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Home » History » The AMAZING Story: The Forties — "Gimme Bang-Bang"
The AMAZING Story: The Forties — "Gimme Bang-Bang"
Feb 25, 2016 by Mike Ashley
Ray Palmer and the AMAZING Shaver Mystery
To many who recall it, the AMAZING STORIES of the 1940s represented the era of the Shaver Mystery. It is probably fair to say that the Shaver phenomenon colored the judgment of many who dismiss the contents of AMAZING during this time as sensationalistic rubbish because of the so-called "crackpot" element that was attracted to the magazine. And crackpots there were, but that is not the whole story.
Raymond A. Palmer, the young new editor of AMAZING at the start of this decade, has been damned by history far more than he deserves — though it must be admitted that in later years he did more or less encourage his isolation. A succession of illnesses and accidents left Palmer a lonely child. One accident left him malformed from a curvature of the spine. In adult life he was only a little more than four feet tall. But what he lacked in height, he made up for in dynamism and showmanship.
One of the factors that led to Palmer's later isolation was that he started his tenure as editor at the same time that John W. Campbell came on the scene at ASTOUNDING STORIES. Campbell instigated a policy of publishing serious, mature, and above all believable science fiction. He developed a coterie of new writers — including Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Theodore Sturgeon, Lester del Rey, and, believe it or not, L. Ron Hubbard — who could feed off his ideas, as he could feed off theirs. Partly because of these interchanges, the work of these authors ushered in the so-called Golden Age of science fiction.
Palmer, on the other hand, went for fun and games, treating science fiction lightheartedly and aiming at a younger, less sophisticated readership. As a consequence, science fiction polarized between Campbell's science-forecasters at one extreme and Palmer's laboratory playpit at the other. That's not to say that Palmer published only puerile trivia. But because he was science fiction's renegade, many are ready to dismiss too easily the fiction that he did publish. From today's vantage point, though, one might argue that under Palmer, AMAZING published a 1940s' version of "pop" or "punk" science fiction, and its pages during that decade hold some surprises.
At the outset, it must be recalled that Palmer was trying to rebuild AMAZING's circulation and rectify years of damage caused by T. O'Conor Sloane's handling of the magazine. By 1938 AMAZING had stagnated, and Palmer's first move was to enliven it with bold, gaudy, action-packed covers reflecting the fast-paced, thrill-a-minute contents. When his writers asked what type of fiction he wanted, Palmer's simple answer was "Gimme bang-bang." Palmer had little time for the cerebral style of sf that was emerging in ASTOUNDING. He wanted superficial, escapist enjoyment, similar to the scientific romances that the pulp magazines had published before Hugo Gernsback launched AMAZING STORIES in 1926, but less sophisticated.
Palmer wanted to recapture the fun of the early pulps. He was fortunate in being able to secure three groups of stories by Edgar Rice Burroughs, set respectively in his worlds of Mars, Venus, and Pellucidar. These ran through 1941 and 1942. Although Burroughs's fortunes had declined in recent years, his name still captured the imagination of old and young alike. The first appearance of an original Burroughs story in AMAZING, however, caused a controversy. The January 1941 issue carried the novelette "John Carter and the Giant of Mars," but many readers, who were dedicated Burroughs fans, felt this story did not read as if the master had written it. The letters flooded in. The truth was not revealed at the time, but Irwin Porges, in his massive biography of Burroughs, THE MAN WHO CREATED TARZAN, asserts that the story had been written jointly with Burroughs's son, John Coleman.
Palmer didn't mind controversy — it helped sell issues. Moreover, ever the Burroughs fan, he favored fiction written in the Burroughs style, and both AMAZING and its companion FANTASTIC ADVENTURES (which Ziff-Davis began to publish with its May 1939 issue) had a strong Burroughsian flavor during the early 1940s. This is especially evident in the work of Ralph Milne Farley and Robert Moore Williams.
Farley had apparently been approached to edit AMAZING STORIES when Ziff-Davis first acquired it in 1938, and had recommended Palmer instead. In the twenties he had written his own Burroughsian-style "Radio Man" series for ARGOSY, set on Venus. The scientist-adventurer of those stories, Miles Cabot, was resurrected in Amazing in "The Radio Man Returns" (June 1939). Stories by Farley, some of them serialized over more than one issue, appeared in eight issues of the magazine during 1939 and 1940.
Williams, who became one of AMAZING's most prolific contributors, was a skillful adventure writer, and it is rumored that his Tarzan-like novella "Jongor of Lost Land" changed the fortunes of FANTASTIC ADVENTURES (for the better) after it appeared in that magazine's October 1940 issue. His initial appearance in AMAZING was with "The Man Who Ruled the World" in June 1938 — the first issue that carried Palmer's name as editor.
Palmer also used the artistic skills of J. Allen St. John to illustrate the Burroughs stories, as well as several covers, and there is little doubt that all these factors contributed to the continuing growth in AMAZING's circulation during the early part of the decade.
Another echo from the past was "Anthony Gilmore," the pseudonym under which Harry Bates and Desmond Hall had written their Hawk Carse stories when they were editors of ASTOUNDING. The Hawk Carse stories were space opera at its worst, but they remained sentimentally entrenched in the minds of some fans. Palmer commissioned Bates to write a short novel, "The Return of Hawk Carse" (July 1942). The fact that the story was not well received is at least some measure of the degree by which science fiction had advanced, even at AMAZING's juvenile level.
Palmer brought together other writers from the early days of magazine sf, and allowed them free rein with unabashed scientific adventures. Primary among them were Edmond Hamilton, Ross Rocklynne, Manly Wade Wellman, Raymond Z. Gallun, Ed Earl Repp, Stanton A. Coblentz, and Eando Binder. Although they were capable of more serious science fiction (and occasionally proved it in other magazines), they used AMAZING as their knockabout backyard. Stories followed simple plots: they were either gangster stories transposed into space, with villains chasing and being chased around the solar system; or they were war stories in space; or they were tales about bizarre inventions, often with madcap results.
Typical stories of the period by members of this group, which can be generally categorized by their titles alone, include "Treasure on Thunder Moon" by Hamilton (April 1942); "Warrior Queen of Lolarth" by Rocklynne (May 1943); "Suicide-Rocket" by Wellman (March 1942); "Terror out of the Past" by Gallun (March 1940); "The Secret of Planetoid 88" by Repp (December 1941); and "The Cosmic Deflector" by Coblentz (January 1943).
Occasionally, Palmer would acquire fiction from more serious or aspiring writers, including Isaac Asimov, John Beynon (full legal name John Beynon Harris; later known as John Wyndham), and Eric Frank Russell.
"Marooned Off Vesta" (March 1939) was Asimov's first published story. "The Weapon Too Dreadful to Use" followed in the May 1939 magazine, but Asimov soon became a member of Campbell's stable at ASTOUNDING and only had one more story in AMAZING during the 1940s ("Robot AL 76 Goes Astray" February 1942).
Beynon's stories in AMAZING during the early years of Palmer's tenure were "Judson's Annihilator" (October 1939, a standard sf war story, and "Phoney Meteor" (March 1941), a clever tale about alien invasion.
Russell's first appearance in the magazine, and his only one during the decade, was with "Mr. Wisel's Secret" in February 1942, the same issue that contained the aforementioned Asimov story.
Those were, and are, noteworthy writers, and there were others, but of greatest significance were the stories by Ray Bradbury. Bradbury had an unbridled talent for giving his stories an offbeat originality, something that appealed more to Palmer than to Campbell. His "I, Rocket" (May 1944) is an adventure story from the viewpoint of a sentient rocket, published more than fifteen years before Anne McCaffrey would write "The Ship Who Sang." Ten years after the appearance of the work, Campbell was still referring to Bradbury's rocket as his "fairy ship," since the story was devoid of the hardware for which Campbell yearned. Bradbury was also represented in the magazine by "Undersea Guardians" (December 1944), "Final Victim" (co-credited with Henry Hasse, February 1946), and "Chrysalis" (July 1946).
Unfortunately, challenging stories were the exception rather than the rule in AMAZING STORIES at this point in time. By the early 1940s, Palmer had developed a stable of local (Chicago-based) writers who could write to order, often producing stories around cover paintings by Harold McCauley, Robert Gibson Jones, or Malcolm Smith. The mainstays were Don Wilcox, Robert Moore Williams, David Wright O'Brien, William P. McGivern, Leroy Yerxa, and David Vem, plus (later in the decade) Chester S. Geier, Berkeley Livingston, and William L. Hamling.
Of these, Wilcox was the oldest. He approached his writing more seriously than the others, and scored early with a memorable story, "The Voyage That Lasted 600 Years" (October 1940), based on his sociological studies. It was a pioneer work on the subject of the first generation starship.
O'Brien was regarded as the most talented of these writers. A nephew of Farnsworth Wright, editor of WEIRD TALES, he was 22 years old when his first story ("Truth Is a Plague!") appeared in AMAZING in the February 1940 issue. O'Brien had a fertile mind, an abundance of youthful exuberance, and an infectious sense of humor. He shared an office with McGivern, who was only 16 years old when he made his debut in May 1940 with "John Brown's Body," co-written with O'Brien.
The two of them were able to write just about any story to Palmer's order. Sometimes the stories were serious, sometimes spooky, but usually they were madcap, designed for nothing but entertainment. Palmer often endowed these stories with his own zany titles, so that the pages of AMAZING STORIES and FANTASTIC ADVENTURES contained stories such as "The Quandary of Quintus Quaggle" (by McGivern, AS June 1941); "Mr. Muddle Does as He Pleases" (McGivern and O'Brien, AS August 1941); "Ferdinand Finknodle's Perfect Day" (O'Brien, AS September 1941); "The Strange Voyage of Hector Squinch" (O'Brien, FA August 1940); "Sidney, the Screwloose Robot" (McGivern, FA June 1941), and "Rewbarb's Remarkable Radio" (McGivern, FA December 1941). In many ways the stories of this sort read like P. G. Wodehouse meets AMAZING STORIES, and certainly the readers appreciated this lighthearted fare, which was unavailable elsewhere. Robert Bloch made the best of the situation with a whole series of stories in FANTASTIC ADVENTURES about Lefty Feep, a rather lovable layabout who manages to fall into and out of trouble.
Although forgotten today, Leroy Yerxa was among the most prolific contributors to the Ziff-Davis magazines. He was twenty-seven years old when his first story, "Death Rides at Night" appeared under his own name in the August 1942 AMAZING. In the next four years, till his untimely death in 1946, he sold more than seventy stories to Palmer for AMAZING STORIES and FANTASTIC ADVENTURES, with many of those published pseudonymously. He is rumored to have written an entire issue of FANTASTIC ADVENTURES (possibly the one for December 1943). While other writers wrote more, their output was not concentrated in such a short, intense period. Possibly Yerxa's only rival in this regard was David Wright O'Brien, who in the five years from 1940 through 1944 sold more than a hundred stories to Palmer, not counting his collaborations with McGivern.
Palmer's core of writers were so prolific that they could fill every issue. To avoid the frequent recurrence of names, the authors used various personal pseudonyms, some of which were later adopted by other authors. For instance, "Lee Francis" began as a pen name of Leroy Yerxa's, but after his death in 1946 it was used by others, including Hamling. In addition, a practice began of creating a number of house names. These nom de plumes were originally used to hide the identities of the various editorial personnel working on the magazine, especially David Vern.
Vern was a precocious, hyperactive young editorial assistant who came from New York to the Chicago office to help Palmer with the work arising from the expansion of the magazine line. (In addition to AMAZING STORIES and its new companion FANTASTIC ADVENTURES, Palmer was also editing RED STAR ADVENTURES and SOUTH SEA STORIES.)
Vern was also a passable writer, and his work started to appear in both magazines under the names of "Peter Horn," "David V. Reed," and "Alexander Blade." (His first contribution to AMAZING was "Where Is Roger Davis?" in the May 1939 issue under the "Reed" pseudonym.) However, when Vern returned to New York after a few years these names, particularly "Alexander Blade," were assigned to a variety of other writers.
Other house names emerged, including "P. F. Costello," "Gerald Vance," "E. K. Jarvis," and "S. M. Tenneshaw" — originally used by McGivern, O'Brien, Williams, and Hamling, respectively. O'Brien also wrote as "John York Cabot" and (perhaps in homage to his uncle) "Duncan Farnsworth." Palmer himself produced more than a dozen pieces of writing for AMAZING during the 1940s, using a variety of pseudonyms including "A. R. Steber," "Morris J. Steele," "Frank Patton," "Henry Gade," "Wallace Quitman," and "G. H. Irwin." Clearly, at times it could be difficult to tell the players even with a scorecard. Despite the efforts of a number of researchers over the years, many of the true authors of house name stories remain unidentified (although work that Kenneth R. Johnson is currently doing is close to cracking open the final parts of the mystery). (It is not known if Johnson ever solved "the final parts of the mystery." However, since Johnson's research into the subject has, to our knowledge, never been released, it seems unlikely that he did so.)
A strong family atmosphere prevailed in the Ziff-Davis offices in Chicago during this period, with Palmer looking after his boys. Wilcox, who is still active after all these years (Wilcox remained active until his death in the year 2000) though more now as a portrait painter than as a writer, has shared many memories of those days with me. "A card game, usually gin rummy, would be occupying the attention of editors and their assistants," he recalled. "The fellows must have done their work at night. On check days, Palmer's office might be a gathering place for several new writers, new faces, all ready to register disappointment if the checks hadn't come in on time."
Palmer had a fast-working, versatile mind. Wilcox has a clear memory of him furiously pounding his typewriter at high speed. On one occasion Wilcox had become too deeply involved in his story "The Lost Race Comes Back," written around a cover painting by J. Allen St. John, and couldn't finish it. Palmer promptly read the story and completed it himself there and then to meet the deadline. (The story appears in the May 1941 issue.)
The outward signs of AMAZING's success were its regularity — published once a month for five years beginning in November 1938 — and an increased number of pages. During 1941 and 1942 the page count rose from 144 up to 240 and all the way to 272. Even after the onset of World War II and the subsequent paper rationing, the magazine kept to 208 pages for a time (later shrinking to 180), remaining constantly the best value in bulk for money. But as war rationing continued to bite into the publishing industry, AMAZING was forced to cut back on its production schedule. In late 1943 the magazine shifted to bimonthly, and then to quarterly after the following summer, not returning to monthly publication until the June 1946 issue.
Palmer supported the war effort by publishing the largest quota of anti-Nazi propagandist fiction of any sf magazine. Much of it made fun of the German war effort, but some stories were serious in tone. Palmer contributed a number himself, such as "A Patriot Never Dies" (August 1943) and "War Worker 17" (September 1943), both under his "Frank Patton" alias. The latter appeared in an issue dedicated to women war workers. The September 1944 magazine was a special war issue; every story in it was identified as having been written by a member of the military, and it also contained letters from the troops.
The most significant contributor to that issue was Corporal David Wright O'Brien, with three stories — one under his real name and one each attributed to "Corporal John York Cabot" and "Corporal Duncan Farnsworth." The AMAZING office was shocked when O'Brien, who served in the U. S. Air Force, was shot down and killed over Berlin later that year at the age of twenty-six. He had been a personable, friendly young man with an effervescent writing talent, and there is no doubt that he would have followed his close friend William McGivern into the big time if he had survived the war.
During the war years, Ziff-Davis began publishing two new mystery magazines, MAMMOTH DETECTIVE, which started in May 1942, and MAMMOTH MYSTERY, which came out in February 1945. (These magazines gave McGivern the grounding that later helped to establish him as one of the top thriller writers.) To help Palmer edit these new titles, Bernard Davis brought in 34-year-old Howard Browne, a solid, no-nonsense detective writer of the Chandler school.
Browne had no interest in science fiction, though he enjoyed the fantasies in FANTASTIC ADVENTURES. Ironically, however, his first appearance as a writer was in AMAZING. Palmer talked Browne into writing a novel set in prehistoric times, "Warrior of the Dawn," which was serialized in late 1942 and early 1943. Adventures in prehistory, usually written in the Burroughsian style, were regular fare in both AMAZING and FANTASTIC ADVENTURES during the early years of Palmer's tenure as editor. Among the most popular offerings were Manly Wade Wellman's series of stories about Hok, a Stone Age warrior who was a prototype for Hercules. Hok fought his way through five adventures, including ones set in ancient Greece and Atlantis.
The lost continents of Atlantis, Lemuria, and Mu all figured prominently in both magazines. For instance, "Adventure in Lemuria" by Frederic Arnold Kummer, Jr., appeared in the first issue of FANTASTIC ADVENTURES (May 1939), and was followed by several sequels. Stanton A. Coblentz's "Enchantress of Lemuria" was the lead novel in the September 1941 issue of AMAZING. In addition, in that same issue L. Taylor Hansen began a column on scientific mysteries, which dealt with Gondwanaland, Atlantis, and other puzzles from before the dawn of science.
Thus, readers of AMAZING became accustomed to Palmer's fascination with ancient mysteries, and when Richard S. Shaver appeared in the March 1945 issue with a piece entitled "I Remember Lemuria," the story should have come as no surprise. Nor would it have — except that Palmer claimed the story was based on truth!
Shaver maintained that eons ago, the earth had been inhabited by two super-races, the Titans and the Atlans. As time passed, they were forced underground by increasingly harmful radiation from the sun. They established vast subterranean caverns full of advanced scientific equipment. Eventually the sun's radiation became too harmful, and both races were forced to abandon the planet. They left their scientific equipment behind, and it was later discovered by an inferior race of humans who tampered with the machinery and came under its control. Over the millennia these humans degenerated into deranged robots, or, in Shaver-speak, "deros." It is the harmful rays and evil thoughts generated from the machines by these deros that have caused mankind to fall from grace, and are the cause of all of humanity's ills. With the world in the grips of a war that was entering its final months, such a message, if indeed it were true, came as a sign of hope to many readers. If all evils came from external influences, then they could be stopped, and mankind would revert to its natural good state, and all would be well!
The origin of the Shaver stories has at times seemed confusing, though Palmer reported it himself clearly on many occasions, and Howard Browne had a vivid recollection of the events. Some years ago Browne recounted his memories to me: Shaver had submitted a two-page letter to AMAZING under the heading "Warning to Future Man." Browne was the first one to read it. He remarked to Palmer that "the screwballs were blooming early" that year, and tossed the manuscript into the wastebasket. Palmer promptly retrieved it and said to Browne, "Let me give you a lesson in creative editing." He thereupon sat down, read the manuscript, and wrote a novelette around it — the piece of writing that was published as "I Remember Lemuria." Palmer then discovered Shaver had several longer stories in his possession. Palmer bought them, rewrote them extensively, and published them. As time went on, under Palmer's guidance, Shaver wrote more and more stories himself, but the initial ones were shaped and crafted by Palmer.
Prior to the appearance of the Shaver stories, AMAZING was selling around 125,000 copies per issue. The March 1945 issue had a larger than normal print run — and it soon sold out. Letters from readers poured in, and with the next issue, featuring Shaver's "Thought Records of Lemuria," circulation approached 200,000. Palmer's employees were impressed, and Palmer overtly promoted the Shaver Mystery for all it was worth. There was a Shaver story in almost every issue for the next two years, culminating in an all-Shaver issue for June 1947. Other writers also contributed stories in the same vein, including Chester Geier, who founded the Shaver Mystery Club, and German writer Heinrich Hauser, then living in Chicago, who added two linked novels, "Agharti" (June 1946) and "Titans' Battle" (March 1947).
It is not clear how much Palmer was milking the gullible, as any entrepreneur might. He left mixed messages over the years. In all likelihood Palmer, the victim of many handicaps and misfortunes, wanted to believe it, and was prepared to go along with it all the time it sustained sales.
Shaver was certainly sincere. When I corresponded with him in the 1970s, he still maintained the truth of his experiences and observations. By then he was pursuing ancient records in the rocks, where he believed the true history of Atlan was written.
Science fiction fans were less enthusiastic, and they became hostile to AMAZING's editor. Palmer, who only ten years earlier had been one of the leading sf fans, attempted some reconciliation by instigating a fan column in the March 1948 issue, "The Club House," prepared by Rog Phillips. But on the whole, the sf fans formed only a small part of the readership of AMAZING, and if they had to be antagonized for the sake of sales, why should Palmer worry?
Eventually such leading magazines as HARPER'S and ATLANTIC MONTHLY began to notice and criticize the crackpot elements of the Shaver Mystery, and the story goes (according to him) that Palmer was told to soft-pedal the topic thereafter. Whether that is true or not, I don't know, since it would seem surprising for a publisher to act negatively in reaction to such publicity. (One learns never to take too seriously anything Palmer says.) The fact remains that by the end of 1946, Davis had been elevated within the company, and Ray Palmer followed him up the ladder to become overall editorial director. He was given a salary increase of around $250 a month and even more freedom with the magazines.
Palmer's next move, though, was rather devious. During 1947, he shut down MAMMOTH DETECTIVE, MAMMOTH MYSTERY, and the recently created MAMMOTH ADVENTURES. He placed William Hamling in editorial control of the two magazines — AMAZING STORIES and FANTASTIC ADVENTURES — while Howard Browne took a leave of absence during which he wrote three mystery novels.
Meanwhile, behind the scenes, Palmer invested his money in establishing the Clark Publishing Company and, in May 1948, launched the magazine FATE. Robert N. Webster (an alias of Palmer's) was identified as the publisher of the new magazine.
Palmer had come to realize that much wealth lay in appealing to the fringe cults. Following the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the world had not only awoken to the terrifying consequences of science, but also to other possibilities. One such was that man's advance into the nuclear age had been the sign to alien observers that man was becoming a danger to himself and his planet, and he had to be kept under closer observation. Hence, the sudden wave of flying saucer sightings. Palmer had been one of the first to promote "ufology" in the pages of AMAZING. Now he could use FATE as he wished to pander to all of the occult sciences. As a consequence, that type of material was siphoned from AMAZING to FATE.
With that shift, the quality of fiction in AMAZING improved marginally. Theodore Sturgeon put in a surprise appearance with "Blabbermouth" (February 1947), a story probably switched from the inventory of FANTASTIC ADVENTURES. Edmond Hamilton, ever an old reliable, who during the early 1940s had scored with his Captain Future stories in the magazine of the same name, wrote "The Star Kings" (September 1947), a space opera par excellence, again in the Burroughs tradition. There were also some readable, non-Shaverian stories from Rog Phillips, Chester Geier, and Don Wilcox, but by and large the mid to late 1940s saw AMAZING at its lowest point in quality — yet its highest in circulation!
Palmer's link with the magazine grew more tenuous as FATE became more popular. By mid-1949 his plans were well advanced for a new science-fiction magazine, OTHER WORLDS, which appeared in October (cover date November). Palmer continued to produce both FATE and OTHER WORLDS under the Webster alias until he was satisfied that both magazines were established. He then resigned from Ziff-Davis, and Howard Browne came back from his leave of absence to take over editorial control of the magazines, with Hamling staying on as his assistant. The January 1950 issue was the first one to list Browne as editor.
Browne may not have liked science fiction very much, but he knew a good story when he saw one, and was dedicated to acting responsibly in his new role. The end of 1949 saw him discarding several hundred thousand words of Shaver-inspired material, as he sought to re-establish the magazine's credibility. His successes and failures make up the next part of "The AMAZING Story."
"The AMAZING Story: The Forties — 'Gimme Bang-Bang'" is © 2016 by Mike Ashley and appears here with the author's permission. Notes in italics are by PulpFest and are © 2016 by PulpFest. The original article was published by TSR, Inc. and edited by Kim Mohan for the March 1992 issue of AMAZING STORIES.Many thanks to Curt Phillips, the moderator of the Yahoo newsgroup PulpMags, for drawing our attention to and providing us with copies of Mike Ashley's exceptional series of articles about the world's first science-fiction magazine. Please visit www.pulpfest.com on Monday, February 29th, for the fourth segment of the series.
(Concerning our illustrations . . . . The AMAZING STORIES for April 1940 with cover art by H. R. Hammond — the artist's only cover for the magazine — was a typical issue for the decade. When Ray Palmer was named managing editor in 1938, he established a new policy for lively, adventurous stories aimed at a young market. He wanted superficial, escapist enjoyment, similar to the scientific romances that the pulp magazines had once published, but less sophisticated. David Wright O'Brien's "Fish Men of Venus" was the usual fare for the Palmer era of the magazine.
During the early forties, Palmer was fortunate in being able to secure three groups of stories by Edgar Rice Burroughs, set respectively in his worlds of Mars, Venus, and Pellucidar. The six Martian stories that Burroughs sold to AMAZING STORIES — including "Black Pirates of Barsoom," published in the June 1941 issue of AMAZING STORIES with front cover art by J. Allen St. John — formed the basis for the author's final two books in his Mars series — LLANA OF GATHOL and JOHN CARTER OF MARS.
One of the finest artists to contribute cover art to Ray Palmer's AMAZING STORIES was J. Allen St. John. A native of Chicago — where AMAZING STORIES was produced — he began to work for various Midwestern publishers — including the A. C. McClurg Company of Chicago — in the early 1900s. In 1915 he illustrated chapter headings for Edgar Rice Burroughs' THE RETURN OF TARZAN, published by McClurg. Thus began the artist's long association with Burroughs, the work for which he is most renowned. St. John also painted the front cover art for the July 1942 issue of AMAZING STORIES, featuring "The Return of Hawk Carse."
The May 1944 AMAZING STORIES — with front cover art by Malcolm Smith — featured what John W. Campbell labeled Ray Bradbury's "fairy ship," in "I, Rocket," the classic tale related from the viewpoint of a sentient space ship. A native of Tennessee, Smith studied at the American Academy of Art in Chicago. His first cover for AMAZING was the January 1942 number. Smith also contributed covers and illustrations to FANTASTIC ADVENTURES and Ziff-Davis's MAMMOTH line of pulp magazines. During the fifties, he produced covers for IMAGINATION, MYSTIC, OTHER WORLDS, and other pulp and digest magazines.
J. Allen St. John began contributing cover art to the pulps during the Great Depression, painting covers for WEIRD TALES and its companions — ORIENTAL STORIES and THE MAGIC CARPET. During the 1940s, he contributed two dozen covers to Ray Palmer's AMAZING STORIES and FANTASTIC ADVENTURES, including the March 1944 issue of AMAZING.
Ray Palmer was one of the leading science fiction fans when he became the managing editor of AMAZING STORIES. In order to attract other members of fandom to his magazine, Palmer added such features as "Correspondence Corner," "Collectors' Corner," "Meet the Authors," and a back cover painting. Many of the latter featured the work of Frank R. Paul, including the May 1941 issue. Frank Paul was the artist most preferred by Hugo Gernsback during the early years of AMAZING STORIES.
Joseph Wirt Tillotson, who signed his work "Robert Fuqua," was managing editor Ray Palmer's favored cover artist from the get-go. Beginning with the October 1938 issue of AMAZING STORIES through the January 1944 number, Fuqua contributed nearly three-dozen covers — including the March 1942 and September 1941 issues — to the magazine and its companion title, FANTASTIC ADVENTURES.
A native of Toledo, Ohio, Robert Gibson Jones began working as a commercial artist in the city of Chicago during the second decade of the twentieth century. His first known pulp magazine cover was the August 1942 issue of Ziff Davis's FANTASTIC ADVENTURES. Over the next ten years, Jones contributed ninety front covers to FANTASTIC and its companion, AMAZING STORIES, including the June 1947 number. He also painted covers for the publisher's MAMMOTH line of pulp magazines. His last known cover for the publisher is the December 1952 issue of FANTASTIC ADVENTURES. During the fifties, he contributed covers to OTHER WORLDS and UNIVERSE SCIENCE FICTION.
The September 1947 AMAZING STORIES — with front cover art by Malcolm Smith — featured one of the best of the space opera novels from the pulps, Edmond Hamilton's "The Star Kings." It has been reprinted numerous times.)
Fantastic Adventures
Howard Browne
J. Allen St. John
Malcolm Smith
Robert Fuqua
Robert Gibson Jones
Shaver Mystery


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Inside the cult of Diego Maradona, football's devilish demigod
by Ryan Ferguson January 10, 2021
In life, remember where you were when moments are incredibly rare and suitably monumental. I remember coming home from primary school after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, for instance, with those harrowing plumes of smoke engulfing the television screen. I remember the noxious pall that gripped Britain following the Brexit referendum result. And I remember being sent home from work amid the coronavirus pandemic, our civil liberties impinged unlike any time in living memory.
Most recently, though, I remember where I was when Diego Maradona died. Amid a stressful house move, I had to work from my parents' house due to broadband issues at the new place. Late one afternoon, I was sat on the floor in my old corner bedroom when my brother broke the news. The shock was palpable, and then the sudden pang of sadness. Icons are supposed to live forever, I remember thinking, before pondering the paradoxical precariousness of human genius.
Naturally, I wanted to write something about Maradona, perhaps the greatest sporting enigma of all-time, but my head was too cluttered, my thoughts too scattered. Besides, I had no internet connection at home, so it would have been difficult to construct a cogent paean and impossible to publish it.
Now, though, with the benefit of full perspective, increased gravity and a stable internet connection, I would like to pay tribute to arguably the largest and most divisive personality in football history – El Pibe de Oro, The Golden Boy, Argentina incarnate, Diego Armando Maradona.
The Hand of God - Exploring the religious symbolism and pop culture iconography of Diego Maradona
There have been better footballers – Pelé, Messi, perhaps even Cristiano Ronaldo. There have been more decorated footballers – Cruyff, Di Stéfano, even Zlatan Ibrahimović. But never has our game - indeed the beautiful game - encountered such a mesmerising, beguiling, infuriating and inspiring demagogue as Maradona, who met his untimely end at the age of 60 in November.
In Argentina, the guy was a god, embodying the joy, hope and kindred ingenuity of 50 million people. In Naples, he was a near-mythic cryptid, personifying the angst, pride and glorious fantasy of an ancient ruin. And here in England, he was loathed, symbolising the unscrupulous conniving of a fleeting foe steeped in political dogma.
Of course, with the Falklands war creating a toxic cultural backdrop, Maradona's infamous 'Hand of God' goal against England in the 1986 World Cup quarter-finals was more than a breach of regulation – it was an incitement of vitriol, and many never forgave him for it. Peter Shilton, the England goalkeeper that day, famously refused to accept repeated apologies from Maradona, who later conflated his own ego with that of god, no less, when admitting the transgression in his autobiography.
They say a god must be omnipotent, omniscient and omnibenevolent – all powerful, all knowing and all loving. Diego filled that criteria, and then some. For such a squat terrier, his power was generational. On a football pitch, his knowledge was precocious. Then, at the apex of that dynamic, he was an envoy of the people, transcending the mortal realm while maintaining those grimy barrio sensibilities.
When Maradona shimmied and twinkled around a football pitch, it was almost like little bits of god sprayed forth like a geyser, but he was also so relatable, so distinctly human, akin to the best version of us writ large on the global stage. Diego was capable of doing unspeakable things with a football, but he was also prone to capitulation. He was able to smile impishly and scream with brutal rage all in the same afternoon. His was an intoxicating unpredictability that made people dream.
Indeed, it is this duality of character and this dichotomy of fiction that lies at the heart of Maradona and his legend. There is a bipolarity to his story that cannot be replicated, with even his greatest accomplishments cast in manic hues. He was a cherub wrapped inside a devil, a prodigy prone to mendacity. There was an angel buried somewhere, down beneath the façade, but that duplicitous manipulation made Diego irresistible. It was the epistemic distance that made him timelessly great.
In many ways, the mark of a true icon is in the degree to which you can convey a multitude of poetic charges onto them without them seeming implausible. Truly epochal figureheads were – and are – everything to everyone. Think Joe DiMaggio. Think Elvis Presley. Think Marilyn Monroe. They were transfixing, uplifting heroes who sparked visceral pride in others, creating cycles of adoration. Diego Maradona belongs to that echelon, for his name is synonymous with anarchic football majesty.
You see, Maradona was not just a person – he was an ideal, a dream, a philosophy, instinct, mechanism and desire. He was a feeling, epic and thunderous, uncontrollable and miraculous. He was a militant brand of self-determination, hoisting upon his shoulders the dense weight of improbability. He was Argentina's answer to the Lock Ness Monster – so mystical as to beguile, yet so elusive as to frustrate.
Make no mistake about it, Diego Maradona was also a revolutionary, just like Che Guevara, just like Bob Marley, just like Al Capone and just like Bob Dylan. He gave people – poor, marginalised, overlooked people, especially – something to believe in. Someone to believe in, when more conventional leaders failed. In fact, to this day, more than 275,000 people around the world are official members of the Diego Maradona church, a religious movement founded in 1998 to worship the great man and his genius. Few footballers have ever ascended to such heights.
There is a fine line between genius and insanity, of course, and Maradona traversed it every single day. In hindsight, to expect one human being to be so many things to so many people was unfair, and Diego paid a cosmic price for our indulgence. He ate crap. He battled addiction to drink and drugs. He partied with Pablo Escobar and wielded guns in unsuitable locations. There was no boundary to his outlandish act and no end to our intrigue therewith. Maradona kept coming back for more, each chapter more bizarre and surreal than the last.
The life and times of Diego Maradona
Diego was born in Lanús, within the greater Buenos Aires metropolitan area, in October 1960, the first son of poor parents who lived below the poverty line. Raised in a basic shantytown, Maradona honed preternatural football skills into a better life, attracting local scouts and coaches.
Diego broke through with Argentinos Juniors in 1976, becoming the youngest player to appear in an Argentine Primera División match. He sparked national debate with a famous nutmeg in his debut, then proceeded to score 115 goals in 167 games for El Tifón de Boyacá before transferring to Boca Juniors, the club he adored as a boy, for $4 million in 1981.
The love affair between Maradona and Boca is suitably esoteric, when viewed from afar. Contrary to popular wisdom, Diego only played 70 times for Los Xeneizes in two spells, but he still looms as the most sacrosanct symbol of the club's zeitgeist. La Bombonera could only contain Maradona's talent for a few years the first time around, resulting in one league title for Boca, before the European behemoths came calling.
Firstly, Barcelona paid £5 million, a world record fee, for Maradona in 1982. Then, two years later, Napoli broke that record, forking out almost £7 million for his distinguished services. Diego worked miracles in Naples, putting the working class southern enclave on his back and hauling it into competition with the northern powerhouses and bourgeoise elite of calcio.
The very embodiment of Neapolitan fantasia, Maradona led Napoli to their first ever Serie A title in 1987, waking a sleeping giant after 61 years of slumber. The Gli Azzurri then conquered Europe, beating Juventus and Bayern Munich en route to hoisting the 1989 UEFA Cup. A further Scudetto came in 1990, representing the apogee of Diego's domestic career.
A subsequent stint with Sevilla concluded Maradona's European odyssey, and he returned to Argentina with Newell's Old Boys in 1993. One final hurrah came with Boca between 1995 and 1997, as Diego passed the baton to younger teammates like Juan Román Riquelme, Martín Palermo and Rodolfo Arruabarrena. La Bombonera rose to serenade its hero, who rode off into the sunset.
What is the legacy of Diego Maradona – genius, cheat or overrated enigma?
It is remarkable, really, that such a feted icon was such a transient, nomadic and unquenchable figure at club level. Yes, Maradona won a slew of unlikely trophies at Napoli. And yes, he hoisted solitary league titles with Barça and Boca, but that was it, ultimately. He never won the Champions League. He never won the Copa Libertadores. He never won the Club World Cup, so revered in South America. Diego was something of a domestic unicorn, it turns out, and his greatest magic was reserved for the international stage.
Maradona played 91 times for Argentina, appearing at four World Cups and winning one. He debuted with La Albiceleste aged 16, cast in a blaze of prodigious glory, and he faded from international football aged 34, mired in controversy after failing a drugs test at the 1994 World Cup. Many of his most memorable moments came in the famous Argentina shirt, however, including perhaps the greatest goal ever scored – against England in the same quarter-final tainted by his cheating.
Somewhat farcically, Maradona returned to international football as Argentina manager in 2008, overseeing a confused generation that mixed veterans like Juan Sebastián Verón, Walter Samuel and Palermo with emerging wonderkids such as Ángel Di María, Carlos Tevez, Sergio Agüero and Messi. The experiment ended in ignominy, though, when Argentina were thumped 4-0 by Germany in the 2010 World Cup quarter-finals.
Duly exiled from top-level management, Diego embarked on a rollercoaster ride of absurd appointments later in life, appearing almost as a heritage act wherever money was offered - almost like a latter day Paul McCartney. He spent a year managing Al-Wasi in Dubai, attracting big crowds, then became a 'mental coach' – yes, seriously – at Deportivo Riestra in the Argentine lower leagues. A further spell in Dubai with Fujairah gave way to a brief stint in Mexico with Dorados de Sinaloa, before Gimnasia de La Plata saw fit to hire Diego as boss in 2019. They even gave him a throne – a literal throne – on the touchline, plumbing the depths of absurdity.
The tragic death of Diego Maradona
While managing Gimnasia, Maradona saw his health – questionable at the best of times – deteriorate rapidly. On 2nd November 2020, he was admitted to a hospital in La Plata with symptoms of psychological exhaustion. Diego was said to be confused, and he later underwent emergency brain surgery to treat a blood clot. After 10 days in hospital, Maradona was discharged, only to suffer a fatal heart attack at his Buenos Aires home on 25th November, passing away tragically.
Argentina observed three days of national mourning, while Diego's body lay in state at Casa Rosada, the presidential palace. Tens of thousands of distraught apostles filed past Maradona's coffin, draped evocatively with number 10 shirts from Argentinos, Boca and the national team, respectively. The present day steward of Boca greatness, Tevez wore an original Maradona shirt underneath his own during a Copa Libertadores game, revealing it in poignant celebration after scoring.
Infamously, and controversially, three funeral workers took selfies with Maradona's body as his casket lay open. When the photos were posted online, global outrage followed in quick succession, and the offenders were swiftly tracked down by Boca ultras, who doled out vicious retribution. Such is the strength of feeling towards Maradona, and such are the consequences for those who denigrate national heroes.
Who is the most famous and beloved Argentine ever? The case for Diego Maradona
Indeed, the outpouring of grief and nostalgia reiterated Maradona's standing as arguably the most beloved Argentine who ever lived. Guevara was more synonymous with Cuba, of course, while Eva Perón and Pope Francis are naturally divisive as political and religious clerics. Messi may approach Diego's level of acclaim, but he is yet to win a World Cup, a perpetual stain in the timeless debate. Accordingly, Maradona remains irreplaceable to those who must now live without him.
In the wider pantheon of sports, has there ever been a more polarising, incendiary genius who so transcended his or her game? Babe Ruth, maybe, but he was a cartoonish teddy bear. Mike Tyson, perhaps, but he sacrificed poetic skill for brute force. Muhammad Ali is arguably a good comparison, for the sheer depth of talent and temerity on display, while Tiger Woods is worth also worth a mention.
Ultimately, though, there was never anyone quite like Diego Maradona, and there never will be again. We were blessed to live at the same time as him, witnessing the sublime highs and the stunning lows he authored in frantic ink. Now, we must learn from his mistakes and celebrate his achievements, both unparalleled in scope and consequence.
Those whom the gods wish to destroy, they first make mad with power, according to a hackneyed ancient proverb. In the case of Diego Maradona, that is undoubtedly true, for the man was finally destroyed by the myths that love inspired. Rest peacefully, number 10, from your allies and your enemies. You united us all in the end, even if the burden was too much to bear.
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Importance of Islamic finance discussed
Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri speaks during the Future of Finance conference.
Khaled Mohammed Balama, Governor of the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE), launched day two of the Future of Finance conference, hosted by the CBUAE, by highlighting the strong indicators of economic recovery in the UAE and other leading economies, and the importance of Islamic finance as a driving force in a world seeking to achieve sustainable growth and economic resilience.
Under the patronage of Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE), the 'Future of Finance' conference began on Wednesday at the Expo 2020 Exhibition Centre in Dubai.
The event, being organised by the CBUAE over two days, aims to shape the future of the financial sector with the participation of leading policy and decision makers figures from local and global supervisory authorities, financial institutions, government agencies and central bank governors from GCC countries and around the world.
He identified qualitative measures to enhance the CBUAE's robust digital payments systems, including the increased importance of commercial and financial payment settlements. He affirmed that the CBUAE will maintain its supervisory and regulatory responsibilities to ensure the continued, sustainable growth of the UAE economy.
Day two of the conference featured a series of activities in the area of Islamic finance, including a panel discussion on the role of Islamic finance in establishing a flexible and diversified financial system. In line with the theme of Expo 2020, Connecting Minds and Creating the Future, the CBUAE facilitated an exchange of views and insights by Islamic and financial sector leaders and Shari'a experts on the future of Islamic finance.
In her keynote speech on the role of women in accelerating transformation, Sheikha Shamma Bint Sultan Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, CEO of Alliances for Global Sustainability, Founder of Shamma Bint Sultan Sustainability Initiatives, and Co-founder of Aurora50, highlighted the critical role that women play in developing communities.
Sheikha Shamma drew attention to the fact that women constitute 50 per cent of the world's population, representing a demographic that cannot be ignored in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. She also made reference to the efforts of the UAE's wise leadership in empowering Emirati women to occupy leadership positions across various sectors. Today, the UAE ranks first regionally and 18th globally on the United Nations Development Programme's Gender Equality Index.
Combatting financial crime also featured prominently on day two of the conference. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy for the UAE, spoke on the importance of sectoral collaboration in safeguarding the nation from illicit financial activities.
During his keynote speech, Sheikh Abdulla Bin Bayyah, Chairman of the Emirates Fatwa Council - UAE, highlighted the value proposition of Islamic products in the changing world of finance. He also spoke on the importance of risk sharing in the provision of flexible Islamic financial solutions, affirming the ability of Islamic finance products in meeting the challenges faced by the banking and insurance sectors.
One of the most prominent sessions discussed the CBUAE's National Payment Systems Strategy, which aims to increase the UAE economy's competitiveness, in line with one of ten 'Principles of the 50' to develop the world's best and most active economy in the UAE. Dr. Sabri Hamed Al Azazi, Assistant Governor of Support Services and Operations at the CBUAE, suggested that the future of payment systems lay in using digital payment solutions in place of fiat currencies. Dr. Sabri also highlighted the CBUAE's role in continued innovation and investment in emerging technologies to serve the financial sector and ensure alignment with international best practice.
Dr. Mohammad Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cybersecurity for the Government of the UAE, spoke on financial fraud and the challenges impacting cyber-security.
During his closing remarks, Ebrahim Obaid Al Zaabi, Assistant Governor of Monetary Policy and Financial Stability at the CBUAE, examined digital adoption and risk, and challenges relating to sustainable finance and financial inclusion.
He proposed that the digital transformation process provided potential solutions to address the financial sector's challenges, and a means to chart the future of finance.
Commenting on day two of the Future of Finance conference, Khaled Mohamed Balama, Governor of CBUAE, said: "Islamic finance plays a key role in the future direction of the financial sector at large, and provides a valuable opportunity to ensure a more diversified, resilient financial system. The progress of Islamic finance over recent decades, and its geographical expansion beyond traditional markets and sectors, are well-recognised.
The insights exchanged today by these key figures mark the immense potential of the Islamic finance industry to thrive, with the support of a robust regulatory structure." He continued: "Protecting the country's financial system, as well as its economy and consumers, must remain our top priority, regardless of the impact of digital transformation on the financial sector.
The proposed National Payment Systems Strategy allows corporations and consumers to settle payments faster and safer, ultimately ensuring the economy's resilience."
He added: "I would like to express my most sincere gratitude to the conference participants for their valuable contributions over the past two days, and for demonstrating their support of the UAE's vision and our shared objective of ensuring a more robust, secure, and resilient financial system. I am confident that the CBUAE is ready to meet the increasing challenges faced by the financial sector through its active contribution to sustainable economic growth across the UAE and beyond, as part of our commitment to knowledge sharing and co-operation."
On the opening day, the conference addressed the financial sector's opportunities and challenges, including regulatory concerns about the rapid pace of digitalisation, stressing the importance of selecting prudent digital solutions, to reach a sustainable financial system, study the risks of these solutions, and setting relevant strategic regulations and frameworks for the coming years.
Expo 2020 Dubai Expo 2020 UAE Tourism UAE Economy CBUAE
Role model for future shows
Expo 2020 Dubai can serve as a role model for future global events in the new normal, to bring people from all over the world together again,
Promoting nature, sustainability
The tiny island of Dominica in the Caribbean is promoting itself as a virgin paradise, and as a country open to investments from all over the world, through its pavilion at Expo 2020.
Reem Al Hashemy receives Sunflower Lanyard for her role promoting accessibility at Expo 2020 Dubai
Mifsud explained that the Sunflower Lanyards, also known as "Hidden Impairment Lanyards," are a globally recognised symbol of a hidden impairment, which can be worn by anyone who might require extra help.
Significant growth in attendance
One of five visitors of Expo 2020 Dubai since its launch last October, have crossed the entrance of the Italian Pavilion, exploring the exhibition itinerary and participating in dozens of events.
UAE council discusses 'Year of Sustainability' initiatives, COP28
Attended by Sheikha Shamma Bint Sultan Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, CEO of Alliances for Global Sustainability, the UAE Circular Economy Council convened its meeting, presided over by Mariam Bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and the Environment to discuss 'Year of Sustainability' initiatives and COP28.
FTA launches first event under 'Tax Support' initiative for 2023
The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) has launched the 'Tax Support' initiative to raise tax awareness among business sectors in the UAE through direct and sustained contact, as a means to enhance compliance with tax laws and regulations. The first workshop for 2023 under the initiative was held on Jan.24 and 25 as a collaboration
US consumer spending ended last year on weaker footing
US consumer spending fell for a second straight month in December, putting the economy on a lower growth path heading into 2023, while inflation continued to subside, which could give the Federal Reserve room to further slow the pace of its interest rate hikes next week.
Sri Lanka economy could shrink again
Sri Lanka's economy could contract by -3.5 per cent or -4.0 per cent in 2023 after shrinking -11 per cent last year, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said. "From 2024, we will take this economy to positive growth.


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Ariel Van Straten
Lactures & Workshops
Ariel Van Straten was born in New Jersey, USA, the son of a French mother and Dutch father. He grew up in Israel, working as a photojournalist for the national newspaper "Maariv" from the age of 15.
He has lived and worked in London from 1989 until 2006 when he moved back to Israel.
Ariel regularly assisted David Bailey for 2 years, Barry Lategan for 2 years & Corinne Day for a year, all of whom were a great influence on his work,before going out on his own in 1996.
Since then he has worked extensively for Fashion and Style Magazines, Music and Advertising agencies around the world.
International Awards:
His Campaign for Sony PlayStation commissioned by TBWA gained 2 golds at Creative Circle including gold for best photography, a nomination at Campaign Press and D&AD. Levi's was nominated at Cannes and his shot for Lynx was awarded a Silver at Campaign Press, both commissioned by BBH.In 2018 Ariel won a silver lion at Cannes for the advertisement he shot for Gillette commissioned by Adler Chomsky Grey Tel Aviv.
Ariel Van Straten Photography


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Project statement
Statement from Glennmont Partners, the owners of Port Clarence Energy: "we can confirm that a settlement has been reached with Babcock and Wilcox Volund, the contractor for the project, that will see their staff exit the site at the end of May. Nevertheless it remans our primary goal to reach a successful conclusion to the project, as an operational power plant. While this may entail a period of preservation, it is our intention to continue construction as soon as possible. We are fully committed to finding a positive outcome for the project and we are doing everything we can to minimise the impact of B&W's withdrawal in order to protect the project's workforce, local sub-contractors and the wider community."
Thursday, December 1st, 2016
It's nearly 12 months since the Leader of Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, Councillor Bob Cook, broke ground at the Port Clarence Energy Plant and since then, significant progress with its construction has been made. 60% of the civil engineering work and 90% of the steel work have been completed, and the plant remains on course to enter operation in the early part of 2018.
There are currently more than 100 people working on the project, and this number will increase to around 275 people within the next 3-4 months. The construction of the plant is being led by Babcock Wilcox Lagan in partnership with Eco2, with a number of local firms working on the many different aspects of the scheme. For example, a Guisbrough company (Booths) has carried out steel supply and installation, Midas (based in Thornaby) is undertaking the cladding work and Middlesbrough's Lionweld Kennedy has installed mesh flooring for the plant.
By the early summer of next year (2017), the turbine hall and transformer room will be completed, and the main turbine and generator will both be installed. In addition, the construction of the plant's fuel store will have been finished as well as much of the boiler pipework.
The 40MW plant, owned by Glennmont Partners, is being built on land which had lain empty for many years; the site is situated on the north bank of the River Tees, close to the Transporter Bridge. Fuelled by waste wood, Port Clarence Energy will generate electricity for the equivalent of 75,000 homes across the Tees Valley and elsewhere in the North East.
WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff appointed to £160m biomass plant in Teesside
Monday, February 1st, 2016
WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff has been appointed by Glennmont Partners to provide design and engineering services on the £160 million biomass plant in Teesside. Set to enter commercial operation in 2018, the Port Clarence Renewable Energy Plant will generate electricity to power around 75,000 homes across the Tees Valley and in the North East, as well as create 300 jobs at the peak of the construction period.
Local engineers from WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff's Middlesbrough office are providing project management, programme and design review and supervising the construction of the biomass plant from start to completion. The construction of the plant is carried out by a Babcock & Wilcox Volund and Lagan Construction Group JV in partnership with Eco2.
Biomass is an important source of renewable energy using material derived from living, or recently living organisms such as wood, plants and animal waste to generate electricity. In Q4 2015, electricity generation from biomass provided 7% of the UK's overall renewable energy production.
The Port Clarence Energy project will predominantly use waste from wood chips. The remaining feedstock will be sourced from construction, demolition and civic amenities sites as well as packaging, meaning that the plant will have very limited carbon footprint.
Phil Morland, energy project manager at WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff said: "This low carbon development is important as an addition to the North East economy and for helping the UK achieve its 2020 renewable energy targets. We are working collaboratively with key stakeholders to ensure that the project meets and exceeds our client's expectations."
WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff has successfully worked on high profile energy and renewables projects from site energy surveys to complete energy management programmes, long term energy strategies to detailed planning, design and engineering service; including the development of the Eden Deep Geothermal Plant, Gateshead District Energy Centre and most recently secured planning for two power stations in Suffolk and Wales on behalf of Watt Power.
Construction works starts at Port Clarence Renewable Energy Plant
The Leader of Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, Councillor Bob Cook, has broken ground at the Port Clarence Renewable Energy Plant, a new £160m power station that will enter commercial operation in 2018.
Port Clarence Energy is owned by Glennmont Partners, a UK financial institution with interests in renewable energy projects elsewhere in the UK and across Europe.
The 40MW plant is being built on land which has lain empty for many years and which is situated on the north bank of the River Tees, close to the Transporter Bridge. Fuelled by waste wood, the power station will generate electricity for the equivalent of 75,000 homes across the Tees Valley and elsewhere in the North East.
The construction of the plant is being carried out by Babcock Wilcox Lagan in partnership with Eco2, the company that originated and secured planning for the Port Clarence Energy plant in 2014. There are currently 40 people employed on the site and this is expected to rise to 300 people at the peak of the construction period. Once operational in 2018, the scheme will directly employ 30 people.
Leader of Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, Councillor Bob Cook, said: "Glennmont's investment in our Borough is certainly welcomed as through the introduction of technologies such as biomass they can help grow our economy and create jobs for local people. I am delighted to see the Port Clarence Energy project begin to come to fruition and I'm looking forward to residents and businesses benefitting from the energy it will produce.
"The Council is committed to working with the private sector to help them explore opportunities to develop renewable energy products like this which will help to reduce carbon emissions."
Murray Paterson, UK Biomass Manager at Glennmont Partners said: "The existing road and electrical infrastructure makes the Port Clarence area an ideal location for our renewable energy facility. We greatly appreciate the support that Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council has given to the project so far and we will work closely with the Council through the project's construction and eventual operation. The Port Clarence Energy scheme will mean new jobs being created but equally important, it will be generating renewable energy from waste wood that would otherwise have gone to landfill. Port Clarence Energy is good for the local economy and the local environment."
Glennmont completes purchase of 40MW biomass project
Wednesday, October 7th, 2015
Glennmont Partners has completed the purchase of the Port Clarence Energy Project on behalf of its clean energy fund, Glennmont Clean Energy Fund Europe II ("The Fund"), in an £160m deal.
The Port Clarence Energy Project will see a new biomass power generation plant built at Port Clarence, Stockton-on-Tees, providing 40MW of CHP-enabled renewable energy to the UK Energy market.
The plant is expected to become operational during the first quarter of 2018. The purchase and further construction of the Port Clarence Energy Project is being supported and debt arranged by Deutsche Bank and Danske Bank with the support of EKF, the export credit agency of Denmark.


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Sherrie Rollins Westin
President of Social Impact and Philanthropy, Sesame Workshop
Sherrie Westin is President of Social Impact and Philanthropy for Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street. She leads the Workshop's efforts to serve vulnerable children through mass media and targeted initiatives in the United States and around the world. Westin serves as Sesame Workshop's chief mission ambassador, raising awareness, developing strategic partnerships, and cultivating philanthropic support to further the Workshop's mission to help children everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder.
Westin spearheaded a partnership to create the largest early childhood intervention in the history of humanitarian response, bringing critical education and nurturing care to refugee children in the Syrian response region. Working with the International Rescue Committee, she led Sesame Workshop's efforts to compete for and win a historic $100 million grant from the MacArthur Foundation to fund this work. With an additional 100M grant from The LEGO Foundation, this initiative has expanded to Bangladesh. She also oversees Sesame Street in Communities, Sesame's comprehensive initiative designed to give children the tools they need to overcome traumatic experiences.
Westin was named a "Leading Global Thinker" by Foreign Policy Magazine and one of Fast Company's "100 Most Creative People in Business" and was recognized with the Smithsonian's "American Ingenuity Award". A staunch advocate for addressing children's needs, she regularly appears on major media outlets with Sesame Street's iconic Muppets promoting Sesame's social impact initiatives around the world.
Westin has held leadership positions in media, nonprofit, and public service. She was Assistant to the President for Public Liaison and Intergovernmental Affairs for President George H.W. Bush, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and held senior positions at the ABC Television Network and U.S. News & World Report.
Westin serves on the board of directors of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, and Communities in Schools. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the U.S. Afghan Women's Council, and the Early Childhood Peace Consortium (ECPC) Advisory Board.
Westin is a graduate of the University of Virginia and holds an Honorary Doctorate from Concordia College in New York. She lives in Bronxville, New York with her husband David and her children, Lily and David.


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philanthropist.com
Celebrating Philanthropy
Adelia Gram Is Taking A Bite Out Of Shelters, One Dog At A Time
Emma Claire Everett | February 19, 2021
Adelia Gram's kind heart drives her passion for bettering the lives of all creatures. As the founder of Gram Rescue Ranch (GRR) in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Adelia's love of dogs has led her development of the nonprofit animal rescue.
Born and raised in Winston-Salem, Adelia attended Salem College, Guilford College and Wake Forest University. She is a dedicated volunteer to those in need, both in her community and abroad, although the majority of her service is currently based in animal rescue.
"My husband, Randy, and I supported Meals on Wheels in Winston-Salem prior to helping animals through Gram Rescue Ranch," Adelia said. "That's the other passion we maintain — that no one should be hungry. Our volunteer work with them was a definite precursor to GRR. Randy delivered food throughout different areas of Winston-Salem, and the first time he came home afterwards, he told me about the wide range of people in our city who were constantly hungry. I hadn't truly realized it before, but many people were in such need that they would ask him if he had just an extra sandwich or apple in his van. So, he started going to the store and buying extra treats, like cakes or sandwiches or candies, and giving them to those people. And, when he came to a home that had a dog, he would give a bag of dog food."
Adelia said that was one of her personal incentives for GRR, realizing it wasn't just people who were going hungry, but their animals, too. When Meals on Wheels found out what her husband was doing, they told him he should not be providing the extra food at his expense alone. They then added pet food to their deliveries.
Also, after starting GRR, Adelia said she expanded her volunteer work into Jamaica with the intention of helping animals; however, she soon came to realize the needs of the local people there were far greater, so she also spent time providing other volunteer services.
"That's just some of the volunteer work I've been able to do outside of my community," she said.
Though Adelia first initiated her animal rescue efforts in November 2006, she said her love of dogs began much earlier: "I've always been passionate about dogs. My mother told me that the very first sentence I was able to string together as a toddler was, 'Uh-oh, there goes the doggy!' I was keenly focused on them from a very young age, and my passion for them has only grown through helping the ones in need."
SAVING ONE DOG AT A TIME
While the first rescues of Gram Rescue Ranch took place in 2006 and the following years through Adelia's personal efforts, she was able to establish the 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2012. She said it became apparent during the first six years, when GRR was not fully established, they would need larger levels of assistance as a recognized nonprofit since their volume of rescues was greatly increasing.
Adelia said part of what influenced her motivation to start GRR was due to the shock she felt after learning new information about animal shelters in 2006.
"In November I came home to visit my mother, and we were watching the local news," she said. "There was a newscaster who informed viewers of the large number of dogs and cats that were going to be euthanized at Forsyth County Animal Control on Friday. It was the middle of the week when we were watching it, and I looked at my mom and said, 'We need to go get some dogs.' So, we went over and grabbed six dogs who were about to be euthanized and took them to a local veterinarian to get their shots and help them find homes. That's how I got into it as an average citizen, and I really relaxed after that first week thinking that I had solved the problem. I didn't realize that it was an ongoing, cyclical issue that took place every week.
"But, after learning that, we went back, loaded up another van full of dogs, and it just kept going on like that for the first little bit. After a while, we began to go to the animal control facilities, found homes on our own, and I learned about the efforts it would take to find qualified adopters for every dog. Throughout the past 15 years, we've kept true to our original goal of saving the ones in danger of being euthanized. We tend to take in ones who appear to be less desirable or have behavioral or medical issues, and we try to get them the help they need. We are not breed specific, and though we're called Gram Rescue Ranch, we actually have many dogs in different places — at a vineyard in town, other foster homes and even my own house — until we're able to find them their own loving homes."
Since GRR began only after Adelia learned of the desperate need to save dogs from euthanasia, she said she hopes the same drive she has to save animals can be passed onto others.
"As a regular citizen, I did not know that animal shelters euthanized companion animals so regularly until I saw that piece on the news," she said. "I think many people don't realize it. The name shelter is a bit deceptive; it suggests that it's a safe haven for the animals. And it is safe for them the first few days after their arrival, and it is for the cuter and smaller ones who are more likely to be adopted. But the senior dogs, larger dogs, typically even black dogs are much less popular … they all have a harder time being adopted and are therefore euthanized every week in rural counties. There is a definite societal problem of overpopulation for which our lawmakers have not yet come up with a solution."
Although Gram Rescue Ranch focuses solely on saving dogs in Winston-Salem and surrounding areas, the mission of the nonprofit touches on a much larger issue.
"The overpopulation of domestic animals is an issue globally," Adelia said. "Seeing it in the U.S. in particular, along with the continuing knowledge that our government does not carry out sufficient assistance to protect their lives, has made it evident that the private sector needs to step in and help. That is why individuals such as myself and other rescues are a necessary step toward endeavoring to save these animals' lives. Our animal control facilities are often not large or well-funded enough, which is why it is so crucial that the private sector has support from volunteers and donors. Similar to our children and the elderly, these companion animals need our support to live. That is why I feel compelled to help. If every citizen would just do a little bit, our animal control facilities would not be so burdened."
When reflecting on the first dog she rescued in 2006, Adelia said many of the dogs remain in her heart even after they have been adopted by loving homes.
"On my first trip to Forsyth Animal Shelter, I learned that they have two showcase windows where they put dogs that are going to be put down soon as a last-ditch effort to find them a home," she said. "The first one I rescued I saw in one of those windows, a 6-month-old puppy named Rusty. He ran away from the first home we found him, so we took him to Forsyth Humane Society. Rusty stayed there for over six weeks, and my mother and I went to see him one day, and he was so forlorn he wouldn't even take a treat from us. We knew he wanted to leave, but as a Pitbull/German Shepherd-mix he wasn't likely to be adopted soon. So, we decided to keep him, and he actually lived out the rest of his days on our farm. It was wonderful to see him often and always be reminded of that first group of rescue dogs from 2006, though with most others I'm only able to see a photo every once in a while. That's definitely the most rewarding and difficult part of animal rescue — fostering and adoption. When I foster the dogs before finding their forever home, they worm their way into my heart very quickly. Becoming attached to such delightful fosters can be so amazing when we find them qualified adopters, though it is simultaneously very very difficult. When the adopters come to pick up their dog, it is hard to let them go, and similar to little children with a new babysitter, at first you see their stricken face as they're driving away, but by evening they're in a new home entranced by new toys and interesting stimuli. I'm always very happy when I receive a photograph and see that all is well in their world."
MESSAGES TO SHARE
Adelia shared she has seen the goals of Gram Rescue Ranch carried out in other areas of the U.S., which has driven her even further to imagine new possibilities for the Winston-Salem area.
"After moving to Austin, Texas, in 2003, our cat went missing," she said. "When we went to the animal control facility there, I tearfully learned about the same issues of overpopulation I saw more of here in Winston-Salem. But, over the last 17 years, I've recognized Austin's local government carrying out better management of their animals, leading that same facility and surrounding shelters to now be no-kill establishments. It's so rewarding to see that our efforts really do matter, and there are so many wonderful things to be accomplished for companion animals in our country."
As Gram Rescue Ranch continues to expand and increasingly benefit dogs in need, Adelia said their need for support in the Winston-Salem area has grown, as well.
"Because we're a smaller nonprofit, people don't often know the work we do," she said. "But I'm hopeful more people will gain awareness of the issue of overpopulation in our shelters and support our mission. My work with GRR has allowed me to be a voice for the voiceless and dedicate myself to bettering these situations of neglect, but we can only make true progress with the help of others. As Gram Rescue Ranch has grown, our financial need has grown, and we cannot continue to do our work at the same level without support from volunteers and donors."
Adelia emphasized that any benevolent act for GRR can make all the difference, and that she is hopeful people will understand the change possible through their actions.
"To anyone who is considering volunteering with — or donating to — Gram Rescue Ranch, please know that every little bit helps," she said. "The need is great for these animals. Many are in need of safe homes, and the veterinary care to keep them healthy is increasingly expensive. Through no fault of their own, just for being lost or unwanted, they are being euthanized at an unprecedented rate. Canine love is pure, deep and uncomplicated. By carrying out acts of volunteerism or donating small gifts, you can save the lives of these innocent animals in need and make an impact."
For more information on how to support Gram Rescue Ranch and its mission, visit GramRescueRanch.org
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UID Sneak Peek: Mike Marks on the New Digital Reality of Distribution
By Mike Marks
Indian River Consulting Group Managing Partner Mike Marks is one of the permanent faculty members at the University of Innovative Distribution (UID). He helps define and lead courses in operations, executive management, sales, marketing and more. The program is tailored to wholesale distributors and manufacturers selling through wholesale distribution, and focused on developing actionable plans.
Mike is presenting three sessions at the 2020 event:
Emerging Trends in Supply Chain Management
Big Data Analytics for Wholesaler-Distributors
Distribution in a Post-Amazon World
In this interview, Mike shares what he's looking forward to at this year's UID.
Why are you excited to present at UID?
Ever since UID started at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, UID has been described as getting an MBA in distribution in a single week. The thing I'm excited most about this year is we've made a big upgrade to the entire program. We've upgraded a lot of the staff, probably 20% change from last year. There's more focus on technology and social media than in the past. There are 56 courses, and we're the only firm that will have four different instructors present. That's a big compliment.
Tell us a bit about your course, "Big Data Analytics for the Wholesale-Distributor."
This course is focused on practical examples and useful models to improve decision making with big data for today's distributor. Most distributors are in an echo chamber. Nobody has any data to make decisions. When we talk about analytics, it's not about buying, but making better decisions. Part of this is simply making the most of existing software. Most distributors have an ERP package to do invoicing and check stock. But most users are only using 25% of their ERP capabilities. In this course, I encourage distributors to find the area where they are most challenged, such as low margins, and I help them come up with ways to use data and analytics to make better decisions.
Technology is going to be a big part of this year's program. You're also teaching a course on "Distribution in a Post-Amazon World."
Yes. Digital is everywhere. And most distributors think they need to look like Amazon. Yet, we are still analog beings living in an ever-increasing digital world. Don't try to out-Amazon Amazon. Rather, learn to play the digital game in your own industry, and find out how to build a B2B technology strategy that will bring you to the top of your game — which is much different than beating Amazon.
Finally, you'll be teaching about innovations in supply chain management. What can students expect from this course?
Supply chain has always been an analytical process, not a sales process. This workshop will look at the concepts of value and price, and how negotiation can cloud real data. After all, the customer usually wants the best supplier's item at worst supplier's price. This course will put the data on the table, remove the inefficiencies from the channel, and seek ways to reduce waste while still getting the customer a great price.
Mike Marks
Mike Marks co-founded IRCG in April 1987. He began his consulting practice after working in distribution management for more than 20 years. Over the years, his narrow focus in B2B channel-driven markets has created an extensive number of deep executive relationships within virtually every business vertical in construction, industrial, OEM, agricultural, and healthcare.
Mike has led project teams that improve market access by aligning resources to growth opportunities serving manufacturers, dealers, and distributors. Clients have ranged from small privately owned firms to many of the industry's market share leaders. Ownership structures have included owner-operators, private equity, ESOPs, and publicly traded firms. Mike is proud of the teams work and the confidence clients have shown with additional project work.
He has written extensively, and is frequently quoted on many industry issues. He has substantial board experience on both public and private distribution firms. His contributions to the field include serving multiple terms as a Research Fellow with the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, permanent faculty at Purdue University's University of Industrial Distribution, eight years as Graduate Adjunct Faculty in the Industrial Distribution Program at Texas A & M University, and rendering several precedent-setting expert opinions in contract disputes between manufacturers and distributors.
Prior to forming IRCG, Mike held the position of Executive Vice President at Lex Electronics, an $800 million vertically integrated electronics distributor in Stamford, CT. Mike's path to management in his early career was through increasing responsibilities in sales and sales management. He also completed a tour of duty as a manufacturer's representative.
mmarks@ircg.com | https://www.ircg.com
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Entries in photonic integrated circuits (4)
Lumentum jolts the industry with Oclaro acquisition
Tuesday, March 13, 2018 at 3:19PM
Lumentum announced on Monday its plan to acquire Oclaro in a deal worth $1.8 billion.
The prospect of consolidation among optical component players has long been mooted yet the announcement provided the first big news jolt at the OFC show, being held in San Diego this week.
Alan Lowe"Combined, we will be an industry leader in telecom transmission and transport as well as 3D sensing," said Alan Lowe, president and CEO of Lumentum, on an analyst call discussing the deal.
Lumentum says their joint revenues totalled $1.7 billion with a 39% gross margin over the last year. And $60 million in synergies are forecast in the second year after the deal closes, which is expected to happen later this year.
The $1.8 billion acquisition will comprise 56 percent cash and 44 percent Lumentum stock. Lumentum will also raise $550 million to help finance the deal.
"This is a big deal as it consolidates the telecom part of the component market," says Daryl Inniss, business development manager at OFS Fitel and former market research analyst.
tagged 3D sensing, Alan Lowe, Coherent, Greg Dougherty, Lumentum, Oclaro, indium phosphide, photonic integrated circuits, transmission, transport in OFC 2018, silicon photonics Print Article
Elenion unveiled as a silicon photonics PIC company
Tuesday, December 27, 2016 at 5:13PM
Elenion Technologies is making silicon photonics-based photonic integrated circuits
The company has been active for two and a half years and has products already deployed
A privately-owned silicon photonics company that is already shipping products has dropped its state of secrecy to announce itself. Elenion Technologies is owned by Marlin Equity Partners, the investment firm that also owns systems vendor, Coriant.
"We are in the [optical] engine business," says Larry Schwerin, CEO of Elenion Technologies. "We are developing a platform leveraging silicon photonics but we have other capabilities."
Larry SchwerinElenion's expertise includes indium phosphide, radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs), packaging, and driver and control electronics circuit design. The RFIC expertise suggests the company also plans to address the mobility market.
The company will detail its first products prior to the OFC show next March.
1 Comment | Share Article | Email Article
tagged Coriant, Elenion Technologies, Larry Schwerin, Marlin Equity Partners, Michael Hochberg, photonic integrated circuits in OFC 2017, silicon photonics Print Article
US invests $610 million to spur integrated photonics
Thursday, September 10, 2015 at 9:52AM
The US government has set up its latest manufacturing initiative, the sixth of nine, to address photonic integrated circuits (PICs). The $610 million venture is a combination of public and private funding: $110 million from the Department of Defense, $250 million from the state of New York and the rest private contributions.
Prof. Duncan Moore
Dubbed the American Institute for Manufacturing Integrated Photonics (AIM Photonics), the venture has attracted 124 partners includes 20 universities and over 50 companies.
The manufacturing innovation institute will be based in Rochester, New York, and will be led by the Research Foundation for the State University of New York. A key goal is that the manufacturing institute will continue after the initiative is completed in early 2021.
tagged AIM Photonics, Group IV photonics, indium phosphide, photonic integrated circuits, silicon photonics Print Article
Lightwave magazine guest blog
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at 4:53AM
Is photonic integration market disruptive? Click here.
tagged Infinera, Lightwave, Nortel, Photonic integration, photonic integrated circuits in Blog Print Article


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Home » Romeo & Juliet
New Theater
A timely update to a Shakespearean classic will be staged as Crossroads Repertory Theatre presents "Romeo and Juliet" starting June 28 at Indiana State University.
It's 2032 Verona, Ohio: The Capulets and the Montagues have been feuding as long as anyone can remember, and there is always the threat of violence. But this time it's not just a family fight, said director and Indiana State alumna Lauren Morris, '01. It's a global conflict that has caused death and destruction and left people deeply scarred.
"It's about 'the other.' It's about us versus them. We live in a time when that feeling is very, very real and very, very personal and very, very dangerous," Morris said. "Romeo and Juliet is a great lens through which to look at that."
"Romeo and Juliet" runs at 7:30 p.m. June 28-29, July 11-12 and 3 p.m. June 29-30 at New Theater on the Indiana State campus.
Flex passes of four tickets, which are good for any show, are $64 each, and single-production tickets are $16-20 for general admission. For more information about this summer's season or to buy tickets, go to crossroadsrep.com or call the box office at 812-237-3333.
For more information: https://www2.indstate.edu/news/news.php?newsid=5255


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Any Price (22) Under $100 (20) $100-499 (2)
COSMOLOGY, ECOLOGY, AND THE ENRGY OF GOD.
Bowman, Donna; Clayton Crockett.
New York: Fordham, 2012. First printing. 201 pages. More
THE ELDER BROTHERS.: A Lost South American People and their Message about the Fate of the Earth
Ereira, Alan.
New York: Knopf, 1992. First U.S. edition. 17 color photographs; 243 pages. More
ASKING FOR THE EARTH: WAKING UP TO THE SPIRITUAL/ECOLOGICAL CRISIS.
George, James.
Element, 1995. Preface by H.H. The Dalai Lama; Foreword by Maurice Strong; 199 pages. More
THE MAN WHO PLANTED TREES.
Giono, Jean.
White River Junction: Chelsea Green, 1985. Wood engravings by Michael McCurdy; Afterword by Norma L. Goodrich; 52 pages. More
BEYOND GLOBALIZATION: Shaping a Sustainable Global Economy
Henderson, Hazel.
Kumarian, 1999. 88 pages. More
TECHNIQUES AND APPROACHES IN FOREST TREE ECOPHYSIOLOGY.
Lassoie, James P.; Thomas M. Hinckley (eds.).
CRC Press, 1991. First printing. 599 pages. More
THE LAST FOREST: THE AMAZON IN THE AGE OF GLOBALIZATION.
London, Mark; Brian Kelly.
New York: Random House, 2007. First edition. 312 pages. More
CLIMATE CAPITALISM: Capitalism in the Age of Climate Change
Lovins, L. Hunter; Boyd Cohen.
New York: Hill and Wang, 2011. First printing. 390 pages. More
LIGHT: PARABOLA, VOLUME 26, NO. 2; SUMMER, 2001.
Lusseyran, Jacques; Huston Smith; Rama Devagupta; David Fideler; David Appelbaum (ed.).
New York: 2001. Contains "Mixing Matter and Energy" - Photographs by Walter Chappell; text by Riversong Chappell; "Tír na Sorcha" by Mara Freeman - The radiance of the Celtic Otherworld; "On the First Day" by Howard Schwartz - How things become visible; "Festivals of Fire and Flame" by Suzan Donleavy-Johnston..... More
HOLY EARTH: PARABOLA, VOL. 32, NO. 3, FALL 2007.
Maathai, Wangari; David Sandler; Briogh na Greinne; John Daido Loori; Christopher Bamford; Joyce Kornblatt; Jeff Zaleski (ed.).
New York: 2007. Contents include A Place of Prophets by David Sander - A journey into the living heart of tradition, The Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus Sir Isaac Newton, trans. - As above, so below, The Tree of Life - An interview with Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai..... More
MUTANT MESSAGE DOWNUNDER.
Morgan, Marlo.
Lee Summit: MM CO, 1991. Second printing. Gift inscription signed by the author; 165 pages. More
TROUBLED WATERS: TOXIC CHEMICALS IN THE HUDSON RIVER.
Moskowitz, Paul; Walter Hang; Jay Silberman; Donald Ross; Joseph Highland.
New York: Environmental Defense Fund, 1977. unpaginated, approx. 140 pages. More
BATHYMETRICAL SURVEY OF THE SCOTTISH FRESH-WATER LOCHS DURING THE YEARS 1897 TO 1909: Report on the Scientific Results (Volume 1)
Murray, John; Laurence Pullar.
Edinburgh: Challenger Office, 1910. First edition. lviii, 785 pages plus eight black-and-white phots and two folding color maps. More
AN UNKNOWN WORLD: Notes on the Meaning of the Earth
Needleman, Jacob.
2012. First printing. 240 pages. What is the purpose of life on Earth? Jacob Needleman frames man's role on the planet in a completely new and fresh way, moving beyond the usual environmental concerns to reveal how the care and maintenance of a world is something vital and basic to..... More
TECHNOSCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE: Expert Cultures in a Grassroots Movement
Ottinger, Gwen; Benjamin R. Cohen.
MIT, 20011. First edition. Urban and Industrial Environments Series; 306 pages. Technoscience and Environmental Justice first examines the scientific practices and identities of technical experts who work with environmental justice organizations, whether by becoming activists themselves or by sharing scientific information with communities. It then explore scientists' and engineers' activities..... More
LAUDATO SI': ON CARE FOR OUR COMMON HOME: Encyclical Letter
Pope Francis.
The Word Among Us, 2015. Includes Study Guide; 189 pages. More
ON CARE FOR OUR COMMON HOME: Laudati Si'
Washington: USCCB, 2015. 128 pages. More
BIOSPHERE POLITICS: A Cultural Odyssey from the Middle Ages to the New Age
Rifkin, Jeremy.
San Francisco: Harper Collins, 1992. First edition. 388 pages. More
THIS I BELIEVE AND OTHER ESSAYS.
Schumacher, E.F.
Resurgence, 1998. 223 pages. More
THE JOURNAL OF THE NEW ALCHEMISTS.
Todd, Nancy Jack (ed.).
Woods Hole, MA: New Alchemy Institute, 1977. No issue number stated, assume it is No. 5; 12" x 8.75" paperback; 148 pages. More
DARKENING OF THE LIGHT: Witnessing the End of an Era
Vaughen-Lee, Llewellyn.
Golden Sufi Center, 2013. 164 pages. Over the last decade or more we have become increasingly aware of how our materialistic, energy-intensive civilization has been destroying the fragile balance of the web of life that has sustained humanity and all living beings for millennia. Yet, while spiritual teachings tell us..... More
ECOTOXICOLOGY: RESPONSE, BIOMARKERS AND RISK ASSESSMENT.
Zelikoff, Judith T.
Fair Haven, NJ: SOS Publications for OECD, 1997. First printing. Thirty two papers from the 1996 meeting of ecotoxicologists/environmental toxicologists sponsored by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD); 534 pages, plus 18 pages of roundtable discussion. More