Search:

The laughter : a novel / by Jha, Sonora,author.;
"Dr. Oliver Harding, a tenured professor of English, is long settled into the routines of a divorced, aging academic. But his quiet, staid life is upended by his new colleague, Ruhaba Khan, a dynamic Pakistani Muslim law professor. Ruhaba unexpectedly ignites Oliver's long-dormant passions, a secret desire that quickly tips towards obsession after her teenaged nephew, Adil Alam, arrives from France to stay with her. Getting to know them, Oliver tries to reconcile his discomfort with the worlds from which they come, and to quiet his sense of dismay at the encroaching change they represent--both in background and in Ruhaba's spirited engagement with the student movements on campus. After protests break out on campus demanding diversity across the university, Harding finds himself and his beliefs under fire, even as his past reveals a picture more complicated than it seems. As Ruhaba seems attainable yet not, and as the women of his past taunt his memory, Harding reacts in ways shocking and devastating. An explosive, tense, and illuminating work of fiction, The Laughter is a fascinating portrait of privilege, radicalization, class, and modern academia that forces us to confront the assumptions we make, as both readers and as citizens"--
Subjects: Campus fiction.; Psychological fiction.; Novels.; College teachers; Interpersonal relations; Minority women college teachers; Student movements;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI

Because fat girl / by Fleming, Lauren Marie,author.;
Hollywood isn't nice to women like Diana Smith, but that hasn't stopped her from being unabashedly queer, plus-sized, and determined to make award-winning movies that showcase the diversity of her community. She was so close to her goal, appearing at festivals and gaining attention for her short films, when grief came and shattered Diana's directorial dreams. Forced to move to the suburbs with her sister and kids, the closest thing Diana gets to the movies these days is dressing the stars of them at her high-end department store job. Until one day, she gets a pity invite to a gala full of Hollywood's most elite, where she unwittingly attracts the attention of a famous action star. The unexpected pairing shocks their friends-and the tabloids-forcing Diana to choose between the status quo and the silver screen. For the first time in her life, doors open for Diana and the possibilities seem endless. The chance to create unforgettable films. To shake up the industry. To inspire everyone who's ever felt like they didn't belong. But fame always comes with a cost...and to get her Hollywood ending, Diana's going to have to go completely off-script.
Subjects: Bisexual fiction.; Queer fiction.; Romance fiction.; Humorous fiction.; Novels.; Actors; Bisexual women; Man-woman relationships; Women motion picture producers and directors;
Available copies: 0 / Total copies: 1
unAPI

Degrees of separation [graphic novel] : a decade north of 60 / by McCreesh, Alison,author,illustrator.;
At age 21, Alison hitchhiked to the Yukon and spent the summer living in a tent. 10 years later, in the deep of winter and seven months pregnant, she returns. Degrees of Separation is about what happened in between. Over the course of a decade, artist Alison McCreesh lived, worked, and travelled north of the 60th parallel. Through a combination of autobiographical stories, drawings and sketches, Degrees of Separation offers an intimate and understated glimpse of the North as Alison experienced it. From frigid days spent killing time while stranded in the High Arctic, to the challenges of raising a baby in a small shack with no running water, it is one young woman's personal experience of both passing through and of setting down roots. Tinged with McCreesh's characteristic blend of humour and humanity, Degrees of Separation is about the north and its vastness and its diversity. While the backdrop may seem foreign to many, this collection is also a universal exploration of those transformative years from young-adulthood to motherhood. It's a graphic novel navigating themes of connection and disconnect, between the north and the south, but also between different norths and between our different selves.
Subjects: Biographical comics.; Nonfiction comics.; Autobiographical comics.; Graphic novels.; Personal narratives.; Travel comics.; McCreesh, Alison; McCreesh, Alison; McCreesh, Alison; McCreesh, Alison; Artists; Travelers' writings, Canadian; Women cartoonists;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI

Sunshine nails : a novel / by Nguyen, Mai,1988-author.;
"A tender, humorous, and page-turning debut about a Vietnamese Canadian family in Toronto who will do whatever it takes to protect their no-frills nail salon after a new high end salon opens up-even if it tears the family apart. Perfect for readers of Olga Dies Dreaming and The Fortunes of Jaded Women. Vietnamese refugees Debbie and Phil Tran have built a comfortable life for themselves in Toronto with their family nail salon. But when an ultra-glam chain salon opens across the street, their world is rocked. Complicating matters further, their landlord has jacked up the rent and it seems only a matter of time before they lose their business and everything they've built. They enlist the help of their daughter, Jessica, who has just returned home after a messy breakup and a messier firing. Together with their son, Dustin, and niece, Thuy, they devise some good old-fashioned sabotage. Relationships are put to the test as the line between right and wrong gets blurred. Debbie and Phil must choose: do they keep their family intact or fight for their salon? Sunshine Nails is a light-hearted, urgent fable of gentrification with a cast of memorable and complex characters who showcase the diversity of immigrant experiences and community resilience"--
Subjects: Domestic fiction.; Humorous fiction.; Novels.; Families; Family-owned business enterprises; Interpersonal relations; Right and wrong; Vietnamese Canadians;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI

White Balls on Walls. by Vos, Sarah,film director.; Icarus Films (Firm),dst; Kanopy (Firm),dst;
Originally produced by Icarus Films in 2022.The slogan “Meet the Icons of Modern Art” needs to be scraped off the glass wall of the Stedelijk, Amsterdam’s Museum of Modern Art. Because precisely who these icons of modern art are is very much the question.Who gets to decide? And who loses out? In 2019, as director Sarah Vos started shooting her documentary, more than 90 percent of the art at the Stedelijk was made by white men. That must change, the museum’s director Rein Wolfs believes. But it’s easier said than done—as becomes clear when the film’s director Sarah Vos follows Wolfs and his team as they strive for greater diversity in the collection, as well as among their staff.It was a brave move by the Stedelijk to allow a camera behind the scenes of a process that raises uncomfortable and awkward questions. Can a painting still be entitled “The Prostitutes”? When you appraise art, should you also take the skin color or gender of the artist into account? And how is one to engage with visitors who find all this “too politically correct”?This film is more than a look behind the scenes at a museum: as well as presenting a new perspective on art history, it magnificently encapsulates the struggles that are engaging many historical and cultural institutions.Mode of access: World Wide Web.
Subjects: Documentary films.; Enthnology.; Social sciences.; Business.; Sociology.; Documentary films.; Ethnicity.;
unAPI

A light in the dark : a history of movie directors / by Thomson, David,1941-author.;
"Directors operate behind the scenes managing actors, establishing a cohesive creative vision, at times literally guiding our eyes with the eye of the camera. But we are often so dazzled by the visions onscreen that it is easy to forget the individual who is off-screen orchestrating the entire production--to say nothing of their having marshalled a script, a studio, and other people's money. David Thomson, in his usual brilliantly insightful way, shines a light on the visionary directors who have shaped modern cinema and, through their work, studies the very nature of film direction. With his customary candor about his own delights and disappointments, Thomson analyzes both landmark works and forgotten films from classic directors such as Orson Welles, Alfred Hitchcock, Jean Renoir and Jean-Luc Godard, as well as contemporary powerhouses such as Jane Campion, Spike Lee and Quentin Tarantino. He shrewdly interrogates their professional legacies and influence in the industry, while simultaneously assessing the critical impact of an artist's personal life on his or her work. He explores the male directors' dominance of the past, and describes how diversity can change the landscape. Judicious, vivid and witty, A Light in the Dark is yet another required Thomson text for every movie lover's shelf"--
Subjects: Motion pictures; Motion picture producers and directors;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI

Just playing house / by Heron, Farah,author.;
"A rising movie star reunites with his high school prom date, now a personal stylist, in this delightful rom-com for fans of forced proximity, second chances, and celebrity romance. As a luxury fashion sales associate, Marley Kamal's livelihood depends on being cool, aspirational, and just the right amount of detached. None of her coworkers need to know she's been waiting years for a surgery date because she carries a BRCA genetic mutation. But only weeks before her surgery, the professional opportunity of a lifetime comes to her -- a major studio wants Marley to style an up-and-coming Hollywood superstar, who also just happens to be an old friend. Nikhil Shamdasani is either on the brink of superstardom or a complete breakdown. Going from a nobody actor with multiple side hustles to a superhero in a major Hollywood action film hasn't been smooth a transition. Now comic nerds think he's a diversity hire while fans expect him to single-handedly represent the entire Indian community in western media. He doesn't even look like himself anymore -- thanks to the trainers, hairstylists, and even dentists the studio hired. So when Nikhil learns Marley Kamal, his old high school friend and prom date is now a high fashion sales associate, he asks if she can be his stylist, reigniting their friendship ... and maybe becoming something more"--
Subjects: Romance fiction.; Novels.; Actors; Fashion; Genetic disorders; Man-woman relationships;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI

The making of Canada : an epic history in twenty extraordinary lives / by Koabel, Greg,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index.The Making of Canada is a bold reimagining of Canada's past, presenting the nation's evolution through the stories of twenty diverse and fascinating individuals who at critical moments in time shaped its identity. Moving beyond the familiar names of Champlain and Macdonald, historian Greg Koabel, creator of the popular Nations of Canada podcast, shines a spotlight on lesser-known figures such as William Weston, the risk-taking merchant who gambled on Atlantic exploration, and Shingwaukonse, the visionary Ojibwe chief who pioneered resource-sharing negotiations with Canada's government. From Indigenous leaders to Métis trailblazers and war heroes, Koabel interweaves personal lives with pivotal moments in Canada's journey, demonstrating how individuals struggles, regional challenges, and cross-cultural exchanges built the foundations of a modern nation. This insightful and delightfully readable book dismantles the linear narrative of Canada's history and reveals a more complex, diverse, and multi-faceted story, connecting Canada's past with its present in surprising and thought-provoking ways.
Subjects: Biographies.; Personal narratives.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI

Seized by uncertainty : the markets, media, and special interests that shaped Canada's response to COVID-19 / by Quigley, Kevin,1971-author.; Lowe, Kaitlynne,illustrator.; Moore, Sarah(Author of Seized by uncertainty),illustrator.; Wolfe, Brianna,illustrator.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."The COVID-19 virus was responsible for the deaths of over thirty-five thousand Canadians in its first two years alone. Described as the biggest public health crisis of the century, it was an uncertain threat, which emerged within complex psychological, social legal, administrative, and economic contexts. Seized by Uncertainty explains how Canadian governments responded to that threat. Despite early warning signs, the governments failed to appreciate the trade-offs required to respond to the pandemic. Their approach, at times intolerant of debate and blind to diversity, served the interests of some over others. Their response prioritized stability and containment, enabling four in ten people to work from home, disproportionately benefiting an educated middle-class, who benefited further with soaring stock markets and housing prices. Mental health issues spiked, racialized people were much more likely to test positive for the virus, those in low-income sectors experienced unstable employment and lacked workplace safety protection, the lives of low-risk youth were in constant suspension, and residents of some care homes were virtually abandoned. Seized by Uncertainty studies the pandemic response through the contexts in which it emerged, exposing how it revealed uncomfortable truths about a fragmented society and governance problems that predated the threat."--
Subjects: COVID-19 (Disease); COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020-;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI

Willie, Waylon, and the boys : how Nashville outsiders changed country music forever / by Fairbanks, Brian,1981-author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."The tragic and inspiring story of the leaders of Outlaw country and their influence on today's Alt-County and Americana superstars, tracing a path from Waylon Jennings' survival on the Day the Music Died through to the Highwaymen and on to the current creative and commercial explosion of Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, Zach Bryan, Jason Isbell, and the Highwomen. On February 2, 1959, Waylon Jennings, bassist for his best friend, the rock star Buddy Holly, gave up his seat on a charter flight. Jennings joked that he hoped the plane, leaving without him, would crash. When it did, killing all aboard, on "the Day the Music Died," he was devastated and never fully recovered. Jennings switched to playing country, creating the Outlaw movement and later forming the Highwaymen supergroup, the first in country music, with Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and Kris Kristofferson. The foursome battled addiction, record companies, ex-wives, violent fans, and the I.R.S. and D.E.A., en route to unprecedented mainstream success. Today, their acolytes Kacey Musgraves, Ryan Bingham, Sturgill Simpson, and Taylor Swift outsell all challengers, and country is the most popular of all genres. In this fascinating new book, Brian Fairbanks draws a line from Buddy Holly through the Outlaw stars of the 60s and 70s, all the way to the country headliners and more diverse, up-and-coming Nashville rebels of today, bringing the reader deep into the worlds of not only Cash, Nelson, Kristofferson, and Jennings but artists like Chris Stapleton, Simpson, Bingham, and Isbell, stadium-filling masters whose stories have not been told in book form, as well as new, diverse artists like the Highwomen, Brittney Spencer, and Allison Russell. Thought-provoking and meticulously researched, Willie, Waylon, and the Boys ultimately shows how a twenty-one-year-old bass-playing plane crash survivor helped changed the course of American music"--
Subjects: Cash, Johnny.; Jennings, Waylon.; Kristofferson, Kris.; Nelson, Willie, 1933-; Country musicians; Country music;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI