Mary Miller

Bridging psychological theories on compassion with practical leadership insights, this book explores the transformative power of compassion for navigating the complexities of modern leadership and life. In a world marked by division, burnout, and uncertainty, this book offers actionable guidance on developing essential skills like self-awareness, empathy, and effective communication. Through a blend of evidence-based research, therapeutic insights, and real-life anecdotes from leaders, the book provides practical tools for cultivating compassion for oneself and others. It highlights the concept of Leading with Fierce Compassion and explores its profound impact on organisational culture, team dynamics, and individual well-being. From navigating conflicts to fostering inclusive work environments and promoting collaboration, this book equips readers with the courage and skills needed to embrace compassion as a means for personal growth, resilience, and authentic leadership. Readers are guided on a journey to deepen their compassion capacity, foster empathetic connections, and take effective action. The book will be a valuable resource for professionals ranging from mid-level managers to executive leadership positions within business, government, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). It will be an asset to any professional interested in psychology or enhancing leadership abilities to cultivate deeper and more meaningful connections with others.

Bridging psychological theories on compassion with practical leadership insights, this book explores the transformative power of compassion for navigating the complexities of modern leadership and life. In a world marked by division, burnout, and uncertainty, this book offers actionable guidance on developing essential skills like self-awareness, empathy, and effective communication. Through a blend of evidence-based research, therapeutic insights, and real-life anecdotes from leaders, the book provides practical tools for cultivating compassion for oneself and others. It highlights the concept of Leading with Fierce Compassion and explores its profound impact on organisational culture, team dynamics, and individual well-being. From navigating conflicts to fostering inclusive work environments and promoting collaboration, this book equips readers with the courage and skills needed to embrace compassion as a means for personal growth, resilience, and authentic leadership. Readers are guided on a journey to deepen their compassion capacity, foster empathetic connections, and take effective action. The book will be a valuable resource for professionals ranging from mid-level managers to executive leadership positions within business, government, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). It will be an asset to any professional interested in psychology or enhancing leadership abilities to cultivate deeper and more meaningful connections with others.

As divis es tnicas prejudicam os esfor os de constru o do Estado na B snia-Herzegovina quase vinte anos ap s o fim da guerra entre os tr s principais grupos tnicos do pa s. As elites pol ticas influenciam a forma como o nacionalismo e a identidade s o vividos na B snia-Herzegovina e oferecem reflex es sobre como o pa s pode ou n o ser unido. Em que medida as elites pol ticas ao n vel da presid ncia articulam temas tnicos mais restritos ou uma identidade nacional mais ampla nos discursos p blicos? A ret rica utilizada pelas elites pol ticas explorada para encontrar ocorr ncias de polariza o tnica ou uma formula o da identidade nacional. O estudo baseia-se em teorias que explicam a constru o da identidade e do nacionalismo, al m de teorias sobre conflitos tnicos e ret rica mitificadora. Os discursos dos presidentes da B snia-Herzegovina entre 2004 e 2012 s o analisados para encontrar exemplos de uso espec fico de palavras que incentivam uma identidade b snia unificada, promovem uma identidade tnica ou atacam outra etnia.

Le divisioni etniche minano gli sforzi di costruzione dello Stato in Bosnia-Erzegovina a quasi vent'anni dalla fine della guerra tra i tre principali gruppi etnici del Paese. Le lite politiche influenzano il modo in cui il nazionalismo e l'identit sono vissuti in Bosnia-Erzegovina e offrono riflessioni su come il Paese possa o non possa essere unito. In che misura le lite politiche a livello presidenziale articolano temi etnici pi ristretti o un'identit nazionale pi ampia nei discorsi pubblici? La retorica utilizzata dalle lite politiche viene esaminata per individuare casi di polarizzazione etnica o di inquadramento dell'identit nazionale. Lo studio si basa su teorie che spiegano la costruzione dell'identit e del nazionalismo, oltre che su teorie relative ai conflitti etnici e alla retorica mitizzante. I discorsi dei presidenti della Bosnia-Erzegovina dal 2004 al 2012 sono analizzati per individuare casi di uso specifico di parole che incoraggiano un'identit bosniaca unificata, promuovono un'identit etnica o attaccano un'altra etnia.

Palliative care has evolved rapidly in recent years. Not only is the field dealing with an increasingly elderly and multi-morbid population, it is also addressing a wider variety of complex diagnoses such as heart failure, renal failure, advanced lung disease, frailty, and dementia. Challenging Cases in Palliative Care is unique, as it uses examples of real-world cases from palliative care practices. It also includes expert commentary to support modern clinicians in managing the 'messiness' of clinical care, as well as the increasingly complex needs of patients today. As part of our Challenging Cases series, the cases in this book not only cover a range of physical and psychosocial problems seen in palliative care, they also reflect the core curriculum for UK speciality trainees. Each case brings together expert interpretation of the available evidence, management strategies, guidelines and best practice, while discussing complexities in clinical decision-making and controversies in approach.

'Balances detailed research with powerful storytelling to create a well-written and heart-wrenching account' - Nicole Gemine, Press and Journal Jane Haining was undoubtedly one of Scotland’s heroines. A farmer’s daughter from Galloway in south-west Scotland, Jane went to work at the Scottish Jewish Mission School in Budapest in 1932, where she was a boarding school matron in charge of around 50 orphan girls. The school had 400 pupils, most of them Jewish. Jane was back in the UK on holiday when war broke out in 1939, but she immediately went back to Hungary to do all she could to protect the children at the school. She refused to leave in 1940, and again ignored orders to flee the country in March 1944 when Hungary was invaded by the Nazis. She remained with her pupils, writing 'if these children need me in days of sunshine, how much more do they need me in days of darkness'. Her brave persistence led to her arrest in by the Gestapo in April 1944, for "offences" that included spying, working with Jews and listening to the BBC. She died in the Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz just a few months later, at the age of 47. Her courage and self-sacrifice, her choice to stay and to protect the children in her care, have made her an inspiration to many.

Building on her critically acclaimed novel The Last Days of California and her biting collection Always Happy Hour, Miller transports readers to this delightfully wry, unapologetic corner of the south—Biloxi, Mississippi, home to sixty-three-year-old Louis McDonald, Jr. Louis has been forlorn since his wife of thirty-seven years left him, his father passed away and he impulsively retired from his job in anticipation of an inheritance cheque that may not come. These days he watches reality television and tries to avoid his ex-wife and daughter, benefiting from the charity of his former brother-in-law, Frank, who religiously brings over his takeway leftovers and always stays for a beer. Yet the past is no predictor of Louis’s future. On a routine trip to Walgreens to pick up his diabetes medication, he stops at a sign advertising free dogs and meets Harry Davidson, a man who claims to have more than a dozen canines on offer, but offers only one: an overweight mixed breed named Layla. Without any rational explanation, Louis feels compelled to take the dog home and the two become inseparable. Louis, more than anyone, is dumbfounded to find himself in love—bursting into song with improvised jingles, exploring new locales and reevaluating what he once considered the fixed horizons of his life. With her “sociologist’s eye for the mundane and revealing” (Joyce Carol Oates, New York Review of Books), Miller populates the Gulf Coast with Ann Beattie-like characters. A strangely heartwarming tale of loneliness, masculinity and the limitations of each, Biloxi confirms Miller’s position as one of our most gifted and perceptive writers.

When an inexplicable ball of light begins to shine in Dillard County, GA, it sends the townspeople scurrying for answers. What is it? Where did it come from? What does it want? When will it leave? Some ignore it, others dismiss it and some swear it is a UFO waiting to land. LIGHT BURGERS ... waltzing through the garden with Joe: is a romantic comedy with a pinch of poignancy and a dash of mystery thrown into the mix as it explores the mystery of what happens when five ordinary people experience something extraordinary. THE ONE ACT EDITION is perfect for High Schools, Community Theatres and Competitions. AWARDS & NOTICES: World Premiere: Off-Off Broadway Carousel Theatre Company, New York, NY. Winner Best Actor & Best Supporting Actress, Georgia Theatre Conference. "BEST BETS" Gallery 209/Art Downtown, Brunswick, GA. Finalist New Play Competition, Denton, TX. ABOUT THE PLAY: A mysterious light is not the only thing that has suddenly appeared in Dillard County, GA. Mason's unexpected return from New York City after fifteen years has created a stir all its own particularly for everyone at Dunford's Diner. L.E., the diner's only waitress and Mason's old high school girlfriend, has refused to look at him or the 'light.' George, the owner of the diner has decided to take Mason's advice and has re-named and re-marketed the diner in honor of the coming of the 'light.' Frank, a tired and frustrated policeman, has come to the diner to take a much needed break from a busy day chasing 'light' sightings all over town. Merrillee, a high school beauty queen, is thrilled at George's announcement that Tonight-Is-The-Night for the landing of the 'light.' She appears at the diner with her suitcase packed, anxiously awaiting its arrival and ready to go with it. Tonight Mason, L.E., George, Merrillee, and Frank will experience something none of them will ever forget. SETTING: A local diner in Dillard, Ga, a small town located a couple hours north of Atlanta, GA, during the summer of 1992. CHARACTERS: GEORGE - Owns the diner. He inherited it after his father died. George has always worked for his father but now that he's the owner he has decided to test his wings under Mason's tutelage. Mason and George went to high school together. George is a few years younger and he holds Mason in the highest esteem. L.E.: A waitress at Dunford's diner, she went to high school with Mason and they were an item before they graduated and he left to go to New York. L.E. is the quiet, stable, reasonable person in the group. She has never left Dillard except for a brief stay in Tupelo after graduation. She refuses to get swept up in the furor of the 'light'. Her real name is Lenora Elaine but the only person who calls her that is her mother. FRANK - A Dillard County policeman, he was best friends with George's father. Frank has been a fixture in the community and the diner forever. Married to Geraldine they have no children so he looks on those in the diner like a surrogate father. Dillard County was a quiet peaceful little town until the 'light' started shining and they put him in charge. Frank has come to the diner tonight to take a much needed break. MASON: A hometown success story, he moved to New York City shortly after graduating from high school and made a name for himself in advertising. Mason has recently returned to Dillard to the surprise of everyone especially L.E. Much like the prodigal son, Mason has come back to see if he can fit in again. MERRILLEE - The prettiest girl in high school, Merrillee was and still is the envy of all the girls in town. As pretty as she is, there is a naive innocence about her that is childlike and sincere. She truly does look for the best in everyone and there isn't a mean bone in her body. She grew up in a wealthy family and married well. She has never had to work or want for anything in her life. But today she has packed her suitcase and declared that she is going with the 'li

Building on her critically acclaimed novel The Last Days of California and her biting collection Always Happy Hour, Miller transports readers to this delightfully wry, unapologetic corner of the south—Biloxi, Mississippi, home to sixty-three-year-old Louis McDonald, Jr. Louis has been forlorn since his wife of thirty-seven years left him, his father passed, and he impulsively retired from his job in anticipation of an inheritance check that may not come. These days he watches reality television and tries to avoid his ex-wife and daughter, benefiting from the charity of his former brother-in-law, Frank, who religiously brings over his Chili’s leftovers and always stays for a beer. Yet the past is no predictor of Louis’s future. On a routine trip to Walgreens to pick up his diabetes medication, he stops at a sign advertising free dogs and meets Harry Davidson, a man who claims to have more than a dozen canines on offer, but offers only one: an overweight mixed breed named Layla. Without any rational explanation, Louis feels compelled to take the dog home, and the two become inseparable. Louis, more than anyone, is dumbfounded to find himself in love—bursting into song with improvised jingles, exploring new locales, and reevaluating what he once considered the fixed horizons of his life. With her “sociologist’s eye for the mundane and revealing” (Joyce Carol Oates, New York Review of Books), Miller populates the Gulf Coast with Ann Beattie-like characters. A strangely heartwarming tale of loneliness, masculinity, and the limitations of each, Biloxi confirms Miller’s position as one of our most gifted and perceptive writers.

Mary Miller combines hard-edged prose and savage Southern charm. Claustrophobic and lonesome, acerbic and magnetic, the women in Always Happy Hour seek understanding in the most unlikely places—a dilapidated foster home where love is a liability and the empty corners of a dream home bought after a bitter divorce. Miller evokes the particular gritty comfort found in bad habits as hope turns to dust.

IN THE KITCHEN: Thoughts on Love, Sex, and Aging by Mary Miller is a comedy that revolves around the lives of a mother and her three daughters who suddenly find themselves forced to navigate the pitfalls of old age when the girls discover their mother has left the gas stove burning all night. Mixing current events with childhood memories puts the women at odds with one another and sends them on a collision course that's often as hysterical as it is heartbreaking. AWARDS & NOTICES First place winner of the New England Theatre Conference (NETC) John Gassner Memorial Playwriting Award for best play of 2016. In the Kitchen was by far the best of this year's finalists. David Frieze, Committee Chairman.ABOUT THE PLAY When Kate's mother leaves the gas stove burning all night, it sets in motion a chain of events and family confrontations over the nature of aging and what to do if you're lucky enough to get old.IN THE KITCHEN will touch anyone who has ever wrestled with an aging parent, come to grips with teenage children, been confused as to what to wear as an adult, and have both lost and found: love, work, money, and happiness all while sitting at the kitchen table trying to keep the family together. Why the kitchen? Because that's where life unfolds ... in the kitchen CHARACTERS: The ages of the main characters can vary, as long as their ages are suitable for a mother who is considering (or should be considering) life in a retirement community.MOTHER (60 +) - The mother of three daughters, she is a vivacious, energetic woman who suddenly finds herself facing her own mortality. Wrestling with the trials and tribulations that come with old age, she is forced to weigh the limitations age has put on her and come to grips with what she can no longer do.KATE (the eldest) - The oldest of the three daughters, she is responsible and reliable almost to a fault. Single and unencumbered with children, she has taken care of her aging parents for years, often sacrificing her own happiness to ensure theirs.LARA (the middle child) - The middle daughter, she is determined and self-assured. She sees her mother's age as a problem that needs to be solved sooner rather than later. She is married with children, and that colors all her decisions.AMY (the baby) - The youngest of the three daughters, she left home shortly after college and consequently has a more detached view of the family. Married and divorced a number of times, she is actually the linchpin that holds the family together, more often than not.VOICES: - Independent voices sharing similar experiences and representing different ages, races, and genders.SETTING: IN THE KITCHEN is a full-length, two-act, multimedia play. It is designed to be performed on a black box stage with pictures projected (from time to time) against the back wall. These postcard-like images are used to depict various locations, memories, and events. The movement between scenes and monologues should flow seamlessly allowing the actors to speak directly to the audience and then back to one another. The action should be choreographed like a dance. Actors that are not in a scene can remain on stage until needed to react a story or move the play forward. Props should be mimed by the actors especially when reenacting scenes from the past. The postcard-like memory pictures coincide with each character's individual stories.

Combining hard-edged prose and savage Southern charm, Mary Miller showcases biting contemporary talent at its best. Fast on the heels of her "terrific" (New York Times Book Review) debut novel, The Last Days of California, she now reaches new heights with this collection of shockingly relatable, ill-fated love stories. Acerbic and ruefully funny, Always Happy Hour weaves tales of young women-deeply flawed and intensely real-who struggle to get out of their own way. They love to drink and have sex; they make bad decisions with men who either love them too much or too little; and they haunt a Southern terrain of gas stations, public pools, and dive bars. Though each character shoulders the weight of her own baggage-whether it's a string of horrible exes, a boyfriend with an annoying child, or an inability to be genuinely happy for a best friend-they are united in their unrelenting suspicion that they deserve better. These women seek understanding in the most unlikely places: a dilapidated foster home where love is a liability in "Big Bad Love," a trailer park littered with a string of bad decisions in "Uphill," and the unfamiliar corners of a dream home purchased with the winnings of a bitter divorce settlement in "Charts." Taking a microscope to delicate patterns of love and intimacy, Miller evokes the reticent love among the misunderstood, the gritty comfort in bad habits that can't be broken, and the beat-by-beat minutiae of fated relationships. Like an evening of drinking, Always Happy Hour is a comforting burn, warm and intoxicating in its brutal honesty. In an unforgettable style that distinguishes her within her generation, Miller once again captures womanhood in "a raw...and heartbreaking way" (Los Angeles Review of Books) and solidifies her essential role in American fiction.

VIRGIN TEARS ON WYOMING AVENUE In the dark comedy Virgin Tears On Wyoming Avenue Chandler finds out that returning home is harder than she ever imagined. But playwright Mary Miller believes that maybe you can go home again and that miracles sometimes do take place in real flesh and blood, not just on wooden statues.VIRGIN TEARS is an amazingly funny and poignant play that embraces anger, fear, pain, and hope as seen through the eyes of three estranged sisters. AWARDS & NOTICES"BRILLIANT" Foulds Theatre, Theatre Conspiracy, Finalist, Ft. Myers, FL. "Breathtaking" Naples Daily News, Naples, FL. "Engaging ... Clever ... Dramatic" News-Press, FL. Women at the Door, Finalist, Chicago, IL. "Classic in the making." Theatre in the Square, Marietta, GA.ABOUT THE PLAYWhen Mattie summons her older sister Chandler to come home because their oldest sister Adele has seen the statue of the Holy Virgin Mary crying real tears in their backyard, Chandler returns to Wyoming Avenue to find more than a statue crying in the backyard. She returns to find that she must face the hopes, the dreams, the fears and the failures she thought she had left behind years ago when she abruptly left town moments before their father's funeral.The reunion between these three sisters is anything but "holy." Adele's anger and frustration at Chandler for abandoning the family is something she cannot forgive or forget. Mattie's seemingly endless desire to please, coupled with her adoration for Chandler, places her in direct conflict with Adele and herself, ultimately leaving her incapable of doing the one thing that would solve the family crisis, if not forever, at least for the moment.One action dominoes into the next as the family secrets, carefully locked behind closed doors, come tumbling out along with the family skeletons. Until finally, during a fanciful flight over Wyoming Avenue in a makeshift sailing boat, the sisters see more than the street the way it used to be, they see each other the way they are today.SETTING: The backyard garden of Adele, Chandler, and Mattie's childhood home. The characters, come and go, in and out of the house through a screen door that opens out onto an elevated porch that runs the length of the house with two steps that step down into the backyard. On the porch there is an old-fashioned wooden rocking chair along with a little bench or wooden crate that can be used for seating. Down in the yard, opposite the rocker, is a wrought iron table with two chairs. Across from the table, on the other side of the yard, is a white picket fence with a wooden gate that separates their house from their neighbors. CHARACTERS: ADELE: The oldest sister. (Late 30's to early 40's)CHANDLER: The middle sister. (Mid to late 30's)MATTIE: The youngest sister. (Late 20's to early 30's)ROBERT: Chandler's old boyfriend. (Chandler's age or older)

When an inexplicable ball of light begins to shine in Dillard County, GA, it sends the townspeople scurrying for answers. What is it? Where did it come from? What does it want? When will it leave? Some ignore it, others dismiss it and some swear it is a UFO waiting to land. LIGHT BURGERS is a romantic comedy that explores what happens when five ordinary people experience something extraordinary. AWARDS & NOTICES: World Premiere: Off-Off Broadway Carousel Theatre Company, New York, NY. Winner Best Actor & Best Supporting Actress, Georgia Theatre Conference. "BEST BETS" Gallery 209/Art Downtown, Brunswick, GA. Finalist New Play Competition, Denton, TX. ABOUT THE PLAY: A mysterious light is not the only thing that has suddenly appeared in Dillard County, GA. Mason's unexpected return from New York City after fifteen years has created a stir all its own particularly for everyone at Dunford's Diner. L.E., the diner's only waitress and Mason's old high school girlfriend, has refused to look at him or the 'light.' George, the owner of the diner has decided to take Mason's advice and has re-named and re-marketed the diner in honor of the coming of the 'light.' Frank, a tired and frustrated policeman, has come to the diner to take a much needed break from a busy day chasing 'light' sightings all over town. Merrillee, a high school beauty queen, is thrilled at George's announcement that Tonight-Is-The-Night for the landing of the 'light.' She appears at the diner with her suitcase packed, anxiously awaiting its arrival and ready to go with it. Tonight Mason, L.E., George, Merrillee, and Frank will experience something none of them will ever forget. SETTING: A local diner in Dillard, Ga, a small town located a couple hours north of Atlanta, GA, during the summer of 1992. CHARACTERS: GEORGE: Owns Dunford's Diner, a roadside diner that he inherited after his father died. George has always worked for his father but now that he owns the diner he has decided to test his wings under Mason's tutelage. Mason and George went to high school together. George is a few years younger and he holds Mason in the highest esteem. L.E.: A waitress at Dunford's diner, she went to high school with Mason and they were an item before they graduated and he left to go to New York. L.E. is the quiet, stable, reasonable person in the group. She has never left Dillard except for a brief stay in Tupelo after graduation. She refuses to get swept up in the furor of the 'light' and has never tried to look up to see if she could see it. Her real name is Lenora Elaine but the only person who calls her that is her mother. FRANK: A Dillard County policeman, Frank was best friends with George's father. Frank has been a fixture in the community and the diner forever. Married to Geraldine they have no children of their own so he looks on those in the diner like a surrogate father. Dillard County was a quiet peaceful little town until the 'light' started shining and they put him in charge. Frank has come to the diner tonight to take a much needed break. MASON: A hometown success story, he moved to New York City shortly after graduating from high school and made a name for himself in advertising. Mason has just recently returned to Dillard to the surprise of everyone especially L.E. Much like the prodigal son, Mason has come back to see if he can fit in again. MERRILLEE: The prettiest girl in high school, Merrillee was then and still is the envy of all the girls in town. As pretty as she is, there is a naive innocence about Merrillee that is childlike and sincere. She truly does look for the best in everyone and there isn't a mean bone in her body. She grew up in a wealthy family and married well. She has never had to work or want for anything in her life. But today she has packed her suitcase and declared that she is going with the 'light.'