Mary Taylor – författare

In Elizabeth Gaskell's seminal biography The Life of Charlotte Brontë, Gaskell makes extensive use of Charlotte's correspondence with her closest friend, known to readers of that work simply as `Dear M.' `M.' was later identified as Mary Taylor, whom Charlotte met as a teenager at boarding school (the school used as the model for `Lowood' in Jane Eyre) with whom she remained friends for life. It was Mary Taylor who inspired Charlotte to leave her oppressive parsonage home and go off to school in Brussels and, again, who came to her rescue when that adventure went sour and Charlotte was paralysed by her unrequited love for her language teacher. Mary herself led a much less restricted life. She horrified her friends by teaching at a boys' school in Germany and then by setting off for New Zealand with her younger brother in order to earn her own living. She eventually became a feminist essayist, urging women to work to support themselves as their `first duty,' and she chided her friend Charlotte as a `coward and a traitor' for not being equally clear-headed about the debilitating effects of economic dependancy.In Miss Miles, her only novel, she breaks with tradition by producing a work which depicts women's friendships as sustaining life and sanity in oppressive situations as well as introducing an innovative narrative form which Janet Murray calls a `feminist bildungsroman': the story of the education of several heroines, emphasizing their friendship and their economic and mental well-being rather than their love-lives.

The close friendship between Charlotte Brontë and Mary Taylor began in boarding school and lasted for the rest of their lives. It was Mary Taylor, in fact, who inspired Brontë to leave her oppressive parsonage home and go to Brussels, the eventual setting for her novel, Villette. Mary herself led a much less restricted life, especially in her later years as a feminist essayist who strongly urged women to consider their "first duty" to be working to support themselves. In Miss Miles, her only novel, Taylor breaks with tradition by creating a profoundly feminist and morally intense work which depicts women''s friendships as sustaining life and sanity through all of the vicissitudes of Victorian womanhood. She also introduces an innovative narrative form which Janet Murray (who has written an introduction for this edition) calls a "feminist bildungsroman": the story of the education of several heroines which emphasizes their friendship and economic and mental well-being rather than their love lives. Set in the small Yorkshire village of Repton against the backdrop of starvation in the wool districts and the rise of Chartism in the 1830s, this recovered feminist classic chronicles the lives of four disparate and individually ambitious women as they learn to find their own voices and support one another. The novel''s emphasis on the healing power of women''s friendships echoes the relationship between Brontë and Taylor herself. Originally published in 1890, Miss Miles has been unavailable for decades. Its reappearance will delight all lovers of fine literature.

The Art of Vinyasa takes a unique look at Ashtanga yoga as meditation in motion that produces profound inner change. Two of the most well-respected teachers of the Ashtanga style of yoga, Richard Freeman and Mary Taylor, explore this rigorous practice not as a gymnastic feat, but as a meditative form. They reveal that doing the practice—and particularly the vinyasa, or the breath-synchonized movements—in such a deep and focused way allows practitioners to experience a profound awakening of the body and mind. It also develops an adaptable, flexible practice that can last a lifetime.Freeman and Taylor give an in-depth explanation of form, alignment, and anatomy, and how they work together in the practice. They also present a holistic approach to asana practice that includes an awareness of the subtle breath and seamlessly merges yoga philosophy with practical technique.Unlike other books on Ashtanga, The Art of Vinyasa does not follow the linear pattern of the sequences of postures that are the hallmark of Ashtanga yoga. Instead, it interlinks the eight limbs—yama and niyama (ethical practices); asana (postures); pranayama (breathing); pratyahara (nongrasping of the senses); dharana (concentration); dhyana (meditation); and samadhi (harmony, insight)—and shows how to establish an internally rooted yoga practice.

This book is an example of some of the prayers she learned during her journey. Mary states that prayer is not begging and pleading with God nor is it a matter of trying to get God to move in our life but a relationship with Him. Prayer is a matter of us moving in agreement and acknowledging the good things that Gods Word says about us, and receiving what He has already provided. Then well see the manifestation of effective prayer and faith in our life.

Homes by Association by Mary Taylor is an insightful and engaging history of housing associations in Scotland, charting their development from the 1970s to the present day. Exploring more than 50 years of Scottish social housing, the book examines how community-led, not-for-profit housing organisations transformed affordable housing provision across cities, towns, rural communities and islands throughout Scotland.Ideal for readers interested in affordable housing in Scotland, public policy, community development and social housing, Homes by Association provides a clear understanding of how housing associations evolved from small grassroots initiatives into professional organisations delivering homes for nearly half a million people. The book highlights the sector’s social purpose, resilience and commitment to high-quality, people-focused housing.Drawing on real-world case studies, sector research, photographs and insights from experienced housing professionals and leading practitioners, the book offers valuable perspectives on governance, leadership and sustainable community development. It also explores the wider role housing associations play in supporting public good, tackling housing inequality and strengthening local communities.Timely and thought-provoking, Homes by Association is essential reading for housing professionals, policymakers, students and anyone interested in the future of social housing and not-for-profit organisations in Scotland. By examining the successes and challenges of the sector, the book demonstrates what housing associations can teach us about resilient organisations, long-term investment and building communities that last.