A colorful and enthralling tour through the beautiful, historic world of oriental carpets that is also an exquisite meditation on their powerful allure. One day, prize-winning poet George Bradley took notice of a carpet that had been beneath his feet for decades. Carefully studying its weave and pattern, he was startled by the artistry behind it—a fascination and curiosity that unexpectedly sent him on a thrilling adventure and introduced him to a little-known realm in which beauty, artistry, business, and history collide. Carpet Diem chronicles Bradley's captivating journey through a land of oriental carpets where he fell in love—not only with a collection of magnificent rugs but their histories—including the dealers, collectors, scroungers, restorers, and connoisseurs connected to them. As he brings together his own story with that of these artworks, he recalls the compelling history of Central Asia itself. Like Scheherazade, Bradley spins story after story about the rich beauty found on the floors of mansions across Europe and America, identifying what’s draped in the portraits of Titian and Vermeer, unearthing hidden treasures in the faraway caves of Persia and Afghanistan, and revealing secrets lying under piles in bespoke shops in the wealthy enclaves of Manhattan, the Hamptons, and Westport, Connecticut. Weaving the mesmerizing storytelling of The Arabian Nights with the fascinating pilgrimage of history that unfolds in The Silk Road and the dramatic compulsion to possess rare elegance that propels The Orchid Thief, Carpet Diem is an unusual and gorgeous memoir of understanding and relishing the warp and woof of the world. Carpet Diem features eleven full-color photographs throughout.

A colorful and enthralling tour through the beautiful, historic world of oriental carpets that is also an exquisite meditation on their powerful allure. One day, prize-winning poet George Bradley took notice of a carpet that had been beneath his feet for decades. Carefully studying its weave and pattern, he was startled by the artistry behind it—a fascination and curiosity that unexpectedly sent him on a thrilling adventure and introduced him to a little-known realm in which beauty, artistry, business, and history collide. Carpet Diem chronicles Bradley's captivating journey through a land of oriental carpets where he fell in love—not only with a collection of magnificent rugs but their histories—including the dealers, collectors, scroungers, restorers, and connoisseurs connected to them. As he brings together his own story with that of these artworks, he recalls the compelling history of Central Asia itself. Like Scheherazade, Bradley spins story after story about the rich beauty found on the floors of mansions across Europe and America, identifying what’s draped in the portraits of Titian and Vermeer, unearthing hidden treasures in the faraway caves of Persia and Afghanistan, and revealing secrets lying under piles in bespoke shops in the wealthy enclaves of Manhattan, the Hamptons, and Westport, Connecticut. Weaving the mesmerizing storytelling of The Arabian Nights with the fascinating pilgrimage of history that unfolds in The Silk Road and the dramatic compulsion to possess rare elegance that propels The Orchid Thief, Carpet Diem is an unusual and gorgeous memoir of understanding and relishing the warp and woof of the world. Carpet Diem features eleven full-color photographs throughout.

A colorful and enthralling tour through the beautiful, historic world of oriental carpets that is also an exquisite meditation on their powerful allure. One day, prize-winning poet George Bradley took notice of a carpet that had been beneath his feet for decades. Carefully studying its weave and pattern, he was startled by the artistry behind it—a fascination and curiosity that unexpectedly sent him on a thrilling adventure and introduced him to a little-known realm in which beauty, artistry, business, and history collide. Carpet Diem chronicles Bradley's captivating journey through a land of oriental carpets where he fell in love—not only with a collection of magnificent rugs but their histories—including the dealers, collectors, scroungers, restorers, and connoisseurs connected to them. As he brings together his own story with that of these artworks, he recalls the compelling history of Central Asia itself. Like Scheherazade, Bradley spins story after story about the rich beauty found on the floors of mansions across Europe and America, identifying what’s draped in the portraits of Titian and Vermeer, unearthing hidden treasures in the faraway caves of Persia and Afghanistan, and revealing secrets lying under piles in bespoke shops in the wealthy enclaves of Manhattan, the Hamptons, and Westport, Connecticut. Weaving the mesmerizing storytelling of The Arabian Nights with the fascinating pilgrimage of history that unfolds in The Silk Road and the dramatic compulsion to possess rare elegance that propels The Orchid Thief, Carpet Diem is an unusual and gorgeous memoir of understanding and relishing the warp and woof of the world. Carpet Diem features eleven full-color photographs throughout.

Cross the jet bridge with Linda, a frequent flyer with a dangerous obsession, in this hilarious and provocative debut novel by the acclaimed author of Out ThereI glimpsed many fine planes resting at their gates. A beefy Boeing 777 pulled back from F4, pivoting on his slender ankles, with surprising grace for such a big fellow. I spotted an old friend who went by the tail number N78823, an Embraer 175. I’d accompanied him to Salt Lake City a few months ago, and found him to be a playful lover, teasing me with a round of turbulence as we descended. To outside observers, Linda’s life might seem drab. Weekdays, she earns $20 an hour moderating comments for a video-sharing platform, then rides the bus home to the windowless room she rents in a garage on the outskirts of San Francisco. But on the last Friday of each month, she indulges her true taking BART to SFO for a round-trip flight to a regional hub. Linda's secret is that she's sexually attracted to Their intelligent windscreens, sleek fuselages and powerful engines make her feel a way that no human lover ever could. She believes her destiny is to someday “marry” one of her suitors by dying in a plane crash, a catastrophic event that would unite Linda with her soulmate plane for eternity.Linda is used to hiding her true nature, but when her coworker, Karina, invites her to a quarterly Vision Board Brunch, Linda sees a chance both to get closer to her work friend, and to nudge the universe on behalf of her destiny. However, as the vision boards seem to manifest items more quickly—and more literally—than Linda had expected, the carefully balanced elements of her life begin to spin out of her control, and she must choose between maintaining the trappings of normalcy or launching herself headlong toward her greatest dream.A subversive, unforgettable tale of the distances some will travel for true love, Sky Daddy examines desire, fate, and the longing to be accepted for who we truly are.