Dont Tell Me Not To Ask Why

Don’t Tell Me Not to Ask Why, Samantha King Holmes’s second solo poetry collection following her bestselling Born to Love, Cursed to Feel, is a mirror that reflects our honest truths. Holmes’s poems are like little stories, hooking readers while navigating issues like body image, family relationships, loneliness, failed relationships, and finding belonging. Don’t Tell Me Not to Ask Why is a call to introspection, a demand for honesty, and an affirmation of second chances.

Meet Gary Chattman, who didn’t want to be a teacher. But when it became a valid way to escape the draft during the Vietnam War, he made it his mission to teach. Once Gary was hired, he realized becoming a teacher was what he was meant to be, and for over fifty years dedicated his life to making a difference in the lives of his students. Despite his dedication, the school administration tried to bring him down one notch at a time. Student deaths, students skipping classes, and the callous attitudes of some of the administrators who could not see his vision became everyday battles, making Gary determined to conquer his windmills like Don Quixote. Finally, an illness brought on by his school’s new construction threatened to knock Gary off his Dulcinea for good. Follow the embellished life of this dedicated educator through the tumultuous 1970s, ’80s, and ’90s.

Our Time marks the end of more than a decade of silence, giving voice to the LGBT men and women who served under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” These individuals enlisted knowing that the military would ask them to bury an integral part of themselves and yet joined because of their deep belief that the values of the military were worth the tremendous sacrifice. Our Time shares their stories for the first time, revealing an intimate portrait of military life. Edited by air force officer Josh Seefried, a cofounder of the LGBT active duty military association OutServe, Our Time is a collection of remarkable depth and diversity. We witness the abuse—physical and mental—endured at the hands of fellow soldiers and superiors. We see the hardships faced by their families and partners and feel the pain of the choice between military and self. There are also examples of humanity at its very best: leaders with the courage to support their comrades in the face of tremendous pressure, friendships forged and minds opened, and love that endures the very toughest of odds. Throughout we are reminded of the bravery and selflessness of the men and women who chose to serve our country and defend our liberties while their own freedom was withheld. At once a testament to the wrongs of the policy and a celebration of the good that endured in spite of it, Our Time marks the start of a new era in our national history

Once more the anthropologist of our American scene brings us his reports from the present. With a ruthless gaze, Tony Hoagland attends to all the details of modern frailty and human joy. "What is wrong with you?" he asks of "His Majesty Mr.-Boombox-In-My-Jeep" driving the beach road at 2 AM. What is wrong with all of us? these poems want to know and set off finding out. Don't Tell Anyone is a chronicle of life, love, marriage, sex and shopping as only Tony Hoagland is able to render such things. His poems speak conversationally as if your good friend is telling you a story, but there is great wit and inventiveness behind each of them. Don't tell anyone -- tell everyone about these poems.

Louie Giglio helps you find encouragement, hope, and strength in the midst of any valley as you reject the enemy voices of fear, rage, lust, insecurity, anxiety, despair, temptation, or defeat. Scripture is clear: the Enemy is a liar who will stop at nothing to tempt you into poor decisions and self-defeating mindsets, making you feel afraid, angry, anxious, or defeated. It is all too easy for Satan to weasel his way into a seat at the table intended for only you and your King. But you can fight back. Don't Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table outlines the ways to overcome those lies so you can find peace and security in any challenging circumstance or situation. With the same bold, exciting approach to Scripture as employed in Goliath Must Fall and his other previous works, pastor Louie Giglio examines Psalm 23 in fresh ways, highlighting verse 5: "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies." You can find freedom from insecurity, temptation, and defeat--if you allow Jesus, the Shepherd, to lead the battle for your mind and heart. This spiritual warfare book for those who are leery of spiritual warfare books will resonate with Louie's core Passion tribe as well as with Christians of all ages who want to live a triumphant life in God.

From an award-winning political journalist, the story of how LGBT activists pushed Obama to embrace gay rights -- transforming his presidency in the process Gay rights has been a defining progressive issue of Barack Obama's presidency: Congress repealed Don't Ask, Don't Tell in 2010 with his strong support, and in 2011, he instructed his Justice Department to stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act, helping to pave the way for a series of Supreme Court decisions that ultimately legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. This rapid succession of victories is astonishing by any measure -- and is especially incredible considering that when Obama first took office he, like many politicians, still viewed gay rights as politically toxic. In 2008, for instance, he opposed full marital rights for same-sex couples, calling marriage a "sacred union" between a man and a woman. It wasn't until 2012, in the heat of his reelection campaign, that Obama finally embraced marriage equality. In Don't Tell Me to Wait, former Advocate reporter Kerry Eleveld shows that Obama's transformation from cautious gradualist to gay rights champion was the result of intense pressure from lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender activists. These men and women changed the conversation issue by issue, pushing the president and the country toward greater freedom for LGBT Americans. Drawing on years of research and reporting, Eleveld tells the dramatic story of the fight for gay rights in America, detailing how activists pushed the president to change his mind, turned the tide of political opinion, and set the nation on course to finally embrace LGBT Americans as full citizens of this country. With unprecedented access and unparalleled insights, Don't Tell Me to Wait captures a critical moment in American history and demonstrates the power of activism to change the course of a presidency-and a nation.

Paul Williams is an alcoholic. Tracey Jackson is not. But together, these two close friends have written Gratitude and Trust, a book designed to apply the principles of the recovery movement to the countless people who are not addicts but nevertheless need effective help with their difficulties and pain. Williams, the award-winning songwriter, actor, and performer, has embraced a traditional alcoholism recovery plan for more than two decades of sobriety. Jackson, a well-known TV and film writer—and veteran of many years of traditional therapy—has never been a drunk or a drug abuser, but she realized that many of the tenets of Williams’s program could apply to her. In Gratitude and Trust, Williams and Jackson ask: What happens to those who struggle with vexing problems yet are not full-blown addicts? Are there any lessons to be learned from the foundational and time-tested principles of the recovery movement? Whether you’re tethered to your phone or you turn to food for comfort; whether you’re a perfectionist and can’t let things go or are too afraid to fail to even try; whether you can find intimacy only on the Internet or you’ve been involved in a string of nasty relationships—the first step toward feeling better about yourself and your life is the realization that you are what’s standing in your way. Williams and Jackson have designed a new, positive program, based on a half-dozen new affirmations, that can help conquer your vices, address personal dysfunction, and start to brighten the darkest moods. Gratitude and Trust is an essential, inspirational, and uplifting guide to identifying and changing maladaptive behaviors in order to uncover your most productive, healthiest self.

Cult bestseller The Invitation is more than just a poem. It is a profound invitation to a life that is more fulfilling and passionate, with greater integrity. This book is a word-of-mouth sensation, whose truths have resonated with people all over the world, and is now reissued with a beautiful new cover design.

Private Kyle Sullivan is a happily married man who thinks he's left his homosexual experiences in his past. What he didn't count on was the high-ranking officer who forces a sexual relationship with him. After breaking off a relationship with her abusive girlfriend, Lauren Burns has finally made her dreams come true by becoming a member of the U.S. Army. Anji Foster is looking at her entrance into the military as a way out of her small town and a place to meet lots of men. What will happen when these two very different women cross paths? Sky Love is engaged to be married to a handsome and wealthy man, but she's not ready to let go of her woman on the side. Lela is willing to keep their secret because if it gets out, she's not sure how her fellow soldiers will react. When Four Star General Orpheus Beauregard Roulette III finally acts upon the homosexual urges he's been suppressing for years, he gets more than he bargained for. Now he finds himself caught between the crosshairs of his scorned wife and the young man who's blackmailing him. The Don't Ask, Don't Tell law may have been repealed, but what if there are some members of the U.S. armed forces who still have reasons to keep their sexuality a secret? Urban Books authors M.T. Pope, Tina Brooks McKinney, Brenda Hampton, and Terry E. Hill explore this subject with their own trademark dramatic style.