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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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A natural woman : a memoir
by Carole King
The legendary, award-winning singer, songwriter and pianist tells her life story, beginning with her childhood in Brooklyn, through her marriage to co-writer Gerry Goffin, her experiences as a mother and what it was like to write and record Tapestry. Reprint. 100,000 first printing.
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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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More myself : a journey
by Alicia Keys
"An intimate, revealing look at one artist's journey from self-censorship to full expression As one of the most celebrated musicians of our time, Alicia Keys has enraptured the nation with her heartfelt lyrics, extraordinary vocal range, and soul-stirring piano compositions. Yet away from the spotlight, Alicia has grappled with private heartache-over the challenging and complex relationship with her father, the people-pleasing nature that characterized her early career, the loss of privacy surrounding her romantic relationships, and the oppressive expectations of female perfection. Since her rise to fame, Alicia's public persona has belied a deep personal truth: she has spent years not fully recognizing or honoring her own worth. After withholding parts of herself for so long, she is at last exploring the questions that live at the heart of her story: Who am I, really? And once I discover that truth, how can I become brave enough to embrace it? More Myself is part autobiography, part narrative documentary. Alicia's journey is revealed not only through her own candid recounting, but also through vivid recollections from those who have walked alongside her. The result is a 360-degree perspective on Alicia's path-from her girlhood in Hell's Kitchen and Harlem, to the process of self-discovery she's still navigating. In More Myself, Alicia shares her quest for truth-about herself, her past, and her shift from sacrificing her spirit to celebrating her worth. With the raw honesty that epitomizes Alicia's artistry, More Myself is at once a riveting account and a clarion call to readers: to define themselves in a world that rarely encourages a true and unique identity"
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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