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Il Dossier Rojas
by Catia Polverini Pierre MonteagudoQuesta è la storia di un bambino prodigio di nome Hector Rafael che, sulla base della sua volontà di ferro per superare le avversità, divenne un importante astrofisico e scienziato chiave della NASA durante l'arrivo dell'uomo sulla Luna. Durante la Guerra Fredda, l'astrofisico Héctor R. Rojas propose al Dipartimento di Stato un progetto di cooperazione scientifica tra il Venezuela e gli Stati Uniti per democratizzare la conoscenza e insegnare la scienza conosciuta all'epoca nelle università latinoamericane ed europee. Cosa è successo dopo? I fatti sono rimasti nascosti, dietro un manto di mistero e segretezza, fino ad oggi. Qual è stata la decisione dell’”Agenzia”? Cosa hanno fatto i governi coinvolti? Cosa dice il memo firmato da Kissinger? Immergiti in questa affascinante storia e scopri la soluzione all'enigma
Il Dottore: The Double Life of a Mafia Doctor
by Ron FelberIl Dottore is based on the true story of a Jewish kid from the Bronx, who, through a series of circumstances, became a mafia insider and physician to top New York Mafia Dons such as John Gotti, Carlo Gambino, Paul Castellano, and Joe Bonanno. As a result, the doctor began leading a double life: a well respected surgeon (then working at Manhattan's Mount Sinai Hospital) and socialite by day, and Il Dottore, a gambling and sex addict by night. As a result of his relationship to the mafia, the doctor was welcomed into an exciting and often glamorous underworld, which included disco, drugs, high-stakes gambling, and, of course, beautiful women.
Il Lamento dell'immigrato
by Mois Benarroch Martina Fattore"Il lamento dell'immigrato" è stato pubblicato per la prima volta nel 1994 in ebraico. La poesia di Benarroch è stata tradotta in una dozzina di lingue, incluse l'urdu e il cinese. Julia Uceda considera la sua poesia detentrice della memoria del mondo, mentre Jose Luis Garcia Martin ritiene che i suoi versi vadano ben oltre la poesia e che siano dei veri e propri documenti. ""Se dovessi scegliere qualcuno da nominare per il Premio Nobel, sicuramente concorrerebbe anche lui." Klaus Gerken, editore di Ygdrasil. La sua fama cresce constantemente e i suoi libri sono stati pubblicati in Spagna, Israele e Stati Uniti d'America. Benarroch è stato insignito del Prime Minister Literary Prize nel 2008 e del Yehuda Amichai Poetry Prize nel 2012.
Il Romanzo dei Rimpianti
by Leroy VincentIl Romanzo dei Rimpianti è un libro pieno di storie vere di racconti di persone reali che hanno perso delle opportunità nelle loro storie d'amore. è un'ottima lettura per tutti coloro che volessero ricordare i loro rimpianti.
Il Salotto Della Contessa Maffei
by Raffello BarbieraPortrait of Countess Clara Maffei, Milanese noblewoman during the Italian 'Risorgimento' and of the historical figures who surrounded her remarkable life. (Text in Italian)
Il Volo del Rondone (Italian translation of "Flight of the Rondone"): La lotta per salvare la vita di mio figlio: autobiografia di un neanche diplomato in lotta contro le multinazionali del farmaco
by Patrick GirondiIl volo del Rondone racconta una storia caratterizzata dall&’ascesa &“dalle stalle alle stelle&” che il New York Times ha indicato come &“merita gli schermi televisivi&”. L&’autore, che non si è neanche diplomato, è soprannominato &“U carnveil&” (il circo camminante) per il suo spirito e la sua natura bizzarra. Patrick Girondi inizia la sua carriera lucidando scarpe per strada, rubando pezzi d&’auto e fuggendo da situazioni pericolose ingannando anche la polizia di Chicago. La sua storia vincente diventa così famosa da essere raccontata al &“The Oprah Winfrey Show&”. Il suo destino si trasforma velocemente quando suo figlio, Santino, venne diagnosticato con una malattia del sangue. Girondi, alla ricerca di una cura, attraversa tragedie e sconfinate implicazioni nel mondo della terapia genica. Girondi scrive: &“Sono stato strangolato, sparato, fuggito da più di venti arresti e dileguato da tre cacce alle streghe dell&’FBI; sono passato dal lavorare ai porti, alla Borsa di Chicago. Vedrò mio figlio curato. Quanto può essere difficile?&” Dopo decenni di lotte, è riuscito a portare alla luce il primo lotto commerciale di un vettore impiegato nel campo della terapia genica con alte potenzialità di curare l&’anemia falciforme e la talassemia. Ancora, la riuscita della cura – edel destino del figlio – èin pericolo a causa dei camici bianchi, morti misteriose e banchieri di Wall Street spietati. Questa è una storia di amore, una sfida contro le probabilità o, come dice Girondi, pura fortuna. È un racconto crudo e reale con una piccola considerazione del bon ton.
Il lento fluire della Garonna
by Jessica Lione J. L. F. LambertNel'imperturbabile periferia di Bordeaux vive una vedova pensionata, una signora qualunque, tranquilla e solitaria come i suoi vicini. La sua mente perfettamente lucida, ma incapace di oltrepassare le porte dell'eternità, è rivolta prevalentemente al passato che la porta inevitabilmente a porsi delle domande. È in questo modo che un dilemma di più di sessant'anni ritorna a popolare le notti della signora Hébert al punto di renderla prigioniera di un labirinto di ricordi agrodolci. Stanca di ripercorrere gli incidenti di un percorso del quale non è possibile cambiare nulla, ex insegnante, decide di tramandare, attraverso gli avvenimenti della sua gioventù, la sua biografia a scopo esemplificativo. Dopo un primo tentativo di biografia non riuscito, proverà ancora una volta ad aprirsi a un estraneo, il narratore. Al di là dei suoi amori appena sfiorati, la signora Hébert ripercorrerà ancora una volta quell'anno, il 1943, momento cardine della sua posizione sociale, alla base del suo malessere, vale a dire una decisone affrontata nella maniera sbagliata, basandosi su valori che promettevano "L'Infinito", una scelta esistenziale condizionata dalla sua infanzia. Finirà per rifugiarsi in ricordi misurati, anche se la natura, a modo suo, continuerà a custodire quello che è stato e quello che avrebbe potuto essere, pur lasciandole la possibilita di dare un ultimo contributo, simbolo della sua situazione.
Il mio nazista preferito: Il mito di Albert Speer, il nazista buono.
by Lazaro DroznesIl mio nazista preferito. Il mito di Albert Speer, il nazista buono. La storia del gerarca nazista che si salvò dalla forca al processo di Norimberga. Albert Speer, uno dei principali gerarchi nazisti, fu architetto di Hitler e Ministro della Produzione di Armamenti. Fu responsabile della deportazione e della morte di milioni di lavoratori schiavi che furono obbligati a lavorare in condizioni degradanti nelle industrie belliche. Si stima che furono usati 14 milioni di lavoratori contro la loro volontà per aumentare di 4 volte la produzione di armamenti durante la gestione di Albert Speer. Grazie a questo enorme incremento della produzione la Germania fu in grado di sostenere il conflitto per altri due anni. Questa estensione del conflitto comportò, come conseguenza, vari milioni di vittime che avrebbero potuto essere evitate. Nonostante la sua responsabilità diretta per la morte di milioni di lavoratori schiavi e di prigionieri di guerra, Albert Speer evitò miracolosamente la condanna alla forca, che invece ricevettero i suoi compagni nazisti sottoposti al processo a Norimberga. Albert Speer fu l'unico nazista a mostrare un qualche tipo di pentimento e ad accettare la responsabilità condivisa per le atrocità commesse durante il regime nazista. Speer fu condannato solo a 20 anni di detenzione nel carcere di Spandau, pena che scontò pienamente fino all'ultimo giorno. All'uscita di prigione pubblicò un libro di memorie che divenne un best seller mondiale, ebbe una grande ripercussione mediatica e lo fece diventare un uomo ricco. Alla luce del suo pentimento e della sua accettazione delle responsabilità è spesso definito in modo ironico come "il nazista buono". Acquista questo libro per scoprire le strategie che Albert Speer utilizzò per salvarsi dalla forca e per diventare il nazista preferito di tutto il mondo!
Il mio viaggio attraverso l'occidente (Autobiografia)
by Wael El-Manzalawy Mattia BarattoEro molto interessato alla politica ed alle notizie. Ed il risultato fu che sentivo che tutte le persone occidentali ci odiavano. Dato che generalizzare è un errore molto comune, ne fui vittima: ascoltavo le notizie e generalizzavo il mio sentire che tutti gli occidentali ci odiassero e volessero distruggere i nostri paesi. Fin dal 2003, ho cominciato ad usare Internet. Ho avuto a che fare con tante persone occidentali. E gradualmente i miei sentimenti sono cambiati. Vi invito a leggere questo libro e scoprire il mio viaggio attraverso il mondo occidentale.
Il salone degli artisti esiliati in California
by Núria AñóIl salone degli artisti esiliati in California è una biografia di Salka Viertel, un’attrice ebrea che emigrò a Hollywood e fu popolarmente conosciuta come la sceneggiatrice dell’attrice svedese Greta Garbo. Inoltre, era proprietaria di un salone a Santa Monica (California), frequentato da molti intellettuali europei in esilio. Salka Viertel fu una donna molto moderna e singolare che si merita un riconoscimento. Nel libro affiorano temi come la presunta bisessualità di Salka Viertel e la quantità di amici rinomati che aveva, per citarne qualcuno Albert Einstein, Charles Chaplin, Sergei Eisenstein, F. W. Murnau, Max Reinhardt, Arnold Schönberg, Thomas Mann, Bertolt Brecht, Greta Garbo, Montgomery Clift... Come Gertrude Stein e altre donne celebri, possedeva un salone letterario per il quale passarono molti scrittori, tra cui Truman Capote, Christopher Isherwood, Gore Vidal e molti altri. Altri temi che troviamo sono la Berlino degli anni’20; il passaggio dal cinema muto a quello parlato visto dalla mecca di Hollywood; l’ascesa di Hitler e le conseguenze che ebbe per il popolo ebraico; l’esilio di intellettuali che non potevano tornare ai loro paesi a causa della Seconda guerra mondiale; la Guerra fredda e la caccia alle streghe contro il comunismo. Lo sfondo della vita di Salka Viertel e della sua cerchia di amici comprende i grandi eventi del XX secolo. Grazie a questo progetto, l’autrice ha ottenuto le borse di soggiorno SWP (Cina, 2016) e BCWT (Svezia, 2017). "Lo considero un racconto molto interessante e ancora molto attuale ai giorni nostri, dato che ai miei occhi non abbiamo fatto molti progressi nella questione di accettazione dei “sentimenti interpersonali” in generale. Un grande libro, estremamente interessante, sull’Hollywood degli anni’30 e’40 e l’influenza di artisti da paesi europei come Germania, Aust
Ilan Ramon: Israel's First Astronaut
by Tanya Lee StoneStone tells of the first Israeli, Ilan Ramon, to travel to space.
Ilango Adigal
by M. VaradarajanThe book about Ilango Adigal a great Tamil poet, who was instrumental in the creation of silappathikaram, one of the five great epics of South India.
Iliazd: A Meta-Biography of a Modernist (Hopkins Studies in Modernism)
by Johanna DruckerA captivating portrait of futurist artist Iliazd infused with the reflections of his accidental biographer on the stickiness of the genre.The poet Ilia Zdanevich, known in his professional life as Iliazd, began his career in the pre-Revolutionary artistic circles of Russian futurism. By the end of his life, he was the publisher of deluxe limited edition books in Paris. The recent subject of major exhibitions in Moscow, his native Tbilisi, New York, and other venues, the work of Iliazd has been prized by bibliophiles and collectors for its exquisite book design and innovative typography. Iliazd collaborated with many major figures of modern art—Pablo Picasso, Sonia Delaunay, Max Ernst, Joán Miro, Natalia Goncharova, and Mikhail Larionov, among others. His 1949 anthology, The Poetry of Unknown Words, was the first international anthology of experimental visual and sound poetry ever published. The list of contributors is a veritable "Who's Who" of avant-garde writing and visual art. And Iliazd's unique hands-on engagement with book production and design makes him the ideal case study for considering the book as a modern art form. Iliazd is the first full-length biography of the poet-publisher, as well as the first comprehensive English-language study of his life and work. Johanna Drucker weaves two stories together: the history of Iliazd's work as a modern artist and poet, and the narrative of the author's encounter with his widow and other figures in the process of researching his biography. Drucker's reflection on what a biographical project entails addresses questions about the relationship between documentary evidence and narrative, between contemporary witnesses and retrospective accounts. Ultimately, Drucker asks how we should understand the connection between the life of an artist and their work. Enriched with photographs from the Iliazd archive and a wealth of primary documents, the book is a vivid account of a unique contributor to modernism—and to the way we continue to reevaluate the history of twentieth-century culture. Accounts of Drucker's research during the mid-1980s in the personal archive of Madame Hélène Zdanevich, the poet's widow, lend the narrative an incredible intimacy. Drucker recounts how, sitting in the studio that Iliazd occupied from the late 1930s until his death in 1975, she was drawn into the circle of scholars who had made him their focus and were doing foundational work on his significance. She also coped with the difference between the widow's view of the artist as a man she loved and Drucker's own perception of Iliazd's significance within a critical approach to history. Iliazd is at once a rich study of a significant figure and a thoughtful reflection on the way a biography creates an encounter with its always absent subject.
Ill Met By Moonlight
by W. Stanley MossNOW WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY W. STANLEY MOSS'S DAUGHTER GABRIELLA BULLOCK AND AN AFTERWORD BY PATRICK LEIGH FERMORIll Met By Moonlight is the true story of one of the most hazardous missions of the Second World War. W. Stanley Moss is a young British officer who, along with Major Patrick Leigh Fermor, sets out in Nazi-occupied Crete to kidnap General Kreipe, Commander of the Sevastopool Division, and narrowly escaping the German manhunt, bring him off the island - a vital prisoner for British intelligence.As an account of derring-do and wartime adventure, made into a classic film starring Dirk Bogarde, Ill Met By Moonlight is one of the most brilliantly written, exciting and compelling stories to come out of the Second World War.
Ill Met By Moonlight (Cassell Military Paperbacks Ser.)
by W. Stanley MossNOW WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY W. STANLEY MOSS'S DAUGHTER GABRIELLA BULLOCK AND AN AFTERWORD BY PATRICK LEIGH FERMORIll Met By Moonlight is the true story of one of the most hazardous missions of the Second World War. W. Stanley Moss is a young British officer who, along with Major Patrick Leigh Fermor, sets out in Nazi-occupied Crete to kidnap General Kreipe, Commander of the Sevastopool Division, and narrowly escaping the German manhunt, bring him off the island - a vital prisoner for British intelligence.As an account of derring-do and wartime adventure, made into a classic film starring Dirk Bogarde, Ill Met By Moonlight is one of the most brilliantly written, exciting and compelling stories to come out of the Second World War.
Illegal MiniBiographies. Writers
by Heberto Gamero ContínSixty unique and revealing stories about some of the most famous writers in history. What was going on in the head of Juan Rulfo when, as a travel agent, he drove along the endless roads of Mexico? What did Hemingway say to the Italian that he was carrying on his back before giving him to the Allies and thereby saving his life? What was the reaction of an admirer to the refusal of the Swedish Academy to award the Nobel Prize to Jorge Luis Borges? Who brought red roses to the tomb of Oscar Wilde? How were the last moments of Horacio Quiroga or Stefan Zweig? Nabokov, had he ever dreamed of returning to Russia? Sixty unique and revealing stories about some of the most famous writers in history.
Illegal: Reflections of an Undocumented Immigrant
by Jose Angel N.A day after N. first crossed the U.S. border from Mexico, he was caught and then released onto the streets of Tijuana. Undeterred, N. crawled back through a tunnel to San Diego, where he entered the United States forever. Illegal: Reflections of an Undocumented Immigrant is his timely and compelling memoir of building a new life in America. Authorial anonymity is required to protect this life. Arriving in the 1990s with a 9th grade education, N. traveled to Chicago where he found access to ESL classes and GED classes. He eventually attended college and graduate school and became a professional translator. Despite having a well-paying job, N. was isolated by a lack of official legal documentation. Travel concerns made big promotions out of reach. Vacation time was spent hiding at home, pretending that he was on a long-planned trip. The simple act of purchasing his girlfriend a beer at a Cubs baseball game caused embarrassment and shame when N. couldn't produce a valid ID. A frustrating contradiction, N. lived in a luxury high-rise condo but couldn't fully live the American dream. He did, however, find solace in the one gift America gave him--his education. Ultimately, N.'s is the story of the triumph of education over adversity. In Illegal he debunks the stereotype that undocumented immigrants are freeloaders without access to education or opportunity for advancement. With bravery and honesty, N. details the constraints, deceptions, and humiliations that characterize alien life "amid the shadows."
Illegally Yours \ Ilegalmente tuyo (Spanish edition): La comedia de mi vida
by Rafael AgustinMientras crecía, los padres de Rafa no querían que se sintiera diferente porque, como su mamá le dijo: “Los sueños no deben tener fronteras”. Pero cuando intentó sacar su licencia de conducir en su tercer año de preparatoria, sus padres se vieron forzados a revelarle su estatus migratorio. De pronto, el chico que moldeó todos sus estudios de preparatoria como en los programas de televisión estadounidenses, no tenía idea de que iba a hacer —¡no había un episodio de Salvados por la campana donde Zack fuera deportado!—. Mientras sus padres se liberaron de la carga de vivir una mentira frente a su hijo, Rafa se encontró deshecho por completo frente a su futuro.Ilegalmente tuyo es un conmovedor y cómico vistazo al modo en que esta familia de inmigrantes ecuatorianos metidos en problemas se une para navegar en la vida escolar de Rafa, la vida de trabajo de sus padres y su vida secreta compartida como estadounidenses indocumentados, determinados a hacer lo mejor de su, siempre turbulenta y a veces peligrosa, existencia en los Estados Unidos. Desde el uso de la “Explosión latina” de Ricky Martin/Jennifer López para sacar ventaja en la sociedad en los años 90 hasta cómo sus padres —doctores en su país de origen, Ecuador— fueron reducidos a realizar trabajos domésticos en Estados Unidos, el secreto de la familia se convirtió en su problema, y su problema se convirtió en maña. Exploración de pertenencia e identidad que alterna entre lo gracioso y lo conmovedor, Ilegalmente tuyo gira alrededor de una pregunta simple: ¿Qué significa ser estadounidense? Growing up, Rafa’s parents didn't want him to feel different because, as his mom told him: "Dreams should not have borders." But when he tried to get his driver's license during his junior year of high school, his parents were forced to reveal his immigration status. Suddenly, the kid who modeled his entire high school career after American TV shows had no idea what to do -- there was no episode of Saved by the Bell where Zack gets deported! While his parents were relieved to no longer live a lie in front of their son, Rafa found himself completely unraveling in the face of his uncertain future. Illegally Yours is a heartwarming, comical look at how this struggling Ecuadorian immigrant family bonded together to navigate Rafa's school life, his parents' work lives, and their shared secret life as undocumented Americans, determined to make the best of their always turbulent and sometimes dangerous American existence. From using the Ricky Martin/Jennifer Lopez “Latin Explosion” to his social advantage in the ‘90s to how his parents—doctors in their home country of Ecuador—were reduced to working menial jobs in the US, the family's secret became their struggle, and their struggle became their hustle. An alternatingly hilarious and touching exploration of belonging and identity, Illegally Yours revolves around one very simple question: What does it mean to be American?
Illegally Yours: A Memoir
by Rafael AgustinA funny and poignant memoir about how as a teenager, TV writer Rafael Agustin (Jane The Virgin) accidentally discovered he was undocumented and how that revelation turned everything he thought he knew about himself and his family upside down.Growing up, Rafa&’s parents didn't want him to feel different because, as his mom told him: "Dreams should not have borders." But when he tried to get his driver's license during his junior year of high school, his parents were forced to reveal his immigration status. Suddenly, the kid who modeled his entire high school career after American TV shows had no idea what to do -- there was no episode of Saved by the Bell where Zack gets deported! While his parents were relieved to no longer live a lie in front of their son, Rafa found himself completely unraveling in the face of his uncertain future. Illegally Yours is a heartwarming, comical look at how this struggling Ecuadorian immigrant family bonded together to navigate Rafa's school life, his parents' work lives, and their shared secret life as undocumented Americans, determined to make the best of their always turbulent and sometimes dangerous American existence. From using the Ricky Martin/Jennifer Lopez &“Latin Explosion&” to his social advantage in the &‘90s to how his parents—doctors in their home country of Ecuador—were reduced to working menial jobs in the US, the family's secret became their struggle, and their struggle became their hustle. An alternatingly hilarious and touching exploration of belonging and identity, Illegally Yours revolves around one very simple question: What does it mean to be American?
Illumination Rounds: from Dispatches
by Michael HerrFresh in his boots and three days in-country, Michael Herr is in a Chinook when a young soldier across from him is gunned. “It took me a month to lose that feeling of being a spectator to something that was part game, part show.” Written in unforgettable and unflinching detail, Herr captures the chaos and fervor of the war and the surreal insanity of life in that singular combat zone. Selected from Dispatches, one of "the best book to have been written about the Vietnam War" (The New York Times Book Review) and an instant classic straight from the front lines.A Vintage Shorts Vietnam Selection. An ebook short.
Illumination in the Flatwoods: A Season With the Wild Turkey
by Joe HuttoThe acclaimed account of an astonishing human-turkey relationship. The author describes how he hatched two clutches of wild turkey eggs in an incubator and raised the poults to maturity. Imprinting on him from the moment they hatched, the turkeys fully accepted their human parent into their world. Hutto records their explorations together through fields and woods and the development of their communication and mutual awareness. Along the way he reflects upon the nature of consciousness and the place of humans and animals in the environment.
Illusion of Justice: Inside Making a Murderer and America's Broken System
by Jerome F. Buting“A compelling portrait of the mechanisms of building a murder defense. A fantastic look behind the scenes of the U.S. justice system.” —Kirkus ReviewsOver his career, Jerome F. Buting has spent hundreds of hours in courtrooms representing defendants in criminal trials. When he agreed to join Dean Strang as co-counsel for the defense in Steven A. Avery vs. State of Wisconsin, he knew a tough fight lay ahead. But, as he reveals in Illusion of Justice, no-one could have predicted just how twisted that fight would be—or that it would become the center of the documentary Making a Murderer, which made Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey household names.Buting’s powerful, riveting boots-on-the-ground narrative of Avery’s and Dassey’s cases becomes a springboard to examine the shaky integrity of law enforcement and justice in the United States, which Buting has witnessed firsthand for more than thirty-five years. From his early career as a public defender to his success overturning wrongful convictions working with the Innocence Project, his story provides an insider view into the high-stakes arena of criminal defense law; the difficulties of forensic science; and a horrifying reality of biased interrogations, coerced or false confessions, faulty eyewitness testimony, official misconduct, and more.Combining narrative reportage with critical commentary and personal reflection, Buting explores his professional and personal motivations, career-defining cases, and what must happen if our broken system is to be saved. Illusion of Justice is a tour-de-force from a relentless and eloquent advocate for justice who is determined, in the face of overwhelming odds, to make America’s judicial system work as it is designed to do.
Illusionary (Hollow Crown)
by Zoraida CórdovaThe most wanted rebel returns in Zoraida Córdova's gripping conclusion to the Hollow Crown duology.For years, she was wielded as a weapon. Now it's her time to fight back. Reeling from betrayal at the hands of the Whispers, Renata Convida is a girl on the run. With few options and fewer allies, she's reluctantly joined forces with none other than Prince Castian, her most infuriating and intriguing enemy. They're united by a lofty goal: find the fabled Knife of Memory, kill the ruthless King Fernando, and bring peace to the nation. Together, Ren and Castian have a chance to save everything, if only they can set aside their complex and intense feelings for each other. With the king's forces on their heels at every turn, their quest across Puerto Leones and beyond leaves little room for mistakes. But the greatest danger is within Ren-the Gray, her fortress of stolen memories, has begun to crumble, threatening her grip on reality. She'll have to control her magics-and her mind-to unlock her power and protect the Moria people once and for all. The most wanted rebel returns in Zoraida Córdova's gripping conclusion to the Hollow Crown duology.(P) 2021 Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
Illusions of Camelot: A Memoir
by Peter BoalFrom the artistic director of the Pacific Northwest Ballet and former principal dancer for the New York City Ballet comes an unforgettable memoir about one artist's journey from boyhood to ballet. Peter's story starts in the pastoral and privileged town of Bedford, New York: a rare enclave 40 miles north of New York City where private schools, country clubs, and families hold their own rules and secrets. Within the town, views of race, morality, and sexuality are unspoken yet evident. Meanwhile, at home, Peter and his family are left to grapple with his father's alcoholism and untimely death. As a young boy finding his way, Peter soon turns to ballet. Ultimately his passion becomes a beacon, leading him to work at the New York City Ballet as a teenager, living on his own while discovering the pitfalls and pleasures Manhattan has to offer. Throughout Peter's deeply personal work, you'll meet Hattie Lindsay, Peter's caregiver, whose love for Peter matches her disdain for Henry, the family dog. You'll step onto the club house floor during ballroom dancing lessons in Bedford, into the studios of the School of American Ballet at Lincoln Center, and onto the stage in George Balanchine's The Nutcracker as Peter performs the title role of the Nutcracker Prince. For all the laughter these stories offer, gravity is everywhere. Moments by Balanchine's hospital bedside, or in the AIDS-ravaged ward at Columbia-Presbyterian hospital as a loved one's life passes away are told with painful honesty and raw hurt. Peter's journey takes us to the start of a storied career as a dancer with the New York City Ballet and leaves us with insights into the unique path of an artist and individual shaped by environment, circumstance, and family.
Illusions of Immortality: A Psychology Of Fame And Celebrity
by David GilesWhat drives people to crave fame and celebrity? How does fame affect people psychologically? These issues are frequently discussed by the media but up till now psychologists have shied away from an academic away from an academic investigation of the phenomenon of fame. In this lively, eclectic book David Giles examines fame and celebrity from a variety of perspectives. He argues that fame should be seen as a process rather than a state of being, and that `celebrity' has largely emerged through the technological developments of the last 150 years. Part of our problem in dealing with celebrities, and the problem celebrities have dealing with the public, is that the social conditions produced by the explosion in mass communications have irrevocably altered the way we live. However we know little about many of the phenomena these conditions have produced - such as the `parasocial interaction' between television viewers and media characters, and the quasi-religious activity of `fans'. Perhaps the biggest single dilemma for celebrities is the fact that the vehicle that creates fame for them - the media - is also their tormentor. To address these questions, David Giles draws on research from psychology, sociology, media and communications studies, history and anthropology - as well as his own experiences as a music journalist in the 1980s. He argues that the history of fame is inextricably linked to the emergence of the individual self as a central theme of Western culture, and considers how the desire for authenticity, as well as individual privacy, have created anxieties for celebrities which are best understood in their historical and cultural context.