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| Baldwin: A Love Story by Nicholas BoggsDrawing on interviews and previously unreleased archival materials, National Humanities Center fellow Nicholas Boggs’ moving and intimate biography of writer and civil rights activist James Baldwin examines how his personal relationships impacted his life and career. Further reading: James Baldwin: Living in Fire by Bill V. Mullen. Also available as an ebook from the library Libby Service. |
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| Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler by Susana M. MorrisGeorgia Institute of Technology professor Susana M. Morris’ well-researched biography of trailblazing science fiction author Octavia E. Butler thoughtfully places Butler’s works within the sociocultural and historical contexts that shaped her, utilizing correspondence, unpublished manuscripts, and interviews. Try this next: Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture by Ytasha Womack. |
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| Coming Up Short: A Memoir of America by Robert B. ReichFormer United States Secretary of Labor Robert B. Reich’s sobering yet hopeful blend of memoir and political analysis incisively explores how the rise of partisanship and tribalism has hindered American economic progress. Try this next: The Theft of a Decade: Baby Boomers, Millennials, and the Distortion of Our Economy by Joseph C. Sternberg. Also available as an eaudiobook through the library Libby service. |
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| The Feather Detective: Mystery, Mayhem, and the Magnificent Life of Roxie Laybourne by Chris SweeneyJournalist Chris Sweeney's richly detailed debut profiles pioneering forensic ornithologist and Smithsonian Institution taxidermist Roxie Laybourne (1910-2003), who utilized her avian expertise to solve murders, investigate poaching activities, and inspect bird-related plane crashes, the latter of which led to aircraft safety reforms. For fans of: 18 Tiny Deaths: The Untold Story of Frances Glessner Lee and the Invention of Modern Forensics by Bruce Goldfarb. Also available as an ebook and an eaudiobook through the library Libby service. |
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Focus on: Sports Biographies |
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| Althea: The Life of Tennis Champion Althea Gibson by Sally H. JacobsFormer Boston Globe reporter Sally H. Jacobs' biography of trailblazing tennis player Althea Gibson, the first African American to win a Grand Slam tournament, offers a comprehensive portrait of a complex woman who battled racial and gender discrimination, poverty, and abuse in her journey toward stardom. Further reading: Serving Herself: The Life and Times of Althea Gibson by Ashley Brown. |
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Also available as an ebook and eaudiobook through the library Hoopla service. |
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| Path Lit by Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe by David MaranissPulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Maraniss' well-researched and insightful biography of multi-hyphenate athlete Jim Thorpe, the first Indigenous American to win Olympic gold for the United States, looks at the man beyond the myth, exploring how Thorpe grappled with racist treatment, poverty and alcoholism, and fraught family relationships amid his career triumphs. Further reading: Native American Son: The Life and Sporting Legend of Jim Thorpe by Kate Buford. |
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The Hard Parts: A Memoir of Courage and Triumph by Oksana MastersHow it began: Born with multiple health issues due to her mother's radiation exposure from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, Oksana Masters was adopted at age seven and relocated to the United States.What happened next: Masters endured multiple surgeries, including a double leg amputation; as a teen, she found solace in adaptive athletics and later became the United States' most decorated Winter Paralympian.
For fans of: triumphant sports stories and inspiring tales of overcoming adversity.
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Contact your librarian for more great books! |
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