Anne Leonard

A prince with a quest, a beautiful commoner with mysterious powers, and dragons who demand to be freed--at any cost Filled with the potent mix of the supernatural and romance that made A Discovery of Witches a runaway success, Moth and Spark introduces readers to a vibrant world--and a love story they won't soon forget. Prince Corin has been chosen to free the dragons from their bondage to the power Mycenean Empire, but dragons aren't big on directions. They have given him some of their power, but none of their knowledge. No one, not the dragons nor their riders, is even sure what keeps the dragons in the Empire's control. Tam, sensible daughter of a well-respected doctor, had no idea before she arrived in Caithenor that she is a Seer, gifted with visions. When the two run into each other (quite literally) in the library, sparks fly and Corin impulsively asks Tam to dinner. But it's not all happily ever after. Never mind that the prince isn't allowed to marry a commoner: war is coming. Torn between his quest to free the dragons and his duty to his country, Tam and Corin must both figure out how to master their powers in order to save Caithen. With a little help from a village of secret wizards and rogue dragonrider, they just might pull it off.

A Tale of Magic, Adventure and True Love. In the country of Caithen, Prince Corin is tasked with freeing the dragons from their bondage to the Emperor. To help him in his quest, the terrifying beasts have allowed Corin a little of their power. But the history of the dragons' slavery is shrouded in mystery and no one can assist in his quest to free them ... until the arrival of Tam at court - a sensible doctor's daughter, who discovers a remarkable talent. She is a seer, gifted with visions. Sparks fly when Corin and Tam meet ... but it's not all happily ever after. Not only is the prince forbidden to marry a commoner, but war is coming to Caithen. Torn between love and duty, Corin and Tam must work together to master their newfound powers and unleash the dragons at last.

Art is often appreciated for its ability to delight our eyes and refresh our minds. But it can also serve as a powerful vehicle for exploring darker emotions, such as fear, sadness, and grief. And while these themes have an artistic history dating back to the ancients, the ways in which they have been represented in art have changed dramatically over time. Published to coincide with an exhibition at the Smart Museum of Art, "The Tragic Muse: Art and Emotion, 1700-1900" draws on the work of several distinguished scholars to examine the richly varied representation of tragedy in the European artistic tradition over the course of two centuries. This catalog is generously illustrated with full-color reproductions of all the works contained in the exhibition, and the fascinating contributions offer new insights into the approaches taken by the visual arts, as well as literature and drama, in expressing and eliciting strong emotions.

Different eras experience art in different ways - often dramatically so. "Looking and Listening in Nineteenth-Century France", the catalog to an exhibition at the Smart Museum of Art, uses a selection of prints, paintings, drawings, sculptures, and recorded music to demonstrate how new technological developments and changing social settings transformed the French experience of art in the nineteenth century. Treating a disparate range of subject matter from Joan of Arc to Homer, concert audiences to comet sightings, the contributors provide a cultural context for this flowering of imagery concerned with looking and listening. They also explore how artists and composers sought to better capture the attention of their beholders and listeners. Presenting the achievements of both well-known artists (Daumier, Degas, Fantin-Latour, Vuillard) and lesser-known figures in a fresh light, "Looking and Listening in Nineteenth-Century France" cuts to the heart of debates about the function of art and the role of audiences. The catalog includes a special CD compilation of music relating to the works in the exhibition, along with two bonus tracks of early recordings.