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Biography and Memoir April 2017
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| Steven Spielberg: A Life in Films by Molly HaskellIn this biography of award-winning filmmaker Steven Spielberg, acclaimed critic Molly Haskell relates his films' content to his Jewish background, his childhood, and his development as a director. An entry in the Yale University Press Jewish Lives series, this work highlights Judaism's impact on the director's work but emphasizes the films themselves, their impact on movie audiences, and Spielberg's mastery as a director. Whether you're a Spielberg fan, a movie buff, or just curious about the man behind Jaws, E.T., and Schindler's List, don't miss this up-to-date profile of an American cultural icon. |
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| Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin by Sybrina Fulton and Tracy MartinIn Rest in Power, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, Trayvon Martin's parents, chronicle their reactions to their son's death as they recount the details of his final days, the trial of the man who killed him, and subsequent events. They build a loving portrait of their son as they relate the memories of family and friends. Telling Trayvon's story in alternating chapters, they provide information that's missing from news reports and offer food for thought in the national controversy that followed this death and the subsequent deaths in Ferguson, MO, Charleston, SC, and other places. This is a "brave, heart-rending narrative," says Kirkus Reviews in a starred review. |
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| The Perpetual Now: A Story of Amnesia, Memory, and Love by Michael D. LemonickLonni Sue Johnson was a well-known artist, a musician, and a pilot, but encephalitis left her with total amnesia and the inability to retain new memories for longer than a few minutes. In The Perpetual Now, science journalist Michael Lemonick depicts Johnson before her illness and describes her present life -- she engages in word games and still plays the viola and draws. He also explores the brain science that explains her amnesia, which is similar to that of Patient H.M. (portrayed in Luke Dittrich's book by that name). This insightful narrative presents Johnson as a vibrant, interesting human being; Oliver Sacks' fans may appreciate Lemonick's humane approach to science. |
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| Six Encounters with Lincoln: A President Confronts Democracy and Its Demons by Elizabeth Brown PryorIn this thoroughly researched examination of incidents in Abraham Lincoln's presidency, historian Elizabeth Brown Pryor depicts six seldom-discussed events that demonstrate how he handled faux-pas and confronted political dilemmas. Drawn from the participants' reports recorded soon after the incidents, these anecdotes are unaffected by the hagiographic recollections of Lincoln after his assassination. Pryor uses them as lenses through which to view him as a complex, flawed human being, as well as tools for interpreting the conflicts arising from democracy itself. There may be more written about Lincoln than any other American figure, but Pryor presents new insights through these fascinating vignettes. |
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| Truffle Boy: My Unexpected Journey Through the Exotic Food Underground by Ian Purkayastha with Kevin WestAt age 15, Ian Purkayastha tasted his first wild morel while learning to forage mushrooms in the woods of his native Arkansas. Then he experienced truffle-stuffed ravioli, and he's never looked back. Starting a supply business reselling Italian truffles while still in high school, he then moved to New York with dreams of reaping huge profits. Though unscrupulous partners and competitors robbed him, he managed to buy back control of his company and now (at age 23) sells truffles and other wild-foraged edibles to high-end NYC restaurants. This "compelling, moving, and memorable" (Booklist) coming-of-age memoir informatively depicts a niche business, and it's enriched with recipes related to episodes in Purkayastha's life. |
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Madame President : the extraordinary journey of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
by Helene Cooper
A harrowing but triumphant portrait of the Liberian women's movement and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize shares insights into her early experiences as an abuse survivor, her imprisonments for defying her country's oppressive patriarchal rule and her significant humanitarian changes after winning the 2005 Liberian presidential election.
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Cheech is not my real name : but don't call me Chong!
by Cheech Marin
A long-awaited memoir by the counterculture legend describes his coming of age at a dynamic period in history, discussing how he formed one of the most successful comedy duos of all time, became representative of the recreational drug movement, forged a successful solo career and amassed a collection of renowned Chicano art. 75,000 first printing.
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SPRING into reading at ALPL! |
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Avon Lake Public Library 32649 Electric Blvd. Avon Lake, Ohio 44012 440-933-8128alpl.org |
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