Biography in Context
This resource combines Gale biographies with related full-text articles from magazines and newspapers, thousands of images, and links to websites.

Grateful American : A Journey From Self to Service
by Gary Sinise

What it is: The Oscar-nominated actor shares the lesser-known story of his journey from a troublemaking Chicago youth to co-founder of the legendary Steppenwolf Theater Company and advocate for America's active-duty defenders, veterans and first responders.

Critics say: "Sinise continually emphasizes his humility, next to actual military personnel, as someone famous "merely for playing a part in a movie," yet his selfeffacing words belie the evident depth of his commitment to helping them, which marks this winningly earnest and unabashedly patriotic story. " (Publishers Weekly) 

Hollywood's Eve : Eve Babitz and the secret history of L.A.
by Lili Anolik

What it's about: A portrait of the Hollywood artist details the iconic photograph that catapulted Eve Babitz to notoriety, her high-profile affairs, her unheralded literary achievements, her years in seclusion and her recent re-emergence. By the author of Hollywood's Eve. 

Critics say: "Anolik admiringly looks at Babitz's life, even while revealing careless accidents, such as incurring third-degree burns trying to light a cigar while driving. Perfect for fans of Hollywood in its glory years, this is a biography energetically told. " (Publishers Weekly)

I.M. : a memoir
by Isaac Mizrahi

What it is: A memoir by the multifaceted pop culture icon includes coverage of his experiences as a gay youth in a Syrian Jewish Orthodox family, his education at LaGuardia High School for Performing Arts and the making of his documentary, Unzipped

Critics say:  "In luminous prose, Mizrahi chronicles not only the glamour-Liza Minnelli's wedding (she had four dress changes that "I hoped no one mistook any of them for mine") and nights at Studio 54-but also the low points of his life, such as his father's death and his own depression ("no matter how wonderful things are going, a lot of dark thinking manages to take hold"). This is a must-read for fashion fanatics." (Publishers Weekly)

Red Hot Mama : The Life of Sophie Tucker
by Lauren Rebecca Sklaroff

What it's about: The "First Lady of Show Business" and the "Last of the Red Hot Mamas," Sophie Tucker was a star in vaudeville, radio, film, and television. A gutsy, song-belting stage performer, she entertained audiences for sixty years and inspired a host of younger women, including Judy Garland, Carol Channing, and Bette Midler. Tucker was a woman who defied traditional expectations and achieved success on her own terms, becoming the first female president of the American Federation of Actors and winning many other honors usually bestowed on men.

Critics say: "Sklaroff does Tucker proud; this volume is a winner on every level that should find a well-deserved place in popular culture collections from the Borscht Belt to Tinseltown." (Library Journal, Starred Review) 

Ugly Prey : An Innocent Woman and The Death Sentence That Scandalized Jazz Age Chicago
by Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi

What it's about: "An Italian immigrant who spoke little English and struggled to scrape together a living on her primitive family farm outside Chicago, Sabella Nitti was arrested in 1923 for the murder of her missing husband. Within two months, she was found guilty and became the first woman ever sentenced to hang in Chicago. Journalist Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi leads readers through Sabella's sensational case, showing how, with no evidence and no witnesses, she was the target of an obsessed deputy sheriff and the victim of a faulty legal system.

Critics say: "The author’s inclusion of contemporary sensational Chicago trials helps readers place the importance of the case. VERDICT For lovers of historical true crime." (Library Journal)