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Savita: The Tragedy that shook a nation
by Kitty HollandSeventeen weeks pregnant and facing a miscarriage, Savita Halappanavar and her husband Praveen walked into an Irish maternity ward in October 2012. Unwittingly, the couple also walked into that deeply controversial arena in which Ireland’s legislative position on abortion remained unresolved.A week later, Savita was dead from septicaemia. Reports of her death and of the refusal to allow Savita a termination of her pregnancy sent shockwaves across Ireland and around the world. Once again the subject of abortion was catapulted to the very top of the agenda in Ireland. With the pro-life and pro-choice camps claiming the moral high ground, both sides in the bitterly contested battle sought to appropriate Savita’s story and her image. In the midst of the ensuing rage and furore, the marches and protests, the threats and counter-threats that exploded across political and media platforms, Savita and the complete circumstances of her death were lost. In Savita: The Tragedy That Shook A Nation, Kitty Holland addresses this imbalance as she reveals the truth behind the headlines and explores many unanswered questions: Who was Savita? How significant was it that she was a non-Irish, non-Catholic woman in search of help on Irish soil? And how did her husband and her community’s reaction to her death shape the parameters of the debate which followed? Holland’s exposé also looks at how the tragic circumstances of Savita’s death played a part in compelling the Irish Government to finally legislate on abortion and how activists on each side succeeded or failed in shaping that legislation.
Savor: A Chef's Hunger for More
by Fatima AliA young chef whose dreams were cut short savors every last minute as she explores food and adventure, illness and mortality in Savor, an &“inspiring&” (The New York Times Book Review) memoir and family story that sweeps from Pakistan to Manhattan and beyond. &“Ali&’s strength and passion for food and her culture shines through. . . . This memoir is a tribute to the extraordinary life and impact she made in twenty-nine years.&”—Oprah Daily (20 of the Best Fall Nonfiction Books of 2022)Fatima Ali won the hearts of viewers as the Fan Favorite of Bravo&’s Top Chef in season fifteen. Twenty-nine years old, she was a dynamic, boundary-breaking chef and a bright new voice for change in the food world. After the taping wrapped and before the show aired, Fati was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer. Not one to ever slow down or admit defeat, the star chef vowed to spend her final year traveling the world, eating delicious food, and making memories with her loved ones. But when her condition abruptly worsened, her plans were sidelined. She pivoted, determined to make her final days count as she worked to tell the story of a brown girl chef who set out to make a name for herself, her food, and her culture. Including writing from Fatima during her last months and contributions by her mother, Farezeh, and her collaborator, Tarajia Morrell, Savor is a deftly woven account and an inspiring ode to the food, family, and countries Fatima loved so much. Alternating between past and present, readers are transported back to Pakistan and the childhoods of both Fatima and Farezeh, each deeply affected by cultural barriers that shaped the course of their lives. From the rustic stalls of the outdoor markets of Karachi to the kitchen and dining room of Meadowood, the acclaimed three-star Michelin restaurant where she apprenticed, Fati reflects on her life and her identity as a chef, a daughter, and a queer woman butting up against traditional views. Savor is a triumphant memoir, at once an exploration of the sense of wonder that made Fatima so special and a shining testament to the resilience of the human spirit. At its core, it is a story about what it means to truly live, a profound and exquisite portrait of savoring every moment.
Sawbill: A Search for Place
by Jennifer CaseIn Sawbill Jennifer Case watches her family suddenly exchange their rooted existence for a series of relocations that take them across the United States. In response Case struggles to &“live in place&” without a geographical home, a struggle that leads her to search for grounding in the now-dismantled fishing resort her grandparents ran in northeastern Minnesota. By chronicling her migratory adulthood alongside the similarly unpredictable history of Sawbill Lodge, this memoir offers a resonant meditation on home, family, environment, and the human desire for place in the inherently mobile twenty-first century.
Sawdusted: Notes from a Post-Boom Mill
by Raymond GoodwinWhen Raymond Goodwin started work at a Michigan sawmill in 1979, the glory days of lumbering were long gone. But the industry still had a faded glow that, for a while, held him there. InSawdustedGoodwin wipes the dust off his memories of the rundown, nonunion mill where he toiled for twenty months as a two-time college dropout. Spare, evocative character sketches bring to life the personalities of his fellow millworkers-their raucous pranks, ribbing, complaints about wages and weather, macho posturing, failed romances, and fantasies of escape. The result is a mostly funny, sometimes heartbreaking portrait of life in the lumbering industry a century after its heyday. Amidst the intermittent anger and resignation of poorly paid lumbermen in the Great Lakes hinterlands, Goodwin reveals moments of vulnerability, generosity, and pride in craftsmanship. It is a world familiar, in its basic outlines, to anyone who has ever done manual labor. At the heart of the book is a coming-of-age story about Goodwin’s relationship with his older brother Randy-a heavy drinker, chain smoker, and expert sawyer. Gruff but kind, Randy tutors Raymond in the ways of the blue-collar world even as he struggles with the demons that mask his own melancholy. A 2010 Michigan Notable Book
Sax Expat: Don Byas (American Made Music Series)
by Con ChapmanDon Byas (1913–1972) may be lesser known than the counterparts he played with—Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and Dizzy Gillespie, among others—but he was an enigma. He never stayed with a band for long, and eventually went solo partly to make more money and partly due to his inability to work with bandleaders. Often drinking to excess, alcohol fueled his sometimes-erratic behavior on and off the bandstand. He went through at least thirteen different groups in fifteen years of professional play before leaving for Europe in 1946. Despite his fractious personality, in Europe he found peace and contentment as a family man in the Netherlands, where he lived out his days with his second wife and their four children. He learned at least seven languages during his years in Europe, and on traveling to a new country could pick up a few phrases in short order, soon speaking to the locals and even composing songs in their native tongue. In Sax Expat: Don Byas, author Con Chapman argues that Byas’s relative obscurity arises from his choice to live in Europe, where he missed out on recording opportunities and exposure in the US that would have made him renowned and wealthier. His numerous achievements, including his solo on Count Basie’s “Harvard Blues,” which is a model of restrained invention; his interpretation of the sentimental movie theme “Laura”; and his duets with bassist Slam Stewart were included in the Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz and secured Byas’s place in jazz history. This biography brings to life an amazing jazz story.
Saxophone Colossus: The Life and Music of Sonny Rollins
by Aidan Levy**Winner of the American Book Award (2023)** **Longlisted for the PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award (2023)** The long-awaited first full biography of legendary jazz saxophonist and composer Sonny Rollins Sonny Rollins has long been considered an enigma. Known as the &“Saxophone Colossus,&” he is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest jazz improvisers of all time, winning Grammys, the Austrian Cross of Honor, Sweden&’s Polar Music Prize and a National Medal of Arts. A bridge from bebop to the avant-garde, he is a lasting link to the golden age of jazz, pictured in the iconic &“Great Day in Harlem&” portrait. His seven-decade career has been well documented, but the backstage life of the man once called &“the only jazz recluse&” has gone largely untold—until now. Based on more than 200 interviews with Rollins himself, family members, friends, and collaborators, as well as Rollins&’ extensive personal archive, Saxophone Colossus is the comprehensive portrait of this legendary saxophonist and composer, civil rights activist and environmentalist. A child of the Harlem Renaissance, Rollins&’ precocious talent landed him on the bandstand and in the recording studio with Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie, or playing opposite Billie Holiday. An icon in his own right, he recorded Tenor Madness, featuring John Coltrane; Way Out West; Freedom Suite, the first civil rights-themed album of the hard bop era; A Night at the Village Vanguard; and the 1956 classic Saxophone Colossus. Yet his meteoric rise to fame was not without its challenges. He served two sentences on Rikers Island and won his battle with heroin addiction. In 1959, Rollins took a two-year sabbatical from recording and performing, practicing up to 16 hours a day on the Williamsburg Bridge. In 1968, he left again to study at an ashram in India. He returned to performing from 1971 until his retirement in 2012. The story of Sonny Rollins—innovative, unpredictable, larger than life—is the story of jazz itself, and Sonny&’s own narrative is as timeless and timely as the art form he represents. Part jazz oral history told in the musicians&’ own words, part chronicle of one man&’s quest for social justice and spiritual enlightenment, this is the definitive biography of one of the most enduring and influential artists in jazz and American history.
Say Everything: A Memoir
by Ione SkyeINSTANT <b>NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER</b> <p> Gen X icon Ione Skye bares all in an achingly vulnerable coming-of-age memoir about chasing fame, desire, and true love in the shadow of her famous, absent father. <p> In 1987, sixteen-year-old Ione Skye landed the breakout role of Diane Court, the dream girl who inspires John Cusack’s iconic boombox serenade in the hit Cameron Crowe film, Say Anything. While Skye seemed perfectly typecast as an aloof valedictorian, she was anything but. Deserted by her dad, the folk singer legend Donovan, Skye was a ninth-grade dropout who sought solace and validation in the eyes of audiences and dreamy costars like Keanu Reeves, River Phoenix, Matthew Perry, John Cusack, and Robert Downey Jr. But like her sixties It Girl mom, Skye’s greatest weakness was musicians. <p> On the heels of a toxic relationship with the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Anthony Kiedis, which began when she was just sixteen and he was twenty-four, the actress leapt into wedded bliss with her first great love, Beastie Boy Adam Horovitz. But marriage was not the magical hall pass to adulthood Skye had imagined. Awakening to her bisexuality and desperately insecure, she risked her fairytale marriage for a string of affairs with gorgeous nineties “bad girls.” The dream marriage imploded, and Skye’s trust in herself and her future along with it. <p> Set against a backdrop of rock royalty compounds, supermodel cliques, and classic late-century films like River’s Edge, Gas Food Lodging, and Wayne’s World, Say Everything is a wild ride of Hollywood thrills as well as a lyrical reflection on ambition, intimacy, and a messy, sexy, unconventional life. <b>New York Times Bestseller</b>
Say Hey: The Autobiography of Willie Mays
by Willie Mays Lou SahadiThe legendary athlete discusses his greatest plays, his greatest teammates and opponents, his personal life, his days in the Negro Leagues, contemporary baseball, and his most bitter moment in major league baseball.
Say I'm Dead: A Family Memoir of Race, Secrets, and Love
by E. Dolores JohnsonSay I'm Dead is the true story of family secrets, separation, courage, and trans-formation through five generations of interracial relationships. Fearful of prison time—or lynching—for violating Indiana's antimiscegenation laws in the 1940s, E. Dolores Johnson's black father and white mother fled Indianapolis to secretly marry in Buffalo, New York. When Johnson was born, social norms and her government-issued birth certificate said she was Negro, nullifying her mother's white blood in her identity. Later, as a Harvard-educated business executive feeling too far from her black roots, she searched her father's black genealogy. But in the process, Johnson suddenly realized that her mother's whole white family was—and always had been—missing. When she began to pry, her mother's 36-year-old secret spilled out. Her mother had simply vanished from Indiana, evading an FBI and police search that had ended with the conclusion that she had been the victim of foul play.
Say It Louder!: Black Voters, White Narratives, and Saving Our Democracy
by Tiffany CrossA breakout media and political analyst delivers a sweeping snapshot of American Democracy and the role that African Americans have played in its shaping while offering concrete information to help harness the electoral power of the country’s rising majority and exposing political forces aligned to subvert and suppress Black voters.Black voters were critical to the Democrats’ 2018 blue wave. In fact, 90 percent of Black voters supported Democratic House candidates, compared to just 53 percent of all voters. Despite media narratives, this was not a fluke. Throughout U.S. history, Black people have played a crucial role in the shaping of the American experiment. Yet still, this powerful voting bloc is often dismissed as some “amorphous” deviation, argues Tiffany Cross.Say It Louder! is her explosive examination of how America’s composition was designed to exclude Black voters, but paradoxically would likely cease to exist without them. With multiple tentacles stretching into the cable news echo chamber, campaign leadership, and Black voter data, Cross creates a wrinkle in time with a reflective look at the timeless efforts endlessly attempting to deny people of color the right to vote—a basic tenet of American democracy. And yet as the demographics of the country are changing, so too is the electoral power construct—by evolution and by force, Cross declares. Grounded in the most-up-to-date research, Say It Louder! is a vital tool for a wide swath of constituencies.
Say It Out Loud: Revealing and Healing the Scars of Sexual Abuse
by Roberta DolanBreaking the silence about sexual abuse is vital—but it’s only the first step. What happens next? For most survivors, the wounds caused left by such abuse are often left to fester, slowly destroying their lives. Say It Out Loud—a unique blend of memoir and how-to—exposes the emotional scars of sexual abuse and explains the process of healing. In straightforward prose, step by step, Roberta Dolan provides readers with tangible healing strategies, including journaling, visualization, and more, that she employed during her own years in therapy for a childhood of sexual abuse. Inspiring and accessible, Say It Out Loud offers guidance and support for any kind of healing journey, equipping readers with the skills and courage to transform a life of darkness into one of joy.
Say More: Communicating at Work, at Home, and in the World
by Jen PsakiINSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Former White House Press Secretary and current MSNBC host Jen Psaki shares the surprising lessons she&’s learned on her path to success and offers unique yet universal advice about how to be a more effective communicator in any situation.Not many White House Press Secretaries capture the nation&’s interest the way Jen Psaki did. Refreshingly candid and clear, Psaki quickly became known for her ability to break through the noise and successfully deliver her message. In her highly anticipated book, Psaki shares her journey to the Briefing Room and beyond, taking you along the campaign trail, to the State Department, and inside the White House under two Presidents. With her signature wit, Psaki writes about reporting to bosses from the hot-tempered Rahm Emanuel to the coolly intellectual Barack Obama to the surprisingly tenderhearted John Kerry. She also talks about her time working closely with President Joe Biden from the start of his administration to set a new tone for the country, restoring a sense of calm and respect for the role of the media in our Democracy. Since leaving the White House, Psaki&’s star has continued to rise. She launched a highly rated show on MSNBC and was so successful that in just six months she was given an additional primetime Monday slot, ahead of Rachel Maddow. And Psaki&’s work doesn&’t end at the office. She is the mother of two young children and shares her stories about the journey of communicating as a parent: During one bedtime briefing, her young daughter asked the question, &“Why do wars start?&”, which Jen carefully explained and then got a follow up: &“Have you ever seen a unicorn?&” In Say More, Psaki explains her straightforward approach to communication, walking you through difficult conversations as well as moments where humor saves the day—whether it is with preschoolers, partners, or presidents. She addresses the best ways to give and receive feedback, how to connect with your audience, how to listen actively, and much more. Say More is the book Psaki wishes she had when she started her career, and is a trove of entertaining, essential lessons from one of the most prominent voices in American politics today.
Say No to the Devil: The Life and Musical Genius of Rev. Gary Davis
by Ian Zack<P>Who was the greatest of all American guitarists? <P> You probably didn't name Gary Davis, but many of his musical contemporaries considered him without peer. Bob Dylan called Davis "one of the wizards of modern music. " Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead--who took lessons with Davis--claimed his musical ability "transcended any common notion of a bluesman. " And the folklorist Alan Lomax called him "one of the really great geniuses of American instrumental music. " But you won't find Davis alongside blues legends Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. <P>Despite almost universal renown among his contemporaries, Davis lives today not so much in his own work but through covers of his songs by Dylan, Jackson Browne, and many others, as well as in the untold number of students whose lives he influenced. <P>The first biography of Davis, Say No to the Devil restores "the Rev's" remarkable story. Drawing on extensive research and interviews with many of Davis's former students, Ian Zack takes readers through Davis's difficult beginning as the blind son of sharecroppers in the Jim Crow South to his decision to become an ordained Baptist minister and his move to New York in the early 1940s, where he scraped out a living singing and preaching on street corners and in storefront churches in Harlem. <P>There, he gained entry into a circle of musicians that included, among many others, Lead Belly, Woody Guthrie, and Dave Van Ronk. But in spite of his tremendous musical achievements, Davis never gained broad recognition from an American public that wasn't sure what to make of his trademark blend of gospel, ragtime, street preaching, and the blues. His personal life was also fraught, troubled by struggles with alcohol, women, and deteriorating health. <P>Zack chronicles this remarkable figure in American music, helping us to understand how he taught and influenced a generation of musicians.
Say Nothing: The Harrowing Truth About Auntie's Children
by Josephine DuthieSay Nothing is the moving true story of four neglected siblings who were taken into care following the breakdown of their parents' marriage. Sent to a small croft in the north-east of Scotland, they endured an onslaught of physical and mental abuse at the hands of an elderly, inexperienced foster mother. For ten years the children's cries for help were ignored and misunderstood in the naive social-work climate of the late 1950s, and this heartbreaking personal account of cruelty and neglect reveals the effect this maltreatment had on their ability to adjust to a normal adult life.Say Nothing was written as a voice of support for all abused children who are afraid or were never given the chance to tell their story.
Say We Won and Get Out: George D. Aiken and the Vietnam War
by Stephen C. TerryGeorge D. Aiken, a hillside farmer and a liberal Republican Depression-era Governor, rose to national prominence as a leading GOP U. S. Senator and enduring critic of the Vietnam War from 1962-1975. Aiken’s long-standing friendship with Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield, an unheard of political alliance in today’s sharply divided Washington, forged bi-partisan opposition to the war. Aiken was neither “hawk” nor “dove”, but a “wise owl” who spoke his mind forcefully and bluntly to all against the war. He advised President Johnson to declare that the U. S. won the Vietnam War and to get out. Later, Aiken told President Nixon to stop bombing in Cambodia or he couldn’t be elected “dogcatcher.” This is pure Aiken speaking truth to power for ending America’s most controversial war, a common-sense voice that the Nation sorely needs today. This book demonstrates that bi-partisan Senate leadership has worked in the past and must be present in order to solve urgent national problems. Senator Aiken was a catalyst for forging consensus on issues from civil rights to foreign policy by being open-minded to all ideas that would help his constituents. Aiken’s philosophy was always to help people first. He never made decisions based on his party, a lost art in the current political environment. A Senator like George Aiken today would help show how to restore bi-partisanship.
Say Why to Drugs: Everything You Need to Know About the Drugs We Take and Why We Get High
by Dr Suzi GageA definitive and authoritative guide to drugs and why we get high from the creator of the top-rated podcast, Say Why to Drugs.Drugs. We've all done them. Whether it's a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, a cigarette or a sleeping pill. But how well do we understand the effects of the drugs we take - legal or illegal?Say Why to Drugs investigates the science behind recreational drugs- debunking common myths and misconceptions, as well as containing the most recent scientific research. Looking at a range of drugs, this book provides a clear understanding of how drugs work and what they're really doing to your mind and body. Along the way you will find out why ketamine is on the WHO's list of essential medicines, why some researchers hope MDMA could treat PTSD, and much more.Enlightening, entertaining, and thought-provoking, Say Why to Drugs is a compelling read that will surprise and educate proponents on both sides of the drugs debate.(P)2020 Hodder & Stoughton Limited
Say Yes to What’s Next: How to Age with Elegance and Class While Never Losing Your Beauty and Sass!
by Lori AllenWomen today are facing so much uncertainty—about life and the future. The need to pivot is stronger than ever, but many of us feel powerless to change or simply don&’t know how to take that essential first step. For Lori Allen, business owner, breast cancer survivor, and star of TLC&’s Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta, these vital life lessons are the inspiration for her new book. Say Yes to What&’s Next is more than just a guide for our best tomorrows, it&’s the beginning of a life-makeover movement for women of all ages.Lori Allen&’s advice stems from the ups and downs of her personal life: from building one of the biggest and busiest bridal megasalons in the country to navigating her position in the sandwich generation and caring for a husband battling cancer during her breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. Lori shares her life experiences with confidence, wisdom, and her signature humor to model how today&’s women—especially those of us approaching age fifty and beyond—can live out the coming years as the best of our lives. Whether you&’re feeling invisible, ignored, or like your voice doesn&’t matter, or you&’re simply uncertain about what&’s next, Lori offers advice on what to do, what not do, and how to see your way through the unexpected. In Say Yes to What&’s Next, Lori addresses crucial issues, such ashow to pivot, embrace the unexpected, and live out your passionhow to practice essential self-care that enriches your mind, body, and spirithow to make space for yourself and your priorities while still being a caring partner, parent, and friendhow to maintain a close circle of girlfriends at every age and stage of lifehow to take charge of your money and attain financial freedom and securitySay Yes to What&’s Next is a life makeover and therapy session all in one, as Lori helps women from all walks of life shape their futures with confidence, style, and sass. This is your opportunity to get real with yourself, to give yourself the truest form of self-care by putting yourself first. Discover your potential by saying yes to what&’s next.
Say the Name: A Survivor's Tale in Prose and Poetry
by Judith H. ShermanSay the Name vividly describes in the voice of a fourteen-year-old the experiences of a Jewish girl who was imprisoned in Ravensbruck Concentration Camp during World War II. Miraculously, Judita Sternova of Kurima, Czechoslovakia, survives persecutions, hiding, flight, capture, deportation, and the Camp. Like the few other surviving Jews, she could not bear to remain in her village emptied of family and other Jews and emigrates to England and, eventually, the United States. After more than fifty years Sherman gets up from her years of memories, private resistance, and public silence to write this book. She is triggered to do so upon hearing a lecture by Professor Carrasco at Princeton on Religion and the Terror of History. The narrative is interspersed with Sherman's powerful poems that grab the reader's attention. Poignant original drawings made secretly by imprisoned women of Ravensbruck, at risk of their lives, illuminate the text. Sherman courageously bears witness to the terror of man and simultaneously challenges God for answers. This book should jolt us into remembrance, warning, and action.
Say to These Mountains: A Biography of Faith and Ministry in Rural Haiti
by Elizabeth TurnbullThrough the true story of Wallace Turnbull, one of Haiti’s pioneers in development and missions, Say To These Mountains takes readers on a journey where grace and beauty shine into even the tightest crevices of brokenness, poverty, and loss.Over the course of 70 years, Wallace’s work changed countless lives and influenced national policy in both Haiti and the United States. For his contributions, he was decorated with the National Order of Honor and Merit, Haiti’s highest honor.As told by Wallace’s granddaughter, this eloquent biography reveals the life of a complex man and his adopted country, painting a picture of hope and mercy vastly different from the often-grim stories shared about the island nation and her people.“How many children, how many elderly, how many generations were touched—how many survived—because of the work the Pastor has done?” –President Michel Martelly of Haiti during the bestowing of the Order of Honor and Merit to Wallace Turnbull
Scags at 18 (Scags Ser. #2)
by Deborah EminScags at 18 is the second in the 4-part Scags Series where she embarks for the first time away from home. Describing her life in her diary, she lives through her first semester in college in 1969--the age of peace marches, the Beatles, feminism and free love.
Scags at 30 (Scags Series #3)
by Deborah EminScags at 30 has been listed as one of the best Christian LGBTQ Books of 2016 by the QSpirit.Scags at 30 is the third installment in the Scags Series, a 4-part exploration of a woman's awakening at various ages and in all seasons. In this latest volume, Scags is living in NYC during the winter of 1981 when Reagan is both inaugurated and an attempted assassination takes place but also when John Lennon is killed, the town is facing bankruptcy and the AIDS epidemic is just beginning to appear in the city. Scags works at a think tank where she is writing, plotting out what her life could be and falling in love with a former nun whose mysterious life impels Scags to look much deeper at her own ambitions.
Scags at 45 (Scags Series #4)
by Deborah EminIt is time to celebrate the final part of the revolutionary Scags Series, which spans a woman's life from age 7 to 45, organized around the seasons of a year. By the time we get to Scags at 45, Scags is finding her voice by writing a memoir about her life from the time of the sudden catastrophe that sends her on a 3-year wandering journey into the heartland of the country and her return to NYC, then back to Skokie to care for her Mama and Aunt Money and then finally into the farmland of upper New York State. While on this wild ride that covers the years from 1992-2011, we finally find Scags at peace and at work, in love and in community. Her new life also includes the writing of the political thrillers that have been informed by her studying and her experiences.Born Loser, Born Lucky is the first of the works Scags produces and is introduced in the pages of Scags at 45.The Scags SeriesVolume One: Scags at 7Volume Two: Scags at 18Volume 3: Scags at 30Volume 4: Scags at 45
Scalawag: A White Southerner's Journey through Segregation to Human Rights Activism
by James H. Hershman Jr. Nancy Maclean Edward H. PeeplesScalawag tells the surprising story of a white working-class boy who became an unlikely civil rights activist. Born in 1935 in Richmond, where he was sent to segregated churches and schools, Ed Peeples was taught the ethos and lore of white supremacy by every adult in his young life. That message came with an equally cruel one--that, as the child of a wage-earning single mother, he was destined for failure.But by age nineteen Peeples became what the whites in his world called a "traitor to the race." Pushed by a lone teacher to think critically, Peeples found his way to the black freedom struggle and began a long life of activism. He challenged racism in his U.S. Navy unit and engaged in sit-ins and community organizing. Later, as a university professor, he agitated for good jobs, health care, and decent housing for all, pushed for the creation of African American studies courses at his university, and worked toward equal treatment for women, prison reform, and more. Peeples did most of his human rights work in his native Virginia, and his story reveals how institutional racism pervaded the Upper South as much as the Deep South.Covering fifty years' participation in the long civil rights movement, Peeples's gripping story brings to life an unsung activist culture to which countless forgotten individuals contributed, over time expanding their commitment from civil rights to other causes. This engrossing, witty tale of escape from what once seemed certain fate invites readers to reflect on how moral courage can transform a life.
Scalia
by Bruce Allen MurphyAn authoritative, deeply researched biography of the most controversial and outspoken Supreme Court justice of our time and how he chose to be "right" rather than influential.Antonin Scalia knew only success in the first fifty years of his life. His sterling academic and legal credentials led to his nomination by President Ronald Reagan to the Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit in 1982. In four short years there, he successfully outmaneuvered the more senior Robert Bork to be appointed to the Supreme Court in 1986. Scalia's evident legal brilliance and personal magnetism led everyone to predict he would unite a new conservative majority under Chief Justice William Rehnquist and change American law in the process. Instead he became a Court of One. Rather than bringing the conservatives together, Scalia drove them apart. He attacked and alienated his more moderate colleagues Sandra Day O'Connor, then David Souter, and finally Anthony Kennedy. Scalia prevented the conservative majority from coalescing for nearly two decades. Scalia: A Court of One is the compelling story of one of the most polarizing figures ever to serve on the nation's highest court. It provides an insightful analysis of Scalia's role on a Court that, like him, has moved well to the political right, losing public support and ignoring public criticism. To the delight of his substantial conservative following, Scalia's "originalism" theory has become the litmus test for analyzing, if not always deciding, cases. But Bruce Allen Murphy shows that Scalia's judicial conservatism is informed as much by his highly traditional Catholicism, mixed with his political partisanship, as by his reading of the Constitution. Murphy also brilliantly analyzes Scalia's role in major court decisions since the mid-1980s and scrutinizes the ethical controversies that have dogged Scalia in recent years. A Court of One is a fascinating examination of one outspoken justice's decision not to play internal Court politics, leaving him frequently in dissent, but instead to play for history, seeking to etch his originalism philosophy into American law.
Scalia Dissents
by Antonin Scalia Kevin A. RingAttorney Ring has assembled Justice Antonin Scalia's most scathing, most poignant, and most accessible opinions to date. Specific rulings and speeches are explained as Ring invites readers into the judicial world.