Robert Drake

There are countless works of interest to gay men in print right now—anthologies, novels, memoirs, and more. It is a reflection of progress that there is such an openly recognizable culture. Yet how to make sense of the choices offered? What do gay men need to read? What books have shaped the gay heart, mind, and soul?The Gay Canon gives its readers answers to these questions. Not only does it list the one hundred great gay books that have influenced writers and continue to shape the gay imagination, it also provides a deeper, more comprehensive look at the twenty-six most seminal works, each of which is followed by a series of useful group discussion questions. Reaching all the way back to Gilgamesh and continuing through classics like Leaves of Grass, Confessions of a Mask, and The Wild Boys, as well as more recent books like Borrowed Time, The Gay Canon consistently avoids impenetrable academic literary criticism in favor of a more popular introduction for general readers and book groups.The Gay Canon is a book to give to any young man just coming out, a book every gay reading group will want to rely on, and—most important—a book that will enrich and improve the gay story that continues to be written.

A parent's nightmare. Two sixteen-year-old boys leave the safety of their suburban homes to hitchhike from New Jersey to California and back-no plans, no places to stay, no maps, and no money ($46). Driven by a yen for adventure, they almost insanely rely on unknown drivers to move them along the 7,000-mile route. The thrills of the journey are all revealed-the near starvation, gun-toting cowboys, burning deserts, great parties, hostile police, friendly college frats, the homecoming, and more, including humor. Stick out your thumb and hop aboard.

A parent's nightmare. Two sixteen-year-old boys leave the safety of their suburban homes to hitchhike from New Jersey to California and back-no plans, no places to stay, no maps, and no money ($46). Driven by a yen for adventure, they almost insanely rely on unknown drivers to move them along the 7,000-mile route. The thrills of the journey are all revealed-the near starvation, gun-toting cowboys, burning deserts, great parties, hostile police, friendly college frats, the homecoming, and more, including humor. Stick out your thumb and hop aboard.

This timely text/reference explores the business and technical issues involved in the management of information systems in the era of big data and beyond. Topics and features: presents review questions and discussion topics in each chapter for classroom group work and individual research assignments; discusses the potential use of a variety of big data tools and techniques in a business environment, explaining how these can fit within an information systems strategy; reviews existing theories and practices in information systems, and explores their continued relevance in the era of big data; describes the key technologies involved in information systems in general and big data in particular, placing these technologies in an historic context; suggests areas for further research in this fast moving domain; equips readers with an understanding of the important aspects of a data scientist’s job; provides hands-on experience to further assist in the understanding of the technologies involved.

This timely text/reference explores the business and technical issues involved in the management of information systems in the era of big data and beyond. Topics and features: presents review questions and discussion topics in each chapter for classroom group work and individual research assignments; discusses the potential use of a variety of big data tools and techniques in a business environment, explaining how these can fit within an information systems strategy; reviews existing theories and practices in information systems, and explores their continued relevance in the era of big data; describes the key technologies involved in information systems in general and big data in particular, placing these technologies in an historic context; suggests areas for further research in this fast moving domain; equips readers with an understanding of the important aspects of a data scientist’s job; provides hands-on experience to further assist in the understanding of the technologies involved.

More than just a collection of stories and essays by beloved writer Robert Drake, For the Record: A Robert Drake Reader is an introduction to the craft and art of short story writing, as the stories are accompanied by analyses of Drake as a short story writer and essayist. In addition to being a text on short story writing, the stories in For the Record provide a social history of Woodville, a small town in West Tennessee. Though the life, both tragic and comic, presented in these stories is vanished, it was for the most part responsible for tempering the shape and character of the New South. Understanding Woodville helps the reader understand the tensions and struggles of the contemporary South. The volume includes an excellent introduction to the short stories as well as an excellent discussion of Drake's use of language. His use of language is perhaps Drake's greatest legacy -- no writer alive today has an ear so attuned to capturing the color and rhythm of human speech. Finally, included in this volume is an exclusive interview with Robert Drake on life, writing, and reading.