug dealing, and apathy. While he was able to evade the attractions of his immediate environment by studying and using school as a means of escape, it was inevitable that he and countless others ultimately became a product of the environment. At the age of 16, Sean begins his stint as a drug dealer and when his life began taking on an identity of its own. He was given the nickname "Slimmy" and school was no longer an option. Teaming up with Bodie, the notorious drug kingpin from "The Wire", Sean found himself knee-deep in the drug game and aligned with some of the city's premier gangsters. By the time he was 17, Sean had been arrested twice and shot in the stomach where he faced certain death. Just before his 18th birthday, he would be arrested for the third and final time as part of a larger city initiative to round up known drug dealers including Bodie, Ronnie Moe, and Vitto, my "rap buddies". Sean was handed a ten-year sentence and would not see the streets again until he was 21. Upon his release, Sean understood that prison wasn't where he wanted to spend his life. He clearly understood that he had been given a second chance at life and he was going to take advantage of the opportunity. Armed with just a prison-earned G.E.D Sean would spend his next two decades proving to the sentencing judge, society and himself that one is not and should not be limited by his/her past. Sean just didn’t defeat the odds, he actually denied the odds. He would go onto land employment with corporate firms as a web technology leader and often supervising small teams where he was the only minority and the only non-degree holder. While at Lockheed Martin, Sean received a number of performance awards including The President’s Award. He later joined a marketing firm where he spearheaded the development of the web department that he ultimately grew into a 2 million-dollar business. This book will modify your thinking and perceptions of ex-cons, and what can be achieved when given the opportunity to do so. Though the odds were stacked up against him, Sean's commitment, drive and family support allowed him to overcome the stereotypical persona of an ex-con and achieve what many may see as unthinkable. Based on statistics, Sean should be dead or incarcerated with a hefty sentence but either was an option for him but defeating the odds was!

Defeating the Odds: The Journey of a Convicted Baltimore Drug Dealer

Genre Fiction

Independently published

Academic Freedom and the University of Nottingham

Daly, Macdonald

Criminal Law

Zoilus Press

By the age of 15, Sean was an established Baltimore drug dealer, working directly for "The Wire's" notorious character, Nathan 'Bodie' Barksdale. That same year, at the age of 17, he was shot and later sentenced to a ten-year prison sentence for a host of drug and gun-related charges. Released from prison in late '86, Sean was faced with a decision. Accept one of the many offers to join a drug ring or walk the straight and narrow. As tempting as the fast life was, Sean decided to walk the straight and narrow. Without having a clear goal or directions, Sean was driven by his faith in God, unwavering support from his family and close friends and a little audacity. He not only got a job, Sean would align himself with the right people at the right time and propel himself into a successful career as a website expert.Though he would answer "yes" to the biased question "Have you ever been convicted of a crime?" Sean would not relent. He would face the question dead on and challenge his potential employers with an indirect question. "Are you more interested in my past or the value I offer which contributes to the growth of your company?" He quickly learned that he was just as believable business as he was on the streets. He would use the art of believability as one of his tools as he climbed upward in his career. Armed with just a GED he earned in prison, Sean would spend the next twenty years proving not only that one's past doesn't necessarily define his future but one can turn his life around regardless of his past. Sean would transform himself in such as way that not even the seasoned CEO would recognize a single trait of his former life. Companies such as Lockheed Martin and Corvis and other tech firms would agree. Each would hire Sean as tech leads even prior to receiving required security clearance. Just two weeks into his employment with Lockheed Martin, Sean was selected from amongst a group of ten as team lead. He was the only non-degree holder in amongst the candidates. In his third year with the company, Sean was awarded Lockheed Martin's highest honor, The President's Award for his performance on contract while at The EPA.In 2003, Sean joined a multi-million dollar marketing just outside of Baltimore where he started the web department servicing clients like Perdue Farms and Butterball Turkey. He grew the department from less than 125 thousand dollars per year to over 1.5 million per year. Nine years later, Sean would become a minority party in the firm, leading all web initiatives. Though Sean never dreamed of attaining such success, he never allowed his past to dictate his future. He was an agent of change and approached each and every opportunity with openly and adopted a "you must tell me no" demeanor. The Audacity to Try is a tale of hope, drive, dedication, hard work and possibility. It captures the essence of the human struggle through the lens of a boy who had a deprived upbringing shrowded in drugs and violence but never surrendered to a judges premonition of doom. This book motivates and inspires even the best amongst us to dream big and work to achieve the unachievable.

The Audacity to Try: A Memoir

Biographies & Memoirs

True Crime

CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Matthews, Sean. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Matthews, Sean

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Matthews, Sean. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Kazuo Ishiguro: New Critical Visions of the Novels

Kazuo Ishiguro: New Critical Visions of the Novels

Contemporary British Literature and Culture (Introductions to British Literature and Culture)

Contemporary British Literature and Culture (Introductions to British Literature and Culture)

Defeating the Odds: The Journey of a Convicted Baltimore Drug Dealer

Academic Freedom and the University of Nottingham

The Audacity to Try: A Memoir