|
Biography and Memoir June 2019
|
|
|
|
| Mama's Boy: A Story from Our Americas by Dustin Lance BlackWhat it's about: Dustin Lance Black's conservative Mormon upbringing in Texas and his complicated relationship with his mother, a headstrong polio and abuse survivor.
Author alert: LGBTQIA activist Black is the Academy Award-winning screenwriter of Milk.
Reviewers say: "terrifically moving" (Kirkus Reviews); "belongs in every library" (Booklist). |
|
| What My Mother and I Don't Talk About: Fifteen Writers Break the Silence by Michele Filgate (editor)What it is: a diverse collection of essays that illuminate the complicated relationships between the authors and their mothers.
Contributors include: Kiese Laymon, Alexander Chee, Carmen Maria Machado, and Nayomi Munaweera.
Is it for you? Haunting and lyrical, this anthology unflinchingly explores topics like abuse, estrangement, and mental illness. |
|
| Becoming Dr. Seuss: Theodor Geisel and the Making of an American Imagination by Brian Jay JonesWhat it is: a comprehensive and entertaining biography of ad man-turned-beloved children's book author and cartoonist Dr. Seuss.
Don't miss: the balanced appraisal of Seuss' legacy -- though he was known for championing causes like environmentalism, he also employed racial stereotypes in his works.
Who it's for: Seuss fans and lovers of page-turning biographies. |
|
| Butterfly: From Refugee to Olympian, My Story of Rescue, Hope, and Triumph by Yusra MardiniWhat it is: a moving account of swimmer Yusra Mardini's flight from war-torn Syria in 2015 and her subsequent asylum in Germany.
About the author: At age 18, Mardini was a member of the Refugee Olympic Athletes Team at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Reviewers say: "A rousing, exciting true story of remarkable resilience" (Kirkus Reviews). |
|
| A Curious Man: The Strange & Brilliant Life of Robert "Believe It or Not!" Ripley by Neal ThompsonWho it's about: eccentric playboy and cartoonist Robert Ripley, who parlayed his curiosity for all things weird into the successful multimedia empire "Believe It or Not!"
What's inside: chapter breaks interspersed with fun "Believe It!" facts.
Did you know? In his lifetime Ripley visited 150 countries, amassing oddities such as torture devices from around the world. |
|
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|
|
|
|