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The Talking Cure: A Memoir of Life on Air
by Mike FederAs a kid growing up in Queens, Mike Feder identified with Scheherazade of The Thousand and One Nights: "The idea of someone having to tell a new tale every night to prevent their head getting chopped off seemed sadly familiar to me." Back then, the author's audience was his mentally ill mother, who used to stay in the house all day with the shades drawn, and then insist that her son tell her stories so that she might vicariously experience the world outside. Eventually she committed suicide, and Feder grew up to be a relentless, comic storyteller on the radio. The Talking Cure tells the story of his ridiculous jobs, first failed marriage, the string of psychiatrists, and the misery of reluctant fatherhood; throughout he maintains a kind of bizarre balancing act--hilariousness and deep seriousness, conventionality and strangeness. An ironist and a comic, Feder looks unflinchingly at his own foibles and frailties, enabling him to connect to other people's stories. The reader emerges from this book with a sense of forgiveness for the human condition, and awe at the mystery of human life. Deeply funny, and at the same time breathtakingly dark, this is a book to provoke, amuse and, in some strange way, reassure: God loves a challenge.
The Tall Boy
by Jess Gregg"Walk tall, man," the junkie behind him whispered. "Don't let the bastards see that you care." They were standing in line at police headquarters in Los Angeles, waiting to be fingerprinted. The twenty-two year old writer had just been arrested on a "vag-lewd" charge. Or, to put it more clearly, he had been busted for being gay. Entrapment, police stings, and unauthorized raids were still the acceptable tactics for catching and imprisoning gays in America in the mid-twentieth century. The gay world, regarded as criminal or sick, was a scorned minority with its own private vocabulary, but no voice politically, forced to rely on intuition, courage, and laughter to survive. What led up to this arrest, and the struggle to live it down afterwards, lies at the core of this very frank, and sometimes hilarious memoir. The Tall Boy includes close-ups of some of the legendary theatre and film figures Gregg came to know and work with, among them Elia Kazan and Tennessee Williams, Agnes de Mille, Gower Champion, Joshua Logan, Colette, Gian Carlo Menotti, Sir John Gielgud, Jean Cocteau, and Scan Connery. Just as colorful are the profiles of less celebrated figures--Ma Coyle, cheerleader to a generation of gay boys, Raymond, the smoldering icon at the Hollywood hotel, and Marty, the good-looking lesbian with whom Gregg set up housekeeping in an effort to go straight. Jess Gregg does not hold back in telling of the struggles and perils of those days. Neither does he stint on the fun and adventure. Or the progress. The twentieth century proved to be revolutionary; the walls that came tumbling down were not just social and cultural, but sexual.
The Tall Frigates
by Frank Robert DonovanThe story of the tall frigates spans one of the most exciting eras of American history. As the first vessels of the United States Navy, these brave sailing ships defended the interests of the new nation on waters around the world. In dramatic duels against the French, the English, the North African corsairs, such men of war as The Constitution, Constellation, Essex, Philadelphia, United States, President and Congress, under the command of intrepid skippers like Truxton, Preble, Talbot, Dale, Lawrence, Bainbridge, Decatur, Barron, Rogers, Hull and Porter, challenged the great sea powers and showed that the rights of the infant country could not be abused.
The Tangled Web: The Life and Death of Richard Cain—Chicago Cop and Hitman
by Michael J. Cain Jack ClarkeThe Tangled Web tells the dramatic story of Detective Richard Cain, the man the FBI described as “possibly the most corrupt police official in the history of Chicago.” Cain led double life—at once a chief investigator and a “made” man, both a detective who led raids on gambling rings and a soldier carrying out hits for Mafia bosses. Using years of research, interviews, family anecdotes, and rare documents, Michael Cain creates a comprehensive and compelling biography of his half-brother. This edition features an all-new introduction by the author. In a story that reads like the plot of Martin Scorsese’s The Departed, Cain played both ends against the middle to become a household name in Chicago and a notorious figure in both the Mob and the world of Chicago law enforcement. Before his execution by shotgun in Rose’s Sandwich Shop, Cain’s legend would grow to the point of rumored involvement in the assassination of John F. Kennedy and the FBI’s plot to assassinate Fidel Castro. Filled with fascinating and until-now unknown facts, The Tangled Web tells the full story of this one-man crime wave.
The Tao of Bill Murray: Real-Life Stories of Joy, Enlightenment, and Party Crashing
by Gavin EdwardsThis collection of the most epic, hilarious, and strange Bill Murray stories, many of which have never before been reported, spotlights the star's extraordinary ability to infuse the everyday with surprise, absurdity, and wonder.No one will ever believe you.New York Times bestselling author Gavin Edwards, like the rest of us, has always been fascinated with Bill Murray--in particular the beloved actor's adventures off-screen, which rival his filmography for sheer entertainment value. Edwards traveled to the places where Murray has lived, worked, and partied, in search of the most outrageous and hilarious Bill Murray stories from the past four decades, many of which have never before been reported. Bill once paid a child five dollars to ride his bike into a swimming pool. The star convinced Harvard's JV women's basketball team to play with him in a private game of hoops. Many of these surreal encounters ended with Bill whispering, "No one will ever believe you" into a stranger's ear. But The Tao of Bill Murray is more than just a collection of wacky anecdotes. This volume puts the actor's public clowning into a larger context, as Edwards distills Murray's unique way of being into a set of guiding principles. A sideways mix of comedy and philosophy, full of photo bombs, late-night party crashes, and movie-set antics, this is the perfect book for anyone who calls themselves a Bill Murray fan--which is to say, everyone.Advance praise for The Tao of Bill Murray"If you are among the multitudes who have a Bill Murray story (viz: 'I was in the airport bar, and who sat down next to me but Bill Murray?'), The Tao of Bill Murray will speak to you."--Elle "Reading The Tao of Bill Murray is like spending time with Bill, but probably safer."--Danny Rubin, screenwriter of Groundhog Day"When confronted by life's challenges and opportunities, we should all be asking ourselves, 'What would Bill Murray do?' This book actually has the answers."--Jay Duplass, writer, director, actor, fan of Bill Murray "As much as I love Gavin Edwards's wonderful The Tao of Bill Murray, I can't help but feel sad that Bill Murray has never covered my eyes on a street corner."--Moby"[A] funny, affectionate portrait . . . Edwards skillfully weaves together many well-known and entirely new anecdotes from throughout Murray's career that capture him at the height of his power. Murray is an endless delight, and his knack for bons mots and non sequiturs will keep readers laughing before revealing an unexpectedly poignant vision for happiness. . . . A fun and revealing look behind the charm and mythos of Bill Murray that will only strengthen his legend."--Kirkus Reviews"Bill Murray seems to have shambled, stumbled, joked, surprised, party-crashed and acted his way to the Tao. However he got there, we're all better off for him having demonstrated his unique way."--Gary Dudney, author of The Tao of Running "Capturing the spirit of a man who actively defies logic is like chasing a mustang through the desert in your skivvies. Luckily Edwards had some help: In this rowdy little book, he collects potent tales from people who experienced something strange and intangible: the zany antics of a trickster whose improvisation skills on stage and screen are nothing compared to his sometimes gallant, sometimes ridiculous, always dauntless improvisations with life."--Linda Kohanov, author of The Tao of EquusFrom the Hardcover edition.
The Tao of Bruce Lee
by Davis MillerIn this companion volume to his critically acclaimed first book, The Tao of Muhammad Ali, Davis Miller turns his attention to a second iconic figure of the twentieth century--and another of Miller's own seminal influences: film star and martial arts legend Bruce Lee.Just weeks after completing Enter the Dragon, his first vehicle for a worldwide audience, Bruce Lee--the self-proclaimed world's fittest man--died mysteriously at the age of thirty-two. The film has since grossed over $500 million, making it one of the most profitable in the history of cinema, and Lee has acquired almost mythic status.Lee was a flawed, complex, yet singular talent. He revolutionized the martial arts and forever changed action moviemaking. But what has his legacy truly meant to the fans he left behind? To author Davis Miller, Lee was a profound mentor and a transformative inspiration. As a troubled young man in rural North Carolina, Miller was on a road to nowhere when he first saw Enter the Dragon, an encounter that would lead him on a physical, emotional, and spiritual journey and would change his life.As in The Tao of Muhammad Ali, Miller brilliantly combines biography--the fullest, most unflinching and revelatory to date--with his own coming-of-age story. The result is a unique and compelling book.From the Hardcover edition.
The Tao of Martha
by Jen LancasterOne would think that with her impressive list of bestselling self-improvement memoirs Jen Lancaster would have it all together by now. One would be wrong. After all, she's no Martha Stewart. And that's why Jen is going to Martha up and live her life according to the advice of America's overachieving older sister--the woman who turns lemons into lavender-infused lemonade. By immersing herself in Martha's media empire, Jen embarks on a yearlong quest to take herself, her house, her husband (and maybe even her pets) to the next level--from closet organization to party planning.Maybe Jen can avoid food poisoning if she follows Martha's dictates on proper storage. Maybe she can rid her workout clothes of meatball stains by using Martha's laundry tips. Maybe she can create a more meaningful anniversary celebration than getting drunk in the pool with her husband. Again. And maybe she'll discover that the key to happiness does, in fact, lie in Martha's perfectly arranged cupboards and charcuterie platters.ike knitting and sewing....Maybe she can finally rid her workout clothes of meatball stains by using Martha's laundry tips.... Maybe she can create a more meaningful anniversary celebration than just getting drunk in the pool with her husband....again. And maybe, just maybe, she'll discover that the key to happiness does, in fact, lie in Martha's perfectly arranged cupboards and artfully displayed charcuterie platters. Or maybe not.
The Tao of Martha: My Year of LIVING; Or, Why I'm Never Getting All That Glitter Off of the Dog
by Jen LancasterOne would think that with her impressive list of bestselling self-improvement memoirs Jen Lancaster would have it all together by now. One would be wrong. After all, she's no Martha Stewart. And that's why Jen is going to Martha up and live her life according to the advice of America's overachieving older sister--the woman who turns lemons into lavender-infused lemonade. By immersing herself in Martha's media empire, Jen embarks on a yearlong quest to take herself, her house, her husband (and maybe even her pets) to the next level--from closet organization to party planning.Maybe Jen can avoid food poisoning if she follows Martha's dictates on proper storage. Maybe she can rid her workout clothes of meatball stains by using Martha's laundry tips. Maybe she can create a more meaningful anniversary celebration than getting drunk in the pool with her husband. Again. And maybe she'll discover that the key to happiness does, in fact, lie in Martha's perfectly arranged cupboards and charcuterie platters.
The Tao of Martha: My Year of Living, or Why I'm Never, Getting All That Glitter Off of the Dog
by Jen LancasterOne would think that with Jen Lancaster’s impressive list of bestselling self-improvement memoirs-Bitter Is the New Black; Bright Lights, Big Ass; Such a Pretty Fat; Pretty in Plaid; My Fair Lazy; and Jeneration X-that she would have it all together by now. One would be wrong. Jen’s still a little rough around the edges. Suffice it to say, she’s no Martha Stewart. And that is exactly why Jen is going to Martha up and live her life according to the advice of America’s overachieving older sister-the woman who turns lemons into lavender-infused lemonade. By immersing herself in Martha’s media empire, Jen will embark on a yearlong quest to take herself, her house, her husband (and maybe even her pets) to the next level-from closet organization to craft making, from party planning to kitchen prep. Maybe Jen can go four days without giving herself food poisoning if she follows Martha’s dictates on proper storage. . . . Maybe she can grow closer to her girlfriends by taking up their boring-ass hobbies like knitting and sewing. ...Maybe she can finally rid her workout clothes of meatball stains by using Martha’s laundry tips. ... Maybe she can create a more meaningful anniversary celebration than just getting drunk in the pool with her husband. . . . again. And maybe, just maybe, she’ll discover that the key to happiness does, in fact, lie in Martha’s perfectly arranged cupboards and artfully displayed charcuterie platters. Or maybe not. .
The Tao of Muhammad Ali
by Davis MillerMuhammad Ali was the greatest boxer the world has ever seen, and the most charismatic athlete of all time. Mesmeric both inside the ring and out, Ali has been a role model, a spiritual thinker and a symbol of courage for thousands of people. Davis Miller was a sickly 12-year-old child when he first encountered Ali. From this meeting there developed a powerful personal relationship that has lasted decades. The Tao of Muhammad Ali is a unique portrait of this exceptional fighter, and a compelling story of hero-worship, of fathers and sons, of strength through wisdom.
The Tao of Willie: A Guide to the Happiness in Your Heart
by Turk Pipkin Willie NelsonBorn in small-town Texas during the Depression, Willie Nelson was raised to believe in helping his neighbours and living without pretence. After many hard poorly-paid years as a songwriter Willie finally found his own voice - the gentle and honest sound which has made him an American icon. This is his guide to finding harmony in everyday life, featuring vignettes from each chapter of his long life along with his views on money, love, war, religion and cowboys. Willie's timeless insights sparkle with clarity; it's like having a one-on-one with the sage himself.
The Tao of Wu
by The RZA Chris NorrisThe RZA, founder of the Wu-Tang Clan, imparts the lessons he's learned on his journey from the Staten Island projects to international superstardom. A devout student of knowledge in every form in which he's found it, he distills here the wisdom he's acquired into seven "pillars," each based on a formative event in his life-from the moment he first heard the call of hip-hop to the death of his cousin and Clan- mate, Russell Jones, aka ODB. Delivered in RZA's unmistakable style, at once surprising, profound, and provocative, The Tao of Wu is a spiritual memoir the world has never seen before, and will never see again. A nonfiction Siddhartha for the hip-hop generation from the author of The Wu-Tang Manual, it will enlighten, entertain, and inspire.
The Tao of Wu
by The RZAA unique book of wisdom and experience that reaches from the most violent slums of New York City to the highest planes of spiritual thought by the RZA, founder of the Wu-Tang Clan and hip-hop's most exalted wise man.<P><P>The RZA, the Abbot of the Wu-Tang Clan and hip-hop culture's most dynamic genius, imparts the lessons he's learned on the journey that's taken him from the Staten Island projects to international superstar, all along the way a devout student of knowledge in every form he's found it-on the streets, in religion, in martial arts, in chess, in popular culture. Part chronicle of an extraordinary life and part spiritual and philosophical discourse, The Tao of Wu is a nonfiction Siddhartha for the hip-hop generation-an engaging, seeking book that will enlighten, entertain, and inspire.The legions of Wu-Tang fans are accustomed to this heady mix-their obsession with the band's puzzlelike lyrics and elaborate mythology has propelled the group through fifteen years of dazzling, multiplatform success.<P> In his 2005 bestseller The Wu-Tang Manual, the RZA provided the barest glimpse of how that mythology worked. In The Tao of Wu, he takes us deep inside the complex sense of wisdom and spirituality that has been at the core of his commercial and creative success.The book is built around major moments in the RZA's life when he was faced with a dramatic turning point, either bad (a potential prison sentence) or good (a record deal that could pull his family out of poverty), and the lessons he took from each experience. His points of view are always surprising and provocative, and reveal a profound, genuine, and abiding wisdom-consistently tempered with humor and peppered with unique, colloquial phraseology. It is a spiritual memoir as the world has never seen before, and will never see again.
The Tao of the Backup Catcher: Playing Baseball for the Love of the Game
by Tim Brown"This isn&’t just a story about baseball. It&’s about life and the beauty of knowing and accepting who you are.&” —Jeff Passan, ESPN baseball columnistThis fascinating book chronicles the unsung men of baseball who serve the job, the hardships they face, and their love for a game that would not always love them back―told partly through the experiences of an MLB veteran. In baseball there are superstars and stars and everyday players and then there are the rest. Within the rest are role players and specialists and journeymen and then there are the backup catchers. The Tao of the Backup Catcher is about them, the backup catchers, who exist near the bottom of the roster and the end of the bench and between the numbers in a sport–and a society–increasingly driven by cold, hard analytics.The Tao of the Backup Catcher is a story of grown men who once dreamed of stardom and generational wealth. Instead, they were handed a broom and a deeper understanding of who wins and why, who stands tall and who folds, and who will invest their own lives in catching bullpens and the back ends of doubleheaders. Backup catchers survive in part because every team needs one. They are necessary, once or twice a week. They prosper because the game, like the world around the game, still needs good souls, honest efforts, open eyes and ears, closed mouths, compassion for the sad parts, a laugh for the silly parts, and a heart that knows the difference. Backup catchers are sports&’ big brothers, psychologists, priests, witch doctors, player coaches, father figures and drinking buddies, all wrapped in a suit of today&’s polycarbonate armor and yesterday&’s dirt. They come with a singular goal–to win baseball games. They play for the greater good. After that, they play for themselves. A reverie on loving the grind and the little things baseball can teach us, The Tao of the Backup Catcher profiles Erik Kratz, Josh Paul, AJ Ellis, Bobby Wilson, Drew Butera, Matt Treanor, and John Flaherty to name a few. &“This isn&’t just a story about baseball. It&’s about life and the beauty of knowing and accepting who you are.&” ―Jeff Passan
The Tao of the Side Hustle: A Buddhist Martial Arts Approach to Your New Business
by Don Hyun KiolbassaYour pay isn't keeping up with the cost of living. Student debt weighs you down. Job opportunities just aren't there, and you feel like you're falling farther and farther behind. Maybe it's time to look beyond a traditional job and get ahead through a side hustle. In The Tao of the Side Hustle, martial arts champion and serial side hustler Don Hyun Kiolbassa applies principles of Wushu Kung Fu—the Chinese War Art popularized by Sun Tzu in Art of War—to provide a detailed framework for starting and growing your own venture. Don Hyun Kiolbassa is no stranger to side hustles. In addition to owning his own law firm, he is a CPA, martial artist, dynamic speaker and performer, and the motion capture model for some of the biggest action video games in the industry. When he was at his lowest professionally and financially, he had an epiphany that helped him grow a side hustle into a full-time business: the principles of Wushu Kung Fu apply to business just as they do to fighting. He turned to the fundamental principles of strategy learned in a lifetime of Martial Arts, including his time living as a Monk at the Shaolin Temple in China. In The Tao of the Side Hustle, Don shares this martial arts wisdom, blends Buddhist Martial Arts stories with strategic business, tax and legal principles, and explains how anyone interested in a side hustle or small business can follow in his footsteps. Learn how to: Identify a side hustle suited to your skills and passions Join forces with family, friends, colleagues, and mentors to help launch successfully Deal with failure, rejection, and doubt Manage your time, including juggling your side hustle with your primary gig Decide if your side hustle should become your full-time income source Grow your side hustle into a full-fledged business Scale your business by establishing your mission, hiring, managing, and building a culture If you know you want something better—a stronger financial picture, a better job, more control over your life—The Tao of the Side Hustle is your playbook for making it happen.
The Targeter: My Life in the CIA, Hunting Terrorists and Challenging the White House
by Nada BakosA revealing and utterly engrossing account" (Joby Warrick) of the world of high-stakes foreign intelligence and her role within the campaign to stop top-tier targets inside Al-Qaida from former CIA analyst Nada Bakos In 1999, 30-year-old Nada Bakos moved from her lifelong home in Montana to Washington, DC, to join the CIA. Quickly realizing her affinity for intelligence work, Nada was determined to rise through the ranks of the agency first as an analyst and then as a Targeting Officer, eventually finding herself on the frontline of America's War against Islamic extremists. In this role, Nada was charged with determining if Iraq had a relationship with 9/11 and Al-Qaida, and finding the mastermind behind this terrorist activity: Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Her team's analysis stood the test of time, but it was not satisfactory for some members of the Administration.In a tight, tension-packed narrative that takes the reader from Langley deep into Iraq, Bakos reveals the inner workings of the Agency and the largely hidden world of intelligence gathering post 9/11. Entrenched in the world of the CIA, Bakos, along with her colleagues, focused on leading U.S. Special Operations Forces to the doorstep of one of the world's most wanted terrorists. Filled with on-the-ground insights and poignant personal anecdotes, The Targeter shows us the great personal sacrifice that comes with intelligence work. This is Nada's story, but it is also an intimate chronicle of how a group of determined, ambitious men and women worked tirelessly in the heart of the CIA to ensure our nation's safety at home and abroad.
The Taste of Anger: A Memoir
by Diane Vonglis Parnell“I’ll kill the first person who comes through this door.” My father grips a baseball bat in his meaty hands.It is 1962 and Diane is three years old when her violent father moves their family—her, her pregnant mother, and her six siblings—to a remote farm in Upstate New York. There, she grabs the reader by the hand and takes them to the broken-down barns, barren fields, and rows of bunk beds in her rat-infested attic bedroom as she questions all that feels wrong about her new world. She watches her ever-pregnant mother grow emotionally colder with each new baby and wonders, Where is she when he swings his fists, his steel-toed boot, or a crowbar? Forced to perform adult manual labor in between the erratic beatings she and her siblings pound on one another to release their own aggressions, she asks herself, Is this what we’ve become? What I’ve become?Narrated in the ever-hopeful voice of a child, The Taste of Anger explores in raw, unflinching detail how years of isolation, oppression, and the threat of retaliation create an environment in which family secrets are guarded at all costs. Tension is palpable with the turning of each page, ensuring that the reader won’t let go of Diane’s hand until she gets an answer to her most urgent question of all: Who will rescue us?
The Taste of Longing: Ethel Mulvany and Her Starving Prisoners of War Cookbook
by Suzanne EvansHalf a world away from her home in Manitoulin Island, Ethel Mulvany is starving in Singapore’s infamous Changi Prison, along with hundreds of other women jailed there as POWs during the Second World War. They beat back pangs of hunger by playing decadent games of make-believe and writing down recipes filled with cream, raisins, chocolate, butter, cinnamon, ripe fruit – the unattainable ingredients of peacetime, of home, of memory. In this novelistic, immersive biography, Suzanne Evans presents a truly individual account of WWII through the eyes of Ethel – mercurial, enterprising, combative, stubborn, and wholly herself. The Taste of Longing follows Ethel through the fall of Singapore in 1942, the years of her internment, and beyond. As a prisoner, she devours dog biscuits and book spines, befriends spiders and smugglers, and endures torture and solitary confinement. As a free woman back in Canada, she fights to build a life for herself in the midst of trauma and burgeoning mental illness. Woven with vintage recipes and transcribed tape recordings, the story of Ethel and her fantastical POW Cookbook is a testament to the often-overlooked strength of women in wartime. It’s a story of the unbreakable power of imagination, generosity, and pure heart.
The Taste of Tomorrow
by Josh SchonwaldA fascinating look at the people, trends, and technologies transforming the food of today and tomorrow In The Taste of Tomorrow, journalist Josh Schonwald sets out on a journey to investigate the future of food. His quest takes him across the country and into farms and labs around the globe. From Alice Waters' microfarm to a Pentagon facility that has quietly shaped American supermarkets, The Taste of Tomorrow is a rare, behind-the-scenes glimpse at what we eat today-and what we'll be eating tomorrow. Schonwald introduces us to a motley group of mad scientists, entrepreneurs, renegade farmers, and food engineers who are revolutionizing the food we eat. We meet the Harvard-trained pedia-trician who wants to change the way humans raise fish; a New York chef who believes he's found the next great ethnic cuisine; a lawyer-turned-nanotechnologist who believes he can solve human nutritional needs without using food. In this lively and fascinating book, Schonwald explains how new foods happen; why some foods explode on the scene virtually overnight while others take decades-and countless failures-to catch on. And he doesn't shy away from controversy. Although the book begins as a simple search for "the salad, meat, seafood, and pad Thai of the future," Schonwald becomes increasingly focused on finding environmentally friendly foods of the future. Ultimately, he comes to believe that emerging scientific breakthroughs-genetic engineering, nanotechnology, food processing-are essential to feeding the globe's expanding (and hungry) population.
The Tastemaker: Carl Van Vechten and the Birth of Modern America
by Edward WhiteA revealing biography of the influential and controversial cultural titan who embodied an era The Tastemaker explores the many lives of Carl Van Vechten, the most influential cultural impresario of the early twentieth century: a patron and dealmaker of the Harlem Renaissance, a photographer who captured the era's icons, and a novelist who created some of the Jazz Age's most salacious stories. A close confidant of Langston Hughes, Gertrude Stein, George Gershwin, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and the Knopfs, Van Vechten frolicked in the 1920s Manhattan demimonde, finding himself in Harlem's jazz clubs, Hell's Kitchen's speakeasies, and Greenwich Village's underground gay scene. New York City was a hotbed of vice as well as creativity, and Van Vechten was at the center of it all. Edward White's biography--the first comprehensive biography of Carl Van Vechten in nearly half a century, and the first to fully explore Van Vechten's tangled relationship to race and sexuality--depicts a controversial figure who defined an age. Embodying many of the contradictions of modern America, Van Vechten was a devoted husband with a coterie of boys by his side, a supporter of difficult art who also loved lowbrow entertainment, and a promoter of the Harlem Renaissance whose bestselling novel--and especially its title--infuriated many of the same African-American artists he championed. Van Vechten's defense of what many Americans considered bad taste--modernist literature, African-American culture, and sexual self-expression--created a popular appetite for these quintessential elements of American art. The Tastemaker encompasses its subject's private fears and longings, as well as Manhattan's raucous, taboo-busting social scene of which he was such a central part. It is a remarkable portrait of a man whose brave journeys across boundaries of race, sexuality, and taste helped make America fully modern.
The Tastemaker: Carl Van Vechten and the Birth of Modern America
by Edward WhiteA revealing biography of the influential and controversial cultural titan who embodied an eraThe Tastemaker explores the many lives of Carl Van Vechten, the most influential cultural impresario of the early twentieth century: a patron and dealmaker of the Harlem Renaissance, a photographer who captured the era's icons, and a novelist who created some of the Jazz Age's most salacious stories. A close confidant of Langston Hughes, Gertrude Stein, George Gershwin, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and the Knopfs, Van Vechten frolicked in the 1920s Manhattan demimonde, finding himself in Harlem's jazz clubs, Hell's Kitchen's speakeasies, and Greenwich Village's underground gay scene. New York City was a hotbed of vice as well as creativity, and Van Vechten was at the center of it all.Edward White's biography—the first comprehensive biography of Carl Van Vechten in nearly half a century, and the first to fully explore Van Vechten's tangled relationship to race and sexuality—depicts a controversial figure who defined an age. Embodying many of the contradictions of modern America, Van Vechten was a devoted husband with a coterie of boys by his side, a supporter of difficult art who also loved lowbrow entertainment, and a promoter of the Harlem Renaissance whose bestselling novel—and especially its title—infuriated many of the same African-American artists he championed. Van Vechten's defense of what many Americans considered bad taste—modernist literature, African-American culture, and sexual self-expression—created a popular appetite for these quintessential elements of American art. The Tastemaker encompasses its subject's private fears and longings, as well as Manhattan's raucous, taboo-busting social scene of which he was such a central part. It is a remarkable portrait of a man whose brave journeys across boundaries of race, sexuality, and taste helped make America fully modern.
The Taxidermist
by Enrique Laso Valeria Lagos Terrizzano - Gordon DownieEnrique, a curious teenager, meets José, an old taxidermist who is retired from all activity and lives in near isolation. Between the two of them a solid friendship grows. The taxidermist teaches the youth the art of preserving animals, but also other, no lesser aspects of life. Soon, this friendly relationship will find an obstacle. Enrique is on the verge of revealing a dark secret José has zealously kept for years.... A short, intense novella that leaves an aftertaste that is hard to forget. The atmosphere steadily grips the reader and the two characters will seduce both young adults and adults alike. The passion for a certain art, the devotion for the master and the complex secrets of the mind, cleverly mixed in a story that has already ensnared thousands of readers around the world. Mystery, art, love, personal development and deep reflections...
The Taxing Case of the Cows
by Iris Van RynbachAlmost 100 years after the American Revolution, Abby and Julia Smith were fighting against taxation without representation. Women hadn't been given the vote, and the Smith sisters refused to pay an unfair property tax that they had no voice in establishing. When the authorities confiscated their cows, the Smiths bought them back at auction, thus paying what they owed without paying their taxes. The cows were seized at tax time for a number of years, and the Smiths's stand attracted the attention of women's suffrage supporters across the country. Lively, carefully researched illustrations bring this historical episode vividly to life. Authors' note, bibliography.
The Taylor Swift Book: A Deep Dive Into Songs, Cats, Style, Tours, Lore and Much More
by Malcolm MackenzieGo beyond Taylor Swift’s iconic music with The Taylor Book, the deepest and most comprehensive exploration of her stratospheric career to date.From her humble days as a teen country artist to her record-obliterating Eras Tour, Taylor Swift is a supernova that shows no sign of burning out. This groundbreaking book gives her career the depth it deserves, featuring her studio albums alongside iconic outfits, music videos, muses, trailblazing re-recordings, and more – everything that die-hard fans need to know about is right here.The Taylor Book explores the life of an icon, including:Expert analysis of every original album and Taylor’s Version re-recording, up to and including The Tortured Poets DepartmentIn-depth exploration of Taylor Swift’s most beloved songs and music videosBreakdowns of Taylor’s notorious Easter Eggs, helping fans understand and explain the secret messaging she slips into every albumExploration of her songwriting process and genre experimentationIconic fashion moments from each EraExquisite images spanning Taylor’s entire careerA look at Taylor’s work beyond the music, from her acting credits and fandom to her relationships and politics…and much more!The Taylor Book is the ultimate guide to a generation-defining pop sensation, packed with beautiful images and all the context you need to fully immerse yourself in the Swiftiverse. Whether you’re already a die-hard fan looking for deeper insight into her life or a brand-new Swiftie eager for the most complete guide to all things Taylor Swift, this is the book for you.
The Teacher Who Couldn't Read
by Carole C. Carlson John CorcoranHere is the incredible true story of a smart kid who slipped through the system and became part of it. John Corcoran graduated from high school and college and went on to become a high school teacher--but he never learned how to read. Corcoran shares his amazing experiences of using deception to survive in a world of literates, and he clearly defines what schools, teachers, churches, and parents can do to conquer the little-known but widely spread disease of our educational system: illiteracy.