David Beaver

A provocative case for the inherently political nature of languageIn The Politics of Language, David Beaver and Jason Stanley present a radical new approach to the theory of meaning, offering an account of communication in which political and social identity, affect, and shared practices play as important a role as information. This new view of language, they argue, has dramatic consequences for free speech, democracy, and a range of other areas in which speech plays a central role. Drawing on a wealth of disciplines, The Politics of Language argues that the function of speech—whether in dialogue, larger group interactions, or mass communication—is to attune people to something, be it a shared reality, emotion, or identity. Reconceptualizing the central ideas of pragmatics and semantics, Beaver and Stanley apply their account to a range of phenomena that defy standard frameworks in linguistics and philosophy of language—from dog whistles and covert persuasion to echo chambers and genocidal speech. The authors use their framework to show that speech is inevitably political because all communication is imbued with the resonances of particular ideologies and their normative perspectives on reality. At a time when democracy is under attack, authoritarianism is on the rise, and diversity and equality are being demanded, The Politics of Language offers a powerful new vision of the language of politics, ideology, and protest.

A provocative case for the inherently political nature of languageIn The Politics of Language, David Beaver and Jason Stanley present a radical new approach to the theory of meaning, offering an account of communication in which political and social identity, affect, and shared practices play as important a role as information. This new view of language, they argue, has dramatic consequences for free speech, democracy, and a range of other areas in which speech plays a central role. Drawing on a wealth of disciplines, The Politics of Language argues that the function of speech—whether in dialogue, larger group interactions, or mass communication—is to attune people to something, be it a shared reality, emotion, or identity. Reconceptualizing the central ideas of pragmatics and semantics, Beaver and Stanley apply their account to a range of phenomena that defy standard frameworks in linguistics and philosophy of language—from dog whistles and covert persuasion to echo chambers and genocidal speech. The authors use their framework to show that speech is inevitably political because all communication is imbued with the resonances of particular ideologies and their normative perspectives on reality. At a time when democracy is under attack, authoritarianism is on the rise, and diversity and equality are being demanded, The Politics of Language offers a powerful new vision of the language of politics, ideology, and protest.

'Squire Ryanus' follows the tale of a young man who's been a member of the Order of Majestic Truth most of his life in pursuit of the dream of becoming a Paladin. There he has given up childhood, friendships, and family in pursuit of the dream to gain a title in the order. After years of strife, he finally receives an invitation from the council to finally gain his title. Becoming a Paladin will consist of more than a mere knighting ceremony, however. Instead he will embark on a journey alone in order to obtain the Shield of Light, a powerful artifact that has been stolen by the forces of evil. Initially alone, he must track the beasts to their lair and fight to retrieve the shield, possibly shedding his blood in the process. Along the way however, he will meet a cast of quirky and colorful heroes to aid him in the quest. An unlikely bunch to follow a Paladin around, the mad wizard, shifty ranger, and sneaky rogue will join him at the fortress of the gnolls. If he survives, he will achieve his dream of becoming a Paladin and no longer go by the name of 'Squire Ryanus'. Short Story Press publishes short stories written by everyday writers.

The story of Mages Final revolves around Keldon, a dedicated student at The Academy of Magical Arts. The honor student often spends late nights studying and most of his life revolves around his books. More than anything he wants to be a great wizard, and will sacrifice the human pleasures of fun, fellowship, and even sleep to achieve that dream. Things grow worse as finals approach. The pressure is on and Keldon is studying more than ever. As he will find, however, no amount of studying will prepare him for this. The headmaster decides to administer a more practical final in lieu of tests and essays. Instead Keldon will have to journey to a dark lair where many undead abominations await and he will ultimately have to battle a dark and powerful necromancer in order to stop him from achieving his sinister dreams of immortality and lichdom. In order to pass his test Keldon must not only survive by defeating the necromancer and his undead minions, but also by displaying selflessness and virtue. Perhaps he will be his own worst enemy as he faces a dark temptation. Will he survive and pass the test become a mage, and someday a great wizard? Or will he ultimately fail and face the possibility of defeat and oblivion? Short Story Press publishes short stories written by everyday writers.

Short Story Press Presents Guise Markets Jack has recently graduated from high school with his best friend Lilac. They go back a long ways, but they never imagine they will be working at the same grocery store during the same shift. Guise Markets is not Jack's ideal choice for a job, but there is more to the store than it seems. What might have been a typical boring job proves more exciting than Jack has bargained for. The other night employees report seeing strange things, objects falling off the shelves. It is even rumored that the company's founder may have died in the store. Jack begins to see some of these things for himself within his first week of working for the store. What's causing this? Is there a rational explanation? Jack tries to ignore it, but he can't for long. Instead he finds answers in an unlikely place. There is more to his friend Lilac than meets the eye and she may know more than she is letting on. Her connection to the store will reveal an interesting history and open up a can of worms Jack may wish he had kept closed. An unexpected outcome is sure to come of this, but Jack may well wish it never did in this spooky and mysterious tale of what seemed like an average grocery store night crew. Short Story Press publishes short stories written by everyday writers.

It is the age of blood. The human tribes scatter and are ever at each other's throats. The elves seclude themselves blissfully in the east, and the dwarves hide in the mountains where they drink their days away and ignore the world outside. The harsh life of the barbarian tribes will only soon get worse, however. As they war against one another they will be easy to conquer. The Demon King knows this and sets his eyes on them. Having recently conquered the orcs of Gorka he will use the hordes to capture Diamic and turn it into the tenth plane of Hell. Only one man can unite the people of Diamic and force back the threat of the Demon King and his orc armies...but not merely by brute strength but through wit, intellect, and by quenching the flames of hate with the power of love, not known to most barbarians. Only this is certain: it will be a war of ages, it will be an Epic War. It will end the Age of Blood but will it be an Age of Truth, or an Age of Damnation they will see?