At age forty, Parker surrendered to her Swept Away meets Swiss Family Robinson fantasy of running an inn far from her home in the Pacific Northwest. For the next twenty-plus years Parker ran La Finca Caribe, an eco-lodge in Vieques, Puerto Rico. What started as a rough-and-tumble dream grew into a paradise enjoyed by guests from around the world. Sketchbook in hand, Parker chronicled her daily adventures living with the land. La Finca is a lively graphic memoir about a woman creating a new life amid countless challenges, including hurricanes that led her to reconsider everything. It is a story about trusting oneself, self-discovery, accepting disappointment and loss, and falling in love with a place.
This is a story of big goals and big dreams. Our hero, Corky Sandoval, a moderately talented surfer in the 1960s, dreams of riding epic waves and winning important surfing events. He and his best friend Gabe, who was born in Hawaii, travel from coast to coast finding adventure and occasionally good surf breaks along the way. Traveling with them is a budding journalist, the red headed vegetarian Abby Colter and a pup named Skipper. Abby kept the guys focused and Skipper mostly slept. Friendships are forged as the saga continues and life gets a bit more complicated as Corky and his traveling companions go on a “surfin surfari” that stretches from Florida to New England. Meanwhile, in present day, businessman Greg Priestly is planning some serious lifestyle changes and pitching his wife on joining him in a new adventure, one that would take them on a trip along that same coastline. Even with the different settings in time, Corky and Greg would cross paths in a most unusual way. All in all, a “Semi True Story”.
Corky lured me into his story of fame, addiction, lies and discovery of the only true path to freedom. In our world, athletes are “idols” – someone whom followers desire what they have. What we desperately need is “heroes” – someone we want to emulate. The transition, idol to hero, is a common challenge for all addicts. Each of us battles his own addictions; destructive behaviors that we cannot control. Addiction is loss of self. This is the story of Corky’s pain and acceptance by the One source of hope. If ever a life appeared wasted, it was Corky’s during the eighteen months I knew him. As a teenager in Newark, he perfected a deadly jump shot. His skill carried him to the Pistons and the Lakers. But first, he spent endless hours perfecting Newark city basketball moves as the only white kid in the neighborhood. He was compelled by an inner urge that guided him when and how to pass and when to shoot. Minimal notice was given to responsibility. For two years he set scoring records in junior college. Corky strutted into George Washington University. Coach Bill Reinhart molded a team that became champions of the Southern Conference ( Corky is still highest scorer for three-year players). He finished as game high scorer in the East vs West college All-star game in Madison Square Garden. It was 1955 and his picture appeared on the cover of Life magazine. After pro-basketball, Corky fell under a deadly addiction to gambling. His story is told through the memories of those who knew him. My own interaction with him opens the book. Walter ‘Corky’ Devlin lay comatose on a couch. I discovered him sleeping in a bipolar trance. Later, I would become fascinated by his pro basketball and fast lane experiences. I thought we became friends. But friendship requires differing contributions from its participants. Corky enlisted me as observer during his march to self-destruction. I served as willing accomplice. He boasted that he could, “See my soul.” During those days, I possessed limited understanding of what he revealed. Never trust a con. I knew nothing of compulsive gambling. I encouraged him to victimize me. Finally, penniless, he migrated to a monastery in Kentucky. Initially I planned to visit Corky to record his story on videotape. A fortuitous warning from a friend short-circuited my trip. Corky’s version of his life consistently fabricated facts. His death launched a posthumous search, which threatened my faith. I couldn’t accept writing write a life story risking a negative outcome. I solicited opinions and insights from those who knew him. Corky’s stories proved fraudulent – the creation of what he wanted me to find. I uncovered a complex mosaic of a soul struggling with addiction before surrendering – he admitted his lies. A few sources verified his accounts of basketball accomplishments at George Washington University. Corky starred on a renowned nationally ranked team. He constantly basked in his story of punching the villainous Hot Rod Hundley. He repeated that story for forty years. His punch proved only imagined. I spoke with players Hot Rod, Chuck Noble, Paul Arizin, Tom Gola and Zelda Spoelstra (at NBA Headquarters). Everyone liked charismatic Corky. Most gave him money. His gambling progressed into compulsion. He claimed that on the day his father died, he lost his wife to his best friend. Those traumas provided his trigger; neither incident proved true. Destructive gambling proved to be his real deal. He focused solely on his next bet feeling little regret for those he hurt. Corky’s younger brother, Bob, idolized players in the NBA. Bob enabled his brother’s addiction until Corky found Gethsemani, a Trappist monastery in Kentucky. Bob and his wife alone represented the family at Corky’s funeral. Jim Murray (1980 GM of the Philadelphia Eagles) and Corky were close friends. Jim founded the Ronald Mc
The seventies were a decade of groundbreaking horror films: The Exorcist, Carrie, and Halloween were three. This detailed filmography covers these and 225 more. Section One provides an introduction and a brief history of the decade. Beginning with 1970 and proceeding chronologically by year of its release in the United States, Section Two offers an entry for each film. Each entry includes several categories of information: Critical Reception (sampling both '70s and later reviews), Cast and Credits, P.O.V., (quoting a person pertinent to that film's production), Synopsis (summarizing the film's story), Commentary (analyzing the film from Muir's perspective), Legacy (noting the rank of especially worthy '70s films in the horror pantheon of decades following). Section Three contains a conclusion and these five appendices: horror film cliches of the 1970s, frequently appearing performers, memorable movie ads, recommended films that illustrate how 1970s horror films continue to impact the industry, and the 15 best genre films of the decade as chosen by Muir.
Former boxing legend Muhammad Ali, one of the best-known and best-loved celebrities and an international goodwill ambassador, offers inspiration and hope as he describes the spiritual philosophy that sustains him. “During my boxing career, you did not see the real Muhammad Ali. You just saw a little boxing. You saw only a part of me. After I retired from boxing my true work began. I have embarked on a journey of love.” So Muhammad Ali begins this spiritual memoir, his description of the values that have shaped and sustained him and that continue to guide his life. In The Soul of a Butterfly the great champion takes readers on a spiritual journey through the seasons of life, from childhood to the present, and shares the beliefs that have served him well. Ali reflects on his faith in God and the strength it gave him during his greatest challenges. He describes how his study of true Islam has helped him accept the changes in his life and has brought him to a greater awareness of life’s true purpose. As a United Nations Messenger of Peace, he has traveled widely, and he describes his 2002 mission to Afghanistan to heighten public awareness of that country’s desperate situation, as well as his more recent meeting with the Dalai Lama. Ali’s reflections on topics ranging from moral courage to belief in God to respect for those who differ from us will inspire and enlighten all who read them. Written with the assistance of his daughter Hana, The Soul of a Butterfly is a compassionate and heartfelt book that will provide comfort for our troubled times.
Through discussions of various theories of grief, narratives of the bereaved obtained in interviews with 22 men and women, case study analysis, and chapter summaries, this text integrates the literature about and the bereavement experiences of partners in varying types of relationships.
