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Angry queer Somali boy : a complicated memoir / by Ali, Mohamed Abdulkarim,1985-author.;
Includes bibliographical references."Writing from a homeless shelter in downtown Toronto, Mohamed "Mo" Ali chronicles how he ended up there in this powerful and often irreverent memoir of exile, addiction, and racism. Kidnapped by his father on the eve of Somalia's societal implosion, Ali was taken first to the Netherlands by his stepmother, and then on to Canada. With its promise of freedom, opportunity, and multiculturalism, his new home seemed to offer a new lease on life. But unable to fit in, he turned to partying and drugs. Interwoven with world history and sociopolitical commentary on Somalia, Canada, and Europe, the story of this gay Muslim immigrant is told with tenderness in a refreshing and welcome new voice."--
Subjects: Autobiographies.; Biographies.; Ali, Mohamed Abdulkarim, 1985-; Somalis; Muslim gays; Somalis; Somalis; Gay immigrants; Gay immigrants; Muslim gays; Muslim gays;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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How to change your mind : what the new science of psychedelics teaches us about consciousness, dying, addiction, depression, and transcendence / by Pollan, Michael,1955-author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."A brilliant and brave investigation by Michael Pollan, author of five New York Times best sellers, into the medical and scientific revolution taking place around psychedelic drugs--and the spellbinding story of his own life-changing psychedelic experiences. When Michael Pollan set out to research how LSD and psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) are being used to provide relief to people suffering from difficult-to-treat conditions such as depression, addiction and anxiety, he did not intend to write what is undoubtedly his most personal book. But upon discovering how these remarkable substances are improving the lives not only of the mentally ill but also of healthy people coming to grips with the challenges of everyday life, he decided to explore the landscape of the mind in the first person as well as the third. Thus began a singular adventure into the experience of various altered states of consciousness, along with a dive deep into both the latest brain science and the thriving underground community of psychedelic therapists. Pollan sifts the historical record to separate the truth about these mysterious drugs from the myths that have surrounded them since the 1960s, when a handful of psychedelic evangelists catalyzed a powerful backlash against what was then a promising field of research. A unique and elegant blend of science, memoir, travel writing, history, and medicine, How to Change Your Mind is a triumph of participatory journalism. By turns dazzling and edifying, it is the gripping account of a journey to an exciting and unexpected new frontier in our understanding of the mind, the self, and our place in the world. The true subject of Pollan's "mental travelogue" is not just psychedelic drugs but also the eternal puzzle of human consciousness and how, in a world that offers us both struggle and beauty, we can do our best to be fully present and find meaning in our lives"--
Subjects: Biographies.; Pollan, Michael, 1955-; Hallucinogenic drugs; Psychotherapy patients;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Leading from the heart : the battles of a feminist, union leader and politician / by Darcy, Judy,author.;
Includes bibliographical references."In this inspiring memoir, Judy Darcy recounts the remarkable turns that brought her from library worker to president of Canada's largest labour union, and from there to groundbreaking legislator focused on many of our most pressing issues, including health care, the rights of immigrant workers and the toxic-drug crisis. As this rich memoir shows, the life of activist, union leader and legislator Judy Darcy mirrors many of the great social and political currents of the modern era. Opening in the charged atmosphere of the feminist movement in the late 1960s, when the twenty-year-old Darcy -- swept up by the promise of historic, liberating change -- infiltrates a beauty pageant and later disrupts Parliament over reproductive rights, the story then reaches back to her earliest years as the daughter of immigrants deeply scarred by World War II. In this tale of personal trauma and desire for justice, Darcy recounts the remarkable turns that brought her from library clerical worker to leading public figure. Her rise through the ranks of the country's largest union -- the Canadian Union of Public Employees, with several hundred thousand members -- culminates in her 1991 election as national president, a traditionally male-dominated role. Years later, after moving from Ontario to British Columbia, she is elected to public office, becoming an NDP MLA. Here, as the only North American minister of mental health and addictions, she confronted the ravages of the toxic-drug crisis, working to help some of society's most vulnerable. Throughout the tumultuous events of her career and personal life, Darcy is forever working for those on the margins, fighting to protect workers' rights, water rights, health care, childcare and reproductive choice, and helping secure a landmark Supreme Court decision in favour of same-sex partner pensions. Powered by intense conviction and intimately personal experience, her candid story offers a vision of a new kind of leadership, steeped in compassion and able to negotiate the most urgent and complex challenges of our fractured era."--
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; Darcy, Judy.; Feminists; Labor leaders; Politicians; Political activists; Women politicians; Women labor leaders; Women political activists;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The Last Kilo Willy Falcon and the Cocaine Empire That Seduced America [electronic resource] : by English, T. J..aut; cloudLibrary;
From true-crime legend T. J. English, the epic, behind-the-scenes saga of “Los Muchachos,” one of the most successful cocaine trafficking organizations in American history—a story of glitz, glamour, and organized crime set against 1980’s Miami. Despite what Scarface might lead one to believe, violence was not the dominant characteristic of the cocaine business. It was corruption: the dirty cops, agents, lawyers, judges, and politicians who made the drug world go round. And no one managed that carousel of dangerous players better than Willy Falcon. A Cuban exile whose family escaped Fidel Castro’s Cuba when he was eleven years old, Falcon, as a teenager, became active in the anti-Castro movement. He began smuggling cocaine into the U.S. as a way to raise money to buy arms for the Contras in Central America. This counter-revolutionary activity led directly to Willy’s genesis as a narco. He and his partners built an extraordinary international organization from the ground up. Los Muchachos, the syndicate founded by Falcon, thrived as a major cocaine distribution network in the U.S. from the late 1970’s into the early 1990’s. At their height, Los Muchachos made more than a hundred million dollars a year. At the same time, Willy, his brother Tavy Falcon, and partner Sal Magluta became famous as championship powerboat racers. Cocaine, used by everyone from A-list celebrities to lawyers and people in law enforcement, came to define an era, and for a time, Willy Falcon and those like him—major suppliers, of whom there were only a few—became stars in their own right. They were the deliverers of good times, at least until the downside of persistent cocaine use became apparent: delusions of grandeur, psychological addiction, financial ruin. Thus, the War on Drugs was born, and federal authorities came after Falcon and his crew with a vengeance. Willy found himself on the run, his marriage and family life in shambles, the halcyon days of boat races and lavish trips to Vegas and parties at the Mutiny night club seemingly a distant memory. T. J. English has been granted unprecedented access to the inner workings of Los Muchachos, sitting down with Willy Falcon and his associates for many lengthy interviews, and revealing never-before-understood details about drug trafficking. A classic of true-crime writing from a master of the genre, The Last Kilo traces the rise and fall of a true cocaine empire—and the lives left in its wake.
Subjects: Electronic books.; 20th Century; Criminals & Outlaws; Organized Crime; Latin America;
© 2024., HarperCollins,
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Hell in the heartland : murder, meth, and the case of two missing girls / by Miller, Jax,author.;
"The stranger-than-fiction cold case from rural Oklahoma that has stumped authorities for two decades, concerning the disappearance of two teenage girls and the much larger mystery of murder, police cover-up, and an unimaginable truth ... On December 30, 1999, in rural Oklahoma, sixteen-year-old Ashley Freeman and her best friend, Lauria Bible, were having a sleepover. The next morning, the Freeman family trailer was in flames and both girls were missing. While rumors of drug debts, revenge, and police collusion abounded in the years that followed, the case remained unsolved and the girls were never found. In 2015, crime writer Jax Miller--who had been haunted by the case--decided to travel to Oklahoma to find out what really happened on that winter night in 1999, and why the story was still simmering more than fifteen years later. What she found was more than she could have ever bargained for: jaw-dropping levels of police negligence and corruption, entire communities ravaged by methamphetamine addiction, and a series of interconnected murders with an ominously familiar pattern. These forgotten towns were wild, lawless, and home to some very dark secrets"--
Subjects: True crime stories.; Murder; Murder; Missing persons; Missing children;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Jexi [videorecording] / by Byrne, Rose,actor.; DeVine, Adam,1983-actor.; Funches, Ron,1983-actor.; Hartley, Justin,1977-actor.; Lennertz, Christopher,composer.; Lucas, Jon,screenwriter,film director.; Moore, Scott,screenwriter,film director.; Peña, Michael,1976-actor.; Shipp, Alexandra,actor.; Sykes, Wanda,actor.; Thomas, James,editor of moving image work.; Todd, Suzanne,film producer.; White, Philip,composer.; Yi, Charlyne,actor.; CBS Films,presenter.; E1 Entertainment (Firm),presenter.; Lions Gate Entertainment (Firm),film distributor.;
Director of photography, Ben Kutchins ; editor, James Thomas ; music, Christopher Lennertz & Philip White.Rose Byrne, Justin Hartley, Adam Devine, Alexandra Shipp, Michael Pena, Charlyne Yi, Wanda Sykes, Ron Funches.Phil has a major dependency issue, he's addicted to his phone. He has no friends, he has a job writing pop culture 'top ten' lists, and his love life is non-existent. But his Facebook status is about to change. When he is forced to upgrade his phone, the latest model comes with an unexpected feature, an A.I. life coach. With her help, Phil begins to get a real life. But as he becomes less dependent on his phone, the A.I. morphs into a tech nightmare determined to keep Phil all to herself.Canadian Home Video Rating: 14A.MPAA rating: R; strong /crude sexual content and language throughout, some drug use and graphic nudity.Blu-ray disc (requires Blu-ray player for playback) ; anamorphic widescreen format (2.39:1 aspect ratio) ; DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1.
Subjects: Comedy films.; Feature films.; Video recordings for the hearing impaired.; Cell phones; Internet addiction;
For private home use only.
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Coreyography : a memoir / by Feldman, Corey.;
"A deeply personal and revealing memoir and Hollywood-survival story by The Lost Boys and Stand By Me star We all know Corey Feldman from such iconic movies as Stand by Me, Gremlins, The Goonies, and The Lost Boys. Growing up onscreen, he exuded tough guy edge with a heart of gold. And he lived the life that went along with his success: he palled around with Michael Jackson, dated Drew Barrymore, and was best friends with Corey Haim (aka "the other Corey"). But now that two of those close friends--Haim and Jackson--have passed away, along with others, Corey has decided that it's time to come clean about his past, a past that included physical, drug, and sexual abuse, a dysfunctional family from whom he was emancipated at age fifteen, and a stint in rehab. He will zone in on his close friendship with Haim: the two actors shared a darker story of abuse, which led to Haim's lifelong battle with various addictions and his eventual death. Through it all, Corey has overcome the worst traps that have ensnared so many others of his generation, others who have not made it to where he is today--still acting, a touring musician, and a loving father. At the same time, he still fights for his career and his health, every single day. Coreyography is a tale of survival and redemption"--Provided by publisher.
Subjects: Feldman, Corey.; Motion picture actors and actresses;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Hollywood Park : a memoir / by Jollett, Mikel,author.;
"Hollywood Park is a remarkable memoir of a tumultuous life. Mikel Jollett was born into one of the country's most infamous cults, and subjected to a childhood filled with poverty, addiction, and emotional abuse. Yet, ultimately, his is a story of fierce love and family loyalty told in a raw, poetic voice that signals the emergence of a uniquely gifted writer. We were never young. We were just too afraid of ourselves. No one told us who we were or what we were or where all our parents went. They would arrive like ghosts, visiting us for a morning, an afternoon. They would sit with us or walk around the grounds, to laugh or cry or toss us in the air while we screamed. Then they'd disappear again, for weeks, for months, for years, leaving us alone with our memories and dreams, our questions and confusion. So begins Hollywood Park, Mikel Jollett's remarkable memoir. His story opens in an experimental commune in California, which later morphed into the Church of Synanon, one of the country's most infamous and dangerous cults. Per the leader's mandate, all children, including Jollett and his older brother, were separated from their parents when they were six months old, and handed over to the cult's "School." After spending years in what was essentially an orphanage, Mikel escaped the cult one morning with his mother and older brother. But in many ways, life outside Synanon was even harder and more erratic. In his raw, poetic and powerful voice, Jollett portrays a childhood filled with abject poverty, trauma, emotional abuse, delinquency and the lure of drugs and alcohol. Raised by a clinically depressed mother, tormented by his angry older brother, subjected to the unpredictability of troubled step-fathers and longing for contact with his father, a former heroin addict and ex-con, Jollett slowly, often painfully, builds a life that leads him to Stanford University and, eventually, to finding his voice as a writer and musician. Hollywood Park is told at first through the limited perspective of a child, and then broadens as Jollett begins to understand the world around him. Although Mikel Jollett's story is filled with heartbreak, it is ultimately an unforgettable portrayal of love at its fiercest and most loyal"--
Subjects: Autobiographies.; Biographies.; Jollett, Mikel; Synanon (Foundation); Rock musicians;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Family of Liars The Prequel to We Were Liars [electronic resource] : by Lockhart, E..aut; Farr, Kimberly.nrt; CloudLibrary;
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The addictive prequel to the TikTok phenomenon We Were Liars: the story of another summer, another generation, and the secrets that will haunt them for decades to come. LOOK FOR E. LOCKHART’S NEW NOVEL IN THE WE WERE LIARS UNIVERSE, WE FELL APART, COMING NOVEMBER 4, 2025 "I anticipated that at some point a shocking twist would come. And, wow, does it ever." —The New York Times "A perfect beach read." —The Boston Globe A windswept private island off the coast of Massachusetts. A hungry ocean, churning with secrets and sorrow. A fiery, addicted heiress. An irresistible, unpredictable boy. A summer of unforgivable betrayal and terrible mistakes. Welcome back to the Sinclair family. They were always liars. Don’t miss any of the We Were Liars novels WE WERE LIARS • FAMILY OF LIARS • WE FELL APART (Coming in November!)
Subjects: Audiobooks.; Drugs, Alcohol, Substance Abuse; Multigenerational;
© 2022., Penguin Random House,
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A cruel deception / by Todd, Charles,author.;
The Armistice of November 1918 ended the fighting, but the Great War will not be over until a Peace Treaty is drawn up and signed by all parties. Representatives from the Allies are gathering in Paris, and already ominous signs of disagreement have appeared. Sister Bess Crawford, who has been working with the severely wounded in England in the war's wake, is asked to carry out a personal mission in Paris for a Matron at the London headquarters of The Queen Alexandra's. Bess is facing decisions about her own future, even as she searches for the man she is charged with helping. When she does locate Lawrence Minton, she finds a bitter and disturbed officer who has walked away from his duties at the Peace Conference and is well on his way toward an addiction to opiates. When she confronts him with the dangers of using laudanum, he tells her that he doesn't care if he lives or dies, as long as he can find oblivion. But what has changed him? What is it that haunts him? He can't confide in Bess-- because the truth is so deeply buried in his mind that he can only relive it in nightmares. The officers who had shared a house with him in Paris profess to know nothing-- still, Bess is reluctant to trust them even when they offer her their help. But where to begin on her own? What is driving this man to a despair so profound it can only end with death? The war? Something that happened in Paris? To prevent a tragedy, she must get at the truth as quickly as possible-- which means putting herself between Lieutenant Minton and whatever is destroying him. Or is it whoever?
Subjects: Detective and mystery fiction.; Historical fiction.; Undercover operations; Crawford, Bess (Fictitious character); Drug abuse; Nurses; Secrecy; Soldiers; World War, 1914-1918;
Available copies: 0 / Total copies: 1
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