Chris Walsh

Derek Alsop

The Practice of Reading is a lucid and lively examination of the art of interpreting the novel in the context of recent developments in literary theory and criticism. Believing that reading is - or should be - a pleasurable, creative activity, the authors analyse a range of seven novels from the eighteenth century to the present, focusing upon the experiential dimensions of the reading process. What is the role of the reader? What happens when a novel is read? How far does meaning depend on the reader, and how far on the text? These and other related questions are explored in readings of novels as diverse as Tristram Shandy, Pride and Prejudice, Great Expectations, Daniel Deronda, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Beckett's Trilogy and Possession. In its insistence upon a return to the practice of close reading, the book represents a timely intervention in current literary debates. An accessible, informative and above all stimulating text for all university and college students of literature.

Interpreting the Novel

The Practice of Reading

A provocative look at how cowardice has been understood from ancient times to the present Coward. It's a grave insult, likely to provoke anger, shame, even violence. But what exactly is cowardice? When terrorists are called cowards, does it mean the same as when the term is applied to soldiers? And what, if anything, does cowardice have to do with the rest of us? Bringing together sources from court-martial cases to literary and film classics such as Dante's Inferno, The Red Badge of Courage, and The Thin Red Line, Cowardice recounts the great harm that both cowards and the fear of seeming cowardly have done, and traces the idea of cowardice’s power to its evolutionary roots. But Chris Walsh also shows that this power has faded, most dramatically on the battlefield. Misconduct that earlier might have been punished as cowardice has more recently often been treated medically, as an adverse reaction to trauma, and Walsh explores a parallel therapeutic shift that reaches beyond war, into the realms of politics, crime, philosophy, religion, and love. Yet, as Walsh indicates, the therapeutic has not altogether triumphed—contempt for cowardice endures, and he argues that such contempt can be a good thing. Courage attracts much more of our attention, but rigorously understanding cowardice may be more morally useful, for it requires us to think critically about our duties and our fears, and it helps us to act ethically when fear and duty conflict. Richly illustrated and filled with fascinating stories and insights, Cowardice is the first sustained analysis of a neglected but profound and pervasive feature of human experience.

A Brief History

Cowardice

Susan Watkins

Graham Atkin

A Practical Introduction

Studying Literature

2006. The UK's pub smoking ban is about to happen, and 38 1/2 year old John Torrington, a mopper and trolley collector at his local DIY store, is secretly in love with the stylish, beautiful, and middle class barmaid Lois. John and his hapless, strange, and down-on-their-luck friends, Gabby Longfeather and Glyn Hopkins, live in Clements Markham House - a semi-derelict Edwardian villa divided into unsanitary bedsits, and (mis)managed by the shrewd, Dickensian business man, Mr Kapoor. When Mr Kapoor, in a bizarre and criminal fluke, makes him fabulously credit-worthy, John surprises his friends and colleagues alike by announcing he will organise an amazing 'urban love revolution', aka the Dig Street Festival. But when he discovers dark secrets at the DIY store, and Mr Kapoor's ruthless gentrification scheme for Clements Markham House, John's plans take several unexpected and worrisome turns.

The Dig Street Festival

In God we trust? It is a pertinent question answered by this book, for trust comes from believing something, and belief is another word for faith. The Bible says that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God, so the purpose of this book is twofold: 1. To equip ministers to better understand the often brutal law of the jungle that the business world has become and to see Jesus as King of the Jungle, a mighty warrior who fights for our families, our businesses, and our churches. 2. To further equip successful business owners in their growth in mature Christian leadership. If you are a Christian leader in either ministry or business- the eternal revolutionary truths revealed in this book make it a manual for success you cannot afford to pass by.

Obeying God In Our Leadership

Leadership In The River

Evelyn Crawford

Biography of the life of an Aboriginal family as it was in the 'back of Bourke' in the 1930s, and as it is now. Chris Walsh tells the story of Evelyn Crawford's childhood, nurtured by love and taught by Aboriginal elders, her frightening years as a teenager in Sydney and her life as wife and mother of 14. Since 1975 Evelyn has worked with her school community to bring about wider opportunities for Aboriginal students.

Over My Tracks

This book discusses parallels between Browning and Tolkien in how they both offered thoughtful perspectives on the human condition.

Chris Walsh

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