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Logical Family: A Memoir
by Armistead Maupin"A book for any of us, gay or straight, who have had to find our family. Maupin is one of America’s finest storytellers."—Neil Gaiman"I fell in love with Maupin’s effervescent Tales of the City decades ago, and his genius turn at memoir is no less compelling. Logical Family is a must read."—Mary KarrIn this long-awaited memoir, the beloved author of the bestselling Tales of the City series chronicles his odyssey from the old South to freewheeling San Francisco, and his evolution from curious youth to ground-breaking writer and gay rights pioneer.Born in the mid-twentieth century and raised in the heart of conservative North Carolina, Armistead Maupin lost his virginity to another man "on the very spot where the first shots of the Civil War were fired." Realizing that the South was too small for him, this son of a traditional lawyer packed his earthly belongings into his Opel GT (including a beloved portrait of a Confederate ancestor), and took to the road in search of adventure. It was a journey that would lead him from a homoerotic Navy initiation ceremony in the jungles of Vietnam to that strangest of strange lands: San Francisco in the early 1970s. Reflecting on the profound impact those closest to him have had on his life, Maupin shares his candid search for his "logical family," the people he could call his own. "Sooner or later, we have to venture beyond our biological family to find our logical one, the one that actually makes sense for us," he writes. "We have to, if we are to live without squandering our lives." From his loving relationship with his palm-reading Grannie who insisted Maupin was the reincarnation of her artistic bachelor cousin, Curtis, to an awkward conversation about girls with President Richard Nixon in the Oval Office, Maupin tells of the extraordinary individuals and situations that shaped him into one of the most influential writers of the last century. Maupin recalls his losses and life-changing experiences with humor and unflinching honesty, and brings to life flesh-and-blood characters as endearing and unforgettable as the vivid, fraught men and women who populate his enchanting novels. What emerges is an illuminating portrait of the man who depicted the liberation and evolution of America’s queer community over the last four decades with honesty and compassion—and inspired millions to claim their own lives.Logical Family includes black-and-white photographs.
Lone Star Sports Legends: On This Day in History (On This Day In)
by Ryan SprayberryFrom the clash of college to the best married shooting duo in history, the Lone Star State clears every hurdle the sports world offers. A former Texas Christian basketball player became the first tenured African American professor at Harvard Business School. Aggie football legend John Kimbrough�s first professional contract required him to act in movies and serve as the stadium�s handyman. For every date on the calendar, Ryan Sprayberry provides a play-by-play of 365 memorable days in the state�s athletic history, beginning with the birth of the Cotton Bowl on January 1, 1937, and ending with the final snap of the Ice Bowl on December 31, 1967.
Long Shot: The Triumphs and Struggles of an NBA Freedom Fighter
by Rory Fanning Craig HodgesIn this memoir, the Chicago Bulls basketball star details his life on the court as an athlete and off the court as an activist.As a member of the 1992 world-champion Chicago Bulls, a dashiki-clad Hodges delivered a handwritten letter to President George H. W. Bush demanding that he do more to address racism and economic inequality. Hodges was also a vocal union activist, initiated a boycott against Nike, and spoke out forcefully against police brutality in the wake of the Rodney King beating.But his outspokenness cost him dearly. In the prime of his career, after ten NBA seasons, Hodges was blackballed from the NBA for using his platform as a professional athlete to stand up for justice.In this powerful, passionate, and captivating memoir, Hodges shares the stories—including encounters with Nelson Mandela, Coretta Scott King, Jim Brown, R. Kelly, Michael Jordan, and others—from his lifelong fight for equality for Black Americans.Praise for Long Shot“A skillfully told, affecting memoir of sports and social activism.” —Kirkus Reviews“Hodges has told his compelling life story with fiery passion, looping around a cast of characters stretching from Jordan, Magic Johnson and Phil Jackson back to Muhammad Ali, Arthur Ashe and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, before returning to the present.” —Guardian“Craig Hodges is someone I looked up to as a child & now as an adult . . . I read Long Shot in like two hours, I couldn’t stop turning pages. There are so many hooks in it.” —Jesse Williams, actor, producer, director, activist“A beautifully written, brutally honest book. If you loved the Michael Jordan-era Chicago Bulls, if you love black history, or if you are fascinated by the politics of sports, I highly recommend this book. Simply put: Craig Hodges’ life is incredible and Long Shot is invaluable.” —AETHLON: The Journal of Sport Literature
Long Storm
by Ernest HaycoxHIS FAMOUS NOVEL OF THE CIVIL WAR—THE BLOODY STRUGGLE FOR THE RICHES OF THE WILD NORTHWEST AND THE DESPERATE FIGHT OF A MAN AND WOMAN TO HOLD IT FOR THE UNION.IN THE CIVIL WAR the Copperheads almost took over the state of Oregon. Big Adam Musick, river-boat pilot, went out to stop them.He caught Ringrose, the Copperhead leader, holed up in a dark warehouse beside the flooding river.“I came to get you, Ringrose,” Musick said.“God damn you!” Ringrose shouted. The floor jumped as his gun went off, and Musick felt the heat of the bullet. Then he tackled Ringrose around the knees and they went crashing together down the flimsy stairway into the waist-deep water.Musick was on top of his enemy, choking him, holding him under to drown. Ringrose was everything he hated. Then he remembered. This wasn’t just his fight. This was his country’s war and Ringrose should hang for a traitor, not die by one man’s hand.“LONG STORM—HAYCOX AT HIS BEST!”—The New York Times“The Old Frontier, the rough-and-ready life of the times—the historical novel at its best!”—BOSTON HERALDTHROUGH THE LONG STORM OF THE CIVIL WAR, THE FOUR SAVAGE YEARS THAT SPLIT THE UNION, THE RICH NORTHWEST WAS A DEFENSELESS PRIZE FOR EITHER NORTH OR SOUTHPortland, Oregon, was a town with five thousand inhabitants and fifty-five saloons, high-toned hotels and brothels, gaudy girl-shows and a fancy residential section, plank sidewalks and mud streets.Every day more gold prospectors poured into town, and with them came guns and secret agents from the Confederacy, supplies from the Copperheads who were determined to turn Oregon into a slave state. Only one man, Adam Musick, tough riverboat captain, saw the danger to the Union cause...Ernest Haycox, all-time great writer of the Old West, gives us this big, full-bodied novel, crammed with action and people...
Long Tall Lincoln (I Can Read Level 2 Ser.)
by Jennifer DusslingAbraham Lincoln didn't look like a president. He didn't always act like a president, either-he liked to wrestle with his sons and tell jokes. But he always fought for fairness, freedom, and unity. Beginning readers will learn about the milestones in Abraham Lincoln's life in this Level Two I Can Read biography, which combines a traditional, illustrated narrative with historical photographs at the back of book. Complete with a timeline, photographs, and little-known facts about the United States' sixteenth president: the long and tall Abraham Lincoln. Long, Tall Lincoln is a Level Two I Can Read, geared for kids who read on their own but still need a little help.
Long, Tall Lincoln (I Can Read Level 2)
by Jennifer DusslingAbraham Lincoln didn’t look like a president. He didn’t always act like a president, either—he liked to wrestle with his sons and tell jokes. But he always fought for fairness, freedom, and unity.Beginning readers will learn about the milestones in Abraham Lincoln’s life in this Level Two I Can Read biography, which combines a traditional, illustrated narrative with historical photographs at the back of book. Complete with a timeline, photographs, and little-known facts about the United States’ sixteenth president: the long and tall Abraham Lincoln.Long, Tall Lincoln is a Level Two I Can Read, geared for kids who read on their own but still need a little help.
Long-Armed Ludy and the First Women's Olympics
by Jean L. PatrickLucile &“Ludy&” Godbold was six feet tall and skinnier than a Carolina pine and an exceptional athlete. In her final year on the track team at Winthrop College in South Carolina, Ludy tried the shot put and she made that iron ball sail with her long, skinny arms. But when Ludy qualified for the first Women's Olympics in 1922, Ludy had no money to go.Thanks to the help of her college and classmates, Ludy traveled to Paris and won the gold medal with more than a foot to spare. Hooray for Ludy! Based on a true story about a little-known athlete and a unique event in women's sports history.
Look Mom, I'm The Dumest One In My Clas!: One Boy's Dyslexic Journey
by Sky RotaLook Mom, I'm the Dumest One in My Clas is the true story of nine-year-old Sky Rota, who during the fourth grade discovers he is severely dyslexic, a disorder Sky and his parents aren't familiar with. Sky and his parents quickly learn dyslexia comes with as many gifts as it does challenges. Hopeful that his school would be understanding and help him embrace and develop his unique methods of learning, they soon realized that they would have to fight for him. Instead of encouraging Sky, his teachers punish him for his "weaknesses. " His school saw his dyslexia as a disability as well, labeling him as different and an outsider. Join Sky as he and his family learn just how reluctant the education system is to accommodate the many different types of learners it's supposed to teach. His bittersweet but ultimately uplifting journey of acceptance will prove that dyslexia is not a hindrance or disability - it's a gift.
Looking at the Lights: My Path from Fan to a Wrestling Heel
by Adam Copeland Jon Robinson Pete Gas John LayfieldHow did an untrained former college football player end up in the middle of a ring, wrestling during the highest-rated segment during the WWE’s acclaimed Attitude Era?That’s the story behind Looking at the Lights. As a childhood friend of Shane McMahon, Pete Gas was given the opportunity most only pray for. Beginning with appearances to interfere in McMahon’s matches, his role blossomed into becoming a full-fledge wrestler and leading the Mean Street Posse to WrestleMania, becoming one of the most fascinating success stories of the era.From his humble upbringing and friendship with Shane (and the McMahon family as a whole), Gas shares how a 9-to-5 average Joe got the chance of a lifetime and made the most out of it.But getting your foot in the door is one thing; staying is a completely different animal. With all eyes on him, knowing his lack of training and meal ticket being the boss’s son, Gas knew he had to win over all those doubters: from the fans and announcers to the wrestlers themselves.Knowing he had to prove himself, Gas took beatings, chair shots, and additional training to not only show that he could wrestle, but that he belonged with such superstars as The Rock, "Stone Cold” Steve Austin, and The Undertaker.Featuring forewords by Edge and JBL, who famously nailed Gas in the head with a steel chair, readers will get an inside look into not only the training and sacrifice these athletes go through, but the behind-the-scenes workings of a day in the WWE.
Los años del tropel
by Alfredo Molano BravoCrónicas de Alfredo Molano, ganador del premio Simón Bolívar de periodismo 2016, donde retrata esa Colombia profunda, diversa y desconocida de las últimas décadas. Hay muchos estudios sobre la violencia en Colombia, pero pocos logran retratarla de forma tan vívida como Alfredo Molano. Esta obra está compuesta por siete relatos, unos de víctimas, otros de victimarios, a partir de los cuales nos adentramos en lo más complejo y humano de la guerra, del despojo, del sufrimiento que entraña la violencia y sus más profundas contradicciones. Es el retrato de un país que quedó irremediablemente dividido después del 9 de abril de 1948. La crítica ha dicho: "Este bogotano, nacido en 1944, ha dedicado sus días a recorrer el país, muchas veces a lomo de mula o a pie, y ha creado una obra única que, en más de 20 libros, cuenta la historia de una Colombia muchas veces ignorada: el país rural, campesino e indígena que ha sufrido los embates de la guerra". Revista Semana
Los diarios de Raqqa: Escapar del Estado Islámico
by Samer Samer«En mitad la crueldad más absurda, el relato digno y valiente de Samer nos reconcilia con la condición humana», David Jiménez «Un decálogo del desvarío que implantó el Estado Islámico en Raqqa y un repaso a la historia más reciente de la primera ciudad donde triunfó la revolución siria, que pasó de ser un ejemplo de convivencia a la capital de una nueva y sangrienta dictadura», Javier Espinosa «Un testimonio que refleja como ningún otro la angustia de vivir y la posibilidad de morir bajo el puño de hierro del Califato del Dáesh», Óscar Mijallo «Todos deberíamos dedicar dos horas de nuestra vida a leerlo para ser conscientes de que, incuso en las peores circunstancias, es posible encontrar a las personas más valientes», The Sunday Times Desde que el Estado Islámico ocupara Raqqa, al este de Siria, la ciudad se ha convertido en una de las más aisladas y peligrosas del planeta. La venta de televisores está prohibida, vestir pantalones más cortos de lo establecido es un delito sancionable y el uso del teléfono móvil se considera un crimen imperdonable. No se le permite la entrada a ningún periodista y hablar con un medio de comunicación occidental conlleva la pena de muerte por decapitación. A pesar de todo esto, tras varios meses de conversaciones arriesgadas y, a menudo, interrumpidas, la BBC pudo contactar con un pequeño grupo de activistas, Al-Sharqiya 24. Finalmente, demostrando gran valentía, uno de sus miembros aceptó escribir un diario personal sobre sus vivencias. Tras haber visto a amigos y familiares masacrados, la vida de su comunidad destrozada y la economía local arruinada por extremistas rebosantes de odio, Samer contraataca de la única manera que puede hacerlo: contándole al mundo lo que ocurre en su amada ciudad. Esta es la historia de Samer.
Los secretos de la Casa Rosada
by Liliana FrancoLas mejores anécdotas que desde el regreso de la democracia esconden las paredes de la Casa Rosada, la Meca con la que sueñan todos los políticos. Como todas las casas, la Rosada tiene vida cotidiana. Pero su día a día no se parece al de todos los hogares, porque las decisiones que allí se cocinan modifican la existencia de millones de personas. Poca gente es parte de esa vida: además de los funcionarios y los empleados, están los periodistas acreditados, que permanecen allí muchas horas para conseguir noticias de primera mano. Detrás de cada novedad que ellos divulgan hay historias, anécdotas y episodios que merecen ser conocidos. Un militar se creyó presidente y cuando llegó se enteró de que no lo era. Durante el juicio a las Juntas en 1985, hubo un Falcon viejo, con la chapa oxidada, estacionado varios días en la vereda. Antonio Banderas comió su primer choripán en la terraza, donde por esos años trabajaban telefonistas hot y acudían las "chicas del bolsito". Hay una palmera moribunda en el patio y un ascensor del que Mauricio Macri desconfía. Por la Rosada pasaron muchos funcionarios memorables, y cada presidente dejó algún recuerdo a quienes lo trataron durante su mandato. Liliana Franco -que trabajó en ella casi dos décadas- reunió estas y otras historias que, como un espejo deformado, reflejan a su modo los distintos períodos que atravesó nuestra democracia.
Los secretos del Gran Maestro entre música y masonería
by Paolo Nuti Heredia RojasGiacomo Puccini y la masonería: ¿que vínculo hay entre uno de los mas grandes compositores italianos de todos los tiempos y la controversial institución? En un inteligente tejido entre novela y autobiografía el autor nos ofrece anécdotas personales y referencias históricas, levantando dudas, poniendo interrogantes, y acompañando al lector en un fascinante viaje de descubrimiento a los secretos del Gran Maestro.
Los siete pilares de la sabiduría
by T.e. Lawrence de ArabiaEsta es la crónica personal de un aventurero de comienzos del siglo XX, T. E. Lawrence: un lacayo del Gobierno británico que termina convirtiéndose en un héroe de la resistencia árabe. En los preludios de la Primera Guerra Mundial, en pleno apogeo del colonialismo europeo, un agente del Gobierno británico se interna en la península Arábiga con la finalidad de yugular una inminente rebelión anticolonial. El emisario es cuestión recorre, bajo un sol abrasador, amplias regiones desérticas. Trata con los enemigos del Imperio Británico, conoce sus constumbres y se gana su confianza. Se convierte en uno de ellos... y actúa de forma subrepticia a favor de los intereses de la metrópli, aunque le repugna tanto ejercer ese papel que acaba simpatizando con la causa árabe.
Los siete pilares de la sabiduría
by T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence de Arabia)La crónica personal de un aventurero de comienzos del siglo XX, T. E. Lawrence: un miembro del Gobierno británico que termina convirtiéndose en un héroe de la resistencia árabe. En los preludios de la Primera Guerra Mundial, en pleno apogeo del colonialismo europeo, un agente del Gobierno británico se interna en la península arábiga con la finalidad de subyugar una inminente rebelión anticolonial. El emisario es cuestión recorre, bajo un sol abrasador, amplias regiones desérticas. Trata con los enemigos del Imperio Británico, conoce sus constumbres y se gana su confianza. Se convierte en uno de ellos... y actúa de forma subrepticia a favor de los intereses de la metrópli, aunque le repugna tanto ejercer ese papel que acaba simpatizando con la causa árabe.
Los silencios de El Larguero... 25 años después
by José Ramón De la MorenaUno de los periodistas más representativos del mundo del deporte repasa los 25 años de El Larguero El Larguero, veinticinco años de historias deportivas, de triunfos y derrotas, de anécdotas y reflexiones, de desvelos y alegrías... un cuarto de siglo de la mejor radio. José Ramón de la Morena, el locutor deportivo más reconocido y prestigioso del periodismo español, nos acompaña en un viaje al pasado y al presente de uno de los espacios con más solera de la radio española, en antena desde hace veinticinco años y líder indiscutible desde hace casi veinte. Los silencios de El Larguero... 25 años después no es sino una muestra de gratitud y un homenaje a todos aquellos que desde sus casas se han emocionado con cada una de las historias narradas a través de las ondas y que han compartido junto a De la Morena los momentos y personajes clave en esta época tan brillante de nuestro deporte. A modo de diario, el estilo sencillo, cómplice, valiente e íntimo de José Ramón nos devuelve recuerdos, haciéndonos partícipes de las gestas, entre otros, de Fernando Alonso, Iniesta, Nadal o Casillas, al tiempo que nos transmite sus reflexiones más personales y sus propias vivencias sobre el oficio del periodismo. Un libro por y para los oyentes de uno de los programas míticos de la radio. Este libro recoge episodios que recorren los últimos veinticinco años a través de la historia de un periodista, José Ramón de la Morena, y un programa de radio, El Larguero. La última parte es un diario de este último año, confesiones que José Ramón ha ido escribiendo cada día, siempre a mano, con un rotulador negro de punta fina sobre un bloc amarillo. Páginas escritas en horas de sueño, en viajes, en la radio..., siempre con sinceridad y con pasión, que es como José Ramón entiende la radio. Son experiencias, historias y recuerdos que, como dice elautor, pertenecen a los oyentes, las necesitan para resolver las dudas que les crea. Los periodistas suscitan la curiosidad de saber cómo son y en este libro José Ramón se ha «desnudado» ante sus oyentes y lectores y les ha dado la oportunidad de saber lo que piensa y cómo trabaja, su visión particular de los acontecimientos.
Lossberg's War: The World War I Memoirs of a German Chief of Staff (Foreign Military Studies)
by Fritz von Lossberg&“This book is a work of detail and scholars can now envision the campaigns and battles of the First World War from a high-level German perspective.&” —Journal of Military History Gen. Fritz von Lossberg (1868-1942) directed virtually all the major German defensive battles on the Western Front during the First World War. Hailed as &“the Lion of the Defensive,&” he was an extremely influential military tactician and, unlike many other operations officers of his era, was quick to grasp the changes wrought by technology. Now available for the first time in English, Lossberg&’s memoir explains how he developed, tested, and implemented his central principles—flexibility, decentralized control, and counterattack—which were based on a need to adapt to shifting conditions on the battlefield. Lossberg first put his theory of elastic defense combined with defense-in-depth into practice during the Battle of Arras (April-May 1917), where it succeeded. At the Battle of Passchendaele (June-November 1917), his achievements on the field proved the feasibility of his strategy of employing a thinly manned front line that minimized the number of soldiers exposed to artillery fire. Lossberg&’s tactical modernizations have become essential components of army doctrine, and Lossberg&’s War: The World War I Memoirs of a German Chief of Staff will take readers inside the mind of one of the most significant military innovators of the twentieth century. &“Make no mistake about it, the appearance of this book is one of the most significant Great War publishing events of the year. It deserves to be on the shelf of every serious student of this titanic conflict.&” —Stand To!
Lost Mines of the Old West
by Howard D. Clark Ray HetheringtonAUTHENTIC STORY OF THE “PEGLEG” AND 21 OTHER STORIES OF FABULOUS LOST MINES!Author Howard D. Clark, a Kansas native, had an extensive career in journalism with appointments including managing editor for the Farm Press Publications of Chicago, Illinois; staff writer for a number of business papers; and statistical and analytical specialist for other periodicals and concerns.This background, plus extensive travel on the Pacific Coast, fitted him particularly well to undertake the writing of this book. Lost mine legends make up a large section of Western folklore. In this collection he has made a sincere effort to present only the most important and best authenticated of them all. He has also had the invaluable assistance of Ray Hetherington, an unquestioned authority in the field of Western Americana. Much of the source material used herein was collected by Mr. Hetherington through thirty years of extensive research.First published in 1946, this collection of lost mine legends is considered among the most complete and factual of any ever assembled.
Lou Boudreau: My Hall of Fame Life on the Field and Behind the Mic
by Russell Schneider Lou Boudreau Jack Brickhouse Chuck HeatonThe autobiography of a baseball great.Lou Boudreau is considered one of the most extraordinary men in baseball history. He was a player-manager, an All Star, an MVP, a World Series-winner, and a Hall of Famer. But that only scratches the surface of "The Good Kid.” In Lou Boudreau: Covering All the Bases, hear from his own words the personal story of a boy from Harvey, Illinois, and how he took the sport of baseball my storm.In 1942, at only twenty-four years of age and with less than three full seasons in the major leagues, Boudreau was named as the team’s next manager. He took the role seriously, and made sure to always lead by example. Lou also shares stories of playing with and managing Cleveland’s first African American players, Larry Doby and Satchel Paige, and of winning the 1944 American League Batting Championship with a hit in his final at bat of the season. But the highlight of Lou’s career came in 1948, when he used his bat, glove, and coaching skills to lead the Indians to a World Series victory, while becoming the only player-manager ever to win the American League MVP award.Retiring as a ballplayer in 1952, Boudreau coached for eight more seasons before finally walking away from the field in 1960. He then began his second career as a broadcaster, and was the "Voice of the Chicago Cubs” for almost thirty years.On August 10, 2001, Lou Boudreau passed away at the age of eighty-four. Enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, "The Good Kid” will always be remembered for what he did both on and off the field. As former teammate and Hall of Famer Bob Feller once said, "He was a great manager, teammate, and friend. There is not a more gracious man than Lou Boudreau.”
Lou Harrison: American Musical Maverick
by Bill Alves Brett CampbellA biography on the legendary gay American composer of contemporary classical music.American composer Lou Harrison (1917–2003) is perhaps best known for challenging the traditional musical establishment along with his contemporaries and close colleagues: composers John Cage, Aaron Copland, Virgil Thomson, and Leonard Bernstein; Living Theater founder, Judith Malina; and choreographer, Merce Cunningham. Today, musicians from Bang on a Can to Björk are indebted to the cultural hybrids Harrison pioneered half a century ago. His explorations of new tonalities at a time when the rest of the avant-garde considered such interests heretical set the stage for minimalism and musical post-modernism. His propulsive rhythms and ground-breaking use of percussion have inspired choreographers from Merce Cunningham to Mark Morris, and he is considered the godfather of the so-called “world music” phenomenon that has invigorated Western music with global sounds over the past two decades.In this biography, authors Bill Alves and Brett Campbell trace Harrison’s life and career from the diverse streets of San Francisco, where he studied with music experimentalist Henry Cowell and Austrian composer Arnold Schoenberg, and where he discovered his love for all things non-traditional (Beat poetry, parties, and men); to the competitive performance industry in New York, where he subsequently launched his career as a composer, conducted Charles Ives’s Third Symphony at Carnegie Hall (winning the elder composer a Pulitzer Prize), and experienced a devastating mental breakdown; to the experimental arts institution of Black Mountain College where he was involved in the first “happenings” with Cage, Cunningham, and others; and finally, back to California, where he would become a strong voice in human rights and environmental campaigns and compose some of the most eclectic pieces of his career.“Lou Harrison’s avuncular personality and tuneful music coaxed affectionate regard from all who knew him, and that affection is evident on every page of Alves and Campbell’s new biography. Eminently readable, it puts Harrison at the center of American music: he knew everyone important and was in touch with everybody, from mentors like Henry Cowell and Arnold Schoenberg and Charles Ives and Harry Partch and Virgil Thomson to peers like John Cage to students like Janice Giteck and Paul Dresher. He was larger than life in person, and now he is larger than life in history as well.” —Kyle Gann, author of Charles Ives’s Concord: Essays After a Sonata
Lou Reed: A Life
by Anthony DecurtisThe essential biography of one of music's most influential icons: Lou ReedAs lead singer and songwriter for the Velvet Underground and a renowned solo artist, Lou Reed invented alternative rock. His music, at once a source of transcendent beauty and coruscating noise, violated all definitions of genre while speaking to millions of fans and inspiring generations of musicians.But while his iconic status may be fixed, the man himself was anything but. Lou Reed's life was a transformer's odyssey. Eternally restless and endlessly hungry for new experiences, Reed reinvented his persona, his sound, even his sexuality time and again. A man of contradictions and extremes, he was fiercely independent yet afraid of being alone, artistically fearless yet deeply paranoid, eager for commercial success yet disdainful of his own triumphs. Channeling his jagged energy and literary sensibility into classic songs - like "Walk on the Wild Side" and "Sweet Jane" - and radically experimental albums alike, Reed remained desperately true to his artistic vision, wherever it led him. Now, just a few years after Reed's death, Rolling Stone writer Anthony DeCurtis, who knew Reed and interviewed him extensively, tells the provocative story of his complex and chameleonic life. With unparalleled access to dozens of Reed's friends, family, and collaborators, DeCurtis tracks Reed's five-decade career through the accounts of those who knew him and through Reed's most revealing testimony, his music. We travel deep into his defiantly subterranean world, enter the studio as the Velvet Underground record their groundbreaking work, and revel in Reed's relationships with such legendary figures as Andy Warhol, David Bowie, and Laurie Anderson. Gritty, intimate, and unflinching, Lou Reed is an illuminating tribute to one of the most incendiary artists of our time.
Lou Reed: Radio 4 Book of the Week
by Anthony DeCurtisA GUARDIAN AND CHOICE BOOK OF THE YEAR'A walk on the wild side with the alt-rock pioneer' GQ'DeCurtis is well placed to trace Reed's five-decade career, drawing on insider knowledge but skilfully balancing it with detailed research and fascinating interviews' Mojo MagazineAs lead singer and songwriter for the Velvet Underground and a renowned solo artist, Lou Reed invented alternative rock. His music, at once the height of sanctity and perversity, transcended a genre, speaking to millions of listeners, inspiring a new generation of musicians, and forever changing the way we think of that iconic era of sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll. Throughout his five-decade career, Reed embodied artistic self-awareness and captured the beauty, paranoia, and vivacity of his time into an array of hit songs, experimental albums, and a larger-than-life persona. With such masterpieces as 'Sweet Jane' and 'Walk on the Wild Side', Reed exerted an influence on popular music rivaled only by the likes of Bob Dylan and the Beatles and is recognized to this day as one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century.Now, just a few years after Reed's death, comes the thrilling, provocative story of his complex life. An acclaimed Rolling Stone contributor, Anthony DeCurtis interviewed Reed extensively and knew him well. With unparalleled access to Reed's friends, family, and dozens of other intimate relations, DeCurtis brings Reed's story compellingly alive and deepens our understanding of his indelible music. We travel deep into the underground artist clubs, listen along in the studio as the Velvet Underground record their signature work, and revel in Reed's relationship with legendaries like Andy Warhol, Patti Smith, and David Bowie. Insightful, revelatory, and intimate, Lou Reed is a gripping tribute to a quintessential American icon.
Lou Reed: Radio 4 Book of the Week
by Anthony DeCurtisA GUARDIAN AND CHOICE BOOK OF THE YEAR'A walk on the wild side with the alt-rock pioneer' GQ'DeCurtis is well placed to trace Reed's five-decade career, drawing on insider knowledge but skilfully balancing it with detailed research and fascinating interviews' Mojo MagazineAs lead singer and songwriter for the Velvet Underground and a renowned solo artist, Lou Reed invented alternative rock. His music, at once the height of sanctity and perversity, transcended a genre, speaking to millions of listeners, inspiring a new generation of musicians, and forever changing the way we think of that iconic era of sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll. Throughout his five-decade career, Reed embodied artistic self-awareness and captured the beauty, paranoia, and vivacity of his time into an array of hit songs, experimental albums, and a larger-than-life persona. With such masterpieces as 'Sweet Jane' and 'Walk on the Wild Side', Reed exerted an influence on popular music rivaled only by the likes of Bob Dylan and the Beatles and is recognized to this day as one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century.Now, just a few years after Reed's death, comes the thrilling, provocative story of his complex life. An acclaimed Rolling Stone contributor, Anthony DeCurtis interviewed Reed extensively and knew him well. With unparalleled access to Reed's friends, family, and dozens of other intimate relations, DeCurtis brings Reed's story compellingly alive and deepens our understanding of his indelible music. We travel deep into the underground artist clubs, listen along in the studio as the Velvet Underground record their signature work, and revel in Reed's relationship with legendaries like Andy Warhol, Patti Smith, and David Bowie. Insightful, revelatory, and intimate, Lou Reed is a gripping tribute to a quintessential American icon.
Lou: Fifty Years of Kicking Dirt, Playing Hard, and Winning Big in the Sweet Spot of Baseball
by Bill Madden Lou PiniellaIn this candid, revealing, and entertaining memoir, the beloved New York Yankee legend looks back over his nearly fifty-year career as a player and a manager, sharing insights and stories about some of his most memorable moments and some of the biggest names in Major League Baseball.For nearly five decades, Lou Piniella has been a fixture in Major League Baseball, as an outfielder with the legendary New York Yankees of the 1970s, and as a manager for five teams in both the American and National leagues. With respected veteran sportswriter Bill Madden, Piniella now reflects on his storied career, offering fans a glimpse of life on the field, in the dugout, and inside the clubhouse.Piniella speaks from the heart about his teams and his players, offering a detailed, up-close portrait of the Bronx Zoo’s raucous personalities such as Reggie Jackson and Catfish Hunter, as well as his close friendship with Thurman Munson and his unusual relationship with George Steinbrenner. He also delves deep into his post-Yankee experiences, from winning a World Series for the controversial owner of the Cincinnati Reds, Marge Schott, to transforming the perennial cellar-dwelling Seattle Mariners into one of the league’s best teams. Some of the game’s brightest stars are here: Ken Griffey Jr, Randy Johnson, and Alex Rodriguez, Piniella’s supremely talented and controversial protégé. Throughout his time in the majors, Piniella has witnessed MLB grow into a multi-billion-dollar business. Piniella reflects on those changes, voicing his highly critical opinions on a range of controversial subjects, including steroids. Hilarious and uproarious, filled with eight pages of photos, Lou brings into focus a man whose deeply rooted passion for baseball has defined his life.
Louie, Take a Look at This!: My Time with Huell Howser
by David Duron Luis FuerteHuell Howser, the exuberant, hugely popular host of California Gold and other California public-television shows, was always exclaiming to the camera, "Louie, take a look at this!" Now, three years after Howser's death, Louie-aka Luis Fuerte, a 5-time-Emmy-winning cameraman-shares all the great stories of their adventures exploring California, making great television, and showcasing Howser's infectious love for the Golden State.