5,334 research outputs found
Devil’s Oak: Waking the Feminine Wound
Devil’s Oak: Waking the Feminine Wound is a short story collection that features strong female characters against a backdrop of ghosts, fairy tales, and urban legends. The thirteen stories subvert the historical narrative of women in fairy tales, positioning them as bold and willing to step into the face of danger. “The Braided Veil” features a young orphan in Victorian New Orleans who seeks revenge upon her mother’s abuser. “Devil’s Oak” addresses the horrors of slavery through the eyes of a young girl who learns that her family owned human beings. “Good Little Girls” takes readers back to childhood in which a sick girl explores her neighbor’s attic on a stormy day; she discovers more than she bargained for. “The Game” features relational aggression in the 1990’s in a “mean girls” style that takes a grizzly turn. “Selkie Skin” leans into Celtic lore, following a young pregnant girl who longs for freedom. “The Ripper Society” reaches back through time to Jack the Ripper’s wife, who discovers his misdeeds and takes matters into her own hands. “She Has Seen the Wolf” is longer story that connects to my novel, The Butterfly Circle; when a graduate student learns she is pregnant, she uncovers her family’s connected history to a haunted home for unwed mothers. In “Roots in the Cove,” a woman in an unhealthy relationship shapeshifts into a bear on a trip to Gatlinburg and finally finds her freedom. Both “Marsh Girl” and “Cicadas in the Suburbs” explore the psychological challenges of suburban life, including postpartum depression and the longing for the magic of youth. In “Honey Tree,” a divorced woman seeks comfort from the bees, and in “Crow Woman,” a widow faces metaphorical death and is reborn. Finally, “Ghost Apples” is a retelling of Snow White from the perspective of the queen; she shapeshifts into a wolf to protect a young girl who has been attacked and seeks revenge upon her abuser.
~A literary horror/fiction short story collection by Mary Carroll Leoson. Foreword by Christopher Barzak, author of A Voice Calling and One for Sorrow. Editor and jacket design by A.Miller. Available in PDF, Ebook (epub), paperback, and hardcover in October 2025.
--Publisher\u27s Note: Each story has been editor and press reviewed, and the entire book has been externally reviewed by experts in the field as part of the quality review process. Indexed in the Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB). Official press release.--
Reviews
“What distinguishes Mary Carroll Leoson’s work is her ability to inhabit the liminal spaces between myth and reality, past and present, the seen and the unseen. These stories are rooted deeply in the soil of ancestral memory and the landscapes of the American South, yet they reach far beyond that geography into the universal territory of trauma, resilience, and transformation.” --Christopher Barzak, author of One for Sorrow and A Voice Calling.
“Each story reads like an old heirloom passed from hand to hand, warm with use and heavy with meaning. The prose is lyrical but never ornamental; the horror, earned. And as the final page turns, it leaves you changed. Devil’s Oak: Waking the Feminine Wound isn’t just read. The stories linger like the smell of roses at a closed casket.” --Diane Sismour, author of novels, short stories, and screenplays
“I loved Marguerite in “Devil’s Oak,” her personality shone through, and I found myself rooting for her immediately. I loved seeing her rebel against expectations of femininity. Go, Marguerite!” -- Janet Alcorn, author of award-winning short stories
“Kate, Bea, and Nana from “She Has Seen the Wolf” are my favorite characters in this standout story of this Devil’s Oak collection; and I could easily see it adapted to television in some way.” --Ada Wofford, Sundress Publications
“My favorite character and story is Claire in “Marsh Girl,” plus “Good Little Girls” is especially chilling, and I enjoyed “The Ripper Society” so much, I was bereft at the end, hoping for more!” --Jasmine De La Paz, Gothic horror author
Book information
Devil’s Oak: Waking the Feminine Wound
© 2025 Mary Carroll Leoson
Published by MT Open Press (Blue Crescent Books imprint) at Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro
Identifiers
ISBN (paperback) 979-8-9995864-0-7
ISBN (hardcover) 979-8-9871721-9-3
ISBN (digital PDF) 979-8-9871721-6-2
ISBN (digital epub) 979-8-9871721-7-9
DOI: https://doi.org/10.56638/mtopb00425
Distribution
Print-on-demand version (epub, paperback, hardcover) available at https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/mtop
Follow and review on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/239910520-devil-s-oak
Suggested Citation
Leoson, Mary Carroll. Devil’s Oak: Waking the Feminine Wound. MT Open Press, Middle Tennessee State University, 2025. https://doi.org/10.56638/mtopb00425
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial No Derivatives-4.0 International Licens
Devil’s Oak: Waking the Feminine Wound
Devil’s Oak: Waking the Feminine Wound is a short story collection that features strong female characters against a backdrop of ghosts, fairy tales, and urban legends. The thirteen stories subvert the historical narrative of women in fairy tales, positioning them as bold and willing to step into the face of danger. “The Braided Veil” features a young orphan in Victorian New Orleans who seeks revenge upon her mother’s abuser. “Devil’s Oak” addresses the horrors of slavery through the eyes of a young girl who learns that her family owned human beings. “Good Little Girls” takes readers back to childhood in which a sick girl explores her neighbor’s attic on a stormy day; she discovers more than she bargained for. “The Game” features relational aggression in the 1990’s in a “mean girls” style that takes a grizzly turn. “Selkie Skin” leans into Celtic lore, following a young pregnant girl who longs for freedom. “The Ripper Society” reaches back through time to Jack the Ripper’s wife, who discovers his misdeeds and takes matters into her own hands. “She Has Seen the Wolf” is longer story that connects to my novel, The Butterfly Circle; when a graduate student learns she is pregnant, she uncovers her family’s connected history to a haunted home for unwed mothers. In “Roots in the Cove,” a woman in an unhealthy relationship shapeshifts into a bear on a trip to Gatlinburg and finally finds her freedom. Both “Marsh Girl” and “Cicadas in the Suburbs” explore the psychological challenges of suburban life, including postpartum depression and the longing for the magic of youth. In “Honey Tree,” a divorced woman seeks comfort from the bees, and in “Crow Woman,” a widow faces metaphorical death and is reborn. Finally, “Ghost Apples” is a retelling of Snow White from the perspective of the queen; she shapeshifts into a wolf to protect a young girl who has been attacked and seeks revenge upon her abuser.
~A literary horror/fiction short story collection by Mary Carroll Leoson. Foreword by Christopher Barzak, author of A Voice Calling and One for Sorrow. Editor and jacket design by A.Miller. Available in PDF, Ebook (epub), paperback, and hardcover in October 2025.
--Publisher\u27s Note: Each story has been editor and press reviewed, and the entire book has been externally reviewed by experts in the field as part of the quality review process. Indexed in the Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB). Official press release.--
Reviews
“What distinguishes Mary Carroll Leoson’s work is her ability to inhabit the liminal spaces between myth and reality, past and present, the seen and the unseen. These stories are rooted deeply in the soil of ancestral memory and the landscapes of the American South, yet they reach far beyond that geography into the universal territory of trauma, resilience, and transformation.” --Christopher Barzak, author of One for Sorrow and A Voice Calling.
“Each story reads like an old heirloom passed from hand to hand, warm with use and heavy with meaning. The prose is lyrical but never ornamental; the horror, earned. And as the final page turns, it leaves you changed. Devil’s Oak: Waking the Feminine Wound isn’t just read. The stories linger like the smell of roses at a closed casket.” --Diane Sismour, author of novels, short stories, and screenplays
“I loved Marguerite in “Devil’s Oak,” her personality shone through, and I found myself rooting for her immediately. I loved seeing her rebel against expectations of femininity. Go, Marguerite!” -- Janet Alcorn, author of award-winning short stories
“Kate, Bea, and Nana from “She Has Seen the Wolf” are my favorite characters in this standout story of this Devil’s Oak collection; and I could easily see it adapted to television in some way.” --Ada Wofford, Sundress Publications
“My favorite character and story is Claire in “Marsh Girl,” plus “Good Little Girls” is especially chilling, and I enjoyed “The Ripper Society” so much, I was bereft at the end, hoping for more!” --Jasmine De La Paz, Gothic horror author
Book information
Devil’s Oak: Waking the Feminine Wound
© 2025 Mary Carroll Leoson
Published by MT Open Press (Blue Crescent Books imprint) at Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro
Identifiers
ISBN (paperback) 979-8-9995864-0-7
ISBN (hardcover) 979-8-9871721-9-3
ISBN (digital PDF) 979-8-9871721-6-2
ISBN (digital epub) 979-8-9871721-7-9
DOI: https://doi.org/10.56638/mtopb00425
Distribution
Print-on-demand version (epub, paperback, hardcover) available at https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/mtop
Follow and review on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/239910520-devil-s-oak
Suggested Citation
Leoson, Mary Carroll. Devil’s Oak: Waking the Feminine Wound. MT Open Press, Middle Tennessee State University, 2025. https://doi.org/10.56638/mtopb00425
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial No Derivatives-4.0 International Licens
Devil’s Oak: Waking the Feminine Wound
Devil’s Oak: Waking the Feminine Wound is a short story collection that features strong female characters against a backdrop of ghosts, fairy tales, and urban legends. The thirteen stories subvert the historical narrative of women in fairy tales, positioning them as bold and willing to step into the face of danger. “The Braided Veil” features a young orphan in Victorian New Orleans who seeks revenge upon her mother’s abuser. “Devil’s Oak” addresses the horrors of slavery through the eyes of a young girl who learns that her family owned human beings. “Good Little Girls” takes readers back to childhood in which a sick girl explores her neighbor’s attic on a stormy day; she discovers more than she bargained for. “The Game” features relational aggression in the 1990’s in a “mean girls” style that takes a grizzly turn. “Selkie Skin” leans into Celtic lore, following a young pregnant girl who longs for freedom. “The Ripper Society” reaches back through time to Jack the Ripper’s wife, who discovers his misdeeds and takes matters into her own hands. “She Has Seen the Wolf” is longer story that connects to my novel, The Butterfly Circle; when a graduate student learns she is pregnant, she uncovers her family’s connected history to a haunted home for unwed mothers. In “Roots in the Cove,” a woman in an unhealthy relationship shapeshifts into a bear on a trip to Gatlinburg and finally finds her freedom. Both “Marsh Girl” and “Cicadas in the Suburbs” explore the psychological challenges of suburban life, including postpartum depression and the longing for the magic of youth. In “Honey Tree,” a divorced woman seeks comfort from the bees, and in “Crow Woman,” a widow faces metaphorical death and is reborn. Finally, “Ghost Apples” is a retelling of Snow White from the perspective of the queen; she shapeshifts into a wolf to protect a young girl who has been attacked and seeks revenge upon her abuser.
~A literary horror/fiction short story collection by Mary Carroll Leoson. Foreword by Christopher Barzak, author of A Voice Calling and One for Sorrow. Editor and jacket design by A.Miller. Available in PDF, Ebook (epub), paperback, and hardcover in October 2025.
--Publisher\u27s Note: Each story has been editor and press reviewed, and the entire book has been externally reviewed by experts in the field as part of the quality review process. Indexed in the Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB). Official press release.--
Reviews
“What distinguishes Mary Carroll Leoson’s work is her ability to inhabit the liminal spaces between myth and reality, past and present, the seen and the unseen. These stories are rooted deeply in the soil of ancestral memory and the landscapes of the American South, yet they reach far beyond that geography into the universal territory of trauma, resilience, and transformation.” --Christopher Barzak, author of One for Sorrow and A Voice Calling.
“Each story reads like an old heirloom passed from hand to hand, warm with use and heavy with meaning. The prose is lyrical but never ornamental; the horror, earned. And as the final page turns, it leaves you changed. Devil’s Oak: Waking the Feminine Wound isn’t just read. The stories linger like the smell of roses at a closed casket.” --Diane Sismour, author of novels, short stories, and screenplays
“I loved Marguerite in “Devil’s Oak,” her personality shone through, and I found myself rooting for her immediately. I loved seeing her rebel against expectations of femininity. Go, Marguerite!” -- Janet Alcorn, author of award-winning short stories
“Kate, Bea, and Nana from “She Has Seen the Wolf” are my favorite characters in this standout story of this Devil’s Oak collection; and I could easily see it adapted to television in some way.” --Ada Wofford, Sundress Publications
“My favorite character and story is Claire in “Marsh Girl,” plus “Good Little Girls” is especially chilling, and I enjoyed “The Ripper Society” so much, I was bereft at the end, hoping for more!” --Jasmine De La Paz, Gothic horror author
Book information
Devil’s Oak: Waking the Feminine Wound
© 2025 Mary Carroll Leoson
Published by MT Open Press (Blue Crescent Books imprint) at Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro
Identifiers
ISBN (paperback) 979-8-9995864-0-7
ISBN (hardcover) 979-8-9871721-9-3
ISBN (digital PDF) 979-8-9871721-6-2
ISBN (digital epub) 979-8-9871721-7-9
DOI: https://doi.org/10.56638/mtopb00425
Distribution
Print-on-demand version (epub, paperback, hardcover) available at https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/mtop
Follow and review on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/239910520-devil-s-oak
Suggested Citation
Leoson, Mary Carroll. Devil’s Oak: Waking the Feminine Wound. MT Open Press, Middle Tennessee State University, 2025. https://doi.org/10.56638/mtopb00425
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial No Derivatives-4.0 International Licens
Devil’s Oak: Waking the Feminine Wound
Devil’s Oak: Waking the Feminine Wound is a short story collection that features strong female characters against a backdrop of ghosts, fairy tales, and urban legends. The thirteen stories subvert the historical narrative of women in fairy tales, positioning them as bold and willing to step into the face of danger. “The Braided Veil” features a young orphan in Victorian New Orleans who seeks revenge upon her mother’s abuser. “Devil’s Oak” addresses the horrors of slavery through the eyes of a young girl who learns that her family owned human beings. “Good Little Girls” takes readers back to childhood in which a sick girl explores her neighbor’s attic on a stormy day; she discovers more than she bargained for. “The Game” features relational aggression in the 1990’s in a “mean girls” style that takes a grizzly turn. “Selkie Skin” leans into Celtic lore, following a young pregnant girl who longs for freedom. “The Ripper Society” reaches back through time to Jack the Ripper’s wife, who discovers his misdeeds and takes matters into her own hands. “She Has Seen the Wolf” is longer story that connects to my novel, The Butterfly Circle; when a graduate student learns she is pregnant, she uncovers her family’s connected history to a haunted home for unwed mothers. In “Roots in the Cove,” a woman in an unhealthy relationship shapeshifts into a bear on a trip to Gatlinburg and finally finds her freedom. Both “Marsh Girl” and “Cicadas in the Suburbs” explore the psychological challenges of suburban life, including postpartum depression and the longing for the magic of youth. In “Honey Tree,” a divorced woman seeks comfort from the bees, and in “Crow Woman,” a widow faces metaphorical death and is reborn. Finally, “Ghost Apples” is a retelling of Snow White from the perspective of the queen; she shapeshifts into a wolf to protect a young girl who has been attacked and seeks revenge upon her abuser.
~A literary horror/fiction short story collection by Mary Carroll Leoson. Foreword by Christopher Barzak, author of A Voice Calling and One for Sorrow. Editor and jacket design by A.Miller. Available in PDF, Ebook (epub), paperback, and hardcover in October 2025.
--Publisher\u27s Note: Each story has been editor and press reviewed, and the entire book has been externally reviewed by experts in the field as part of the quality review process. Indexed in the Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB). Official press release.--
Reviews
“What distinguishes Mary Carroll Leoson’s work is her ability to inhabit the liminal spaces between myth and reality, past and present, the seen and the unseen. These stories are rooted deeply in the soil of ancestral memory and the landscapes of the American South, yet they reach far beyond that geography into the universal territory of trauma, resilience, and transformation.” --Christopher Barzak, author of One for Sorrow and A Voice Calling.
“Each story reads like an old heirloom passed from hand to hand, warm with use and heavy with meaning. The prose is lyrical but never ornamental; the horror, earned. And as the final page turns, it leaves you changed. Devil’s Oak: Waking the Feminine Wound isn’t just read. The stories linger like the smell of roses at a closed casket.” --Diane Sismour, author of novels, short stories, and screenplays
“I loved Marguerite in “Devil’s Oak,” her personality shone through, and I found myself rooting for her immediately. I loved seeing her rebel against expectations of femininity. Go, Marguerite!” -- Janet Alcorn, author of award-winning short stories
“Kate, Bea, and Nana from “She Has Seen the Wolf” are my favorite characters in this standout story of this Devil’s Oak collection; and I could easily see it adapted to television in some way.” --Ada Wofford, Sundress Publications
“My favorite character and story is Claire in “Marsh Girl,” plus “Good Little Girls” is especially chilling, and I enjoyed “The Ripper Society” so much, I was bereft at the end, hoping for more!” --Jasmine De La Paz, Gothic horror author
Book information
Devil’s Oak: Waking the Feminine Wound
© 2025 Mary Carroll Leoson
Published by MT Open Press (Blue Crescent Books imprint) at Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro
Identifiers
ISBN (paperback) 979-8-9995864-0-7
ISBN (hardcover) 979-8-9871721-9-3
ISBN (digital PDF) 979-8-9871721-6-2
ISBN (digital epub) 979-8-9871721-7-9
DOI: https://doi.org/10.56638/mtopb00425
Distribution
Print-on-demand version (epub, paperback, hardcover) available at https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/mtop
Follow and review on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/239910520-devil-s-oak
Suggested Citation
Leoson, Mary Carroll. Devil’s Oak: Waking the Feminine Wound. MT Open Press, Middle Tennessee State University, 2025. https://doi.org/10.56638/mtopb00425
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial No Derivatives-4.0 International Licens
Last/zakkingsgedrag van MT-palen
In delen van Nederland bestaan de bovenste grondlagen uit samendrukbare grond, zoals klei en veen. Door het gebruik van paalfunderingen kunnen belastingen, afkomstig van constructies en gebouwen, naar diepere meer draagkrachtige lagen worden afgedragen. Door hedendaagse innovatieve ontwikkelingen in de bouw worden funderingspalen met een diameter van één meter en groter toegepast om paalbelastingen boven 10.000 kN op te nemen. Voor de uitbreiding van het Ibis hotel, gelegen aan de westkant van het Amsterdam Centraal station wordt een nieuw paalsysteem, genaamd de MT-paal, gebruikt om de hoge belastingen af te dragen. De keuze voor het gebruik van de MT-paal is mede bepaald door de beperkte beschikbare ruimte en het vereiste trillingsvrije installatieproces. Tijdens de belastingsfase zal de MT-paal vervormingen vertonen, het last/zakkingsgedrag. Hoe de MT-paal zich zal gedragen tijdens het belasten is vooralsnog niet bekend. In gangbare normen zijn geen standaard paalfactoren beschikbaar voor nieuwe paalsystemen, waaronder de MT-paal. Ook is voor de MT-paal geen proefbelasting uitgevoerd, die het gedrag van deze funderingspaal tijdens het belasten kan vaststellen. Het ontwikkelen van een standaard rekenmethodiek om het last/zakkingsgedrag van de MT-paal te bepalen, is de hoofddoelstelling van dit afstudeeronderzoek. Voor een goede benadering van het last/zakkingsgedrag van de MT-paal zijn twee belangrijke aspecten, namelijk de paalpunt en de paalschacht, geanalyseerd. Eerst is het uitvoeringsproces van de MT-paal vergeleken met de boorpaal. Vervolgens zijn zowel de MT-paal als de boorpaal in PLAXIS gemodelleerd en is het last/zakkingsgedrag van beide palen met elkaar vergeleken.Geo-engineeringGeotechnologyCivil Engineering and Geoscience
Larval development of the intertidal barnacles Chthamalus stellatus and Chthamalus montagui
Two recently-distinguished species of Chthamalus (Cirripedia) are found on rocky shores in the north-eastern Atlantic: C. stellatus predominant on islands and headlands and C. montagui more abundant in bays. Larvae of the two species were produced in laboratory cultures to describe and compare the morphology and to allow identification in plankton samples. Nauplius larvae of C. stellatus are up to 30% larger than those of C. montagui. Differences in setation are minor. The two species are easily distinguishable from the size and shape of the cephalic shield. Chthamalus stellatus has a subcircular shield with longer body processes in later stages while C. montagui is more ovoid. The former develop more slowly in culture than the latter. Chthamalus stellatus larvae in a culture at 19 °C reached stage VI in 16 d compared to 11 d for larvae of C. montagui at the same temperature. The morphology and longer development time of C. stellatus larvae suggests adaptation to a more oceanic lifestyle and wider dispersal to reach more fragmented habitats than larvae of C. montagui
Consequences of climate-driven biodiversity changes for ecosystem functioning of North European rocky shores
We review how intertidal biodiversity is responding to globally driven climate change,
focusing on long-term data from rocky shores in the British Isles. Physical evidence of warming
around the British Isles is presented and, whilst there has been considerable fluctuation, sea surface
temperatures are at the highest levels recorded, surpassing previous warm periods (i.e. late 1950s).
Examples are given of species that have been advancing or retreating polewards over the last 50 to
100 yr. On rocky shores, the extent of poleward movement is idiosyncratic and dependent upon life
history characteristics, dispersal capabilities and habitat requirements. More southern, warm water
species have been recorded advancing than northern, cold water species retreating. Models have
been developed to predict likely assemblage composition based on future environmental scenarios.
We present qualitative and quantitative forecasts to explore the functional consequences of changes
in the identity, abundance and species richness of gastropod grazers and foundation species such as
barnacles and canopy-forming algae. We forecast that the balance of primary producers and secondary
consumers is likely to change along wave exposure gradients matching changes occurring
with latitude, thereby shifting the balance between export and import of primary production.
Increases in grazer and sessile invertebrate diversity are likely to be accompanied by decreasing
primary production by large canopy-forming fucoids. The reasons for such changes are discussed in
the context of emerging theory on the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.
KEY WORDS: Climate change · Intertidal · Range shifts · Biodiversity · Ecosystem functioning ·
Northeast Atlanti
Drivers of burrow symbiont distribution in a softsediment system: host abundance or burrow trophic environment?
The Langebaan Lagoon sandflats are dominated by the burrowing activities of thalassinid shrimps. Their burrows are home to various burrow symbionts including a commensal shrimp (Betaeus jucundus), a six-legged crab (Spiroplax spiralis) and a scaleworm (Antinoe lactea). Little work has been conducted on these burrow symbionts, and the mechanisms influencing their abundance and distribution are unknown. To test whether host abundance or the burrow trophic environment (i.e. food availability) is the dominant force shaping patterns of burrow symbiont distribution, samples of host and symbiont abundances as well as chlorophyll-a and extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) measurements were taken from three sites in Langebaan Lagoon over spring and autumn. Clear signals emerged in contradiction of the hypothesis that burrow symbiont abundances peak in areas associated with high abundances of hosts. Host abundances peaked at Bottelary (10.18 counts/site ± 1.02 SE), a site where recreational activities and thalassinid shrimp bait collection are prohibited. In contrast, peak B. jucundus abundance (6.56 counts/site ± 0.37 SE) occurred at Oesterval during September – the muddy sediment of the site resulted in high sedimentary food retention and the September spring phytoplankton bloom resulted in peak chlorophylla (234.12 mg chl-a/g sediment ± 42.74 SE) and EPS (0.13 mg EPS/g sediment ± 0.008 SE) concentrations. Regression analyses confirmed that food availability was the best explanation of the patterns observed in B. jucundus distributions, over and above that of host distributions. S. spiralis and A. lactea did not show this pattern, the result of the low counts of these species in the collected samples or their reliance on food sources different to those depended on by B. jucundus. These results are of consequence in changing the way we think about symbiont distributions relative to that of the hosts, in that the two may not be linked directly, but rather influenced by larger scale trophic changes such as the availability of food within the burrow
Jupiter Terrace and Mt. Evarts. Yellowstone Park.
Jupiter Terrace and Mt. Evarts. Yellowstone Park
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