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My Father, the Pornographer
by Chris OffuttAfter inheriting 400 novels of pornography written by his father in the 1970s and '80s, critically acclaimed author Chris Offutt sets out to make sense of a complicated father-son relationship in this carefully observed, beautifully written memoir."Chris Offutt owns one of the finest, surest prose styles around, ready and able to convey the hardest truth without flinching. Now Offutt enters the darkest and most mysterious of places--the cave of a monstrous enigma named Andrew J. Offutt--armed with nothing but his own restless curiosity. Spoiler alert: He makes it out alive, walking into the daylight to bring us a deeper, funnier, more tender and more heartbroken truth--and his masterpiece." --Michael Chabon When Andrew Offutt died, his son, Chris, inherited a desk, a rifle, and eighteen hundred pounds of pornographic fiction. Andrew had been considered the "king of twentieth-century smut," with a writing career that began as a strategy to pay for his son's orthodontic needs and soon took on a life of its own, peaking during the 1970s when the commercial popularity of the erotic novel reached its height. With his dutiful wife serving as typist, Andrew wrote from their home in the Kentucky hills, locked away in an office no one dared intrude upon. In this fashion he wrote more than four hundred novels, including pirate porn, ghost porn, zombie porn, and secret agent porn. The more he wrote, the more intense his ambition became and the more difficult it was for his children to be part of his world. Over the long summer of 2013, Chris returned to his hometown to help his widowed mother move out of his childhood home. As he began to examine his father's manuscripts and memorabilia, journals, and letters, he realized he finally had an opportunity to gain insight into the difficult, mercurial, sometimes cruel man he'd loved and feared in equal measure. Only in his father's absence could he truly make sense of the man and his legacy. In My Father, the Pornographer, Offutt takes us on the journey with him, reading his father's prodigious literary output as both a critic and as a son seeking answers. This is a book about the life of a working writer who supports his family solely by the output of his typewriter; it's about the awful psychic burdens one generation unthinkingly passes along to the next; and it's about growing up in the Appalachian hills with a pack of fearless boys riding bicycles through the woods, happy and free.
My First Hundred Years in Show Business: A Memoir
by Mary Louise WilsonThis Tony winner&’s memoir is &“a riot of characters met and characters played . . . a funny, frank, and savvy chronicle of a wonderful life.&” —David Hyde Pierce Mary Louise Wilson became a star at age sixty with her smash one-woman play Full Gallop, portraying legendary Vogue editor Diana Vreeland. But before and since, her life and career—including the Tony Award for her portrayal of Big Edie in Grey Gardens—have been celebrated and varied. Raised in New Orleans with a social climbing, alcoholic mother, Mary Louise moved to New York City in the late 1950s; lived with her gay brother in the Village; entered the nightclub scene in a legendary revue; and rubbed shoulders with every famous person of that era and since. My First Hundred Years in Show Business gets it all down. Yet as delicious as the anecdotes are, the heart of this book is in its unblinkingly honest depiction of the life of a working actor. In her inimitable voice—wry, admirably unsentimental, mordantly funny—Mary Louise Wilson has crafted a work that is at once a teeming social history of the New York theatre scene and a thoroughly revealing, superbly entertaining memoir of the life of an extraordinary woman and actor. &“Brims with anecdotes . . . plenty of laughs [and] plenty of candor, too.&” —Nola.com
My Heart Can't Even Believe It: A Story of Science, Love, and Down Syndrome
by Amy SilvermanAll parent stories about raising a child with Down syndrome are special and unique, but in the hands of a good writer, they can have the power to reach, change, and resonate far beyond family and friends. And that is the case with this book by journalist, blogger, and NPR contributor Amy Silverman. Amy bravely looks at her life, before and after her daughter Sophie was born, and reflects on her transformation from a spoiled, self-centered brat, who used words like retard and switched lines at the Safeway to avoid a bagger with special needs, into the mother of a child with Down syndrome and all that her new identity entails. She describes her evolution as gradual, one built by processing her fears and facing questions both big and small about Sophie, Down syndrome, and her place in the world. Funny, touching, and honest, this wonderful book looks at a daughter and her power to change minds and fill hearts with love so deep that, as Sophie once remarked to her mum, I love you so much my heart can't even believe it! Theirs is a story worth reading.
My Heart Will Triumph
by Mirjana Soldo Sean Bloomfield Miki MusaMirjana Soldo was only 16 years old when she and five other children saw a mysterious woman on a hillside in the village of Medjugorje, then part of Yugoslavia. The woman 'who possessed a beauty and grace that seemed to come from beyond' identified herself as the Virgin Mary. The apparitions that began on the afternoon of June 24, 1981 would dramatically change Mirjana's life and the lives of countless people around the world. Her claims, however, brought the wrath of the Communist government down on Mirjana and everyone around her. Amazingly, the apparitions have continued for over 35 years. Millions of people travel to Medjugorje every year in search of answers to life's biggest questions. And, according to Mirjana, the Virgin entrusted her with ten secrets that foretell the future of the world--secrets that she will reveal within her lifetime.
My Journey at the Nuclear Brink
by William PerryMy Journey at the Nuclear Brink is a continuation of William J. Perry's efforts to keep the world safe from a nuclear catastrophe. It tells the story of his coming of age in the nuclear era, his role in trying to shape and contain it, and how his thinking has changed about the threat these weapons pose. In a remarkable career, Perry has dealt firsthand with the changing nuclear threat. Decades of experience and special access to top-secret knowledge of strategic nuclear options have given Perry a unique, and chilling, vantage point from which to conclude that nuclear weapons endanger our security rather than securing it. This book traces his thought process as he journeys from the Cuban Missile Crisis, to crafting a defense strategy in the Carter Administration to offset the Soviets' numeric superiority in conventional forces, to presiding over the dismantling of more than 8,000 nuclear weapons in the Clinton Administration, and to his creation in 2007, with George Shultz, Sam Nunn, and Henry Kissinger, of the Nuclear Security Project to articulate their vision of a world free from nuclear weapons and to lay out the urgent steps needed to reduce nuclear dangers.
My Life In His Paws: The Story of Ted and How He Saved Me
by Wendy HillingMy Life in His Paws is the story of the amazing dog who gave back someone's freedom and confidence. Wendy Hilling has a rare skin condition which means her skin is very delicate. Every moment is difficult and causes pain. It affects the body inside and out: her throat is very narrow and she can stop breathing at any time. But eight years ago Wendy's life changed forever. She met Ted, the Golden Retriever, and he became her full-time carer. He has saved her life more times than she can remember, always watching and listening, and Wendy is now entirely reliant on him. This is the story of Wendy and her incredible bravery living with a disability and battling against the odds. It's also the story of Ted, the extraordinary assistance dog, and the unique relationship between a human and animal and the extraordinary things animals are capable of.
My Life in Court
by Louis NizerIn this electrifying bestseller, the shrewd and voluble trial lawyer Louis Nizer, who made a long career of representing famous people in famous cases, recounts some of his significant civil and criminal cases.Nizer rose to national fame with his real-life accounts of tension-filled courtrooms and the fervor of the advocate, and "My Life in Court" proved to be no exception: it rose to the top of the Times's best-seller list on its publication in 1961 and logged 72 weeks as a sales leader.The book is an in-depth collection of some of Mr. Nizer's court case success stories, including his client Quentin Reynolds' famous libel action against the columnist Westbrook Pegler, which would also become the basis of the 1963 Broadway play "A Case of Libel."Praised by critics as "entertaining and philosophically instructive, an unusual combination," Nizer's movie-like plots of real-life courtroom drama will keep you captivated until the very last page.
My Life on the Road
by Gloria SteinemGloria Steinem had an itinerant childhood. Every fall, her father would pack the family into the car and they would drive across the country, in search of their next adventure. The seeds were planted: Steinem would spend much of her life on the road, as a journalist, organizer, activist, and speaker. In vivid stories that span an entire career, Steinem writes about her time on the campaign trail, from Bobby Kennedy to Hillary Clinton; her early exposure to social activism in India; organizing ground-up movements in America; the taxi drivers who were "vectors of modern myths" and the airline stewardesses who embraced feminism; and the infinite contrasts, the "surrealism in everyday life" that Steinem encountered as she travelled back and forth across the country. With the unique perspective of one of the greatest feminist icons of the 20th and 21st centuries, here is an inspiring, profound, enlightening memoir of one woman's life-long journey.
My Life with Wagner: Fairies, Rings, And Redemption: Exploring Opera's Most Enigmatic Composer
by Christian Thielemann'Idiosyncratic, humorous, enlightening and written by one of the finest conductors alive ... This is the book to buy if you are going to see Wagner or listen to him at home' LITERARY REVIEWOver a distinguished career conducting some of the world's finest orchestras, Christian Thielemann has earned a reputation as the leading modern interpreter of Richard Wagner. MY LIFE WITH WAGNER chronicles his ardent personal and professional engagement with the composer whose work has shaped his thinking and feeling from early childhood.Thielemann retraces his journey with Wagner - from Berlin to Bayreuth via Venice, Hamburg and Chicago. Next he takes each opera in turn, his appraisal illuminated by a deep affinity for the music, an intimate knowledge of the scores and the inside perspective of an outstanding practitioner. And yet for all the adulation Wagner's art inspires in him, Thielemann does not shy away from unpalatable truths about the man himself, explaining why today he is venerated and reviled in equal measure. The result is a richly rewarding read for admirers of a composer who continues to fascinate long after his death.
My Life with Wagner: Fairies, Rings, And Redemption: Exploring Opera's Most Enigmatic Composer
by Christian Thielemann'Idiosyncratic, humorous, enlightening and written by one of the finest conductors alive ... This is the book to buy if you are going to see Wagner or listen to him at home' LITERARY REVIEWOver a distinguished career conducting some of the world's finest orchestras, Christian Thielemann has earned a reputation as the leading modern interpreter of Richard Wagner. MY LIFE WITH WAGNER chronicles his ardent personal and professional engagement with the composer whose work has shaped his thinking and feeling from early childhood.Thielemann retraces his journey with Wagner - from Berlin to Bayreuth via Venice, Hamburg and Chicago. Next he takes each opera in turn, his appraisal illuminated by a deep affinity for the music, an intimate knowledge of the scores and the inside perspective of an outstanding practitioner. And yet for all the adulation Wagner's art inspires in him, Thielemann does not shy away from unpalatable truths about the man himself, explaining why today he is venerated and reviled in equal measure. The result is a richly rewarding read for admirers of a composer who continues to fascinate long after his death.
My Little Golden Book About Abraham Lincoln (Little Golden Book)
by Bonnie BaderPreschoolers can learn all about Abraham Lincoln in this all-American Little Golden Book! Bright pictures and a simple story capture the essence of one of our most popular presidents. Little ones will enjoy key anecdotes about Lincoln, beginning with young Abe's love of reading. Fun facts at the end—such as Lincoln&’s declaration of the final Thursday in November as Thanksgiving day—round out this nonfiction book full of Little Golden Book charm.And look for: My Little Golden Book About George Washington.
My Little Golden Book About George Washington (Little Golden Book)
by Lori Haskins HouranHelp your little one dream big with a Little Golden Book biography all about our first president George Washington! The perfect introduction to nonfiction for preschoolers! Bright, appealing artwork and simple words introduce the youngest readers to our first president with engaging anecdotes, beginning with how young George liked to study and ride his horse. Fun facts at the end—such as that Washington&’s image can be found on our dollar bill, our postage stamps, and on Mount Rushmore—round out this charming Little Golden Book. Read all the Little Golden Book biographies: My Little Golden Book About Kamala Harris, My Little Golden Book About Frida Kahlo, My Little Golden Book About Ruth Bader Ginsburg, My Little Golden Book About Jackie Robinson, My Little Golden Book About Martin Luther King Jr., My Little Golden Book About George Washington, My Little Golden Book About Abraham Lincoln, My Little Golden Book About Balto, and My Little Golden Book About Johnny Appleseed.
My Lost Brothers: The Untold Story by the Yarnell Hill Fire's Lone Survivor
by Stephan Talty Brendan McdonoughA gripping first-person account by the sole survivor of Arizona's disastrous 2013 Yarnell Hill Fire, which took the lives of 19 "hotshots"--firefighters trained specifically to battle wildfires.Brendan McDonough was on the verge of becoming a hopeless, inveterate heroin addict when he, for the sake of his young daughter, decided to turn his life around. He enlisted in the Granite Mountain Hotshots, a team of elite firefighters based in Prescott, Arizona. Their leader, Eric Marsh, was in a desperate crunch after four hotshots left the unit, and perhaps seeing a glimmer of promise in the skinny would-be recruit, he took a chance on the unlikely McDonough, and the chance paid off. Despite the crew's skepticism, and thanks in large part to Marsh's firm but loving encouragement, McDonough unlocked a latent drive and dedication, going on to successfully battle a number of blazes and eventually win the confidence of the men he came to call his brothers.Then, on June 30, 2013, while McDonough--"Donut" as he'd been dubbed by his team--served as lookout, they confronted a freak, 3,000-degree inferno in nearby Yarnell, Arizona. The relentless firestorm ultimately trapped his hotshot brothers, tragically killing all 19 of them within minutes. Nationwide, it was the greatest loss of firefighter lives since the 9/11 attacks. My Lost Brothers is a gripping memoir that traces McDonough's story of finding his way out of the dead end of drugs, finding his purpose among the Granite Mountain Hotshots, and the minute-by-minute account of the fateful day he lost the very men who had saved him. A harrowing and redemptive story of resilience in the face of tragedy, My Lost Brothers is also a powerful reminder of the heroism of the people who put themselves in harm's way to protect us every day.
My Lost Poets: A Life in Poetry
by Philip LevineEssays, speeches, and journal entries from one of our most admired and best-loved poets that illuminate how he came to understand himself as a poet, the events and people that he wrote about, and the older poets who influenced him. In prose both as superbly rendered as his poetry and as down-to-earth and easy as speaking, Levine reveals the things that made him the poet he became. In the title essay, originally the final speech of his poet laureate year, he recounts how as a boy he composed little speeches walking in the night woods near his house and how he later realized these were his first poems. He wittily takes on the poets he studied with in the Iowa Writing Program: John Berryman, who was his great teacher and lifelong friend, and Robert Lowell, who was neither. His deepest influences--jazz, Spain, the working people of Detroit--are reflected in many of the pieces. There are essays on Spanish poets he admires, William Carlos Williams, Wordsworth, Keats, and others. A wonderful, moving collection of writings that add to our knowledge and appreciation of Philip Levine--both the man and the poet.From the Hardcover edition.
My Marathon: Reflections on a Gold Medal Life
by John Brant Frank ShorterMy Marathon: Reflections on a Gold Medal Life is a revealing memoir by Frank Shorter, the father of American distance running. After winning the 1969 NCAA title in the 10,000 meters during his senior year at Yale, Shorter went on to win a staggering 24 national titles on track, road, and cross-country courses, but it was in the marathon that Shorter achieved his greatest fame and recognition.At the 1972 Munich Games, Shorter won the Olympic marathon finishing more than 2 minutes ahead of the second-place finisher. Four years later, he finished a controversial second in the marathon at the Olympic Games in Montreal. The controversy, still unresolved to this day, revolved around the East German “winner” being a possible drug cheat. Shorter later founded the United States Anti-Doping Agency. Written with noted sportswriter John Brant, My Marathon details these inspiring events, as well as the physical and emotional abuse Shorter suffered as a child. This inspiring memoir is a testament to the resiliency of the human spirit and the transformative power of sports.
My Name Is James Madison Hemings
by Jonah WinterA New York Times Notable Book A powerful historical picture book about the child of founding father Thomas Jefferson and the enslaved Sally Hemings.In an evocative first-person account accompanied by exquisite artwork, Winter and Widener tell the story of James Madison Hemings&’s childhood at Monticello, and, in doing so, illuminate the many contradictions in Jefferson&’s life and legacy. Though Jefferson lived in a mansion, Hemings and his siblings lived in a single room. While Jefferson doted on his white grandchildren, he never showed affection to his enslaved children. Though he kept the Hemings boys from hard field labor—instead sending them to work in the carpentry shop—Jefferson nevertheless listed the children in his &“Farm Book&” along with the sheep, hogs, and other property. Here is a profound and moving account of one family&’s history, which is also America&’s history.An author's note includes more information about Hemings, Jefferson, and the author's research."This gentle, emotional book is a reminder that many presidents&’ biographies have distressing aspects. . . . A simple but historically solid introduction to some of the moral crises slavery presented for our nation." --The New York Times"Through a poignant first-person monologue, Winter imagines the peculiar upbring- ing of Virginia slave James Madison Hemings, son of Thomas Jefferson and his enslaved mistress, Sally Hemings.&”—Bulletin, starred review
My Night in the Planetarium
by Innosanto Nagara7-year-old Innosanto spends an exciting night with his mom sleeping under the stars in the Jakarta Planetarium. Innosanto's father is a playwright and the boy memorizes lines during the actors' rehearsals, so they invite him to join the performance, which tours the country. The play is about a General, who doesn't treat people very well, "so they decided to do a play about how that was wrong." Fact: Indonesia aka The Spice Islands is the place Christopher Columbus was looking for when he crashed in the New World. Fact: Indonesia is made up of 17000 islands where people speak over 750 different languages. Fact: when Inno was a child, speaking out against the government could land you in jail. On the last night of the performace Inno packs a toothbrush ("they figured if you're going to go to jail for a long time, you may as well have your toothbrush with you so you can keep your teeth clean. (true story)."), the curtains go down, and with soldiers on the way, the actors scatter into hiding. On its surface, My Night in the Planetarium is a modern Indonesian children's story about one night in the late '70s that the author got to spend in the Jakarta planetarium. But it's actually much more than that. It's an introduction to the history and culture of Indonesia. It's about colonialism, revolution, how power corrupts, and how through art and solidarity liberation can be won.
My Own Words
by Ruth Bader Ginsburg Mary Hartnett Wendy W. Williams<P>The first book from Ruth Bader Ginsburg since becoming a Supreme Court Justice in 1993--a witty, engaging, serious, and playful collection of writings and speeches from the woman who has had a powerful and enduring influence on law, women's rights, and popular culture. <P>My Own Words offers Justice Ginsburg on wide-ranging topics, including gender equality, the workways of the Supreme Court, being Jewish, law and lawyers in opera, and the value of looking beyond US shores when interpreting the US Constitution. Throughout her life Justice Ginsburg has been (and continues to be) a prolific writer and public speaker. This book's sampling is selected by Justice Ginsburg and her authorized biographers Mary Hartnett and Wendy W. Williams. <P>Justice Ginsburg has written an introduction to the book, and Hartnett and Williams introduce each chapter, giving biographical context and quotes gleaned from hundreds of interviews they have conducted. This is a fascinating glimpse into the life of one of America's most influential women. <P><b>A New York Times Bestseller</b>
My Private Diary
by Rudolph ValentinoOriginally published in 1929, this book details the famous silent actor and sex symbol Rudolph Valentino and his lover Natacha Rambova's travels back to Europe in 1923. Valentino kept a diary at this time, into which he faithfully recorded his thoughts whilst living the American dream, proving his naysayers back home in Italy wrong: "My Dream is coming true! From day to day, night to night, here and there, I am going to write down my impressions. I am going to put down on paper the things I think, the things I do, the people I meet, all of the sensations, pleasurable and profitable that are mine. I shall never go home, I said to myself, until I can go home somebody..."
My Rescue Dog Rescued Me: Amazing True Stories of Adopted Canine Heroes
by Sharon Ward KeebleMeet the inspirational dogs who went from being rescued to becoming rescuer, in these incredible true stories. You’ll read all about the canine heroes who came to their owner’s aid – whether it was saving them from physical threats, or helping them to recover from mental illness, PTSD and bereavement.
My Saber is Bent
by Alexander King Jack Paar John ReddyJack Paar, America’s midnight maverick, has become the most talked-about, most controversial personality in television by speaking out frankly and frequently—and letting the ratings fall where they may. As a result he has been denounced in Washington, attacked in the press, investigated by the Harris committee and sued by Jimmy Hoffa. Yet, withal, he has hobnobbed with presidents and premiers, corralled sponsors and honors galore, discovered more fine new talent than anyone in television history and written a best seller.Much blood has gone over the dam since Mr. Paar’s best-selling I KID YOU NOT. Since then he has found his fun, feuds and frustrations in far-flung corners of the globe. He fought a bull in Spain, outraged Hawaii and created an international furor in Berlin. All this he ascribes to the inscrutable working of Paar’s Law, which formulates the hypothesis that when Paar comes, can trouble be far behind?Here he gives a colorful account of his travels and travails, including his experiences with President Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Willy Brandt and assorted other famous friends and enemies.We give you then the victim of Paar’s Law; a man who seems to possess two left feet; the electronic Jack the Giant Killer who—after years of tilting with windmills and windbags—stands with saber bent but head unbowed.
My Sister's Wishes: My Promise to Make my Twin’s Last Wishes Come True
by Melissa Tennant‘Just like that, I wasn’t a twin anymore… It broke my heart that I hadn’t been able to save her, but I could keep a part of her alive by finishing what she’d started’ The bond between twins is so strong it can never be broken – even in death. When Melissa lost her twin sister Nicole at just 21, she wondered how she would carry on without her soul mate. Her other half. The fun-loving, courageous girl who had always been by her side. Determined not to let Nicole’s illness destroy them both, Melissa vowed to complete the bucket list her sister had written but never completed. From 'do a bungee jump' and 'fart loudly in a lift', to 'go dancing in rain' and 'get married', the list includes items that are at times deeply touching, challenging, or downright ridiculous. My Sister's Wishes is the moving story of an extraordinary love between two extraordinary sisters.
My Sister’s Mother: A Memoir of War, Exile, and Stalin’s Siberia
by Donna Solecka UrbikasDonna Solecka Urbikas grew up in the Midwest during the golden years of the American century. But her Polish-born mother and half sister had endured dehumanizing conditions during World War II, as slave laborers in Siberia. War and exile created a profound bond between mother and older daughter, one that Donna would struggle to find with either of them.<P><P> In 1940, Janina Ślarzynska and her five-year-old daughter Mira were taken by Soviet secret police (NKVD) from their small family farm in eastern Poland and sent to Siberia with hundreds of thousands of others. So began their odyssey of hunger, disease, cunning survival, desperate escape across a continent, and new love amidst terrible circumstances.<P> But in the 1950s, baby boomer Donna yearns for a "normal" American family while Janina and Mira are haunted by the past. In this unforgettable memoir, Donna recounts her family history and her own survivor's story, finally understanding the damaged mother who had saved her sister.
My Son Wears Heels: One Mom's Journey from Clueless to Kickass
by Diane Ehrensaft Julie TarneyIn 1992, Julie Tarney's only child, Harry, told her, "Inside my head I'm a girl." He was two years old. Julie had no idea what that meant. She felt disoriented. Wasn't it her role to encourage and support her child? Surely she had to set some limits to his self-expression--or did she? Would he be bullied? Could she do the right thing? What was the right thing? The internet was no help, because there was no internet. And there were zero books for a mom scrambling to understand a toddler who had definite ideas about his gender, regardless of how Nature had endowed him. Terms such as transgender,gender nonconforming, and gender creative were rare or nonexistent. There were, however, mainstream experts who theorized that a "sissy" boy was the result of a domineering mother. Julie couldn't believe it. She didn't want to care what her neighbors thought, but she did care. "Domineering mother" meant controlling mother. It meant bad mother. It meant her mother. Lacking a positive role model of her own, and fearful of being judged as a mom who was making her son "too feminine," Julie embarked on an unexpected parenting path. Despite some missteps, and with no map to guide her, she learned to rely on her instincts. She listened carefully, kept an open mind, and as long as Harry was happy, she let him lead the way. Julie eventually realized that Harry knew who he was all along. Her job was simply to love and support him unconditionally, allowing him to be his authentic self. This story of a mother embracing her child's uniqueness and her own will resonate with all families.
My Struggle: Book 4 (My Struggle #4)
by Don Bartlett Karl Ove KnausgaardMy Struggle: Book 4 finds an eighteen-year-old Karl Ove Knausgaard in a tiny fishing village in northern Norway, where he has been hired as a schoolteacher and is living on his own for the first time. When the ferocious winter takes hold, Karl Ove--in the company of the Håfjord locals, a warm and earthy group who have spent their lives working, drinking, and joking together in close quarters--confronts private demons, reels from humiliations, and is elated by small victories. We are immersed, along with Karl Ove, in this world--sometimes claustrophobic, sometimes serenely beautiful--where memories and physical obsessions burn throughout the endless Arctic winter. In Book 4, Karl Ove must weigh the realities of his new life as a writer against everything he had believed it would be.