The book explores the treatment of medieval churches as property across Western Europe, spanning from the late Roman Empire to the post-Gregorian Church. Susan Wood employs a multifaceted approach, intertwining social, religious, legal, and administrative perspectives to provide a comprehensive analysis of the role and significance of churches in medieval society.
Portraits of women -- on coins, public monuments, and private luxury objects --became an increasingly familiar sight throughout the Roman Empire. These portraits, always freighted with political significance, communicated social messages about the appropriate roles, behavior, and self-presentation of women.This book traces the emergence and development of the public female portrait, from Octavia, the first Roman woman to be represented on coinage, to the formidable and ambitious Agrippina the Younger, whose assassination demonstrated to later women the limits of official power they could demand.
A playful picture-book biography of the father of space-age bachelor-pad lounge music. Gorgeously illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh, this lively biography follows Juan Garcia Esquivel from Mexico to New York City. Juan grew up to the sounds of mariachi bands; he loved music and became a musical explorer. Defying convention, he created music that made people laugh and planted images in their minds. His musical dreams brought him from Mexico to America and gained him worldwide renown. Juan’s space-age lounge music—popular in the fifties and sixties—has found a new generation of listeners. This account honors Esquivel as one of the great composers of the 20th century.
With a courageous approach, Susan Wood's poetry collection explores the intricacies of both history and contemporary American life. She skillfully transforms the mundane into profound reflections, while also grounding grand themes in relatable human experiences. Drawing comparisons to poets like Jorie Graham and Geoffrey Hill, Wood immerses readers in vivid landscapes, making the unfamiliar feel intimately known. Her work invites readers to share in her journey, blending the exotic with the familiar in a seamless and engaging manner.