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Puccini Without Excuses: A Refreshing Reassessment of the World's Most Popular Composer
by William BergerPuccini is the most beloved composer of opera in the world: one quarter of all opera performances in the U.S. are of his operas, his music pervades movie soundtracks, and his plots have infiltrated our popular culture. But, although Puccini’s art still captivates audiences and the popularity of such works as Tosca, La Boh?me, and Madama Butterfly has never waned, he has long been a victim of critical snobbery and cultural marginalization.In this witty and informative guide for beginners and fans alike, William Berger sets the record straight, reclaiming Puccini as a serious artist. Combining his trademark irreverent humor with passionate enthusiasm, Berger strikes just the right balance of introductory information and thought-provoking analysis. He includes a biography, discussions of each opera, a glossary, fun facts and anecdotes, and above all keen insight into Puccini’s enduring power. For anyone who loves Puccini and for anyone who just wonders what all the fuss is about, Puccini Without Excuses is funny, challenging, and always a pleasure to read. INCLUDES:_ Why Puccini’s art and its message of hope is crucial to our world today_ How Anglo audiences often miss the mythic significance of his operas_ The use of his music as shorthand in films, from A Room with a View to Fatal Attraction_ A scene-by scene analysis of each opera_ A guide to the wealth of available recordings, books, and videos
Pudge: The Biography of Carlton Fisk
by Doug WilsonFrom a Casey Award finalist, the first biography of Hall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk: “A home run all the way.” —Leigh Montville, New York Times–bestselling author of The Big Bam: The Life and Times of Babe RuthCarlton Fisk retired having played in more games and hit more home runs than any other catcher before him. A baseball superstar in the 1970s and ‘80s, Fisk was known not just for his dedication to the sport and tremendous plays but for the respect with which he treated the game.A homegrown icon, Fisk rapidly became the face of one of the most storied teams in baseball, the Boston Red Sox of the 1970s. As a rookie making only $12,000 a year, he became the first player to unanimously win the American League Rookie of the Year award in 1972, upping both his pay grade and national recognition. Fisk’s game-winning home run in Game Six of the hotly contested 1975 World Series forever immortalized him in one of the sport’s most exciting televised moments. Fisk played through an epic period of player-owner relations, including the dawn of free agency, strikes, and collusions. After leaving Boston under controversy in 1981, he joined the Chicago White Sox, where he played for twelve more major league seasons, solidifying his position as one of the best catchers of all time.Doug Wilson, finalist for both the Casey Award and Seymour Medal for his previous baseball biographies, uses his own extensive research and interviews with Fisk’s childhood friends and major league teammates to examine the life and career of a leader who followed a strict code and played with fierce determination.Includes photos“Wilson received much-deserved praise for his biographies of Mark Fidrych and Brooks Robinson. This fine book is every bit their equal.” —Booklist (starred review)
Pudsey: A Pup Star's Story
by PudseyLast year, a dog danced his way into the history books as the first canine winner of Britain's Got Talent. On their way to the title, Pudsey and his owner Ashleigh Butler won over Walliams, delighted Dixon, stole the heart of Holden, and utterly captivated Cowell. They charmed the nation, too - with millions of families tuning in to see them take the crown.As a young pup, Pudsey always knew he was somehow different to other puppies. While his brothers and sisters contented themselves with chasing their tails, he sat apart, hoping for something more. Pudsey: A Pup Star's Story tells the story of his incredible, inspirational journey, straight from the dog's mouth.
Pudsey: A Pup Star's Story
by PudseyLast year, a dog danced his way into the history books as the first canine winner of Britain's Got Talent. On their way to the title, Pudsey and his owner Ashleigh Butler won over Walliams, delighted Dixon, stole the heart of Holden, and utterly captivated Cowell. They charmed the nation, too - with millions of families tuning in to see them take the crown.As a young pup, Pudsey always knew he was somehow different to other puppies. While his brothers and sisters contented themselves with chasing their tails, he sat apart, hoping for something more. Pudsey: A Pup Star's Story tells the story of his incredible, inspirational journey, straight from the dog's mouth.
Pudsey: My Autobidography
by PudseyEarlier this year, a dog danced his way into the history books as the first canine winner of Britain's Got Talent. En route to the title, Pudsey and his owner Ashleigh Butler won over Walliams, delighted Dixon, stole the heart of Holden, and utterly captivated Cowell. They charmed the nation, too - with millions of viewers tuning in to see them take the crown. But what do we really know of Pudsey's journey to stardom? How did he get from being a depressed dog to the mutt of the moment? In this, the most unusual celebrity book of the year, he's finally ready to tell his tale. As a young pup, Pudsey always knew he was somehow different to his dog-standard peers. While his brothers and sisters contented themselves with chasing their tails, he sat apart, yearning for something more. With the help of the menagerie of pets that fill the Butler household and despite some dastardly opposition threatening to stop him at every turn, Pudsey managed to achieve his dream. This Autobidography tells the story of his incredibly journey, straight from the dog's mouth.
Pudsey: My Autobidography
by PudseyEarlier this year, a dog danced his way into the history books as the first canine winner of Britain's Got Talent. En route to the title, Pudsey and his owner Ashleigh Butler won over Walliams, delighted Dixon, stole the heart of Holden, and utterly captivated Cowell. They charmed the nation, too - with millions of viewers tuning in to see them take the crown.But what do we really know of Pudsey's journey to stardom? How did he get from being a depressed dog to the mutt of the moment? In this, the most unusual celebrity book of the year, he's finally ready to tell his tale.As a young pup, Pudsey always knew he was somehow different to his dog-standard peers. While his brothers and sisters contented themselves with chasing their tails, he sat apart, yearning for something more. With the help of the menagerie of pets that fill the Butler household and despite some dastardly opposition threatening to stop him at every turn, Pudsey managed to achieve his dream. This Autobidography tells the story of his incredibly journey, straight from the dog's mouth.
Pujol: More Than the Game
by Tim Ellsworth Scott Lamb“He matches in his personal life the excellence that he demonstrates on the diamond. You will love this book and will love Pujols if you don’t already.” —Mike Huckabee, forty-fourth Governor of Arkansas, host of the Huckabee showAfter a decade starring for the St. Louis Cardinals, Albert Pujols is already compared with names in the highest reaches of baseball’s pantheon: Ruth, Gehrig, Aaron, Mays. Slugging his way toward the Hall of Fame, Pujols has raised the game’s standard for greatness beyond any statistical measure. But the standard by which Pujols measures himself has less to do with baseball performance than with honoring God and exemplifying his faith for the millions who follow him.From his birthplace in the Dominican Republic to his high-school days in Kansas City, from a single season in the minor leagues to the World Series and nine All-Star Games, Pujols has developed his immense talents on the baseball diamond, all the while focusing his direction—and the direction of his family—with the belief that a higher power is behind every achievement.Authors Scott Lamb and Tim Ellsworth spare no tale of this growing baseball legend, all the while accentuating “the unseen hand of divine providence” that has shaped the man Albert Pujols has become. It’s a story that will inspire, and a reminder of the human quality behind superhuman achievement.A story—still in the making—of allowing God’s strength to guide one man’s path to be the best his game has ever seen.“Lamb and Ellsworth lucidly describe both the season-by-season baseball exploits of Pujols and the impact he’s having on some lives for eternity.” —Marvin Olasky, Editor-in-Chief, World
Pujols: Más allá del béisbol
by Tim Ellsworth Scott LambDespués de una década de estrellato en los Cardenales del Saint Louis, Albert Pujols es comparado ya con jugadores cuyos nombres figuran en lo más alto del panteón del béisbol: Ruth, Gehrig, Aaron, Mays. Abriéndose paso con su bate hasta el Salón de la Fama, Pujols ha levantado el estándar de grandeza del juego por encima de todas las medidas estadísticas. Pero el estándar por el cual Pujols se mide a sí mismo tiene menos que ver con el béisbol que con su deseo de honrar a Dios y dar ejemplo de su fe ante sus millones de seguidores. Los autores Scott Lamb y Tim Ellsworth no nos dejan sin contar ninguna historia de esta leyenda del béisbol aún en crecimiento, al mismo tiempo que destacan “la mano invisible de la divina providencia”, que le ha dado forma al hombre en que Albert Pujols se ha convertido. Es un relato inspirador, y un recuerdo de la calidad de un ser humano detrás de unos logros sobrehumanos.
Pulitzer
by W. A. SwanbergFrom the National Book Award–winning author, an absorbing biography of the esteemed editor, publisher, power broker, and rival to William Randolph Hearst. An eccentric genius, Joseph Pulitzer immigrated to the United States to fight in the Civil War—despite barely speaking English. He would soon master the language enough to begin a successful newspaper career in St. Louis, become a fierce opponent to William Randolph Hearst, and, eventually, found the Columbia School of Journalism. A Hungarian born into poverty, Pulitzer epitomized the American Dream by building a fortune. But he also suffered: going blind in the middle of his career, experiencing extreme mood swings, and developing an intense irritability that made everyday life difficult to tolerate. In this book, W. A. Swanberg—a recipient of the prestigious prize named after Pulitzer—recounts the personal and professional life of the newspaper magnate, as well as his significant influence on American politics. Swanberg reveals how the New York World managed to balance admirably accurate reporting with popular appeal, and explores Pulitzer&’s colorful, contradictory character—courageous and self-pitying, dictatorial and generous. Set against the backdrop of a turbulent era, this is a portrait of an outsize personality by an author with a flair for both the big picture and small, fascinating detail.Includes photographs.Praise for W. A. Swanberg&’s biographies &“First-rate.&” —The New York Times on Citizen Hearst &“Engrossing.&” —Kirkus Reviews on Norman Thomas: The Last Idealist
Pulitzer: A Life in Politics, Print, and Power
by James McGrath MorrisLike Alfred Nobel, Joseph Pulitzer is better known today for the prize that bears his name than for his contribution to history. Yet, in nineteenth-century industrial America, while Carnegie provided the steel, Rockefeller the oil, Morgan the money, and Vanderbilt the railroads, Pulitzer ushered in the modern mass media. James McGrath Morris traces the epic story of this Jewish Hungarian immigrant's rise through American politics and into journalism where he accumulated immense power and wealth, only to fall blind and become a lonely, tormented recluse wandering the globe. But not before Pulitzer transformed American journalism into a medium of mass consumption and immense influence. As the first media baron to recognize the vast social changes of the industrial revolution, he harnessed all the converging elements of entertainment, technology, business, and demographics, and made the newspaper an essential feature of urban life. Pulitzer used his influence to advance a progressive political agenda and his power to fight those who opposed him. The course he followed led him to battle Theodore Roosevelt who, when President, tried to send Pulitzer to prison. The grueling legal battles Pulitzer endured for freedom of the press changed the landscape of American newspapers and politics. Based on years of research and newly discovered documents, Pulitzer is a classic, magisterial biography and a gripping portrait of an American icon.
Pulling Down the Barn: Memories of a Rural Childhood
by Anne-Marie OomenBlending artful language and style with the dirt, blood, and sweat of farm life, this collection of essays tells a moving story of growing up in rural Michigan.
Pulling Down the Walls: The Struggle of African American Performers
by Rena KorbNIMAC-sourced textbook
Pulling the Chariot of the Sun: A Memoir of a Kidnapping
by Shane McCraeAn unforgettable memoir by an award-winning poet about being kidnapped from his Black father and raised by his white supremacist grandparents.When Shane McCrae was three years old, his grandparents kidnapped him and took him to suburban Texas. His mom was white and his dad was Black, and to hide his Blackness from him, his maternal grandparents stole him from his father. In the years that followed, they manipulated and controlled him, refusing to acknowledge his heritage—all the while believing they were doing what was best for him. For their own safety and to ensure the kidnapping remained a success, Shane&’s grandparents had to make sure that he never knew the full story, so he was raised to participate in his own disappearance. But despite elaborate fabrications and unreliable memories, Shane begins to reconstruct his own story and to forge his own identity. Gradually, the truth unveils itself, and with the truth, comes a path to reuniting with his father and finding his own place in the world. A revelatory account of a singularly American childhood that hauntingly echoes the larger story of race in our country, Pulling the Chariot of the Sun is written with the virtuosity and heart of one of the finest poets writing today. And it is also a powerful reflection on what is broken in America—but also what might heal and make it whole again.
Pulling the Strings: My Autobiography
by Peter StringerThe long-awaited autobiography of Ireland's most beloved rugby player: Peter StringerWhen Peter Stringer played youth rugby, he was so small that people told his parents he shouldn't be allowed on the pitch. Fortunately for Munster and for Ireland, they paid no attention. Over 200 provincial caps and 98 international caps later, Stringer is a legend.Since making his Munster debut in 1998, his lightning-quick passing, sniping breaks and brave defending have electrified fans - never more so than when he deceived the entire Biarritz team at a scrum to sneak in for the try that brought Munster its first Heineken Cup in 2006. In Ireland's breakthrough season of 2009, his man-of-the-match performance at Murrayfield helped overturn a late deficit en route to the Six Nations Grand Slam.Now, for the first time, Peter Stringer tells his own story - a story of overcoming the odds, and a story every Irish rugby fan will want to read.'What gives the publication its grit is the scrum-half's no-holds-barred descriptions of fallings-out with various coaches ... All revelatory stuff' Liam Heagney, Irish Daily Mail
Pulse of My Heart
by Brian O'Mara-Croft Patricia O'Mara-CroftPatty O'Mara-Croft's "widowmaker" heart attack was a cruel assault on her body, threatening the happiest years of her life. Originally misdiagnosed as a panic attack, common among women who suffer heart attacks, Patty's heart suffers permanent damage, and her precarious condition threatens to raze all joy and hope between Patty and her husband, Brian. In a recounting both informative and inspirational, heartbreaking and funny, Patty and Brian share their stories from their own unique perspectives--the first-person account of painful revelations and medical struggles and a loved one's experience of despair, hope, and renewal. Families in medical crisis are getting sucker-punched every day and need help from those who overcame it and emerge stronger than before. The dual voice of both authors represents a love that flourishes, even as Patty's health weakens and is no longer a viable candidate for a heart transplant. Pulse of My Heart is part medical mystery, part comedy of errors, part family drama, and an enduring love story. The field notes at the back of the book focus on: The sometimes-strained relationship between doctors and patient Preparing for anticipatory grief The potential for addiction when narcotics are part of the drug protocol Dealing with familial strife during a time of need Struggling with others' prayers when one's own faith is strained Trying to maintain some level of dignity in an utterly undignified environment Finding ways to be an effective parent in a blended family when illness demands so much attention
Pumpkinflowers
by Matti FriedmanFrom an award-winning Canadian-Israeli writer comes the true story of a band of young soldiers, the author among them, charged with holding one remote outpost in Lebanon, a task that changed them forever and foreshadowed today's unwinnable conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere.It was small hilltop in a small, unnamed war in the late 1990s, but it would send out ripples that continue to emanate worldwide today. The hill was called the Pumpkin flowers was the military code word for "casualties." Friedman's visceral narrative recreates harrowing wartime experiences in a work that is part frontlines memoir, partjournalistic reporting, part military history. The years in question were pivotal ones, and not just for Israel. They saw the perfection of a type of warfare that would eventually be exported to Afghanistan and Iraq. The new twenty-first century war is one in which there is never any clear victor, and not enough lives are lost to rally the public against it. Eventually Israel would come to realize that theirs was a losing proposition and pull out. But, of course, by then these soldiers--those who had survived--and the country had been wounded in ways large and small. Raw, powerful, beautifully rendered, the book will take its place among classic war stories such as those by George Orwell, Philip Caputo, and Vasily Grossman. Pumpkinflowers is an unflinching look, like the works of Jon Krakauer and Sebastian Junger, at the way we conduct war today.From the Hardcover edition.
Pumpkinflowers: A Soldier's Story
by Matti Friedman“A book about young men transformed by war, written by a veteran whose dazzling literary gifts gripped my attention from the first page to the last.” —The Wall Street Journal “Friedman’s sober and striking new memoir . . . [is] on a par with Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried -- its Israeli analog.” —The New York Times Book Review It was just one small hilltop in a small, unnamed war in the late 1990s, but it would send out ripples that are still felt worldwide today. The hill, in Lebanon, was called the Pumpkin; flowers was the military code word for “casualties.” Award-winning writer Matti Friedman re-creates the harrowing experience of a band of young Israeli soldiers charged with holding this remote outpost, a task that would change them forever, wound the country in ways large and small, and foreshadow the unwinnable conflicts the United States would soon confront in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere.Pumpkinflowers is a reckoning by one of those young soldiers now grown into a remarkable writer. Part memoir, part reportage, part history, Friedman’s powerful narrative captures the birth of today’s chaotic Middle East and the rise of a twenty-first-century type of war in which there is never a clear victor and media images can be as important as the battle itself. Raw and beautifully rendered, Pumpkinflowers will take its place among classic war narratives by George Orwell, Philip Caputo, and Tim O’Brien. It is an unflinching look at the way we conduct war today.
Punch Me Up to the Gods: A Memoir
by Brian BroomePunch Me Up to the Gods introduces a powerful new talent in Brian Broome, whose early years growing up in Ohio as a dark-skinned Black boy harboring crushes on other boys propel forward this gorgeous, aching, and unforgettable debut. Brian’s recounting of his experiences—in all their cringe-worthy, hilarious, and heartbreaking glory—reveal a perpetual outsider awkwardly squirming to find his way in. Indiscriminate sex and escalating drug use help to soothe his hurt, young psyche, usually to uproarious and devastating effect. A no-nonsense mother and broken father play crucial roles in our misfit’s origin story. But it is Brian’s voice in the retelling that shows the true depth of vulnerability for young Black boys that is often quietly near to bursting at the seams. Cleverly framed around Gwendolyn Brooks’s poem “We Real Cool,” the iconic and loving ode to Black boyhood, Punch Me Up to the Gods is at once playful, poignant, and wholly original. Broome’s writing brims with swagger and sensitivity, bringing an exquisite and fresh voice to ongoing cultural conversations about Blackness in America.
Punching Nazis: And Other Good Ideas
by Keith Lowell JensenKeith Lowell Jensen thinks you should punch Nazis. In this collection of essays, stories, interviews, and rants, he tells us why. Jensen grew up and into the Sacramento punk music scene in the late eighties and early nineties, where weirdos, LGBTQ folk, feminists, and allies strived to carve out safe community spaces. This scene also attracted a different kind of outsider--white supremacists and Nazi skinheads—making for a politically charged and complicated landscape. In Punching Nazis, he reflects on his experiences with these racist fringe groups that infiltrated the progressive scene that gave rise to bands like Green Day. From unwittingly driving around in a lowrider with a gang called “The Suicidals,” to a night doing stand-up with a clown with an unwanted Swastika tattoo, Jensen brings his brand of subtle, sincere comedy to reflect on the complicated relationship that punk music has with racist skinheads and what we should do about it. In recent times, Americans are surprised to find groups like the Klan, and more recently the "Racial Realists" and the "Alt-Right," are still prominent, and now as they grow increasingly emboldened, it’s intriguing and valuable to hear tales of those who, through the love of punk rock music, have a history of dealing with racist fringe groups.
Punished for Dreaming: How School Reform Harms Black Children and How We Heal
by Bettina L. LoveNOW A NEW YORK TIMES AND A USA TODAY BESTSELLERWINNER, 2024 GODDARD RIVERSIDE STEPHAN RUSSO BOOK PRIZE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICEFINALIST, LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE “I am an eighties baby who grew to hate school. I never fully understood why. Until now. Until Bettina Love unapologetically and painstakingly chronicled the last forty years of education ‘reform’ in this landmark book. I hated school because it warred on me. I hated school because I loved to dream.” —Ibram X. Kendi, New York Times bestselling author of How to be an AntiracistIn the tradition of Michelle Alexander, an unflinching reckoning with the impact of 40 years of racist public school policy on generations of Black livesIn Punished for Dreaming Dr. Bettina Love argues forcefully that Reagan’s presidency ushered in a War on Black Children, pathologizing and penalizing them in concert with the War on Drugs. New policies punished schools with policing, closure, and loss of funding in the name of reform, as white savior, egalitarian efforts increasingly allowed private interests to infiltrate the system. These changes implicated children of color, and Black children in particular, as low performing, making it all too easy to turn a blind eye to their disproportionate conviction and incarceration. Today, there is little national conversation about a structural overhaul of American schools; cosmetic changes, rooted in anti-Blackness, are now passed off as justice.It is time to put a price tag on the miseducation of Black children. In this prequel to The New Jim Crow, Dr. Love serves up a blistering account of four decades of educational reform through the lens of the people who lived it. Punished for Dreaming lays bare the devastating effect on 25 Black Americans caught in the intersection of economic gain and racist ideology. Then, with input from leading U.S. economists, Dr. Love offers a road map for repair, arguing for reparations with transformation for all children at its core.
Punk Paradox: A Memoir
by Greg GraffinFrom the legendary singer-songwriter of Bad Religion comes a historical memoir and cultural criticism of punk rock&’s evolution. Greg Graffin is the lead vocalist and songwriter of Bad Religion, recently described as &“America's most significant punk band.&” Since its inception in Los Angeles in 1980, Bad Religion has produced 18 studio albums, become a long-running global touring powerhouse, and has established a durable legacy as one of the most influential punk rock bands of all time. Punk Paradox is Graffin's life narrative before and during L.A. punk's early years, detailing his observations on the genre's explosive growth and his band's steady rise in importance. The book begins by exploring Graffin&’s Midwestern roots and his life-changing move to Southern California in the mid-&’70s. Swept up into the burgeoning punk scene in the exhilarating and often-violent streets of Los Angeles, Graffin and his friends formed Bad Religion, built a fanbase, and became a touring institution. All these activities took place in parallel with Graffin's never ceasing quest for intellectual enlightenment. Despite the demands of global tours, recording sessions, and dedication to songwriting, the author also balanced a budding academic career. In so doing, he managed to reconcile an improbable double-life as an iconic punk rock front man and University Lecturer in evolution. Graffin&’s unique experiences mirror the paradoxical elements that define the punk genre—the pop influence, the quest for society&’s betterment, music&’s unifying power—all of which are prime ingredients in its surprising endurance. Fittingly, this book argues against the traditional narrative of the popular perception of punk. As Bad Religion changed from year to year, the spirit of punk—and its sonic significance—lived on while Graffin was ever willing to challenge convention, debunk mythology, and liberate listeners from the chains of indoctrination. As insightful as it is exciting, this thought-provoking memoir provides both a fly on the wall history of the punk scene and astute commentary on its endurance and evolution.
Punk Rock Blitzkrieg
by Marky Ramone Richard HerschlagThe inside story behind one of the most revered bands in music history during the early days of punk rock in New York, from legendary drummer Marky Ramone.Rolling Stone ranked the Ramones at #26 on its list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time." They received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011 and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. And Marky Ramone played a major part in this success--his "blitzkrieg" style of drumming drove the sound the Ramones pioneered. Now, fans can get the inside story. Before he joined the Ramones, Marc Bell was already a name in the New York music scene. But when he joined three other tough misfits, he became Marky Ramone, and the rhythm that came to epitomize punk was born. Having outlived his bandmates, Marky is the only person who can share the secrets and stories of the Ramones' improbable rise from obtuse beginnings to induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But it wasn't all good times and hit songs, and Marky doesn't shy away from discussing his own struggles, including the addiction to alcohol that led him to be temporarily kicked out of the band. From the cult film Rock 'n' Roll High School through "I Wanna Be Sedated" through his own struggle with alcoholism, Marky Ramone sets the record straight, painting an unflinching picture of the dysfunction behind the band that changed a generation. With exclusive behind-the-scenes photos, Punk Rock Blitzkrieg is both a cultural history of punk and a stirring story that millions of fans have been waiting for.
Punk Rock Dad
by Jim LindbergJim Lindberg is a Punk Rock Dad. When he drives his kids to school in the morning, they listen to the Ramones, the Clash, or the Descendents-and that's it. They can listen to Britney and Justin on their own time. Jim goes to soccer games, dance rehearsals, and piano recitals like all the other dads, but when he feels the need, he also goes to punk shows, runs into the slam pit, and comes home bruised and beaten . . . but somehow feeling strangely better. While the other dads dye their hair brown to cover the gray, Jim occasionally dyes his blue or green. He makes his daughters' lunches, kisses their boo-boos, and tucks them in at night-and then goes into the garage and plays Black Flag and Minor Threat songs at a criminal volume. He pays his taxes, votes in all the presidential and gubernatorial elections, serves on jury duty, and reserves the right to believe that there is a vast Right Wing Conspiracy-and that the head of the P.T.A. is possibly in on it. He is a Punk Rock Dad.
PunkElegies
by Allan MacdonellPunk Elegies arrives like a chemically unstable mixture of Richard Yates and Damon Runyon. Set along Hollywood Boulevard at the birth of punk and the death of the 1970s, the thirty-three melancholic, comic laments of Punk Elegies are a mesmerizing concoction of delusion and revelation. A cultural moment, a marriage and one young man’s mind and soul spiral through a series of boundless possibilities and arrive at a harrowing finality. In the end, on the spin cycle of destiny, MacDonell circles alone, naked and bewildered in the labyrinth of a pre-AIDS bathhouse inferno. The first sunrise of the rest of his life dares him to step outside.
Puppetmaster: The Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover
by Richard HackBiography of the former FBI director, who led and influenced it for so many years.