Paul Alexander – författare

Since her suicide at age thirty, Sylvia Plath (1932-1963) has been celebrated for her impeccable and ruthless poetry. Rough Magic probes the events of Plath's life, including her turbulent marriage to the poet Ted Hughes.

Combining personal stories and sound scholarship, Paul Alexander, a young scholar with a Pentecostal background, examines the phenomenal worldwide success of Pentecostalism. While most other works on the subject are either for academics or believers, this book speaks to a broader audience. Interweaving stories of his own and his family's experiences with an account of Pentecostalism's history and tenets, Alexander provides a unique and accessible perspective on the movement.

A captivating look at one of America's most prominent and fascinating public figuresBestselling author, war hero, presidential candidate, champion of the most politically sticky issue to rock Washington since Watergate-campaign finance reform- there may be no better known senator than John McCain. From Democrats to Republicans, many Americans relate to John McCain's straight-talking form of politics.In Man of the People: The Life of John McCain, political journalist Paul Alexander offers the only objective, in-depth account of this remarkable politician's journey-from Naval Academy student to Presidential hopeful. Readers will follow McCain from his rich Navy roots through his twenty-one year tour in the Navy, and then behold as he evolves into one of our country's most distinguished yet controversial political leaders. With insider access, Alexander flushes out the personal history to present a candid portrait of the political evolution of McCain. From the WWII hero grandfather who aggressively helped destroy the Japanese military machine to McCain's growth from Navy plebe to Reagan foot soldier, Alexander uncovers what makes McCain tick, how he evolved into a politician with a cause that has endeared him to Democrats and antagonized the Republican party leadership.Political insider, radio talk show host, and well-known journalist Paul Alexander followed McCain from the Presidential campaign trail to stumping for campaign finance reform. McCain's life is not only the story of the most compelling politician since Ronald Reagan but also the history of the transformation of American politics over the last thirty years. Through McCain's personal history-from Vietnam veteran to Reagan go-to guy to a key figure in the Keating S&L crisis to military campaign critic, Alexander pulls back the public curtain to reveal the private man. In doing so, he exposes military machinations, Vietnam controversy, POW torture, mental depression, and political intrigue. John McCain continues to push the political system, thus capturing the attention of the American public. The straightforward, no-nonsense style that has become his hallmark shines through every page of this telling biography.

A revelatory look at the tumultuous life of a jazz legend and American cultural icon“A book written as only one artist could view another, with insight and sincere compassion.” —Sandra Cisneros, best-selling author of Woman Without ShameIn the first biography of Billie Holiday in more than two decades, Paul Alexander—author of heralded lives of Sylvia Plath and J. D. Salinger—gives us an unconventional portrait of arguably America’s most eminent jazz singer. He shrewdly focuses on the last year of her life—with relevant flashbacks to provide context—to evoke and examine the persistent magnificence of Holiday’s artistry when it was supposed to have declined, in the wake of her drug abuse, relationships with violent men, and run-ins with the law.During her lifetime and after her death, Billie Holiday was often depicted as a down-on-her-luck junkie severely lacking in self-esteem. Relying on interviews with people who knew her, and new material unearthed in private collections and institutional archives, Bitter Crop—a reference to the last two words of Strange Fruit, her moving song about lynching—limns Holiday as a powerful, ambitious woman who overcame her flaws to triumph as a vital figure of American popular music.

No more than a promising actor with a handful of films to his name when he died in 1955, James Dean has since been elevated to an iconic status surpassed only by Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe. And his image - a blend of '50s cool and tough-guy charm - has been vigorously marketed in the race to cash in on a legend that, forty years later, shows no sign of abating. But until now, no serious biography has looked beyond the studio-manufactured cliches to the volatile polarities of this complex star. Was he bisexual or gay? A neurotic con-man or a lost boy trying to find himself? And to what extent did his sexuality fire his performances? Drawing on many new and documented sources, and featuring previously unpublished photographs, Paul Alexander's revisionist and passionate biography will explode many people's myths about a rare acting genius.

It's very Pop, the shape--as Pop as Mickey Mouse. This is how artist Nate Lowman describes the map of the United States, the subject of the 22 paintings that are the focus of this volume. The Maps, all produced by cutting fragments of studio drop-cloth into the shape of individual states and combining them, offer varied iterations on the same form. They explore the effects of chance, gesture, and history, merging erratic splatters and stains with allusions to American quilt-making, Pop art, and politics. Infusing the geometries of the United States with a gritty, gestural tactility, they expound on the complexities and contradictions of the American way. Full-color plates and generous details are interspersed with poems and excerpts reflecting on America by John Berryman, Langston Hughes, Francis Scott Key, Emma Lazarus, Malcolm R. Mooney, and others. In his introductory essay, Paul Alexander quotes from an interview with the artist as he speaks about the works' relationship to the contemporary political landscape. Have we gone from optimism to pessimism? Lowman asks. I don't know. But I do know the America we live in now is a pendulum that will change.

A Newly Updated and Rebranded Edition of The Deliberate ChurchIf churches are the dwelling place of God’s Spirit, why are so many built around the strategies of man? Eager for church growth, leaders can be lured by entertaining new schemes, forgetting to keep doctrinal truth as their driving force. Churches must find a way out of the maze of programs and methods and humbly lean on the sufficiency of God’s Word.How to Build a Healthy Church, a revised and expanded edition of The Deliberate Church, challenges leaders to evaluate their motivations for ministry and provides practical examples of healthy, deliberate leadership. Written as a companion handbook for Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, it covers important topics including membership, worship, responsible evangelism, and church roles. This is more than a step-by-step plan to mimic; it’s a biblical blueprint for pastors, elders, and anyone committed to the church’s vitality. Revised and expanded edition of The Deliberate Church (978-1-58134-738-8) featuring a new title, cover, and added chapter on the role of exposition in evangelismForeword by D. A. CarsonIncludes “think tank” questions on key topics for personal or group reflection

Classic 9Marks Texts for Every Pastor, Now Available in a SetMark Dever’s best-selling book Nine Marks of a Healthy Church has impacted thousands of pastors worldwide. This classic text offers tried-and-true biblical principles for leading a church toward health by expanding on each of the 9 marks—expositional preaching, gospel doctrine, concern for discipleship, and more.Nine Marks of a Healthy Church is now available in a set with How to Build a Healthy Church by Mark Dever and Paul Alexander, the companion handbook for pastors and church leaders on how to build a healthy church grounded in the gospel. This practical resource offers readers a helpful framework for building this type of ministry, addressing a multitude of topics such as the role of the pastor, congregational singing, the importance of elders, new members’ classes, and adult education.Paired together, these two helpful books create a timeless set that is essential for every pastor’s library. How to Build a Healthy Church is the revised and expanded edition of The Deliberate Church (978-1-58134-738-8) featuring a redesigned cover and an added chapter on the role of exposition in evangelismNine Marks of a Healthy Church has sold over 130,000 unitsBoth books are published in partnership with 9Marks

A SUNDAY TIMES BEST MUSIC BOOK OF THE YEARA DAILY EXPRESS BOOK OF THE YEARBitter Crop is an unconventional portrait of arguably America's most eminent jazz singer. Acclaimed biographer Paul Alexander shrewdly focuses on the last year of her life - with relevant flashbacks to provide context - to evoke and examine the persistent magnificence of Holiday's artistry when it was supposed to have declined, in the wake of her drug abuse, relationships with violent men, and run-ins with the law.During her lifetime and after her death, Billie Holiday was often depicted as a down-on-her-luck junkie severely lacking in self-esteem. Relying on interviews with people who knew her and new material unearthed in private collections and institutional archives, Bitter Crop limns Holiday as a powerful, ambitious woman who overcame her flaws to triumph as a vital figure of American popular music.

'Paul Alexander tells her story in a way that could put her soul and our questions to rest' Gloria Steinem'Bitter Crop shows just what lay behind that tragic, transcendent gift' Sunday Times 'Magnificent' Irish TimesBitter Crop is an unconventional portrait of arguably America's most eminent jazz singer. Acclaimed biographer Paul Alexander shrewdly focuses on the last year of her life - with relevant flashbacks to provide context - to evoke and examine the persistent magnificence of Holiday's artistry when it was supposed to have declined, in the wake of her drug abuse, relationships with violent men, and run-ins with the law.Relying on interviews with people who knew her and new material unearthed in private collections and institutional archives, Bitter Crop limns Holiday as a powerful, ambitious woman who overcame her flaws to triumph as a vital figure of American popular music.