- Table View
- List View
O Sister Swallow: An Elegy for Bharati Namjoshi
by Suniti NamjoshiShouldn' t there be a bridge from the known to the unknown?In this exquisite elegy, Suniti Namjoshi reflects on the life of her sister Bharati, their overlapping yet disparate lives, their nearness and distance, and what it means to belong and to be valued. The two sisters love one another and they love birds; but they live on different continents and think in different languages. Is this what sisterhood is really about – to acknowledge difference and still to understand and to care?This richly textured book with its tender and elegant language is full of both joy and grief. It is a generous yet poignant invitation from the author to us to contemplate our own experience.If the casual, implacable insolence of death could be answered by building a monument or by writing an elegy, perhaps it would do till language crumbled and the edifice fell.
The Observable Universe: An Investigation
by Heather McCaldenIs anyone ever truly lost in the internet age? A moving, original memoir of a young woman reckoning with her parents&’ absence, the virus that took them, and what it means to search for meaning in a hyperconnected world.&“Brilliantly innovative . . . syncing a narrative of profoundly personal emotion with the invention and evolution of today&’s cyberspace.&”—William Gibson, author of Neuromancer and The PeripheralIn the early 1990s, Heather McCalden lost both her parents to AIDS. She was seven when her father died, ten when she lost her mother. Raised by her grandmother, Nivia, she grew up in Los Angeles, also known as ground zero for the virus and its destruction.Years later, she begins researching online the history of HIV as a way to deal with her loss, which leads her to the unexpected realization that the AIDS crisis and the internet developed on parallel timelines. By accumulating whatever fragments she could about both phenomena—images, anecdotes, and scientific entries—alongside her own personal history, McCalden forms a synaptic journey of what happened to her family, one that leads to an equally unexpected discovery about who her parents might have been.Entwining this personal search with a wider cultural narrative of what the virus and virality mean in our times—interrogating what it means to &“go viral&” in an era of explosive biochemical and virtual contagion—The Observable Universe is at once a history of our viral culture and a prismatic account of grief in the internet age.
On Call: A Doctor's Journey in Public Service
by Anthony FauciThe memoir by the doctor who became a beacon of hope for millions through the COVID pandemic, and whose six-decade career in high-level public service put him in the room with seven presidents&“An eventful autobiography [and] a classic American story…Gripping.&”—The Washington Post&“One of the most consequential and most prominent [careers] in American medicine in the past fifty years.&”—Jerome Groopman, The New Yorker Anthony Fauci is arguably the most famous – and most revered – doctor in the world today. His role guiding America sanely and calmly through Covid (and through the torrents of Trump) earned him the trust of millions during one of the most terrifying periods in modern American history, but this was only the most recent of the global epidemics in which Dr. Fauci played a major role. His crucial role in researching HIV and bringing AIDS into sympathetic public view and his leadership in navigating the Ebola, SARS, West Nile, and anthrax crises, make him truly an American hero.His memoir reaches back to his boyhood in Brooklyn, New York, and carries through decades of caring for critically ill patients, navigating the whirlpools of Washington politics, and behind-the-scenes advising and negotiating with seven presidents on key issues from global AIDS relief to infectious disease preparedness at home. ON CALL will be an inspiration for readers who admire and are grateful to him and for those who want to emulate him in public service. He is the embodiment of &“speaking truth to power,&” with dignity and results.
On Locations: Lessons Learned from My Life On Set with The Sopranos and in the Film Industry
by MARK KAMINECelebrating 25 years of The Sopranos: The executive producer of The White Lotus shares how he got his start in film and television production on &“the greatest TV show of all time&” (Rolling Stone)An inside look at the film industry for fans, students, and aspiring professionals — featuring a foreword by Golden Globe and Emmy Award winning creator of The White Lotus, Mike WhiteThis page-turning account of starting at the lowest rung on the production ladder among enormously famous & outrageously demanding people will be devoured for its insights, gossip, humor, & storytelling. Married and with a child, the author takes unpaid gigs to get a foot in the door, and eventually ends up working on all seasons of The Sopranos, often named the best TV show ever.The show's setting and its creator's insistence on accuracy placed the native New Jersey author in the right place at the right time to become part of television history, and to witness the effects of sudden fame and acclaim on the show's principal players.Includes many stories about guest stars like Steve Buscemi, Peter Bogdanovich, and Lauren Bacall, as well as the beloved cast, including new tales of James Gandolfini, who Kamine first meets after David Chase casts him as the Dean of Admissions in the classic first season "College" episode. Later, after he&’s been promoted, Kamine gets the calls from Gandolfini when he's hungover, or still drunk, and might or might not make it to the shoot that day. One night, Kamine tries to prevent Gandolfini from taking a swim in the ocean after they've been drinking all night, telling him it could be dangerous but Jim doesn't listen.Woven in is a personal story of home life and strife, achievement and frustration, anxiety and accomplishment. The book's epilogue brings readers up to the moment as the author, after many more years as an anonymous everyman, eventually enjoys outsize professional success as executive producer of the HBO hit series created by Mike White, The White Lotus.
On My Way Back to You: One Couple's Journey through Catastrophic Illness to Healing and Hope
by Sarah CartSarah Cart&’s On My Way Back to You is a first-hand account of the rollercoaster world of lifesaving transplants and the unimaginable challenges Sarah faced as she struggled to manage her husband&’s devastating illness and to save his life, their marriage, and her own sanity. Throughout her 42-year marriage, writer Sarah Cart has enjoyed a life of &“gloriously controlled chaos,&” as she and her husband Ben, a successful entrepreneur and seasoned outdoorsman, embarked on numerous adventures with their four active sons. Then the unthinkable happened. In suspenseful and heartrending detail, Cart shares how Ben developed an incurable autoimmune condition that was manageable and under control one minute and threatened to kill him the next, landing him in the ICU as the Covid pandemic closed the world down. Thrust into the role of nurse and caregiver, Sarah joined the ranks of 39 million Americans who champion and care for an ailing loved one. In addition to confronting doubts, fears, and endless setbacks, aggravations, and red tape, she also had to consent to daunting procedures on Ben&’s behalf. Too, there were the months-long Covid-era restrictions on hospital visitations and the post-surgery snafus with home healthcare personnel. Thank goodness for the heartfelt communiques with family and friends, all of which reflect the faith, fortitude, grit, and grace that sustained her. While readers will identify with Sarah&’s anxieties and be moved by hers and Ben&’s strength, they will also learn the questions to ask, the notes to take, the signs to never overlook, and the self-care necessary should they ever find themselves in her shoes. On My Way Back to You is a profoundly inspirational account of one couple&’s medical odyssey and the patience, determination, and love that ultimately helped them find their way back to one another.
On Some Faraway Beach: The Life and Times of Brian Eno (Deep Cuts)
by David SheppardFOREWORD BY ALAN WARNER'A book that sets new standards for rock biography' GuardianReissued as part of White Rabbit's Deep Cuts series, On Some Faraway Beach is the first and only ever comprehensive and authoritative biography of Brian Eno, featuring interviews with many of his key collaborators over the years: from Bryan Ferry to David Byrne and Robert Wyatt. First published in 2008, it has been fully revised and updated to cover Eno's life and creative output since, with brand new material and a new introduction by Alan Warner.'This exceptionally well-written biography duly celebrated [Eno's] great achievements with Roxy, Bowie, Talking Heads and his own solo work in compelling detail' Uncut'[An] honourable, authorised attempt to do justice to a mind-bogglingly restless and prolific subject' Sunday Times
On Some Faraway Beach: The Life and Times of Brian Eno (Deep Cuts)
by David SheppardFOREWORD BY ALAN WARNER'A book that sets new standards for rock biography' GuardianReissued as part of White Rabbit's Deep Cuts series, On Some Faraway Beach is the first and only ever comprehensive and authoritative biography of Brian Eno, featuring interviews with many of his key collaborators over the years: from Bryan Ferry to David Byrne and Robert Wyatt. First published in 2008, it has been fully revised and updated to cover Eno's life and creative output since, with brand new material and a new introduction by Alan Warner.'This exceptionally well-written biography duly celebrated [Eno's] great achievements with Roxy, Bowie, Talking Heads and his own solo work in compelling detail' Uncut'[An] honourable, authorised attempt to do justice to a mind-bogglingly restless and prolific subject' Sunday Times
On Thriving: Harnessing Joy Through Life's Great Labors
by Brandi Sellerz-JacksonA renowned doula shares powerful lessons on healing and thriving through the murky seasons of life in this moving, intimate guide to deeper self-awareness and radical joy.&“This book is a beacon of resilience. . . . A must-read for anyone committed to growth.&”—Erica Chidi Cohen, author of NurtureWe&’ve all been there: We take a pause, look at our lives, and desire more—more from our relationships, more from our wellness journeys, maybe simply more from ourselves. For some, it might be more fun, more peace, more exploration—but what does it take to get to the other side of living in survival mode? In On Thriving, Brandi Sellerz-Jackson helps us wade through what she calls the four great labors of our lives—labors that she&’s had to overcome and that she has led many clients through. Drawing from her experiences as a doula and intimate storytelling from her own life, Sellerz-Jackson guides us through the many phases of these great labors—labors that we can get stuck in, stunting our ability to thrive. Across age, gender, economic status, or background, we all move through the great labor of our relationships, our mental health, grief and loss, and the feeling of being othered. Sellerz-Jackson doesn&’t shy away from the pitfalls of these labors but rather challenges us to actively remain present within them and ask ourselves: What do I need to thrive in the space I&’m currently in? In On Thriving, you&’ll come to recognize the survival tools you&’ve picked up along the way and exchange them for thriving tools and &“rich-uals.&” You&’ll commit to no longer making a home out of chaos and rediscovering sanctuary within yourself. Comparing our thriving to that of plant life, Sellerz-Jackson simplifies the complicated—and oftentimes overwhelming—journey as we attempt to grow in an inhospitable environment. With insightful and vulnerable storytelling, she invites a deep, soul-stirring investigation of our past and present to gather all that we need to thrive right where we are, right now.
Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy
by Elizabeth BellerThe life and legacy of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, wife of John F. Kennedy Jr., are reexamined in this captivating and effervescent biography that is perfect for fans of My Travels with Mrs. Kennedy, What Remains, and Fairy Tale Interrupted. <P><P> A quarter of a century after the plane crash that claimed the lives of John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife Carolyn, and her sister Lauren, the magnitude of this tragedy remains fresh. Yet, Carolyn is still an enigmatic figure, a woman whose short life in the spotlight was besieged with misogyny and cruelty. <P><P> Amidst today’s cultural reckoning about the way our media treats women, Elizabeth Beller explores the real person behind the tabloid headlines and media frenzy. When she began dating America’s prince, Carolyn was increasingly thrust into an overwhelming spotlight filled with relentless paparazzi who reacted to her reserve with a campaign of harassment and vilification. <P><P> To this day, she is still depicted as a privileged princess—icy, vapid, and drug-addicted. She has even been accused of being responsible for their untimely death, allegedly delaying take-off until she finished her pedicure. But now, she is revealed as never before. <P><P> A fiercely independent woman devoted to her adopted city and career, Carolyn relied on her impeccable eye and drive to fly up the ranks at Calvin Klein in the glossy, high-stakes fashion world of the 1990s. When Carolyn met her future husband, John was immediately drawn to her strong-willed personality, effortless charm, and high intelligence. Their relationship would change her life and catapult her to dizzying fame, but it was her vibrant life before their marriage and then hidden afterwards, that is truly fascinating. <P><P> Based on in-depth research and exclusive interviews with friends, family members, teachers, roommates, and colleagues, and featuring never-before-seen family photos, this comprehensive biography reveals a multi-faceted woman worthy of our attention regardless of her husband and untimely death. <p> <b>New York Times Bestseller</b>
One Hundred Years of Argonauts: Malinowski, Ethnography and Economic Anthropology (Max Planck Studies in Anthropology and Economy #13)
by Chris Hann and Deborah JamesMalinowski’s Argonauts of the Western Pacific was a major contribution to anthropological theory and method, while simultaneously establishing the sub-field of economic anthropology. Even a century after its publication, Malinowski’s pioneering work remains critical for anthropology in a postcolonial age. This volume uses ethnographic studies from around the world to contextualize the work politically and intellectually, examining its gestation and influence from multiple perspectives. It critically explores the meaning of “economy” for Malinowski from his formation in the Austro-Hungarian Empire to his path-breaking fieldwork in Melanesia and ensuing career in London.
One Last Summer Before the Revolution
by Anna PeichevaNature was the first to rebel. The summer of 1916 roared with thunderstorms, wind in the face, and icy rain from the sky. But people barely noticed the weather. War was on everyone's lips, interfering with creativity, study, love, life, dividing society into two camps. Revolution already loomed in the electrified air; yet the Tsar, who had unleashed the war, did not notice. He trusted his own newspapers, followed battles in the movies, and worried most about his family... Here is a documentary cross-section of the epoch through the letters, emotions, and thoughts of the participants; but we also rise above the fray - the finest threads connecting all our heroes are especially visible from above: from the emperor to the poet, from the military doctor to the poor peasant woman. These threads intertwined into the fuse of the future revolution, ignited by the summer lightning of 1916. The book is inspired by the work of German writer Florian Illies "1913: The Summer of the Century."
One of a Kind: The Life of Sydney Taylor
by Richard MichelsonFor fans of All-of-a-Kind Family, here is the true story of how Sarah Brenner, a poor girl from New York City&’s Lower East Side, became Sydney Taylor: dancer, actress, and successful children&’s book author.Sarah Brenner might have come from an all-of-a-kind family (five sisters who all dressed alike), but she was always one of a kind. Growing up in a Jewish immigrant family on New York&’s impoverished Lower East Side, Sarah loved visiting the library, celebrating holidays with her family, and taking free dance classes at the Henry Street Settlement. But she was always aware of things that weren&’t fair—whether it was that women couldn&’t vote, or how girls were treated in her school, or that her parents had had to leave Europe because they were Jewish. When she grew up, Sarah changed her name to Sydney and became an actress and a dancer, but she never forgot the importance of fighting unfairness, whether it was anti-Semitism at her job or the low wages of workers. And when her daughter complained that it wasn&’t fair that there were no books about Jewish children like her, Sydney put pen to paper and wrote a one-of-a-kind children&’s book.From well-known Jewish children&’s author Richard Michelson, this is the story of how Sarah became Sydney and how she showed children the joy of seeing their culture reflected on the page.
One Soul We Divided: A Critical Edition of the Diary of Michael Field
by Michael FieldThe first book-length selection from the extraordinary unpublished diary of the late-Victorian writer “Michael Field”—the pen name of two female coauthors and romantic partnersMichael Field was known to late-Victorian readers as a superb poet and playwright—until Robert Browning let slip Field’s secret identity: in fact, “Michael Field” was a pseudonym for Katharine Bradley (1846–1914) and Edith Cooper (1862–1913), who were lovers, a devoted couple, and aunt and niece. For thirty years, they kept a joint diary titled Works and Days that eventually reached almost 10,000 pages. One Soul We Divided is the first critical edition of selections from this remarkable unpublished work.A fascinating personal and literary experiment, the diary tells the extraordinary story of the love, art, ambitions, and domestic life of a queer couple in fin de siècle London. It also tells vivid firsthand stories of the literary and artistic worlds Bradley and Cooper inhabited and of their encounters with such celebrities as Browning, Oscar Wilde, W. B. Yeats, Aubrey Beardsley, and Bernard Berenson. Carolyn Dever provides essential context, including explanatory notes, a cast of characters, a family tree, and a timeline.An unforgettable portrait of two writers and their unexpected romantic, literary, and artistic marriage, One Soul We Divided rewrites what we think we know about Victorian women, intimacy, and sexuality.
One Step Sideways, Three Steps Forward: One Woman’s Path to Becoming a Biologist
by B. Rosemary GrantThe story of the unorthodox and inspiring life and career of a pioneering biologist Scientist Rosemary Grant&’s journey in life has involved detours and sidesteps—not the shortest or the straightest of paths, but one that has led her to the top of evolutionary biology. In this engaging and moving book, Grant tells the story of her life and career—from her childhood love of nature in England&’s Lake District to an undergraduate education at the University of Edinburgh through a swerve to Canada and teaching, followed by marriage, children, a PhD at age forty-nine, and her life&’s work with Darwin&’s finches in the Galápagos islands. Grant&’s unorthodox career is one woman&’s solution to the problem of combining professional life as a field biologist with raising a family.Grant describes her youthful interest in fossils, which inspired her to imagine another world, distant yet connected in time—and which anticipated her later work in evolutionary biology. She and her husband, Peter Grant, visited the Galápagos archipelago annually for forty years, tracking the fates of the finches on the small, uninhabited island of Daphne Major. Their work has profoundly altered our understanding of how a group of eighteen species has diversified from a single ancestral species, demonstrating that evolution by natural selection can be observed and interpreted in an entirely natural environment. Grant&’s story shows the rewards of following a winding path and the joy of working closely with a partner, sharing ideas, disappointments, and successes.
One Way Back: A Memoir
by Christine Blasey FordNow a New York Times bestseller"A blisteringly personal memoir...a thoughtful exploration of what it feels like to become a main character in a major American reckoning." —The Washington Post"An insightful tour de force." —PeopleOn September 27, 2018, Christine Blasey Ford testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee which was considering the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the United States Supreme Court. She described an alleged sexual assault by the Supreme Court nominee that took place at a high school party in the 1980s. Her words and courage on that day provided some of the most credible and unforgettable testimony our country has ever witnessed. In One Way Back, Ford recounts the months she spent trying to get information into the right hands without exposing herself and her family to dangerous backlash. Drawing parallels to her life as a surfer, she explains the process of paddling out into unknown waters despite the risks and fears, knowing there is only one way back to shore. The book reveals riveting new details about the leadup to her testimony and its overwhelming aftermath and describes how she continues to navigate her way out of the storm.This is the real story behind the headlines and the soundbites, a complex, page-turning memoir of a scientist, a surfer, a mother, a patriot and an unlikely whistleblower. Ford’s experience shows that when one person steps forward to speak truth to power, she adds to a collective whole, causing "a ripple that might one day become a wave.”
The Only Constant: A Guide to Embracing Change and Leading an Authentic Life
by Najwa ZebianA wise and tender guide to coming to terms with impermanence and recognizing that change is the force that allows you to become you—from the celebrated author of Welcome Home&“I&’ve always known that change is hard, whether it&’s a change I choose, or one life chooses for me. I&’ve also always known that change is one of life&’s only constants. Not just that, change is one of life&’s most beautiful truths. Change is what puts life in our lives. Change is the gateway to authentic transformation.&”Whether it&’s your job, your relationships, or just the way you move through the world, if you&’re like most people you have something in your life you&’d like to change. And sometimes, unwanted change comes all too swiftly: a breakup, a death, an upheaval to the everyday reality you thought you could rely on. Dr. Zebian guides you through the changes we must make and those we must endure on the journey to our most authentic lives. She quiets the noise, teaches us to accept ourselves as we are now, and helps us focus on the necessity and beauty of those messy transitional times.With timeless wisdom, Najwa shares her personal experiences with change (for example, rejecting her culture&’s definition of what constitutes a &“good woman&” so that she could live more honestly). She guides us through the changes we choose, like embarking on a new career or setting boundaries, changes we don&’t choose, like the loss of a loved one, a relationship, or a job.Ultimately, Dr. Zebian teaches that the purpose of change is to step into the world as your most authentic self. A highly practical guide to unfamiliar terrain, The Only Constant is here to assure us that uncertainty is natural. Yes, change is scary. You may want to hide from it by clinging to your past. But embracing change is the path to shedding old ideas of who you are and living your life as your true self.
The Only Constant: A Guide to Embracing Change and Leading an Authentic Life
by Najwa ZebianYou can become the change driver of your own life. The celebrated poet, educator, and author of Welcome Home shows you how in this practical, wise, and tender guide to all of life&’s changes.&“Change is hard—but Najwa shows you what&’s on the other side, and she&’s the one you want to lead you through it.&”—Melissa Urban, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Boundaries In The Only Constant, Najwa Zebian guides you through the changes we must make and those we must endure in life, offering support, stabilizing practices, and step-by-step guidance to make it through the uncertainty. With timeless wisdom, Najwa shares stories of change from her own life, including the bonds to the past she needed to break so that she could live more honestly, the loss of a loved one, and accepting the changes required to manage chronic illness. She also guides you through changes like:• The end of a romantic relationship or friendship• Setting boundaries with a friend or family member• Changing your educational and career path• Grieving the death of a loved one• Breaking trauma bonds • Venturing outside of your survival mode• Living an authentic life• Practicing radical acceptance A highly practical guide to unfamiliar terrain, The Only Constant teaches that the purpose of change is to be true to yourself. Zebian simplifies change, teaches us to accept ourselves as we are now, and helps us focus on the necessity and unexpected beauty of those messy transitional times. And she guides you through it so that you can not only reach the better life that awaits you on the other side, but also so that you can take the wheel and become the driver of change in your own life.
Only Say Good Things: Surviving Playboy and Finding Myself
by Crystal HefnerAN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A JANUARY 2024 APPLE BOOKS STAFF PICK AND AUDIBLE EDITORS SELECT NAMED A BEST BOOK TO READ THIS JANUARY BY THE GLOSS A raw and unflinching look at the objectification and misogyny of the Playboy mansion, a woman&’s stolen young adulthood and her journey to self-acceptance, and a rare look inside Hugh Hefner&’s final days. At just twenty-one years old, Crystal Harris&’ life changed forever when she attended a party at the notorious Playboy mansion. Picked out of the crowd by Hugh Hefner, she became one of his infamous &“girlfriends,&” attending glamorous Hollywood parties and traveling the world. Yet this seemingly alluring lifestyle had a dark side. Hef controlled his girlfriends with strict rules regarding everything from their hair and makeup to their curfews, and Crystal was forced to compete with other women for her spot in the highly hierarchal system. Living at the mansion, she felt more like a fixture than a resident. She quickly rose to the top, but being Hef&’s number one girlfriend came at the cost of Crystal&’s identity outside her role in the Playboy universe. Her fate seemed sealed when Hef surprised her with a marriage proposal she could not imagine refusing. But as Crystal Hefner, she grew increasingly restless to understand who she truly was away from what she saw as Playboy&’s toxic culture. In ONLY SAY GOOD THINGS, Crystal offers a vulnerable and clear-eyed look at how her experience with Hugh Hefner catalyzed her transformative journey from someone who prized external validation over all else to a person who finally recognizes her true worth. This candid memoir provides a fascinating look behind the scenes at a powerful cultural icon and brand, and an equally empowering perspective on hard-won lessons about who we allow to determine our value.
Oriana: A Novel of Oriana Fallaci
by Anastasia RubisA novel of the Italian correspondent who forged a path for female reporters, whose life will be brought to the screen in a Paramount+ limited series. She conducted groundbreaking, hard-hitting interviews with world leaders. She broke into the boy&’s club of Italian journalism when women were only seen as housewives and caregivers. Christiane Amanpour considered her a mentor and role model. Oriana Fallaci faced wars, death threats, and rampant sexism while she wrote—and lived—with her heart on fire. From her days in Florence covering women&’s topics to jumping out of helicopters during the Vietnam War to her masterful takedown of Henry Kissinger, Fallaci never stopped following her instincts and defying stereotypes. Yet, as high as she climbed in her profession, she fell short in matters of the heart, until she interviewed Greek poet and politician Alexandros Panagoulis, who had been recently freed after being imprisoned and tortured for attempting to assassinate his country&’s dictator. Though a decade younger than Fallaci, Panagoulis matched her in courage and defiance. Oriana follows their unforgettable love story, a tale of two people united by a radical quest for passion, justice, and freedom . . . &“Inhaled this riveting page-turner on the fascinating trailblazing journalist Oriana Fallaci. Just one question: how did I not know about this incredible woman?&” —Julia Martin, New Jersey Monthly &“A love story as bold, sophisticated, and beautiful as the remarkable woman herself.&” —Laurie Lico Albanese, author of Hester
Origin Story: The Trials of Charles Darwin
by Howard MarkelA lively account of how Darwin’s work on natural selection transformed science and society, and an investigation into the mysterious illness that plagued its author. By early morning of June 30, 1860, a large crowd began to congregate in front of Oxford University’s brand-new Museum of Natural History. The occasion was the annual meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, and the subject of discussion was Charles Darwin’s new treatise: fact or fiction? Darwin, a simultaneously reclusive and intellectually audacious squire from Kent, claimed to have solved “that mystery of mysteries,” introducing a logical explanation of the origin of species—how they adapted, even transmogrified, through natural selection. At stake, on that summer’s day of spirited debate, was the very foundation of modern biology, not to mention the future of the church. Without fear of exaggeration, Darwin’s thesis would forever change our understanding of the life sciences and the natural world. And yet the author himself was nowhere to be found in the debate hall—instead, he was miles away, seeking respite from a spate of illnesses that had plagued him for much of his adult life. In Origin Story, medical historian Howard Markel recounts the two-year period (1858 to 1860) of Darwin’s writing of On the Origin of Species through its spectacular success and controversy. Simultaneously, Markel delves into the mysterious health symptoms Darwin developed, combing the literature to emerge with a cogent diagnosis of a case that has long fascinated medical historians. The result is a colorful portrait of the man, his friends and enemies, and his seminal work, which resonates to this day.
Orlando: A Biography (Dover Thrift Editions: Classic Novels)
by Virginia WoolfVirginia Woolf’s satirical, prescient novel Orlando, published in 1928, is a groundbreaking work that explores themes of gender, identity, and time. The narrative features a nobleman named Orlando who lives over three centuries, beginning in the Elizabethan era and ending in the twentieth century, and, remarkably, changes from man to woman at the midpoint. With its fusion of masculinity and femininity, this transformation allows Woolf to critique societal norms and expectations tied to gender and class in different periods. Through Orlando’s unique life span and gender fluidity, Woolf suggests that gender is not fixed or binary, challenging the traditional concepts of gender roles and stereotypes. A complex and multilayered novel that defies easy categorization, Orlando is lauded for its rich prose and its pioneering representation of gender and queer identity. It is a work of literature that continues to resonate with readers today.
Orwell's Ghosts: Wisdom and Warnings for the Twenty-First Century
by Laura BeersFor the 75th anniversary of 1984, Laura Beers explores George Orwell’s still-radical ideas and why they are critical today. George Orwell dedicated his career to exposing social injustice and political duplicity, urging his readers to face hard truths about Western society and politics. Now, the uncanny parallels between the interwar era and our own—rising inequality, censorship, and challenges to traditional social hierarchies—make his writing even more of the moment. Invocations of Orwell and his classic dystopian novel 1984 have reached new heights, with both sides of the political spectrum embracing the rhetoric of Orwellianism. In Orwell’s Ghosts, historian Laura Beers considers Orwell’s full body of work—his six novels, three nonfiction works, and brilliant essays on politics, language, and the class system—to examine what “Orwellian” truly means and reveal the misconstrued thinker in all his complexity. She explores how Orwell’s writing on free speech addresses the proliferation of “fake news” and the emergence of cancel culture, highlights his vivid critiques of capitalism and the oppressive nature of the British Empire, and, in contrast, analyzes his failure to understand feminism. Timely, wide-ranging, and thought-provoking, Orwell’s Ghosts investigates how the writings of a lionized champion of truth and freedom can help us face the crises of modernity.
The Other Fab Four: The Remarkable True Story of the Liverbirds, Britain's First Female Rock Band
by Mary McGlory Sylvia SaundersFor readers of Sheila Weller&’s Girls Like Us comes a fiercely feminist, heartwarming story of friendship and music about The Liverbirds, Britain&’s first all-female rock group. The idea for Britain&’s first female rock band, The Liverbirds, started one evening in 1962, when Mary McGlory, then age 16, saw The Beatles play live at The Cavern Club in Liverpool, the nightclub famously known as the &“cradle of British pop music.&” Then and there, she decided she was going to be just like them—and be the first girl to do it. Joining ranks in 1963 with three other working-class girls from Liverpool—drummer Sylvia Saunders and guitarists Valerie Gell and Pamela Birch, also self-taught musicians determined to &“break the male monopoly of the beat world&”—The Liverbirds went on to tour alongside the Rolling Stones, the Kinks, and Chuck Berry, and were on track to hit international stardom—until life intervened, and the group was forced to disband just five years after forming in 1968. Now, Mary and Sylvia, the band&’s two surviving members, are ready to tell their stories. From that fateful night in 1962, when Mary, who once aspired to become a nun, decided to provide for her family by becoming a rich-and-famous rocker, to the circumstances that led to the band splitting up—Sylvia&’s dangerously complicated pregnancy, and the tragic accident that paralyzed Valerie&’s beau—The Liverbirds tackles family, friendship, addiction, aging, and the forces—even destiny—that initially brought the four women together.
The Other Olympians: Fascism, Queerness, and the Making of Modern Sports
by Michael WatersNamed a Most Anticipated Book by Esquire, Town & Country, and Electric Literature"Michael Waters performs an Olympian act of storytelling, using the stories of these extraordinary athletes to explore in brilliant detail the struggle for understanding and equality." —Jonathan Eig, author of King: A Life, winner of the Pulitzer PrizeThe story of the early trans athletes and Olympic bureaucrats who lit the flame for today’s culture wars. In December 1935, Zdeněk Koubek, one of the most famous sprinters in European women’s sports, declared he was now living as a man. Around the same time, the celebrated British field athlete Mark Weston, also assigned female at birth, announced that he, too, was a man. Periodicals and radio programs across the world carried the news; both became global celebrities. A few decades later, they were all but forgotten. And in the wake of their transitions, what could have been a push toward equality became instead, through a confluence of bureaucracy, war, and sheer happenstance, the exact opposite: the now all-too-familiar panic around trans, intersex, and gender nonconforming athletes. In The Other Olympians, Michael Waters uncovers, for the first time, the gripping true stories of Koubek, Weston, and other pioneering trans and intersex athletes from their era. With dogged research and cinematic flair, Waters also tracks how International Olympic Committee members ignored Nazi Germany’s atrocities in order to pull off the Berlin Games, a partnership that ultimately influenced the IOC’s nearly century-long obsession with surveilling and cataloging gender.Immersive and revelatory, The Other Olympians is a groundbreaking, hidden-in-the-archives marvel, an inspiring call for equality, and an essential contribution toward understanding the contemporary culture wars over gender in sports.
The Othering Museum: A Case for Non-Selective Curation
by Carrie WestwaterThe term “othering” refers to a persistent Us and Them dynamic between museums and their participating public. To reframe this historically paternalistic subject-positioning, over the last decade or so many museums have made firm attempts to address this by attempting to move from being “providers” of engagements to facilitating access to cultural right by embedding co-curatorial techniques and participation. Through the analysis of three co-curated participatory case studies, this book examines how power performs in co-curatorial museum practice. It discusses how it is not just how the participatory process is enacted that is necessary to create this shift to a more socially just profile, but systemic pressures of vulnerability and responsibility found in the political economy of the museum and its participants. This book will chart how this dynamic performs in museums when working with different groups of people, such as volunteers, community participants, and professional artists, presented with differing levels of co-curatorial decision making. The book further investigates whether performances of power are relational to who the participants are, how the processes of participation are constructed, and where the participation takes place, what language is used when conducting these relationships and what the funded institutional responsibilities do to the co-curators (the community and museum staff) when traditional co-curation and co-curation in transition to non-selective curation is applied. Grounding this discussion is the development of this test method of non-selective curation which further illuminates some of these challenges and aims to successfully mitigate them through a radically open and inclusive approach to co-curation.