Best Selling Books by Kevin Powers

An unforgettable depiction of the psychological impact of war, by a young Iraq veteran and poet, The Yellow Birds is already being hailed as a modern classic.

In this “spellbinding and totally original thriller” (Philipp Meyer, author of The Son) a lonely veteran’s gruesome discovery throws him right into the face of danger as a twisted investigation unravels the secrets of his dark past. One early morning on a Norfolk beach in Virginia, a dead body is discovered by a man taking his daily swim—Arman Bajalan, formerly an interpreter in Iraq. After narrowly surviving an assassination attempt that killed his wife and child, Arman has been given lonely sanctuary in the US as a maintenance worker at the Sea Breeze Motel. Now, convinced that the body is connected to his past, he knows he is still not safe. Seasoned detective Catherine Wheel and her newly minted partner have little to go on beyond a bus ticket in the dead man’s pocket. It leads them to Sally Ewell, a local journalist as grief-stricken as Arman is by the Iraq War, who is investigating a corporation on the cusp of landing a multi-billion-dollar government defense contract. As victims mount around Arman, taking the team down wrong turns and towards startling evidence, they find themselves in a race, committed to unraveling the truth and keeping Arman alive—even if it costs them absolutely everything.

The award-winning author of The Yellow Birds returns with an extraordinary debut poetry collection. National Book Award finalist, Iraq war veteran, novelist and poet Kevin Powers creates a deeply affecting portrait of a life shaped by war. Letter Composed During a Lull in the Fighting captures the many moments that comprise a soldier''s life: driving down the Texas highway; waiting for the unknown in the dry Iraq heat; writing a love letter; listening to a mother recount her dreams. Written with evocative language and discernment, Powers''s poetry strives to make sense of the war and its echoes through human experience. Just as The Yellow Birds was hailed as the "first literary masterpiece produced by the Iraq war," this collection will make its mark as a powerful, enduring work (Los Angeles Times).

Set in Virginia during the Civil War and a century beyond, this novel by the award-winning author of The Yellow Birds explores the brutal legacy of violence and exploitation in American society. Spanning over one hundred years, from the antebellum era to the 1980''s, A Shout in the Ruins examines the fates of the inhabitants of Beauvais Plantation outside of Richmond, Virginia. When war arrives, the master of Beauvais, Anthony Levallios, foresees that dominion in a new America will be measured not in acres of tobacco under cultivation by his slaves, but in industry and capital. A grievously wounded Confederate veteran loses his grip on a world he no longer understands, and his daughter finds herself married to Levallois, an arrangement that feels little better than imprisonment. And two people enslaved at Beauvais plantation, Nurse and Rawls, overcome impossible odds to be together, only to find that the promise of coming freedom may not be something they will live to see. Seamlessly interwoven is the story of George Seldom, a man orphaned by the storm of the Civil War, looking back from the 1950s on the void where his childhood ought to have been. Watching the government destroy his neighborhood to build a stretch of interstate highway through Richmond, he travels south in an attempt to recover his true origins. With the help of a young woman named Lottie, he goes in search of the place he once called home, all the while reckoning with the more than 90 years he lived as witness to so much that changed during the 20th century, and so much that didn''t. As we then watch Lottie grapple with life''s disappointments and joys in the 1980''s, now in her own middle-age, the questions remain: How do we live in a world built on the suffering of others? And can love exist in a place where for 400 years violence has been the strongest form of intimacy? Written with the same emotional intensity, harrowing realism, and poetic precision that made The Yellow Birds one of the most celebrated novels of the past decade, A Shout in the Ruins cements Powers'' place in the forefront of American letters and demands that we reckon with the moral weight of our troubling history.

Chaque matin à l’aube, Arman Bajalan se rend sur la plage d’Ocean View, en Virginie, avant de prendre son poste d’agent d’entretien au Sea Breeze Motel. Le jour où cet ancien interprète de l’armée américaine en Irak, réfugié aux États-Unis après avoir survécu à une tentative d''assassinat, découvre le corps d’un homme en costume sur le rivage, il comprend qu’il n’en a toujours pas fini avec son passé. La lieutenante Catherine Wheel et son nouveau co-équipier, le sergent Lamar Adams, n''ont pas grand-chose à se mettre sous la dent : la victime ne présente ni blessure apparente, ni signe de consommation de drogue. Ses poches sont vides, à l’exception d’un ticket de bus qui les mène à Sally Ewell, une jeune journaliste enquêtant sur une société militaire privée sur le point de décrocher un contrat de plusieurs milliards de dollars avec le gouvernement. Alors que les victimes se multiplient autour d''Arman, Catherine et Lamar se retrouvent engagés dans une course contre la montre pour découvrir la vérité et garder Arman en vie – coûte que coûte. Traduit de l’anglais (États-Unis) par Emmanuelle et Philippe Aronson

Finaliste du National Book Award, Kevin Powers a connu un succès international avec son premier roman Yellow birds, écrit à son retour d’Irak, où il a servi en 2004 et 2005. Il trouve dans la poésie une forme plus organique encore pour restituer les moments minuscules et fragiles de la vie de soldat et dire la réalité hallucinée de la guerre, la honte et la culpabilité qui hantent le retour à la vie lorsqu’on a trop appris sur la mort. Et quand « le monde a été remplacé par l’idée que nous en avons ». Une poésie brute, intime et universelle, qui provoque l’émotion.

DE GULE FUGLE er en samtidsroman om krigens konsekvenser og samtidig en poetisk skildring af mod, venskab og kærlighed til livet midt i en brutal virkelighed. I den irakiske by Al Tafar balancer enogtyvårige Bartle og attenårige Murphy på kanten af liv og død uden at forstå omfanget af den kamp, de står midt i. Før afrejsen til Irak har Bartle lovet Murphys mor at passe på hendes søn. Men under krigen bliver Murphy stadig mere fjern, og en dag forsvinder han. Nogen har imidlertid set ham gå nøgen og blodig gennem byen, og til sidst finder Bartle ham tortureret og myrdet. For Bartle begynder nu kampen imod at gå fra forstanden i en verden fyldt med løgne og uretfærdighed

Kevin Powers is a Certified Public Accountant, eligible bachelor, occasional moron, and now an amateur cookbook author. Purchase this book to bring him into your home without having to hear why blink-182 isn''t just for teenage girls or why White Claws are no less girly than a Mike''s Hard.

GRAND PRIX DE LITTÉRATURE AMÉRICAINE 2019 ! Cette plantation est au centre du second roman de Kevin Powers, dans lequel il tente d''approcher la vérité de ceux qui y ont vécu. Nul n''a jamais su par exemple ce qu''il était advenu d''Emily Levallois. A-t-elle péri en 1865 dans l''incendie criminel de la plantation, dont elle est la coupable désignée, et qui a causé la mort de son esclavagiste de mari ? Ou bien a-t-elle réinventé sa vie ailleurs, comme le suppose la rumeur. L''Histoire ne le dit pas, laissant au romancier le soin d''en décider. L''Histoire ne dit pas plus ce que sont devenus Rawls et Nurse, ce couple d''esclaves affranchis dont le destin est intimement lié à la plantation. Des années plus tard (dans les années 1950), à Richmond, un vieil homme cherche lui aussi à retracer sa propre histoire. De ses origines il ne sait rien, sinon qu''il a été recueilli par Miss Dolores à l''âge de trois ans, après qu''elle l''ait trouvé devant sa porte, avec ce mot : « Suffolk, Virginie 1866. Je m''appelle Georges. J''ai presque trois ans. Prenez soin de moi. » À travers les destins croisés de ces personnages à la dérive, Kevin Powers replonge dans l''histoire violente et déchirée du Sud et explore cette question depuis toujours au coeur des hommes : quelle trace sur terre laissons-nous ?

"Jag lovar", sa jag. "Jag lovar att se till att han kommer hem." På ett hustak i en raserad och öde stad i norra Irak hukar en grupp amerikanska soldater i väntan på att striderna ska sätta igång på nytt. Bland dem finns den tjugoettårige Bart och den tre år yngre Murph. Tillsammans delar de krigets leda och fasor. De räknar döda och söker efter tecken som tyder på att just de kommer att överleva ännu en gång. När det grå gryningsljuset lättar ska de resa sig och ge sig ut i det torra septemberlandskapet, över kala fält med sönderbrända kroppar, mot ett slag som de redan har utkämpat många gånger och som de kommer att tvingas utkämpa igen. Obönhörligt rör sig de båda unga männen mot tragedin. Hemma i USA några månader senare försöker Bart finna sig tillrätta i en vardag som blivit honom främmande. Han plågas av mardrömslika minnen, av andras försök att göra honom till hjälte och av löftet han gav till Murphs mamma innan bataljonen klev ombord på planet till Irak – ett löfte han inte kunde hålla. Kevin Powers De gula fåglarna är en poetisk och våldsam roman om att försöka vara människa mitt i ett brinnande krig.

Elke oorlog heeft zijn eigen, definitieve romans. De Eerste Wereldoorlog heeft Im Westen nichts Neues en A Farewell to Arms. De Tweede Wereldoorlog heeft Catch-22. Het jaar 2012 ziet de komst van de grote roman over de oorlog in Irak: De gele vogels. De gele vogels is het verhaal van de jonge soldaat Bartle, voor wie de oorlog in Irak een uitzichtloze leegte is. Zijn eindeloze dagen zitten vol dood, verderf, maar vooral verveling. In een wanhopige poging grip te krijgen op zijn frustraties, klampt Bartle zich vast aan de kameraadschap met zijn lotgenoten, in het bijzonder zijn vriend Murphy. De gele vogels is de ultieme roman over de oorlog van nu, geschreven door een superieur talent dat zelf in Irak zijn sporen heeft verdiend. Kevin C. Powers laat de lezer tegelijk ooggetuige, schuldige en martelaar zijn in een adembenemend boek, waarvan de rechten voor verschijnen al aan zestien landen werden verkocht. Kevin C. Powers ging op zijn zeventiende het leger in. Een jaar lang diende hij in Irak. Na zijn vertrek uit het leger en een aantal zinloze baantjes schreef hij zich in bij de universiteit van Virginia om Engels te studeren. Hij doceert op dit moment poëzie aan de universiteit van Texas in Austin. `Toen ik De gele vogels las, was ik er zeker van dat ik in de nabijheid was van een boek dat prijzen zal winnen, een klassieker zal worden en de lat voor toekomstige beschrijvingen van de oorlog veel hoger zal leggen. Dit is een buitengewone literaire prestatie. Ik spoor iedereen aan dit boek te lezen. chris cleave, auteur van kleine bij en goud `De gele vogels is even intens als aangrijpend geschreven; elk moment, elke herinnering, elk object, elke beweging is bijeen getoverd met een felle en precieze concentratie en een sterk gevoel van waarachtigheid. colm tóibín `De gele vogels is de Im Westen nichts Neues van de Amerikaanse Arabische oorlogen. tom wolfe

Piantagione di Beauvais, Virginia. Guerra civile americana. Il proprietario terriero Antony Levallois è stanco della produzione di tabacco e cotone. Sa che il futuro appartiene ai grandi capitali e all’industria. È un uomo senza scrupoli, che mira soltanto a difendere i suoi interessi e a ingrandire la sua ricchezza. Quando il vicino Bob Reid parte per la guerra, Levallois sfrutta la sua assenza per soffiargli la proprietà, sedurre e sposare Emily, la figlia dodicenne di Reid e prendersi i suoi schiavi, fra cui la giovane Nurse. Quando Bob Reid torna a casa dal fronte, sfigurato e mutilato, non trova più nessuno ad attenderlo, la sua tenuta non gli appartiene più e sua figlia è sposata con il responsabile della sua rovina. A un uomo disperato resta una sola scelta: la vendetta. L’acclamato autore di Yellow Birds torna con un romanzo faulkneriano sul potere e la violenza. Un libro che solo apparentemente racconta la guerra civile americana e lo schiavismo, per esplorare piuttosto la potenza delle pulsioni che muovono ogni uomo. “ Ricorda Faulkner. Un romanzo incredibile sulla schiavitù e la distruzione e sulle sfide dell’amore.” Kirkus “ Un grido nelle rovine conferma il talento eccezionale di Kevin Powers.” The Guardian “ Un capolavoro. Powers ha scritto un romanzo che comprende tutta la ferocia, la complessità, e la violenza razziale degli Stati del Sud, dalla loro caduta fino alla loro eventuale rinascita.” Philipp Meyer

In the midst of a bloody battle in the Iraq War, two soldiers, bound together since basic training, do everything to protect each other from both outside enemies and the internal struggles that come from constant danger.

Of the tissues that make up the human body, bone and skin remain the most in demand due to the pervasiveness of skin lesions, chronic wounds, and osteoporosis-related issues. Congenital and acquired craniofacial abnormalities also require use and understanding of these two tissue types for comprehensive reconstruction of the affected areas. The variety and complexity of such complications makes craniofacial reconstruction expensive and time-consuming. The formulation and administration of novel biomaterials is necessary to combat these ever-growing needs. Technologies such as three-dimensional (3D) bioprintingthe deposition of biologically conducive or inductive materials using prescribed toolpaths generated from 3D modelsare expanding ways biomaterials are processed and can interact with the body. However, as the intricacy of these materials increases, it is vital to understand the interactions between them. As such, novel hydrogel-based rat bone mesenchymal stem cell (rBMSC)-laden bone and rat dermal fibroblast (RDF)-laden skin 3D-printable bioinks were developed to stimulate the recovery of the tissues, bioprinted, and characterized in order to determine their in vitro response. Cell proliferation assays showed no decrease in proliferation rate for directly cocultured samples. Enhanced fibrogenesis in and morphology of direct-contact cocultured constructs was observed using SEM and gene expression for both groups was quantified using RT-qPCR (using markers for runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), collagen type I (COL), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP)). In conclusion, a novel way to culture and study the interface of composite bioprinted constructs is proposed in order to further study the complex interactions of proximate cell-laden biomaterials in vitro with craniofacial reconstruction in mind.

Fear can''t live here and doubt can''t either. Although this fight is internal, it''s too great to lose. As the spelling bee approaches, O''Shea is unsure if he''s prepared to win. As soon as self-doubt crept up, his old friends Fear and Nervous paid him a visit too. They tried to convince him that he was not capable of doing what he is set out to do. On the day of the spelling bee O''Shea stumbles across Fear and Nervous again, but this time he''s prepared. He meets Fear and Doubt with Confidence. O''Shea learns that if he believes in himself, there is nothing that he cannot do. Spelling bees are easy when you believe in yourself.

In the midst of a bloody battle in the Iraq War, two soldiers, bound together since basic training, do everything to protect each other from both outside enemies and the internal struggles that come from constant danger. This novel written by a veteran of the war in Iraq, is the harrowing story of two young soldiers trying to stay alive. "The war tried to kill us in the spring." So begins this powerful account of friendship and loss. In Al Tafar, Iraq, twenty-one-year old Private Bartle and eighteen-year-old Private Murphy cling to life as their platoon launches a bloody battle for the city. Bound together since basic training when Bartle makes a promise to bring Murphy safely home, the two have been dropped into a war neither is prepared for. In the endless days that follow, the two young soldiers do everything to protect each other from the forces that press in on every side: the insurgents, physical fatigue, and the mental stress that comes from constant danger. As reality begins to blur into a hazy nightmare, Murphy becomes increasingly unmoored from the world around him and Bartle takes actions he could never have imagined. In addition the novel also offers insight into the effects of a hidden war on mothers and families at home.