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Biography and MemoirMay 2016
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"You should always go to other people's funerals; otherwise, they won't come to yours." ~ Yogi Berra (1925-2015), Baseball player
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| Until We Are Free: My Fight for Human Rights in Iran by Shirin EbadiIranian lawyer Shirin Ebadi was the first Muslim woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Now living in exile, she details the abuse she suffered under Iran's government as a result of her defense of women's and children's rights. Iran's extremist leadership had already tried to suppress her work for years, but they escalated their tactics after she won the award in 2003. Though at first she refused to back down in the face of the government's pressures, she finally went into exile so she could continue speaking out. This "suspenseful, evocative" (Publishers Weekly) memoir reveals not only Ebadi's courage, but the lengths to which totalitarian governments will go to preserve their illegitimate power. |
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In other words by Jhumpa LahiriFrom the best-selling author and Pulitzer Prize winner (Interpreter of Maladies), a powerful nonfiction debut--an "honest, engaging, and very moving account of a writer searching for herself in words." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred)
In Other Words is a revelation. It is at heart a love story--of a long and sometimes difficult courtship, and a passion that verges on obsession: that of a writer for another language. For Jhumpa Lahiri, that love was for Italian, which first captivated and capsized her during a trip to Florence after college. Although Lahiri studied Italian for many years afterward, true mastery always eluded her.
Seeking full immersion, she decides to move to Rome with her family, for "a trial by fire, a sort of baptism" into a new language and world. There, she begins to read, and to write--initially in her journal--solely in Italian. In Other Words, an autobiographical work written in Italian, investigates the process of learning to express oneself in another language, and describes the journey of a writer seeking a new voice.
Presented in a dual-language format, this is a wholly original book about exile, linguistic and otherwise, written with an intensity and clarity not seen since Vladimir Nabokov: a startling act of self-reflection and a provocative exploration of belonging and reinvention. Jhumpa Lahiri's website
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The rainbow comes and goes : a mother and son on life, love, and loss by Anderson Cooper A touching and intimate correspondence between Anderson Cooper and his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, offering timeless wisdom and a revealing glimpse into their lives Though Anderson Cooper has always considered himself close to his mother, his intensely busy career as a journalist for CNN and CBS affords him little time to spend with her. After she suffers a brief but serious illness at the age of ninety-one, they resolve to change their relationship by beginning a year-long conversation unlike any they had ever had before. The result is a correspondence of surprising honesty and depth in which they discuss their lives, the things that matter to them, and what they still want to learn about each other. Both a son's love letter to his mother and an unconventional mom's life lessons for her grown son, The Rainbow Comes and Goes offers a rare window into their close relationship and fascinating life stories, including their tragedies and triumphs. In these often humorous and moving exchanges, they share their most private thoughts and the hard-earned truths they've learned along the way. In their words their distinctive personalities shine through--Anderson's journalistic outlook on the world is a sharp contrast to his mother's idealism and unwavering optimism. An appealing memoir with inspirational advice, The Rainbow Comes and Goes is a beautiful and affectionate celebration of the universal bond between a parent and a child, and a thoughtful reflection on life, reminding us of the precious insight that remains to be shared, no matter our age.
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| The Most Wanted Man in China: My Journey from Scientist to Enemy of the State by Fang Lizhi; translated by Perry Link In 1957, physicist Fang Lizhi was sent for reeducation -- for the first of many occasions -- to a remote village farm. Through decades of political changes, China's leadership alternated between rehabilitating him and denouncing him. His open support for student free speech helped inspire the 1989 Tienanmen Square protests, after which the U.S. Embassy sheltered Fang and his wife for 13 months until they moved permanently to the U.S. Fang, who died in 2012, wrote this memoir during his stay in the embassy, and it's now finally appearing in print. A starred review in Kirkus Reviews praises its clear writing, "shimmering with intellectual honesty." |
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| Charlotte Brontë: A Fiery Heart by Claire HarmanCharlotte Brontë, born April 21, 1816, wrote one of the most enduring novels of her era, Jane Eyre. More often portrayed jointly with her sisters Anne and Emily, her individual life story receives a thorough review in this biography by writer and literary critic Claire Harman. Harman's chronicle traces Charlotte's love life, connecting it with the romantic passion she depicts in her novels. This account brings Charlotte to life, offering a thoughtful consideration of her character both for her novels' fans and for readers generally interested in British literature. |
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Focus on: May and June Birthdays
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| The One: The Life and Music of James Brown by RJ SmithMay 3, 1933. Musician James Brown, known as the Godfather of Soul, exerted a transformative impact on American popular music and African-American culture. In The One, journalist RJ Smith draws on over a hundred interviews with Brown's friends and associates to create a portrait of the man and his music, covering the Soul Brother's meteoric rise from poverty to the top of the charts. The New York Times named this a Notable Book of the Year for 1997; for more on Brown's life and character, don't miss James McBride's recent Kill 'em and Leave. |
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| Driving Mr. Yogi: Yogi Berra, Ron Guidry, and Baseball's Greatest Gift by Harvey AratonMay 12, 1925. While of course this book on beloved baseball Hall of Famer Yogi Berra has appeal for sports fans, we'd also like to recommend it to readers who are simply interested in touching tales of friendship. Though he retired from Major League Baseball in 1965, Berra returned to the Yankees' spring training every year starting in 1999, accompanied by former pitcher and close friend Ron Guidry. Along with anecdotes of their time together during these reunions, author Harvey Araton offers a nuanced portrayal of the complicated Berra, but this is first and foremost a "tribute to the days when teams should be considered families" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| Read My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat's Jewel Box by Madeleine AlbrightMay 15, 1937. In this unusual approach to autobiography, former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright reviews the historic and nostalgic significance of her many brooches. Her first use of jewelry to make a statement occurred when, as Ambassador to the U.N., she wore a gold snake to a meeting with Saddam Hussein's representatives after he had called her a serpent. From that moment, she made it a point to signal her opinions and feelings through her pins (a crab or a turtle might indicate frustration over interminable negotiations). Read My Pins is a witty, informative, and beautifully illustrated volume. |
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| Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg: The Letters by Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg; edited by Bill Morgan and David StanfordJune 3, 1926 (Allen Ginsberg). This enormous collection of letters between Beat writers Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac chronicles their friendship from when they met in 1944 to 1963, six years before Kerouac's death. Their correspondence reveals their love of language, views on literature and religion, and political stances, as well as personal struggles, tales of their travels, drug experimentation, and opinions on other Beat writers. Editors Bill Morgan and David Stanford provide few explanatory notes, allowing the writers to speak for themselves. For more from Ginsberg, check out I Greet You at the Beginning of a Great Career, a selection of his correspondence with Lawrence Ferlinghetti. |
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| Anne Frank: The Book, the Life, the Afterlife by Francine ProseJune 12, 1929. In Anne Frank, author Francine Prose offers a dual biography: that of Anne Frank herself and of The Diary of a Young Girl. Prose offers a compelling study of Frank's work, concluding that it's more a literary memoir than a girl's journal. In Prose's hands, Anne's biography clarifies the fact that she was developing a talent for writing before the Frank family went into hiding. Looking at the 1989 Critical Edition of the Diary as well as other information about the Amsterdam hiding place and the historical context, this "graceful tribute" (Kirkus Reviews) provides a renewed appreciation of Anne Frank. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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