Subjective Grounds

A fascinating and eclectic anthology of writings from diverse times, places, and cultures - from ancient Rome and China to present-day America - spanning many genres, including short fiction, essays, poetry, letters, and history. And the authors all share one trait: their initials are "S.G." An anthology must have a theme. So what happens when the theme is essentially meaningless? The anthology becomes a game to play, and a puzzle to solve. A scavenger hunt and jigsaw puzzle, with the pieces scattered all over the world, and the final picture unknown until it is finished. An adventure of discovery for both the anthologist and the reader. These are all short works, or short excerpts from longer works, compiled and edited by Sean Gleeson, with a brief introduction to each piece. Here are some of the great reads you'll discover:

The incredible Stephen Glass story "Hack Heaven" as seen in the movie Shattered Glass. The scandalous article that destroyed Glass's career, and marked the ascendancy of online journalism. The funny short story "Freckles M'Grath" by Susan Glaspell. "Why You Can't Have Saint Paul's Head," an actual letter written in 594 A.D. from Saint Gregory to Empress Constantina explaining, well, why she can't have Saint Paul's head. "No More unto My Thoughts Appear" by Cavalier poet Sidney Godolphin. "Penmanship Wisdom" by Sun Guoting, excerpted from his preface to his Treatise on Calligraphy. The famous essay "What Does Labor Want?" by Samuel Gompers, founder of the American Federation of Labor. "Deeds of Erik Shrewd-Spoken" by Saxo Grammaticus, entertaining tales of a crafty hero excerpted from Volume Five of his Deeds of the Danes. "Hotel and Tea-House Girls of Japan" by Sidney Gulick, excerpted from his book Working Women of Japan. The science fiction short story "Breakaway" by Stanley Gimble. "The Camel and the Thief" by Sarath Ghosh, a detective story excerpted from his book The Wonders of the Jungle. "Leo Learns His Lesson" by Sean Gleeson, in which a man wishes for a world without beer.

This is a quality print edition, with great care taken to ensure a gorgeous and error-free book.