Biography, Autobiography, Memoir discussion
Biography, Autobiography, and Memoir read in 2023
Mike wrote: "In his autobiography Every Good Boy Does Fine: A Love Story, in Music Lessons pianist Jeremy Denk chronicles his life from childhood to graduate school. Along the w..."Love the title of this book.
Down and Out in Paradise: The Life of Anthony Bourdain by Charles LeerhsenMore about Anthony Bourdain tracing his rise to fame and his fall. I think it was interesting to try and figure out what made Tony so angry and the contrary person he was.
His first wife was also a junkie and I gather that marriage just ran its course. My conclusion was that his parent's stormy relationship (they separated/divorced in his college years) actually had a huge affect on him. I think he wanted it to be a perfect romance but the reality was it wasn't. His mother it seemed dominated his dad. His dad died relatively young but not that young (Tony was an adult) I can't really account why else he would turn to drugs as there seems to be no other big trauma in his life. He grew up in New Jersey in a very white bread suburb tho they lived beyond their means.
Anyway Bourdain fans may be interested, though this is more of a 'he said, she said' memoir of recollections pulled into a narrative, it isn't as wide ranging as the earlier one I read that contains interviews with his co-workers, but it does try to explain the whole Asia Argento relationship..which by all accounts was not working at all..they were fighting/squabbling in his last days.
I don't really get WHY Bourdain seemed drawn to acting like a bad-ass and this last girlfriend was as bad-ass as he was I guess. But then being the star of your own show probably does that to people.
The book is a bit disparaging of the last doco Roadrunner, but I think they tried to deal with Bourdains' ending in the best way they could as it raised a lot of questions for everyone, and of course, Bourdain being the storyteller he was, most proably wanted to control the narrative. For me I think when I heard the news it was like he was this lost soul trying to find his way home. He most probably wanted to die in France because, after all, that's where he might have felt he truly belonged. Just my hunch though.
Does This Volvo Make My Butt Look Big? by Annabel Monaghanrounded up to 4 stars (essays, but memoir stuff)
This is one under read gem--it's funny and great for anyone who has raised children, and perhaps others as well. Monaghan, best known for newer novels such as Nora Goes Off Script demonstrates how she used humour in nonfiction and essays before she wrote those. However, there isn't one essay involving an Volvo and I'm not sure who came up with that title--the subtitle is "Thoughts for moms and other tired people" but since the title is what made me take a look at the book, it is effective at least some of the time.
The essays aren't in chronological order of her parenting years although, and this really isn't a spoiler since we all know kids grow up, near the end she has one about how she's planning to act when her eldest got to his college application year the one following when she wrote that essay. If he followed through, he's most likely a college/university grad by now because this is from 2016, but other than the fact that cell phones and tablets are far more advanced by now, this book is still quite contemporary.
Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law by Haben GirmaThis wasn't about law so much as about advocacy for disabled Americans which I'm glad Haben could bring about. She tells her life story and some of the experiences she has feeling excluded from life. Then it starts with access to menus for cafeterias then encompasses assistive technology, guide dogs, canes, and bluetooth braille screen converters, with app compatability.
I can't imagine how being deafblind can feel so limiting but if there's anything a disabled person does not want is to be babied and dependent, especially for an American (it's in your rights to be independent!) .
The lawsuit against Scribd became a landmark ruling that opened the door to many online businesses becoming accessible to all. (as well as being good for business) and I think when someone young like Haben advocates this also bodes well for elders facing vision and hearing loss as many will experience in their lifetime.
Another thing Haben rallied against was being called 'inspiring' when she is just living her life. Good on her for not being a show pony or curiousity that Helen Keller sometimes became. Instead of being seen as charity cases, disabled people are increasingly wanting to take advantage of opportunities to live a full life rather than be relegated to the sidelines.
Do You Dream in Color?: Insights from a Girl Without Sight by Lauren RubinAnother blind memoir though this time its about an opera singer and she's not deaf, so she does not face the same challenges as Haben did. Lauren seemed to live a charmed life and her parents were supportive in everything she wanted to do, as well as being well-off and gifted. Sometimes she was able to fit in with the mainstream but other times she couldn't, as sighted girls didn't want to be friends with her thinking they would have to 'look after ' her and her mannerisms made her different from everyone else.
The interesting thing about color is that also being American, and Jewish yet blind she thought one of her friends who was Black was white because he 'didn't sound Black'. Then she hooked up with an Asian girl after discovering her bisexuality, and that wasn't based on appearance either but the way she FELT when she was with someone she loved (or was attracted to). There's a lot of sensory description in this memoir.
Another interesting thing is all the schools for Blind and help students get now in America, it seems like the set up is well established, but she like Haben had to win her independence by taking advantage of all the training that was available to her (guide dogs, canes, assistive technology etc) but also a lot of it is just plain growing up which isn't really easy for anybody!
Open by Andre Agassi. A gut-spilling autobiography charting his life from a difficult childhood under a cruel and ambitious father until becoming the Number One seed - revealing his hatred of tennis from the very beginning and his personal struggles. A fascinating read even if you are not a fan of the game.
Born to Be Posthumous: The Eccentric Life and Mysterious Genius of Edward Gorey
Mark Dery
3/5 stars
Interesting biography of Edward Gorey, illustrator and writer. He published and illustrated over a hundred books and influenced other writers and artists. Was known as an eccentric and secretive. Interesting book but at times it dragged on.
Selina wrote: "Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law by Haben GirmaThis wasn't about law so much as about advocacy for disabled Americans which I'm glad Haben could bring about. S..."
I'm glad you liked this--on the one hand, she is inspiring to many, but on the other hand I can see why she hates being called that for all of the reasons she wrote about. I also liked that when she ended up marrying a white man it was also based on what she felt and who he was. Colour is real, of course, and sighted people can't claim to be "colour blind" but I love it when people can get to know each other without as many preconceived ideas based on sight. I didn't love this book (3 stars, so just a like) and the show where they met was inane, but I loved how this couple met and got to know each other Leap of Faith by Cameron Hamilton and Lauren Speed and they are still together, at least as of their 4 year anniversary in Oct, 2022.
Karin wrote: "Selina wrote: "Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law by Haben GirmaThis wasn't about law so much as about advocacy for disabled Americans which I'm glad Haben could..."
What I didn't know that she got married that wasn't mentioned in the book. Well they say love is blind.
Mod
5 stars
The author has ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease. It is a slow degenerative disease that takes away your ability to move your muscles, but your mind remains intact. There is no cure. The author is young, with a husband and young children. She chose to focus on having a positive attitude and made the most of the time she had left. She created memories for her children, family and friends. She was an amazing person who kept on writing even when she was only able to tap out one letter at a time on her phone. I hope if I am ever faced with a similar situation that I can face it with the attitude and strength that she had.
Selina wrote: "Karin wrote: "Selina wrote: "Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law by Haben GirmaThis wasn't about law so much as about advocacy for disabled Americans which I'm gl..."
I thought it talked about the marriage in the book, but perhaps I found it when I looked her up online OR they were living together and after all of this time I misremembered since I read it in July 2020, the year I read 400 books (Covid shut down plus an intense, fun team reading game that I got more involved with because of that.)
Karin wrote: "Selina wrote: "Karin wrote: "Selina wrote: "Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law by Haben GirmaThis wasn't about law so much as about advocacy for disabled America..."
Nothing about marriage.
The other blind girl book talked about being bi though and she started living with another (sighted) girl.
She tried to hook up with another blind senior guy in college but that didnt' work out and he dropped her on her birthday. Just because he was blind too didn't mean they did things exactly the same way lol
Orwell's Roses by Rebecca SolnitA collection of essays detailing George Orwell's life and love of gardening that stood in contrast to his dystopian novels and polemic. It's something I've always wondered about too, and the author goes on a journey uncovering more about Orwell's roses he planted in his garden - are they still there? Then meditating on what they mean in the midst of the times he grew up in. She also goes to Columbia where cheap roses for the cut flower market are grown factory style much like how Orwell explored the mines in his book The Road to Wigan Pier.
Some of the book is a bit uneven and pulling on random thoughts that don't have much to do with Orwell but other times there is flashes of brilliance. It's a potted bio and I did not know he adopted a son, or how he met his two wives, but his private life is revealed in passing, though the central idea is that he cultivated beauty amid the thorns.
The Eighty-Dollar Champion: Snowman, the Horse That Inspired a Nation
by Elizabeth Letts
4/5 stars
Snowman was a horse that was to be sent to the slaughterhouse if it weren't for Harry de Leyer. He saw this horse and ended up buying him for $80 dollars. Turns out that it was a great decision for Harry, an immigrant and his family, who cleaned him up and entered him in the sport of show jumping. What a wonderful story about their relationship!
Mod
3 stars
Fortunes made and lost and made again and lost again. This is the author's family legacy during the beginnings of the oil boom in Texas in the early 1800's. There were times when I wondered what the point of a story would be, but it all comes together in the end. If you can't settle in for a long read I think it is difficult to keep all the characters straight, but at the end I almost wanted to start over and see if things made more sense.
Selina wrote: "Karin wrote: "Selina wrote: "Karin wrote: "Selina wrote: "Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law by Haben GirmaThis wasn't about law so much as about advocacy for di..."
Okay, I found my mistake in the acknowledgements (I borrowed it from the library again to check.) No mention of marriage, but she wasn't single in the sense that she was still living with Gordon when she wrote the book and he's thanked with family, not with friends. I had forgotten that they weren't legally married and of course I never hear anyone say common law marriage anymore. She keeps her private life private online and only has public photos up.
The book came out in 2019 and so I can't say for sure if they are still together as there are no photos of them together anywhere in the book etc because it's very focused on certain things.
We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story by Simu LiuActually I had not heard of this young actor (my point of reference for Chinese actors has always been Jackie Chan) but came across this memoir when wanting to read more about the Chinese diaspora and I'm glad I did.
Typical of Chinese immigrants to North America, Simu's parents really wanted him to do well academically but Simu rebelled, did not become a lawyer/doctor/engineer and became an actor instead!
This memoir is a coming of age story and has the happy ending - he's now a marvel superhero, so it paid off. An easy read, but maybe with a twinge of narcissism however, I put that down to being an only child, desperate for attention. Actors get validated with a big audience. Though I agree there needs to be a lot more Asian representation in media/performing arts/on screen, so we can get to tell our stories too, and not be relegated to the token minority as often is the case.
Mod
4 stars
I had never heard of this guy before his stint as a judge on the tv show X Factor. He has led a very interesting life as the guy that discovered some of the most well known musical talents and biggest selling records of our time. He has produced Beyonce, Kanye, Avril Lavigne, Justine Bieber, just to name a few. It was interesting to read about the music industry by someone who is mostly behind the scenes.
He won a Pulitzer Prize in 2016, but I had never heard of Henry Threadgill until I read about the publication of his new autobiography, Easily Slip into Another World: A Life in Music. He has led a fascinating life and voice actor Ron Butler does a superb job of reading the audiobook version.My review:
https://mypointbeing.com/2023/07/05/e...
Mod
Sometimes the best bios/autobios are about people we have never heard of.
Mod
3 stars
This book was published in 1999. Merle passed away in 2016. Interesting factoid...he died on his birthday. He is one of the few artists who has actually lived the songs they sing about, including prison time. His mama must have been a saint. He actually wrote a song called "Mama tried" that is very autobiographical. He was a little stinker when he was a kid and into adulthood. His autobiography deals more with his personal life than the musical industry but he does jump back and forth in time quite a bit. Fans will probably love this book.
Peppermint Twist: The Mob, the Music, and the Most Famous Dance Club of the '60s
John Johnson Jr.
4/5 stars
The title tells it all. This is a very interesting story of the mob and the 60's dance club that they hung out at, along with the singing stars that performed there.
Mod
3 stars
I was a bit disappointed in this book. I remember watching My Three Sons back in the day (pre-teen years). There is more time spent on his adolescent escapades then there is on the show. He talks about his tv show dad a little, mostly to say he was nothing like his show character. He doesn't say much about any of the other actors, even his tv brother that was his real life brother. After the show ended it is mostly 'I did this and then I did that' and the stories were mostly boring. But the nostalgia factor is high if you are a fan of the show.
Koren wrote: "The Importance of Being Ernie:: From My Three Sons to Mad Men, a Hollywood Survivor Tells All by Barry Livingston3 stars
[bookcover:The Importance of Being Ernie:: From My Three So..."
I loved the show but not sure after your review that I would not want to read it. Oh well, plenty of other books to read!
Mod
3 stars
[bookcover:The Importance of Being Ernie:: Fr..."
Of course, just my opinion. Always interesting to read reviews from others.
Marilyn Monroe: The Last Interview: and Other Conversations by Jude Ellison S DoyleThere's a series of books about popular icons all called the Last interview and pull from various interviews/articles from that person's life. This one is about Marilyn Monroe so has several articles where journalists interview her or meet her and she tells them everything, from her rise to fame until her last days.
Like everyone fascinated with this icon's back story we may project what we want onto Marilyn Monroe but she was really played by a little lost girl called Norma Jeane and I think that's her appeal, she had that little bit extra that no other platinum blonde had, but she could never break from that stereotype and became a victim of her own success.
Anyway this book looks at various facets of her life, I think if you treated her kindly she warmed to you and would open up but those expecting her to play Marilyn Monroe 24/7 were probably in for a rude awakening. A lot of clueless journalists/press asked her inane questions actually lol. So the silly questions often got silly answers that became 'Monroeisms'
You Might Remember Me: The Life and Times of Phil Hartman
Mike Thomas
This is a well-written biography of the fabulous and funny Phil Hartman, comedian and actor. Author, Mike Thomas does a great job of chronicling the life and career of Hartman and the tragic outcome of his life.
Anthony Bourdain: The Last Interview: and Other Conversationsby Helen RosnerAnother in the series of icons..if you a fan of Anthony Bourdain then this is for you he really was quite eloquent whenever talking about his travels and probably became a bit too worldly-wise though never jaded, though maybe his life ended the way it did when he'd had enough.
There's several other icons in this series of Last Interview books but only Marilyn Monroe and Anthony Bourdain are the ones I want to read about, and sadly both were suicides. Although the one featuring Martin Luther King might be interesting.
Mod
5 stars
Linda previously wrote a memoir, so this does not get into her entire life. Instead, she writes about her homeland. Like most of us, her childhood home has changed and probably not for the better. She writes about life in the southern desert region of the United States, her family values and traditions and shares recipes that have been in her family for generations. Her love for her native lands shines through and the pictures she shares are beautiful.
Koren wrote: "Feels Like Home: A Song for the Sonoran Borderlands by Linda Ronstadt5 stars
Linda previously wrote a memo..."
Added to my reading list!
Mod
5 stars
Amy is a senator from my state (yes, I get to vote for her) so I was excited to see that she had a new memoir out. She has a previous memoir that talks about her early life, so this book mostly recaps the last few years. Covid, a presidential election where she ran for president, a Capitol insurrection to name a few, plus a bout with cancer have happened since the last book. If you follow Amy like I do, then there isn't really too much in this book you don't already know. But if you want to know more about her, read The Senator Next Door: A Memoir from the Heartland first, then read this one.
Mya-Rose Craig has been an avid birdwatcher all of her life. She is also an advocate for the environment and works to give people of color the chance to experience nature. She was nineteen when she wrote the recently published Birdgirl: Looking to the Skies in Search of a Better Future. Compelling reading.My review:
https://mypointbeing.com/2023/07/20/b...
We'll Always Have Casablanca: The Legend and Afterlife of Hollywood's Most Beloved FilmNoah Isenberg
4/5 stars
This is the wonderfully interesting book about the film Casablanca. Isenberg discusses the origins of the film, the actors, parodies of the movie and discussions about a sequel. Definitely, for Casablanca fans!
Mod
Noah Isenberg
4/5 stars
This is the wonderfully interesting book about the fi..."
Love that movie!
Mod
4 stars
This story was certainly different. What are the odds that the new doctor would have the same last name as the previous doctor, who is in prison for killing his father, and not be related and it is not a common name? This book addresses the ethical question: Can someone be accountable for a crime if they have a terminal disease that changes their personality and makes them do things they would not have done previously. This book is worth a search to find out what happened after the book was published.
in her memoir Letting Magic In: A Memoir of Becoming Maia Toll writes about how she has navigated her adult life by taking a mystical perspective.My review:
https://mypointbeing.com/2023/07/26/l...
Mod
4 stars
The author is a long-time announcer for the Minnesota Twins. If you are a fan, I think you will like this baseball memoir. It brought back a lot of memories for me and I learned a lot about the days before I was a fan.
Mod
5 stars and a heart
There are many books written about the Holocaust, but not so many about the experience of coming to an America that was not so welcoming. The author came to America as a 6-year-old, just before the worst of the Holocaust. He lost several family and friends that were not as fortunate as he was. The book starts out seeing the new country through the eyes of a 6-year-old boy and mostly focuses on his childhood and adolescence, but does sum up the rest of his life. I was sad to find out through a search that he passed away just a few months ago. This book really made me think about how we need to be more welcoming to people coming to our country. I'm really surprised there arent more reviews for this book because it really is a beautiful story. There were a couple of things that made this book more interesting to me. First was that the author was exactly 1 year younger than my dad. They were both born on Sept. 19. The second was that my dad's second wife (my stepmother) also came to the United States at the age of 6 from Germany. She would have come to the United States much later than the author. She would have come in the 50's. Unfortunately she passed away in the 80's and I never heard her story about why they came here.
Seventy Times Seven: A True Story of Murder and Mercy by Alex Mar3 stars
This was almost a Greek tragedy in a true-crime format. We know what happened, who did it and what came of it, but we never get any real information about WHY any of it happened. The central character does seem to have had a fatal flaw...terribly sad story.
Mod
5 stars
Think you know all about forensic investigation from watching fictional television shows? This book will tell you what is true and what is not. It is actually two stories in one. The author's professional life but also her personal life. She is an investigator in New York City, so as you might guess, she has some interesting stories to tell, but her personal life is also interesting. I can't imagine how hard it must be to overcome an addiction problem when you have a high stress job.
Mod
5 stars
At first, I thought I thought this book was going to be way too introspective and thoughtful and not enough story. But as I read on, I realized that when my own children were at home I didn't take time to appreciate all the things we do when our children are young. The author puts into words how I have been feeling since having the empty nest. Those childhood years go by so quickly and we don't realize how much we are going to miss them until they are over. There is another story here about finding and building a new home which was quite interesting. I will look for more by this author.
Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig
Jonathan Eig
5/5 stars
What a wonderful book about the life of baseball star Lou Gehrig. I highly recommend this for anyone to read. I also had read Eig's book The Birth of the Pill: How Four Crusaders Reinvented Sex and Launched a Revolution and loved that book. Looking forward to reading more of his books.
With a Suitcase of Saris: From India to Aotearoa - Stories of Pioneer Indian Women compiled by Vasanti UnkaCollection of Indian women immigrant tales to NZ, though they mostly ended up being quite similar to each other, most coming from the Gujarati and Punjab region of India and settling in Pukekohe in South Auckland to a basic lifestyle in NZ where there were few other Indian women, and shock horror, no spices!!
That's Not All Folks!
Mel Blanc
5/5 stars
What a wonderful book about Mel Blanc! He writes about his time voicing cartoon characters, also his life on radio, films and on television! He also talks about his wife and son and also how show business affected his life. Highly recommended!
Books About Film and Television
Mod
5 stars
When we think of kill shelters for animals we seldom think about the people that work there and what they go through when animals are euthanized. The author is a vet who ended up working at a shelter where he was responsible for decided which animals were to be euthanized. He is an amazing person who, instead of walking away or ignoring the problem, worked to make things better. He gives us insight into how animals make life better for their owners who are homeless and actually goes out into the community to learn more about them and help the animals whose owners do not have the money to pay. He is an amazing person who realizes that he is human and makes mistakes. Keep a whole box of tissues handy when you read this. It is hard to read, but oh so necessary to know what happens at these shelters and how we can help to make it better. Read this in one day. It was hard to put down.
The Patient Doctor: How one man's cancer diagnosis led to a quest to put the heart back into healthcare by Dr Ben Bravery28 year old zoologist Ben Bravery gets bowel cancer has treatment, recovers and then decides he wants to be a doctor. So he goes to medical school.
He soon learns that it's a huge pressure and the hospital system is not kind to anyone..he ends up being a psychiatrist because he's more interested in the whole person than a bunch of symptoms.
I found this book really interesting of what its like, mostly in Australia but could equally apply to how medicine is practised in New Zealand. Ben's experience being a patient is something he stores away as his secret compassion for what patients undergo when they get diagnosed. It also made me wonder do most qualified doctors never experience adversity or illness that patients do by stint of being mostly middle-class priveliged and genetically sound? And why bedside manners and communication aren't often practiced by doctors. He pushes for reform, but the healthcare system is such that senior doctors inevitably bully junior doctors and basic things like name badges, introductions and healthy meals are most likely not offered in most hospital environments...
Apart from that he's had an interesting life with a partner who wasn't fazed by his having cancer or going through years of med school!
In National Dish: Around the World in Search of Food, History, and the Meaning of Home, author Anya von Bremzen visits six countries and takes a hands-on approach to understanding the national dish(es) of each. Enlightening and enjoyable reading, with some political seriousness at the end.My review:
https://mypointbeing.com/2023/08/16/n...
Mod
4 stars
I remember watching the Smother's Brother's show in the late 60's, but i was pretty young and probably didn't understand much of the political jokes. The Smothers Brothers were groundbreaking entertainers and comedians who broke barriers and fought censors. They were only on the air for 3 years and it is worth a look to find a video of their shows. They paved the way for the late night comedians like Jimmy Fallon and Stephen Colbert. The things they were censored for in the 60's are pretty tame compared to today's standards, but then that's not a surprise. Love these guys. If you remember this show I think you will enjoy this biography.
Mod
3 stars
I think the author was trying to come across as funny, but to me it was just a lot of whining and complaining. It seemed like the author didn't have any jobs taking care of dogs where the dogs were likable and well-trained. It also seemed a little strange that almost every story tells us about the pet's bathroom habits. If I ever thought about being a dog walker, I think this book would make me change my mind.
Biography, Autobiography, Memoir
Books mentioned in this topic
Returning Light: Thirty Years on the Island of Skellig Michael (other topics)My Lucky Life in and Out of Show Business (other topics)
A Spoonful of Sugar: A Nanny's Story (other topics)
To Selena, With Love (other topics)
The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Robert L. Harris (other topics)Mitch Albom (other topics)
Dwight Garner (other topics)
Bruce Springsteen (other topics)
Robert Samuels (other topics)
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My review:
https://mypointbeing.com/2023/06/21/w...