|
Biography and Memoir October 2020
|
|
|
|
|
No way but to fight : George Foreman and the business of boxing
by Andrew R. M. Smith
A biography of the legendary boxer includes a look at how he fought his way out of poverty to become an Olympic gold medalist and two-time world heavyweight champion, as well as his transition to informercial and reality TV star.
|
|
|
The yellow house
by Sarah M. Broom
"A brilliant, haunting and unforgettable memoir from a stunning new talent about the inexorable pull of home and family, set in a shotgun house in New Orleans East."
|
|
|
Things I Learned from Falling by Claire Nelson An inspirational and gripping first-person account of determination, adversity and survival against the odds. Last year, Claire Nelson made international headlines. She was in her thirties and was beginning to burn out - her hectic London life of work and social activity and striving to do more and do better in the big city was frenetic and stressful. Although she was surrounded by people all of the time, she felt increasingly lonely. When the anxiety she felt finally brought her to breaking point, Claire decided to take some time off and travelled to Joshua Tree Park in California to hike and clear her head. What happened next was something she could never have anticipated. While hiking, Claire fell 9 m (30 feet), gravely injuring herself and she lay alone in the desert - mistakenly kilometres off any trail, without a cell phone signal, fighting for her life. She lay there for four days until she was miraculously rescued - the doctors saying she had only hours to live when she was eventually found. Claire tells her incredible story and what it taught her about loneliness, anxiety and transformation and how to survive it all.
|
|
|
Denali : a man, a dog, and the friendship of a lifetime by Ben MoonWhen Ben Moon moved to Oregon, he hadn't planned on getting a dog. But when he met the soulful gaze of a husky-pit bull cross pup in a rescue shelter, Ben instantly felt a connection, and his friendship with the extraordinary Denali was born. The two friends set out on the road together, on an adventure that would take them across the American West and through some of the best years of their lives. When Ben was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at age 29, Denali never once left his side until the two adventurers were back out surfing and climbing crags. It was only a short time later that Denali was struck by the same disease, and Ben had the chance to return the favor. With the help of a couple of filmmaker friends, Ben made a short film as a tribute to the dog he admits helped form him into an adult. It was a labour of love that struck a chord worldwide, viewed by more than 15 million people, and continues to touch new audiences. Denali is the story of a powerful friendship that shaped Ben and Denali's lives - and inspired countless others - showing the power of the strength and love that we give and receive when we have our friends by our side.
|
|
|
Rust : a memoir of steel and grit
by Eliese Colette Goldbach
Taking readers deep inside the mill and her Middle American upbringing, a steelworker at ArcelorMittal Steel in Cleveland, Ohio, shares how she found humanity and hope in the most unlikely and hellish of places.
|
|
| Crazy Brave by Joy HarjoWhat it is: a reflective memoir from Muscogee poet, musician, and Native Writers' Circle Lifetime Achievement Award winner Joy Harjo.
Topics include: the author's fraught family dynamics and single teenage motherhood; her schooling at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe.
What sets it apart: Harjo's candid, lyrical writing conveys the "intricate and metaphorical language of my ancestors." |
|
| Priestdaddy by Patricia LockwoodWhat it's about: When lapsed Catholic and prize-winning poet Patricia Lockwood and her husband fell on hard times, they moved back into the Kansas City rectory where Patricia grew up.
Featuring: Patricia's gun-toting, married priest father, content to live life wearing only his boxers; and her sweet but scatterbrained mother, whose devotion to the church doesn't keep her from making lewd jokes.
Is it for you? Lockwood's irreverent memoir of religion, family, and identity offers racy humor and eloquent reflections in equal measure. |
|
| The Argonauts by Maggie NelsonWhat it is: a 2015 New York Times Notable Book that offers a thought-provoking exploration of gender, sexuality, and parenthood.
What sets it apart: Poet Maggie Nelson's genre-defying, fourth-wall breaking memoir unfolds in fragments and incorporates poetry and quotes from noted gender theorists, philosophers, and psychologists.
Reviewers say: "A book that will challenge readers as much as the author has challenged herself" (Kirkus Reviews). |
|
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|
|
|
|