"The curtains of lesbian history from the 1950s to the present day are opened by celebrated cartoonist Kate Charlesworth, with a little help from Gilbert and Sullivan and a side of Nancy Spain. Sensible Footwear is a glorious political and personal history that gives Pride a run for its money; but, like Pride, it wears its heart at the centre, making the invisible visible, and celebrating lesbian lives from the domestic to the diva."--Provided by publisher.

What do your shoes say about you? Karn Knutson knows. In this beautifully illustrated and devilishly satirical book, a bona fide shoe-ologist–a girl who's studied footwear since grammar school–reveals just how much your shoes are saying. Thought your four-inch heel said "tall?" Think twice. Thought you were the only one aware of your man-made uppers? Guess again. Chances are your shoes have been clueing your friends and co-workers into much more than you thought. Here's what Karn has to say about just a few of your footwear choices: Do you prefer the Strappy Red Satin? "In the office this is a dead giveaway. You want to be anywhere else but where you are. Preferably with some tall, dark, and handsome man or with friends that make you laugh so hard you snort." Or perhaps you're more of a Skin It and Make It Beg type. "There's something sensibly terrifying about you. You're impeccable in your power couture. Cynicism is your native tongue." Neither of these ring a bell for you? Maybe it's because you're more of a Woven Wanderlust girl. "You live in the suburbs and have a pair of these to match every twin set you own. The most excitement you see is when a PTA meeting gets rowdy over whether brownies are acceptable for the annual Cookies-a-Yum-Yum bake sale." Still nothing? Don't worry--with tons of styles grouped into fun categories like Heels: The Holy Grail, Scandals of Sandals, The Sporty Sorts, and Bad Shoes Happen, it'll be hard not to find the perfect fit. With so many options, Shoe-ology is a veritable department store of choices. A perfect gift for yourself and girlfriends, buy it by the pair!

The Marabou Mule. The Chanel toe. Jackie O's pump. Marilyn's stiletto. And lotus shoes and fetish shoes, shoes made for coronations and inaugurations, Cinderella's slipper, shoes of tulle, brocade, rhinestone, python, fish scales, and feathers, and much, much, more, including the two-foot-high wooden chopines of the 16th century and their resurgence as the platform shoes of the 1960s and 1970s. Shoes, now with over 357,000 copies in print, is an obsessive, over-the-top extravaganza-chunky, full-color, and irresistible, it contains page after page of seductive photographs and information about women's shoes. Created for the woman who's a passionate shoe lover-and what woman isn't?--Shoes features over 1,000 glorious photographs, most of them taken for the book. Includes Footnotes (fascinating facts about shoes); Foot Soldiers (profiles of master shoemakers from David Little to Andrea Pfister); and The Shoe that Left an Imprint, focusing on one shoe that changed history-remember Courrage's futuristic go-go boot? Shoes is, as they say, to die for.

First Published in 1998. This lively volume explores comedy as a place where gender and sexuality, through performance, challenge sexist and heteronormative forces in Western culture. The contributors investigate the effects of gender, sexuality, sexual identity, race, class and nationality on humor and comedic performance. Each chapter, distinct in its voice and content, addresses how particular historical periods seem to affect who laughs at what, why, and with what consequences. This book not only spans a broad range of historical and literary periods, it also engages in a critical conversation with past and present thinkers to articulate the political, cultural and social effects of comedy.

Rachelle Bergstein brings readers along on a unique and delightful romp through the history of shoes, the women who wear them, and the profound impact they have on our lives. Women from the Ankle Down includes interviews and cameos with influential figures ranging from Lisa Mayock of Vena Cava to Oscar Award–winning costume designer Patrizia van Brandenstein, from Doc Martens historian Martin Roach to Fashion Institute of Technology museum director Valerie Steele; from Marilyn Monroe and Jane Fonda to Salvador Ferragamo and Christian Dior; from Judy Garland to Wonder Woman.

A funny, poignant coming-of-age memoir told through the shoes that she wore. From baby booties to orthopedic brogues (and all the high and low heels in between) shoes mark important rites of passage, reminding us of both the good and bad times: the road not taken, the prince that got away, the missed opportunities, the traveling, the fun. Most of all, they bring to mind the people we’ve loved and sometimes lost along the way. Combining tidbits of cultural history, Morrisroe chronicles her life as a bullied Catholic schoolgirl in “Moby Dick” brogues; a besotted college student in granny boots; an aspiring journalist in Annie Hall oxfords; a skeptical bride in her first Manolos; a reluctant fashionista in towering peep-toe pumps; and a concerned daughter, whose elderly mother hoped that her New Balance sneakers would help her regain her old balance. With wit and compassion, she introduces us to an unforgettable cast of characters, from her grandfather, who treated the family to legendary foot rubs, to her husband, whose vast collection of vintage Puma sneakers threatened to overwhelm their apartment and derail their marriage. Morrisroe’s “coming-of-age” is, at its heart, the story of a generation of women who’ve enjoyed a world of freedom and opportunity that was unthinkable to their mothers. Spanning five decades and countless footwear trends, 9 ½ Narrow is, like Love, Loss and What I Wore, about how we remember important events through a coat, or a dress, or in this case, a Beatle boot or Confirmation “wedgie.” With her charming sense of humor and irresistible voice, Morrisroe not only recounts her own story but also everywoman’s. Funny, candid and unexpectedly poignant, 9 ½ Narrow is about how we grow up, grow older, and finally grow into our own shoes.

Natural Running is the middle ground runners have been looking for. By learning to run the barefoot way, while wearing shoes, runners will become more efficient, stronger, and healthier runners. Backed by studies at MIT and Harvard, running form and injury expert Danny Abshire presents the natural running technique, form drills, and an 8-week transition plan that will put runners on the path to faster, more efficient, and healthier running.In Natural Running, Abshire explains how modern running shoes distort the efficient running technique that humans evolved over thousands of years. He reviews the history of running shoes and injuries, making the case for barefoot running but also warning about its dangers. By learning the natural running technique, runners can enjoy both worlds: comfortable feet, knees, and legs and an efficient running form that reduces impact and injuries.Natural Running teaches runners to think about injuries as symptoms of poor running form. Abshire specifies the overuse injuries that are most commonly associated with particular body alignment problems, foot types, and form flaws. Runners will learn how to analyze and identify their own characteristics so they can start down the path to natural running.Abshire explains the natural running technique, describing the posture, arm carriage, cadence, and land-lever-lift foot positioning that mimic the barefoot running style. Using Abshire’s 8-week transition plan and a tool kit of strength and form drills, runners will move from heel striking to a midfoot or forefoot strike.Natural Running is the newest way to run and also the oldest. By discovering how they were meant to run, runners will become more efficient, stronger, and healthier runners.