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Popular Culture September 2018
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Raw: My Journey into the Wu-Tang
by Lamont U-God Hawkins
What it is: a gritty and fast-paced memoir from a founding member of the influential hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, chronicling his early life of poverty and drug dealing in Staten Island, the evolution and disbanding of the Wu-Tang Clan, and his prison sentences and struggles with mental illness.
Read it for: Lamont U-God Hawkins' vivid, detailed storytelling.
Did you know? 2018 marks the 25th anniversary of the group's first album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).
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| You're on an Airplane: A Self-Mythologizing Memoir by Parker PoseyWhat it is: the quirky debut memoir from "Queen of Indie Film" Parker Posey, best known for her roles in Christopher Guest mockumentaries.
What's inside: family recipes, handmade photo collages, showbiz anecdotes, and advice from Posey's therapist.
Want a taste? "I'm not great at being a movie star. It's either too boring or too much work." |
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| Why To Kill a Mockingbird Matters: What Harper Lee's Book and America's Iconic Film Mean... by Tom SantopietroWhat it is: a concise, affectionate history charting the enduring cultural legacy of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and its Academy Award-winning film adaptation.
Did you know? Before Gregory Peck was cast, Bing Crosby, Rock Hudson, and Spencer Tracy were all considered for the role of Atticus Finch.
Try this next: Atticus Finch: The Biography by Joseph Crespino. |
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Planet funny : how comedy took over our culture
by Ken Jennings
What it is: a history of humor—from fart jokes on clay Sumerian tablets all the way up to the latest Twitter memes—that tells the story of how comedy came to rule the modern world.
What's inside: graphs!
You might also like: Pops by Michael Chabon, Failure Is An Option: An Attempted Memoir by H. Jon Benjamin, Hits and Misses: Stories by Simon Rich
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Mother American Night : My Life in Crazy Times
by John Perry Barlow
What it is: the remarkable life story of the lyricist and political campaign manager, describing his upbringing among elite Wyoming ranchers, his vigorous advocacy of internet freedoms and his relationships with figures ranging from Jerry Garcia to Steve Jobs.
Read it for: Barlow's rich talent for story-telling.
Want a taste? "Wyoming is a one-class state, and if you think you're better than someone else, they will tell you to your face you're wrong."
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| Crazy Is My Superpower: How I Triumphed by Breaking Bones, Breaking Hearts.... by AJ Mendez BrooksWhat it's about: In this inspiring and upbeat memoir, three-time WWE champion A.J. Brooks chronicles how she survived an impoverished childhood rife with family dysfunction to become an empowered "real-life superhero" in a male-dominated industry.
Read it for: Brooks' unflinching, behind-the-scenes look at the oft-brutal world of professional wrestling; her motivational directive for readers to stay true to themselves. |
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| Yes: My Improbable Journey to the Main Event of WrestleMania by Daniel Bryan with Craig TelloWhat it is: an engaging, conversational memoir of Daniel Bryan's unlikely ascent to WWE stardom, hindered by his being "undersized" and his disinterest in fame and fortune.
Art alert: flip-book style animations add a whimsical touch to the lower corners of the book's pages.
About the author: Outside the ring, Bryan is an avid supporter of environmental advocacy and was named PETA'S Most Animal-Friendly Athlete of 2012. |
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| Carry On: A Story of Resilience, Redemption, and an Unlikely Family by Lisa FennWhat it's about: Leroy Sutton lost his legs after a childhood train accident; Dartanyon Crockett is legally blind. The two formed a brotherly bond while wrestling for their Cleveland high school team. When ESPN producer Lisa Fenn saw their story in a newspaper article, no one could predict the effect these three would end up having on each other's lives.
For fans of: Moving sports stories like Friday Night Lights and The Blind Side. |
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| Foxcatcher: The True Story of My Brother's Murder, John du Pont's Madness, and... by Mark Schultz with David ThomasWhat it's about: the fraught relationship that brothers and Olympic gold medalists Mark and Dave Schultz had with self-styled coach and eccentric du Pont family heir John du Pont, culminating in the shooting death of Dave by John in 1996.
Want a taste? "We were his newest trophies...and we were more fun to play with than his seashells and birds because we were collectibles that he could manipulate."
Media buzz: Foxcatcher is the basis of the Academy Award-nominated film of the same name. |
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| The Squared Circle : Life, Death and Professional Wrestling by David ShoemakerWhat it is: an eye-opening history of professional wrestling, from its sideshow origins in the late 1800s to its breakthrough during the beginnings of the television industry.
Is it for you? Adventurous readers and fans of Chuck Klosterman's cultural histories will appreciate this deep dive into ringside life.
Further reading: Sisterhood of the Squared Circle: The History and Rise of Women's Wrestling by Pat Laprade and Dan Murphy. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books! |
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Forsyth County Public Library 660 West Fifth Street Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27101 336-703-2665www.forsythlibrary.org |
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