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We Need To Talk
by Stephen Webb Chris SteedChris and Stephen off Gogglebox are known and loved by millions of viewers for their outrageous humour, filthy language and adorable sausage dogs. But there's a lot more to them than that. The ex-partners have both had their fair share of ups and downs, and here in their joint memoir they carry us through their experiences on a wave of hilarious back-and-forth conversations and killer one-liners. From their childhoods to finding fame on Gogglebox, nothing is off-limits.Stephen: "Going to the allotment was something we'd look forward to. Especially when it got dark and we used to nick everyone's vegetables"Chris: "We lived in this flint house on the edge of the cemetery, and not surprisingly it was really haunted."Funny, frank and pretty ridiculous, this is the perfect book for any Gogglebox fan.
We Need To Talk
by Stephen Webb Chris SteedChris and Stephen off Gogglebox are known and loved by millions of viewers for their outrageous humour, filthy language and adorable sausage dogs. But there's a lot more to them than that. The ex-partners have both had their fair share of ups and downs, and here in their joint memoir they carry us through their experiences on a wave of hilarious back-and-forth conversations and killer one-liners. From their childhoods to finding fame on Gogglebox, nothing is off-limits.Stephen: "Going to the allotment was something we'd look forward to. Especially when it got dark and we used to nick everyone's vegetables"Chris: "We lived in this flint house on the edge of the cemetery, and not surprisingly it was really haunted."Funny, frank and pretty ridiculous, this is the perfect book for any Gogglebox fan.
We Need To Talk
by Stephen Webb Chris SteedChris and Stephen off Gogglebox are known and loved by millions of viewers for their outrageous humour, filthy language and adorable sausage dogs. But there's a lot more to them than that. The ex-partners have both had their fair share of ups and downs, and here in their joint memoir they carry us through their experiences on a wave of hilarious back-and-forth conversations and killer one-liners. From their childhoods:(Stephen: "Going to allotment was something we'd look forward to. Especially when it got dark and we used to nick everyone's vegetables"Chris: "We lived in this flint house on the edge of the cemetery, and not surprisingly it was really haunted.")To finding fame on Gogglebox, nothing is off-limits.Funny, frank and pretty ridiculous, this is the perfect book for any Gogglebox fan.(P)2016 Headline Digital
We Need to Talk About . . . Kevin Bridges
by Kevin BridgesThe comic autobiography of 2014 A comedian's autobiography? I wonder if he's ever used humour to deflect from his insecurities? To avoid being bullied? Is there heartache behind the humour? I wonder if he's a manic-depressive? Tears of a clown? Yes, all of that. Discover the hilarious life-story of one of Britain's best-loved comedians in Kevin Bridges' brilliant memoir. 'First of all, I have never written a book before, you probably haven't either, so there we have it; a connection is established between reader and writer . . .' Aged just 17, Kevin Bridges walked on stage for the first time in a Glasgow comedy club and brought the house down. He only had a five-minute set but in that short time he discovered that he really could earn a living from making people laugh. Kevin began life as a shy, nerve-ridden school-boy, whose weekly highlights included a cake-bombing attack by the local youths. Reaching his teens, he followed his true calling as the class clown, and was soon after arrested for kidnapping Hugh Grant from his local cinema on a quiet Saturday night. This was a guy going somewhere - off the rails seeming most likely. Kevin's trademark social commentary, sharp one-liners and laugh-out-loud humour blend with his reflections on his Glaswegian childhood and the journey he's taken to become one of the most-loved comedians of our time.'. . . Hopefully now you'll take this over to the till and I can accompany you for the next wee while. That's the benefit of book shops, reading the little bit and then deciding if the author deserves to be part of your carefully selected 3 for 2 deal, or part of your plane journey, train journey, your next bath, your next shite.' Praise for Kevin Bridges:'The Best Scottish Stand up of his Generation.' The Scotsman 'A wonderfully dry and deadpan Glaswegian comic . . . one the most exciting talents to have emerged from Scotland since Billy Connolly' Guardian 'Kevin Bridges might just become the best stand-up in the land . . . he will go and deliver a one-liner that you want to jot down and frame' The Times 'Wonderfully sharp, assured stand-up from the preternaturally gifted young comic' Independent
We Only Dated for 11 Instagrams: And Other Things You'll Overhear in L.A.
by Jesse Margolis Emmet Truxes Eric GarcettiFrom the hugely popular @OverheardLA Instagram account comes this illustrated collection of the entertaining, absurd, sometimes even poignant snippets of conversation overheard on the streets of Los Angeles.Oh, Los Angeles: where kids with lemonade stands accept Venmo, where your Uber driver moonlights as a spiritual adviser. Whether you love L.A. or love to hate it, you'll delight in this comical tribute to the one and only La La Land -- a world all its own, yet also a microcosm of 21st century American culture in so many ways. The book features illustrations from Emmet Truxes, creator of the popular @brooklyncartoons Instagram account, and a foreword from L.A. mayor Eric Garcetti. It's the perfect gift for millennials and everyone who loves to (gently) mock them. Prepare to laugh, to face-palm, to cringe, and to delight in such gems as, "Timing is everything, whether it's sex, drugs, or avocados." "Why are the older generations so judgmental? They were millennials once too." "Nothing screams of desperation like a paragraph of hashtags."And so many more.
We Own the Sky
by Rodman PhilbrickA thrilling historical adventure by the master of adventure himself, Rodman Philbrick.It's Maine, 1924, and the Ku Klux Klan is on the rise.Davy and Jo Michaud have been recently orphaned. Taken in by a distant relative—a famous aviator—they are now working with a group of stunt pilots who spend their time wing walking, leaping from plane to plane, and flying through fireworks! But though the stunts are dangerous, the real threat is building behind the scenes.The KKK is on the rise in Maine that summer, inspired by the racial fears promoted in Birth of a Nation. They spew hatred of immigrants, Blacks, Jews, and French Catholics—that last, a rage that will be directed at Davy and Jo.When Davy and Jo cross paths with the Klan, they get tangled up in a terrible revenge plan, and held as hostages. Can they escape with their lives?
We Promised You a Great Main Event: An Unauthorized WWE History
by Bill Hanstock“A fascinating dive into the physical art of modern-day wrestling entertainment and the unbelievable characters who make it work in the ring and the back.” —Chris KluweIn We Promised You a Great Main Event, longtime sports journalist Bill Hanstock pulls back the curtain to give a smart fan’s account of WWE and Vince McMahon’s journey to the top. Untangling the truth behind the official WWE storyline, Hanstock does a deep dive into key moments of the company’s history, from the behind-the-scenes drama at the Montreal Screwjob, to the company’s handling of the Jimmy Snuka scandal, to the real story of the Monday Night Wars.WWE is an extraordinary business success and an underappreciated pop cultural phenomenon. While WWE soared to prominence during the Hulk Hogan years, as the stakes grew more and more extreme, wrestlers faced steroid scandals and assault allegations. The whole story is here, good, bad, and ugly, from the heights of iconic cultural moments like Wrestlemania III to the arrival of global superstars like The Rock and John Cena.We Promised You a Great Main Event is an exhaustive, fun account of the McMahon family and WWE’s unprecedented rise. Drawing on a decade of covering wrestling, Bill Hanstock synthesizes insights from historians, journalists, and industry insiders with his own deep research to produce the most up-to-date, entertaining history of WWE available. Full of amazing characters and astonishing stories from the ring to corporate boardrooms, it is a story as audacious as any WWE spectacle.
We Shall Overcome
by Bryan CollierA celebration of the gospel anthem and Civil Rights protest song "We Shall Overcome," masterfully brought to life by Caldecott Honor recipient and a nine-time Coretta Scott King Award winner Bryan Collier."We Shall Overcome" is one of the most recognizable anthems of the Civil Rights movement, widely performed at protests and rallies to promote nonviolent civil rights activism. Now, these inspirational, empowering, legendary lyrics are brought to life with the stirring, evocative, and breathtaking illustrations from multi-award-winning talent Bryan Collier. Powerfully imagined for the present moment, Collier's illustrations meld the most emblematic moments of the twentieth-century Civil Rights movement with the present day, depicting the movements, protests, and demonstrations -- big and small -- as the fight for justice continues. With illustrations full of depth, tenderness, and expression, and offering historical context while remaining powerfully relevant to the present-day, this impactful picture book is a must-have for every home, classroom, and bookshelf.
We Should All Be Mirandas: Life Lessons from Sex and the City's Most Underrated Character
by Chelsea Fairless Lauren GarroniWhen Sex and the City premiered, many were hesitant to identify as the Miranda of their social circle - after all, sarcasm, workaholism, and dubious fashion choices are rarely considered aspirational. However, in the two-plus decades since her television debut, our culture has finally caught up with this forward-thinking icon and all she represents. The truth is, Miranda Hobbes is the feminist hero that we deserve - we were all just too busy obsessing over Carrie's corset tops to notice it at first.WE SHOULD ALL BE MIRANDAS is a celebration of a certain redheaded lawyer and the legions of fans who relate to her pragmatic, no-bullshit approach to work, love, and sex. Written by two self-proclaimed Mirandas, this humorous manifesto distils Ms. Hobbes' core principles into a strategic guide for navigating life's inevitable ups and downs. In it, you'll learn to:Overcome your internalised MirandaphobiaCope with humiliating sexual encountersMake Google Docs your bitchDump that Skipper that you've been datingEmbrace your bad hair days ...and so much more!With sharp, sardonic humor and nods to the series' most iconic moments, We Should All Be Mirandas is the perfect gift for fashionistas, pop culture mavens, and every woman who has dared to eat cake out of the garbage.
We Should All Be Mirandas: Life Lessons from Sex and the City's Most Underrated Character
by Chelsea Fairless Lauren GarroniA snarky guide to life inspired by the most underrated character on Sex and the City, from the creators of the Instagram sensation @everyoutfitonSATC When Sex and the City premiered, many were hesitant to identify as the Miranda of their social circle—after all, sarcasm, workaholism, and dubious fashion choices are rarely considered aspirational. However, in the two-plus decades since her television debut, our culture has finally caught up with this forward-thinking icon and all she represents. The truth is, Miranda Hobbes is the feminist hero that we deserve— we were all just too busy obsessing over Carrie&’s corset tops to notice it at first. WE SHOULD ALL BE MIRANDAS is a celebration of a certain redheaded lawyer and the legions of fans who relate to her pragmatic, no-bullshit approach to work, love, and sex. Written by two self-proclaimed Mirandas, this humorous manifesto distills Ms. Hobbes&’ core principles into a strategic guide for navigating life&’s inevitable ups and downs. In it, you&’ll learn to:Overcome your internalized MirandaphobiaCope with humiliating sexual encountersMake Google Docs your bitchDump that Skipper that you&’ve been datingEmbrace your bad hair days ...and so much more! With sharp, sardonic humor and fantastic send-ups to the series&’ most iconic moments, We Should All Be Mirandas is the perfect gift for fashionistas, pop culture mavens, and every woman who has dared to eat cake out of the garbage.
We Skate Hardcore: Photographs from Brooklyn's Southside
by Vincent CianniThe stunning photographs of We Skate Hardcore reveal the determination, the dreams, and the rough and tumble story of urban Latino youth coming of age in New York City. Vincent Cianni spent eight years photographing and documenting a group of Latino in-line skaters in the Southside of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Cianni weaves together images of the skaters with their own words, showing the skaters' struggles to find a place to skate and build skate parks, and just to survive in the city. In the evacuated industrial spaces of their neighborhood, the skaters carve out places for enjoying their sport and showing off their skills—often thwarting established rules and authority figures in the process. Their stories are both personal and resonant; they reflect the trials and tenacity of a young urban culture, as well as life in Southside's Latino community. We Skate Hardcore, with its verve and youthful energy, will especially appeal to photographers, those interested in urban studies and adolescence, New Yorkers, and in-line skaters and extreme sports enthusiasts everywhere.
We Tell Ourselves Stories: Joan Didion and the American Dream Machine
by Alissa WilkinsonNamed one of the Most Anticipated Books of 2025 by the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, W Magazine, and The Millions, and one of the Best Books of Spring 2025 by Oprah Daily and Town & Country Named one of the Most Anticipated Books of the month by the New York Times, Town & Country, and the Los Angeles Times. “Sharp, elegant and eye-opening . . . a crucial toolbox for understanding both Joan Didion and Hollywood.” —Emily Nussbaum Joan Didion opened The White Album (1979) with what would become one of the most iconic lines in American literature: “We tell ourselves stories in order to live.” Today, this phrase is deployed inspirationally, printed on T-shirts and posters, used as a battle cry for artists and writers. In truth, Didion was describing something much less rosy: our human tendency to manufacture delusions that might ward away our anxieties when society seems to spin off its axis. Nowhere was this collective hallucination more effectively crafted than in Hollywood. In this riveting cultural biography, New York Times film critic Alissa Wilkinson examines Joan Didion’s influence through the lens of American mythmaking. As a young girl, Didion was infatuated with John Wayne and his on-screen bravado, and was fascinated by her California pioneer ancestry and the infamous Donner Party. The mythos that preoccupied her early years continued to influence her work as a magazine writer and film critic in New York, offering glimmers of the many stories Didion told herself that would come to unravel over the course of her career. But out west, show business beckoned. We Tell Ourselves Stories eloquently traces Didion’s journey from New York to her arrival in Hollywood as a screenwriter at the twilight of the old studio system. She spent much of her adult life deeply embroiled in the glitz and glamor of the Los Angeles elite, where she acutely observed—and denounced—how the nation’s fears and dreams were sensationalized on screen. Meanwhile, she paid the bills writing movie scripts like A Star Is Born, while her books propelled her to celestial heights of fame. Peering through a scrim of celluloid, Wilkinson incisively dissects the cinematic motifs and machinations that informed Didion’s writing—and how her writing, ultimately, demonstrated Hollywood’s addictive grasp on the American imagination. More than a portrait of a writer, We Tell Ourselves Stories shines a new light on a legacy whose impact will be felt for generations.
We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story
by Simu LiuThe star of Marvel’s first Asian superhero film, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, tells his own origin story of being a Chinese immigrant, his battles with cultural stereotypes and his own identity, becoming a TV star, and landing the role of a lifetime. <p><p>In this honest, inspiring and relatable memoir, newly-minted superhero Simu Liu chronicles his family's journey from China to the bright lights of Hollywood with razor-sharp wit and humor. <p><p>Simu's parents left him in the care of his grandparents, then brought him to Canada when he was four. Life as a Canuck, however, is not all that it was cracked up to be; Simu's new guardians lack the gentle touch of his grandparents, resulting in harsh words and hurt feelings. His parents, on the other hand, find their new son emotionally distant and difficult to relate to - although they are related by blood, they are separated by culture, language, and values. <p><p>As Simu grows up, he plays the part of the pious child flawlessly—he gets straight A's, crushes national math competitions and makes his parents proud. But as time passes, he grows increasingly disillusioned with the path that has been laid out for him. <p><p>Less than a year out of college, at the tender age of 22, his life hits rock bottom when he is laid off from his first job as an accountant. Left to his own devices, and with nothing left to lose, Simu embarks on a journey that will take him far outside of his comfort zone into the world of show business. Through a swath of rejection and comical mishaps, Simu's determination to carve out a path for himself leads him to not only succeed as an actor, but also to open the door to reconciling with his parents. <p><p>We Were Dreamers is more than a celebrity memoir—it's a story about growing up between cultures, finding your family, and becoming the master of your own extraordinary circumstance. <p> <b>New York Times Bestseller</b>
We Wish You a Poopy Christmas: Fudgy the Poopman's Collection of Christmas Classics Made Crappy (Illustrated Bathroom)
by Bonnie MillerA hilariously sh*tty holiday gift for everyone who loves Christmas and anyone who poops. Curl up by the fire with some steaming hot chocolate and listen to Fudgy the Poopman offer his unique take on your favorite Christmas tales. You&’re probably familiar with Rudolph and his red-nose; but in this book, you hear how Christmas was saved by Rupert, whose case of IBS has left him with a shining red spot on the opposite end of his reindeer body. Like an overindulgent holiday feast, this is the gift that just keeps giving. Packaged as a high quality hardcover and fully illustrated in bright colors (as well as brown), the holiday reboots include &“Silent but Deadly Night,&” &“The Nutcracker&’s Dilemma,&” and &“The Twelve Days of Poopmas.&”
We'll Always Have Casablanca: The Life, Legend, and Afterlife of Hollywood's Most Beloved Movie
by Noah IsenbergFor the 75th anniversary of its premiere—the incredible story of how Casablanca was made and why it remains the most beloved of Hollywood films. Casablanca was first released in 1942, just two weeks after the city of Casablanca itself surrendered to American troops led by General Patton. Featuring a pitch-perfect screenplay, a classic soundtrack, and unforgettable performances by Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and a deep supporting cast, Casablanca was hailed in the New York Times as “a picture that makes the spine tingle and the heart take a leap.” The film won Oscars for best picture, best director, and best screenplay, and would go on to enjoy more revival screenings than any other movie in history. It became so firmly ensconced in the cultural imagination that, as Umberto Eco once said, Casablanca is “not one movie; it is ‘movies.’ ” We’ll Always Have Casablanca is celebrated film historian Noah Isenberg’s rich account of this most beloved movie’s origins. Through extensive research and interviews with filmmakers, film critics, family members of the cast and crew, and diehard fans, Isenberg reveals the myths and realities behind Casablanca’s production, exploring the transformation of the unproduced stage play into the classic screenplay, the controversial casting decisions, the battles with Production Code censors, and the effect of the war’s progress on the movie’s reception. Isenberg particularly focuses on the central role refugees from Hitler’s Europe played in the production (nearly all of the actors and actresses cast in Casablanca were immigrants). Finally, Isenberg turns to Casablanca’s long afterlife and the reasons it remains so revered. From the Marx Brothers’ 1946 spoof hit, A Night in Casablanca, to loving parodies in New Yorker cartoons, Saturday Night Live skits, and Simpsons episodes, Isenberg delves into the ways the movie has lodged itself in the American psyche. Filled with fresh insights into Casablanca’s creation, production, and legacy, We’ll Always Have Casablanca is a magnificent account of what made the movie so popular and why it continues to dazzle audiences seventy-five years after its release.
We'll Always Have the Movies: American Cinema During World War II
by Sally E. Parry Robert L. McLaughlinAn &“essential&” study of what Americans watched during wartime, and how films shaped their understanding of events (Publishers Weekly).During the highly charged years of World War II, movies perhaps best communicated to Americans who they were and why they were fighting. These films were more than just an explanation of historical events: they asked audiences to consider the Nazi threat; they put a face on both our enemies and allies, and they explored changing wartime gender roles.We&’ll Always Have the Movies shows how film after film repeated the narratives, character types, and rhetoric that made the war and each American&’s role in it comprehensible. Robert L. McLaughlin and Sally E. Parry have watched more than six hundred films made between 1937 and 1946—including many never before discussed in this context—and have analyzed the cultural and historical importance of these films in explaining the war to moviegoers. This extensive study shows how filmmakers made the chaotic elements of wartime familiar, while actual events became film history, and film history became myth.&“A terrific book that explores not only the themes of hundreds of films but also their impact on patriotism and national will in a time of war.&” —WWII History
We'll Be Here for the Rest of Our Lives: A Swingin' Show-Biz Saga
by David Ritz Paul ShafferFrom Shaffer, lifelong music junkie, hipster, and longtime leader of David Letterman's band, comes a candid, endearing, hilarious, and star-studded memoir of a life in--and a love of--show business.
We're Back!: The Wildest Show on Earth
by Francine HughesTwo New York City kids, Louie and Cecilia, meet four friendly dinosaurs that can talk! They all go to the Eccentric Circus, become hypnotized, then escape. Quick paced story.
We're In The Wrong Book!
by Richard ByrneWhen a potato sack race goes awry, Bella and Ben find themselves bumped from their familiar page into uncharted territory. It's a brave new world of lollipops and sphinxes--and Bella and Ben are on one page-turning adventure. How will they find their way back into their very own book?
We're Not Gonna Take It (LyricPop)
by Dee SniderThis picture book of Dee Snider’s classic song of empowerment and self-determination will strike a chord with kids everywhere.“[A] story that both parents and children can easily relate to.” —Exclusive Magazine“We’re not gonna take itNo, we ain’t gonna take itWe’re not gonna take itAnymore!”We’re Not Gonna Take It is a playful picture book echoing 1980s hair band Twisted Sister’s most popular antiestablishment anthem. As part of their triple-platinum album Stay Hungry, “We’re Not Gonna Take It” spent fifteen weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, reaching number twenty-one. With lyrics by Dee Snider and illustrations by Margaret McCartney, this picture book follows three toddlers on a mission to defy their parents, whether it be lunchtime, bath time, or bedtime. We’re Not Gonna Take It is a story both parents and children can relate to, and a song they can enjoy together.
We're Not Gonna Take It: A Children's Picture Book (LyricPop #0)
by Dee Snider Margaret McCartneyThis picture book of Dee Snider's classic song of empowerment and self-determination will strike a chord with kids everywhere. Oh we're not gonna take it No, we ain't gonna take it Oh we're not gonna take it anymore
We've Decided to Go in a Different Direction: Essays
by Tess Sanchez&“Funny, relatable, honest, and most of all, just like Tess Sanchez, a really good time.&” —Mindy Kaling, actress and New York Times bestselling author A funny and heartfelt essay collection about working in Hollywood, starting over, defining your identity, and the relatable messiness that ensues from unforeseen circumstances. Wife to a well-known actor, the mother of two, a sister, daughter, and general meddler, Tess Sanchez&’s life was like a #1-rated sitcom. But the loss of her career as a highly successful casting executive equaled series cancellation. Now, with humor and insight, Sanchez examines the aftermath of a major shift that forever changed the course of her life, and the resilience that came from reframing loss into possibility. &“We&’ve decided to go in a different direction&” was a phrase Sanchez rattled off to countless agents, actors, producers, and many more. But in the fall of 2020, the tables turned as she was on the receiving end of that phrase, when she lost the long-held job she adored. She quickly discovered how much that career defined her identity, from her personal relationships to her own perception of herself. In the midst of facing this upheaval, her father was diagnosed with a devastating illness and suddenly, Sanchez had to learn what it means to parent her parents. Moving, witty, and fun, We've Decided to Go in a Different Direction offers you both welcome comedy and empowering strength when it comes to tackling life&’s challenges.
Wear and Tear: The Threads of My Life
by Tracy TynanA candid, entertaining memoir told through clothes.Tracy Peacock Tynan grew up in London in the 1950's and 60s, privy to her parents' glamorous parties and famous friends--Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh, and Orson Welles. Cecil Beaton and Katharine Hepburn were her godparents. Tracy was named after Katherine Hepburn's character, Tracy Lord, in the classic film, The Philadelphia Story. These stylish showbiz people were role models for Tracy, who became a clotheshorse at a young age. Tracy's father, Kenneth Tynan, was a powerful theater critic and writer for the Evening Standard, The Observer, and The New Yorker. Her mother was Elaine Dundy, a successful novelist and biographer, whose works have recently been revived by The New York Review of Books. Both of Tracy's parents, particularly her father, were known as much for what they wore as what they wrote. In the Tynans' social circles, style was essential, and Tracy had firm ideas about her own clothing for as long as she can remember. Shopping was an art passed down through the family; though shopping trips with her mother were so traumatic that Tracy started shopping on her own when she was fourteen. When Tracy started writing about her life she found that clothing was the focus of many of her stories. She recalls her father's dandy attire and her mother's Pucci dresses, as well as her parents' rancorous marriage and divorce, her father's prodigious talents and celebrity lifestyle, and her mother's lifelong struggle with addiction. She tackles issues big and small using clothes as an entrée--relationships, marriage, children, stepchildren, blended families, her parent's decline and deaths, and her work as a costume designer are all recounted with humor, with insight, and with the special joy that can only come from finding the perfect outfit.
Webspinner: Songs, Stories, and Reflections of Duncan Williamson, Scottish Traveller
by John D. NilesBorn in 1928 in a tent on the shore of Loch Fyne, Argyll, Duncan Williamson (d. 2007) eventually came to be recognized as one of the foremost storytellers in Scotland and the world. Webspinner: Songs, Stories, and Reflections of Duncan Williamson, Scottish Traveller is based on more than a hundred hours of tape-recorded interviews undertaken with him in the 1980s. Williamson tells of his birth and upbringing in the west of Scotland, his family background as one of Scotland’s seminomadic travelling people, his varied work experiences after setting out from home at about age fifteen, and the challenges he later faced while raising a family of his own, living on the road for half the year. The recordings on which the book is based were made by John D. Niles, who was then an associate professor at the University of California, Berkeley. Niles has transcribed selections from his field tapes with scrupulous accuracy, arranging them alongside commentary, photos, and other scholarly aids, making this priceless self-portrait of a brilliant storyteller available to the public. The result is a delight to read. It is also a mine of information concerning a vanished way of life and the place of singing and storytelling in Traveller culture. In chapters that feature many colorful anecdotes and that mirror the spontaneity of oral delivery, readers learn much about how Williamson and other members of his persecuted minority had the resourcefulness to make a living on the outskirts of society, owning very little in the way of material goods but sustained by a rich oral heritage.
Weeki Wachee Springs
by Dan Pelland Maryan PellandMermaids are like leprechauns: it's very hard to sneak up and catch a glimpse of one. But in a hamlet on the Gulf Coast of Florida, people have been able to do just that since 1947, when Newton Perry opened a small roadside attraction with an underwater theater. For nearly 60 years, live mermaids have been the unique focal point of Weeki Wachee Springs. Mysterious and enchanting, these young performers have done everything from teaching a class to typing a letter underwater. They are carefully trained, completely enthusiastic, and delightful to see. Wander through the pages of this book and meet the mermaids of Weeki Wachee in their magical underwater theater.