Collection: Biography & Memoir

Inquisitive and expansive, Like a Boy but Not a Boy explores author andrea bennett's experiences with gender expectations, being a non-binary parent, and the sometimes funny and sometimes difficult task of living in a body. The book's fourteen essays also delve incisively into the interconnected themes of mental illness, mortality, creative work, class, and bike mechanics (apparently you can learn a lot about yourself through truing a wheel).

In "Tomboy," andrea articulates what it means to live in a gender in-between space, and why one might be necessary; "37 Jobs 21 Houses" interrogates the notion that the key to a better life is working hard and moving house. And interspersed throughout the book is "Everyone Is Sober and No One Can Drive," sixteen stories about queer millennials who grew up and came of age in small communities.

With the same poignant spirit as Ivan Coyote's Tomboy Survival Guide, Like a Boy but Not a Boy addresses the struggle to find acceptance, and to accept oneself; and how one can find one's place while learning to make space for others. The book also wonders it means to be an atheist and search for faith that everything will be okay; what it means to learn how to love life even as you obsess over its brevity; and how to give birth, to bring new life, at what feels like the end of the world.

With thoughtfulness and acute observation, andrea bennett reveal intimate truths about the human experience, whether one is outside the gender binary or not.

Miss May Does Not Exist, by Carrie Courogen is the riveting biography of comedian, director, actor and writer Elaine May, one of America's greatest comic geniuses. May began her career as one-half of the legendary comedy team known as Nichols and May, the duo that revolutionized the comedy sketch.

After performing their Broadway smash An Evening with Mike Nichols and Elaine May, Elaine set out on her own. She toiled unsuccessfully on Broadway for a while, but then headed to Hollywood where she became the director of A New Leaf, The Heartbreak Kid, Mikey and Nicky, and the legendary Ishtar. She was hired as a script doctor on countless films like Heaven Can Wait, Reds, Tootsie, and The Birdcage. In 2019, she returned to Broadway where she won the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in The Waverly Gallery. Besides her considerable talent, May is well known for her reclusiveness. On one of the albums she made with Mike Nichols, her bio is this: "Miss May does not exist." Until now.

Carrie Courogen has uncovered the Elaine May who does exist. Conducting countless interviews, she has filled in the blanks May has forcibly kept blank for years, creating a fascinating portrait of the way women were mistreated and held back in Hollywood. Miss May Does Not Exist is a remarkable love story about a prickly genius who was never easy to work with, not always easy to love and frequently often punished for those things, despite revolutionizing the way we think about comedy, acting, and what a film or play can be.

The New York Times bestselling author of The Year of Living Biblically chronicles his hilarious adventures in attempting to follow the original meaning of the Constitution, as he searches for answers to one of the most pressing issues of our time: How should we interpret America's foundational document?

A.J. Jacobs learned the hard way that donning a tricorne hat and marching around Manhattan with a 1700s musket will earn you a lot of strange looks. In the wake of several controversial rulings by the Supreme Court and the on-going debate about how the Constitution should be interpreted, Jacobs set out to understand what it means to live by the Constitution.

In The Year of Living Constitutionally, A.J. Jacobs tries to get inside the minds of the Founding Fathers by living as closely as possible to the original meaning of the Constitution. He asserts his right to free speech by writing his opinions on parchment with a quill and handing them out to strangers in Times Square. He consents to quartering a soldier, as is his Third Amendment right. He turns his home into a traditional 1790s household by lighting candles instead of using electricity, boiling mutton, and--because women were not allowed to sign contracts-- feebly attempting to take over his wife's day job, which involves a lot of contract negotiations.

The book blends unforgettable adventures--delivering a handwritten petition to Congress, applying for a Letter of Marque to become a legal pirate for the government, and battling redcoats as part of a Revolutionary War reenactment group--with dozens of interviews from constitutional experts from both sides. Jacobs dives deep into originalism and living constitutionalism, the two rival ways of interpreting the document.

Much like he did with the Bible in The Year of Living Biblically, Jacobs provides a crash course on our Constitution as he experiences the benefits and perils of living like it's the 1790s. He relishes, for instance, the slow thinking of the era, free from social media alerts. But also discovers the progress we've made since 1789 when married women couldn't own property.

Now more than ever, Americans need to understand the meaning and value of the Constitution. As politicians and Supreme Court Justices wage a high-stakes battle over how literally we should interpret the Constitution, A.J. Jacobs provides an entertaining yet illuminating look into how this storied document fits into our democracy today.

From the environmental activist, consumer advocate, and renowned crusader comes a riveting book that is "part memoir, part non-fiction report, and part call-to-action--a plea to readers to engage with the water crisis in America because no one else is going to do the work for you" (InStyle Magazine).

Clean water is as basic to life on planet Earth as hydrogen or oxygen. In her long-awaited book--her first to reckon with the condition of water on our planet--Erin Brockovich shows us what's at stake. She writes powerfully of the fraudulent science disguising our national water crisis: Cancer clusters are not being reported. People in Detroit and the state of New Jersey don't have clean water. The drinking water for more than six million Americans contains unsafe levels of industrial chemicals linked to cancer and other health issues. The saga of PG&E continues to this day. Yet communities and people around the country are fighting to make an impact, and Brockovich tells us their stories.

In Poughkeepsie, New York, a water operator responded to his customers' concerns and changed his system to create some of the safest water in the country. Local moms in Hannibal, Missouri, became the first citizens in the nation to file an ordinance prohibiting the use of ammonia in their public drinking water. Like them, we can each protect our right to clean water by fighting for better enforcement of laws, new legislation, and stronger regulations.

In 2020, Olivia Laing began to restore an 18th century walled garden in Suffolk, an overgrown Eden of unusual plants. The work brought to light a crucial question for our age: Who gets to live in paradise, and how can we share it while there's still time? Moving between real and imagined gardens, from Milton's Paradise Lost to John Clare's enclosure elegies, from a wartime sanctuary in Italy to a grotesque aristocratic pleasure ground funded by slavery, Laing interrogates the sometimes shocking cost of making paradise on earth.

But the story of the garden doesn't always enact larger patterns of privilege and exclusion. It's also a place of rebel outposts and communal dreams. From the improbable queer utopia conjured by Derek Jarman on the beach at Dungeness to the fertile vision of a common Eden propagated by William Morris, new modes of living can and have been attempted amidst the flower beds, experiments that could prove vital in the coming era of climate change. The result is a humming, glowing tapestry, a beautiful and exacting account of the abundant pleasures and possibilities of gardens: not as a place to hide from the world but as a site of encounter and discovery, bee-loud and pollen-laden.

How did he walk through walls, escape drowning, and shatter iron chains that were tightly wrapped around him?

The rare photos in this book might help you figure it out. So might the exclusive update about the rumor that Houdini was poisoned. But just remember, a true magician never reveals his tricks. . . .

With his firsthand account, Peter W. Ashooh, a retired FBI Special Agent, informs readers about the battles he and his colleagues endured during the reaction and outcome of the 9/11 tragedy. He also explains the changing demands FBI agents experienced in order to prevent the next terrorist attack. Ashooh shares the details of his investigations that identified the activities of the hijackers, up to the day of the attack on the Pentagon.

About the Author

Peter W. Ashooh, a retired FBI Special Agent, first joined the FBI in 1979 after graduation from the College of William and Mary. He served as a firearms instructor, defensive tactics instructor, and tactical instructor for over twenty years. Ashooh acted as the undercover agent in more than twenty separate undercover operations. He trained in martial arts for over 50 years and achieved black belts in multiple styles, currently holding an eighth degree black belt in Isshin-Ryu style of Okinawa karate, weapons, and jujitsu. He currently teaches classes several evenings per week in Virginia, where he lives with his wife, Wini.

Sophie Kowalevski was both a brilliant mathematician and a talented writer. Creative work nurtured her mathematical research, giving her a flexibility of thought she treasured. A wonderful STEAM figure, she not only did mathematical research, but she also created many literary works. This inspiring title tells the story of Sophie's journey as the first woman to receive a doctorate in mathematics, which required original research, holding a university chair in mathematics, and becoming the editor of a major scientific journal.

Simone Arnold is an ordinary French schoolgirl, spirited and stubborn. Then the Nazis march in, demanding complete conformity. Friends become enemies. Teachers spout Nazi propaganda. School officials recruit for the Hitler Youth. Simone's family refuses to heil Hitler as Germany's savior. They are Jehovah's Witnesses, and they reject Nazi racism and violence. The Nazi Lion makes them pay the price.

A delightful and evocative memoir by Leacock Medal nominee Antanas Sileika.

The acclaimed novelist who wrote this book wasn't always Antanas. Growing up in the immigrant hub of Weston, Ontario--with a childhood of Lithuanian summer camp, folk dancing, and booze-soaked Christmases--Sileika was known to friends and teachers as Tony. It wasn't until he entered university and began to understand his deep attachment to his heritage that he shed the anglicized name and became Antanas Sileika, the writer who straddles two worlds.

In animated, entertaining prose, Sileika recounts his time as a young writer in Paris, the dramatic events surrounding Lithuanian independence and the fall of the Soviet Union, and his growing involvement in Lithuania's political and cultural spheres. Proud of his heritage but unafraid to explore its darker chapters, he touches in this book on the Holocaust and the gulag, as well as the new threats facing Eastern Europe today. Laced with humour and wry observations, The Death of Tony is a tribute to the immigrant experience, a primer for Canadian readers on the history and culture of an underrepresented nation, and above all a sensitive exploration of this author's bifurcated identity.

What is freedom worth to you?

At 14 years old, Quyen (Quin) Ha risked everything for a chance for a better life. Living under the communist regime in Viet Nam, Quyen saw his freedoms being taken away. He dreamed of living in America, where he would be free to pursue the American dream.

With nothing but the clothes on his back, Quyen got on a boat to escape to America. The escape was perilous, with the risk of being caught and imprisoned. Those who made it past the Viet Nam border often didn't survive the stormy seas ahead, and many were never heard from again. Yet Quyen knew that this was the only chance he had for freedom.

A Runaway Teenager is an inspirational, heartfelt story of one man's journey to freedom and the trials and tribulations he faced along the way. It's an amazing story of faith, love, sacrifice, and courage. It's a story that we all can relate to in different aspects of our lives-from a struggle to pay bills to the pain of losing a loved one. Quyen's story inspires us to look at life as possible instead of impossible.

Through it all, Quyen never gave up. He never lost sight of what freedom meant. The love Quyen has for his family exemplifies what a son, a brother, a husband, and a father could be. He created a wonderful life for himself, his family, and those around him.

A Runaway Teenager will show you the true meaning of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." You will laugh, you will cry, and most of all, you will see that anything is possible when you live in the greatest country in the world.

Discover the life of Nelson Mandela--a story about uniting a country for kids ages 6 to 9

Nelson Mandela was the first Black president of South Africa, and he dedicated his life to fighting for equal rights for all South Africans. Before he became a symbol of peace and justice around the world, Nelson was a thoughtful kid who loved to play outside and learn new things. Throughout his life, he used his voice to fight against apartheid and didn't back down even after spending 27 years in prison. Explore how Nelson went from being a young boy to a civil rights hero.

The Story of Nelson Mandela includes:

• Core curriculum--Learn the Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How of Nelson's life, and take a quick quiz to test your understanding.
  
• His lasting legacy--Explore how Nelson Mandela made the world a better place for future generations, including you!
• A visual timeline--Watch Nelson progress from kid to president of South Africa with a visual timeline marking the major milestones of his life.
  

How will Nelson's strength inspire you?

The three texts this book, all written in vastly different eras --The Communist Manifesto (1848) by Marx and Engels, Reform or Revolution (1899) by Rosa Luxemburg and Socialism and Man in Cuba (1965) by Ernesto Che Guevara--illuminate socialist ideas of the 19th and 20th centuries.

For a new generation of activists, these are classic revolutionary writings by four famous rebels, including The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels; Reform or Revolution by Rosa Luxemburg; and Che Guevara's Socialism and Man in Cuba. Includes an introduction by Cuban Marxist intellectual Armando Hart and a preface by US radical poet Adrienne Rich.

The essays in this book, Manifesto, were written by three relatively young people--Karl Marx when he was 30, Rosa Luxemburg at 27, Che Guevara at the age of 37. Born into different historical moments and different generations, they shared an energy of hope, an engagement with history, a belief that critical thinking must inform action, and a passion for the world and its human possibilities. Here are urgent conversations from the past that are still being carried on, among new voices, throughout the world.

Selected lives from Plutarch admirably retold by W. H. Weston, including six Greeks (Aristides, Themistocles, Pelopidas, Timoleon, Alexander, Philopoemen) and six Romans (Coriolanus, Tiberius Gracchus, Caius Gracchus, Caius Marius, Julius Caesar, and Brutus). Introductory material by the reteller sets each life in its historical context. Suitable for ages 10 and up.

Award-winning author Reyna Grande shares her compelling experience of crossing borders and cultures in this middle grade adaptation of her "compelling...unvarnished, resonant" (BookPage) memoir, The Distance Between Us.

When her parents make the dangerous and illegal trek across the Mexican border in pursuit of the American dream, Reyna and her siblings are forced to live with their stern grandmother, as they wait for their parents to build the foundation of a new life.

But when things don't go quite as planned, Reyna finds herself preparing for her own journey to "El Otro Lado" to live with the man who has haunted her imagination for years: her long-absent father. Both funny and heartbreaking, The Distance Between Us beautifully captures the struggle that Reyna and her siblings endured while trying to assimilate to a different culture, language, and family life in El Otro Lado (The Other Side).