In minute-by-minute detail, Patricia Smith tracks Hurricane Katrina as it transforms into a full-blown mistress of destruction. From August 23, 2005, the day Tropical Depression Twelve developed, through August 28 when it became a Category Five storm with its "scarlet glare fixed on the trembling crescent," to the heartbreaking aftermath, these poems evoke the horror that unfolded in New Orleans as America watched it on television. Assuming the voices...

“In a thrilling tilt-a-whirl of crime and drama . . . Smith has carefully chosen writers concerned with the true nature of the small suburban borough.” —Electric Literature
 
Staten Island may be New York City’s forgotten borough, but it ranks high up on the list of places known for organized crime. If that wasn’t enough to boost its noir reputation, there are its haunted...

From Lollapalooza to Carnegie Hall, Patricia Smith has taken the stage as this nation's premier performance poet. Featured in the film Slamnation and on the HBO series Def Poetry Jam, Smith is back with her first book in over a decade-a National Poetry Series winner weaving passionate, bluesy narratives into an empowering, finely tuned celebration of poetry's liberating power.

In The Contemplative Mind in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Patricia Owen-Smith considers how contemplative practices may find a place in higher education. By creating a bridge between contemplative practices and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), Owen-Smith brings awareness of contemplative pedagogy to a larger audience of college instructors, while also offering classroom models and outlining the ongoing challenges of both...

Around Pottstown travels back to Pottstown's golden era. Since its founding in 1752, Pottstown has had a catalytic effect on the surrounding area with its industrial and commercial growth during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The horse and wagon gave way to new transportation methods, such as canal boats, railroads, and bridges, which afforded connections to the world market. Most importantly, this collection of vintage postcards shows Pottstown's...

Berks County was established in 1752 from portions of Chester, Lancaster, and Philadelphia Counties, but its early settlers had already left their marks on the area. Southeastern Berks County covers a mythical trip between the villages Oley, Englesville, Exeter, Yellow House, Earlville, Amityville, Douglassville, Pine Forge, Little Oley, Greshville, Moreysville, Boyertown, Gabelsville, Shanesville, and Pleasantville. It examines why people settled...