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Popular Culture January 2021
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| I Want to Be Where the Normal People Are by Rachel BloomWhat it is: a chatty and self-deprecating essay collection from Emmy Award-winning Crazy Ex-Girlfriend co-creator and star Rachel Bloom.
What's inside: intimate musings on Bloom's mental health battles; insights on navigating male-dominated spaces in the entertainment industry; dish on attending award shows; childhood diary entries.
Don't miss: "Inside Jokes Can Leave Many Outside," the earnest newspaper editorial Bloom wrote as a teen. |
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| This Is Not My Memoir by André Gregory and Todd LondonWhat it is: a heady and illuminating trip through groundbreaking avant-garde theater director and My Dinner with André actor André Gregory's life and career.
For fans of: unconventional memoirs that reflect on the creative process, like Alexander Chee's How to Write an Autobiographical Novel.
Want a taste? "In relationships as in art, it is not talent that matters much. It is tenacity. An artist cannot survive or grow without tenacity." |
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| Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics by Dolly Parton with Robert K. OermannFeaturing: annotated lyrics to 175 of country legend Dolly Parton's songs, grouped by subject matter or theme; memorabilia and never-before-seen photographs from Parton's archives.
Read it for: Parton's candid assessment of her artistic output, peppered with her trademark sense of humor: "I've killed a lot of puppies and kids and ladies in my songs." |
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| One Life by Megan Rapinoe with Emma BrockesWhat it's about: Olympic gold medalist and two-time Women’s World Cup champion Megan Rapinoe's soccer career and dedication to social justice activism.
Why you might like it: Rapinoe's frank and inspiring memoir offers a hopeful outlook on addressing inequality both on and off the field.
Topics include: Rapinoe playing on a boy's soccer team at age six, where she outshone her peers; coming out in 2012; equal pay advocacy; solidarity with Colin Kaepernick during national anthem protests. |
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| Singular Sensation: The Triumph of Broadway by Michael RiedelWhat it is: a richly detailed history of Broadway in the 1990s, which saw the arrival -- and massive success -- of productions including Rent, The Lion King, and Angels in America.
Book buzz: Theater critic Michael Riedel's fast-paced follow-up to Razzle Dazzle, his dishy history of Broadway in the 1970s and '80s, offers a nostalgic peek behind the curtain.
Featuring: interviews with more than 100 theater luminaries involved in the hits (or flops) of the era. |
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Spotlight on: Grammy Award Winners
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| Queen Bey: A Celebration of the Power and Creativity of Beyoncé Knowles-Carter by Veronica Chambers (editor)What it is: a balanced collection of 19 essays that thoughtfully celebrates and critiques Beyoncé's cultural impact.
Contributors include: Luvvie Ajayi, Brittney Cooper, Michael Eric Dyson, Kid Fury, Lena Waithe, and more.
Don't miss: Melissa Harris-Perry and Mankaprr Conteh debate the merits of "Beyoncé feminism" in "Grown Women: A Conversation About Coming of Age with an Icon." |
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| Delta Lady by Rita Coolidge with Michael WalkerWhat it is: a lyrical memoir from singer-songwriter and rock muse Rita Coolidge, who won two Grammy Awards with then-husband Kris Kristofferson in the 1970s.
Is it for you? Although Coolidge's reflective account of her rise to stardom is light on gossip, she offers an intimate glimpse into the 1960s and '70s rock scene, chronicling her collaborations with Eric Clapton, Joe Cocker, and Stephen Stills, as well as her volatile relationship with Kristofferson. |
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| Me & Patsy Kickin' Up Dust: My Friendship with Patsy Cline by Loretta Lynn with Patsy Lynn Russell; foreword by Dolly PartonWhat it's about: the life-changing bond between country stars Loretta Lynn and Patsy Cline.
Why you might like it: Lynn's heartwarming and humorous tribute is written in a plainspoken style that evokes the way she speaks.
Don't miss: Cline taking Nashville newbie Lynn under her wing in 1959 and helping her navigate the ins and outs of showbiz life. |
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| Let's Go (So We Can Get Back): A Memoir of Recording and Discording with Wilco, Etc. by Jeff TweedyWhat it's about: Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy's artistic coming-of-age, fueled by his battles with anxiety and addiction.
Book buzz: A New York Times bestseller, Let's Go was named a Best Music Book of 2018 by Pitchfork and Rolling Stone.
Try this next: For another funny yet moving memoir from a 1990s alt-rock musician, check out Ben Folds' A Dream About Lightning Bugs. |
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| Liner Notes: On Parents & Children, Exes & Excess, Death & Decay & a Few of My Other... by Loudon Wainwright IIIWhat it is: a witty memoir from folk musician Loudon Wainwright III offering self-deprecating musings on his well-to-do yet turbulent upbringing, his famous family (including his four children, all fellow musicians), fame, and creativity.
Want a taste? "When I'm not thinking of myself as the greatest singer-songwriter who ever lived, I consider myself to be a talentless fraud." |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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