- Table View
- List View
Damn Shame: A Memoir of Desire, Defiance, and Show Tunes
by David PevsnerA funny, daring, bawdy and incredibly honest memoir from the anti-ageist, anti-body shaming, pro-sex advocate and erotic provocateur.Over the course of his 40-year career in show business, David Pevsner has done it all. He&’s acted on Broadway, off-Broadway, in independent films and on numerous TV network shows including Grey&’s Anatomy, Modern Family and Criminal Minds. As he continues his career in entertainment, Pevsner has also dedicated himself to exploring his deepest sexual fantasies. In his late 30s he became a mature male escort and over the last several years has attracted a large international fan base through his blog of erotic photographs celebrating nudity and sexuality. Damn Shame is David Pevsner&’s incredible story and is a passionate and poignant look at one man&’s journey from a thin, shy boy ashamed of his body and sexuality to a defiant, fearless everyman exploring his erotic desires, everything from leather and S&M to nude/erotic/hardcore modelling. Along the way, he fights back against society&’s demonization of gay sex, body shaming and ageism while pursuing his own very personal definition of success and seeking love, validation and self-esteem. Damn Shame gives a loud and powerful voice to a generation of mature men who have been conditioned to believe from society (and especially younger members of the gay community) that they are sexually irrelevant, old and undesirable. Pevsner&’s life story goes in directions that many couldn&’t imagine, but the lessons learned through his experiences will resonate with readers of every age.
The Beethoven Medal (Pennington #2)
by K. M. Peyton"There are plenty of nice steady boys you could go out with," her mother told her, but Ruth Hollis knew that beside Patrick other boys would seem insipid and dull. Ruth was quiet, but she had a streak of stubbornness in her nature, and she enjoyed a challenge. When she was younger and crazy about horses, she had always liked to ride the most difficult ponies; so perhaps it wasn't surprising that now, as a girl of sixteen, she should find herself involved with Patrick Pennington--a singularly complex, wild, and talented young man. Nevertheless, Ruth found herself wondering if this particular challenge was going to prove too much for her--with far-reaching consequences for herself and her family. K. M. Peyton, winner of the Carnegie Medal and the Guardian Award for her distinguished contribution to children's literature, has written a tender, funny, and convincing story of two very appealing young people on the verge of love.
Marion's Angels (Pennington #4)
by K. M. PeytonMarion's Angels is an unusual novel about a lonely girl and her love for an impressive medieval church on the river marsh near her father's cottage. "That queer little Marion", the villagers would say, "Why would she want a church of her own?" But Marion, in an emotional tangle after her mother's death, didn't care what they thought of her strange fascination. She carefully tended the church and its twelve beautifully carved angels that seemed to her almost alive, praying intensely for the money to save it from ruin. A miracle seems to result from her passionate prayers for her angels. A world famous violinist takes up the cause and arranges a series of benefit performances. Marion is tumbled into a world of concerts and professional musicians--and a confusing web of relationships and connection with the supernatural. In the end crisis, one of Marion's angels seems to save her life--another miracle or just chance? This is a compelling novel for young people, sympathetically portraying a sensitive young girl and her mysterious glimpses of seemingly supernatural coincidences. Peyton, long acknowledged as an outstandingly original writer, tells this story with characteristic warmth and humor, and provides as well interesting insights into the world of professional musicians. It is a story that lingers with the reader long after it has been put down. K. M. Peyton was born in Birmingham, England, and educated at Wimbledon High School, Kingston School of Art and Manchester Art School. It was while an art student that she met her husband, who is a freelance commercial artist. Mrs. Peyton has been writing since she was nine--she had her first book published at fifteen--and when her first daughter was born, she gave up her job as an art teacher to follow a full-time career in writing. Since then she has won several awards, including the Carnegie Medal, and two of her books have been chosen as American Library Association Notable Books. Her celebrated trilogy Flambards has been televised in England.
Pennington's Heir (Pennington #3)
by K. M. PeytonGetting out of prison was like being born again, said Patrick Pennington. His adoring girl friend, seventeen-year-old Ruth Hollis, was waiting for him. Professor Hampton, Pat's piano teacher, had waited, too, for his impetuous star pupil to get out and get back to his music again. Now it looked like a sure, straight road to success, if Pat could just keep himself out of trouble and stick with his studies. But trouble and Pat Pennington have an affinity for each other. When Ruth tells him she is going to have his baby, Pat must face a new kind of problem--one that threatens both his personal happiness and his future as a concert pianist. Patrick Pennington, the rebellious and talented anti-hero of Pennington's Last Term and The Beethoven Medal, doesn't settle easily into the role of husband, father, and breadwinner. With humor, compassion, and deep insight, K. M. Peyton portrays a very young, very loving couple's rocky first year of marriage.
Streampunks: YouTube and the Rebels Remaking Media
by Maany Peyvan Robert KynclAn entertainment and tech insider—YouTube’s chief business officer—delivers the first detailed account of the rise of YouTube, the creative minds who have capitalized on it to become pop culture stars, and how streaming video is revolutionizing the media world.In the past ten years, the internet video platform YouTube has changed media and entertainment as profoundly as the invention of film, radio, and television did, more than six decades earlier. Streampunks is a firsthand account of this upstart company, examining how it evolved and where it will take us next.Sharing behind-the-scenes stories of YouTube’s most influential stars—Streampunks like Tyler Oakley, Lilly Singh, and Casey Neistat—and the dealmakers brokering the future of entertainment like Scooter Braun and Shane Smith, Robert Kyncl uses his experiences at three of the most innovative media companies, HBO, Netflix, and YouTube, to tell the story of streaming video and this modern pop culture juggernaut. Collaborating with Google speechwriter Maany Peyvan, Kyncl explains how the new rules of entertainment are being written and how and why the media landscape is radically changing, while giving aspiring Streampunks some necessary advice to launch their own new media careers.Kyncl persuasively argues that, despite concerns about technology impoverishing artists or undermining artistic quality, the new media revolution is actually fueling a creative boom and leading to more compelling, diverse, and immersive content. Enlightening, surprising, and thoroughly entertaining, Streampunks is a revelatory ride through the new media rebellion that is reshaping our world.
Stanley Kubrick: Adapting the Sublime
by Elisa PezzottaAlthough Stanley Kubrick adapted novels and short stories, his films deviate in notable ways from the source material. In particular, since 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), his films seem to definitively exploit all cinematic techniques, embodying a compelling visual and aural experience. But, as author Elisa Pezzotta contends, it is for these reasons that his cinema becomes the supreme embodiment of the sublime, fruitful encounter between the two arts and, simultaneously, of their independence. Stanley Kubrick's last six adaptations—2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange (1971), Barry Lyndon (1975), The Shining (1980), Full Metal Jacket (1987), and Eyes Wide Shut (1999)—are characterized by certain structural and stylistic patterns. These features help to draw conclusions about the role of Kubrick in the history of cinema, about his role as an adapter, and, more generally, about the art of cinematic adaptations. The structural and stylistic patterns that characterize Kubrick adaptations seem to criticize scientific reasoning, causality, and traditional semantics. In the history of cinema, Kubrick can be considered a modernist auteur. In particular, he can be regarded as an heir of the modernist avant-garde of the 1920s. However, author Elisa Pezzotta concludes that, unlike his predecessors, Kubrick creates a cinema not only centered on the ontology of the medium, but on the staging of sublime, new experiences.
Hard Times High (Make Me a Star #6)
by Susan Beth PfefferA cast member of TV's number-one show is about to be fired--how will Alison, Bill, TJ, Rafe, Molly, Miranda, and Susie handle the possibility of being unemployed? A bombshell has just been dropped on the cast of TV's Hard Time High: A major new storyline is being introduced. But it means someone is going to get canned from the show. Former childhood star TJ has lived through this before, when his previous hit TV show was canceled. Used to the steady paycheck after a life on the road, Molly makes a list of her options. Left with a mountain of debt if he gets axed, Rafe's only hope is the movie he just filmed. If ex-teen beauty queen Alison loses her job, how will she go on supporting her family? After years of commercials and made-for-TV movies, Bill doesn't want to lose his chance at a real career. Miranda can't imagine being let go when she's still learning the acting ropes. And Susie worries that she was only cast in the first place because she's the producer's daughter. But one of the seven is going to be kicked off the show. The bigger surprise is what will happen next.
Love Scenes (Make Me a Star #5)
by Susan Beth PfefferMiranda, Molly, Alison, TJ, Bill, and Rafe are becoming stars on TV's biggest show, but with fame come responsibilities . . . Can they really have it all? Miranda is celebrating her seventeenth birthday. She can't believe it's been a whole year since she was cast in Hard Time High. Now she just got her own car and may finally get out from under the thumb of her family. But does she really want to move in with her costar Molly and her mother--especially since she and Molly aren't on great terms at the moment? Miranda's personal life starts looking up when she agrees to go on a blind date with Adam, who has a crush on the character Miranda plays on the show. The Los Angeles University senior is tall, dark, and totally un-California. And with Alison offered the chance to move beyond her beauty-queen looks as cohost of a teen talk show, Rafe wrapping a movie, and TJ's fan base growing, it looks like they're all getting ready for the next big thing. Will the upcoming season bring them the fame and happiness they've been searching for?
On the Move (Make Me a Star #4)
by Susan Beth PfefferOn their first hiatus from TV's cool new prime-time series, Bill, Miranda, TJ, Alison, Rafe, and Molly are looking forward to getting back to the real world--but will they ever be normal teenagers again? The first season of Hard Time High is over, and Bill, Miranda, TJ, Alison, Rafe, and Molly have three whole weeks to themselves. It's back to high school for Bill--no more cramming in homework between takes--and spending quality time with his girlfriend, Calista. After years of acting on the road, Molly can't wait to share a real Thanksgiving with Miranda and her family in New England. Between a commitment to a holiday parade and a spread for a fashion magazine, Alison won't have much time for herself. Rafe is taking his parents on an all-expenses-paid trip to Hawaii. And TJ's headed to Indiana to visit his mom. Then it's on to New York to meet his East Coast fan club before he strikes out for London and Paris. But it seems that Rafe, Molly, and TJ are keeping major, scandal-worthy secrets. In between reuniting with old friends and doing normal stuff like attending football games, they're all trying to cope with their new celebrity and wondering what the new season has in store.
Prime Time (Make Me a Star #1)
by Susan Beth PfefferThe first book in Susan Beth Pfeffer's Make Me a Star series introduces six Teenagers, each waiting for that first big break Open call! Now casting for brand-new prime time series. No experience necessary. Tenth grader Miranda Newgate is visiting Los Angeles on spring break when her cousin hears about a casting call for extras on a new TV series. Miranda goes to the audition, but ends up reading for a bigger part. Then it's back to Massachusetts, to term papers and biology projects while waiting for the call that could change her life. Stage star Molly O'Malley is a serious actress. But she could sure use the exposure from a network show that will be seen from coast to coast. Alison Blake is Miss Young America, but that doesn't give her a free pass. She has to work harder than anyone else to prove she isn't just another pretty face. Former child star T. J. Tyler is ready for his comeback. He needs the leading role to show the world he wasn't washed up at eleven. Rafe Marquez has no acting experience. But he's hot and hunky and goes after what he wants--and he wants to make it big. Bill Douglas has been on so many TV shows, this one should be a breeze. But in this business, you never know. Who will make the final cut and rise to stardom on Hard Time High?
Revenge of the Aztecs: A Story of 1920s Hollywood
by Susan Beth PfefferIn 1923, Alicia Martinez, living with Los Angeles oil millionaires, is thrilled to be cast in Revenge of the Aztecs, an epic film being produced in Hollywood by her best friend's father. When idols topple, rocks roll down hills, and other mysterious events occur, Alicia must find out if these happenings are just accidents or if she is the target of a criminal plan that threatens the completion of the movie as well as her safety. If they are not accidents, who is behind them? Could it be someone Alicia has loved and trusted for years? And if it is, can Alicia ever trust again? Reading Level 5-8 Interest Level 6-8.
Starring Peter and Leigh
by Susan Beth PfefferLeigh trades in her acting career to play a starring role in her own life Most people don't get to retire at age sixteen, but that's what Leigh is planning to do when she moves to Long Island to live with her mom and her new stepfather. Leigh has been acting all her life, most recently on a successful TV show, and she can't wait to be the kind of normal high school student she's only ever played on screen. For advice on playing the role of a normal teenager, Leigh turns to her new stepbrother, Peter. Peter has hemophilia, a medical condition that has kept him out of school for a while--but missing out on high school life has given him a good eye for what normal looks like. Together, they figure two outsiders can create one socially successful high school student. They might even be right. Peter is smart, wryly funny, and a good friend when he's not being a bad invalid. And Leigh knows she can do it--after all, acting is what she's good at. But the thing about acting is that at the end of the day you get to go back to being yourself, a luxury Leigh starts to think she might not have appreciated enough when she had it.
Take Two and . . . Rolling! (Make Me a Star #2)
by Susan Beth PfefferSix teenagers have been cast in prime time's hottest new TV series--can they take their shot at the spotlight without sacrificing the things that matter most? A starring role on the prime-time show Hard Time High could give Molly O'Malley the fame and fortune she craves. But the real payoff, besides a steady income, is something the on-the-road actress has wanted for years: the chance to put down roots and live a normal life. And she'd get to celebrate her real birthday and stop pretending she's almost fifteen when she's barely fourteen, a fact she only recently discovered. But even fame has its price; Molly's mother wants a job on the show. And Molly has to keep up with her schooling. The show is giving Rafe Marquez his first taste of stardom. Maybe one day he'll be able to buy a mansion with a pool for his folks. But he's never going to abandon his dream of being lead guitarist in a famous band. Things are changing faster than Molly, Rafe, TJ, Miranda, Alison, and Bill ever imagined. Will this mark the beginning of new friendships and maybe even love?
Wanting It All (Make Me a Star #3)
by Susan Beth PfefferAlison, Molly, TJ, Miranda, Rafe, and Bill have been on Hard Time High for five months--but real life is a lot more complicated than any TV script could make it seem Things are changing on the set of prime time's new hit series. For starters, the producer's daughter, bratty twelve-year-old Susie Goldstein, now has a role on the show. Sixteen-year-old Alison Blake, a former Miss Young America, has been wowing audiences since she was three . . . and supporting her family on her looks. Now she wants to be judged on her own merits. She gets a welcome reality check when her high school boyfriend, Seth Lewin, shows up on the set and announces he's moving to Los Angeles to be near her. Alison has to fight for the right to date Seth while keeping a secret that could get Molly fired from the show. Seasoned TV veteran Bill Douglas is vice president of his junior class. He wants to have it all--success, celebrity, and love. But his longtime girlfriend, Calista Hasbrouck, doesn't seem to see things his way. They're all on their way to stardom. But will the limelight translate into lasting fame--or leave them with broken dreams?
Chasing the Panther: Adventures and Misadventures of a Cinematic Life
by Carolyn PfeifferA cinematic and vibrant coming-of-age memoir, Chasing the Panther captures the thrilling and, at times, heartbreaking early years of Carolyn Pfeiffer, a pioneering film producer and one of Hollywood's first female executives—a &“mini-mogul&” in the words of the Wall Street Journal. For a moment in the 1980s, Carolyn Pfeiffer was the only woman in Hollywood who could greenlight a movie. Working with directors like Sam Shepard and Wes Craven, and with actors like River Phoenix and Bette Davis, she had a hand in producing or distributing many landmark films, among them Ridley Scott's The Duellists, Alan Rudolph's Choose Me, and the Academy Award-winning Kiss of the Spider Woman. However, long before establishing herself as a player in the world of film, Carolyn was a horseback-riding tomboy who dreamed of exploring the world beyond her small hometown. Her journey turned out to be a tale fit for the movies.As a young girl jumping from rock to rock in a rural North Carolina town, Carolyn felt a calling she couldn&’t articulate but that she nonetheless understood: it was a tug on her heart, a yearning for something more. When she could, she set out for New York City, a refuge for young women exercising their independence and resisting the pressures of marriage and motherhood. There, swept up in the glamorous world of beat poets and millionaires, Carolyn brushed shoulders with a young Burt Reynolds and became fast friends with an English journalist named Penny. As the turbulent 1960s dawned, Carolyn booked a one-way passage to Europe. Her plan was to visit Penny and to travel around Europe for the summer but, instead, the world opened up to her in ways she never could have imagined. She found herself on set with Italy&’s great filmmakers, in the couture houses of Paris&’ fashion icons, and swept up in the youthful energy flooding London. She learned about film and found work on iconic movies like Federico Fellini&’s 8 ½, Luchino Visconti&’s The Leopard, and David Lean's Doctor Zhivago, and she came to befriend and work alongside luminaries like the Beatles, Tennessee Williams, Francoise Truffaut, and Barbra Streisand. Amid these adventures and misadventures, Carolyn fell in and out of love, and was beset by tragedies and triumphs that resoundingly affirmed what she'd known since girlhood—that she was always destined for something more.Set against the dazzling backdrop of Fellini's Rome, the Paris of the French New Wave, and Swinging London, Chasing the Panther reads like a true-to-life novel revealing Carolyn&’s unforgettable journey to find her place in the world.
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Classic Movies: Facts, Trivia, and Behind-the-Scenes Stories from the Best Movies of All Time
by Lee PfeifferSit back, grab some popcorn, and let the credits roll. The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Classic Movies provides comprehensive information on the best classic films from the silent era up through 1969, cross-referenced several different ways for easy access. Also contains fun, "insider" trivia and facts about the movies, the stars, and factors that influenced the movie or the audience at the time of the movie's release. Written by a recognized name in the industry who has written books on movies and film for decades Features only the best movies (3 and 4 stars) from the silent era up through 1969 Offers several indexes, which are cross-referenced alphabetically by actor and director, in addition to the main text being indexed by film name and genre Includes appendices that provide information on the top 100 films of all time, the greatest movie quotes, Academy Award winners, and Internet references for locating hard-to-find films
Fantasy Film Post 9/11
by Frances Pheasant-KellyExamining a range of fantasy films released in the past decade, Pheasant-Kelly looks at why these films are meaningful to current audiences. The imagery and themes reflecting 9/11, millennial anxieties, and environmental disasters have furthered fantasy's rise to dominance as they allow viewers to work through traumatic memories of these issues.
Powwow: A Celebration through Song and Dance (Orca Origins #7)
by Karen Pheasant-Neganigwane★ “Clearly organized and educational—an incredibly useful tool for both school and public libraries.” —School Library Journal, starred review Powwow is a celebration of Indigenous song and dance. Journey through the history of powwow culture in North America, from its origins to the thriving powwow culture of today. As a lifelong competitive powwow dancer, Karen Pheasant-Neganigwane is a guide to the protocols, regalia, songs, dances and even food you can find at powwows from coast to coast, as well as the important role they play in Indigenous culture and reconciliation.
Monster Jam Official Guidebook
by Kiel PhegleyDon't miss this definitive guide to the biggest, baddest competition in the world! Take a look under the hood and learn what it takes to make these massive trucks go, get the inside scoop on the oldest rivalries among the teams, and take a crash course from Monster Jam University, where ordinary drivers become superstars. It's all here in the Monster Jam Official Guidebook, which comes complete with a giant, double-sided poster! A must-have for fans and future drivers alike!
Unmarked: The Politics of Performance
by Peggy PhelanUnmarked is a controversial analysis of the fraught relation between political and representational visibility in contemporary culture. Written from and for the Left, Unmarked rethinks the claims of visibility politics through a feminist psychoanalytic examination of specific performance texts - including photography, painting, film, theatre and anti-abortion demonstrations.
How I Got This Way
by Regis PhilbinIn this entertaining memoir, the irrepressible "Reege" - consummate talk show host, man about town, loving husband, father, and yes, obsessive sports fan-looks back at his years in show business. One of the most popular television and cultural icons ever, Regis Philbin entertained television audiences for more than fifty years—as a beloved morning-show host (Live with Regis and Kelly), a nighttime game-show host (Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?) and also as a fixture on national and local late-night talk shows. The irrepressible “Reege” has regaled television audiences with his stories for more than half a century, but he’s saved the most hilarious, surprising, heartfelt, and inspiring tales for How I Got This Way. Both a fascinating show business memoir and a delightful primer for living the good life rolled into one, How I Got This Way is Reege being Reege, just the way we love him, as he shares the secrets to success and happiness that he has learned from his innumerable celebrity encounters, his close, personal friendships, and, of course, his relationship with his loving wife and family.
We Own the Sky
by Rodman PhilbrickA thrilling historical adventure by the master of adventure himself, Rodman Philbrick.It's Maine, 1924, and the Ku Klux Klan is on the rise.Davy and Jo Michaud have been recently orphaned. Taken in by a distant relative—a famous aviator—they are now working with a group of stunt pilots who spend their time wing walking, leaping from plane to plane, and flying through fireworks! But though the stunts are dangerous, the real threat is building behind the scenes.The KKK is on the rise in Maine that summer, inspired by the racial fears promoted in Birth of a Nation. They spew hatred of immigrants, Blacks, Jews, and French Catholics—that last, a rage that will be directed at Davy and Jo.When Davy and Jo cross paths with the Klan, they get tangled up in a terrible revenge plan, and held as hostages. Can they escape with their lives?
Performing Music in the Age of Recording
by Robert PhilipListeners have enjoyed classical music recordings for more than a century, yet important issues about recorded performances have been little explored. What is the relationship between performance and recording? How are modern audiences affected by the trends set in motion by the recording era? What is the impact of recordings on the lives of musicians? In this wide-ranging book, Robert Philip extends the scope of his earlier pioneering book, Early Recordings and Musical Style: Changing Tastes in Instrumental Performance 1900-1950. Philip here considers the interaction between music-making and recording throughout the entire twentieth century. The author compares the lives of musicians and audiences in the years before recordings with those of today. He examines such diverse and sometimes contentious topics as changing attitudes toward freedom of expression, the authority of recordings made by or approved by composers, the globalization of performing styles, and the rise of the period instrument movement. Philip concludes with a thought-provoking discussion of the future of classical music performance.
This Will Only Hurt a Little: The New York Times Bestseller
by Busy PhilippsTHE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 'Busy is a legit writer with a voice as clear as a bell' Tina Fey 'Funny, refreshingly candid memoir about Hollywood, motherhood and BFFhood' Cosmopolitan'Judy Blume meets Karl Ove Knausgaard meets one brave woman from Arizona' Miranda JulyA memoir by the beloved comedic actress known for her roles on Freaks and Geeks, Dawson's Creek, and Cougartown who has become 'the breakout star on Instagram stories . . . imagine I Love Lucy mixed with a modern lifestyle guru' (New Yorker).Busy Philipps's autobiographical book offers the same unfiltered and candid storytelling that her Instagram followers have come to know and love, from growing up in Scottsdale, Arizona and her painful and painfully funny teen years, to her life as a working actress, mother, and famous best friend.Busy is the rare entertainer whose impressive arsenal of talents as an actress is equally matched by her storytelling ability, sense of humor, and sharp observations about life, love, and motherhood. Her conversational writing reminds us what we love about her on screens large and small. From film to television to Instagram, Busy delightfully showcases her wry humor and her willingness to bare it all.'I've been waiting my whole life to write this book. I'm just so grateful someone asked. Otherwise, what was the point of any of it??''Candid, painful and extremely wryly funny' Stylist'Like most women, famous or not, bad things have happened to Busy Philipps - as well as weird stuff, jawdropping stuff and heartwarming stuff' Refinery29'This Will Only Hurt a Little has stopped me in my tracks completely' Sophie Heawood, Observer
This Will Only Hurt a Little: The New York Times Bestseller
by Busy PhilippsA hilarious, heartfelt, and refreshingly honest memoir and New York Times bestseller by the beloved comedic actress known for her roles on Freaks and Geeks, Dawson&’s Creek, and Cougar Town who has become &“the breakout star of Instagram stories...Imagine I Love Lucy mixed with a modern lifestyle guru&” (The New Yorker).There&’s no stopping Busy Philipps. From the time she was two and &“aced out in her nudes&” to explore the neighborhood (as her mom famously described her toddler jailbreak), Busy has always been headstrong, defiant, and determined not to miss out on all the fun. These qualities led her to leave Scottsdale, Arizona, at the age of nineteen to pursue her passion for acting in Hollywood. But much like her painful and painfully funny teenage years, chasing her dreams wasn&’t always easy and sometimes hurt more than a little. In a memoir &“that often reads like a Real World confessional or an open diary&” (Kirkus Reviews), Busy opens up about chafing against a sexist system rife with on-set bullying and body shaming, being there when friends face shattering loss, enduring devastating personal and professional betrayals from those she loved best, and struggling with postpartum anxiety and the challenges of motherhood. But Busy also brings to the page her sly sense of humor and the unshakeable sense that disappointment shouldn&’t stand in her way—even when she&’s knocked down both figuratively and literally (from a knee injury at her seventh-grade dance to a violent encounter on the set of Freaks and Geeks). The rough patches in her life are tempered by times of hilarity and joy: leveraging a flawless impression of Cher from Clueless into her first paid acting gig, helping reinvent a genre with cult classic Freaks and Geeks, becoming fast friends with Dawson&’s Creek castmate Michelle Williams, staging her own surprise wedding, conquering natural childbirth with the help of a Mad Men–themed hallucination, and of course, how her Instagram stories became &“the most addictive thing on the internet right now&” (Cosmopolitan). Busy is the rare entertainer whose impressive arsenal of talents as an actress is equally matched by her storytelling ability, sense of humor, and sharp observations about life, love, and motherhood—&“if you think you know Busy from her Instagram stories, you don&’t know the half of it&” (Jenni Konner). Her conversational writing reminds us what we love about her on screens large and small. From &“candid tales of celebrity life, mom life, and general Busy-ness&” (W Magazine), This Will Only Hurt a Little &“is everything we&’ve been dying to hear about&” (Bustle).