Search:

Orlando, My Political Biography. by B., Paul,film director.; The Criterion Collection (Firm),dst; Kanopy (Firm),dst;
Originally produced by The Criterion Collection in 2023.“Come, come! I’m sick to death of this particular self. I want another.” Taking Virginia Woolf’s novel Orlando: A Biography as his starting point, academic virtuoso turned filmmaker Paul B. Preciado fashioned the documentary ORLANDO, MY POLITICAL BIOGRAPHY—a personal essay, historical analysis, and social manifesto. For almost a century, Woolf’s eponymous hero(ine) has inspired readers with their gender fluidity as well as their physical and spiritual metamorphoses across a three-hundred-year span. In making his film, Preciado invited a diverse group of more than twenty trans and nonbinary people to play the role of Orlando and to participate in this shared biography. Together, they perform interpretations of the novel, weaving into Woolf’s narrative their own stories of transition and identity formation. Not content to simply update a groundbreaking work, Preciado interrogates the relevance of Orlando in the ongoing struggle to secure dignity for trans people worldwide.Mode of access: World Wide Web.
Subjects: Documentary films.; Literature.; Arts.; Social sciences.; Gender identity.; Homosexuality.; Documentary films.; LGBTQ.; Artists.;
unAPI

In my remaining years / by Grae, Jean,author.;
"A collection of darkly humorous, intensely personal essays by cult fave and multi-hyphenate artist Jean Grae In My Remaining Years, by creative juggernaut Jean Grae, debunks the myth that coming-of-age narratives should be reserved for the kids, providing a much-needed rallying cry for those of us still trying to figure it out in our forties. These laugh-out-loud essays cover everything from aging gracefully (with and without botox), what happens when you look for community and almost start a cult, befriending childhood demons (Hi Mumm-ra!), gender fluidity in middle age, the cost of being too fabulous, and the various gymnastics we do to avoid becoming our parents, taking us from her childhood in 1980s New York City to present-day Baltimore. In these pages, Jean captures magic in a bottle, distilling the feeling of hanging out with your smartest, funniest, and most brutally honest best friend"--
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; Personal narratives.; Grae, Jean.; Rap musicians;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI

Uncle of the year : & other debatable triumphs / by Rannells, Andrew,author.;
"Candid, hilarious essays from the star of The Book of Mormon, Girls, and Big Mouth on anxiety, ambition, and the uncertain path to adulthood, which ask, how will we know when we get there? In Uncle of the Year, Andrew Rannells wonders: If he, now in his early forties, has everything he's supposed to need to be a true adult--a career, property, a well-tailored suit--why does he still feel like an anxious twenty-year-old climbing his way toward security? Is it because he hasn't won a Tony, or found a husband, or had a child? And what if he doesn't want those things? (A husband and a child, that is. He wants a Tony.) In essays drawn from his life and career, Rannells argues that we all pretend we are constantly winning. And with each success, we act like we've reached the pinnacle of happiness (for our parents), maturity (for our friends), success (for our bosses), and devotion (for our partners). But if "adulting" is just a pantomime that's leaving us unmoored, then we need new markers of time, new milestones, new expectations of what adulthood is--and can be. Along the way, Rannells looks back, reevaluating whether his triumphs were actually failures--and his failures, triumphs--and exploring what it will take to ever, ever feel like he has enough. In essays like "Uncle of the Year," he explores the role that children play in his life, as a man who never thought having kids was necessary or even possible--until his siblings have kids and he falls in love with a man with two of his own. "It's an Honor to Be Eligible" reveals the thrills and absurdities of the awards circuit (and the desire to be recognized for your work). And in "Horses, Not Zebras," he shares the piece of wisdom that helped him finally come to terms with crippling anxiety and perfectionism. Filled with witty and honest insights, and a sharp sense of humor, Uncle of the Year challenges us to take a long look at who we're pretending to be, who we know we are, and who we want to become"--
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; Essays.; Personal narratives.; Rannells, Andrew.; Actors; Gay actors; Gay men; Gay singers; Singers;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI

Smoke and ashes : opium's hidden histories / by Ghosh, Amitav,1956-author.;
Includes bibliographical references.When Amitav Ghosh began the research for his monumental cycle of novels the Ibis Trilogy, he was startled to learn how the lives of the nineteenth-century sailors and soldiers he wrote about were dictated not only by the currents of the Indian Ocean but also by the precious commodity carried in enormous quantities on those currents: opium. Most surprising of all, however, was the discovery that his own identity and family history were swept up in the story. 'Smoke and Ashes' is at once a travelogue, a memoir, and an essay in history, drawing on decades of archival research. In it, Ghosh traces the transformative effect the opium trade had on Britain, India, and China, as well as the world at large. Moving deftly between horticultural history, the mythologies of capitalism, and the social and cultural repercussions of colonialism, in 'Smoke and Ashes' Ghosh reveals the role that one small plant has had in making our world, now teetering on the edge of catastrophe.
Subjects: Biographies.; Personal narratives.; Ghosh, Amitav, 1956-; Ghosh, Amitav, 1956-; Opium trade;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI

Rumble fish [videorecording] / by Claybourne, Doug,film producer.; Coppola, Francis Ford,1939-film director.; Dillon, Matt,actor.; Lane, Diane,actor.; Rourke, Mickey,actor.; Criterion Collection (Firm),film distributor.;
Music, Stewart Copeland.Matt Dillon, Mickey Rourke, Diane Lane.The second of Francis Ford Coppola's films based on the popular juvenile novels of S.E. Hinton (the first being The Outsiders), Rumble Fish split critics into opposite camps: those who admired the film for its heavily stylized indulgence, and those who hated it for the very same reason. Whatever the response, it's clearly the work of a maverick director who isn't afraid to push the limits of his innovative talent. Filmed almost entirely in black and white with an occasional dash of color for symbolic effect, this tale of alienated youth centers on gang leader Rusty James (Matt Dillon) and his band of punk pals. Rusty's got a girlfriend (Diane Lane), an older brother named Motorcycle Boy (Mickey Rourke), and a drunken father (Dennis Hopper) who've all given up trying to straighten him out. He's best at making trouble, and he pursues that skill with an enthusiastic flair that eventually catches up with him. But it's not the whacked-out story here that matters--it's the uninhibited verve of Coppola's visual approach, which includes everything from time-lapse clouds to the kind of smoky streets and alleyways that could only exist in the movies. The supporting cast includes a host of fresh faces who went on to thriving careers, including Nicolas Cage, Christopher Penn, Vincent Spano, Laurence Fishburne, and musician Tom Waits.Canadian Home Video Rating: 14A.MPAA rating: R.DVD ; widescreen presentation ; Dolby Digital 2.0.
Subjects: Feature films.; Brothers; Gangs; Male friendship;
For private home use only.
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI

The most fun thing : dispatches from a skateboard life / by Beachy, Kyle,author.;
Includes bibliographical references."In the tradition of Barbarian Days, THE MOST FUN THING is a memoir in essays of Kyle Beachy's decade-long quest to uncover the hidden meaning of skateboarding--a search that unearthed fresh insights on marriage, love, loss, and American invention. In January 2012, creative writing professor and novelist Kyle Beachy published one of his first essays on skate culture, an exploration of how Nike's corporate strategy successfully gutted the once-mighty independent skate shoe market. For a decade and counting, Beachy has been skate culture's freshest, most illuminating, at times most controversial voice, writing candidly about the increasingly popular and fast-changing pastime Beachy first picked up as a young boy and has continued to practice well into adulthood. What is skateboarding? What does it mean to continue skateboarding after forty, four decades after the kickflip was invented? How does one live authentically as an adult while staying true to a passion cemented in childhood? How does skateboarding shape one's understanding of contemporary American life? Of growing old and getting married? Answering these questions and more, Beachy offers a deep exploration of a pastime, often overlooked, regularly maligned, whose seeming simplicity conceals universal truths. THE MOST FUN THING is both a rich account of a hobby and a life and collection of the varied lessons skateboarding has taught Beachy-what it continues to teach him as he struggles to find space for it as an adult, a professor, and a husband"--
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; Essays.; Beachy, Kyle.; Skateboarders; Skateboarding;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI

Love that story : observations from a gorgeously queer life / by Van Ness, Jonathan,author.;
Includes bibliographical references.In Jonathan Van Ness' New York Times bestselling memoir Over the Top, he showed readers how the incredibly difficult moments from his life (surviving sexual abuse and addiction, being diagnosed with HIV) have existed alongside great joy and positivity (landing a breakout role on Netflix's Queer Eye, becoming an amateur figure skater and professional standup comedian, doting on his cats). If Jonathan has learned anything from these experiences, it's that in order to thrive, he had to push past the shame and fear of being his true self. To embark on that journey, he had to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. In this candid and curious essay collection, Jonathan takes a thoughtful, in-depth look at timely topics through the lens of his own personal experience--instances that have required him to learn, grow, and back handspring layout to a better understanding of the world around him. He dives deeply and widely--from a poignant reflection on grief and embracing body neutrality to an examination of the HIV safety net and white privilege--to share the ways in which he has learned to embrace change. These stories speak to doing the work to challenge internalized beliefs, finding compassion and confidence, and learning more about what makes us all so messy and gorgeous. Balancing the dark and the light, the serious and the signature humor that is Jonathan Van Ness, these essays will encourage readers to examine their individual assumptions and expand their horizons. Ultimately, it is about giving ourselves the permission to be the flawed and fabulous humans we are, and loving our stories.
Subjects: Anecdotes.; Essays.; Humor.; Van Ness, Jonathan; Conduct of life.; Gay men; Grief.; Mental healing.; Self-acceptance.; Self-realization.; Television personalities;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI

Iggy included / by Kerbel, Deborah.;
Twelve-year-old Paige Coopersmith and her family have won a house in an essay-writing contest. Excited to leave their cramped apartment and move to a sprawling property in rural Ontario, they're more than a little surprised to find the house is old and in need of major repairs. They're even more shocked to discover that Iggy -- the old dog who lives there -- comes with the house. Apparently it was all in the fine print! Due to financial stress, and with nowhere else to go, the family stays. Paige, who is scared of the large, unkempt Newfoundland dog, does her best to stay out of her way, while her parents deal with an unusual list of instructions from the previous owner. But girl and beast soon form a special bond, when Paige, a hesitant reader, practises her reading out loud and discovers that Iggy loves to be read to. Little does Paige know Iggy is even more special than she realizes. In fact, someone else has their eye on her, and when Iggy goes missing, it's Paige who must solve the mysteries of this unusual house and find her now beloved dog.
Subjects: Moving, Household; Girls; Dogs;
Available copies: 2 / Total copies: 2
unAPI

A nation's paper : the Globe and mail in the life of Canada / by Ibbitson, John,editor.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."From Canada's newspaper of record for 180 years, here are thirty-one brilliant and provocative essays by a diverse selection of their current writers on how the Globe and Mail covered and influenced major events and issues from the paper's founding in 1844 to the latest file. Since 1844, the Globe and Mail and its predecessor, George Brown's Globe, have chronicled Canada: as a colony, a dominion, and a nation. To mark the paper's 180th anniversary, Globe writers explored thirty issues and events in which the national newspaper has influenced the course of the country: Confederation, settler migrations, regional tensions, tussles over language, religion, and race. The essays reveal a tapestry of progress, conflict, and still-incomplete reconciliation: Catholic-Protestant hostilities that are now mostly the stuff of memory; the betrayal of Indigenous peoples with which we still grapple; the frustrations and triumphs of women journalists; pandemics old and new; environmental challenges; the joys of covering sports and the arts; chronicling the nation's business, international coverage, the impossibility of Canada and of this newspaper, which both somehow flourish nonetheless. Riveting, insightful, disturbing, witty, and always a joy to read, A Nation's Paper chronicles a country and a newspaper that have grown and struggled together -- essential reading for anyone who wants to understand where we came from and where we are going."--
Subjects: Essays.; Globe and mail; Canadian newspapers;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI

The Wolf Hall picture book / by Mantel, Hilary,1952-2022,author.; Miles, Ben,photographer.; Miles, George,1970-photographer.; Mantel, Hilary,1952-2022.Wolf Hall trilogy.Selections.;
"A photography book that is a vital accompaniment to the many fans of Hilary Mantel's bestselling Wolf Hall Trilogy. "At the very beginning of the twentieth century, Zola said, 'In my view you cannot claim to have really seen something till you have photographed it.' The act of photographing, at least for a moment, distinguishes its object and estranges it from its context ... Every stroke of the pen releases a thousand pictures inside the writer's head. This book has made some of them visible."--Hilary Mantel. Hilary Mantel, Ben Miles, the stage's celebrated Thomas Cromwell, and his brother, photographer George Miles, spent many years exploring the locations we know Thomas Cromwell visited and inhabited--Putney, Austin Friars, Wolf Hall, the Tower of London--to capture the faint traces of Tudor England and his extraordinary life. Accompanied with extracts from The Wolf Hall Trilogy, some of them published here for the first time, and including a stunning new essay by its author, these photographs reveal a world that is shadowy, frightening, sometimes whimsical--a portrait of a country in conversation with its past"--
Subjects: Photobooks.; Cromwell, Thomas, Earl of Essex, 1485?-1540; Mantel, Hilary, 1952-2022.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI