Pre-school teacher Nancy Stern is in a personal and professional rut. But what really puts a dent in her self-esteem is the realization that another woman named Nancy Stern has just moved into her building... a Nancy Stern who lives in the penthouse... A Nancy Stern who interviews celebrities for glossy magazines... a Nancy Stern who's chummy with Kevin Costner. Nancy's loss of her own specialness deepens as she keeps getting the other, more glamorous Nancy's mail, phone calls and party invitations by mistake. It's all too much to bear--until a man calls one night, intending to ask the other Nancy out on a blind date. What follows is a raucous and romantic involving mix-ups, mistaken identity, and murder ...
From Ross Mathews, the nationally bestselling author of Man Up!, judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race, and alum of Chelsea Lately, comes “a delightful mix of sweet and sour celebrity experiences” (Shelf Awareness) in this hilarious and irreverent collection of essays. Pretend it’s happy hour and you and I are sitting at the bar. I look amazing and, I agree with you, much thinner in person. You look good, too. Maybe it’s the candlelight, maybe it’s the booze. Either way, let’s just go with it. Keep this all between you and me, and do me a favor? Don’t judge me if I name drop just a little. Television personality Ross Mathews likes telling stories. He was always outrageous and hilariously honest, even when the biggest celebrity he knew was his favorite lunch lady in the school cafeteria. Now that he has Hollywood experience—from interning behind the scenes at The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to judging RuPaul’s Drag Race—he has a lot to talk about. In Name Drop, Ross dishes about being an unlikely insider in the alternate reality that is showbiz, like that time he was invited by Barbara Walters to host The View—only to learn his hero did not suffer fools; his Christmas with the Kardashians, which should be its own holiday special; and his news-making talk with Omarosa on Celebrity Big Brother, which, as it turns out, was just the tip of the iceberg. Holding nothing back, Ross shares the most treasured and surprising moments in his celebrity-filled career, and proves that while exposure may have made him a little bit famous, he is still as much a fanboy as ever. Filled with “charmingly told” (Booklist) tales ranging from the horrifying to the hilarious—and with just the right “Rossipes” and cocktails to go along with them—Name Drop is every pop culture lover’s dream come true.
Rita Hayworth dancing by candlelight; Elizabeth Taylor tenderly wrapping him in her Pashmina scarf; streaking for Sir Laurence Olivier in a drafty English castle; terrifying a dozing Jackie Onassis; carrying an unconscious Montgomery Clift to safety on a dark New York street... Captured forever in a unique memoir, Frank Langella’s myriad encounters with some of the past century’s most famous human beings are profoundly affecting, funny, wicked, sometimes shocking, and utterly irresistible. With sharp wit and a perceptive eye, Mr. Langella takes us with him into the private worlds and privileged lives of movie stars, presidents, royalty, literary lions, the social elite, and the greats of the Broadway stage. We learn something, too, of Mr. Langella’s personal journey from the age of fifteen to the present day. Dropped Names is, like its subjects, riveting and unforgettable.
Ever had a Hitchcockian experience (in the shower perhaps?!) or met someone with a distinctly Ortonesque outlook on life? There are hundreds of words derived from real people who are famous - or infamous - enough to give their stamp to a movement, a way of thinking or acting, a style or even a mood. Name Dropping? is an essential guide to the better known or more intriguing of these terms from figures in politics, sport, and the arts. A valuable, interesting and often humorous resource for those looking for definitions or simply browsing for pleasure. Entries are listed alphabetically with full explanations, examples from the press and other media, guidance on usage and a 'Pretentiousness Index.'
With a mix of humour, name dropping and self-deprecation, the author reveals the twists and turns of a life that has seen her become a respected actress, writer and speech writer - and a not-so - respected cricket commentator.
NAME-DROPPING: My Life in Hollywood Among Celebrities Who Won't Remember Me! A behind-the-scenes memoir of Emmy-winning director/writer Doug Smart's personal experiences working with some of the biggest names in television, film and music. Some of the names Doug "drops" in the book are those of TV pioneers Desi Arnaz, Lucille Ball, Lawrence Welk and Danny Thomas. Some are sitcom icons such as Jerry Seinfeld, Betty White, Bob Newhart and Henry Winkler. Others, such as Olivia Newton-John, Garth Brooks and Cher are superstars in the music industry. While still others are internationally-known movie stars such as sex symbol Mae West, and Oscar-winners George Clooney and James Earl Jones. Not surprisingly, many have their names on the sidewalk along Hollywood's "Walk of Fame." NAME-DROPPING: My Life in Hollywood Among Celebrities Who Won't Remember Me! not only gives the reader a true insider's look at life on the set of a TV sitcom, it's also "laugh out loud" funny! NAME-DROPPING: My Life in Hollywood Among Celebrities Who Won't Remember Me! does not offer gossip or 3rd-party observations. Rather it is a collection of stories in which the author was an active participant in the events as they took place. Most of the stories are hilarious. Some are downright embarrassing. A couple are heartbreaking. And all are true.
A heartwarming story about the new girl in school, and how she learns to appreciate her Korean name. Being the new kid in school is hard enough, but what happens when nobody can pronounce your name? Having just moved from Korea, Unhei is anxious about fitting in. So instead of introducing herself on the first day of school, she decides to choose an American name from a glass jar. But while Unhei thinks of being a Suzy, Laura, or Amanda, nothing feels right. With the help of a new friend, Unhei will learn that the best name is her own. From acclaimed creator Yangsook Choi comes the bestselling classic about finding the courage to be yourself and being proud of your background.
In the course of the same old race I find myself writing about knowing some people—how fame seems to set some people apart from us, once known: I was astonished by Ernest Hemingway's small, weak handshake when we were introduced at Scribners by John Hall Wheelock and by the jolt of force with which Elie Wiesel squeezed my hand. How long ago seems knowing, too: when I first meet Isaac Singer he asks me, "Who is Mr. Saul Bellow?" We're on the Upper West Side in his apartment next to the funeral parlor. A yellow parakeet hops around on Singer's bald forehead. Singer's great comic story of faith, "Gimpel the Fool," has only recently been published from Yiddish into English in a translation by Saul Bellow. They're both still a long way from Stockholm. "Do you know him? Can you tell me who this Mr. Bellow is?" he asks. It was not always possible to guess Singer's motives in acting as though he was not impressed with worldly reputations. His features of a medieval Polish saint, even to a faint white-haired tonsure effect around the crown of his skull, were backlit by the glowing monitor from his mischievous incubus.—from the Preface These are Richard Elman's candid snapshots in prose of the various, mostly literary celebrities he encountered during his four decades as a working writer and journalist—among them Isaac Bashevis Singer, Tillie Olsen, Bernard Malamud, Faye Dunaway, Hunter S. Thompson, and other important artists and writers who were Elman's teachers and, occasionally, adversaries. Engagingly written and never superficial, these portraits and anecdotes in many cases strike to the center of each subject's art. To many readers, these persons are just "names"; Elman brings them to life while never simplifying or overdramatizing their work.
Millions of people of every generation share Jerry Seinfeld's admiration for Alan King, a man who has been making people laugh for more than 50 years. In this hilarious and touching autobiography, King takes readers on a glorious journey through his life, "name-dropping" some of the biggest stars in show business and revealing where he's come from, how he got where he is, and the rewards, both professional and personal, he enjoys today. 16-page photo insert.
