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Popular Culture September 2020
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Generation Robot : A Century of Science Fiction, Fact, and Speculation
by Terri Favro
Generation Robot covers a century of science fiction, fact and, speculation—from the 1950 publication of Isaac Asimov’s seminal robot masterpiece, I, Robot, to the 2050 Singularity when artificial and human intelligence are predicted to merge.
Peppered with pop-culture fun-facts about Superman’s kryptonite, the human-machine relationships in the cult TV show Firefly, and the sexual and moral implications of the film Ex Machina, Generation Robot explores how the techno-triumphs and resulting anxieties of reality bleed into the fantasies of our collective culture.
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About Your Father and Other Celebrities I Have Known: Ruminations and Revelations from a Desperate Mother to Her Dirty Son
by Peggy Rowe
Peggy Rowe is at it again—this time giving a hilarious inside look at growing up Rowe, both before and after Mike’s rise to fame.
Since the day they said, “I do,” Peggy’s previous “doting” lifestyle met with her husband John’s minimalist ways and became the backdrop for years of adventure and a quirky sense of humor because of their differences. From thoughts of wearing headlamps in the house to save energy, to squeezing out the last drop of toothpaste with a workbench vise, Peggy learned to pick her battles and celebrate the hilarity in each situation.
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Me & Patsy Kickin' Up Dust : My Friendship with Patsy Cline
by Loretta Lynn
Loretta Lynn and the late Patsy Cline are legends--country icons and sisters of the heart. For the first time ever Loretta tells their story: a celebration of their music and their relationship up until Patsy's tragic and untimely death.
Full of laughter and tears, this eye-opening, heartwarming memoir paints a picture of two stubborn, spirited country gals who'd be damned if they'd let men or convention tell them how to be.
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| You Play the Girl: On Playboy Bunnies, Stepford Wives, Trainwrecks, & Other Mixed... by Carina ChocanoWhat it is: a witty and incisive collection exploring the limitations of pop culture portrayals of women characters.
What's inside: essays on Bewitched, the Real Housewives franchise, Sex and the City, Pretty Woman, Frozen, and many more.
Awards buzz: You Play the Girl won the 2017 National Book Critics Circle Award for Criticism. |
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| Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion by Jia TolentinoWhat it's about: the complexities and contradictions of American culture and identity.
Is it for you? Balancing wry humor with bleak insights, this 2019 New York Times Notable Book offers a well-researched collection of pieces that will resonate with New Yorker staff writer Jia Tolentino's fellow millennials.
Don't miss: "Reality TV Me," in which Tolentino reflects on her time as a contestant on a teen reality show competition. |
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| What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker: A Memoir in Essays by Damon YoungWhat it is: a candid collection of humorous and bittersweet musings on contemporary Black manhood.
Topics include: gentrification's impact on author Damon Young's Pittsburgh neighborhood; the relationships forged in barbershops and on basketball courts; the use (and misuse) of racial epithets.
Author alert: Debut author Young is the co-founder of the website Very Smart Brothas and a senior editor at The Root. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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