{"299531":{"#nid":"299531","#data":{"type":"event","title":"John Cressler Book Launch Event","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EProfessor John Cressler will celebrate the launch of his second novel \u003Cem\u003EShadows in the Shining City\u003C\/em\u003E. The evening will include a 50-minute presentation, a reading, Q\/A, and a book signing, followed by a party with food and beverages.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout the novel:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Golden Age of Moorish Spain was during the 10th century, a time when the benevolent Arab Caliphs ruled Iberia from C\u00f3rdoba, the site of the iconic Great Mosque and home to the Royal Library, one of the largest collections of ancient books ever assembled. 10th century C\u00f3rdoba was the richest, most populous, and most cultured city in the western world. Under the tolerant Muslim Caliphs, the pinnacle of \u003Cem\u003Econvivencia\u003C\/em\u003E was attained, that unique period of Spanish history when Muslims, Jews and Christians lived together in relative harmony and peace. Multicultural C\u00f3rdoba was an enlightened city that treasured its books, celebrated art and literature, advanced science and medicine, and its myriad accomplishments were envied by both the west and the east alike.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EShadows in the Shining City\u003C\/em\u003E is a prequel to \u003Cem\u003EEmeralds of the Alhambra\u003C\/em\u003E, and the second book in the \u003Cem\u003EAnthems of al-Andalus Series\u003C\/em\u003E. \u003Cem\u003EShadows\u003C\/em\u003E tells the story of the forbidden love between Rayhana Abi Amir, a Muslim princess of the Royal Court, and Zafir Saffar, a freed slave. Young love blossoms in 10th century Madinat al-Zahra, the Shining City, the Caliph\u2019s magnificent Royal Palace located just outside of C\u00f3rdoba. Their love story is set against the backdrop of the epic rise to power of Rayhana\u2019s ruthless father, a man history will come to both celebrate and revile for the role he plays in the collapse of Moorish Spain.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EECE\u0027s Dr. John Cressler will launch his second novel, \u0022Shadows in the Shining City.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"ECE\u0027s Dr. John Cressler will launch his second novel, \u0022Shadows in the Shining City.\u0022"}],"uid":"27842","created_gmt":"2014-05-23 14:30:03","changed_gmt":"2017-04-13 21:22:30","author":"Ashlee Gardner","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2014-07-23T00:00:00-04:00","event_time_end":"2014-07-23T00:00:00-04:00","event_time_end_last":"2014-07-23T00:00:00-04:00","gmt_time_start":"2014-07-23 04:00:00","gmt_time_end":"2014-07-23 04:00:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2014-07-23 04:00:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"extras":["free_food"],"hg_media":{"306421":{"id":"306421","type":"image","title":"Shadows in the Shining City","body":null,"created":"1449244668","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:57:48","changed":"1475895015","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:50:15","alt":"Shadows in the Shining City","file":{"fid":"199746","name":"shadowsintheshiningcity.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/shadowsintheshiningcity_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/shadowsintheshiningcity_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":126130,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/shadowsintheshiningcity_0.jpg?itok=6Twp3R_w"}}},"media_ids":["306421"],"groups":[{"id":"1255","name":"School of Electrical and Computer Engineering"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1792","name":"Arts and Performance"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78751","name":"Undergraduate students"},{"id":"78761","name":"Faculty\/Staff"},{"id":"78771","name":"Public"},{"id":"174045","name":"Graduate students"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Cressler\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:john.cressler@ece.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejohn.cressler@ece.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}