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Lost in the Valley of Death: A Story of Obsession and Danger in the Himalayas
by Harley RustadIn the vein of Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild, a riveting work of narrative nonfiction centering on the unsolved disappearance of an American backpacker in India—one of at least two dozen tourists who have met a similar fate in the remote and storied Parvati Valley.For centuries, India has enthralled westerners looking for an exotic getaway, a brief immersion in yoga and meditation, or in rare cases, a true pilgrimage to find spiritual revelation. Justin Alexander Shetler, an inveterate traveler trained in wilderness survival, was one such seeker.In his early thirties Justin Alexander Shetler, quit his job at a tech startup and set out on a global journey: across the United States by motorcycle, then down to South America, and on to the Philippines, Thailand, and Nepal, in search of authentic experiences and meaningful encounters, while also documenting his travels on Instagram. His enigmatic character and magnetic personality gained him a devoted following who lived vicariously through his adventures. But the ever restless explorer was driven to pursue ever greater challenges, and greater risks, in what had become a personal quest—his own hero’s journey.In 2016, he made his way to the Parvati Valley, a remote and rugged corner of the Indian Himalayas steeped in mystical tradition yet shrouded in darkness and danger. There, he spent weeks studying under the guidance of a sadhu, an Indian holy man, living and meditating in a cave. At the end of August, accompanied by the sadhu, he set off on a “spiritual journey” to a holy lake—a journey from which he would never return.Lost in the Valley of Death is about one man’s search to find himself, in a country where for many westerners the path to spiritual enlightenment can prove fraught, even treacherous. But it is also a story about all of us and the ways, sometimes extreme, we seek fulfillment in life.Lost in the Valley of Death includes 16 pages of color photographs.
Lost in the Valley of Death: A Story of Obsession and Danger in the Himalayas
by Harley RustadIn the vein of Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild, a riveting work of narrative nonfiction centering on the unsolved disappearance of an American backpacker in India—one of at least two dozen tourists who have met a similar fate in the remote and storied Parvati Valley.For centuries, India has enthralled Westerners looking for an exotic getaway, a brief immersion in yoga and meditation, or, in rare cases, a true pilgrimage to find spiritual revelation. Justin Alexander Shetler, an inveterate traveler trained in wilderness survival, was one such seeker. In his early thirties, Justin quit his job at a tech startup and set out on a global journey—across the United States by motorcycle, then down to South America, and on to the Philippines, Thailand, and Nepal—in search of authentic experiences and meaningful encounters while documenting his travels on Instagram. His enigmatic character and magnetic personality gained him a devoted following who lived vicariously through his adventures. But the ever-restless explorer was driven to seek out ever-greater extremes, and greater risks, in what had become a personal quest—his own hero&’s journey. In 2016, he made his way to the Parvati Valley, a remote and rugged corner of the Indian Himalayas steeped in mystical tradition and shrouded in darkness and danger. There he spent weeks studying under the guidance of a sadhu, an Indian holy man, living and meditating in a cave. At the end of August, accompanied by the sadhu, he set off on a spiritual journey to a holy lake—one from which he would never return. Lost in the Valley of Death is about one man&’s search to find himself, in a country where, for many Westerners, the path to spiritual enlightenment can prove fraught, even treacherous. But it is also a story about all of us and the ways, sometimes extreme, we seek fulfillment in life.
Lost on Treasure Island: A Memoir of Longing, Love, and Lousy Choices in New York City
by Steve FriedmanWhen Midwesterner Steve Friedman arrived in Manhattan, the land of the quick and the mean, raring to go and ready to conquer, he soon found pitfalls and pratfalls more numerous and perilous than he had ever imagined. Here is his utterly honest, often hilarious, self-deprecating account of those fateful years, starting with his first job at GQ and his awkward efforts to impress his boss, Art Cooper, and including real and imagined love affairs, disasters at work and play, growing self-awareness with its inevitable bouts of depression and subsequent therapies-all of which fail-and in the end, a wisdom that promises better things to come. In the tradition of Bright Lights, Big City and The Devil Wears Prada, Lost on Treasure Island is a witty rendition of the perils of growing up and being thrown into the real world. With sharp humor and unexpected sincerity, Friedman crafts a inviting portrait of the best of times and the worst of times. For all those who have confronted the endless opportunities of the Big Apple, only to discover how hard it is to succeed in this-or any-big city, this boisterous and often enlightening memoir will prove irresistible.
Lost on a Mountain in Maine
by Donn FendlerA twelve-year-old describes his nine-day struggles to survive after being separated from his companions in the mountains of Maine in 1939.
Lost to the World: A Memoir of Faith, Family, and Five Years in Terrorist Captivity
by Shahbaz TaseerShahbaz Taseer’s memoir of his five-year-long captivity at the hands of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. In late August 2011, Shahbaz Taseer was dragged from his car at gunpoint and kidnapped by members of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), a Talibanaffiliated Uzbek terrorist group. Taseer’s father, the governor of Punjab, Pakistan, had recently been assassinated for speaking in support of a Christian woman who had been accused of blasphemy and sentenced to death. Though Taseer himself wasn’t involved in politics, he was still a public figure who represented a more tolerant, internationally connected Pakistan that the IMU condemned. What followed his kidnapping was nearly five years of torture and constant peril as Taseer was held captive by the IMU in the ungoverned reaches of Pakistan and Afghanistan, his fate subject to the unpredictable whims and machinations of terrorists. Lost to the World is his memoir of that time—a story of extraordinary sorrow but also of empathy and faith.While deeply harrowing, this tale is also about resilience. Taseer countered his captors’ narrative of a holy war by immersing himself in the Quran in search of hope and a means to see his own humanity under even the most inhumane conditions, and ultimately to find a way back to his family.
Lost!: A Harrowing True Story of Disaster at Sea
by Thomas ThompsonFrom the bestselling author of Blood and Money: A haunting true story of three people locked in a fierce struggle against time and the sea—and each other. In July 1973, Bob Tininenko; his wife, Linda; and his brother in-law, Jim Fisher, set sail from Tacoma, Washington, on a thirty-one-foot trimaran down the West Coast to Costa Rica. The journey was expected to take a matter of weeks, but ten days into the cruise, the party encountered a freak storm off the coast of northern California. When gale-force winds and fifty-foot waves capsized their boat, the voyage became a nightmare. For seventy-two days, the trio was lost at sea. Challenged by nature and compromised by a bitter rivalry, their courage and will to live was put to the ultimate test. Jim, the owner and skipper of the boat, was a devout fundamentalist whose recognition of God&’s will in every event brought him into increasing conflict with his brother-in-law. As the two men battled to take control of a dire situation, Linda kept a secret that would lead to heartrending tragedy. A &“hair-raising&” (Houston Chronicle) account of shipwreck and survival and a searing portrait of faith without reason, Lost! is an unforgettable true story from &“a writer of tremendous power and achievement&” (Detroit Free Press).
Lot Six: A Memoir
by David Adjmi“David Adjmi has written one of the great American memoirs, a heartbreaking, hilarious story of what it means to make things up, including yourself. A wild tale of lack and lies, galling humiliations and majestic reinventions, this touching, coruscating joy of a book is an answer to that perennial question: how should a person be?” — Olivia Laing, author of Crudo and The Lonely CityIn a world where everyone is inventing a self, curating a feed and performing a fantasy of life, what does it mean to be a person? In his grandly entertaining debut memoir, playwright David Adjmi explores how human beings create themselves, and how artists make their lives into art. Brooklyn, 1970s. Born into the ruins of a Syrian Jewish family that once had it all, David is painfully displaced. Trapped in an insular religious community that excludes him and a family coming apart at the seams, he is plunged into suicidal depression. Through adolescence, David tries to suppress his homosexual feelings and fit in, but when pushed to the breaking point, he makes the bold decision to cut off his family, erase his past, and leave everything he knows behind. There's only one problem: who should he be? Bouncing between identities he steals from the pages of fashion magazines, tomes of philosophy, sitcoms and foreign films, and practically everyone he meets—from Rastafarians to French preppies—David begins to piece together an entirely new adult self. But is this the foundation for a life, or just a kind of quicksand? Moving from the glamour and dysfunction of 1970s Brooklyn, to the sybaritic materialism of Reagan’s 1980s to post-9/11 New York, Lot Six offers a quintessentially American tale of an outsider striving to reshape himself in the funhouse mirror of American culture. Adjmi’s memoir is a genre bending Künstlerroman in the spirit of Charles Dickens and Alison Bechdel, a portrait of the artist in the throes of a life and death crisis of identity. Raw and lyrical, and written in gleaming prose that veers effortlessly between hilarity and heartbreak, Lot Six charts Adjmi’s search for belonging, identity, and what it takes to be an artist in America.
Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake: A Memoir of a Woman's Life (Playaway Adult Nonfiction Ser.)
by Anna QuindlenINCLUDING AN EXCLUSIVE CONVERSATION BETWEEN MERYL STREEP AND ANNA QUINDLEN"[Quindlen] serves up generous portions of her wise, commonsensical, irresistibly quotable take on life. . . . What Nora Ephron does for body image and Anne Lamott for spiritual neuroses, Quindlen achieves on the home front."--NPR In this irresistible memoir, Anna Quindlen writes about a woman's life, from childhood memories to manic motherhood to middle age, using the events of her life to illuminate ours. Considering--and celebrating--everything from marriage, girlfriends, our mothers, parenting, faith, loss, to all the stuff in our closets, and more, Quindlen says for us here what we may wish we could have said ourselves. As she did in her beloved New York Times columns, and in A Short Guide to a Happy Life, Quindlen uses her past, present, and future to explore what matters most to women at different ages. Quindlen talks about Marriage: "A safety net of small white lies can be the bedrock of a successful marriage. You wouldn't believe how cheaply I can do a kitchen renovation." Girlfriends: "Ask any woman how she makes it through the day, and she may mention her calendar, her to-do lists, her babysitter. But if you push her on how she really makes it through her day, she will mention her girlfriends. " Our bodies: "I've finally recognized my body for what it is: a personality-delivery system, designed expressly to carry my character from place to place, now and in the years to come." Parenting: "Being a parent is not transactional. We do not get what we give. It is the ultimate pay-it-forward endeavor: We are good parents not so they will be loving enough to stay with us but so they will be strong enough to leave us." Candid, funny, and moving, Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake is filled with the sharp insights and revealing observations that have long confirmed Quindlen's status as America's laureate of real life. "Classic Quindlen, at times witty, at times wise, and always of her time."--The Miami Herald "[A] pithy, get-real memoir."--Booklist Look for special features inside. Join the Random House Reader's Circle for author chats and more.
Lotus Among the Magnolias: The Mississippi Chinese
by Robert Seto QuanUnlike most Chinese-American studies which focus on large urban concentrations sustained by continuous immigration, this study centers on a small Chinese enclave located in a rural southern biracial society. It focuses upon three generations of Chinese undergoing social change in an area within the state of Mississippi known as the Delta. This isolated group of people, having little contact with other US Chinese communities, remained nearly intact through the first two generations. Now great changes have caused the third generation to leave the enclave and to relinquish many ethnic traditions. Lotus Among the Magnolias, a story recorded firsthand by a Chinese scholar who lived among the Mississippi Delta Chinese, is an ethnography about how the Chinese were initially classified by the whites as “colored,” and later came to be viewed as a people with a separate identity. As their image has changed, so too have many values and traditions in their lives. This study shows how these Chinese have been able to expand their social and economic potential and are now moving away from their restrictive beginnings.
Lotus Girl: My Life at the Crossroads of Buddhism and America
by Helen TworkovFrom one of the central figures in Buddhism's introduction to the West and the founder of Tricycle magazine comes a brilliant memoir of forging one’s own path that Pico Iyer calls "unflinching" and "indispensable." The daughter of an artist, Helen Tworkov grew up in the heady climate of the New York School of Abstract Expressionism; yet from an early age, she questioned the value of Western cultural norms. Her life was forever changed when she saw the iconic photo of Thich Quang Duc, the Vietnamese monk who, seated in meditation, set himself on fire to protest his government’s crackdown on the Buddhist clergy. Tworkov realized that radically different states of mind truly existed and were worth exploring. At the age of twenty-two, she set off for Japan, then traveled through Cambodia, India, and eventually to Tibetan refugee camps in Nepal. Set against the arresting cultural backdrop of the sixties and their legacy, this intimate self-portrait depicts Tworkov's search for a true home as she interacts with renowned artists and spiritual luminaries including the Dalai Lama, Pema Chödrön, Joseph Goldstein, Bernie Glassman, Charles Mingus, Elizabeth Murray and Richard Serra. Interweaving experience, research, and revelation, Helen Tworkov explores the relationship between Buddhist wisdom and American values, presenting a wholly unique look at the developing landscape of Buddhism in the West. Lotus Girl offers insight not only into Tworkov's own search for the truth, but into the ways each of us can better understand and transform ourselves.
Lou Andrea Salomé: Mere, amante, vierge
by Lázaro DroznesLou Andrea Salomé est une femme qui a toujours intriguée de par sa capacité à inspirer trois grands hommes: Nietzsche, Rilke et Freud. Lou a été l'amante de Rilke, l'amie intime de Nietzsche et l'élève et la confidente de Freud. Une femme super-muse qui a inspiré ces hommes, relativement méconnus au moment de la relation. Cette fiction dramatique présente les relations de cette femme extraordinaire avec ces trois hommes extraordinaires afin de pouvoir réfléchir sur la nature de la femme et les mécanismes qu’elle utilise, la plupart du temps sans le vouloir ou sans s’en rendre compte, dans le but d’inspirer les hommes avec qui elle entre en contact.
Lou Andreas Salomé: La Musa di Nietzsche, Rilke, e Freud
by Lázaro Droznes Silvia NiroLou Andreas Salomé è una donna che ha sempre attratto per il suo ascendente su tre grandi uomini: Nietzsche, Rilke e Freud. Lou fu amante di Rilke, amica intima di Nietzsche e allieva e confidente di Freud. Una supermusa che ispirò questi uomini relativamente sconosciuti al momento della relazione. Quest'opera drammatica presenta le relazioni tra questa straordinaria donna e questi tre uomini fuori dal comune per poter riflettere sulla natura della donna e i meccanismi che utilizza, molte volte senza volerlo o senza rendersene conto, per ispirare gli uomini con i quali entra in contatto.
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 Gehrig: Iron Horse of Baseball
by James Buckley Jr.A streak of 2,130 consecutive games played. Several World Series wins--including a four-game sweep. An American League single-season batting record that still stands. And that's only a few of Lou Gehrig's many achievements Though illness sapped his strength, it never killed his spirit. Written by one of America's leading sportswriters, this biography of baseball's "Iron Horse" will inspire and touch kids as it reveals: - Gehrig's childhood gymnastic workouts at a special German gym called a turnverein - How his incredible batting ability turned his high school team into a sensation - His lifelong struggle with shyness - The "Great Home Run Derby" with Babe Ruth--perhaps baseball's most astonishing competition ever - The tragic ailment that ended his career--and life
Lou Gehrig: Pride of the Yankees
by Paul GallicoA touching tribute to one of the greatest ballplayers of all time For seventeen seasons, Lou Gehrig was the heart and soul of the New York Yankees. The power-hitting first baseman donned the pinstripes for 2,130 consecutive games, a streak that earned him the nickname "the Iron Horse" and went unbroken for more than five decades. World Series champion, All-Star, American League Most Valuable Player, Triple Crown winner--the list of Gehrig's on-field achievements is spectacular. But he is best remembered for the grace and the strength with which he faced an insurmountable challenge off the field: the disease that ended his career and which now bears his name. When he retired on April 30, 1939, Lou Gehrig called himself "the luckiest man on the face of the earth." His words continue to resonate more than seventy-five years after they were spoken. In this heartfelt biography, which was the basis for the Academy Award-winning film The Pride of the Yankees, starring Gary Cooper, legendary sportswriter Paul Gallico tells the story of how a son of German immigrants rose to the pinnacle of greatness in America's pastime and inspired the nation as no other athlete ever has.
Lou Gehrig: The Lost Memoir
by Alan D. Gaff&“A compelling rumination by a baseball icon and a tragic hero.&” —Sports Illustrated The lost memoir from baseball icon Lou Gehrig—a sensational discovery, published for the first time as a book.At the tender age of twenty-four, Lou Gehrig decided to tell the remarkable story of his life and career. He was one of the most famous athletes in the country, in the midst of a record-breaking season with the legendary 1927 World Series-winning Yankees. In an effort to grow Lou&’s star, pioneering sports agent Christy Walsh arranged for Lou&’s tale of baseball greatness to syndicate in newspapers across the country. Until now, those columns were largely forgotten and lost to history. Lou comes alive in this inspiring memoir. It is a heartfelt rags-to-riches tale about a dirt poor kid from New York who became one of the most revered baseball players of all time. Fourteen years after his account, Lou would tragically die from ALS, a neuromuscular disorder now known as Lou Gehrig&’s Disease. His poignant autobiography is followed by an insightful biographical essay by historian Alan D. Gaff. Here is Lou—Hall of Famer, All Star, and MVP—back at bat.
Lou Harrison
by Leta E. Miller Fredric LiebermanMusic's inclusivity--its potential to unite cultures, disciplines, and individuals--defined the life and career of Lou Harrison (1917-2003). Beyond studying with leading composers of the avant-garde such as Henry Cowell and Arnold Schoenberg, conducting Charles Ives's Pulitzer Prize-winning Third Symphony, and staging high-profile percussion concerts with John Cage, Harrison has achieved fame for his distinctive blending of cultures--from the Chinese opera, Indonesian gamelan, and the music of Native Americans to modernist dissonant counterpoint. Miller and Lieberman also pull readers into Harrison's rich world of cross-fertilization through an exploration of his outspoken stance on pacifism, gay rights, ecology, and respect for minorities--all of which directly impacted his musical works. Though Harrison was sometimes accused by contemporaries of "cultural appropriation," Miller and Lieberman's brisk study makes it clear why he is now lauded as an imaginative pioneer for his integration of Asian and Western musics, as well as for his work in the development of the percussion ensemble, his use of found and invented instruments, and his explorations of alternative tuning systems. Harrison's compositions are examined in detail through reference to an accompanying CD of representative recordings.
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 Reed: The Last Interview
by Lou ReedA revealing collection of interviews with one of the greatest artists in the history of rock 'n' roll--as brilliant, punchy, and blustery as the man himself In this collection of powerful interviews given over thirty years--including his final interview--Lou Reed oscillates between losing patience with his interviewers (he was famous for walking out on them) and sharing profound observations on the human experience, especially as he reflects on poetry and novels, the joy of live performances, and the power of sound. In conversation with legendary rock critics and authors he respected, Reed's interviews are as pithy and brilliant as the man himself.From the Trade Paperback edition.
Lou Reed: The Life
by Mick Wall'This "sincere speed-written, blood-spattered tribute" strings together the raciest anecdotes...and does it rather well' SUNDAY TIMES'Mick Wall has written in a rough and unsentimental style that suits his subject' THE TIMESLou Reed died in 2013. This is the critically acclaimed biography of the songwriter, Velvet Underground member and musician.Rock 'n' roll was Lou Reed's life. From recording one of the most critically acclaimed albums of all time with THE VELVET UNDERGROUND & NICO (1967), to heavy drug abuse and performing in front of the Pope, Lou Reed's story is one of great peaks and deep lows. Forever dedicated to his art, he became one of modern music's most legendary and seismic figures. Although a controversial, outspoken and undoubtedly misunderstood musician, Lou Reed's influence on popular culture cannot be overstated. He brought avant-garde to the mainstream with the Velvet Underground and his solo work was pronounced a revelation. Hit albums such as TRANSFORMER, SALLY CAN'T DANCE and BERLIN have cemented his name in the rock pantheon. A testament to his strength of character and true spirit, he was a creative and performer until the end, playing benefit gigs, featuring on new releases and, most poignantly, declaring that he was looking forward to 'being on stage performing, and writing more songs to connect with your hearts and spirits and the universe well into the future.' A true icon of rock 'n' roll - his legacy will live on in this book.
Lou Reed: The Life
by Mick WallLou Reed died in 2013. This is the critically acclaimed biography of the songwriter, Velvet Underground member and musician. Rock 'n' roll was Lou Reed's life. From recording one of the most critically acclaimed albums of all time with THE VELVET UNDERGROUND & NICO (1967), to heavy drug abuse and performing in front of the Pope, Lou Reed's story is one of great peaks and deep lows. Forever dedicated to his art, he became one of modern music's most legendary and seismic figures. Although a controversial, outspoken and undoubtedly misunderstood musician, Lou Reed's influence on popular culture cannot be overstated. He brought avant-garde to the mainstream with the Velvet Underground and his solo work was pronounced a revelation. Hit albums such as TRANSFORMER, SALLY CAN'T DANCE and BERLIN have cemented his name in the rock pantheon. A testament to his strength of character and true spirit, he was a creative and performer until the end, playing benefit gigs, featuring on new releases and, most poignantly, declaring that he was looking forward to 'being on stage performing, and writing more songs to connect with your hearts and spirits and the universe well into the future.' A true icon of rock 'n' roll - his legacy will live on in this book.
Lou and JonBenét: A Legendary Lawman's Quest to Solve a Child Beauty Queen's Murder
by John Wesley AndersonTHE STORY OF LOU SMIT, THE DEDICATED HOMICIDE DETECTIVE FEATURED IN THE GRIPPING NEW THREE-PART NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY: COLD CASE: WHO KILLED JONBENÉT RAMSEY? On Christmas night in 1996, the brutal murder of six-year-old JonBenét Ramsey shocked the nation. Found dead in her family's Boulder, Colorado home, JonBenét's body was discovered in the basement, with a broken skull and strangled by a garrote. A ransom note left in the home added to the confusion, but the truth would prove even more elusive. As the case unfolded, the media swarmed and speculation ran rampant. JonBenét&’s status as a child beauty queen only fueled the fire, with many focusing on her parents, John and Patsy Ramsey, as the primary suspects. However, the case took an unexpected turn when Boulder District Attorney's office brought in legendary homicide detective Lou Smit. Smit, known for his unyielding pursuit of the truth, quickly grew disillusioned with the Boulder police&’s focus on the Ramsey family. He believed that vital evidence pointing away from the parents was being ignored. Resigning from his official role, Smit chose to continue his investigation privately, using his own resources, determined to find justice for JonBenét. Smit&’s findings would change the direction of the investigation. He was convinced the Ramsey family had no involvement, but tragically passed away in 2010, just before he could solve the case. Now, in Lou and JonBenét, Smit&’s longtime friend and colleague, John Anderson, reveals the story behind Smit&’s tireless investigation and the profound legacy he left behind. Drawing on Smit&’s extensive work, Anderson and the detective&’s family and colleagues believe the elusive killer can finally be identified, bringing justice to a case that has haunted the nation for nearly three decades. This book offers a compelling, behind-the-scenes look at one of America&’s most infamous unsolved murders, providing new insights into the case and honoring the unwavering dedication of Lou Smit, the legendary detective who refused to give up.