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Behind the Laughter: A Comedian’s Tale of Tragedy and Hope
By Anthony Griffith, Brigitte Travis-Griffin. 2019
“I was living every comic’s dream…with a nightmare attached.”Anthony Griffith, a stand-up comic from Chicago’s South Side, has lived on…
the borderline of comedy and tragedy. At the very time his career as a stand-up comedian was taking off, and he had finally achieved his dream of appearing on The Tonight Show, he was also enduring an unimaginable personal nightmare: his two-year-old daughter, Brittany Nicole, was dying from cancer. While Anthony performed under bright lights, he struggled not to succumb to the darkness of losing a child.Behind the Laughter asks, When your world is falling apart, how do you keep going? It’s the story of how Anthony and his wife, Brigitte, learned to endure the most painful of times and emerge on the other side of the “zombie years.”This memoir is deeply moving yet also humorous—packed with laughs as Anthony takes us from his gun-toting grandma’s home to Chicago’s white and black comedy clubs, then to Hollywood, and to the world of network television. The surprising twists along Anthony’s path highlight the power of God that goes before us and prepares the way—a truth that later encourages Anthony and Brigitte after Brittany’s death and moves them to reach out and comfort others going through similar difficulties.With humor and deep insights into the human spirit, Behind the Laughter explores the bonds of not only parent and child but also husband and wife. While Anthony and Brigitte’s story is uniquely theirs, it elicits powerful, relatable emotions and lessons that are universal and inspiring.Barnum: An American Life
By Robert Wilson. 2019
The first major biography of P.T. Barnum in a generation, a vivid account of the forefather of American entertainment.P. T.…
Barnum was the greatest showman the world has ever seen: the cocreator of the Barnum & Bailey Circus and the man who made worldwide sensations of Jumbo the Elephant, General Tom Thumb, and the “Swedish Nightingale,” Jenny Lind. He was the champion of wonder, joy, trickery, and “humbug.” He was, as Barnum argues, one of the most important Americans of the nineteenth century. Nearly 125 years after his death, the name P. T. Barnum still inspires wonder. Robert Wilson’s vivid new biography captures the full genius, infamy, and allure of the ebullient showman. From birth to death, Phineas Taylor Barnum repeatedly reinvented himself. He learned as a young man how to wow crowds, and built a fortune that placed him among the first millionaires in the United States. He also suffered tragedy, bankruptcy, and fires that destroyed his life’s work, yet willed himself to rebuild and succeed again. As an entertainer, Barnum courted controversy time and again throughout his life—yet he was also a man of strong convictions, guided in his work not by a desire to deceive but an eagerness to thrill and bring joy to his audiences. He almost certainly never uttered the infamous line, “There's a sucker born every minute,” instead taking pride in giving crowds their money’s worth and more. Robert Wilson, editor of The American Scholar, tells a gripping story in Barnum, one that’s imbued with the same buoyant spirit as the man himself. Wilson adeptly makes the case for P. T. Barnum’s place among the icons of American history, as a figure who represented, and indeed created, a distinctly American sense of optimism, industriousness, humor, and relentless energy.Audrey: Her Real Story
By Alexander Walker. 1995
Few stars are as loved as Audrey Hepburn, today as much as ever. Beautiful, delicate, graceful - but always warm…
and natural - she stole our hearts. She was also brave, working tirelessly for UNICEF in the face of her own failing health. in this moving and heartwarming biography Alexander Walker traces the extraordinary combination of luck and talent that allowed a fragile little girl,who nearly died in Hitler's occupied Europe, to conquer, in just one year, the New York stage and the Hollywood screen. Walker analyses her ascent to power and world fame and reveals the sadness of her life: two failed marriages, a broken engagement, and the crushing disappointment that occupied her triumph in My Fair Lady. Most importantly of all, this biography reveals what no one has known until now: the truly terrifying family secret that tore Audrey's childhood apart and kept her forever silent about her parents.Amor verdadero
By Jennifer Lopez. 2014
En Amor verdadero, Lopez explora uno de los períodos más decisivos de su vida: el viaje de transformación que duró…
dos años, donde ella cuenta cómo, siendo madre y artista, afrentó sus mayores retos, identificó sus miedos más grandes y, en última instancia, terminó siendo una persona más fuerte que nunca antes. Esta publicación, visualmente llamativa, está acompañada de fotografías íntimas, electrizantes y nunca antes vistas. Escrito como un diario personal con lecciones duramente aprendidas y recuerdos sinceros, Amor verdadero es una historia motivadora de auto-reflexión, reencuentro y resiliencia.Name Drop: The Really Good Celebrity Stories I Usually Only Tell at Happy Hour
By Ross Mathews. 2020
From Ross Mathews, the nationally bestselling author of Man Up!, judge on RuPaul&’s Drag Race, and alum of Chelsea Lately,…
a collection of hilarious and irreverent essays about his experience with Hollywood&’s most talked-about celebrities.Pretend it&’s happy hour and you and I are sitting at the bar. I look amazing and, I agree with you, much thinner in person. You look good, too. Maybe it&’s the candlelight, maybe it&’s the booze. Either way, let&’s just go with it. Keep this all between you and me, and do me a favor? Don&’t judge me if I name drop just a little. Television personality Ross Mathews likes telling stories. He was always outrageous and hilariously honest, even when the biggest celebrity he knew was his favorite lunch lady in the school cafeteria. Now that he has Hollywood experience—from interning behind the scenes at The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to judging RuPaul&’s Drag Race—he has a lot to talk about. In Name Drop, Ross dishes about being an unlikely insider in the alternate reality that is showbiz, like that time he was invited by Barbara Walters to host The View—only to learn his hero did not suffer fools; his Christmas with the Kardashians, which should be its own holiday special; and his news-making talk with Omarosa on Celebrity Big Brother, which, as it turns out, was just the tip of the iceberg. Holding nothing back, Ross shares the most treasured and surprising moments in his celebrity-filled career, and proves that while exposure may have made him a little bit famous, he is still as much a fanboy as ever. Filled with tales ranging from the horrifying to the hilarious—and with just the right &“Rossipes&” and cocktails to go along with them—Name Drop is every pop culture lover&’s dream come true.The Wrong Kind of Women: Inside Our Revolution to Dismantle the Gods of Hollywood
By Naomi McDougall Jones. 2020
A brutally honest look at the systemic exclusion of women in film--an industry with massive cultural influence--and how, in response,…
women are making space in cinema for their voices to be heard.Generation after generation, women have faced the devastating reality that Hollywood is a system built to keep them out. The films created by that system influence everything from our worldviews to our brain chemistry. When women's voices are excluded from the medium, the impact on society is immense. Actor, screenwriter, and award-winning independent filmmaker Naomi McDougall Jones takes us inside the cutthroat, scandal-laden film industry, where only 5% of top studio films are directed by women and less than 20% of leading characters in mainstream films are female. Jones calls on all of us to act radically to build a different kind of future for cinema--not only for the women being actively hurt inside the industry but for those outside it, whose lives, purchasing decisions, and sense of selves are shaped by the stories told. Informed by the journey of her own career; by interviews with others throughout the film industry; and by cold, hard data, Jones deconstructs the casual, commonplace sexism rampant in Hollywood that has kept women out of key roles for decades. Next, she shows us the growing women-driven revolution in filmmaking--sparked by streaming services, crumbling distribution models, direct-to-audience access via innovative online platforms, and outside advocacy groups--which has enabled women to build careers outside the traditional studio system. Finally, she makes a business case for financing and producing films by female filmmakers.Phantom Lady: Hollywood Producer Joan Harrison, the Forgotten Woman Behind Hitchcock
By Christina Lane. 2020
In 1933, Joan Harrison was a twenty-six-year-old former salesgirl with a dream of escaping both her stodgy London suburb and…
the dreadful prospect of settling down with one of the local boys. A few short years later, she was Alfred Hitchcock's confidante and one of the Oscar-nominated screenwriters of his first American film, Rebecca. Harrison had quickly grown from being the worst secretary Hitchcock ever had to one of his closest collaborators, critically shaping his brand as the "Master of Suspense." Forging her own public persona as the female Hitchcock, Harrison went on to produce numerous Hollywood features before becoming a television pioneer as the producer of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. A respected powerhouse, she acquired a singular reputation for running amazingly smooth productions— and defying anyone who posed an obstacle. She built most of her films and series from the ground up. She waged rough-and-tumble battles against executives and censors, and even helped to break the Hollywood blacklist. She teamed up with many of the most respected, well-known directors, writers, and actors of the twentieth century. And she did it all on her own terms. Author Christina Lane shows how this stylish, stunning woman became Hollywood's most powerful female writer-producer—one whom history has since overlooked.Brother & Sister: A Memoir
By Diane Keaton. 2020
From the beloved film star and best-selling author of Then Again--a heartfelt memoir about Diane Keaton's relationship with her younger…
brother, and a poignant exploration of the divergent paths siblings' lives can take. When they were children in the suburbs of Los Angeles in the 1950s, Diane Keaton and her younger brother, Randy, were best friends and companions: they shared stories at night in their bunk beds; they swam, laughed, dressed up for Halloween. Their mother captured their American-dream childhoods in her diaries, and on camera. But as they grew up, Randy became troubled, then reclusive. By the time he reached adulthood, he was divorced, an alcoholic, a man who couldn't hold on to full-time work--his life a world away from his sister's, and from the rest of their family. Now Diane is delving into the nuances of their shared, and separate, pasts to confront the difficult question of why and how Randy ended up living his life on "the other side of normal." In beautiful and fearless prose that's intertwined with photographs, journal entries, letters, and poetry--many of them Randy's own writing and art--this insightful memoir contemplates the inner workings of a family, the ties that hold it together, and the special bond between siblings even when they are pulled far apart. Here is a story about love and responsibility: about how, when we choose to reach out to the people we feel closest to--in moments of difficulty and loss--surprising things can happen. A story with universal echoes, Brother & Sister speaks across generations to families whose lives have been touched by the fragility and "otherness" of loved ones--and to brothers and sisters everywhere. A New York Times BestsellerMemories are Made of This: Dean Martin Through His Daughter's Eyes
By Wendy Holden, Deana Martin. 2004
I loved being called Deana Martin. Even when I was very small. Dad was such a positive influence on people's…
lives that to be so closely associated with him was always a blessing. People can't help but smile when they think of my father, which has to be the greatest legacy of all. When people hear my name for the first time, they usually ask the same question: "Any relation?" "Yes," I reply proudly, "he's my father. " They smile and cry, "Oh, I love your father! I've loved him all my life. " Sometimes, just sometimes, they ask me the most important question of all: "Was he a good father?" To their surprise, I shake my head and smile. "No," I reply. "He wasn't a good father, but he was a good man. " Where Dad came from, that meant a great deal more. So begins Deana Martin's captivating and heartfelt memoir of her father, the son of an Italian immigrant from modest beginnings who worked his way to the top of the Hollywood firmament to become one of the greatest stars of all time. Charming, debonair, and impeccably attired in a black tuxedo, Dean Martin was coolness incarnate. His music provided the soundtrack of romance, and his image captivated movie and television audiences for more than fifty years. His daughter Deana was among his most devoted fans, but she also knew a side of him that few others ever glimpsed. In page-turning prose, Deana recalls her early childhood, when she and her siblings were left in the erratic care of Dean's loving but alcoholic first wife. She chronicles the constantly changing blended family that marked her youth, along with the unexpected moments of silliness and tenderness that this unusual Hollywood family shared. Deana candidly reveals the impact of Dean's fame and characteristic aloofness on her efforts to forge her own identity, but delights in sharing wonderful, never-before-told stories about her father and his pallies known as the Rat Pack. It may not have been a normal childhood, but Deana's enchanting account of life as the daughter of one of Hollywood's sexiest icons will leave you entertained, delighted, and nostalgic for a time gone by. "From her heart, Deana Martin has told a frank and honest account of what her life was like with her famous father and family. It has been a wild ride, with lots of ups and downs, written with honesty, love, and understanding. " --Regis Philbin "Dean Martin was the unique star who attained success in all of the entertainment media--movies, TV, recordings, concerts, and radio. His daughter Deana gives us something else that is also unique in this revealing book about growing up as the daughter of a true legend. Here's to you Dean. I've got the booze, you get the ice. " --Don Rickles "I have to say I loved reading what Deana wrote--maybe because she bit the bullet, she was courageous, up-front, tenacious, and so totally forthright. I read it with tremendous pride and love, and I know other readers will feel the same emotions I felt. I love this author for a myriad of reasons, but especially for how she has honored my partner. "--from the Foreword by Jerry LewisIan McKellen: A Biography
By Garry O'Connor. 2019
The definitive biography of Sir Ian McKellen from an acclaimed biographer In 2001, Ian McKellen put on the robe and…
pointed hat of a wizard named Gandalf and won a place in the hearts of Tolkien fans worldwide. Though his role in the film adaptation of Lord of the Rings introduced him to a new audience, McKellen had a thriving career a lifetime before his visit to Middle Earth. He made his West End acting debut in 1964 in James Saunders’s A Scent of Flowers, but it was in 1980 that he took Broadway by storm when he played Antonio Salieri in Peter Shaffer’s Tony-Award-winning play Amadeus.He has starred in over four hundred plays and films and he is that rare character: a celebrity whose distinguished political and social service has transcended his international fame to reach beyond the stage and screen. The breadth of his career—professional, personal and political—has been truly staggering: Macbeth (opposite Judi Dench), Iago, King Lear, Chekhov’s Sorin in The Seagull and Becket’s tramp Estragon (opposite Patrick Stewart) in Waiting for Godot. Add to all this his tireless political activism in the cause of gay equality and you have a veritable phenomenon. Garry O’Connor’s Ian McKellen: A Biography probes the heart of the actor, recreating his greatest stage roles and exploring his personal life. Ian McKellen will show readers what makes a great actor tick. His life story has been a constantly developing drama and this biography is the next chapter.A Child of the Century
By Ben Hecht. 1954
Ben Hecht’s critically acclaimed autobiographical memoir, first published in 1954, offers incomparably pungent evocations of Chicago in the 1910s and…
1920s, Hollywood in the 1930s, and New York during the Second World War and after. “His manners are not always nice, but then nice manners do not always make interesting autobiographies, and this autobiography has the merit of being intensely interesting.”—Saul Bellow, New York Times Named to Time’s list of All-Time 100 Nonfiction Books, which deems it “the un-put-downable testament of the era’s great multimedia entertainer.”Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years
By Julie Andrews. 2017
In this follow-up to her critically acclaimed memoir, Home, Julie Andrews shares reflections on her astonishing career, including such classics…
as Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, and Victor/Victoria. In Home, the number one New York Times international bestseller, Julie Andrews recounted her difficult childhood and her emergence as an acclaimed singer and performer on the stage. With this second memoir, Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years, Andrews picks up the story with her arrival in Hollywood and her phenomenal rise to fame in her earliest films--Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music. Andrews describes her years in the film industry -- from the incredible highs to the challenging lows. Not only does she discuss her work in now-classic films and her collaborations with giants of cinema and television, she also unveils her personal story of adjusting to a new and often daunting world, dealing with the demands of unimaginable success, being a new mother, the end of her first marriage, embracing two stepchildren, adopting two more children, and falling in love with the brilliant and mercurial Blake Edwards. The pair worked together in numerous films, including Victor/Victoria, the gender-bending comedy that garnered multiple Oscar nominations. Cowritten with her daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton, and told with Andrews's trademark charm and candor, Home Work takes us on a rare and intimate journey into an extraordinary life that is funny, heartrending, and inspiring. A New York Times BestsellerNoah Centineo: Issue #1 (Scoop! The Unauthorized Biography #1)
By C. H. Mitford. 2020
Introducing a new series of unauthorized biographies on the world's biggest names and rising stars in entertainment, sports, and pop…
culture! Complete with quizzes, listicles, trivia, and a full-color pull-out poster, this is the definitive collection to get the full Scoop! and more on your favorite celebrities.Is there anything Noah Centineo can't do? • He acts... • He sings... • He-Man???That's right! The former Disney star will make his big-screen debut for Marvel Universe as He-Man in 2021.Get the full Scoop! and more on Noah Centineo: Hollywood's next superstar.Dave Brubeck: A Life in Time
By Philip Clark. 2020
The definitive, investigative biography of jazz legend Dave Brubeck ("Take Five")In 2003, music journalist Philip Clark was granted unparalleled access…
to jazz legend Dave Brubeck. Over the course of ten days, he shadowed the Dave Brubeck Quartet during their extended British tour, recording an epic interview with the bandleader. Brubeck opened up as never before, disclosing his unique approach to jazz; the heady days of his "classic" quartet in the 1950s-60s; hanging out with Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong, and Miles Davis; and the many controversies that had dogged his 66-year-long career. Alongside beloved figures like Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra, Brubeck's music has achieved name recognition beyond jazz. But finding a convincing fit for Brubeck's legacy, one that reconciles his mass popularity with his advanced musical technique, has proved largely elusive. In Dave Brubeck: A Life in Time, Clark provides us with a thoughtful, thorough, and long-overdue biography of an extraordinary man whose influence continues to inform and inspire musicians today. Structured around Clark's extended interview and intensive new research, this book tells one of the last untold stories of jazz, unearthing the secret history of "Take Five" and many hitherto unknown aspects of Brubeck's early career - and about his creative relationship with his star saxophonist Paul Desmond. Woven throughout are cameo appearances from a host of unlikely figures from Sting, Ray Manzarek of The Doors, and Keith Emerson, to John Cage, Leonard Bernstein, Harry Partch, and Edgard Varèse. Each chapter explores a different theme or aspect of Brubeck's life and music, illuminating the core of his artistry and genius. To quote President Obama, as he awarded the musician with a Kennedy Center Honor: "You can't understand America without understanding jazz, and you can't understand jazz without understanding Dave Brubeck."Houdini: The Handcuff King (The Center for Cartoon Studies Presents)
By Jason Lutes. 2007
"I have escaped out of more handcuffs, manacles, and leg shackles than any other human being living."Harry Houdini mesmerized a…
generation of Americans when he was alive, and continues to do so over ninety years since his death. This is a snapshot of Houdini's life, centering on one of his most famous feats. As Houdini prepares for a death-defying leap into the icy Charles River in Boston, biographer Jason Lutes and artist Nick Bertozzi reveal Houdini's life and influence: from the anti-Semitism Houdini fought all his life, to the adulation of the American public; from his hounding by the press, to his loving relationship with his wife Bess; from his egoism to his insecurity; from his public persona--to the secret behind his most amazing trick! And it's all in graphic form, so it's fresh, original, and unlike anything previously published about this most fascinating of American showmen.Walt's Imagination: The Life of Walt Disney (Big Words #10)
By Doreen Rappaport. 2018
Walt Disney's name is synonymous with family entertainment. Mickey Mouse, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Bambi, Disneyland, and numerous…
other creations have inspired generations of children the world over. From his childhood in rural Missouri to his legendary stature as a film and television icon, Walt governed his life with imagination, ingenuity, and scrupulous attention to detail. Faced with both public failures and massive success, he revolutionized the art form of animation, always seeking innovative solutions, cutting edge technology, and new ways of storytelling. Devoted to perfection, Walt was not always easy to work with, but no one can deny his profound talent and impact. Charting Walt's progression from farm boy to actor to artist, animator, director, and entertainment celebrity, Walt's own words are presented and contextualized within Doreen Rappaport's signature compelling prose. Illustrated with vivid authenticity by animator/painter John Pomeroy, this stunning entry in the award-winning Big Words series reveals a man of deep and varied passions with a constantly evolving vision, and a storyteller above all.Relentless: Unleashing a Life of Purpose, Grit, and Faith
By John Tesh. 2020
John Tesh has achieved more in life than he ever dreamed possible. But the road to success has been anything…
but easy—and those challenges have become the secret to his success. Through his story, we can learn how to be relentless, how to achieve what we didn&’t think was possible, and how to handle our inevitable discouragements.In this engrossing memoir, Tesh describes how the obstacles that shaped him—including being suspended from college, living homeless for months, and facing a deadly disease—shaped his remarkable life. You&’ll hear, in never-before-told stories, how Tesh became the youngest correspondent at WCBS News less than thirty-six months after he was working at a gas station and sleeping in a public park. You&’ll go inside the unconventional way he composed the now-iconic theme song for NBC Sports basketball and how he and his wife, Connie Sellecca, created the popular, nationally-syndicated Intelligence for Your Life radio program. From live commentary for two Olympic Games to his decade-long role as co-host of Entertainment Tonight and the outrageous gamble that resulted in one of the most successful Public Television concert specials in history, you&’ll learn how Tesh applied his unique process of focused practice, grit, and perseverance while maintaining a single-minded pursuit of his goals. In 2015, he fought and received treatment for a stage-three cancer diagnosis, but when the cancer returned, he and his wife turned to relentless faith and divine healing scriptures to manifest a victory over the disease. Relentless is an astonishing story of how obstacles create opportunity and how faith will lead to triumph.Old School Love: And Why It Works
By Justine Simmons, Joseph Rev Simmons. 2020
RUN DMC.’s iconic rapper Joseph “Reverend Run” Simmons and his wife, Justine, share their secrets to lasting love and the…
guiding principles that have kept them together for more than twenty years. Written with Amy Ferris.This is a book about love. The kind of love that will keep you warm at night—that will keep you feeling safe and sound.The kind of love that will get you through some dark times; get you through some hard and yes, some tough times.The kind of love that will make you laugh, that will make you smile, that will make you nod knowingly. The kind of love that is nurtured and watered and grows—from a seedling to a flower.The kind of love that is desperately needed in the world right now, shared and sprinkled everywhere. Old School Love is a book to help you find the kind of soul-filling love you desire, written by a couple who has built a strong and joyful relationship amid the pressures, pitfalls, and temptations of the entertainment industry. Rev Run and his wife, Justine, have been blessed with a devoted partnership that has inspired others. In this homage to classic courtship, Rev and Justine reveal the secrets to their marriage’s longevity and happiness.Each chapter of Old School Love offers stories, anecdotes, and memories of Rev and Justine’s marriage, their family, their experiences, their passion, and their deep faith and belief in God. Some will make you laugh, some will make you think, and some will make you cry. Yet all will make you wiser—more beautiful for the wear—and encourage you to be a kinder, more generous, and better human. Their reflections are bookended by a verse or line from scripture, a saying, or a favorite quote and a sampling of personal wisdom.Over two decades strong, Rev and Justine’s partnership is an inspiration. With Old School Love they are spreading their message of positivity, and creating a legacy for all of us to embrace and share. Powerful and life-changing, this little gem of a book is about magic, and miracles, and yes, the irrefutable power of love.Old School Love includes 8 pages of photos from Rev and Justine's personal collection.Blonde: A Novel (Ldp Litterature Ser.)
By Joyce Carol Oates. 2000
«Oates sabe que ya has visto a Marilyn Monroe. La reconocerías en cualquier parte. Tantas imágenes, tantas historias que ya…
han echado raíces en tu mente. Pero su fuerza y su talento consiste en limitarse a señalar los detalles y traerla de vuelta a la vida, a ella y a todo el siglo: la muchacha desnuda, el terciopelo rojo, las plantas de sus pies.»Bethany Schneider, Newsday «Socorro, siento que la Vida se acerca.» Marilyn Monroe era puro fuego, sexualidad a flor de piel, romances turbulentos; pero también era frágil, una mujer asustada y repleta de inseguridades que buscaba en otros -el Ex Deportista, el Dramaturgo o el Presidente- ese amor que ella misma se negaba. Una artista emblemática cargada de conflictos y temores, de pasiones desatadas; una niña que no dejó de huir hacia delante, y llegó a burlar a la propia muerte para convertirse en leyenda. Tras una exhaustiva documentación, Joyce Carol Oates redibuja la vida interior de Norma Jeane Baker -la pequeña sin padre, la mujer dependiente de tranquilizantes y estimulantes, la malograda actriz y amante- y a su «Amiga Mágica del Espejo», la idolatrada rubia que el mundo llegó a conocer como Marilyn Monroe. ** Premio Ja! Bilbao por el «modernísimo humor negro» de su obra. La crítica ha dicho...«Dramática, provocativa e inquietantemente sugerente, Blonde es tan explosiva como su protagonista, la legendaria Marilyn Monroe. En una prosa impresionista de elevada potencia, Oates crea un retrato sorprendente y conmovedor de la estrella mítica y de la sociedad que la creó y le falló.»Publishers Weekly «Oates nos hace vivir la vida de Marilyn Monroe. Y es un verdadero infierno. Y es brillante. Porque nos querremos arrancar los ojos para dejar de mirar, y es imposible.»Ann Patchett, The Times «Oates rebosa testosterona, y su último libro es agresivo y atrevido. Quiere que miremos a un personaje mítico con nuevos ojos, pero no con los de la cámara, sino con nuestros ojos más humanos.»Philip Weiss, New York Observer «En lo referente a Marilyn Monroe, el público siempre se quedaba en el exterior y miraba hacia el interior, pero he aquí que en esta nueva y apasionante novela, Blonde, Joyce Carol Oates revierte ese proceso al plantarse en el interior de la torturada psique de la actriz para rematar un retrato perturbadoramente íntimo.»John Thomas, Playboy «Oates se libera de los corsés de una renarración periodística de hechos archiconocidos y crea con verdadera maestría una potente tragedia norteamericana profundamente inquietante.»Susan Tekulve, Book Magazine «Una novela que nos va ganando y absorbiendo a medida que vamos pasando las páginas hasta seducirnos por completo.»Jason S. Polley, Revista Arcadia «Un libro potente e hipnótico.»Elaine Showalter, Literary Review «La obra más importante de la prolífica carrera de Oates.»Dan Cryer, Newsday «Una magnífica obra, escrita con parte de esa frenética inspiración con la que Marilyn Monroe vivió su vida. Si no ha leído aún a Joyce Carol Oates, no lo deje por más tiempo. Empiece aquí y ahora.»Susan Jeffreys, The IndependentThe Big Goodbye: Chinatown and the Last Years of Hollywood
By Sam Wasson. 2020
From the New York Times bestselling author of Fifth Avenue, Five A.M. and Fosse comes the revelatory account of the…
making of a modern American masterpiece Chinatown is the Holy Grail of 1970s cinema. Its twist ending is the most notorious in American film and its closing line of dialogue the most haunting. Here for the first time is the incredible true story of its making. In Sam Wasson's telling, it becomes the defining story of the most colorful characters in the most colorful period of Hollywood history. Here is Jack Nicholson at the height of his powers, as compelling a movie star as there has ever been, embarking on his great, doomed love affair with Anjelica Huston. Here is director Roman Polanski, both predator and prey, haunted by the savage death of his wife, returning to Los Angeles, the scene of the crime, where the seeds of his own self-destruction are quickly planted. Here is the fevered dealmaking of "The Kid" Robert Evans, the most consummate of producers. Here too is Robert Towne's fabled script, widely considered the greatest original screenplay ever written. Wasson for the first time peels off layers of myth to provide the true account of its creation. Looming over the story of this classic movie is the imminent eclipse of the '70s filmmaker-friendly studios as they gave way to the corporate Hollywood we know today. In telling that larger story, The Big Goodbye will take its place alongside classics like Easy Riders, Raging Bulls and The Devil's Candy as one of the great movie-world books ever written.Praise for Sam Wasson:"Wasson is a canny chronicler of old Hollywood and its outsize personalities...More than that, he understands that style matters, and, like his subjects, he has a flair for it." - The New Yorker"Sam Wasson is a fabulous social historian because he finds meaning in situations and stories that would otherwise be forgotten if he didn't sleuth them out, lovingly." - Hilton Als