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Popular Culture March 2021 |
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| Walking with Ghosts by Gabriel ByrneWhat it is: Celebrated Irish actor Gabriel Byrne's humble and intimate memoir detailing his working-class origins and his 40-year career.
Topics include: Byrne's childhood spent in seminary school, which he left after he was molested by a priest; how alcoholism spurred his complicated relationship with fame.
Also available in eBook on OverDrive |
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| True Believer: The Rise and Fall of Stan Lee by Abraham RiesmanWhat it is: A well-researched biography of Marvel Comics icon Stan Lee.
What sets it apart: Abraham Riesman's illuminating portrait offers fresh insights on Lee's troubled family relationships, failed business dealings, and authorship disputes with artists Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby.
Reviewers say: "This detailed, clear-eyed examination pulls back the curtain on one of America's great storytellers and is sure to reignite debates over Lee's legacy" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories About Racism by Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamar Starring: NYC-based comedian and Late Night with Seth Meyers writer Amber Ruffin; and her sister Lacey Lamar, who lives in Omaha, NE.
What's inside: Lacey's firsthand accounts of the racist treatment she's received living in the Midwest, paired with the sisters' funny yet frank commentary on each incident and illustrative photographs.
Who it's for: With its conversational tone, this “must-read” (Library Journal) will appeal to Black women who can relate to the authors' experiences and to readers looking for eye-opening insights on racism. |
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| Just As I Am by Cicely TysonWhat it is: An engaging memoir by iconic Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress Cicely Tyson, published just two days before her death in January at age 96.
Topics include: How Tyson broke barriers and combatted stereotypes in the entertainment industry, including being the first Black actress to wear her natural hair on TV and earning an Oscar nomination for 1972's Sounder, her first lead film role; her volatile relationship with Miles Davis, to whom she was married for eight years. |
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| The Princess Diarist by Carrie FisherWhat it is: Actress Carrie Fisher's self-deprecating behind-the-scenes account of making the first Star Wars movie at age 19.
Featuring: Fisher's earnest diary entries and poems written during the film's production, which reveal her crush on (and eventual affair with) co-star Harrison Ford; her present-day recollections on the relationship.
Want a taste? “If Harrison was unable to see that I had feelings for him (at least five, but sometimes as many as seven) then he wasn't as smart as I thought he was -- as I knew he was." |
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| Everything's Trash, But It's Okay by Phoebe Robinson; foreword by Ilana GlazerWhat it is: Comedian Phoebe Robinson's irreverent follow-up to the New York Times bestselling You Can't Touch My Hair: And Other Things I Still Have to Explain.
Essays include: "The Top Ten Non-Trash Moments of My Life;" "Meeting Bono Twice Was My Reparations;" "How to Be Alone and Only Mildly Hate and Lukewarm Love It."
Try this next: For another freewheeling essay collection by a witty multi-hyphenate, try Samantha Irby's We Are Never Meeting in Real Life. |
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| Rabbit by Patricia WilliamsWhat it's about: Comedian Patricia Williams' (aka "Ms. Pat") impoverished upbringing in 1980s Atlanta and her determination to find a better life for her own children.
For fans of: Inspiring accounts of overcoming adversity that pull no punches, like Tiffany Haddish's The Last Black Unicorn.
Don't miss: Williams' caseworker offhandedly suggesting she turn to comedy when her criminal record made it difficult to find a job. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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