[phpbay]American Literature,100, “”, “”[/phpbay]



American Literature

Great American Novel Contenders: To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, and The Scarlet Letter

Amongst many clichés in the world of literature is the concept of the Great American Novel. Some argue that it is still waiting to be written, and some argue that it was written long ago and no piece of fiction that follows will ever touch it. This article aims to examine some of the novels that are generally considered top contenders for the title of Great American Novel.

The first is To Kill a Mockingbird. Written by Harper Lee, the novel examines race relations in the American South in the early 20th century with as much nuance and heart as any scholarly work that exists. It also brought the unforgettable characters of Atticus Finch, Jean Louise (Scout) Finch and Boo Radley into American literature. The novel is frequently taught in American high schools, but the story itself is known to those who haven’t read it because of the classic film version starring Gregory Peck. Harper Lee herself has not written any major works since To Kill a Mockingbird, and is highly reluctant to grant interviews or make any public appearances. Her reclusive nature might create an era of mystique around the novel, and increasing public interest in the book.

Next is F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Gatsby is the quintessential post World War I novel, set just outside of New York City in the wake of the Great War. Though much of nation was suffering economically at this time, the Great Gatsby focuses on a part of the country enjoying extreme wealth, privilege, comfort and extravagance. To make sure that the reader knows that these aspects aren’t necessarily being celebrated, Fitzgerald has his narrator, Nick Carraway, be an honest, non-judgmental man from the Midwest, who serves as the moral compass of the novel, though it can also be argued that he might not be the most reliable narrator, and, as a human being himself is also flawed.

Finally, there’s Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. The Scarlet Letter tells the tale of Hester Prynne, a woman who is unfaithful to her elderly husband, has a child out of wedlock, and is subsequently forced to wear a red (scarlet) letter “A” (for “adulterer”) on herself at all times. Like Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, The Scarlet Letter warns against the dangers of judgmental nature and mob mentality. Despite Hester’s indiscretions, the reader sympathizes with her situation and it is difficult to watch her endure the judgment and scrutiny she receives from the others in her town. The novel’s themes of tolerance and understanding make it an excellent candidate for the title of Great American Novel.

It’s likely that scholars will never decide what book actually is the Great American Novel, and that’s fine. Readers are lucky to have so much wonderful fiction to choose from when trying to make their decision, and with exciting writers being discovered every day on bookshelves around the country, there doesn’t seem to be any shortage of contenders. Of course, not every new author is Harper Lee, F. Scott Fitzgerald or Nathaniel Hawthorne, there’s new talent to be discovered around the country, and the debate will live on.

About the Author

Shmoop is an online study guide to learn about To Kill a Mockingbird, Great Gatsby and The Scarlet Letter. Its content is written by Ph.D. and Masters students from top universities, like Stanford, Berkeley, Harvard, and Yale who have also taught at the high school and college levels. Teachers and students should feel confident to cite Shmoop.

[phpbay]Piano Outlet,100, “”, “”[/phpbay]



Piano Outlet

It’s a Wildlife for Indie Artist

Seattle, Washington — WildLife, Gary Paul Bryant’s 10th CD, is quickly climbing jazz and world music charts, airing on more than 100 radio stations from Australia to Europe to the U.S. and topping 120,000 streams and downloads in recent weeks on Soundclick.com alone. Yet, you’ve probably never heard of him.

Recording from his home studio north of Seattle, Washington, Bryant reflects an evolving reality of today’s music industry, where artists who take advantage of new technology can build dynamic careers outside the mainstream.

“People are surprised to find that you can have a strong international fan base and a satisfying career operating in your own niche, a bit below the pop culture radar,” said Bryant.

After an early experience with the traditional corporate recording industry, Bryant began marketing and publishing his own material in the 1980s, a time when producing an album on your own could cost as much as buying a house and marketing meant hauling hundreds of vinyl albums to radio stations and retail outlets.

Then came the 1990s with new recording technology and, of course, the Internet. Music web sites like iTunes, Rhapsody and Napster gave musicians access to worldwide audiences and gave fans an unprecedented selection of genres and styles. Tech-savvy songwriters willing to adapt to the new medium found that making a living through music was no longer an unlikely dream. Bryant’s affinity for technology soon moved him from acoustic pianos and guitars to music workstations, sampling software and digital distribution.

“What really made it interesting for artists is that, in addition to all of the recording and performance gear going digital, support services like CD production, digital distribution and promotion were adapting to the technology in a big way,” said Bryant. One such company, CDBaby.com, founded in 1997 by musician Derek Sivers, has paid more than $80 million directly to artists.

Bryant’s first album, Just a Word, was digitally remastered and released as an anniversary edition in 2004. Seattle Times music critic Patrick MacDonald summed it up: “Exceptional piano work!”

In May 2005 came Imaginary Piano, a high-energy collection of jazz motifs, followed by a collection of original and classic Christmas piano solos, Midnight Clear.

Melding power rock with jazz and classical music, his 2007 project, Big World, reached the No. 1 Jazz spot at SoundClick.com, was featured Jazz selection at Garageband.com and made the Top 10 Jazz playlist at Broadjam.com.

Wildlife, released in August 2008, includes 13 upbeat instrumentals that combine classical, rock and jazz elements. It’s available from iTunes.com, CDBaby and other digital outlets. For information visit http://www.GaryPaulBryant.com

About the Author

[phpbay]Whistle Clarke,100, “”, “”[/phpbay]



Whistle Clarke

Low Interest Rate Credit Cards – How to Qualify With Fair to Average Credit

Most would-be credit card owners these days have a bruise or two on their credit report and feel they may not qualify for low interest credit cards. Depending on the problem that appears on their bureau they very well may be right. However, a large section of the people with fair credit will qualify for credit cards with low interest rates regardless of their credit discrepancies if they can show certain attributes on the credit card application.

Believe it or not, some of the lowest rate credit cards on the market only require “average” credit to qualify for. Knowing which cards, where to apply and how to accent the “positives” on you application is the key to obtaining these cards. We have listed an explanation for these three tips below.

1) Which Credit Cards to Apply for – Credit card issuers offer credit cards these days that come with all types of bells and whistles on them. Leave these credit cards alone. What you are looking for is the plain old fashion credit cards. This means no cash back credit cards, no reward benefits, travel cards and so on. These cards rarely benefit the “average” user and carry a higher default rate than regular credit cards.

The plain or regular credit cards can usually be found at the end of each credit card sections on most credit card websites. This is because they carry a lower profit margin than the cards with bells and whistles attached to them.

2) Where to Get Credit cards for Average Credit – Low interest rate credit cards are rarely sent to your home in the mail. The credit card offers sent to your mail box are usually less attractive clones of the real cards that have lower rates. We suggest that you use these applications to start your fireplace or back yard grill.

The best place to go to get the low interest credit cards is directly into the bank that offers the card. The problem with this is some of the banks that offer the best rates and terms aren’t national banks and may not have a branch where you are.

The next best place to look for low interest rate credit cards is well established online credit card websites. They usually carry a large selection of credit cards that are exactly like the cards you can get directly at the bank.

3) How to Apply for Credit Cards – The credit card issuers aren’t necessarily looking for a high credit score. They are looking for people with a fairly good track record of making payments and the capacity to pay them back.

Let’s assume that I applied for a card having a 720 credit score and a mountain of debt. Let’s assume that and you applied for the same card with only a 620 credit score but with very little debt, you would be the more attractive applicant in many credit card issuers’ eyes.

Details on the application are a key factor when you fill out a low interest rate credit card application. If you have been on your job 3 years and nine months don’t just put 3 years. List your checking account and your savings account if it asks, most people only list their checking. Finally, look at your credit report before you apply with any credit issuers.

The U.S. Public Interest Research Group reports that as many as 25% of consumer credit bureaus are reporting inaccurate information that can cause you to be declined. If you see any errors dispute them immediately, it may take a month or more to get them corrected.

Have the credit bureau add a comment to your bureau that says “consumer disputes this information” immediately. This will not help your score but will tell prospective creditors why your score is low.

Aubrey Clark is an author and editor for DirectBanc.com. He has been writing on financial issues that range from credit cards for Fair credit to Where to Find Low Interest Rate Credit Cards.

About the Author

Aubrey Clark is an author and editor for DirectBanc.com. He has been writing on financial issues that range from credit cards for Fair credit to Where to Find Low Interest Rate Credit Cards.

[phpbay]Book One,100, “”, “”[/phpbay]



Book One

Books In Sync Announces Across Australia From East To West By Thomas Palfy

Thomas has traveled extensively throughout Australia; notebook in hand shooting breathtaking photos of Australia’s diverse awe-inspiring scenery, interesting people and unique wildlife. To keep all those memories alive and to share them with you Thomas has written travelogues and created photo-collections with useful (and funny) comments. His Books Are A Must Have On Your Coffee Table and In Your Library!

About The Author:

Over the years Thomas Palfy along with his wife and traveling companion, Susan has visited numerous attractions of the fifth continent. Out of these rich experiences the books Australian Adventures and Images of Australia were created. These two works describe and illustrate visits to the main cities as well as many national parks with their weird and wonderful landscapes, unusual plants, fascinating animals and encounters with people. The West of the West is a travelogue of a trip to the West Coast and the Kimberley region of Western Australia with many color illustrations. The Hub of Australia and Beyond is a similar account of tours in South Australia and the Northern Territory. Australia Illustrated: The Eastern States completes the trilogy of descriptions and illustrations of recent tours to the states and territories of the fifth continent. Definitely Digital! is a recently published guide to digital photography. Across Australia from East to West is Palfy’s most comprehensive work presenting many of Australia’s incomparable tourist attractions in words and pictures!

Featuring: Across Australia From East To West by Thomas Palfy

Thomas Palfy’s most recent travel guide-photo essay follows the trend established in his earlier works to create interest in the unique attractions of the fifth continent. Melbourne, Australia, July 11, 2009 – Across Australia from East to West by Thomas Palfy is a set of descriptions of several journeys to all states and territories of Australia, richly illustrated with landscapes, people, flowers, buildings and animals. Palfy, with his notebook and camera in hand, his wife by his side, faithfully recorded his encounters with Australia’s diverse scenery, interesting people, and distinctive wildlife.

Serving as a pictorial guide, Across Australia from East to West takes readers on a tour across the length and breadth of the country. Starting the journey in his home state, Victoria, the author then ventures out to the rest of Eastern Australia, followed by visits to the centre and the West. He shares his experiences in words and spectacular images with the would-be-traveler and armchair traveler.

As a follow-up to Palfy’s other travel-photo books, such as The West of the West, The Hub of Australia and Beyond and Australia Illustrated: The Eastern States, this new work could be just the amount of inspiration needed for readers to plan a trip to this unique and extraordinarily beautiful part of the world. Palfy is also the author of Definitely Digital!-a recently published guide to digital photography.

Other Titles by Author Thomas Palfy:

Australia Illustrated: The Eastern States

Australian Adventures

Ausztráliai Képes Album

Australien Mit Der Kamera

Captured with the Camera

Challenge and Adversity: [Six letters to my Daughter]

Definitely Digital!

Nyugattól Nyugatra

Images of Australia

Kalandozások Ausztráliában

The Hub of Australia and Beyond: A pictorial guide to South Australia and the Northern Territory

The West Of The West

Author Thomas Palfy Author’s Website:

http://www.australiantravelstories.com

Author’s Webpage On Book In Sync:

http://www.booksinsync.com/authordirectory/palfythomas.html

Author’s Email:

tpalfy7@gmail.com

Submitted by Books In Sync

Author/Book Promotion

Website: http://www.booksinsync.com

Submission Date: March 2010

About the Author

Books In Sync Offers Author & Book Promotion, Reader’s Cafe, Video Theater, Author Related Contests Connecting To Readers!