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An Empire of Their Own: How the Jews Invented Hollywood
By Neal Gabler. 1988
A provocative, original, and richly entertaining group biography of the Jewish immigrants who were the moving forces behind the creation…
of America's motion picture industry. The names Harry Cohn, William Fox, Carl Laemmle, Louis B. Mayer, Jack and Harry Warner, and Adolph Zucker are giants in the history of contemporary Hollywood, outsiders who dared to invent their own vision of the American Dream. Even to this day, the American values defined largely by the movies of these émigrés endure in American cinema and culture. Who these men were, how they came to dominate Hollywood, and what they gained and lost in the process is the exhilarating story of An Empire of Their Own.Is It Hot in Here (Or Am I Suffering for All Eternity for the Sins I Committed on Earth)?
By Zach Zimmerman. 2023
In this debut collection of essays, lists, musings, and quips, New York-based comedian Zach Zimmerman delicately walks the fine line…
between tear-jerking and knee-slapping, and does so with aplomb.In this laugh-and-cry-out-loud, memoir-esque exploration of selfhood, Zimmerman dives into the pros and cons of retiring a Bible-Belt-dwelling, meat-eating, God-fearing identity in exchange for a new, metropolitan lease on life—one of vegetarianism, atheism, queerness, and humor. Whether learning to absolve instilled religious guilt or reminiscing over Tinder dates gone horribly wrong, this book is a candid and hysterical look at one person's journey toward making peace with the past and seeking hope in the future.HILARIOUS WRITING: The stories featured in this collection are an uproarious read with a strong and established tone of voice. Featuring pieces that were originally published in the New Yorker, Is It Hot in Here (Or Am I Suffering for All Eternity for the Sins I Committed on Earth)? is a literary gem. RELEVANT AND INCLUSIVE: Zimmerman navigates obstacles in the queer community with essays that are not only humorous and heartfelt, but also act as guiding anecdotes for young, queer community members. ESTABLISHED AUTHOR AND COMEDIAN: Zimmerman has written dozens of New Yorker humor pieces and essays, a Billboard Top Ten comedy album that debuted at #1, and has been featured in New York Magazine, The New York Times, TimeOut, Vulture, and more.Comedy and humor fansLiterary enthusiasts and fans of comedy writing like David Sedaris and Gary JanettiShort story and essay collection readersQueer Icons and Their Cats
By Alison Nastasi, Pj Nastasi. 2021
These cat lovers are out and purr-oud!Freddie Mercury, Sylvia Rivera, Alison Bechdel, Dusty Springfield. This book is a celebration of…
queer icons of the past and present and their furry feline friends. From images of lost legends such as Josephine Baker and James Baldwin, to snapshots of contemporary trailblazers like comedian Tig Notaro and fashion designer Jason Wu—these charming and eccentric photographs capture what it truly means to be a cat purr-son.• PURR-FECT FOR CAT LOVERS: This book celebrates the love between human and cat. What better gift could you get the feline fancier in your life?• AMEWSING ANECDOTES AND IMPAWTENT MOMENTS: Learn about the lives of the queer heroes who came before us and those who are still fighting for equality and inclusion. We're not kitten around—with watershed moments like the Stonewall riots and sweet stories of domestic bliss, this book will both entertain and inspire you.• PHOTOS WITH CATITUDE: In these purr-ecious photographs, you'll get to see your heroes in unguarded moments expressing love for their pets. This collection of images will bring joy to any cat lover's heart.Perfect for: • LGBTQIA+ cat lovers and the people who shop for them• Anyone interested in learning more about influential queer figures—and their pets!The Male Gazed: On Hunks, Heartthrobs, and What Pop Culture Taught Me About (Desiring) Men
By Manuel Betancourt. 2023
Featuring deep dives into thirst traps, drag queens, Antonio Banderas, and telenovelas—all in the service of helping us reframe how…
we talk about (desiring) men—this insightful memoir-in-essays is as much a coming of age as a coming out bookManuel Betancourt has long lustfully coveted masculinity—in part because he so lacked it. As a child in Bogotá, Colombia, he grew up with the social pressure to appear strong, manly, and, ultimately, straight. And yet in the films and television he avidly watched, Betancourt saw glimmers of different possibilities. From the stars of telenovelas and the princes of Disney films to pop sensation Ricky Martin and teen heartthrobs in shows like Saved By the Bell, he continually found himself asking: Do I want him or do I want to be him?The Male Gazed grapples with the thrall of masculinity, examining its frailty and its attendant anxieties even as it focuses on its erotic potential. Masculinity, Betancourt suggests, isn&’t suddenly ripe for deconstruction—or even outright destruction—amid so much talk about its inherent toxicity. Looking back over decades&’ worth of pop culture&’s attempts to codify and reframe what men can be, wear, do, and desire, this book establishes that to gaze at men is still a subversive act.Written in the spirit of Hanif Abdurraqib and Olivia Laing, The Male Gazed mingles personal anecdotes with cultural criticism to offer an exploration of intimacy, homoeroticism, and the danger of internalizing too many toxic ideas about masculinity as a gay man.Lesbian Love Story: A Memoir In Archives
By Amelia Possanza. 2023
Finalist for the Lambda Literary AwardsFor readers of Saidiya Hartman and Jeanette Winterson, Lesbian Love Story is an intimate journey…
into the archives—uncovering the romances and role models written out of history and what their stories can teach us all about how to loveWhen Amelia Possanza moved to Brooklyn to build a life of her own, she found herself surrounded by queer stories: she read them on landmark placards, overheard them on the pool deck when she joined the world&’s largest LGBTQ swim team, and even watched them on TV in her cockroach-infested apartment. These stories inspired her to seek out lesbians throughout history who could become her role models, in romance and in life.Centered around seven love stories for the ages, this is Possanza&’s journey into the archives to recover the personal histories of lesbians in the twentieth century: who they were, how they loved, why their stories were destroyed, and where their memories echo and live on. Possanza&’s hunt takes readers from a drag king show in Bushwick to the home of activists in Harlem and then across the ocean to Hadrian&’s Library, where she searches for traces of Sappho in the ruins. Along the way, she discovers her own love—for swimming, for community, for New York City—and adds her record to the archive.At the heart of this riveting, inventive history, Possanza asks: How could lesbian love help us reimagine care and community? What would our world look like if we replaced its foundation of misogyny with something new, with something distinctly lesbian?Albert Brooks: Interviews (Conversations with Filmmakers Series)
By Alexander Greenhough. 2024
Albert Brooks: Interviews brings together fourteen profiles of and conversations with Brooks (b. 1947), in which he contemplates, expounds upon,…
and hilariously jokes about the connections between his show business upbringing, an ambivalence about the film industry, the nature of fame and success, and the meaning and purpose of comedy. Throughout all these encounters, Brooks expresses an unwavering commitment to his own artistic expression as a filmmaker and a rejection of mainstream conventions. With his questioning and critical disposition, nothing seems certain for Albert Brooks except for the integrity of art and the necessity for a wry skepticism about the incongruities of everyday life in corporate America. Brooks is neither a Hollywood insider nor an outsider. He’s somewhere in-between. Since the early 1970s, this inimitable actor-writer-director has incisively satirized the mass media system from within. After initial work as an inventive comedian, both live and on network television, Brooks contributed six shorts to the first season of Saturday Night Live, which earned him a cult following for their avant-garde form and sensibility. These were followed by his feature debut, Real Life, the first of only seven films—including Modern Romance, Lost in America, and Defending Your Life—that Brooks has directed to date. His limited output reflects not only the difficulty in financing idiosyncratic films, but equally the exacting seriousness which Brooks has in making audiences laugh and think at the same time.Jean Peters: Hollywood's Mystery Girl (Hollywood Legends Series)
By Michelangelo Capua. 2024
From 1947 to 1955, Jean Peters (1926–2000) appeared in films opposite such Hollywood leading men as Tyrone Power, Marlon Brando,…
Burt Lancaster, Spencer Tracy, Richard Widmark, and Robert Wagner, as well as international stars including Louis Jourdan and Rossano Brazzi. Despite her talent and status, Peters eschewed the star-studded lifestyle of 1950s Hollywood, turning down roles that were “too sexy” and refusing to socialize with other actors, discuss her private life in the press, or lead the glamorous lifestyle often associated with her peers. She was seen as a mystery to reporters, who constantly tried to discover tidbits about her personal life.In 1957, her marriage to Howard Hughes led to her retirement from acting and her further withdrawal from social events in Hollywood. Instead, she shifted her attention to charitable work, arts and crafts, and university studies in psychology and anthropology. Her status as an enigma only grew as she agreed never to speak of her marriage with Hughes. After her divorce, however, Peters attempted to resume her acting career in television but never regained her previous level of stardom. Jean Peters: Hollywood's Mystery Girl grants an in-depth analysis of each of her nineteen films and is enriched by several high-quality photographs from the author’s personal collection.The Daddy Diaries: The Year I Grew Up
By Andy Cohen. 2023
The Instant New York Times Bestseller!New York Times bestselling author Andy Cohen goes from bottle service to baby bottles in…
a hilarious, heartwarming, and name-dropping account of the most important year of his life.Andy Cohen has taken on the most important job of his life—father— and boy (and girl!) does he have a lot to say about it!One of Andy Cohen’s most momentous years starts off with a hangover the morning after an epic New Year’s Eve broadcast. But Andy doesn’t have time to dwell on the drama, as his role as media mogul is now matched with the responsibilities, joys, and growing pains of parenthood.This fast-paced, mile-a-minute look behind the scenes of living the so-called glamorous life in Manhattan now takes firm aim at life at home. With a three-year-old son, Ben, and a daughter, Lucy, born in May, stories of late-night parties are replaced by early mornings with Ben, drama at the play-ground, and the musings of a single dad trying to navigate having it all. All this is set against the backdrop of constant Housewives drama, hijinks behind the scenes at Watch What Happens Live, a revolving door of famous faces, and a worried mother (and newly minted grandmother) in St. Louis.Buckle up, bottle up, and get ready for a laugh-out-loud and surprisingly poignant look at the ways in which family changes everything and the superficial gets very real. Watch what happens!The World Is Yours: The Story of Scarface
By Glenn Kenny. 2024
The behind-the-scenes story of the iconic film Scarface, featuring new interviews with the cast and crew. An unflinching confrontation of humanity&’s…
dark side, Brian De Palma&’s crime drama film Scarface gave rise to a cultural revolution upon its release in 1983. Its impact was unprecedented, making globe-spanning waves as a defining portrait of the gritty Miami street life. From Al Pacino&’s masterful characterization of Tony Montana to the iconic &“Say hello to my little friend,&” Scarface maintains its reputation as an unwavering game changer in cult classic cinema. With brand-new interviews and untold stories of the film&’s production, longtime film critic Glenn Kenny takes us on an unparalleled journey through the making of American depictions of crime. The World Is Yours highlights the influential characters and themes within Scarface, reflecting on how its storied legacy played such a major role in American culture.Grief: A Guided Workbook to Help You Heal
By Christopher Spriggs. 2024
With comforting advice and supportive activities, Grief: A Guided Workbook to Help You Heal is a comforting companion to help…
you make sense of your feelings after experiencing loss. If you're dealing with grief, you may feel isolated and alone, but this book is here to offer you support through each step of this personal journey.Life has plenty of challenges, and it's normal to feel anxious from time to time. But when social anxiety starts…
to affect your day-to-day life, it's time to take action. This friendly guide will help you take the steps toward managing your social anxiety and provide the tools you need to approach every social situation with confidence.Performance: An electrifying memoir from the dark heart of London's Soho
By Ruth Ivo. 2024
'Stunning . . . a love letter to the aliveness of London and its nightlife' SOPHIE MACKINTOSH'A wild night of…
a book' OCTAVIA BRIGHTAs 'Ruby', Ruth Ivo was a successful burlesque performer, living in blissful bohemian squalor on a decommissioned military boat and spending her evenings unfolding from a Fabergé egg in various London clubs. Her life changes when she is asked to become show director at 'The Club', a place as secretive as it is notorious. Before long, she's trawling Soho back streets for props and knocking back shots with movie stars and billionaires. But as her nights unravel in a maelstrom of glamour and chaos behind the scenes, she feels her grasp on reality slipping through her fingers, and her soul wrung out by decadence. Under pressure to produce shows each more shocking than the last, she watches the performers under her care contort themselves before baying crowds. When a devastating event leaves her unmoored, Ruby has to wonder if she's sold her soul to the devil . . . or become him. Performance is a visceral and exquisitely written portrait of a place that has come to embody the excesses of late capitalism; of tumbling willingly down the rabbit hole, only to lose yourself in the dark.______'Performance is theatrical, immersive and utterly heartbreaking. An astonishing debut' CHRISTIE WATSON'A story this addictive, it's hard not to consume it in one go' RHYANNON STYLES'I devoured this book in two days, all of its twisting corners and dark alleyways. I know Soho like the back of my hand and this brought that lost world back in vivid colours' JODIE HARSHPerformance: An electrifying memoir from the dark heart of London's Soho
By Ruth Ivo. 2024
'Stunning . . . a love letter to the aliveness of London and its nightlife' SOPHIE MACKINTOSH'A wild night of…
a book' OCTAVIA BRIGHTAs 'Ruby', Ruth Ivo was a successful burlesque performer, living in blissful bohemian squalor on a decommissioned military boat and spending her evenings unfolding from a Fabergé egg in various London clubs. Her life changes when she is asked to become show director at 'The Club', a place as secretive as it is notorious. Before long, she's trawling Soho back streets for props and knocking back shots with movie stars and billionaires. But as her nights unravel in a maelstrom of glamour and chaos behind the scenes, she feels her grasp on reality slipping through her fingers, and her soul wrung out by decadence. Under pressure to produce shows each more shocking than the last, she watches the performers under her care contort themselves before baying crowds. When a devastating event leaves her unmoored, Ruby has to wonder if she's sold her soul to the devil . . . or become him. Performance is a visceral and exquisitely written portrait of a place that has come to embody the excesses of late capitalism; of tumbling willingly down the rabbit hole, only to lose yourself in the dark.______'Performance is theatrical, immersive and utterly heartbreaking. An astonishing debut' CHRISTIE WATSON'A story this addictive, it's hard not to consume it in one go' RHYANNON STYLES'I devoured this book in two days, all of its twisting corners and dark alleyways. I know Soho like the back of my hand and this brought that lost world back in vivid colours' JODIE HARSHLook What You Made Me Do: The ultimate guide for Taylor Swift fans!
By Kat McKenna. 2024
THE MUST-HAVE HANDBOOK FOR TAYLOR SWIFT FANS, AND THE ONLY COMPANION YOU NEED FOR THE ERAS TOUR! What does it mean…
to be a FAN? If you're a Swiftie, you know that it takes commitment and dedication to be in a fandom. And there's nothing more rewarding than sourcing Taylor Swift news and updates, anticipating new music and meeting fellow fans. But fan culture today is more intense than ever, from trolling to stalkers to online warfare.So how did we get here? Discover the history of the first fandoms, the many Eras of Taylor Swift, the politics of celebrity and cancel culture, and above all: why being a fan is so special. Featuring interview with key Taylor Swift fans and celebrity culture icon DeuxMoi and the founder of Swiftogeddon, this book is the ultimate guide on how to be a fan.My My!: ABBA Through the Ages
By Giles Smith. 2024
&‘A lovely book – as bright, shiny and uplifting as an Abba hit&’ Daily Mail&‘[A] witty and affectionate account . . . It&’s…
not a stretch to say that, at its core, My My! is a book about time, death and the possibility of immortality&’ Sunday TimesMy My! The story of ABBA told through a selection of their greatest hits. This year is the fiftieth anniversary of Waterloo (the song, not the battle) – a seminal moment in pop history which saw Swedish sensation ABBA burst on to the international music scene. How is it that half a century later this seventies Eurovision act is bigger than ever – reaching listeners of all ages and spinning off into musicals, museums and holograms? Giles Smith, writer and music fan, sets out to find out why.My My! is a celebration of ABBA through the ages. It&’s one fan&’s way of saying: thank you for the music.On Wings of Words: The Extraordinary Life of Emily Dickinson
By Jennifer Berne. 2020
An inspiring and kid-accessible biography of one of the world's most famous poets.Emily Dickinson, who famously wrote "Hope is the…
thing with feathers that perches in the soul," is brought to life in this moving story. In a small New England town lives Emily Dickinson, a girl in love with small things—a flower petal, a bird, a ray of light, a word. In those small things, her brilliant imagination can see the wide world—and in her words, she takes wing. From celebrated children's author Jennifer Berne comes a lyrical and lovely account of the life of Emily Dickinson: her courage, her faith, and her gift to the world. With Dickinson's own inimitable poetry woven throughout, this lyrical biography is not just a tale of prodigious talent, but also of the power we have to transform ourselves and to reach one another when we speak from the soul.• Fantastic educational opportunity to share Emily Dickinson's story and poetry with young readers• An inspirational real-life story that will appeal to children and adults alike.• Jennifer Berne is the author of critically acclaimed children's biographies of Albert Einstein and Jacques Cousteau.Fans who enjoyed Emily Writes: Emily Dickinson and her Poetic Beginnings, Emily and Carlo, and Uncle Emily will love On Wings of Words.• Books for kids ages 5–8• Poetry for children• Biographies for childrenJennifer Berne is the award-winning author of the biographies Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau and On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein. She lives in Copake, New York.Becca Stadtlander is the illustrator of many children's and young adult publications, including Sleep Tight Farm. She was born and raised in Covington, Kentucky.Howard Stern Comes Again
By Howard Stern. 2017
Over his unrivaled four-decade career in radio, Howard Stern has interviewed thousands of personalities—discussing sex, relationships, money, fame, spirituality, and…
success with the boldest of bold-faced names. But which interviews are his favorites? It&’s one of the questions he gets asked most frequently. Howard Stern Comes Again delivers his answer.Rock stars and rap gods. Comedy legends and A-list actors. Supermodels and centerfolds. Moguls and mobsters. A president. This book is a feast of conversation and more, as between the lines Stern offers his definitive autobiography—a magnum opus of confession and personal exploration. Tracy Morgan opens up about his near-fatal car crash. Lady Gaga divulges her history with cocaine. Madonna reminisces on her relationship with Tupac Shakur. Bill Murray waxes philosophical on the purpose of life. Jerry Seinfeld offers a master class on comedy. Harvey Weinstein denies the existence of the so-called casting couch. An impressive array of creative visionaries weigh in on what Stern calls &“the climb&”—the stories of how they struggled and eventually prevailed. As he writes in the introduction, &“If you&’re having trouble finding motivation in life and you&’re looking for that extra kick in the ass, you will find it in these pages.&” Interspersed throughout are rare selections from the Howard Stern Show archives with Donald Trump that depict his own climb: transforming from Manhattan tabloid fixture to reality TV star to president of the United States. Stern also tells of his Moby Dick-like quest to land an interview with Hillary Clinton in the run-up to the 2016 election—one of many newly written revelations from the author. He speaks with extraordinary candor about a variety of subjects, including his overwhelming insecurity early in his career, his revolutionary move from terrestrial radio to SiriusXM, and his belief in the power of psychotherapy. As Stern insightfully notes in the introduction: &“The interviews collected here represent my best work and show my personal evolution. But they don&’t just show my evolution. Gathered together like this, they show the evolution of popular culture over the past quarter century.&”Apparently There Were Complaints: A Memoir
By Sharon Gless. 2021
Emmy Award–winning actress Sharon Gless tells all in this laugh-out-loud, juicy, &“unforgettably memorable&” (Lily Tomlin) memoir about her five decades…
in Hollywood, where she took on some of the most groundbreaking roles of her time.Anyone who has seen Sharon Gless act in Cagney & Lacey, Queer as Folk, Burn Notice, and countless other shows and movies, knows that she&’s someone who gives every role her all. She holds nothing back in Apparently There Were Complaints, a hilarious, deeply personal memoir that spills all about Gless&’s five decades in Hollywood. A fifth-generation Californian, Sharon Gless knew from a young age that she wanted to be an actress. After some rocky teenage years that included Sharon&’s parents&’ divorce and some minor (and not-so-minor) rebellion, Gless landed a coveted spot as an exclusive contract player for Universal Studios. In 1982, she stepped into the role of New York Police Detective Christine Cagney for the series Cagney & Lacey, which eventually reached an audience of 30 million weekly viewers and garnered Gless with two Emmy Awards. The show made history as the first hour-long drama to feature two women in the leading roles. Gless continued to make history long after Cagney & Lacey was over. In 2000, she took on the role of outrageous Debbie Novotny in Queer as Folk. Her portrayal of a devoted mother to a gay son and confidant to his gay friends touched countless hearts and changed the definition of family for millions of viewers. Apparently There Were Complaints delves into Gless&’s remarkable career and explores Gless&’s complicated family, her struggles with alcoholism, and her fear of romantic commitment as well as her encounters with some of Hollywood&’s biggest names. Brutally honest and incredibly relatable, Gless puts it all out on the page in the same way she has lived—never with moderation.Agent Josephine: American Beauty, French Hero, British Spy
By Damien Lewis. 2022
The New Yorker, Best Books of 2022 Vanity Fair, Best Books of 2022 Booklist, Best Books of 2022 Singer. Actress.…
Beauty. Spy. During WWII, Josephine Baker, the world's richest and most glamorous entertainer, was an Allied spy in Occupied France. Prior to World War II, Josephine Baker was a music-hall diva renowned for her singing and dancing, her beauty and sexuality; she was the highest-paid female performer in Europe. When the Nazis seized her adopted city, Paris, she was banned from the stage, along with all &“negroes and Jews.&” Yet instead of returning to America, she vowed to stay and to fight the Nazi evil. Overnight, she went from performer to Resistance spy. In Agent Josephine, bestselling author Damien Lewis uncovers this little-known history of the famous singer&’s life. During the war years, as a member of the French Nurse paratroopers—a cover for her spying work—Baker participated in numerous clandestine activities and emerged as a formidable spy. In turn, she was a hero of the three countries in whose name she served—the US, France, and Britain. Drawing on a plethora of new historical material and rigorous research, including previously undisclosed letters and journals, Lewis upends the conventional story of Josephine Baker, explaining why she fully deserves her unique place in the French Panthéon.Journalism from Print to Platform: The Impossible Shift from Analog to Digital (ISSN)
By Robert Hassan. 2024
Through a synthesis of philosophical anthropology and media theory, this book examines the human relationship with technology, progressing from analogue…
to digital, to give a new perspective on journalism in the digital age.Journalism from Print to Platform takes a fresh look at the relationship between journalism as a craft shaped by its tools and considers anew the tools themselves. This book demonstrates that, with the emergence of digitality, what analogue print culture made possible and seemingly “natural” has now become unworkable. Digital logic constitutes a wholly different category of technology with a framework that makes fidelity in one-to-one exchange of analogue-to-digital in communication problematic. In short, the technology-based forms and practices that journalism developed as a fourth estate/public sphere enabler are, like us, irreducibly analog. Whilst we have mostly assumed that these would either adapt to or carry over with the shift to digitality, this book challenges that assumption and considers the important consequences of that realisation for the practice of journalism today.This challenging study is an insightful resource for students and scholars in journalism, media and technology studies.