Other books that might interest you

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  Practically Perfect: Life...

  Katy Brand

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  Mary Poppins is a story of taking practical steps towards happiness. It’s looking at the bright side of life. It’s setting boundaries, deciding what you want and making it happen. That’s the path to being Practically Perfect 
  For comedian Katy Brand, part of the joy of watching Mary Poppins as a child was the thrill of the film’s iconic, no-nonsense heroine. Her unshakeable confidence, her staunch independence, and that touch of magic. Now she’s all grown up, Katy takes another look beyond the talking umbrellas, bottomless bags and dubious cockney accents to show that Mary’s still got something to teach us. 
  She explores how the beloved nanny was brought to life from the page to the big screen, and delves into her most striking memories to uncover themes that are still as important now as they were at the time, from women’s rights and poverty, to toxic masculinity and work-life balance. 
  With interviews and insights from famous fans and friends, Practically Perfect is the common-sense manual for life that we never knew we needed, and sprinkles some supercalifragilistic magic along the way. 
  In this best-selling autobiography, Katy Brand explores her personal relationship with Mary Poppins, a character that has influenced various stages of her life. With a touch of humour, she delves into topics such as women's rights, poverty, toxic masculinity, and work-life balance, making this book a top choice for those interested in memoirs that offer more than just a personal story. 
  For fans of Sarah Millican (How to be Champion), Emma Forrest (Busy Being Free), Lauren Bravo (What Would the Spice Girls Do?), Randall Munroe (What If?), and David Jason (A Del of a Life).

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  Ilya Repin

  Grigori Sternin, Jelena Kirillina

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  Ilya Repin was the most gifted of the group known in Russia as “The Itinerants”. When only twelve years old, he joined Ivan Bounakov’s studio to learn the icon-painter’s craft. Religious representations always remained of great importance for him. From 1864 to 1873 Repin studied at the Academy of the Arts in Saint Petersburg under Kramskoï. Repin also studied in Paris for two years, where he was strongly influenced by outdoor painting without, becoming an Impressionist, a style that he judged too distant from reality. Taken with French pictorial culture, he worked to understand its role in the evolution of contemporary art. Most of Repin’s powerful work deals with the social dilemmas of Russian life in the nineteenth century. He established his reputation in 1873 with the celebrated picture Barge Haulers on the Volga, symbol of the oppressed Russian people pulling their chains. This struggle against the autocracy inspired many works. He also painted Russia’s official history in such works as Ivan the Terrible Meditating at the Deathbed of his Son Ivan. Seen as one of the masters of realist painting, he devoted himself to portraying the lives of his contemporaries: the most renowned Russian writers, artists, and intellectuals; peasants at work; the faithful in procession; and revolutionaries on the barricades. He understood the pains of the people perfectly, as well as the needs and the joys of ordinary lives. Kramskoï said on this subject: “Repin has a gift for showing the peasant as he is. I know many painters who show the moujik, and they do it well, but none can do so with as much talent as Repin.”Repin’s works, which depart from the academic constraints of their predecessors, are both delicate and powerful. He achieved a superior mastery of skill, and found new accents to transcribe the many-coloured and brilliant vibrations he sensed in the ordinary world around him.

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  Truman Capote - A Literary Life...

  Tison Pugh

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  The author of Queer Chivalry presents a biographical study of the celebrity writer “rich with insight into [his] literary and cinematic achievements” (Publishers Weekly).   Truman Capote’s legacy is in many ways defined by his complex relationship with Hollywood. In Truman Capote: A Literary Life at the Movies, Tison Pugh explores the author and his literature through a cinematic lens, weaving elements of Capote’s biography—including his flamboyant public persona and his friendships and feuds with notable stars—with critical analysis of the films, screenplays, and adaptations of his works. Capote’s masterful prose made him an iconic twentieth century author, and his screenplays, including Beat the Devil, Indiscretion of an American Wife, and The Innocents, allowed him to collaborate with such Hollywood heavyweights as Humphrey Bogart, John Huston, and David O. Selznick. But the beloved and acclaimed adaptations of his literature, most notably Breakfast at Tiffany’s and In Cold Blood, undercut his daring treatment of homosexuality in favor of heterosexual romance. Pugh demonstrates how Capote’s gay southern identity influenced perceptions of his literature and its adaptations. Illuminating Capote’s successes and disappointments in the film industry, Pugh delivers a revealing and nuanced portrait of the author’s literary life.

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  Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

  Tennessee Williams

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  At the core of the drama is Brick, an alcoholic son mourning the death of his friend, Skipper, and his strained marriage to Maggie. Maggie, resilient yet desperate for love, grapples with Brick's emotional withdrawal. The family is entrenched in mendacity, with each member harboring secrets, particularly about Big Daddy's terminal cancer.As the layers of deception unravel, characters confront uncomfortable truths, and the Southern setting intensifies the tension. Williams masterfully explores identity, truth, and the consequences of denial. The title, "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," symbolizes the characters' internal struggles and societal expectations.The play's success lies in its exploration of taboo subjects, richly drawn characters, and evocative dialogue. Williams captures Southern speech's nuances, infusing authenticity. The stifling heat enhances the palpable unease. "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" resonates for its bold portrayal of human frailty, earning critical acclaim and enduring as a classic in American literature and theater.

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  Historic Charleston and the...

  Steve Gross, Susan Daley

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  An intimate tour of some of the finest historic homes, gardens, churches, and plantations of the old city of Charleston and its surrounding Lowcountry.

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  Pepsodent Show The - Volume 2 -...

  Staff Writer

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  The name Leslie Townes Hope is not the most familiar to us.  Born in Eltham, London on May 29th, 1903 he and his family emigrated to the United States aboard the SS Philadelphia before moving to Cleveland, Ohio. 
   
  Although he entered show business in the 1920's it was only in 1928 that he changed his name to the one and only Bob Hope. 
   
  Stints in Vaudeville and then Broadway were followed by his radio debut in 1932 and feature films in 1938.   
   
  1938 was a banner year for Bob Hope as it was also the debut season for the eventual decade running smash-hit radio show: The Pepsodent Show.  Despite the sponsors, name getting the billing this was Hope’s show.   
   
  His opening monologue was the result of his hiring from his own pocket – he had an extravagant salary from the sponsor - of a team of 8 writers to write top notch jokes and skits.  His comic timing turned him into a sensation.  The show was so popular that it had its pick of the best of show business stars. Everyone wanted in. 
   
  Now its time to cut the talk and get ready for laughs.  It’s time for Bob Hope and his guests.

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