The Everybody Club is a lively book with a powerful message about belonging. See what The Everybody Club is up to in this joyful romp for young readers!
HomoAmerican - The Secret Society is not merely the story of a gay man growing up in America, but a firsthand portrait of those turbulent and confusing times, observed through unfiltered eyes. Over the years and in my extensive travels, I have strived toward many means of expression and sometimes avenues of escape. I confronted the confines of society and pursued the promise and myths of liberation.As a result of my conspicuous rebellion, that of simply being myself, of not living in disguise, I began to discover another society -- a Secret Society -- of people who have grown up in this world, where lies of omission shape our destiny and keep us apart.Free of the confines of convention we wander along dangerous paths in search our own. In ordinary circles my personal life was a minefield. I have lived as an openly gay man in Iran, was witness to the lavish extravagances and social horror of apartheid South Africa, was arrested on suspicion of murder in Paris and for prostitution in New York. While my stories recount the path that brought me here, mostly they tell the story of the man that I was becoming, pieced together, bit-by-bit, out of shadows, reinvented and reborn, in silence.Still, a recurring theme plays itself out in each episode of my life; the cost of acceptance is always denial, so I am at odds with the world, or so it seems and as I grow older I realize that in ghettos and in stereotypes there is an underlying thread of a war, not with society, but with ourselves. My stories are images of different selves developing in that dangerous void and a message to all people who live in disguise and have no reflection, to people who grow up in isolation and create their lives out of their own imagination. In this Special Edition there are 36 color photo plates - each hand mounted and sewn into this black linen, gold embossed, hardcover edition with a specially designed dust jacket - a true Collectors Edition.
The True History of Cozumel is an impeccably researched, iconoclastic account of the island's past that offers the reader accurate, detailed information that often disproves the dross masquerading as history found in tourist guide books, websites, and the like. By combing governmental archives, privately-held rare documents, and university microfilm collections, Hajovsky is able to explain through the presentation of first-hand accounts just how interesting Cozumel's history turns out to be. Chapters in the book run the gamut from: Pirates' testimony obtained through torture in the cells of the Holy Inquisition; The near annexation of Cozumel by the Republic of Texas in 1837; The role of Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry in the resettlement of the island in 1848; Abraham Lincoln's attempt to buy Cozumel and use it as a colony to house freed, black slaves; The original "Indiana Jones" and his search for German spies on the island in WWI; General López de Santa Ana's role in developing the chewing gum fad that brought the island riches; To talking crosses, one-armed Christ statues, parrot-eating boas, and cannibalistic islanders.
Martin Walker presents his first collection of stories featuring all the familiar characters from his Bruno novels and the glories of the Périgord region of France, with ample helpings of food and wine. "Whether preparing nettle soup, liaising with the Police Nationale or reading boar scat, Bruno remains focused and efficient.... Turn immediately to Martin Walker’s new platter of delicious morsels.”—The Washington Post After a prisoner breaks parole to see his son on Christmas, Bruno must track him down before he throws away his chance at eventual freedom. When a Senegalese man’s coffee sells superbly at the market, some café owners become incensed by the new competition and take matters into their own hands. As a Swiss tourist and a St. Denis native fall in love over the fruit-and-veggie stall, one of their family members takes drastic steps to break them up. A fledgling tour bus business is sabotaged, leading Bruno to take a closer look at a town love triangle. Called in to investigate a case of stolen oysters, our beloved policeman reunites with an old flame to catch the shellfish thieves. In story after story, Bruno settles town disputes, mediates family quarrels, and tracks down lawbreakers in his adored village of St. Denis and its environs. Featured meals in the collection include a fatty Christmas goose, a savory nettle soup with crème fraîche, and a fluffy quiche Lorraine.
Meet the LGBTQ+ dealmakers, trailblazers, and glass-ceiling breakers in business, politics, and beyond. The people who are creating national public policy, running billion-dollar tech enterprises, and winning Olympic medals. Andrew Gelwicks interviews the leaders who have forged their own paths and changed the world. From Troye Sivan to Margaret Cho, George Takei to Billie Jean King, Shangela to Adam Rippon, each person credits their queer identity with giving them an edge in their paths to success. Their stories brim with the hard-won lessons gained over their careers. With variances in age, background, careers, and races, key themes shine through: Channeling anger in a positive way -- using it as rocket fuel to succeed Leveraging your difference to beget new ideas and strategies Bridging generational gaps Accessing resources to conquer crippling denial, internalized homophobia, and doubt The power of the Internet as a tool of self-discovery Using your sensitivity and attunement to read the room, deciding when to fit in and when to stand out Finding a queer tribe and learning to help and lean on one another Collecting incisive, deeply personal conversations with LGBTQ+ trailblazers about how they leveraged the challenges and insights they had as relative outsiders to succeed in the worlds of business, tech, politics, Hollywood, sports and beyond, The Queer Advantage celebrates the unique, supercharged power of queerness.
Rourke is hoping for a perfect seventh grade year. Or at least one where his gut isn't twisted in worry. But with crazy neighbors, a mysterious girl he has a crush on, and an unpredictable brother, what's the chance of that? Especially when tragedy strikes.
In this New York Times bestselling memoir, West Side Story star Rita Moreno shares her remarkable journey from a young girl with simple beginnings in Puerto Rico to Hollywood legend—one of the few performers, and the only Hispanic, to win an Oscar, Grammy, Tony and two Emmys. Born Rosita Dolores Alverio in the idyll of Puerto Rico, Moreno, at age five, embarked on a harrowing sea voyage with her mother and wound up in the harsh barrios of the Bronx, where she discovered dancing, singing, and acting as ways to escape a tumultuous childhood. Making her Broadway debut by age thirteen—and moving on to Hollywood in its Golden Age just a few years later—she worked alongside such stars as Gary Cooper, Yul Brynner, and Ann Miller. When discovered by Louis B. Mayer of MGM, the wizard himself declared: “She looks like a Spanish Elizabeth Taylor.” Cast by Gene Kelly as Zelda Zanders in Singin’ in the Rain and then on to her Oscar-winning performance in West Side Story, she catapulted to fame—yet found herself repeatedly typecast as the “utility ethnic,” a role she found almost impossible to elude. Here, for the first time, Rita reflects on her struggles to break through Hollywood’s racial and sexual barriers. She explores the wounded little girl behind the glamorous façade—and what it took to find her place in the world. She talks candidly about her relationship with Elvis Presley, her encounters with Howard Hughes, and the passionate romance with Marlon Brando that nearly killed her. And she shares the illusiveness of a “perfect” marriage and the incomparable joys of motherhood. Infused with Rita Moreno’s quick wit and deep insight, this memoir is the dazzling portrait of a stage and screen star who longed to become who she really is—and triumphed.
Discover how Rube Goldberg followed his dreams to become an award-winning cartoonist, inventor, and even an adjective in the dictionary in this inspiring and funny biographical picture book. Want to become an award-winning cartoonist and inventor? Follow your dreams, just like Rube Goldberg! From a young age, Rube Goldberg had a talent for art. But his father, a German immigrant, wanted Rube to have a secure job. So, Rube went to college and became an engineer. But Rube didn’t want to spend his life mapping sewer pipes. He wanted to follow his passion, so Rube got a low-level job at a newspaper, and from there, he worked his way up, creating cartoons that made people laugh and tickled the imagination. He became known for his fantastic Rube Goldberg machines—complicated contraptions with many parts that performed a simple task in an elaborate and farfetched way. Eventually, his cartoons earned him a Pulitzer Prize and his own adjective in the dictionary. This moving biography is sure to encourage young artists and inventors to pursue their passions.
The City of Light. For many, these four words instantly conjure late nineteenth-century Paris and the garish colors of Toulouse-Lautrec’s iconic posters. More recently, the Eiffel Tower’s nightly show of sparkling electric lights has come to exemplify our fantasies of Parisian nightlife. Though we reflect longingly on such scenes, in Illuminated Paris, Hollis Clayson shows that there’s more to these clichés than meets the eye. In this richly illustrated book, she traces the dramatic evolution of lighting in Paris and how artists responded to the shifting visual and cultural scenes that resulted from these technologies. While older gas lighting produced a haze of orange, new electric lighting was hardly an improvement: the glare of experimental arc lights—themselves dangerous—left figures looking pale and ghoulish. As Clayson shows, artists’ representations of these new colors and shapes reveal turn-of-the-century concerns about modernization as electric lighting came to represent the harsh glare of rapidly accelerating social change. At the same time, in part thanks to American artists visiting the city, these works of art also produced our enduring romantic view of Parisian glamour and its Belle Époque.
Society of Midland Authors Literary Award Finalist in Biography & Memoir Award-winning journalist Michele Weldon provides a potent antidote to the harried single mom stereotype in this beguiling memoir of raising three sons alone in the face of cancer, an ambitious career, and the shadow of her ex. Untethered from a seemingly idyllic life with a handsome but abusive attorney husband, Weldon relates the challenges and triumphs of the years that followed her divorce as she maneuvers through a complicated life of long daily commutes, radiation treatments, supporting the boys' all-consuming high school wrestling careers, and trying to mitigate their hurt and resentment at an absent father. By turns humorous and heartbreaking, Weldon describes facing her fears and failures honestly, guided by a belief in the power of staying calm, doing one's best, and asking for help. She provides a graceful example of how a single mother, and her children, can succeed when others—neighbors, family, teachers, and in this case an incredible high school wrestling coach—step in to fill the void and she can stay the course with common sense and dutiful love.