New Releases by Nancy Armstrong

Nancy Armstrong and Leonard Tennenhouse challenge traditional accounts of the origins of modern Anglo-American culture by focusing on the emergence of print culture in England and the North American colonies. They postulate a modern middle class that consisted of authors and intellectuals who literally wrote a new culture into being. Milton's Paradise Lost marks the emergence of this new literacy. The authors show how Milton helped transform English culture into one of self-enclosed families made up of self-enclosed individuals. However, the authors point out that the popularity of Paradise Lost was matched by that of the Indian captivity narratives that flowed into England from the American colonies. Mary Rowlandson's account of her forcible separation from the culture of her origins stresses the ordinary person's ability to regain those lost origins, provided she remains truly English. In a colonial version of the Miltonic paradigm, Rowlandson sought to return to a family of individuals much like the one in Milton's depiction of the fallen world. Thus the origin both of modern English culture and of the English novel are located in North America. American captivity narratives formulated the ideal of personal life that would be reproduced in the communities depicted by Defoe, Richardson, and later domestic fiction. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1992.

Children today are going through a lot—they are busy with school, involved in extracurricular activities, and trying to navigate the world of COVID and other concerns. Teachers and parents are busy too—with work, school, and parenting activities. How will they have the time to teach valuable skills such as manners and respect to children? These are “soft skills”; the skills necessary to work with others and be a respected and valuable citizen in the workplace of tomorrow. Soft Skills for Kids: In Schools, at Home, and Online, 2nd Edition, focuses on ways that teachers and parents can work together to teach soft skills to the children in their lives. This book is not a curriculum program or set of lessons to help children, but rather a series of “teachable moments” in which adults teach strategies to children as they happen. Finally, as the education of children has changed recently due to the pandemic with an increased number of children learning online, this book will be a great resource for how adults can work together to help children learn soft skills—in schools, at home, and online.

In the decades after U.S. independence, American novelists carried on an argument that pitted direct democracy against the representative liberalism they attributed to their British counterparts. The result was an American novel distinguished by its use of narrative tropes that generated a social system resembling today's distributed network.

From wine to wiper fluid, Field Guide to Stains provides effective techniques for rescuing clothes, upholstery, carpet, and wallpaper from stains caused by: Fruits and vegetables Dairy products Household items Office supplies Sauces and condiments Beauty products Bodily functions And more! Featuring a glossary of cleaning techniques and the basic products any would-be clean person should have on hand, this guide is the perfect accoutrement for the laundry room, kitchen, nursery, garage, or any other place stains might occur.

Here’s easy access to the essential information about common (and some not-so-common) gestures you may encounter at home or abroad. Field Guide to Gestures is organized into handy sections for quick reference when time is of the essence and interpretation is everything. If a man bends his torso forward when meeting you, turn to the “Arrival/Departure” chapter to learn more about the bowing gesture. When the woman at the end of the bar flips her hair and looks your way, turn to the “Mating” chapter to learn just what she’s trying to say. And if your friend has intertwined his index finger and middle fingers as the night’s lottery numbers are being read, go to “No Words Needed” to learn more about the crossed fingers gesture. This practical guide includes more than 100 full-color photographs of the world’s most common gestures, plus cross-referenced descriptions throughout, including historical background and common usage. Helpful step-by-step directions and detailed line drawings teach you how to perform each gesture correctly.

Whether you're going solo, looking to heighten your pleasure with a longtime partner, or in search of threesomes, a crowd, or even extreme kinkiness, this menu of delights offers something to fit every taste. So open up for basic information and answers, tips on getting it on in style, and sizzling erotica—all served with just the right touch of snark and heat.

Teens have questions about sex. This simple manual answers their questions--honestly, simply, and reliably. What does an orgasm feel like? Does masturbating have any long-term negative effects? Does alcohol kill brain cells? Teens have questions about sex; it's a matter of who they ask and how reliable the answers are. Collected directly from teens and presented in a simple and accessible Q&A format, Elisabeth Henderson and Dr. Nancy Armstrong's 100 QUESTIONS YOU'D NEVER ASK YOUR PARENTS provides information about sex, drug, body, and mood in a way that's honest, nonjudgmental, and responsible.

Rockefeller Center had its first Christmas tree even before any buildings rose to fill the space: in 1931, just after they cleared the site, construction workers decorated a small balsam fir with the most humble of ornaments, from garlands of paper to tin cans. Since, then the tree has become one of the wonders of the holiday season, as thousands of people come together to gaze at the bright and sparkling sight. For many, it one of the surest signs that Christmas is near. The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree tells the story of this now-landmark calendar event. Not only does it provide background on how the tree is chosen, cut, transported, and decorated, as well as fun facts (it now has LED lights and after the holiday, it lumber is used for a Habitat for Humanity house), but it also follows at least one family in each decade whose pine ended up becoming one of New York's most popular tourist attractions. Handsomely bound, with full-color illustrations, this lovely gift book makes a great stocking stuffer and a special treat for anyone who has visted or dreams of visting the Rockefeller Center at Christmastime. This gift set also includes a beautiful ornament that you can hang upon your own Christmas tree, honoring the tradition of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree during your own holiday celebrations.

Rockefeller Center had its first Christmas tree even before any buildings rose to fill the space: in 1931, just after they cleared the site, construction workers decorated a small balsam fir with the most humble of ornaments, from garlands of paper to tin cans. Since then, the tree has become one of the wonders of the holiday season, as thousands of people come together to gaze at the bright and sparkling sight. For many, it is one of the surest signs Christmas is near. The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree tells the story of this now-landmark calendar event. Not only does it provide background on how the tree is chosen, cut, transported, and decorated, as well as fun facts (it now has LED lights and, after the holiday, its lumber is used for a Habitat for Humanity house), but it also follows at least one family in each decade whose pine ended up becoming one of New York’s most popular tourist attractions. Handsomely bound, with a ribbon marker, this lovely gift book makes a great stocking stuffer and a special treat for anyone visiting Rockefeller Center at Christmastime.

Nancy Armstrong explores how Daniel Defoe, Jane Austen and Samuel Richardson created unforgettable protagonists who could overcome the limits of their social positions and how later, Victorian authors like Mary Shelley repackaged individuality in monstrous forms that threaten British society with collapse.

"Today we are awash in computerized Bible games, pastoral care software, and church management systems with members’ personal information and giving records," observe authors Spiegel, Armstrong, and Bill, but "too often we blindly accept and use technology without asking the big questions. Questions like, is it appropriate to our mission and ministry?" 40 Days and 40 Bytes will help your congregation explore technology so you can decide, from a ministry and culture standpoint, what you need to do. The goal: godly service—not technological glitz. The authors are uniquely qualified to help you think about the role of technology in your congregation. All three are staff members with the Indianapolis Center for Congregations, which launched the innovative Computers and Ministry Grants Initiative in 1998 to help congregations address the challenges they face when using computer technology in their ministries. In this book, they share what they have learned in their work with 102 congregations. There’s no question your congregation is going to use computer technology. The only question is, "How?" 40 Days and 40 Bytes will help you design technology that fits your ministry and mission.

Snow days take on a whole new meaning with this innovative kit devoted to the old-fashioned pursuit of snowman-building. The lighthearted 64page handbook offers instruction and illustrated tips for creating the traditional snowperson, plus many variations, decorative flourishes, and whimsical ideas for wintertime fun. The kit includes all the essentials: black felt top hat, red vinyl scarf, "coal" eye pieces, "carrot" nose, and "corn cob" pipe. It's also loads of fun on the beach for building sand figures!

In this study of British realism, Armstrong explains how fiction entered into a relationship with the new popular art of Victorian photography that transformed the world into a picture.

"A strikingly original treatment of the rise of the novel, Desire and Domestic Fiction makes a major contribution to feminist theory, to the understanding of the role of gender in culture and its relation to political change, and to studies in the history of the British novel. Its successful application of contemporary theory, especially its use of Foucault's History of Sexuality, will interest scholars involved in the criticism of culture"--Jacket.