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Becoming Centaur: Eighteenth-Century Masculinity and English Horsemanship (Animalibus: Of Animals and Cultures #9)
by Monica MattfeldIn this study of the relationship between men and their horses in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century England, Monica Mattfeld explores the experience of horsemanship and how it defined one’s gendered and political positions within society.Men of the period used horses to transform themselves, via the image of the centaur, into something other—something powerful, awe-inspiring, and mythical. Focusing on the manuals, memoirs, satires, images, and ephemera produced by some of the period’s most influential equestrians, Mattfeld examines how the concepts and practices of horse husbandry evolved in relation to social, cultural, and political life. She looks closely at the role of horses in the world of Thomas Hobbes and William Cavendish; the changes in human social behavior and horse handling ushered in by elite riding houses such as Angelo’s Academy and Mr. Carter’s; and the public perception of equestrian endeavors, from performances at places such as Astley’s Amphitheatre to the satire of Henry William Bunbury. Throughout, Mattfeld shows how horses aided the performance of idealized masculinity among communities of riders, in turn influencing how men were perceived in regard to status, reputation, and gender.Drawing on human-animal studies, gender studies, and historical studies, Becoming Centaur offers a new account of masculinity that reaches beyond anthropocentrism to consider the role of animals in shaping man.
Becoming Centaur: Eighteenth-Century Masculinity and English Horsemanship (Animalibus)
by Monica MattfeldIn this study of the relationship between men and their horses in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century England, Monica Mattfeld explores the experience of horsemanship and how it defined one’s gendered and political positions within society.Men of the period used horses to transform themselves, via the image of the centaur, into something other—something powerful, awe-inspiring, and mythical. Focusing on the manuals, memoirs, satires, images, and ephemera produced by some of the period’s most influential equestrians, Mattfeld examines how the concepts and practices of horse husbandry evolved in relation to social, cultural, and political life. She looks closely at the role of horses in the world of Thomas Hobbes and William Cavendish; the changes in human social behavior and horse handling ushered in by elite riding houses such as Angelo’s Academy and Mr. Carter’s; and the public perception of equestrian endeavors, from performances at places such as Astley’s Amphitheatre to the satire of Henry William Bunbury. Throughout, Mattfeld shows how horses aided the performance of idealized masculinity among communities of riders, in turn influencing how men were perceived in regard to status, reputation, and gender.Drawing on human-animal studies, gender studies, and historical studies, Becoming Centaur offers a new account of masculinity that reaches beyond anthropocentrism to consider the role of animals in shaping man.
Becoming Cleopatra: The Shifting Image of an Icon
by Francesca T. RoysterCleopatra is one of our icons of “exotic” femininity. Sexy, political, and racially ambiguous--since the time of Shakespeare she has been a central character in popular culture. And, more often than not, Cleopatra has been imagined as the epitome of dangerous female sexuality. Moving fluidly from Shakespeare's England to contemporary Los Angeles, Francesca Royster looks at the performance of race and sexuality in a wide range of portrayals of Cleopatra. Royster begins with Shakespeare's original appropriation of Plutarch, and then moves on to analyze performances of the Cleopatra icon by Josephine Baker, and the on screen performances of Elizabeth Taylor, Tamara Dobson (Cleopatra Jones), and Queen Latifah (in Set It Off).
Becoming Ella Fitzgerald: The Jazz Singer Who Transformed American Song
by Judith TickAn NPR 2023 "Books We Love" Pick • A Kirkus Best Nonfiction Book of 2023 A landmark biography that reclaims Ella Fitzgerald as a major American artist and modernist innovator. Ella Fitzgerald (1917–1996) possessed one of the twentieth century’s most astonishing voices. In this first major biography since Fitzgerald’s death, historian Judith Tick offers a sublime portrait of this ambitious risk-taker whose exceptional musical spontaneity made her a transformational artist. Becoming Ella Fitzgerald clears up long-enduring mysteries. Archival research and in-depth family interviews shed new light on the singer’s difficult childhood in Yonkers, New York, the tragic death of her mother, and the year she spent in a girls’ reformatory school—where she sang in its renowned choir and dreamed of being a dancer. Rarely seen profiles from the Black press offer precious glimpses of Fitzgerald’s tense experiences of racial discrimination and her struggles with constricting models of Black and white femininity at midcentury. Tick’s compelling narrative depicts Fitzgerald’s complicated career in fresh and original detail, upending the traditional view that segregates vocal jazz from the genre’s mainstream. As she navigated the shifting tides between jazz and pop, she used her originality to pioneer modernist vocal jazz. Interpreting long-lost setlists, reviews from both white and Black newspapers, and newly released footage and recordings, the book explores how Ella’s transcendence as an improvisor produced onstage performances every bit as significant as her historic recorded oeuvre. From the singer’s first performance at the Apollo Theatre’s famous “Amateur Night” to the Savoy Ballroom, where Fitzgerald broke through with Chick Webb’s big band in the 1930s, Tick evokes the jazz world in riveting detail. She describes how Ella helped shape the bebop movement in the 1940s, as she joined Dizzy Gillespie and her then-husband, Ray Brown, in the world-touring Jazz at the Philharmonic, one of the first moments of high-culture acceptance for the disreputable art form. Breaking ground as a female bandleader, Fitzgerald refuted expectations of musical Blackness, deftly balancing artistic ambition and market expectations. Her legendary exploration of the Great American Songbook in the 1950s fused a Black vocal aesthetic and jazz improvisation to revolutionize the popular repertoire. This hybridity often confounded critics, yet throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Ella reached audiences around the world, electrifying concert halls, and sold millions of records. A masterful biography, Becoming Ella Fitzgerald describes a powerful woman who set a standard for American excellence nearly unmatched in the twentieth century.
Becoming Free Indeed: My Story of Disentangling Faith from Fear
by Jinger VuoloJinger Vuolo, the sixth child in the famous Duggar family of TLC's 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On, recounts how she began to question the unhealthy ideology of her youth and learned to embrace true freedom in Christ.When Jinger Duggar Vuolo was growing up, she was convinced that obeying the rules was the key to success and God's favor. She zealously promoted the Basic Life Principles of Bill Gothard,fastidiously obeying the modesty guidelines (no shorts or jeans, only dresses),eagerly submitting to the umbrella of authority (any disobedience of parents would place her outside God's protection), promoting the relationship standard of courtship, andavoiding any music with a worldly beat, among others. Jinger, along with three of her sisters, wrote a New York Times bestseller about their religious convictions. She believed this level of commitment would guarantee God's blessing, even though in private she felt constant fear that she wasn't measuring up to the high standards demanded of her.In Becoming Free Indeed, Jinger shares how in her early twenties, a new family member—a brother-in-law who didn't grow up in the same tight-knit conservative circle as Jinger—caused her to examine her beliefs. He was committed to the Bible, but he didn't believe many of the things Jinger had always assumed were true. His influence, along with the help of a pastor named Jeremy Vuolo, caused Jinger to see that her life was built on rules, not God's Word.Jinger committed to studying the Bible—truly understanding it—for the first time. What resulted was an earth-shaking realization: much of what she'd always believed about God, obedience to His Word, and personal holiness wasn't in-line with what the Bible teaches.Now with a renewed faith of personal conviction, Becoming Free Indeed shares what it was like living under the tenants of Bill Gothard, the Biblical truth that changed her perspective, and how she disentangled her faith with her belief in Jesus intact.
Becoming Jimi Hendrix: From Southern Crossroads to Psychedelic London, the Untold Story of a Musical Genius
by Steven Roby Brad SchreiberThe first in-depth biography of the formative years of the greatest electric guitarist of all time, with 25 rare photos, complete sessionography, and tour itinerary
Becoming Molly-Mae
by Molly-Mae HagueThe real Molly-Mae, in her own wordsMolly-Mae Hague is no stranger to the limelight, having found fame on TV and online. But behind the polished exterior there is a young girl with a unique story. It's the Molly not everyone gets to see.In Becoming Molly-Mae she unravels herself completely for the first time to open up about how she nurtured her creativity from a young age, took ownership of her body image, battle self-doubt and built a happy life. Along the way she shares the moments, relationships and life lessons that have made her who she is. From the energetic child who loved Irish dancing and pageants, to the teenager holding down a job at Boots whilst building her dreams at fashion school, her journey to Love Island and how she copes with fame today.By sharing these parts of herself, Molly-Mae gives a fresh take on finding beauty and balance in a busy world.
Becoming Richard Pryor
by Scott SaulA major biography—intimate, gripping, revelatory—of an artist who revolutionized American comedy.Richard Pryor may have been the most unlikely star in Hollywood history. Raised in his family’s brothels, he grew up an outsider to privilege. He took to the stage, originally, to escape the hard-bitten realities of his childhood, but later came to a reverberating discovery: that by plunging into the depths of his experience, he could make stand-up comedy as exhilarating and harrowing as the life he’d known. He brought that trembling vitality to Hollywood, where his movie career—Blazing Saddles, the buddy comedies with Gene Wilder, Blue Collar—flowed directly out of his spirit of creative improvisation. The major studios considered him dangerous. Audiences felt plugged directly into the socket of life.Becoming Richard Pryor brings the man and his comic genius into focus as never before. Drawing upon a mountain of original research—interviews with family and friends, court transcripts, unpublished journals, screenplay drafts—Scott Saul traces Pryor’s rough journey to the heights of fame: from his heartbreaking childhood, his trials in the Army, and his apprentice days in Greenwich Village to his soul-searching interlude in Berkeley and his ascent in the “New Hollywood” of the 1970s.Becoming Richard Pryor illuminates an entertainer who, by bringing together the spirits of the black freedom movement and the counterculture, forever altered the DNA of American comedy. It reveals that, while Pryor made himself a legend with his own account of his life onstage, the full truth of that life is more bracing still.
Becoming the Ex-Wife: The Unconventional Life and Forgotten Writings of Ursula Parrott
by Marsha GordonThe riveting biography of Ursula Parrott—best-selling author, Hollywood screenwriter, and voice for the modern woman. Credited with popularizing the label "ex-wife" in 1929, Ursula Parrott wrote provocatively about divorcées, career women, single mothers, work-life balance, and a host of new challenges facing modern women. Her best sellers, Hollywood film deals, marriages and divorces, and run-ins with the law made her a household name. Part biography, part cultural history, Becoming the Ex-Wife establishes Parrott's rightful place in twentieth-century American culture, uncovering her neglected work and keen insights into American women's lives during a period of immense social change. Although she was frequently dismissed as a "woman's writer," reading Parrott's writing today makes it clear that she was a trenchant philosopher of modernity—her work was prescient, anticipating issues not widely raised until decades after her decline into obscurity. With elegant wit and a deft command of the archive, Marsha Gordon tells a timely story about the life of a woman on the front lines of a culture war that is still raging today.
Becomings: Pregnancy, Phenomenology, and Postmodern Dance (ISSN)
by Johanna KirkThis book explores postmodern choreographic engagements of pregnant bodies in the US over the last 70 years.Johanna Kirk discusses how choreographers negotiate identification with the look of their pregnant bodies to maintain a sense of integrity as artists and to control representations of their gender and physical abilities while pregnant. Across chapters, the artists discussed include Anna Halprin, Trisha Brown, Twyla Tharp, Sandy Jamrog, Jane Comfort, Jody Oberfelder, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Miguel Gutiérrez, Yanira Castro, Noémie LaFrance, and Meg Foley. By presenting their bodies in performance, these artists demonstrate how their experiences surrounding pregnancy intersect not only with their artform and its history but also with their personal experiences of race, gender, and sexual identification. In these pages, Johanna Kirk argues that choreography offers them tools that are alternative to medicine (or other forms of social representation) for understanding what/how pregnant bodies do and feel and what they can mean for individuals and their communities. The works within these chapters invite readers to see dancing bodies and pregnant bodies in new ways and for their potential to manifest new possibilities.This study will be of great interest to students and scholars exploring dance, theatre and performance, race, and gender.
Bedroom Philosopher Diaries
by Justin HeazlewoodA collection of hilarious and melancholic reports from Justin Heazlewood, aka The Bedroom Philosopher, and his wealth of experience as a touring Folkstar. Read about his epic battles with drunk punters, scatty rockstars, aloof groupies and, mostly, himself. These tell-all tales allow exclusive access to the depths of the performer psyche -Boho Stripped Bare. Each entry grooves with The Bedroom Philosopher's trademark wordplay, Gen-Y commentary and commitment to emotional honesty. Under the glare of the stage lights he explores the ungainly labyrinth of his alter-ego and the puzzling mechanics of the Australian entertainment scene.
Bedsit Disco Queen: How I Grew Up and Tried to be a Pop Star
by Tracey ThornI was only sixteen when I bought an electric guitar and joined a band. A year later, I formed an all-girl band called the Marine Girls and played gigs, and signed to an indie label, and started releasing records.Then, for eighteen years, between 1982 and 2000, I was one half of the group Everything But the Girl. In that time, we released nine albums and sold nine million records. We went on countless tours, had hit singles and flop singles, were reviewed and interviewed to within an inch of our lives. I've been in the charts, out of them, back in. I've seen myself described as an indie darling, a middle-of-the-road nobody and a disco diva. I haven't always fitted in, you see, and that's made me face up to the realities of a pop career - there are thrills and wonders to be experienced, yes, but also moments of doubt, mistakes, violent lifestyle changes from luxury to squalor and back again, sometimes within minutes.
Bedsit Disco Queen: How I grew up and tried to be a pop star
by Tracey ThornI was only sixteen when I bought an electric guitar and joined a band. A year later, I formed an all-girl band called the Marine Girls and played gigs, and signed to an indie label, and started releasing records.Then, for eighteen years, between 1982 and 2000, I was one half of the group Everything But the Girl. In that time, we released nine albums and sold nine million records. We went on countless tours, had hit singles and flop singles, were reviewed and interviewed to within an inch of our lives. I've been in the charts, out of them, back in. I've seen myself described as an indie darling, a middle-of-the-road nobody and a disco diva. I haven't always fitted in, you see, and that's made me face up to the realities of a pop career - there are thrills and wonders to be experienced, yes, but also moments of doubt, mistakes, violent lifestyle changes from luxury to squalor and back again, sometimes within minutes.
Bedsit Disco Queen: How I grew up and tried to be a pop star
by Tracey ThornI was only sixteen when I bought an electric guitar and joined a band. A year later, I formed an all-girl band called the Marine Girls and played gigs, and signed to an indie label, and started releasing records.Then, for eighteen years, between 1982 and 2000, I was one half of the group Everything But the Girl. In that time, we released nine albums and sold nine million records. We went on countless tours, had hit singles and flop singles, were reviewed and interviewed to within an inch of our lives. I've been in the charts, out of them, back in. I've seen myself described as an indie darling, a middle-of-the-road nobody and a disco diva. I haven't always fitted in, you see, and that's made me face up to the realities of a pop career - there are thrills and wonders to be experienced, yes, but also moments of doubt, mistakes, violent lifestyle changes from luxury to squalor and back again, sometimes within minutes.
Bedtime for Baby Shark: Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo / Duu Duu Duu Duu Duu Duu (Baby Shark)
by John John BajetSing and dance along with Baby Shark as he gets ready for bed in this playful song and story -- the follow-up to the bestselling picture book!Canta, baila y lee esta nueva cancion para la hora de dormir que presenta a Bebe Tiburon, Mama Tiburon, Papa Tiburon y otros amigos subacuaticos. Los ninos y sus cuidadores se divertiran por igual con esta simpatica historia que narra la rutina de una familia tiburon a la hora de dormir, con llamativas y divertidas ilustraciones y una melodia pegadiza que no podran dejar de cantar.¿Estas listo para ayudar a Bebe Tiburon a prepararse para dormir?Sing, dance, and read along to this brand-new bedtime song, featuring Baby Shark, Mama Shark, Daddy Shark, and more underwater friends. Kids and caregivers alike will delight in this silly illustrated story of a shark family's bedtime routine, full of funny, eye-popping illustrations and a catchy tune you won't be able to stop singing.Are you ready to help Baby Shark get ready for bedtime?
Bedtime for Baby Shark: Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Baby Shark)
by John John BajetSing and dance along with Baby Shark as he gets ready for bed in this playful song and story -- the follow-up to the bestselling picture book!How does Baby Shark get ready for bed?Brush your teeth! Doo doo doo doo doo doo!Take a bath! Doo doo doo doo doo doo!Read a book! Doo doo doo doo doo doo!Off to sleep!Sing, dance, and read along to this brand-new bedtime song, featuring Baby Shark, Mama Shark, Daddy Shark, and more underwater friends. Kids and caregivers alike will delight in this silly illustrated story of a shark family's bedtime routine, full of funny, eye-popping illustrations and a catchy tune you won't be able to stop singing. Also features helpful picture guides so readers can dance along, act out the hand and foot movements, and develop their fine motor skills. By the end of the story, little ones will be laughing, singing, and dancing their way off to sleep with this charming and catchy read-aloud!Are you ready to help Baby Shark get ready for bedtime?
Bedtime Stories for Privileged Children: Charming Tales of Wealth and Entitlement for Tots Who Were Simply Born Better
by Daniel FoxxIncluding Exclusive audio content!'A terribly funny book from an absolutely disgraceful person' -JOE LYCETT'Daniel's writing is hilarious, although it makes me worry about how I'm bringing my children up' - JOSH WIDDICOMBE'Finally! Some stories to shut those little brats up who disturb me at brunch!' -TOM ALLENAuthor and comedian Daniel Foxx presents a wonderful collection of stories especially for the little darlings of the fabulously wealthy - that can also be enjoyed by YOU, the downtrodden, pitiful, ordinary adult!Listen to the everyday adventures of Rupert, Shallotte and Genevievette as they ski, holiday, and drift around Selfridges - whilst always keeping a healthy distance from the dreaded hoi polloi!Other magical adventures include:Rupert goes on holiday! But what is 'duty free'? And why do poor people love it so much?Cosmo goes to state school, where the teachers wear jeans and no-one can understand Latin!Lily goes with Daddy to work! And fires Kate from marketing!!BEDTIME STORIES FOR PRIVILEGED CHILDREN is the perfect Christmas gift - whether you're wintering in Aspen, summering in Tuscany, or simply want to keep the little ones quiet in the back of the Range Rover Evoque.***Contains adult language
Bedtime Stories for Privileged Children: Charming Tales of Wealth and Entitlement for Tots Who Were Simply Born Better
by Daniel Foxx'A terribly funny book from an absolutely disgraceful person' -JOE LYCETT'Daniel's writing is hilarious, although it makes me worry about how I'm bringing my children up' - JOSH WIDDICOMBE'Finally! Some stories to shut those little brats up who disturb me at brunch!' -TOM ALLENAuthor and comedian Daniel Foxx presents a wonderful collection of stories especially for the little darlings of the fabulously wealthy - that can also be enjoyed by YOU, the downtrodden, pitiful, ordinary adult!Read about the everyday adventures of Rupert, Shallotte and Genevievette as they ski, holiday, and drift around Selfridges - whilst always keeping a healthy distance from the dreaded hoi polloi!Other magical adventures include:Rupert goes on holiday! But what is 'duty free'? And why do poor people love it so much?Cosmo goes to state school, where the teachers wear jeans and no-one can understand Latin!Lily goes with Daddy to work! And fires Kate from marketing!!BEDTIME STORIES FOR PRIVILEGED CHILDREN is the perfect Christmas gift - whether you're wintering in Aspen, summering in Tuscany, or simply want to keep the little ones quiet in the back of the Range Rover Evoque.***Contains adult language
Bedtime Stories for Privileged Children: Charming Tales of Wealth and Entitlement for Tots Who Were Simply Born Better
by Daniel Foxx'A terribly funny book from an absolutely disgraceful person' -JOE LYCETT'Daniel's writing is hilarious, although it makes me worry about how I'm bringing my children up' - JOSH WIDDICOMBE'Finally! Some stories to shut those little brats up who disturb me at brunch!' -TOM ALLENAuthor and comedian Daniel Foxx presents a wonderful collection of stories especially for the little darlings of the fabulously wealthy - that can also be enjoyed by YOU, the downtrodden, pitiful, ordinary adult!Read about the everyday adventures of Rupert, Shallotte and Genevievette as they ski, holiday, and drift around Selfridges - whilst always keeping a healthy distance from the dreaded hoi polloi!Other magical adventures include:Rupert goes on holiday! But what is 'duty free'? And why do poor people love it so much?Cosmo goes to state school, where the teachers wear jeans and no-one can understand Latin!Lily goes with Daddy to work! And fires Kate from marketing!!BEDTIME STORIES FOR PRIVILEGED CHILDREN is the perfect Christmas gift - whether you're wintering in Aspen, summering in Tuscany, or simply want to keep the little ones quiet in the back of the Range Rover Evoque.***Contains adult language
Bedtime Stories for Stressed Out Adults
by VariousPICKED FOR WORLD BOOK NIGHT 2020THE PERFECT READ TO CALM YOUR MIND IN TIMES OF STRESS**** As recommended by RED magazine ****'Dreamy' STYLIST'Calm and restore an anxious mind before sleep... the most beautiful book that will, without a doubt, put you in the mood for some zzzzzs.' the SUN'Hurrah for a book that draws us away from the cold blue light of the smart phone and into the soothing glow of poems, short stories and extracts' THE SIMPLE THINGS Introduced by Lucy Mangan* * * Tales to soothe tired souls. A night time companion for frazzled adults, including calming stories and poems for a good night's sleep. * * *This cheering book of best loved short tales, extracts and poems will calm and restore an anxious mind before sleep.A good night's sleep is essential for our well being and our health, but in our busy lives sleep is often poor and overlooked. Now is the time to stop a while and find consolation and wonder in other worlds where all is well and sleep just a page or two away. From classic stories by Oscar Wilde, Guy de Maupassant and Katherine Mansfield, to friendly tales of our childhoods, to poetry that reminds us of the simple joys of life, this lovingly curated book will soothe a tired mind and gently carry you to the peaceful land of sleep.So switch off, snuggle down and allow yourself to escape into new worlds and old; magical, mysterious and tender realms that will accompany you to your own sweet dreams.
The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee
by Sarah SilvermanFrom the outrageously filthy and oddly innocent comedienne comes a memoir that is at once shockingly personal, surprisingly poignant, and still laugh-out-loud funny. With her signature taboo-breaking humor, Silverman writes on everything from her epic struggle with hairy arms (there's not enough wax in the world) to the death of her infant brother.
The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee
by Sarah SilvermanFrom the outrageously filthy and oddly innocent comedienne and star of the powerful 2015 film I Smile Back Sarah Silverman comes a memoir—her first book—that is at once shockingly personal, surprisingly poignant, and still pee-in-your-pants funny. In this collection of humorous essays, Sarah Silverman tells tales of growing up Jewish in New Hampshire, losing her virginity, learning to curse at 3 years old, and being a bedwetter until she was old enough to drive, and in a surprisingly poignant piece, she recounts the accidental death of her infant brother. Of course, in her loopy, taboo-breaking way, she always manages somehow to leave you laughing. But then you’d expect nothing less from a woman who sang to her boyfriend on national television that she was “F***ing Matt Damon.”If you like Sarah’s television show The Sarah Silverman Program, or memoirs such as Chelsea Handler’s Are You There Vodka? It’s Me Chelsea and Artie Lange’s Too Fat to Fish, you’ll love The Bedwetter.
Been So Long: My Life and Music
by Jorma Kaukonen"A modern parable." —from the foreword by Grace Slick“Jorma Kaukonen is a force in American music, equally adept at fingerpicked acoustic folk and blues as he is at wailing on an electric.” – Acoustic Guitar“Jorma Kaukonen lit a fuse and transformed his electric guitar into a firework.” – Live For Live MusicIncludes a CD of live music as a companion to the book!From the man who made a name for himself as a founding member and lead guitarist of Jefferson Airplane comes a memoir that offers a rare glimpse into the heart and soul of a musical genius—and a vivid journey through the psychedelic era in America. “Music is the reward for being alive,” writes Jorma Kaukonen in this candid and emotional account of his life and work. “It stirs memory in a singular way that is unmatched.” In a career that has already spanned a half century—one that has earned him induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, among other honors—Jorma is best known for his legendary bands Jefferson Airplane and the still-touring Hot Tuna. But before he won worldwide recognition he was just a young man with a passion and a dream.Been So Long is the story of how Jorma found his place in the world of music and beyond. The grandson of Finnish and Russian-Jewish immigrants whose formative years were spent abroad with his American-born diplomat father, Jorma channeled his life experiences—from his coming-of-age in Pakistan and the Philippines to his early gigs with Jack Casady in D.C. to his jam sessions in San Francisco with Jerry Garcia, Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan, and other contemporaries—into his art in unique and revelatory ways. Been So Long charts not only Jorma’s association with the bands that made him famous but goes into never-before-told details about his addiction and recovery, his troubled first marriage and still-thriving second, and more. Interspersed with diary entries, personal correspondence, and song lyrics, this memoir is as unforgettable and inspiring as Jorma’s music itself.
Been There, Done That
by Eddie Fisher David FisherEddie sang at local fairs, talent contests, and bar mitzvahs, until at age fourteen, he got a job singing on Philadelphia radio shows for twenty-five dollars a week. A few years later, a stint at the Copacabana lunched him into Dreamland. By the time he was twenty-one he was one of the most popular entertainers in America, bigger even than Frank Sinatra, with an income in the millions. His life quickly evolved into a whirl of women, money, and fame. <p><p> Eddie's story is more than just an entertainer's memoir: it's the insider tale of two decades of American pop culture and celebrity royalty. Here is a man who romanced, charmed, seduced, and married Debbie Reynolds, Connle Stevens, and Elizabeth Taylor. He drank and caroused far into the night with the likes of Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr. His affairs with women from Ann-Margret to Mamie Van Doren were legendary. He shared mistresses with JFK, Sam Giancana, and Sinatra, and was welcomed everywhere from the White House to Las Vegas, back when such a thing actually meant something.
Beethoven
by Maynard SolomonBiography of the composer with selective bibliography and an index of his compositions