In the early days of swing dancing, Frankie Manning stood out for his moves and his innovative routines; he created the "air step" in the Lindy hop, a dance that took the U.S. and then the world by storm. In this fascinating autobiography, choreographer and Tony Award winner (Black and Blue) Frankie Manning recalls how his first years of dancing as a teenager at Harlem's Savoy Ballroom led to his becoming chief choreographer and a lead dancer for "Whitey's Lindy Hoppers," a group that appeared on Broadway, in Hollywood musicals, and on stages around the globe. Manning brings the Swing Era vividly back to life with his recollections of crowded ballrooms and of Lindy hoppers trying to outdo each other in spectacular performances. His memories of the many headliners and film stars, as well as uncelebrated dancers with whom he shared the stage, create a unique portrait of an era in which African American performers enjoyed the spotlight, if not a star's prerogatives and salary. With collaborator Cynthia Millman, Manning traces the evolution of swing dancing from its early days in Harlem through the post-World War II period, until it was eclipsed by rock 'n' roll and then disco. When swing made a comeback, Manning's 30-year hiatus ended. He has been performing, choreographing, and teaching ever since.
Nailed! is a dramatic biography of Lenny Dykstra -- the heroic center fielder for the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies in the '80s and '90s whose gritty play earned him the nickname "Nails." Dykstra's unlikely post-baseball rise in the business world is a success story that is only matched by the sordid tale of his ultimate downfall. From famously receiving financial guru Jim Cramer's ringing endorsement as "one of the best" stock prognosticators, to hanging out with Charlie Sheen and numerous prostitutes, to holding court in his 15 million California home, Dykstra lived a highflying lifestyle. He was the toast of the business world before his litany of crimes were detected and his empire began to unravel in 2009, leading to a conviction and prison sentence in 2012 with more charges pending. Through compelling storytelling supported by extensive research and documentation -- including interviews with many of Dykstra's friends, family, and business associates -- Nailed! Peels back the layers to reveal that the criminal charges of grand theft auto, identity theft, vandalism, lewd behavior, sexual assault, are just the tip of the iceberg. This is an engaging read of a sports and business hero gone bad.
Who I Was . . . Born to Be . . . and Whose I Am is an inspirational autobiography, referring to a well-lived life, as an extravagant tapestry reveals true accounts of remarkable adventures—a first romance; an aunt, nurse to President Dwight Eisenhower; a neighbor, Senator Sam Ervin (chair of the Watergate investigation); life-changing decisions; dating a would-be celebrity; a journalist interview with Rev. Billy Graham; raising an artist-daughter and a Broadway-actor son; a murder; surviving 9/11; encounters with icons destined for greatness; divine interventions; miraculous healings; a mystery; and the invention of the Garmin (GPS) in a friend’s garage.
The book describes the movement by African American authors from slave narratives and antebellum newspapers into fiction writing, and the subsequent developments of black genre fiction through the present. It analyzes works by modern African American mystery writers, focusing on sleuths, the social locations of crime, victims and offenders, the notion of "doing justice," and the role of African American cultural vernacular in mystery fiction. A final section focuses on readers and reading, examining African American mystery writers' access to the marketplace and the issue of the "double audience" raised by earlier writers. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.
The first five Professor Molly mysteries, plus a bonus! This box set presents the first five Professor Molly mysteries in the order in which they are meant to be read and enjoyed: 1) The Musubi Murder: After a brutal year on the academic job market, Professor Molly Barda finally lands a teaching job. In Hawaii! But chronically-underfunded Mahina State University isn't exactly paradise. After yet another round of budget cuts, Mahina State finally gets some sweet news: Jimmy Tanaka, founder of the Merrie Musubis lunch shop empire, announces a massive donation to the College of Commerce. But Tanaka goes missing before he can write the check, and Professor Molly is ordered to track down the missing mogul. As she uncovers festering feuds and fresh scandals, Molly realizes that there's something rotten in Mahina--and she may have bitten off more than she can chew. The Case of the Defunct Adjunct: Follow your dreams, and you'll never work a day in your life. Because that field's not hiring. Professor Molly Barda and her best friend Dr. Emma Nakamura brace themselves for yet another tedious faculty retreat at Mahina State University ("Where Your Future Begins Tomorrow"). But when the lecherous Kent Lovely, Mahina State’s one-man hostile work environment, collapses face-first into his haupia cheesecake, the afternoon goes from dull to disastrous. Now Molly must fight to keep an innocent out of prison—and herself off the unemployment line. The Cursed Canoe: Seven women on the crew. Six seats in the canoe. Paddlers would kill to compete in the big race. What could go wrong? Professor Molly is pulled into investigating a mysterious paddling accident in Mahina Bay, and realizes it isn't just business majors who cheat to get what they want. Whether it's moving up in the college rankings, getting a seat in the Labor Day canoe race, or winning in the game of love, someone will do whatever it takes to sink the competition. The Black Thumb: It should have been a lovely summer afternoon. When a violent death disrupts the Monthly meeting of the Pua Kala Garden society, Professor Molly Barda has no intention of playing amateur detective. But Molly's not just a witness–the victim is Molly's house guest and grad-school frenemy. And Molly quickly finds to her dismay that her interest in the murder of the stylish and self-centered Melanie Polewski is more than just…academic. The Invasive Species: It's not nice to fool Mother Nature. On the way to interviewing a local farmer, Professor Molly stumbles onto a dismembered body in a field of genetically modified papayas. Molly is sure the murder has nothing to do with her new research project...until a second gruesome death rocks Mahina's tight farming community, and Molly's administration drops her research like a hot potato. If Molly can't root out the bad apples, not only will her tenure case go pear-shaped...she might end up pushing up daisies. BONUS CONTENT: Alice Mongoose and Alistair Rat in Hawaii In The Invasive Species, we are introduced to Alice Mongoose and Alistair Rat, protagonists of the classic children’s picture book series. When Alice Mongoose sails from India to a sugar plantation on the Big Island of Hawaii, she is shocked to learn what her new job entails. She decides instead to strike out on her own. When she meets the gentle and dapper Alistair Rat, she knows that she has found a friend in her new Hawaiian home. The Alice Mongoose and Alistair Rat stories are classic tales of adventure, resilience, and friendship, beloved to this day by children of all ages.
Contending that a mythology of race consisting of themes of sex and savagery exists in the United States and is perpetuated in popular culture, Frankie Y. Bailey identifies stereotypical images of blacks in crime and detective fiction and probes the implied values and collective fantasies found there. Out of the Woodpile is the first sociohistorical study of the evolution of black detectives and other African American characters in genre fiction. The volume's three divisions reflect the evolution of the status of African Americans in American society. The three chapters of the first section, From Slaves to Servants, begin with a survey of the works of Poe and Twain in antebellum America, then discuss the depiction of blacks and other natives in British crime and detective fiction in the days of the British Empire, and lastly focus on American classics of the pre-World War II period. In Urban Blues, Bailey continues her investigation of black stock characters by zeroing in on the denizens of the Black Metropolis and their Black Rage. Assimilating, the final section, contains chapters that scrutinize The Detectives, Black Lives: Post-War/Post Revolution, and the roles assigned to Black Women. The results of survey questions carried in The Third Degree, the newsletter of the Mystery Writers of America, as well as the views of fourteen crime writers on the creation of black characters in genre fiction are followed by the Directory, which includes a sampling of cases featuring black characters, a list of black detectives, relevant works of fiction, film, television, and more. The volume's informed analyses will be important reading for students and scholars in the fields of popular culture, American popular fiction, genre fiction, crime and detective fiction, and black and ethnic studies. It is also a timely resource for courses dealing with race relations and blacks in American literature or society.
*THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER* *Shortlisted for the Bloody Scotland Debut Crime Novel of the Year* How do you solve a murder when you don't have a clue? Frankie Boyle's gripping crime debut novel, Meantime, is a hallucinogenic ride through Glasgow as one man seeks justice for his friend's murder. Glasgow, 2015. When Valium addict Felix McAveety's best friend Marina is found murdered in the local park, he goes looking for answers to questions that he quickly forgets. In a haze of uppers, hallucinogens, and diazepam, Felix enlists the help of a brilliant but mercurial GP; a bright young trade unionist; a failing screenwriter; semi-celebrity crime novelist Jane Pickford; and his crisis fuelled downstairs neighbour Donnie. Their investigation sends them on a bewildering expedition that takes in Scottish radical politics, Artificial Intelligence, cults, secret agents, smugglers and vegan record shops. Meantime is a thrilling detective story set against the backdrop of post-referendum Scotland. Frankie Boyle's compelling debut novel is a tale of murder and revenge, and of personal and political loss. 'A darkest noir, unputdownable crime novel that swerves and surprises, with a gut-punch ending. I loved it!' Denise Mina, author of The Long Drop 'Reads like a twisted Caledonian take on Robert Altman's The Long Goodbye. Inherent vices and scalpel-sharp jokes vie with a very human concern for those least garlanded in the rat race of life' Ian Rankin 'An enjoyably dark and entertaining tranche of Glasgow noir . . . [A] deft, engaging thriller' Observer
Albany, New York, experienced massive upheaval when the Volstead Act of 1919 established Prohibition. Crime already proliferated in the capital of the Empire State, with rival political machines stooping to corruption and the mob with their heavy-handed powers of persuasion. As it did nationwide, Prohibition in Albany served merely to force alcohol-related commerce underground and lawlessness and violence to the forefront of city activity.
Frankie Frain is an independent filmmaker, animator, and podcaster, best known for feature films such as A-Bo the Humonkey and Sexually Frank, and viral cartoons that lampoon Hollywood directors. In 2013, he directed his fourth feature film titled Having Fun Up There (written by Geoff Tarulli), a story about an artist in crisis. Here, Frankie describes the entire story behind Having Fun Up There, including the films that preceded, the writing and casting, the nine grueling production days, the edit and color correction, and the film festival circuit and distribution woes. Learn about the technology, techniques, and philosophies behind Frankie and crew's production, in this entertaining tool for any beginning filmmaker.
Best known today as the illustrator of Lewis Carroll's Alice books, John Tenniel was one of the Victorian era's chief political cartoonists. This extensively illustrated book is the first to draw almost exclusively on primary sources in family collections, public archives, and other depositories. Frankie Morris examines Tenniel's life and work, producing a book that is not only a definitive resource for scholars and collectors but one that can be easily enjoyed by everyone interested in Victorian life and art, social history, journalism and political cartoons, and illustrated books. In the first part of the book, Morris looks at Tenniel the man. From his sunny childhood and early enthusiasm for sports, theatre, and medievalism to his flirtation with high art and his fifty years with the London journal Punch, Tenniel is shown to have been the sociable and urbane humorist revealed in his drawings. Tenniel's countrymen thought his work would embody for future historians the 'trend and character' of Victorian thought and life. Morris assesses to what extent that prediction has been fulfilled. The biography is followed by three sections on Tenniel's work, consisting of thirteen independent essays in which the author examines Tenniel's methods and his earlier book illustrations, the Alice pictures, and the Punch cartoons. For lovers of Alice, Morris offers six chapters on Tenniel's work for Carroll. These reveal demonstrable links with Christmas pantomimes, Punch and Judy shows, nursery toys, magic lanterns, nineteenth-century grotesques, Gothic revivalism, and social caricatures. Morris also demonstrates how Tenniel's cartoons depicted the key political questions of his day, from the Eastern Question to Lincoln and the American Civil War, examining their assumptions, devices, and evolving strategies. The definitive study of both the man and the work, Artist of Wonderland gives an unprecedented view of the cartoonist who mythologized the world for generations of Britons.
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