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Big Girls Don't Cry A Memoir About Taking Up Space [electronic resource] : by Swan, Susan.aut; Atwood, Margaret.; CloudLibrary;
“[Swan’s writing offers] not only an enjoyable read, but also the chance to think and reflect on the vast complex living entity that is the world." —Nobel Prize-winner Olga Tokarczuk Where do we belong if we don’t fit in? A memoir about what it means to defy expectations as a woman, a mother and an artist, for readers of Joan Didion and Gloria Steinem and listeners of the podcast Wiser than Me Susan Swan has never fit inside the boxes that other people have made for her—the daughter box, the wife box, the mother box, the femininity box. Instead, throughout her richly lived, independent decades, she has carved her own path and lived with the consequences. In this revealing and revelatory memoir, Swan shares the key moments of her life. As a child in a small Ontario town, she was defined by her size—attracting ridicule because she was six-foot-two by the age of twelve. She left her marriage to be a single mother and a fiction writer in the edgy, underground art scene of 1970s Toronto. In her forties, she embraced the new freedom of the Aphrodite years. Despite the costs to her relationships, Swan kept searching for the place she fit, living in the literary circles of New York while seeking pleasure and spiritual wisdom in Greece, and culminating in the hard-won experience of true self-acceptance in her seventies. Swan examines the expectations of women of her generation and beyond using the lens of her then-unusual height as a metaphor for the way women are expected not to take up space in the world. Inspiring and thought-provoking, Big Girls Don’t Cry invites us to re-examine what we’ve been taught to believe about ourselves and ask how it could be different.
Subjects: Electronic books.; Personal Memoirs; Editors, Journalists, Publishers; Women;
© 2025., HarperCollins Canada,
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The world of Raymond Chandler : in his own words / by Chandler, Raymond,1888-1959.; Day, Barry (Playwright),editor of compilation.;
"Chandler never wrote an autobiography or a memoir. Now Barry Day, making use of Chandler's novels, short stories, and letters as well as Day's always illuminating commentary, gives us the life of "the man with no home," a man precariously balanced between his classical English education with its immutable values and that of a fast-evolving America during the years before the Great War, with its resulting changing vernacular. Through his fiction and letters, brilliantly woven together, Chandler reveals what it was like to be a writer, and in particular what it was to be a writer of "hard-boiled" fiction in what was for him "another language." Along the way, he discusses the work of his contemporaries: Dashiell Hammett, James M. Cain, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Agatha Christie, Erle Stanley Gardner, Somerset Maugham, among others. Here is Chandler's Los Angeles, a city he adopted and which adopted him in the post-World War I period ... Chandler on his Hollywood, working with Billy Wilder, Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock, and others...Chandler ... organized crime and on his alter ego, Philip Marlowe, private eye, the incorruptible knight with little armour who walks the "mean streets" in a world not made for knights ... on drinking (his life in the end was in a race with alcohol -- and loneliness) ... and here are Chandler's women -- the Little Sisters; the dames -- in his fiction -- and his life"--Provided by publisher.
Subjects: Chandler, Raymond, 1888-1959.; Authors, American; Detective and mystery stories;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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On writing : a memoir of the craft / by King, Stephen,1947-author.; Hill, Joe,contributor.; King, Owen,contributor.;
This volume "really contains two books: a fondly sardonic autobiography and a tough-love lesson for aspiring novelists", written by American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy, Stephen King (b. 1947). The first third of the book contains King's memoir, which includes heartfelt tidbits about his brother, mother and his long battles with alcohol and drug addiction. The second part of the book, "On Writing, " is where aspiring novelists might find inspiration. King describes the symbolism in many of his novels and offers writers common sense advice. He presents his taboos of writing: adverbs (especially those in dialog) and the passive voice. He describes his writer's toolbox, including examples of both good and bad writing, sometimes taken from his own work, sometimes taken from other writers. He also describes his approach to research. King concludes by including a list of nearly a hundred novels that he considers the best that he's read in the last three or four years.1110L.
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; King, Stephen, 1947-; King, Stephen, 1947-; Authors, American; Authorship.; Horror tales;
Available copies: 0 / Total copies: 1
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Crooked teeth : a queer Syrian refugee memoir / by Ramadan, Ahmad Danny,author.;
"'Writing this memoir is a betrayal.' So begins this electrifying personal account from Danny Ramadan, a celebrated novelist who has long enjoyed the shield his fiction provides. Now, to tell the story of his life, he must revisit dark corners of his past he'd rather forget and unearth memories of a city he can no longer return to. Starting with his family's humble beginnings in Damascus, he takes readers on an epic, border-crossing journey: to the city's underground network of queer safe homes; to a clandestine party at a secluded villa in Cairo; through Arab Spring uprisings across the Middle East, a reckless hoax that threatens the safety of Syria's LGBTQ+ community, and a traumatic six-week imprisonment; to beaches and sunsets with friends in Beirut; to an arrival in Vancouver that's not as smooth as it promised to be; and ultimately to a life of hard-won comfort and love. What emerges is a powerful refutation of the oversimplified refugee narrative -- a book that holds space for joy alongside sorrow, for nuance and complicated ambivalences. Written with fearless intimacy, Crooked Teeth is a singular achievement in which a master storyteller learns that his greatest story is his own"--Back cover.
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; Personal narratives.; Ramadan, Ahmad Danny.; Novelists, Canadian; Refugees; Refugees; Sexual minorities; Authors, Canadian (English);
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Joyful Recollections of Trauma [electronic resource] : by Scheer, Paul.aut; cloudLibrary;
From award-winning actor and comedian Paul Scheer, a candid and hilarious memoir-in-essays on coming to terms with childhood trauma and finding the joy in embracing your authentic self. Paul Scheer has entertained countless fans and podcast listeners with stories about the odd, wild, and absurd details of his life. Yet these tales have pointed to deeper, more difficult truths that the actor and comedian has kept to himself. Now, he is finally ready to share those truths for the first time—but, of course, with a healthy dose of humor. Blending the confident, affable voice that has won him a dedicated following with a refreshing level of candor, Joyful Recollections of Trauma chronicles Paul’s often shocking, admittedly tumultuous childhood and how the experiences of his youth have reverberated throughout his life. In his comedy, Paul has always been unafraid to “go there,” to play naïve, cringeworthy characters, imbuing them with disarming charm and humanity. That daring openness is on display in the pages of this memoir, but in true Paul fashion, it is also surprising, eye-opening, and side-splitting. In this madcap journey through the inner working of his mind and creative process, Paul Scheer demonstrates once again that the truth is often stranger—and funnier—than fiction. Joyful Recollections of Trauma offers a unique perspective on universal themes: growing up, working through a challenging childhood, staying true to yourself, and finding success, fulfillment, and happiness in often strange and difficult circumstances. Throughout, Paul shares both the hard-fought lessons and the laughter that can be found in the darkest parts of life, and reminds us that what matters is not what you’ve been through but who you are becoming. If you loved recent memoirs by Molly Shannon, Maria Bamford, RuPaul, and Jennette McCurdy—or any book that moves you to both laughter and tears—Joyful Recollections of Trauma is the perfect read for you.
Subjects: Electronic books.; Essays; Inspiration & Personal Growth; Happiness; Motivational & Inspirational; Personal Memoirs; Entertainment & Performing Arts; Television; Topic;
© 2024., HarperCollins,
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Peyakow : reclaiming Cree dignity / by McLeod, Darrel J.,author.;
"Mamaskatch, Darrel J McLeod's 2018 memoir of growing up Cree in Northern Alberta, was a publishing sensation--winning the Governor General's Literary Award for Non-Fiction, shortlisted for many other major prizes and translated into French and German editions. In Peyakow, McLeod continues the poignant story of his impoverished youth, beset by constant fears of being dragged down by the self-destruction and deaths of those closest to him as he battles the bullying of white classmates, copes with the trauma of physical and sexual abuse, and endures painful separation from his family and culture. With steely determination, he triumphs: now elementary teacher; now school principal; now head of an Indigenous delegation to the UN in Geneva; now executive in the Government of Canada--and now a celebrated author. Brutally frank but buoyed throughout by McLeod's unquenchable spirit, Peyakow--a title borrowed from the Cree word for "one who walks alone"--is an inspiring account of triumph against unimaginable odds. McLeod's perspective as someone whose career path has crossed both sides of the Indigenous/white chasm resonates with particular force in today's Canada."--
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; McLeod, Darrel J.; Indigenous men; Indigenous men; Cree; First Nations;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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We are too many : a memoir [kind of] / by Pittard, Hannah,author.;
"In this wryly humorous and innovative look at a marriage gone wrong, Hannah Pittard recalls a decade's worth of unforgettable conversations, beginning with the one in which she discovers her husband has been having sex with her charismatic best friend, Trish. These time-jumping exchanges are fast-paced, intimate, and often jaw-dropping in their willingness to reveal the vulnerabilities inherent in any friendship or marriage. Blending fact and fiction, sometimes re-creating exchanges with extreme accuracy and sometimes diving headlong into pure speculation, Pittard takes stock not only of her own past and future but also of the larger, more universal experiences they connect with-from the depths of female rage to the heartbreaking ways we inevitably outgrow certain people. Clever and bold and radically honest to an unthinkable degree, We Are Too Many examines the ugly, unfiltered parts of the female experience, as well as the many (happier) possibilities in starting any life over after a major personal catastrophe"--
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; Creative nonfiction.; Personal narratives.; Pittard, Hannah; Adultery.; Authors, American; Betrayal.; Divorce.; Friendship.; Marriage.; Married people;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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To name the bigger lie : a memoir in two stories / by Viren, Sarah,1979-author.;
"Part coming-of-age story, part psychological thriller, part philosophical investigation, this unforgettable memoir traces the ramifications of a series of lies that threaten to derail the author's life--exploring the line between truth and deception, fact and fiction, and reality and conspiracy. Sarah's story begins as she's researching what she believes will be a book about her high school philosophy teacher, a charismatic instructor who taught her and her classmates to question everything--in the end, even the reality of historical atrocities. As she digs into the effects of his teachings, her life takes a turn into the fantastical when her wife, Marta, is notified that she's been investigated for sexual misconduct at the university where they both teach. Based in part on a viral New York Times essay, To Name the Bigger Lie follows the investigation as it upends Sarah's understanding of truth. She knows the claims made against Marta must be lies, and as she uncovers the identity of the person behind them and then tries, with increasing desperation, to prove their innocence, she's drawn back into the questions that her teacher inspired all those years ago: about the nature of truth, the value of skepticism, and the stakes we all have in getting the story right. A compelling, incisive journey into honesty and betrayal, this memoir explores the powerful pull of dangerous conspiracy theories and the pliability of personal narratives in a world dominated by hoaxes and fakes. To Name the Bigger Lie reads like the best of psychological thrillers-made all the more riveting because it's true"--
Subjects: Autobiographies.; Personal narratives.; Viren, Sarah, 1979-; Conspiracy theories; Sex crimes.; Teachers; Truth.; Truthfulness and falsehood.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Fight or submit : standing tall in two worlds / by Derrickson, Ronald M.,author.;
"In the opening to his memoir, Grand Chief Ron Derrickson says his "story is not a litany of complaints but a list of battles" that he has fought. And he promises he will not be overly pious in his telling of them. "As a businessman," he writes, "I like to give the straight goods." In Fight or Submit, Derrickson delivers on his promise and it turns out he has a hell of a story to tell. Born and raised in a tarpaper shack, he went on to become one of the most successful Indigenous businessmen in Canada. As a political leader, he served as Chief of the Westbank First Nation for a dozen years and was made a Grand Chief by the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs. Along the way, he has been the target of a full Royal Commission and an assassination attempt by a hitman hired by local whites. As Chief, he increased his community's revenues by 3500% and led his people into a war in the forest over logging rights. In 2015, he became an award-winning author when Unsettling Canada: A National Wake-Up Call, a book he co-authored with Arthur Manuel, won the Canadian History Association Literary Award. His second book co-authored with Manuel, Reconciliation Manifesto, won the B.C. Book Prize for non-fiction."--
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; Derrickson, Ronald M.; Businessmen;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The future of truth / by Herzog, Werner,1942-author.; translation of:Herzog, Werner,1942-Zukunft Der Wahrheit.English.; Hofmann, Michael,1957 August 25-translator.;
"From legendary filmmaker and author Werner Herzog, a compact, effervescent, and deeply personal exploration of art, philosophy, and history that unravels one of our most elusive and contested questions: what is truth -- and how to find it in our "post-truth" era? For over half a century, Werner Herzog has challenged, enriched, and expanded our understanding of the truth. His films and books have mixed fiction and nonfiction, documentary and drama, reality and imagination. Invariably, Herzog goes beyond the appearance of what is true in search of a higher truth, or what he has often referred to as the "ecstatic truth". But never before has he engaged so directly with the question of truth. In The Future of Truth, a great artist essays an answer to one of humanity's deepest, most eternal questions. At a moment when deepfake AI videos are proliferating, and most people have simply thrown up their hands in despair at the ubiquity of what we now know as fake news -- not to mention the constant lying and propagandizing from certain public figures -- Herzog seeks a remedy. Mixing memoir, history, politics, poetry, science, and fierce opinion, he writes with dazzling originality and panache, urging readers themselves to be unflagging and imaginative in the pursuit of truth, endless though the quest may be: I don't think truth is some kind of Pole star in the sky that we will one day get to. It's more like an incessant striving. A movement towards it, an uncertain journey, a seeking full of futile endeavor. But it is this journey into the unknown, into a vast twilit forest, that gives our lives meaning and purpose; it's what distinguishes us from the beasts in the fields"--
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; Personal narratives.; Herzog, Werner, 1942-; Motion picture producers and directors; Truth.;
Available copies: 0 / Total copies: 1
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