This collection of play scripts includes full-lengths, one-acts, and short plays selected from the works of David Davis. Produced Off-Off Broadway, in regional theatres, and by educational and community theatres, these plays cover the range of theatre, from comedy to tragedy, history plays to science fiction, poetry to theatrical experiments. Several won awards from groups like the Southeast Theatre Conference and Western Carolina University. The comedies reveal a sly sense of humor and recognition of the absurdities in life while the dramas show an awareness of how small things can be just as significant as major events. These plays have come alive on the stage and now come alive again on the page.
This collection of play scripts includes full-lengths, one-acts, and short plays selected from the works of David Davis. Produced Off-Off Broadway, in regional theatres, and by educational and community theatres, these plays cover the range of theatre, from comedy to tragedy, history plays to science fiction, poetry to theatrical experiments. Several won awards from groups like the Southeast Theatre Conference and Western Carolina University. The comedies reveal a sly sense of humor and recognition of the absurdities in life while the dramas show an awareness of how small things can be just as significant as major events. These plays have come alive on the stage and now come alive again on the page.
How far would you go to protect your family from a deeply painful truth? All David's life, he was treated as if he were expendable. Raised by a doctor who valued wealth, education and social status above all else, David was made to believe he failed to live up to his father's standards, despite his best efforts. This conditioning created a deep longing to be valued and that, coupled with his unwavering love for his cherished grandmother, led to David's introduction to Johnny Russell. For over a year and half, David became Johnny's beard and cleaner. He lied for him, protected him and enabled him, descending into a world of drugs, prostitution and excess that few people see. Still unwilling to tell his family the truth about Johnny, but hating himself for his part in Johnny's secret life, David was only able to shake off his conditioning after suffering a near fatal motorcycle accident and being in a coma for twenty days. In that coma, David crossed from this plane to the next and saw the light -- literally. The experience transformed and strengthened him. He awoke vowing to change his life and be a better man. But at what cost? While a cautionary tale about blind family loyalty, The Abortionist's Son is ultimately a story of personal redemption that will hopefully prompt others to reflect on their core relationships, the terrible cost of secrets, and how they value the gifts they have been given in life...
BASED ON ACTUAL EVENTS and inspired by the #METOO and Times Up movements. This book was written to show other victims that they are not alone. It also hopes to expose the techniques predators use that allow them to continue to "get away with it." FROM THE BACK OF THE BOOK JACKET: How far would you go to protect your family from a deeply painful truth? All David's life, he was treated as if he were expendable. Raised by a doctor who valued wealth, education and social status above all else, David was made to believe he failed to live up to his father's standards, despite his best efforts. This conditioning created a deep longing to be valued and that, coupled with his unwavering love for his cherished grandmother, led to David's introduction to Johnny Russell. Over the course of a year and a half, David became Johnny's beard and cleaner. He lied for him, protected him and enabled him, descending into a world of drugs, prostitution and excess that few people see. Still unwilling to tell his family the truth about Johnny, but hating himself for his part in Johnny's secret life, David was only able to shake off his conditioning after suffering a near fatal motorcycle accident and being in a coma for twenty days. In that coma, David crossed from this plane to the next and saw the light -- literally. The experience transformed and strengthened him. He awoke vowing to change his life and be a better man. But at what cost? While a cautionary tale about blind family loyalty, Son of a Predator is ultimately a story of personal redemption that will hopefully prompt others to reflect on their core relationships, the terrible cost of secrets, and how they value the gifts they have been given in life...
Waterman is the first comprehensive biography of Duke Kahanamoku (1890-1968): swimmer, surfer, Olympic gold medalist, Hawaiian icon, waterman. Long before Michael Phelps and Mark Spitz made their splashes in the pool, Kahanamoku emerged from the backwaters of Waikiki to become America's first superstar Olympic swimmer. The original "human fish" set dozens of world records and topped the world rankings for more than a decade; his rivalry with Johnny Weissmuller transformed competitive swimming from an insignificant sideshow into a headliner event. Kahanamoku used his Olympic renown to introduce the sport of "surf-riding," an activity unknown beyond the Hawaiian Islands, to the world. Standing proudly on his traditional wooden longboard, he spread surfing from Australia to the Hollywood crowd in California to New Jersey. No American athlete has influenced two sports as profoundly as Kahanamoku did, and yet he remains an enigmatic and underappreciated figure: a dark-skinned Pacific Islander who encountered and overcame racism and ignorance long before the likes of Joe Louis, Jesse Owens, and Jackie Robinson. Kahanamoku's connection to his homeland was equally important. He was born when Hawaii was an independent kingdom; he served as the sheriff of Honolulu during Pearl Harbor and World War II and as a globetrotting "Ambassador of Aloha" afterward; he died not long after Hawaii attained statehood. As one sportswriter put it, Duke was "Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey combined down here." In Waterman, award-winning journalist David Davis examines the remarkable life of Duke Kahanamoku, in and out of the water.
In the late 1970s, the Olympic Movement was in deep trouble. When the International Olympic Committee called for candidates to host the 1984 Summer Olympics, only two cities expressed interest: Tehran and Los Angeles. And, after Tehran dropped out of the bidding process, L.A. was left to carry the flickering Olympic torch. Naysayers predicted disaster: the traffic would be snarled and the smog suffocating; the Games would bankrupt the city of L.A. and terrorists would harm innocent people. But L.A. proved everyone wrong. The weather cooperated, and the traffic was smooth sailing. An ambitious Arts Festival drew appreciative crowds, and pin trading became an unofficial Olympic event. And, who could not be thrilled by the record-setting performances of Carl Lewis, Evelyn Ashford, Edwin Moses, Joan Benoit, Daley Thompson, Mary Lou Retton, Greg Louganis, and Cheryl Miller?This book chronicles the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics through the extraordinary photographs taken by the staff at the Herald Examiner newspaper, a collection now held at the Los Angeles Central Library: from the preparations before the Games to the Opening Ceremony to the wondrous athletic performances to the Closing Ceremony. The 1984 Olympics were a golden moment in these photographers' careers as well as for the city of Los Angeles.
Mother Goose heads down south! This collection of forty-six original poems imbues popular nursery rhymes with a Southern twang. Beginning readers will encounter Chattahoochee Charlie, Miami Mary, Little Hannah from Savannah, Old King Cajun, and many more characters from across the South. Y'all better be ready for rambunctious personalities, beloved rhymes, and charming illustrations on every page!
Waterman is the first comprehensive biography of Duke Kahanamoku (1890-1968): swimmer, surfer, Olympic gold medalist, Hawaiian icon, waterman. Long before Michael Phelps and Mark Spitz made their splashes in the pool, Kahanamoku emerged from the backwaters of Waikiki to become America's first superstar Olympic swimmer. The original "human fish" set dozens of world records and topped the world rankings for more than a decade. Kahanamoku used his Olympic renown to introduce the sport of "surf-riding," an activity unknown beyond the Hawaiian Islands, to the world. No American athlete has influenced two sports as profoundly as Kahanamoku did, and yet he remains an enigmatic and underappreciated figure: a dark-skinned Pacific Islander who encountered and overcame racism and ignorance long before the likes of Joe Louis, Jesse Owens, and Jackie Robinson. Kahanamoku's connection to his homeland was equally important. He was born when Hawaii was an independent kingdom; he served as the sheriff of Honolulu during Pearl Harbor and World War II and as a globetrotting "Ambassador of Aloha" afterward. In Waterman award-winning journalist David Davis examines the remarkable life of Duke Kahanamoku, in and out of the water.
It all started with a conversation between the leaders of the Benelux Union; Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, after a meeting of the entire European Union. 3 years later, on what was to become known as C-Day, all at once, United Nations dignitaries, ambassadors, and their staffs, left the U.S. Conference rooms were empty. Meetings were missed. They collectively closed up shop and left. Embassies locked their doors. Foreign lobbying offices were barren. The next day, at 8pm EST in the U.S., every major network in the rest of the world (ROTW) broadcasted the largest assembly of world leaders, both in person, live from The Hague, and via satellite, that had ever been convened. The ROTW declared they no longer wished to do business, or have any involvement, cooperation, or communication, whatsoever, with the U.S. The deployment of drones, the endless "collateral damage" of civilians, the chemical weapons that were stockpiled, the plots to kill heads of state, and the unending spying. The selling of arms for drugs for arms to overthrow elected officials that were not in sync with American needs. Everything that the U.S. government accused other countries of doing was practiced foremost by the U.S. The world finally decided to give the U.S. the "silent treatment", to send them to Coventry, as the British were fond of saying. Chaos, panic, and financial collapse ensued. And that was just the beginning. From first time author, David Davis, comes an intriguing, fact based fictional look at what would happen if the U.S. was shunned by the rest of the world.
WHEELS OF COURAGE reveals the never-before-told story of the world's first wheelchair athletes: U.S. soldiers, sailors, and Marines who were paralysed on the battlefield during World War II. They organised the first-ever wheelchair basketball teams within V.A. hospitals after the war, which quickly spread across the nation and changed the perception and treatment of disabled people. The book tells this story through the lens of three of these vets, describing their time in the military, their injuries, their recovery, and their role in creating wheelchair basketball. These men changed the narrative of disability, from pity for people whose lives were over to seeing them as capable people who happened to have a disability. Their doctors changed the way the medical community looked at and treated disabled patients by treating the whole patient instead of just trying to make the patient as comfortable as possible in a hopeless situation. And laws started changing to make the world more accessible to the disabled -- things we take for granted today, like sidewalk ramps. For the disabled, for sports fans, for veterans, for history buffs -- this is a narrative of hope, perseverance, and acceptance.
Seven Heretical Sermons is a collection of essays in sermon form intended for the layperson dealing with the impact of modern science on theology. Written with a humorous, sometimes sarcastic tone, it reviews the historical development of several theological ideas, including aspects of beliefs about abortion, the origin of religion, homosexuality, evil, creation, and the nature of God; all in the context of modern scientific thought. In the past, when science has appeared to contradict theology, it has been theology that eventually adapted to science. Today that process continues, despite many efforts to resist the process. Here physics and anthropology are mixed with history and textual analysis to explore a new way of looking at religion.
Seven Heretical Sermons is a collection of essays in sermon form intended for the layperson dealing with the impact of modern science on theology. Written with a humorous, sometimes sarcastic tone, it reviews the historical development of several theological ideas, including aspects of beliefs about abortion, the origin of religion, homosexuality, evil, creation, and the nature of God; all in the context of modern scientific thought. In the past, when science has appeared to contradict theology, it has been theology that eventually adapted to science. Today that process continues, despite many efforts to resist the process. Here physics and anthropology are mixed with history and textual analysis to explore a new way of looking at religion.
Like locked-room murder mysteries? Stories about impossible-to-solve crimes? Detectives who are out of the norm? The Detectives is a novella and several short stories about just such puzzles and the detectives who solve them. Set in various locations in the South and Southwest, all six start with the puzzle of how a murder happened, but quickly move on to the puzzle of the detectives themselves and how they deal with the crime. How do normal people suddenly deal with seemingly unsolvable puzzles? And how does that change them?The novella is about an ex-basketball player female agent with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation who is assigned to assist a small beach town where a body is found in a locked-from-the-inside "hurricane-proof house" just off the beach. How it was done is quickly solved, but who did it when most people had no reason or opportunity to kill the guy is much more of a problem. Other stories involve a rookie detective in Virginia facing the case of a young college teacher who dies sitting alone on the end of a small fishing pier in plain sight of witnesses on the shore, and a Hispanic female chief detective in Yuma, Arizona, taking over the case of a young man shot and stabbed inside an empty locked jail cell inside an empty prison from the 1800s. This is followed by a police captain with a "Dolly Parton" figure dealing with two orphan college women found nude with a claymore thrust through their bodies inside a locked University of Arizona Baptist Student Union building, and a medically retired detective asked to help solve the case of an elderly college professor repeatedly stabbed inside her own locked apartment in faculty housing in the mountains of Kentucky. The final story concerns an ex-football lineman turned amateur detective in Atlanta and a young accountant who disappears from her own locked apartment several stories above the street. In each case, the detectives must draw on their own lives and experiences to figure out what really happened and why. In these cases, it is the people who are the real puzzle, not the crime.
Like locked-room murder mysteries? Stories about impossible-to-solve crimes? Detectives who are out of the norm? The Detectives is a novella and several short stories about just such puzzles and the detectives who solve them. Set in various locations in the South and Southwest, all six start with the puzzle of how a murder happened, but quickly move on to the puzzle of the detectives themselves and how they deal with the crime. How do normal people suddenly deal with seemingly unsolvable puzzles? And how does that change them?The novella is about an ex-basketball player female agent with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation who is assigned to assist a small beach town where a body is found in a locked-from-the-inside "hurricane-proof house" just off the beach. How it was done is quickly solved, but who did it when most people had no reason or opportunity to kill the guy is much more of a problem. Other stories involve a rookie detective in Virginia facing the case of a young college teacher who dies sitting alone on the end of a small fishing pier in plain sight of witnesses on the shore, and a Hispanic female chief detective in Yuma, Arizona, taking over the case of a young man shot and stabbed inside an empty locked jail cell inside an empty prison from the 1800s. This is followed by a police captain with a "Dolly Parton" figure dealing with two orphan college women found nude with a claymore thrust through their bodies inside a locked University of Arizona Baptist Student Union building, and a medically retired detective asked to help solve the case of an elderly college professor repeatedly stabbed inside her own locked apartment in faculty housing in the mountains of Kentucky. The final story concerns an ex-football lineman turned amateur detective in Atlanta and a young accountant who disappears from her own locked apartment several stories above the street. In each case, the detectives must draw on their own lives and experiences to figure out what really happened and why. In these cases, it is the people who are the real puzzle, not the crime.
Heartspan is a collection of poems covering the entire range of emotion, from the humorous to the satiric to the serious and heartbreaking. Taken from various eras in the author's life, these poems touch on everything from sex to literary criticism to historical events. Written to be clear even to the average reader, the poetry reaches all parts of our lives, usually looking at things from a slightly odd point of view.
Heartspan is a collection of poems covering the entire range of emotion, from the humorous to the satiric to the serious and heartbreaking. Taken from various eras in the author's life, these poems touch on everything from sex to literary criticism to historical events. Written to be clear even to the average reader, the poetry reaches all parts of our lives, usually looking at things from a slightly odd point of view.
These are, as best as can be reconstructed, the poems written by David Davis during the largest part of his life. Presented in roughly chronological order, beginning when he was just a boy and going through his early seventies, they include the good and the bad and everything in between. Basically, they amount to a form of autobiography, with a lot of the facts left out. Many present his decidedly dry sense of humor and his odd way of looking at life; others are cries from the wilderness. Deceptively simple and clear, there is often a turn of phrase or line that gives you a kick in one part of the intellect or another.
These are, as best as can be reconstructed, the poems written by David Davis during the largest part of his life. Presented in roughly chronological order, beginning when he was just a boy and going through his early seventies, they include the good and the bad and everything in between. Basically, they amount to a form of autobiography, with a lot of the facts left out. Many present his decidedly dry sense of humor and his odd way of looking at life; others are cries from the wilderness. Deceptively simple and clear, there is often a turn of phrase or line that gives you a kick in one part of the intellect or another.
