BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Nikki Turner's Heartbreak of a Hustler's Wife. The reigning queen of hip-hop lit, Nikki Turner, takes on the music biz in this tale of a young woman who risks everything to be a superstar. Fabiola Mays was born to sing. She has a voice like honey and a body to match, but one heartbreaking setback after another threatens to derail her dreams of a recording deal. To make matters worse, it’s Christmastime, rent is past due, and the cops intend to kick her tight-knit family to the curb–until a small-town gangster comes to the rescue and offers them a place to stay. Years pass, and Fabiola continues to play gigs and travel around the country hoping for another shot at fame. She’s long forgotten the gangster named Casino who bailed out her family once upon a time. But when Casino is shot, Fabiola feels that she must help the man who helped her family during their lowest point. As Fabiola climbs the ladder of success, she is pulled between the spotlight and the street, trying to resist industry moguls who find the allure of fresh meat irresistible and the thugs from the shadowy side of the ghetto who threaten to keep her close.
Superstart is a breakthrough for beginner violinists, full of exciting music and fun activities from the very first lesson to inspire and stimulate pupils and teachers. Mary Cohen is one of Britain's leading string teachers and this new edition is a distillation of her many years of teaching and research - a core method now in one book. Complete violin technique is introduced from the start, providing a solid foundation and taking the player up to early elementary level. Carefully structured, each unit covers a clear technical point through expertly written pieces, providing the student with a true musical experience at each tiny step. Mary takes an imaginative child-orientated approach throughout, encouraging interaction and the exploration of new sound worlds through a superb variety of music. The accompanying CD provides all the piano accompaniments, with unique cue entries to help beginners get started. For extra flexibility, most of the pieces in the violin, viola and cello book are compatible, making this a great resource for individual or group teaching.
This is the real and, until now, untold story of Rudolph Valentino - the most amazing tale you will ever read - and the story Valentino himself said was too 'wild and improbable' for his public to believe...The legendary Latin Lover who was the silver screen's first and greatest male sex symbol was also the first to be attacked in public by his own adoring, hysterical fans fighting to touch their idol or snatch a tiny piece of his clothing or hair as a keepsake. When he died at just thirty-one, he left behind a legion of broken-hearted women and as many unanswered questions.Bestselling author Noel Botham has spent more than twenty-fice years, and travelled over 30,000 miles, searching for, and unravelling, the missing answers which explain Valentino's brief but incredible life, and has spoken to many of the people who shared, at first hand, as they happened, the good - and the bad - times of the cinema's first superstar.He has conducted frank and revealing face-to-face interviews with the movie star of Valentino's time - Carmel Myers, Viola Dana, Gloria Swanson, Pola Negri, Gertrude Astor and others, enabling him to paint this rounded and unique portrait of th screen's most exciting and enduring legend.By cutting through the rumours and following up previously ignored leads he has uncovered the shameful secrets of Rudolph Valentino's early yearsi n America, which the smouldering-eyed screen idol tried to keep hidden from his fans, and learned the full and shocking truth about his two disastrous marriages.This first-ever intimate and searingly accurate biography explores Valentino's childhood in rural poverty, through his groundbreaking appearance in The Sheik, which made woman audiences swoon for the first time, to his tragic early death, and conclusively shows why he so justly deserved the epithet 'the world's first heart-throb'.
This practical travel guide to Portugal features detailed factual travel tips and points-of-interest structured lists of all iconic must-see sights as well as some off-the-beaten-track treasures. Our itinerary suggestions and expert author picks of things to see and do will make it a perfect companion both, ahead of your trip and on the ground. This Portugal guide book is packed full of details on how to get there and around, pre-departure information and top time-saving tips, including a visual list of things not to miss. Our colour-coded maps make Portugal easier to navigate while you're there. This guide book to Portugal has been fully updated post-COVID-19. The Rough Guide to PORTUGAL covers: Lisbon and around, Estremadura and Ribatejo, Coimbra and the Beira Litoral, Beira Alta and Beira Baixa, Porto and the Rio Douro, the Minho, Trás-os-Montes, Alentejo and the Algarve. Inside this Portugal travel guide you'll find: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EVERY TYPE OF TRAVELLER Experiences selected for every kind of trip to Portugal, from off-the-beaten-track adventures in Porto Covo to family activities in child-friendly places, like Sintra or chilled-out breaks in popular tourist areas, like Lisbon. PRACTICAL TRAVEL TIPS Essential pre-departure information including Portugal entry requirements, getting around, health information, travelling with children, sports and outdoor activities, food and drink, festivals, culture and etiquette, shopping, tips for travellers with disabilities and more. TIME-SAVING ITINERARIES Includes carefully planned routes covering the best of Portugal, which give a taste of the richness and diversity of the destination, and have been created for different time frames or types of trip. DETAILED REGIONAL COVERAGE Clear structure within each sightseeing chapter of this Portugal travel guide includes regional highlights, brief history, detailed sights and places ordered geographically, recommended restaurants, hotels, bars, clubs and major shops or entertainment options. INSIGHTS INTO GETTING AROUND LIKE A LOCAL Tips on how to beat the crowds, save time and money and find the best local spots for swimming, snorkelling, hiking or wine tasting. HIGHLIGHTS OF THINGS NOT TO MISS Rough Guides' rundown of Algarve, Monsaraz, Porto and the Rio Douro Valley's best sights and top experiences helps to make the most of each trip to Portugal, even in a short time. HONEST AND INDEPENDENT REVIEWS Written by Rough Guides' expert authors with a trademark blend of humour, honesty and expertise, this Portugal guide book will help you find the best places, matching different needs. BACKGROUND INFORMATION Comprehensive 'Contexts' chapter of this travel guide to Portugal features fascinating insights into Portugal, with coverage of history, religion, ethnic groups, environment, wildlife and books, plus a handy language section and glossary. FABULOUS FULL COLOUR PHOTOGRAPHY Features inspirational colour photography, including the stunning Trás-os-Montes and the spectacular Costa da Caparica. COLOUR-CODED MAPPING Practical full-colour maps, with clearly numbered, colour-coded keys for quick orientation in Estremadura, Ribatejo and many more locations in Portugal, reduce the need to go online. USER-FRIENDLY LAYOUT With helpful icons, and organised by neighbourhood to help you pick the best spots to spend your time.
Superstar in a Masquerade tells the story about Leon Russell, an award-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, who was born with cerebral palsy, and learned to master the piano. He became an in-demand session man in Hollywood, contributing to thousands of songs by hundreds of artists, during his seven-decade career. He was called the "Rainbow Minister & Ringleader" for the Hippie Generation, and although most people can say they never heard of him, few can say they've never heard him. After reading this book, you can play "Three Degrees of Leon," just like the game "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon," linking him to anyone, from B.B. King to ZZ Top. As an emigre from Oklahoma to California, he invited David Gates and J. J. Cale to join him in the music mecca known as Tinseltown, where the Tulsa Trio made untold contributions to America's popular music. Read about over five hundred artists, and their songs that Leon, David, and J. J. helped create, as well as... When seventeen-year-old Leon replaced Jerry Lee Lewis on stage in 1959. How Frank Sinatra caused Leon to let his hair grow. How J. J. Cale played a role in the formation of the band Bread. How Leon saved Joe Cocker's career and created Willie Nelson's famous image. When Elton John was Leon's opening act on tour. Why DC Comics sued Leon's record label for $2 million. When David Gates's band backed Chuck Berry on stage in 1961. When Leon brazenly threw the "F-bomb" at Phil Spector. When Leon called organized Christianity the single most harmful force in history. What Broadway song Leon borrowed from for "This Masquerade."
In 1969, when Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice decided to write a rock opera about Jesus Christ, they had little idea they were about to embark on one of the most popular, boundary-pushing, and influential musicals ever. The show’s success was hardly assured at first: unable to secure enough funding, they initially resorted to just releasing its title song as a single. A full album followed to widespread acclaim, and only then could a full production get underway. More than fifty years later, Jesus Christ Superstar continues to be beloved in all its forms—the live show, various cast albums, and the wildly successful movie. Few people had the chance to witness the musical’s evolution from as many angles as Ellis Nassour, whether collaborating with Rice and Lloyd Webber at MCA, writing for the New York Times, or assisting with the Broadway and LA productions. In this expansive, beautifully illustrated book, Nassour draws on a wealth of knowledge, first-hand experience, and new interviews to give the definitive story of the musical. Combining an engaging narrative with abundant photographs—many in color and never before published—he follows the show from its uncertain beginnings, through setbacks and controversies, to Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ultimate triumph, serving up an unparalleled look at one of the most important and best-selling musical works of all time.
Three acclaimed screenplays from one of today’s most provocative filmmakers, including the Oscar nominated screenplay Far from Heaven. An award-winning auteur and a pioneer of the New Queer Cinema movement, Todd Haynes has achieved both critical acclaim and box office success with his original, intelligent, and often controversial films. Collected here are three of his most celebrated screenplays. Far from Heaven: Winning fifty critics’ prizes and appearing on two hundred Top Ten lists, Far from Heaven was also nominated for four Academy Awards. Inspired by the films of Douglas Sirk, it tells the story of a 1950s housewife who is alienated by her neighbors when she pursues an affair with her African American gardener after learning of her husband’s homosexuality. Safe: Haynes’s breakthrough feature was voted Best Film of the 1990s by the Village Voice Film Critics Poll. It tells the disturbing story of an affluent suburban housewife whose life is shattered by a mysterious illness. One character suggests that perhaps she is “allergic to the twentieth century.” Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story: Told with a cast of Barbie dolls, this short film about Karen Carpenter’s battle with anorexia was named one of Entertainment Weekly’s Top 50 Cult Movies in 2003. Though the film was ordered destroyed after a lawsuit by the Carpenter estate, it remains an underground classic and “the most talked-about, least-seen film of the ’80s” (The A.V. Club).
Like music, art is a universal language. Although looking at works of art is a pleasurable enough experience, to appreciate them fully requires certain skills and knowledge." --Carol Strickland, from the introduction to The Annotated Mona Lisa: A Crash Course in Art History from Prehistoric to Post-Modern * This heavily illustrated crash course in art history is revised and updated. This second edition of Carol Strickland's The Annotated Mona Lisa: A Crash Course in Art History from Prehistoric to Post-Modern offers an illustrated tutorial of prehistoric to post-modern art from cave paintings to video art installations to digital and Internet media. * Featuring succinct page-length essays, instructive sidebars, and more than 300 photographs, The Annotated Mona Lisa: A Crash Course in Art History from Prehistoric to Post-Modern takes art history out of the realm of dreary textbooks, demystifies jargon and theory, and makes art accessible-even at a cursory reading. * From Stonehenge to the Guggenheim and from Holbein to Warhol, more than 25,000 years of art is distilled into five sections covering a little more than 200 pages.
This provocative three-volume encyclopedia is a valuable resource for readers seeking an understanding of how movies have both reflected and helped engender America's political, economic, and social history. Movies in American History: An Encyclopedia is a reference text focused on the relationship between American society and movies and filmmaking in the United States from the late 19th century through the present. Beyond discussing many important American films ranging from Birth of a Nation to Star Wars to the Harry Potter film series, the essays included in the volumes explore sensitive issues in cinema related to race, class, and gender, authored by international scholars who provide unique perspectives on American cinema and history. Written by a diverse group of distinguished scholars with backgrounds in history, film studies, culture studies, science, religion, and politics, this reference guide will appeal to readers new to cinema studies as well as film experts. Each encyclopedic entry provides data about the film, an explanation of the film's cultural significance and influence, information about significant individuals involved with that work, and resources for further study.
Debauched pop star Howie Howden has led a charmed life – there has been nothing a fat cheque, a non-disclosure agreement or a course of penicillin hasn’t made go away. But a calamitous night on the town, with his troubled yet dutiful manager Eddy Katz, has consequences for both men. Does Howie's reputation as a 'ladies' man' conceal a darker truth? Will the tabloids continue to celebrate his out of control libido or is his luck finally running out? And what price will Eddy pay for his own ill-judged foray into the sleazy underbelly of the VIP lounge?
