Search:

Leonard Cohen, untold stories : the early years / by Posner, Michael,1947-author.;
Poet, novelist, singer-songwriter, artist, prophet, icon-there has never been a figure like Leonard Cohen. He was a true giant in contemporary western culture, entertaining and inspiring people everywhere with his work. From his groundbreaking and bestselling novels, The Favourite Game and Beautiful Losers, to timeless songs such as "Suzanne," "Dance Me to the End of Love," and "Hallelujah," Cohen is a cherished artist. His death in 2016 was felt around the world by the many fans and followers who would miss his warmth, humour, intellect, and piercing insights. Leonard Cohen, Untold Stories chronicles the full breadth of his extraordinary life. The first of three volumes-The Early Years-follows him from his boyhood in Montreal to university, and his burgeoning literary career to the world of music, culminating with his first international tour in 1970. Through the voices of those who knew him best-family and friends, colleagues and contemporaries, rivals, business partners, and his many lovers-the book probes deeply into both Cohen's public and private life. It also paints a portrait of an era, the social, cultural, and political revolutions that shook the 1960s.
Subjects: Biographies.; Cohen, Leonard, 1934-2016.; Singers; Composers; Poets, Canadian (English);
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI

The velvet hours / by Richman, Alyson,author.;
"As Paris teeters on the edge of the German occupation, a young French woman closes the door to her late grandmother's treasure-filled apartment, unsure if she'll ever return. An elusive courtesan, Marthe de Florian cultivated a life of art and beauty, casting out all recollections of her impoverished childhood in the dark alleys of Montmartre. With Europe on the brink of war, she shares her story with her granddaughter Solange Beaugiron, using her prized possessions to reveal her innermost secrets. Most striking of all are a beautiful string of pearls and a magnificent portrait of Marthe painted by the Italian artist Giovanni Boldini. As Marthe's tale unfolds, like velvet itself, stitched with its own shadow and light, it helps to guide Solange on her own path. Inspired by the true account of an abandoned Parisian apartment, Alyson Richman brings to life Solange, the young woman forced to leave her fabled grandmother's legacy behind to save all that she loved"--
Subjects: Biographical fiction.; Historical fiction.; Grandmothers; Storytelling; World War, 1939-1945;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI

Clara at the door with a revolver : the scandalous Black suspect, the exemplary White son, and the murder that shocked Toronto / by Whitzman, Carolyn,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."In the autumnal darkness of October 6, 1894, an unseen figure slipped through the streets of Parkdale, rang the doorbell at the home of a well-to-do Toronto family, and shot Frank Westwood in his doorway, murdering him in cold blood. Six weeks later, the spotlight shone on the enigmatic Clara Ford, a Black tailor and single mother known for her impeccable work ethic and resolute personality--and for wearing men's attire. A former neighbor of the Westwoods, Clara was arrested and confessed to the murder. But as the details of her arrest and her complex connection to the Westwood family emerged, she recanted, testifying that she was coerced by police into a false confession. Clara was the first woman--and only the second person--to testify on her own behalf in a Canadian trial. Set in three acts, this story illuminates not only the riveting case itself but also the societal attitudes, gender and race hypocrisy, and the politics of media power in the growing city of Toronto. Carolyn Whitzman tells the compelling story of a courageous Black woman living in nineteenth-century Toronto and paints a portrait of a city and a society that have not changed enough in 125 years."--
Subjects: Biographies.; Personal narratives.; Ford, Clara, 1864?-; Ford, Clara, 1864?-; Westwood, Frank, -1894.; Murder; Trials (Murder); Women, Black;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI

This is how we love / by Moore, Lisa,1964-author.;
"As the snowstorm of the century rages toward Newfoundland, twenty-one-year-old Xavier is beaten and stabbed in a vicious attack. His mother, Jules, must fight her way through the shuttered streets of St. John's to reach the hospital where Xavier lies unconscious. When a video of the attack surfaces, Jules struggles to make sense of what she sees in the footage--and of what she can't quite make out. While Xavier's story unfolds, so, too, do the stories that brought him there. Here, across families and generations, are stories of mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers; of children cared for, neglected, lost, and re-found; of selfless generosity and reluctant debt. Above all, Moore, in the inimitable largesse of her art, paints a shimmering portrait of the sacrifice, pain, and wild joy of loving. A tour de force of storytelling and craft, This is How We Love brings us a cast of characters so rich and true they could only have been written by Lisa Moore."--
Subjects: Domestic fiction.; Novels.; Coma; Families; Love; Mothers; Parent and child; Storms;
Available copies: 2 / Total copies: 2
unAPI

I, Mona Lisa / by Solomons, Natasha,author.;
In Leonardo da Vinci's studio, bursting with genius imagination, towering commissions and needling patrons, as well as discontented muses, friends and rivals, sits the painting of the Mona Lisa. For five hundred tumultuous years, amid a whirlwind of power, money, intrigue, the portrait of Lisa del Giocondo is sought after and stolen. Over the centuries, few could hear her voice, but now she is ready to tell her own story, in her own words - a tale of rivalry, murder and heartbreak. Weaving through the years, she takes us from the dazzling world of Florentine studios to the French courts at Fontainebleau and Versailles, and into the Twentieth Century.
Subjects: Biographical fiction.; Historical fiction.; Novels.; Leonardo, da Vinci, 1452-1519.; Del Giocondo, Lisa, 1479-; Art thefts; Portraits; Women in art;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI

Golem girl : a memoir / by Lehrer, Riva,1958-author.;
"What do we sacrifice in the pursuit of normalcy? And what becomes possible when we embrace monstrosity? In 1958, Riva is one of the first children born with spina bifida to survive. Her parents and doctors are determined to "fix" her, sending the message over and over again that she is broken. That she will never have a job, a romantic relationship, or an independent life. Enduring countless medical interventions, Riva tries her best to be a good girl and a good patient in the quest to be cured. Everything changes when, as an adult, Riva is invited to join a group of artists, writers, and performers who are building Disability Culture. Their work is daring, edgy, funny, and dark; it rejects tropes that define disabled people as pathetic, frightening, or worthless. They insist that disability is an opportunity for creativity and resistance. Emboldened, Riva asks if she can paint their portraits--an intimate and collaborative process that will transform the way she sees herself, others, and the world. With each portrait, and each person's story, the myths she's been told her whole life--about her body, her sexuality, and the value of normalcy--begin to crumble. Written with the vivid, cinematic prose of a visual artist, and the love and playfulness that defines all of Riva's work, Golem Girl is an extraordinary story of survival and creativity. With the author's magnificent portraits featured throughout, this memoir invites us to stretch ourselves toward a world where bodies flow between all possible forms of what it is to be human"--
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; Lehrer, Riva, 1958-; Artists with disabilities; Spina bifida;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI

HRH : so many thoughts on royal style / by Holmes, Elizabeth,1980-author.;
Includes bibliographical references."Veteran fashion journalist Elizabeth Holmes expands her popular Instagram Stories series, "So Many Thoughts," into a nuanced look at the style, branding, and positioning of the four most influential contemporary British Royals: Queen Elizabeth II; Diana, Princess of Wales; Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge; and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. Today, the fashion choices of Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle are frequently headline news. More than just wearing beautiful clothes - and they are really beautiful - these women dress with purpose. Their choices of color, silhouettes, and brands send a message about their values, interests, and place within the royal family. But to fully understand what Kate and Meghan are wearing, one must look to two style icons that came before them: Queen Elizabeth II and Diana, Princess of Wales. For nearly seven decades, the Queen has made her wardrobe work for her, settling into a uniform of colorful coats and hats that make her instantly recognizable. Diana unlocked royal fashion's ability to shock and awe, earning a spot on the front page and rejuvenating interest in the crown. Kate introduced a welcome relatability with her accessible choices, unleashing a shopping frenzy in the process. Meghan, a biracial American and a working actor, brought a new audience and aesthetic, as well as her social media savvy to the mix. With one section devoted to each woman, HRH pairs hundreds of gorgeous photographs with extensive research to paint a vivid portrait of each woman's fashion preferences, messaging, and evolution. The sections on each will be a seamless combination of major moments and notable details, from the choice of each woman's wedding dress designer to the meaning of a single bow tied on a ponytail. But mostly, through these four biographies, a picture emerges of the evolution of the British monarchy over the past century, showing royal fashion is so much more than what meets the eye."--
Subjects: Biographies.; Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, 1982-; Diana, Princess of Wales, 1961-1997.; Elizabeth II, Queen of Great Britain, 1926-; Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, 1981-; Clothing and dress; Princesses; Queens;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI

Pain killer : a memoir of big league addiction / by Myhres, Brantt,1974-author.;
"From the only player to be banned for life from the NHL, a harrowing tale of addiction, and an astonishing path to recovery. Brantt Myhres wasn't around for the birth of his daughter. Myhres had played for seven different NHL teams, and had made millions. But he'd been suspended four times, all for drug use, and he had partied his way out of the league. By the time his daughter was born, he was penniless, sleeping on a friend's couch. He'd just been released from police custody. He had a choice between sticking around for the birth, and showing up for league-mandated rehab. He went to rehab. For the fifth time. This is his story, in his own words, of how he fought his way out of minor hockey into the big league, but never left behind the ghosts of a bleak and troubled childhood. He tells the story of discovering booze as a way of handling the anxiety of fighting, and of the thrill of cocaine. In the raw language of the locker room, he tells of how substance abuse poisoned the love he had in his life, and sabotaged a great career. Full of stories of week-long benders and stripper-filled hot tubs, motorcycle crashes and barroom brawls, Playing Guilty is at its most powerful when Myhres acknowledges how he let himself down, and betrayed those who trusted him. Again and again, he fools the executives and doctors who tried to give him a second chance, then a third, then a fourth, and with each betrayal, he spirals further downward. But finally, on the eve of his daughter's birth, when all the money was gone, every bridge burnt, and every opportunity squandered, he was given a last chance. And this time, it worked. It worked so well, that not only has he been around for his daughter for the past eleven years, he was signed by the LA Kings as a "sober coach": a guy who'd been there, a guy who could recognize and help solve problems before they ruined lives and made headlines (as the Kings had seen happen three times that one season). Not only did Myhres save himself, he saved others. Unpolished, unpretentious, and unflinching, Myhres tells it like it is, acknowledging every mistake, and painting a portrait of an angry, violent, dangerous man caught in the vice of something he couldn't control, and didn't understand. If Brantt Myhres can pull himself together, anyone can. And he does, convincingly, and inspiringly."--
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; Myhres, Brantt, 1974-; Myhres, Brantt, 1974-; Myhres, Brantt, 1974-; Hockey players; Recovering addicts;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI

Murder can frost Your doughnut / by Pressey, Rose.;
The ghost of an Elvis impersonator has got psychic painter Celeste Cabot all shook up... Celeste has pulled up in her pink Shasta trailer, aka mobile art studio, to the Sevier County Fair in the mountains of eastern Tennessee to sell her paintings. A highlight of the fair promises to be the celebrity impersonation contest. But the low point is when Celeste and her floppy-eared white Chihuahua Van (short for Van Gogh) find an Elvis impersonator in his trailer doing a great impression of a corpse, clutching a doughnut in his hand. Seeking a vision to solve the crime, Celeste paints her own Elvis portrait-and suddenly the ghost of the Elvis impersonator appears. They say fools rush in, but with the help of this spirit, Celeste sets out to find the real killer among all the fake celebrities. It's now or never, because there won't be time to tell the killer- "Don't be cruel."
Subjects: Detective and mystery fiction.; Paranormal fiction.; Women artists; Craft festivals; Murder; Psychic ability; Ghosts;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI

Olga : a novel / by Schlink, Bernhard,author.; Collins, Charlotte,1967-translator.; translation of:Schlink, Bernhard.Olga.English.;
"Abandoned by her parents, Olga is raised by her grandmother in a Prussian village around the turn of the 20th century. Smart and precocious, endearing but uncompromising, she fights against the prejudices of the time to find her place in a world that sees women as second-best. When Olga falls in love with Herbert, a local aristocrat obsessed with gaining all the power, glory and greatness the modern age can provide, her life is irremediably changed. Their love goes against all odds and encounters many obstacles, entwined with the twisting paths of German history, leading us from the late 19th to the early 21st century, from Germany to Africa and the Arctic, from the Baltic Sea to the German south-west. Unfolding across centuries, Olga is an epic romance, and a wrenching tale of devotion to a restless man in a fateful moment of great rebellion. Though Olga lives her life within the margins of others, her magnetic presence breathes vivid life into these pages. Told in three distinct parts-which brilliantly shift from different points of view to the epistolary form-Schlink paints a full portrait of a singular woman's complex life"--
Subjects: Historical fiction.; Friendship; Man-woman relationships; Teachers; Travelers;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI