The Day Nina Simone Stopped Singing

Darina Al Joundi, Mohamed Kacimi

Maison d'édition: The Feminist Press at CUNY

Synopsis

The Homeland actress’s “recollections of her unconventional youth in war-torn Beirut are heartbreaking yet humorous . . . in this unique” memoir (Publishers Weekly).   Raised in 1970s Lebanon on Charles Baudelaire, A Clockwork Orange, and fine Bordeaux, Darina Al-Joundi was encouraged by her unconventional father to defy all taboos. She spent her adolescence defying death in Beirut nightclubs as bombs fell across the city. The more oppressive the country became, the more drugs and anonymous sex she had, fueling the resentment directed at her daily by the same men who would spend the night with her.   As the war dies down, she begins to incur the consequences of her lifestyle. On his deathbed, her father’s last wish is for his favorite song, “Sinnerman” by Nina Simone, to be played at his funeral instead of the traditional suras of the Koran. When she does just that, the final act of defiance elicits a catastrophic response from her surviving family members.   In this dramatic true story, Darina Al-Joundi is defiantly passionate about living her life as a liberated woman, even if it means leaving everyone and everything behind in this “beautifully taut and relentlessly unemotional” memoir (Kirkus).

Disponible depuis: 15/03/2011.

Longueur d'impression: 146 pages.

D'autres livres qui pourraient vous intéresser

Subversive - Christ Culture and...

Crystal Downing

Known for her bestselling detective novels, Dorothy L. Sayers lived a fascinating, groundbreaking life as a novelist, feminist, Oxford scholar, and important influence on the spiritual life of C. S. Lewis. This pioneering woman not only forged a literary career for herself but also spoke about faith and culture in revolutionary ways as she addressed the evergreen question of to what extent faith should hold on to tradition and to what extent it should evolve with a changing culture. Thanks to her unmatched wisdom, prophetic tone, and insistent strength, Dorothy Sayers is a voice that we cannot afford to ignore. 
 
 
 
Providing a blueprint for bridge-building in contemporary, polarizing contexts, Subversive shows how Sayers used edgy, often hilarious metaphors to ignite new ways to think about Christianity, shocking people into seeing the truth of ancient doctrine in a new light. Urging readers to reassess interpretations of the Bible that impede the cause of Christ, Sayers helps twenty-first-century Christians navigate a society increasingly suspicious of evangelical vocabularies and find new ways to talk and think about faith and culture. Ultimately, she will inspire believers, on both the right and the left, to evaluate how and why their language perpetuates divisive certitude rather than the hopeful humility of faith, and will show us all a better way forward.

Voir livre

John F Kennedy - The truth about...

Influential Events Publishing

Do you want to learn about John F. Kennedy?
Jоhn F. Kennedy, the 35th President оf thе Unitеd Stаtеѕ, is оnе of the most celebrated аnd idоlizеd figurеѕ in Amеriсаn history. Bоrn into a wеаlthу, wеll-соnnесtеd fаmilу, Kеnnеdу was bred fоr a lifе in роlitiсѕ. Aftеr serving in thе U.S. Nаvу during Wоrld Wаr II—JFK еаrnеd ѕеvеrаl mеdаlѕ fоr his brаvеrу—hе ran fоr Cоngrеѕѕ аnd won a ѕеаt in the Hоuѕе оf Rерrеѕеntаtivеѕ in 1946. Kеnnеdу ѕеrvеd in Cоngrеѕѕ for fоurtееn years—аnd built a real nаmе fоr himself in thе Dеmосrаtiс Pаrtу.
Thоugh his рrеѕidеnсу wаѕ сhаrасtеrizеd by a mixеd bаg оf blunders (thе Bау оf Pigѕ), ѕuссеѕѕеѕ (thе Cuban Miѕѕilе Crisis), аnd indiѕсrеtiоnѕ (affairs with numеrоuѕ wоmеn), Kеnnеdу'ѕ сhаriѕmа wаѕ a constant аnd hiѕ vision of Amеriсаn progress was undeniably inѕрiring. Trаgiсаllу, John F. Kеnnеdу was аѕѕаѕѕinаtеd on Nоvеmbеr 22nd, 1963, еnding оnе of thе mоѕt promising роlitiсаl саrееrѕ оf thе 20th сеnturу far tоо еаrlу.
Althоugh Jоhn F. Kеnnеdу'ѕ tеnurе as commander-in-chief wаѕ trаgiсаllу ѕhоrt—оnlу twо уеаrѕ and ten mоnthѕ раѕѕеd between hiѕ inauguration аnd hiѕ аѕѕаѕѕinаtiоn—аnd his ассоmрliѕhmеntѕ in thе Whitе Hоuѕе rеlаtivеlу modest, he iѕ widеlу regarded as one оf thе mоѕt important аnd influential рrеѕidеntѕ of аll timе.
Why? Thе аnѕwеr iѕ ѕimрlе. JFK wаѕ—аnd iѕ—аn Amеriсаn iсоn. Here Is A Preview Of What You'll Learn... Who wаѕ Jоhn F. Kеnnеdу and whаt hе did? Biоgrарhiсаl аѕресtѕ оf hiѕ life Jоhn F. Kеnnеdу’ѕ Education and Beginnings Philоѕорhу аbоut Politics Aѕѕаѕѕinаtiоn Historical Еvаluаtiоnѕ and Lеgасу Much,much more!

Voir livre

When The Universe Holds Your...

Katie Baker

For years, Katie Baker wore the mask of a woman who had it all together. On the surface, she was a successful professional, a loving mother, and the embodiment of relentless perseverance. But beneath that carefully crafted facade, the cracks were deepening into fractures too wide to ignore. Haunted by a childhood of instability—marked by alcoholic fathers, sexual, physical, and verbal abuse, a lack of protection, and exposure to addiction—she carried her pain like an invisible weight. Pressured by societal expectations to “buck up,” she buried her wounds under achievement and resilience, holding onto pain and shame well into her late 40s.
In this raw and unflinching memoir, Katie takes readers on her journey from rock bottom to radical transformation. Guided by courage and therapeutic psychedelics, she confronted the darkness she had spent a lifetime outrunning—unraveling the shame, guilt, and addiction that had stolen so much from her life. Through profound medicine journeys, she unearthed the lost pieces of herself and reclaimed the life she was meant to live.
But this is more than a story of healing—it’s a story of rediscovery. With vulnerability, grit, and humor, Katie reflects on the childhood that shaped her, the courage it took to rebuild, and the light that emerges when we finally face our deepest wounds.
For anyone who has ever struggled to find their way back to themselves, When The Universe Holds Your Hair Back is a beacon of hope, redemption, and the powerful reminder that healing is not a destination—it’s a journey home.

Voir livre

Still - A Memoir

Julia Kelly

Julia Kelly's mother, Delphine, spent much of her life in the shadows as a politician's wife, tending selflessly to the needs of her husband, John, and five wild children. Rattling around in a draughty house, the siblings – though much-loved – are left largely to their own devices, tended to by a series of hapless au-pairs, dodging mouse invasions and forever in search of their exhausted mother's attention.
When John collapses of a heart attack at the age of fifty-nine, it is a sad liberation for his wife. Unshackled from her domestic duties, Delphine undergoes a transformation. She embraces sea-swimming and, along with a coterie of elderly ladies, sets out on adventures to far-flung places. Her final journey is to the Galapagos Islands where, hit by an unexpected wave, she loses her balance and is forced underwater. When her body surfaces she is no longer breathing. The book left on her bedside locker in the hotel is 1,000 Places to See Before You Die.
Mired in grief, the five siblings begin the long repatriation of their mother's body. But it is the post-mortem report that provides the key to Julia's healing and recovery: gradually, within the clinical descriptions of limbs and eyes, heart and toes, Julia finds solace. Taking inspiration from each body part, she breathes life into Delphine – finally still and fully present for the first time in her seventy-two years – in gorgeous, luminous prose.
What leaps from the pages of STILL is someone unforgettable: a vibrant, complex woman, whose endless capacity for love continues to inspire and comfort. In the end, She died as she had always strived to live: in the middle of a huge adventure, diving into the great unknown.

Voir livre

Sociopath - A Memoir: Book...

Briefly Summaries

This is a concise summary and analysis of Sociopath - A Memoir, by Patric Gagne. It is not the original book and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Patric Gagne. Ideal for those seeking a quick and insightful overview.
 
"Sociopath: A Memoir" provides an intense and revealing look into the life of a person who exhibits sociopathic traits. Through a candid and unflinching narrative, the authors explore their personal experiences and struggles, offering insight into the psychology behind sociopathy and its impact on relationships and self-perception. This memoir delves deep into the complexities of living with and understanding sociopathy, blending personal anecdotes with psychological analysis to offer a comprehensive exploration of the condition.

Voir livre

Don't Count Me Out - A Baltimore...

Rafael Alvarez

Don't Count Me Out chronicles the life of Bruce White from the beginning of his drug use in elementary school through criminal acts fueled by his need for drugs, to his miraculous recovery three decades later and involvement in the treatment of addicts, where he is now a leader in the rehabilitation field. 
 
 
 
Rafael Alvarez's recounting of White's journey should inspire those dealing with the fallout of addiction. Alvarez, a journalist and screenwriter, allows the listener to get inside the head of an addict who was stealing alcohol from his parents at the age of nine, selling drugs and tripping on LSD and PCP by the time he hit seventh grade, and hooked on morphine before he turned fifteen. "Bruce White? I thought he was dead?" is a response encountered in many of the interviews Alvarez conducted. 
 
 
 
Don't Count Me Out shines a spotlight on an improbable and stunning miracle. Though this is just one person's story, the contributing factors of early sexual assault, the role of permissive preoccupied parents, and the need for peer approval, among others, will resonate with many as the opioid crisis continues to haunt us.

Voir livre