This first biography of John Erskine views him in the larger contexts of the mass culture and expanded commercialism that helped propel his fame. It also relates a life narrative that demonstrates perils of academic celebrity along a conceptual path from public intellectual to pop icon.

The long-awaited autobiography of the guitarist, songwriter, singer, and founding member of the Rolling Stones. Ladies and gentlemen: Keith Richards.
With The Rolling Stones, Keith Richards created the songs that roused the world, and he lived the original rock and roll life.
Now, at last, the man himself tells his story of life in the crossfire hurricane. Listening obsessively to Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters records, learning guitar and forming a band with Mick Jagger and Brian Jones. The Rolling Stones's first fame and the notorious drug busts that led to his enduring image as an outlaw folk hero. Creating immortal riffs like the ones in "Jumping Jack Flash" and "Honky Tonk Women." His relationship with Anita Pallenberg and the death of Brian Jones. Tax exile in France, wildfire tours of the U.S., isolation and addiction. Falling in love with Patti Hansen. Estrangement from Jagger and subsequent reconciliation. Marriage, family, solo albums and Xpensive Winos, and the road that goes on forever.
With his trademark disarming honesty, Keith Richard brings us the story of a life we have all longed to know more of, unfettered, fearless, and true.

'Two throughout Eight' is a different kind of novel, strategically adjutant from the first book entitled 'One throughout Eight.' An enlightening metaphysical treatise, Kevin Jon Klause shows us the struggle of life depicted with a mixture of deities and powerful people. The most brilliant people are the victors. Only they will enjoy the best life has to offer.

The raw, candid, unvarnished memoir of an American icon. In 2008, Paul Newman tasked his best friend with interviewing the people who had shaped his life, in order to create an oral history of it. After hearing and reading what they had to say, Newman dictated his own version. Now, this long-lost memoir will be published. Full of wonderful stories and recollections by his family, friends, and such luminaries as Elia Kazan, Tom Cruise, George Roy Hill and Martin Ritt, this book will surprise and shock readers as it reveals Newman's previously unknown sides. In this extraordinary memoir, Newman details his fascinating story: from troubled beginnings, marked by fraught relationships with both his mother and father, to the iconic film roles (both good and bad) that cemented his status as a Hollywood icon and heartthrob, and the complicated relationships that were formed along the way.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER Latin Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and author of the New York Times bestseller Forgiveness returns with this nationally bestselling memoir that shares the triumphs, hardships, and lessons of life after her mother Jenni Rivera's death. Bringing her signature warmth, humor, and positivity to the page, Chiquis Rivera picks up where her memoir Forgiveness left off. Reeling from her mother's tragic death, Chiquis finds herself at a major crossroads. As a new parent to her younger brother and sister, she struggles to balance her family's needs with her dreams of becoming a successful singer and entrepreneur. Stepping out of the shadow of her mother's legendary career and finding her own identity as a singer is challenging...but navigating unhealthy relationships proves to be even harder. When she meets and marries the person she believes is the man of her dreams, it seems like life is finally falling into place. But a dark secret unravels their relationship, and Chiquis emerges stronger as a single woman. In the end, nothing can keep Chiquis down. Her philosophy for life says it all: "Either I thrive, or I learn." Filled with life-affirming revelations, Chiquis ultimately shares her greatest gift with her fans-the accessible lessons that have made her unstoppable.

Amid a childhood steeped in tragedy, murder, and abuse clouded by the family's alcoholism and inner demons, one boy, crowned with an innate gift imposed on him by the miracle of human creation, at the age of fourteen, separates himself from the family ignominies and to stave off poverty. He is determined to override and erase the memory of his abusers and his grandfather's debacle and the tragedy that resulted from it--his self-confidence prevails. The combination of forbidding and bliss convey a diverse story: from a group of religious people who sexually abused him, to the center of the glamorous celebrity world, to Mother Nature that, in a spectacular display, demonstrated his future, and how he comes to meet the President of America, Pope John XXIII, the King of Thailand, and numerous Hollywood luminaries.

(Amadeus). Jean Langlais (1907-1991) was among the foremost French musicians of his time. He was the successor to the musical tradition established by Cesar Franck and, like him, was organist at the church of Sainte Clotilde in Paris. Though blind from early childhood, he became one of the most celebrated touring virtuos of his time, his legendary recitals always concluding with an improvisation upon a submitted theme. Langlais wrote a body of music for organ second only in extent to that of Bach, and his compositions for organ remain widely played. This biography by one of his favorite pupils examines both his life and music. HARDCOVER.

From 1880 to 1956, when John Osborne transformed the British theater world with Look Back in Anger, British playwrights made numerous lasting contributions and provided a foundation for the innovations of dramatists during the latter half of the 20th century. This reference profiles the life and work of some 40 British playwrights active during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many of whom are also known for their work as novelists and poets. Included are figures such as W. H. Auden, Max Beerbohm, Noel Coward, T. S. Eliot, John Galsworthy, Graham Greene, D. H. Lawrence, W. Somerset Maugham, George Bernard Shaw, and Oscar Wilde. Each entry provides a biographical overview; a list of major plays and summaries of their critical reception; a list of minor plays, adaptations, and productions; an assessment of the playwright's career; and archival and bibliographical information. Included in this reference book are alphabetically arranged entries for some 40 British playwrights active from 1880 through 1956. Entries are written by expert contributors, with each entry providing a biographical overview; a list of major plays, premieres, and significant revivals, along with a summary of the critical reception of these works; a listing of additional plays, adaptations, and productions; an assessment of the playwright's career and contributions, with reference to published evaluations in magazines, journals, dissertations, and books; a listing of locations housing unpublished archival material, if available; a selected bibliography of the dramatist's published plays and of essays and articles by the playwright on aspects of the theater; a selected bibliography of secondary sources; and, when available, a listing of previously published bibliographies on the playwright.

This is a comprehensive, original and accessible account of all aspects of Jean Cocteau's work in the cinema. It is the first major study in English to appear for over forty years and casts new light on Cocteau's most celebrated films as well as those often neglected or little known. Jean Cocteau is not only one of French cinema's greatest and most influential auteurs whose work covered all the major genres but also an experimenter, collaborator, theorist and all-round ambassador of film. The often applied label of 'literary filmmaker' is insufficient to describe Cocteau, who operates on so many different levels and is interested in the fundamentals of time, space, motion, speed and sound. This lucid account provides a complete introduction to Cocteau's cinematic project in the context of his entire oeuvre, detailed analysis of individual films like 'Le Sang d'un poete' and 'Orphee', and a thematic engagement with all his cinema from a range of interdisciplinary approaches, including film history, war and politics, authorship, collaboration (in particular with Jean Marais), the body in performance, and gender and sexuality. The Cocteau that emerges is at once a materialist filmmaker and visionary who is committed to realism in all its guises and reveals the wonder and mystery of what he called 'the cinematograph'. This clear and challenging new study will appeal to first-year students, film-lovers and specialists alike. It will also be of interest to those working in gay studies, cultural studies, star studies and performance studies.

A Danish musician here presents the most accurate, comprehensive work on a major figure in American jazz: Lester Willis Young (1909-1959), better known as Pres' or Prez, ' from the nickname President' given to him by Billie Holiday. Based on interviews with Young's colleagues and friends, and often presenting his own vulgar scatological words, the book faithfully chronicles the ups and downs of his life and career. Despite his alcoholism, drug addiction, syphillis, epilepsy, and emotional disturbances, Young became the outstanding tenor saxophonist of his time and a dominant, profound influence on the development of bop and progressive (cool') jazz in the 1940s. His solos with the bands of Fletcher Henderson and Count Basie and his collaboration with Holiday are recalled in this outstanding biography. "Publishers Weekly"

This is] the big, warm book about Lester Young that swing lovers have been waiting for, written by a Danish jazz musician. This is a rich authentic life of one of the three greatest tenor players who ever lived, much of it told in vivid quotation from eyewitnesses. Kirkus this is the first thoroughgoing biography of one of America's greatest musicians; its fascination for at least jazz aficionados is magnetic....Along with Porter's magisterial work of musical analysis, Lester Young, this is the book to have on the most influential jazzman between Armstrong and Parker. "Booklist"

A fascinating and invaluable compilation of raw material...a straightforward, accurate narrative.

"The New York TimeS"

By far the most comprehensive work available on the extraordinary Lester Young, "You Just Fight For Your Life" is the jazz enthusiast's dream come true. Meticulously researched and teeming with previously unpublished information, this book accurately recreates the life and character of one of the world's greatest jazz musicians. Historian Frank Buchmann-Moller crafts a full length biography exclusively for Lester Young fans focusing on Young's philosophy of life, his exceptional ability as a bandleader, and his sharp wit. Through the examination of army psychiatric reports, interviews with fellow musicians, and concert reviews, "You Just Fight For Your Life" tells the story of this gifted yet troubled musician.

Beginning with his childhood, the book accurately chronicles the many bands in which Lester Young played prior to joining Count Basie in 1936. Through countless interviews with Young's peers, the book recounts the Basie years and the spicy stories of life on the road. The author includes new information about Young's own first band and follows this with details of his military experience. The final chapters deal with his years as featured soloist. Two appendices list all of Young's jobs from 1919-59 and his own bands chronologically as well as all musicians with whom he played. Now Lester Young followers have a full length biography valuable not only as a reference but for its recreation of a fascinating life.

The focus of this book is based on the author and character's passion for Art especially music and dance through a combination of short stories (Fiction / Gay, Semi autobiographical), letters and poetry with their own take on life and unique interpretations and reflections of the individuals. As is the case in the first story which is a compilation of short stories arranged as chapters. The first chapter is a metaphoric compilation of the written and spoken word presented in the context of an orchestral composition; in this case, three instruments, the human mind, body and soul or spirit!

Elometer returns from the hospital only to discover that she can no longer hear the voices of her friends and family. In fact, she can't hear anything at all.

It's hard enough for a young girl to deal with such a loss, but things get even worse when her stern family takes her out of school and hides her from the outside world. The playmates she manages to keep wildly gesture and even throw things to get her attention, alienating her even further.

Eventually, Elometer stops fantasizing about one day having her hearing return, and she takes steps to thrive in a world that misunderstands her and treats her differently. But her spirit and determination enable her to succeed.

Take a peek into a world that millions of deaf and hard-of-hearing people must live in every day and be inspired by a woman who doesn't let anyone or anything hold her back in A Journey Beyond Silence. That a little deaf girl who was kept isolated and hidden for twenty years was able to marry, have children and succeed as a seamstress in New York City is remarkable.

In celebration of his one-hundredth birthday, a charming, irresistibly readable, and handsomely packaged look back at the life and times of the greatest entertainer in American history, Frank Sinatra. Sinatra's Century is an irresistible collection of one-hundred short reflections on the man, his music, and his larger-than-life story, by a lifetime fan who also happens to be one of the poetry world's most prominent voices. David Lehman uses each of these short pieces to look back on a single facet of the entertainer's story-from his childhood in Hoboken, to his emergence as "The Voice" in the 1940s, to the wild professional (and romantic) fluctuations that followed. Lehman offers new insights and revisits familiar stories-Sinatra's dramatic love affairs with some of the most beautiful stars in Hollywood, including Lauren Bacall, Marilyn Monroe, and Ava Gardner; his fall from grace in the late 1940s and resurrection during the "Capitol Years" of the 1950s; his bonds with the rest of the Rat Pack; and his long tenure as the Chairman of the Board, viewed as the eminence grise of popular music inspiring generations of artists, from Bobby Darin to Bono to Bob Dylan. Brimming with Lehman's own lifelong affection for Sinatra, the book includes lists of unforgettable performances; engaging insight on what made Sinatra the model of American machismo-and the epitome of romance; and clear-eyed assessments of the foibles that impacted his life and work. Warm and enlightening, Sinatra's Century is full-throated appreciation of Sinatra for every fan.

This book offers a series of biographical portraits of the young performers who have reached superstardom in today's popular culture. Who are the superstar icons of the new century-the singers and actors who are captivating today's audiences? Get to know them in this exciting and informative new resource. In a series of biographical essays, Superstars of the 21st Century: Pop Favorites of America's Teens explores the lives of these extraordinary talents, giving readers an up-close look at their upbringings and families, their professional beginnings, and the remarkable accomplishments of their careers. Did you know singing star Rhianna was a member of her high school military cadet corps? That despite earning millions for her movie roles, Dakota Fanning has never received an allowance? That Twilight's Robert Pattinson was routinely dressed up as a girl by his sisters? The biographies included in Superstars of the 21st Century are filled with little-known facts like these, as well as career highlights and real insights into the daily lives of this generation's iconic figures. Chapters on the young superstars who are today's teen icons Photographs of the young superstars of this generation An extensive bibliography of additional sources in print and online A comprehensive index

For Bob Dylan enthusiasts and anyone with an interest in the history of music. This, the third book in the Troubadour Tales series takes us back to Minnesota and Dylan's hometown of Duluth. Bob Dylan born in Duluth in Minnesota, grew up in Hibbing, Minnesota and cut his musical teeth in the folk scene of Dinkytown, Minnesota. This guide brings together wonderful stories from each of these key locations and provides detailed information about the roots and the early life of Bob Dylan. We travel back in time to hear stories from his early teacher, tales of the mysterious wandering rabbi, eye-witness accounts from early Dinkytown musical collaborators, as well as being privy to secrets from behind the scenes of the classic Blood On The Tracks album. Fascinating insights into the history and life of one of the most important songwriters in music history and told with Minnesota voices, each with their own personal stories to tell.

For years John Dark was one of Britain's leading film producers. His films include the first 'Casino Royale'. 'There's a Girl in my Soup', 'The Land That Time Forgot' and 'Shirley Valentine'. 'Dark at the Top of the Stairs' is his no-holds-barred, no-feelings-spared autobiography. A master raconteur, John Dark introduces us to his world of hunting for Orson Welles's noses in Hong Kong, of nude photo-shoots with Ursula Andress, of private concerts given by Liza Minnelli - and of despair at the debacle that was 'El Dorado'. But he also introduces us to the private John Dark - John the son, the wartime evacuee, the conscript in Kenya, the drapery salesman; John the lover, husband, father, friend. 'Dark at the Top of the Stairs' will tell you what the words 'Produced by .' really mean - not just in terms of the job's responsibilities, its perks and privileges, but in terms too of the sometimes tremendous cost it exacts. In one of his conversations with Orson Welles, the screen legend refers to film-making as a "fascinating business". 'Dark at the Top of the Stairs' is a fascinating read about that fascinating business.