Terrion is a young boy who has become discouraged about his future in the city of Memphis, and then, he meets Charlie the Time Traveler. Charlie the Time Traveler's Mission is to change young Terrion's negative perspective by spotlighting the rich black culture of Memphis' past, present and future. ñCharlie The Time Travelerî is a poetic picture book that appeals to the reading level of middle grade youth. Charlie Crenshaw IV is an African-American writer, and the vision of this project sparked from the need to shine positive light and inject positive energy into Memphis youth.
Winner of the NAACP Image Award for Fiction From Kiese Laymon, author of the critically acclaimed memoir Heavy, comes a “funny, astute, searching” (The Wall Street Journal) debut novel about Black teenagers that is a satirical exploration of celebrity, authorship, violence, religion, and coming of age in post-Katrina Mississippi. Written in a voice that’s alternately humorous, lacerating, and wise, Long Division features two interwoven stories. In the first, it’s 2013: after an on-stage meltdown during a nationally televised quiz contest, fourteen-year-old Citoyen “City” Coldson becomes an overnight YouTube celebrity. The next day, he’s sent to stay with his grandmother in the small coastal community of Melahatchie, where a young girl named Baize Shephard has recently disappeared. Before leaving, City is given a strange book without an author called Long Division. He learns that one of the book’s main characters is also named City Coldson—but Long Division is set in 1985. This 1985-version of City, along with his friend and love interest, Shalaya Crump, discovers a way to travel into the future, and steals a laptop and cellphone from an orphaned teenage rapper called...Baize Shephard. They ultimately take these items with them all the way back to 1964, to help another time-traveler they meet to protect his family from the Ku Klux Klan. City’s two stories ultimately converge in the work shed behind his grandmother’s house, where he discovers the key to Baize’s disappearance. Brilliantly “skewering the disingenuous masquerade of institutional racism” (Publishers Weekly), this dreamlike “smart, funny, and sharp” (Jesmyn Ward), novel shows the work that young Black Americans must do, while living under the shadow of a history “that they only gropingly understand and must try to fill in for themselves” (The Wall Street Journal).
2018 Eureka! Nonfiction Children's Book Honor Award, presented by the California Reading Association When the rules kept Charlie Sifford from playing in the Professional Golf Association, he set out to change them. Charlie Sifford loved golf, but in the 1930's only white people were allowed to play in the Professional Golf Association. Sifford had won plenty of Black tournaments, but he was determined to break the color barrier in the PGA. In 1960 he did, only to face discrimination from hotels that wouldn't rent him rooms and clubs that wouldn't let him use the same locker as the white players. But Sifford kept playing, becoming the first Black golfer to win a PGA tournament and eventually ranking among the greats in golf.
In "Echoes Across the Tracks," author David C. Moravec weaves a tale of serendipity and human connection against the backdrop of a bustling New Orleans train station. Charlie, a seasoned business consultant, finds himself at a crossroads when his flight to Chicago is unexpectedly canceled. What follows is a captivating narrative of chance encounters, heartfelt conversations, and the unexpected twists of fate that shape our lives. One of the novel's greatest strengths lies in its richly drawn characters, each with their own unique backstory and motivations. Aura's journey from war-torn Uganda to the vibrant streets of New Orleans serves as a poignant reminder of the resilience of the human spirit, while Jackson's quest for employment highlights the universal struggles of hope and perseverance. At its core, "Echoes Across the Tracks" is a celebration of the power of human connection and the profound impact that chance encounters can have on our lives. As Charlie navigates the uncertainties of travel delays and unexpected detours, he learns valuable lessons about empathy, compassion, and the importance of seizing the moment. One of the novel's most compelling aspects is its exploration of memory and nostalgia, as Charlie reflects on his past experiences and the people who have shaped his life. The author skillfully weaves together multiple threads of narrative, seamlessly blending Charlie's present-day journey with glimpses of his past. Through flashbacks and introspective moments, readers gain insight into Charlie's character and the experiences that have shaped him into the person he is today. With its evocative prose, vivid characterizations, and thought-provoking themes, "Echoes Across the Tracks " is a poignant and captivating novel that will linger in the minds of readers long after they've reached the final destination. Whether you're a fan of literary fiction, business self-help books or simply enjoy a well-crafted story, this book is sure to leave a lasting impression. Podcast - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnYcZ-LySDY About the author: David C. Moravec is an accomplished business leader with over 40 years of experience in a variety of industries, including educational technology and printing. A Chicago native transplanted in Cincinnati, Dave’s consultative approach to fractional sales management and chamber of commerce growth has him in high demand as a respected speaker, storyteller, and entrepreneurial therapist. Dave currently serves as President and CEO of the Colerain Chamber of Commerce and consults with clients as Sales Manager for Rent. www.SalesManagerForRent.com
As in so many other areas of American society, the political legacy of Ronald Reagan had an imposing presence in many contemporary American films, particularly between 1980 and 2000. Six films, which collectively represent the spectrum of Reaganism’s most popular tropes, demonstrate quite compellingly that in celebrating nostalgically the blissful pleasantries of family stability and social order so essential to Reagan’s political philosophy, an unsettling and unsatisfying mythology has been created about a period in which many Americans were acutely aware that something was missing, even if they could not pinpoint it at the time. This leads the critical viewer to largely unacknowledged subtexts in all six films that begin to reveal the contradictions, incoherencies, and paradoxes rooted in popular Reaganesque portrayals. Utilising a detailed qualitative case study methodology, this book incorporates theoretical foundations that expand upon Fairclough’s path-breaking research on media discourse and Todorov’s broadly articulated framework of fantasy in order to explore: 1) Which elements of Fairclough’s framework for critical discourse analysis can be applied to explore the discursive structures within these American fantasy films? 2) How far do the films follow Reaganist concepts of a “new” American society? 3) How far do notions of the “fantastic” and postmodern concepts break with common patterns of Reaganism reflected in these films? While many critics rightly cite the numerous elements in these films that appear to reinforce fundamental message points underlying Reaganism, this study demonstrates how the films’ characters and plot lines also serve to reveal the inherent and irreconcilable incoherence of the sociopolitical and sociocultural tenets of Reaganism.
THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Elvis Presley’s fiancée and last love tells her story and sets the record straight in this deeply personal memoir that reveals what really happened in the final years of the King of Rock n' Roll. Elvis Presley and Graceland were fixtures in Ginger Alden’s life; after all, she was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. But she had no idea that she would play a part in that enduring legacy. For more than three decades Ginger has held the truth of their relationship close to her heart. Now she shares her unique story… In her own words, Ginger details their whirlwind romance—from first kiss to his stunning proposal of marriage. And for the very first time, she talks about the devastating end of it all and the fifty thousand mourners and reporters who descended on Graceland in 1977, exposing Ginger to the reality of living in the spotlight of a short yet immortal life. Above it all, Ginger rescues Elvis from the hearsay, rumors, and tabloid speculations of his final year by shedding a frank yet personal light on a very public legend. From a unique and intimate perspective, she reveals the man—complicated, romantic, fallible, and human—behind the myth, a superstar worshipped by millions and loved by Ginger Alden. INCLUDES PHOTOS
An explosive exposé of America’s lost prosperity by Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Charlie LeDuff “One cannot read Mr. LeDuff's amalgam of memoir and reportage and not be shaken by the cold eye he casts on hard truths . . . A little gonzo, a little gumshoe, some gawker, some good-Samaritan—it is hard to ignore reporting like Mr. LeDuff's.” —The Wall Street Journal “Pultizer-Prize-winning journalist LeDuff . . . writes with honesty and compassion about a city that’s destroying itself–and breaking his heart.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “A book full of both literary grace and hard-won world-weariness.” —Kirkus Back in his broken hometown, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Charlie LeDuff searches the ruins of Detroit for clues to his family’s troubled past. Having led us on the way up, Detroit now seems to be leading us on the way down. Once the richest city in America, Detroit is now the nation’s poorest. Once the vanguard of America’s machine age—mass-production, blue-collar jobs, and automobiles—Detroit is now America’s capital for unemployment, illiteracy, dropouts, and foreclosures. With the steel-eyed reportage that has become his trademark, and the righteous indignation only a native son possesses, LeDuff sets out to uncover what destroyed his city. He beats on the doors of union bosses and homeless squatters, powerful businessmen and struggling homeowners and the ordinary people holding the city together by sheer determination. Detroit: An American Autopsy is an unbelievable story of a hard town in a rough time filled with some of the strangest and strongest people our country has to offer.
Parker Dozhier has led a very interesting life as a freelance writer, book author, lecturer, trapper, fur buyer, consultant, fur broker, and fishing camp operator. His vast knowledge of the fur industry, both on a national and international scale, is unrivaled. While Pelts is a fictitious novel centering around the many ups and downs of the intriguing worldwide raw fur industry, much of it is based upon his experiences and observations while traveling the globe as a fur broker and consultant. His travels have taken him to China, Korea, Canada, and Africa. Dozhier negotiated the fi rst export of North American furs to Mainland China since the Communist takeover in 1949. Parker lives near Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is currently working on a sequel to Pelts. His fi rst book, Death in the Desert (involving those in the fur trade), has been widely read and received favorable reviews.
