Kirjahaku

In Christmas Day, Bucks Pond Road, his second book with the Ice Plant, Brooklyn-based photographer Tim Carpenter (born 1968) revisits the Central Illinois topography of his first monograph, Local Objects, with a sequence of 56 black-and-white, medium-format photographs, all made on a single winter morning. Where Local Objects meandered this semi-rural Midwestern landscape through changing seasons, here Carpenter follows a straightforward path, taking the viewer on a two-hour walk from point A to point B. Nothing much happens along this narrative arc there are fallow fields, standing water, dormant trees, the occasional tire track on worn pavement yet Carpenter explores the stillness of this outdoor space with a palpable, almost erotic longing, discovering complex subtleties at every turn. The photographs in Christmas Day, Bucks Pond Road are made with an intensity of attention and a lightness of touch.

The unbelievable true story of how one man stole tens of thousands of priceless artifacts and human remains from around the world—and the FBI’s massive undertaking to set things right.In The Grave Robber, Tim Carpenter, former FBI Lead Investigator on the Art Crime Team, recounts one of the most extraordinary and unsettling cases in the history of art theft. Over the course of five decades, a lone graverobber accumulated an illicit trove of over 42,000 artifacts from cultures across the globe, including Native American, Haitian, Chinese, and others. The stolen items included nearly 500 ancestral remains, carefully looted from sacred burial sites and cultural heritage locations. Carpenter’s team, driven by an unwavering commitment to justice, embarks on a harrowing journey to track down this elusive criminal and uncover the full scope of the theft. What they find is nothing short of staggering: an illegal collection of immense historical and cultural significance, hidden away in a Midwestern home.Part true crime narrative, part procedural, The Grave Robber offers a gripping, behind-the-scenes look at the meticulous work involved in tracking down one of the most prolific art thieves in history. Carpenter takes readers inside the FBI’s groundbreaking investigation, detailing the complex challenges of recovering stolen cultural artifacts and the legal and moral dilemmas of repatriating them to their rightful communities. Along the way, the Bureau’s efforts to confront these crimes evolve, as they come to terms with the deep historical wounds caused by such looting—especially the desecration of Native American graves and ancestral sites. With rare access to both the investigation and the impacted communities, Carpenter’s narrative sheds light on the lengths the FBI and tribal representatives go to in their pursuit of justice.As the case progresses, the narrative expands from a tense pursuit of a criminal to a larger reckoning with history and cultural heritage. The repatriation of these sacred objects and remains to their rightful owners becomes an act of restoration—not just of physical artifacts, but of dignity and respect for the communities whose ancestors were so violently wronged. The story of The Grave Robber is one of redemption and transformation: for the FBI, which redefined its approach to cultural crimes, and for the tribes and cultures who finally see justice done. This riveting account of a stolen past and the quest to make it right reads like a thriller, but it is ultimately a story of healing, responsibility, and the importance of preserving history for future generations.

Anyone who has done children's sermons will sooner or later hear from someone that "I learn more from the children's sermon than I do from the real sermon." And indeed, the truths of scripture are so simple that even a child can understand them. So it's no accident that children's sermons have become a central part of the worship service in many churches. Brett Blair and Tim Carpenter offer a year's worth of object lessons that engage children and impart profound lessons for all ages. Two sermons are provided for each Sunday in Cycle A of the Revised Common Lectionary, one based on the Second Lesson and one based on the Gospel. The messages are structured in two parts: the "lesson" uses an object to draw out active responses from children, then the "application" connects that object to the assigned scripture reading. Each message includes a clear statement of its exegetical aim. Bright, innovative, perceptive, creative, grace-filled... Brett Blair and Tim Carpenter are all of those and much, much more, and that is reflected beautifully in their new book The Big Influence Of Small Things. James W. Moore Pastor, St. Luke's United Methodist Church Houston, Texas Brett Blair is the pastor of Scenic Hills United Methodist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. He holds the M.Div. degree from Yale University Divinity School and is a cum laude graduate of Oral Roberts University with B.A. and M.A. degrees in New Testament Literature. Tim Carpenter is the pastor of First United Methodist Church in Bolivar, Tennessee. He is a magna cum laude graduate from Memphis Theological Seminary with a M.Div. degree, and holds the B.A. degree in Political Science from the University of Florida.