Added on 12/29/06

Some 70 years after being written, Joseph Moncure March's 1928 Jazz-Age poem, The Wild Party, proved it still knew how to inspire: a pair of musicals dedicated to the sultry tale of excess were produced virtually concurrently. Too bad good parties,... See more

Some 70 years after being written, Joseph Moncure March's 1928 Jazz-Age poem, The Wild Party, proved it still knew how to inspire: a pair of musicals dedicated to the sultry tale of excess were produced virtually concurrently. Too bad good parties, like good jokes, are often hard to recount. While the Tony-nominated, star-studded, and short-lived Wild Party by Michael John LaChiusa embraced the dark side of the Prohibition-era fête, this off-Broadway production by Andrew Lippa tries too hard to have a good time. March's poem is a seething, seedy work filled with internal struggle, but on this disc we never sense that underbelly. It's not until Taye Diggs, as Black, sings the touching "Poor Child" that we sense any tenderness at all in this morality play. For lighthearted good times, Julia Murney as Queenie and Brian d'Arcy James as her abusive lover Burrs do the job. On the fun, upbeat numbers ("What a Party," "Raise the Roof") this cast shines. But, despite its fascinating premise--a... See less

Added on 12/29/06

Remember 1958, when milquetoast The Music Man won the Tony for Best Musical over brashly innovative West Side Story? It's likely that one day we'll remember 2004 as the year wholesome Avenue Q won over brilliantly daring Caroline, or Change. The Tony... See more

Remember 1958, when milquetoast The Music Man won the Tony for Best Musical over brashly innovative West Side Story? It's likely that one day we'll remember 2004 as the year wholesome Avenue Q won over brilliantly daring Caroline, or Change. The Tony Kushner-Jeanine Tesori collaboration proves that a show can be smart, inspirational, provocative, touching, and simply beautiful all at the same time. And lest you think Caroline is the kind of musical that's good for you in a spinach kind of way, this two-CD set demonstrates that the show's also terrifically fun. Because the plot is set in 1963 Louisiana, Tesori's ultra-melodic score, delivered by a superb cast, expertly weaves together R&B, gospel, doo-wop, soul and girl-group pop (check out the lovely "Salty Teardrops"). And of course there's a bona fide showstopper for Caroline (Tonya Pinkins) in the heartwrenching "Lot's Wife," which had New York audiences in tears during the show's run. Truly extraordinary. --Elisabeth Vincentelli See less

Added on 12/29/06

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Added on 12/29/06

Amazon.com ExclusivesFeaturing a foreword by Thomas Jefferson, a Dress the Supreme Court layout, and, oddly enough, a profile of George "The Iceman" Gervin, America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction, from Jon Stewart and the... See more

Amazon.com ExclusivesFeaturing a foreword by Thomas Jefferson, a Dress the Supreme Court layout, and, oddly enough, a profile of George "The Iceman" Gervin, America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction, from Jon Stewart and the writers of the Emmy Award-winning The Daily Show, is by far one the most irreverent and wittiest (and may we add smartest) political book you're likely to encounter. Amazon.com spoke with Jon Stewart a few days before the 2004 publication of America (The Book) and they discussed bald eagles, magical talking cats, Thor Heyerdahl, and much more • Read the Amazon.com Interview with Jon Stewart • Listen to the Amazon.com Interview with Jon Stewart • Watch a "vintage" Amazon.com Exclusive Video from Jon Stewart More from Jon Stewart Naked Pictures of Famous People America (The Book) [Audio CD] The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: Indecision 2004 [DVD] See less

Added on 12/29/06

Disney's 1992 animated feature is a triumph of wit and skill. The high-tech artwork and graphics look great, the characters are strong, the familiar story is nicely augmented with an interesting villain (Jafar, voiced by Jonathan Freeman), and... See more

Disney's 1992 animated feature is a triumph of wit and skill. The high-tech artwork and graphics look great, the characters are strong, the familiar story is nicely augmented with an interesting villain (Jafar, voiced by Jonathan Freeman), and there's an incredible hook atop the whole thing: Robin Williams's frantically hilarious vocal performance as Aladdin's genie. Even if one isn't particularly moved by the love story between the title character (Scott Weinger) and his girlfriend Jasmine (Linda Larkin), you can easily get lost in Williams's improvisational energy and the equally entertaining performances of Freeman and Gilbert Gottfried (as Jafar's parrot). --Tom Keogh See less

Added on 12/29/06

The follow-up to the original Broadway's Lost Treasures delivers more of the same--historic performances of great moments in American musical theater televised on the Tony Awards--but is a step up in terms of sheer entertainment value. The first... See more

The follow-up to the original Broadway's Lost Treasures delivers more of the same--historic performances of great moments in American musical theater televised on the Tony Awards--but is a step up in terms of sheer entertainment value. The first volume included only performances before 1987, and while they had bigger stars (Yul Brynner, Robert Preston), some of them were lip-synced and considerably less polished than their feature-film equivalents. Broadway's Lost Treasures II features newer performances that are almost indistinguishable from an actual show, including scenes from splashy, high-energy revivals such as Anything Goes (Patti LuPone and company performing the title tune) and Guys and Dolls (the fabulous "Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat"), and new shows such as Grand Hotel (Michael Jeter and Brent Barrett in a gloriously exuberant "Take a Glass Together"), Les Miserables ("One Day More"), La Cage aux Folles (George Hearn solo and with a chorus line in drag in "I Am What I... See less

Added on 12/29/06

An ivy league murder, a mysterious coded manuscript, and the secrets of a Renaissance prince collide memorably in THE RULE OF FOUR -- a brilliant work of fiction that weaves together suspense and scholarship, high art and unimaginable treachery.It's... See more

An ivy league murder, a mysterious coded manuscript, and the secrets of a Renaissance prince collide memorably in THE RULE OF FOUR -- a brilliant work of fiction that weaves together suspense and scholarship, high art and unimaginable treachery.It's Easter at Princeton. Seniors are scrambling to finish their theses. And two students, Tom Sullivan and Paul Harris, are a hair's breadth from solving the mysteries of the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili--a renowned text attributed to an Italian nobleman, a work that has baffled scholars since its publication in 1499. For Tom, their research has been a link to his family's past -- and an obstacle to the woman he loves. For Paul, it has become an obsession, the very reason for living. But as their deadline looms, research has stalled -- until a long-lost diary surfaces with a vital clue. And when a fellow researcher is murdered just hours later, Tom and Paul realize that they are not the first to glimpse the Hypnerotomachia 's secrets.... See less

Added on 12/29/06

The Jerry Springer phenomenon hits the West End as the biggest smash hit musical for years transfers from the National Theatre in an explosive, filthy, funny and brilliantly original show that has had critics and punters alike falling over themselves... See more

The Jerry Springer phenomenon hits the West End as the biggest smash hit musical for years transfers from the National Theatre in an explosive, filthy, funny and brilliantly original show that has had critics and punters alike falling over themselves to praise this ultimate pairing of high and low art. This double album was recorded live during the show's sell-out run at the National, capturing every outrageous minute of the show they have called ''the biggest thrill for decades''. Sony. 2003. See less

Added on 12/29/06

Bob Fosse's sexy cynicism still shines in Chicago, a faithful movie adaptation of the choreographer-director's 1975 Broadway musical. Of course the story, all about merry murderesses and tabloid fame, is set in the Roaring '20s, but Chicago reeks of... See more

Bob Fosse's sexy cynicism still shines in Chicago, a faithful movie adaptation of the choreographer-director's 1975 Broadway musical. Of course the story, all about merry murderesses and tabloid fame, is set in the Roaring '20s, but Chicago reeks of '70s disenchantment--this isn't just Fosse's material, it's his attitude, too. That's probably why the movie's breathless observations on fleeting fame and fickle public taste already seem dated. However, Renée Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones are beautifully matched as Jazz Age vixens, and Richard Gere gleefully sheds his customary cool to belt out a showstopper. (Yes, they all do their own singing and dancing.) Whatever qualms musical purists may have about director Rob Marshall's cut-cut-cut style, the film's sheer exuberance is intoxicating. Given the scarcity of big-screen musicals in the last 25 years, that's a cause for singing, dancing, cheering. And all that jazz. --Robert Horton See less

Added on 12/29/06

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Added on 12/29/06

One of the best comedy series ever to emerge from England, Black Adder traces the deeply cynical and self-serving lineage of various Edmund Blackadders from the muck of the Middle Ages to the frontline of World War I. In his pre-Bean triumph, British... See more

One of the best comedy series ever to emerge from England, Black Adder traces the deeply cynical and self-serving lineage of various Edmund Blackadders from the muck of the Middle Ages to the frontline of World War I. In his pre-Bean triumph, British comic actor Rowan Atkinson played all five versions of Edmund, beginning with the villainous and cowardly Duke of Edinburgh, whose scheming mind and awful haircut seem to stand him in good stead to become the next Archbishop of Canterbury--a deadly occupation if ever there was one. Among tales of royal dethronings, Black Death, witch smellers (who root out spell makers with their noses), and ghosts, Edmund is a perennial survivor who never quite gets ahead in multiple episodes. Jump to the Elizabethan era and Atkinson picks up the saga as Lord Edmund, who is perpetually courting favor from mad Queen Bess (Miranda Richardson) and is always walking a tightrope from which he can either gain the world or lose his head. Subjected to bizarre... See less

Added on 12/29/06

As gleefully silly yet wickedly smart as the beloved British comedy troupe and their 1975 cinematic savaging of the Arthurian legend that inspired it, this adaptation of Monty Python and the Holy Grail by MP's Eric Idle and longtime musical... See more

As gleefully silly yet wickedly smart as the beloved British comedy troupe and their 1975 cinematic savaging of the Arthurian legend that inspired it, this adaptation of Monty Python and the Holy Grail by MP's Eric Idle and longtime musical co-conspirator John Du Prez has much more on its feverish agenda than merely trashing King Arthur and firmly upending his Round Table. The film's plot remains largely intact, but its core songs ("Knights of the Round Table," "Brave Sir Robin") and comic thrust have been both expanded and satirically redirected, a musical comedy shotgun that takes dizzy aim at pop culture in general, and Broadway in particular. After typically Pythonesque distractions that somehow find us in "Finland..," stars David Hyde-Pierce, Tim Curry, Hank Azaria and company get busy conjuring the Lady of the Lake with the unlikely help of "Laker Girls..," while cast members Sara Ramirez and Christopher Sieber deliciously skewer contemporary Broadway cliches via the loopy... See less

Added on 12/29/06

Christian (Wes Ramsey of the washboard abs) is a waiter, party boy, and first-class man magnet. Elder Aaron Davis (Steve Sandvoss of the goofy grin) is a straight-laced Mormon missionary. When he and three elders, including the uptight Ryder (Joseph... See more

Christian (Wes Ramsey of the washboard abs) is a waiter, party boy, and first-class man magnet. Elder Aaron Davis (Steve Sandvoss of the goofy grin) is a straight-laced Mormon missionary. When he and three elders, including the uptight Ryder (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Mysterious Skin), move into Christian's Hollywood apartment complex, it's clear something's got to give. Christian tries to make his new neighbors feel welcome, but they're put off by his flamboyance--the short-shorts, the rainbow flag in his yard, etc. When Christian's trash-talking pals at Lila's restaurant, including the cynical Traci (Amber Benson, Buffy the Vampire Slayer), bet that he can't seduce one of these clean-cut young men, he takes them up on it and sets his sights on cute, soft-spoken Aaron. As a pretense, he asks to learn more about his Church, but where they really connect is over their love of old movies, everything from Psycho to Tommy. When Aaron accuses him of being shallow, however, Christian starts to... See less

Added on 12/29/06

Stuart, Vince and Nathan are back for one last wild, outrageous adventure on Canal Street. But amongst the fabulous nights out, the one-night stands, the clubbing, all is not well. Someone's trying to blackmail Stuart Jones. Stuart is no one's... See more

Stuart, Vince and Nathan are back for one last wild, outrageous adventure on Canal Street. But amongst the fabulous nights out, the one-night stands, the clubbing, all is not well. Someone's trying to blackmail Stuart Jones. Stuart is no one's victim. Now he's out for revenge. Big time! As Stuart fights back, Vince is facing a dilemma. Stuart's revenge is taking him on the wrong side of the law, and could even get someone killed. Just when it seems that they might finally get together, Vince thinks Stuart's gone too far. Will Nathan ever get over Stuart? Will Vince ever get his man? Can Stuart ever be stopped? In this witty, exciting drama, only one thing is for sure: No straight person is ever going to call a gay boy "queer" again... See less

Added on 12/29/06

The first reference of its kind, this three-volume work presents basic production data on more than 3000 musicals from the 1860s through 1997. Organized first by year and then by season, the entries contain every piece of information from the... See more

The first reference of its kind, this three-volume work presents basic production data on more than 3000 musicals from the 1860s through 1997. Organized first by year and then by season, the entries contain every piece of information from the "playbills" or opening night programs of Broadway and off-Broadway musicals, operettas, revues, and other works--from cast and crew to songs, set designers, composers, lyricists, and more. The volumes include detailed indexes. See less

Added on 12/29/06

After her son is killed in an accident, Manuela (Cecilia Roth) leaves Madrid for her old haunts in Barcelona. She reconnects with an old friend, a pre-op transsexual prostitute named La Agrado (Antonia San Juan), who introduces her to Rosa (Penélope... See more

After her son is killed in an accident, Manuela (Cecilia Roth) leaves Madrid for her old haunts in Barcelona. She reconnects with an old friend, a pre-op transsexual prostitute named La Agrado (Antonia San Juan), who introduces her to Rosa (Penélope Cruz), a young nun who turns out to be pregnant. Meanwhile, Manuela becomes a personal assistant for Huma Rojo (Marisa Paredes), an actress currently playing Blanche DuBois in a production of A Streetcar Named Desire. All About My Mother traces the delicate web of friendship and loss that binds these women together. The movie is dedicated to the actresses of the world, so it's not surprising that all the performances are superb. Roth in particular anchors All About My Mother with compassion and generosity. But fans of writer-director Pedro Almodóvar needn't fret--as always, Almodóvar's work undermines conventional notions of sexual identity and embraces all human possibilities with bright colors and melodramatic plotting. However, All... See less

Added on 12/29/06

Alferd Packer was the only man in the United States ever convicted of cannibalism--what better hero for fellow Coloradan and future South Park creator Trey Parker to celebrate in music? Blue-eyed and boyish Parker was still in college when he wrote,... See more

Alferd Packer was the only man in the United States ever convicted of cannibalism--what better hero for fellow Coloradan and future South Park creator Trey Parker to celebrate in music? Blue-eyed and boyish Parker was still in college when he wrote, directed, composed the songs for, and took the starring role as the innocent young Packer in this film, giving a gee- whiz performance as an ambitious pioneer who joins an ill-fated trek west that ends up stranded in the mountains. At times resembling a perverse community theater parody of Rodgers and Hammerstein ("My heart's as full as a baked po-ta-to!"), Parker bounces back and forth between cheery production numbers and goony songs ("Let's build a snowman," sings one starving-mad hiker) and grotesque gore (bloody body parts, festering sores, human hors d'oeuvres). It lacks in style and consistency and the juvenile gags and fart jokes wear thin over the course of a feature film, but Parker's sheer energy and inventiveness carry the... See less

Added on 12/29/06

While Broadway as a mega-spectacle can be fun, sometimes big, loud shows can leave a spectator numb. There's no risk of that with Violet, an intimate piece that, in fact, never made it to the Great White Way. And it's just as well, really, since the... See more

While Broadway as a mega-spectacle can be fun, sometimes big, loud shows can leave a spectator numb. There's no risk of that with Violet, an intimate piece that, in fact, never made it to the Great White Way. And it's just as well, really, since the emotional impact of this unjustly underrated show was a lot more suited to New York's 145-seat Playwrights Horizons theater, where it had a too-short run in 1997. Composer Jeanine Tesori is often mentioned in the same breath as Michael John LaChiusa and Adam Guettel. While she shares with them a desire to dust off the musical theater, she's also more comfortable than they are with various pop vernaculars. In Violet, which tells the story of a scarred young woman who goes on a road trip through North Carolina, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Arkansas in the 1960s, Tesori used gospel, R&B, blues, and country, but the result is unmistakable musical theater and not a mish-mash of styles. Lauren Ward is spellbinding as the title character, and she... See less

Added on 12/29/06

William Finn's career in the musical theater is pretty remarkable considering that he doesn't write traditional show tunes--much less traditional shows. But Finn has a gift for catchy melodies and his emotionally engaging work has a way of intimately... See more

William Finn's career in the musical theater is pretty remarkable considering that he doesn't write traditional show tunes--much less traditional shows. But Finn has a gift for catchy melodies and his emotionally engaging work has a way of intimately connecting with audiences (during the initial run of Elegies, hardened New Yorkers could be seen trying to hide their tears). Though no storyline links these songs, they are united by the underlining idea of loss; in turn funny, tender, witty, biting and quietly devastating, they form a unified tapestry. Musically, Finn can turn out perky little numbers and powerful ballads--"Anytime (I Am There)" could conceivably be a hit if some contemporary pop diva did it. Led by Betty Buckley and Carolee Carmello, the cast is completely in sync with the material. Some of the narrative-heavy pieces recall Michel Legrand's sung-through work (and there are Legrand-like flourishes on "Monica & Mark"), but in the end Finn is very much his own man:... See less

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The autobiography, in dialogue, of the composer and lyricist of Chicago and Cabaret as well as a wise and witty memoir of forty years of American musicals.Composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb are the longest-running composer-lyricist team in... See more

The autobiography, in dialogue, of the composer and lyricist of Chicago and Cabaret as well as a wise and witty memoir of forty years of American musicals.Composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb are the longest-running composer-lyricist team in Broadway history, having first joined forces in 1962. The creators of such groundbreaking musicals as Chicago, Cabaret, and Kiss of the Spider Woman, Kander and Ebb have helped to push American musical theater in a more daring direction, both musically and dramatically. Their impact on individual performers has been great as well, starting with the handpicked star of their first musical: an untested nineteen-year-old named Liza Minnelli (who writes of this experience in her introduction).Colored Lights covers the major shows of Kander and Ebb's partnership, from Flora, The Red Menace (starring a then-unknown Liza) to The Visit, due to open on Broadway in 2004. The pages and musicals in between reveal what has made theirs such a long-lived... See less

Added on 12/29/06

Gary Larson calls The Complete Far Side, the massive two-volume collection of his Far Side cartoons, an "18-pound hernia giver." Sure to give any coffee table a solid workout, the handsome and heavy 1,272-page "legacy book" is a must for fervent... See more

Gary Larson calls The Complete Far Side, the massive two-volume collection of his Far Side cartoons, an "18-pound hernia giver." Sure to give any coffee table a solid workout, the handsome and heavy 1,272-page "legacy book" is a must for fervent fans; over 4,300 single-panel comics with more than half in color and 1,100 that have not appeared in any book form before (the popular--and far less weighty--paperback collections). Set in rough chronological order, the comics share pages with occasional letters from fans, detractors, editors, folks made famous by a particular cartoon, and those begging for explanations. Though few explanations are provided (Larson personally supplies merely one, plus a single apology), this collection helps answer the inevitable "how do you think up these things" conundrum. Before each year's cartoons, Larson provides insight with essays about his childhood, various travels, occupational hazards, and his official rules for dealing with bedtime monsters... See less

Added on 12/29/06

"A superb new drama written by John Patrick Shanley. It is an inspired study in moral uncertainty with the compellingly certain structure of an old-fashioned detective drama. Even as Doubt holds your conscious attention as an intelligently measured... See more

"A superb new drama written by John Patrick Shanley. It is an inspired study in moral uncertainty with the compellingly certain structure of an old-fashioned detective drama. Even as Doubt holds your conscious attention as an intelligently measured debate play, it sends off stealth charges that go deeper emotionally. One of the year's ten best."-Ben Brantley, The New York Times "[The] #1 show of the year. How splendid it feels to be trusted with such passionate, exquisite ambiguity unlike anything we have seen from this prolific playwright so far. Blunt yet subtle, manipulative but full of empathy for all sides, the play is set in 1964 but could not be more timely. Doubt is a lean, potent drama . . . passionate, exquisite, important, and engrossing."-Linda Winer, Newsday Chosen as the best play of the year by over 10 newspapers and magazines, Doubt is set in a Bronx Catholic school in 1964, where a strong-minded woman wrestles with conscience and uncertainty as she is faced with... See less

Added on 12/29/06

One evening, ten-year-old Rhona goes missing. Her mother, Nancy, retreats into a state of frozen hope. Agnetha, an academic, comes to England to research a thesis entitled "Serial Killings: A Forgivable Act?" Then there's Ralph, a loner with a bit of... See more

One evening, ten-year-old Rhona goes missing. Her mother, Nancy, retreats into a state of frozen hope. Agnetha, an academic, comes to England to research a thesis entitled "Serial Killings: A Forgivable Act?" Then there's Ralph, a loner with a bit of a record who's looking for some distraction . . . Drawn together by horrific circumstances, these three embark upon a long, dark journey that finally curves upward into the light. See less

Added on 12/29/06

So much anticipation pools up around the concluding episode of this concluding season that you might be tempted to head straight for said finale, titled "Everyone's Waiting" (and it's so rich you'll find yourself drawn to repeated viewings). But if... See more

So much anticipation pools up around the concluding episode of this concluding season that you might be tempted to head straight for said finale, titled "Everyone's Waiting" (and it's so rich you'll find yourself drawn to repeated viewings). But if you can avoid that impulse, it's worth following the full build-up of one crisis after another to get the real payoff. On an episode-by-episode basis, Six Feet Under's fifth season has a decidedly uneven quality, shifting in tone far more drastically, say, than the intensely dark season 4. Character traits that have already been developed at length begin to seem annoyingly repetitious--Nate's (Peter Krause) self-centered frustration and furious lashings out, Billy's (Jeremy Sisto) resurgent psychosis--like leitmotifs run amuck. But this season also benefits from the knowledge we've developed, over the years, of the Fisher family and their loved ones, so that what they end up facing has a real emotional wallop, sometimes jump-starting the... See less

Added on 12/29/06

A wild-card songwriter with a familial pedigree and an ever-expanding cult retinue, the raffish but assiduous Rufus Wainwright--outré, gay, and sage--is not one to shy away from invigorating his songs with a lurid theatrical honesty. Want Two perhaps... See more

A wild-card songwriter with a familial pedigree and an ever-expanding cult retinue, the raffish but assiduous Rufus Wainwright--outré, gay, and sage--is not one to shy away from invigorating his songs with a lurid theatrical honesty. Want Two perhaps reflects Wainwright's revised priorities since stepping back from the recreational medication precipice. Opening number "Agnus Die"--a medieval Catholic liturgy given an eastern flavor and performed with Hungarian instruments--seeks spiritual laundering and clemency, but this virtue is offset by the implied vice and self-loathing of grand finale "Old Whore's Diet," a brilliantly irrational sprawl of skewed genius taking in Latin-American grooves and a doomy operatic Radiohead-esque requiem. Between these polar extremes lies Wainwright's eye for improbable observational finesse. Few others could express the first lovestruck flush of teenage infatuation with such deliberate inarticulacy ("Art Teacher") or envisage the coming of a "Gay... See less

Added on 12/29/06

Fingersmith is the third slice of engrossing lesbian Victoriana from Sarah Waters. Although lighter and more melodramatic in tone than its predecessor, Affinity, this hypnotic suspense novel is awash with all manner of gloomy Dickensian leitmotifs:... See more

Fingersmith is the third slice of engrossing lesbian Victoriana from Sarah Waters. Although lighter and more melodramatic in tone than its predecessor, Affinity, this hypnotic suspense novel is awash with all manner of gloomy Dickensian leitmotifs: pickpockets, orphans, grim prisons, lunatic asylums, "laughing villains," and, of course, "stolen fortunes and girls made out to be mad." Divided into three parts, the tale is narrated by two orphaned girls whose lives are inextricably linked. Waters's penchant for byzantine plotting can get a bit exhausting, but even at its densest moments--and remember, this is smoggy London circa 1862--it remains mesmerizing. A damning critique of Victorian moral and sexual hypocrisy, a gripping melodrama, and a love story to boot, this book ingeniously reworks some truly classic themes. --Travis Elborough, Amazon.co.uk See less

Added on 12/29/06

This collection features a brilliant new translation of the Japanese master's stories, from the source for the movie Rashomon to his later, more autobiographical writings.

This collection features a brilliant new translation of the Japanese master's stories, from the source for the movie Rashomon to his later, more autobiographical writings. See less