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Popular Culture March 2021
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| Walking with Ghosts by Gabriel ByrneWhat it is: celebrated Irish actor Gabriel Byrne's humble and intimate memoir detailing his working-class origins and his 40-year career.
Topics include: Byrne's childhood spent in seminary school, which he left after he was molested by a priest; how alcoholism spurred his complicated relationship with fame.
Book buzz: Byrne's lyrical writing style has earned him comparisons to Irish literary icons James Joyce and Seamus Heaney. |
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Let me tell you what I mean
by Joan Didion
A volume of 12 previously uncollected early pieces shares insights into the author's evolving literary style and includes reflections on such topics as a Gamblers Anonymous meeting, a Vegas WWI veteran reunion and a visit to San Simeon
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| True Believer: The Rise and Fall of Stan Lee by Abraham RiesmanWhat it is: a well-researched biography of Marvel Comics icon Stan Lee.
What sets it apart: Abraham Riesman's illuminating portrait offers fresh insights on Lee's troubled family relationships, failed business dealings, and authorship disputes with artists Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby.
Reviewers say: "This detailed, clear-eyed examination pulls back the curtain on one of America's great storytellers and is sure to reignite debates over Lee's legacy" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| Just As I Am by Cicely TysonWhat it is: an engaging memoir by iconic Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress Cicely Tyson, published just two days before her death in January at age 96.
Topics include: how Tyson broke barriers and combatted stereotypes in the entertainment industry, including being the first Black actress to wear her natural hair on TV and earning an Oscar nomination for 1972's Sounder, her first lead film role; her volatile relationship with Miles Davis, to whom she was married for eight years. |
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Yes please
by Amy Poehler
A first-person account by the Golden Globe-winning actress best known for her work on Parks and Recreation and Saturday Night Live includes coverage of such topics as her relationships with caregivers and her friendship with Tina Fey. Reprint. 300,000 first printing.
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| The Princess Diarist by Carrie FisherWhat it is: actress Carrie Fisher's self-deprecating behind-the-scenes account of making the first Star Wars movie at age 19.
Featuring: Fisher's earnest diary entries and poems written during the film's production, which reveal her crush on (and eventual affair with) co-star Harrison Ford; her present-day recollections on the relationship.
Want a taste? “If Harrison was unable to see that I had feelings for him (at least five, but sometimes as many as seven) then he wasn't as smart as I thought he was -- as I knew he was." |
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| Everything's Trash, But It's Okay by Phoebe Robinson; foreword by Ilana GlazerWhat it is: comedian Phoebe Robinson's irreverent follow-up to the New York Times bestselling You Can't Touch My Hair: And Other Things I Still Have to Explain.
Essays include: "The Top Ten Non-Trash Moments of My Life;" "Meeting Bono Twice Was My Reparations;" "How to Be Alone and Only Mildly Hate and Lukewarm Love It."
Try this next: For another freewheeling essay collection by a witty multi-hyphenate, try Samantha Irby's We Are Never Meeting in Real Life. |
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| Rabbit by Patricia WilliamsWhat it's about: comedian Patricia Williams' (aka "Ms. Pat") impoverished upbringing in 1980s Atlanta and her determination to find a better life for her own children.
For fans of: inspiring accounts of overcoming adversity that pull no punches, like Tiffany Haddish's The Last Black Unicorn.
Don't miss: Williams' caseworker offhandedly suggesting she turn to comedy when her criminal record made it difficult to find a job. |
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| Dear Girls: Intimate Tales, Untold Secrets & Advice for Living Your Best Life by Ali WongWhat is: an upbeat and unfiltered collection of letters addressed to comedian Ali Wong's toddler-age daughters, offering hard-won advice from her life on and off the stage.
Topics include: Wong's Vietnamese Chinese upbringing; early career failings; marriage and motherhood; hobnobbing with celebrities.
Reviewers say: "A down-to-earth collection that is raw but not irreverent" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Joliet Public Library Ottawa Street Branch: 150 N Ottawa St Black Road Branch: 3395 Black Rd Joliet, Illinois 815-740-2660www.jolietlibrary.org |
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