Biography: general Books

Book Synopsis“[A] gorgeously-written . . . brave and generous memoir” about growing up in a family with conflicting ideas about being Jewish and finding your own path (Dani Shapiro, New York Times–bestselling author of Inheritance). Though culturally Jewish, Elissa Altman was not raised religious. Her mother, an aspiring actor, didn’t feel the ancient teachings of the Talmud were relevant to modern life. Her father, the son of a cantor whose family died in the Holocaust, was the consummate rule breaker, caught between his spiritual hunger and his ongoing culinary affair with shellfish and spam—all things treyf, that which is unkosher and therefore forbidden. Altman’s youth was laced with contradiction and hope, betrayal and the yearning to belong. Synagogue on Saturday and Chinese pork ribs on Sunday. Bacon for breakfast before going to visit her orthodox grandparents. Longing for the religious traditions that grounded her friends’ lives, Altman attended Hebrew school, only to discover her own prohibited desire for other women. After her parents’ marriage fell apart, Altman found a haven at her grandmother’s house, cooking meals that made her feel whole again while embracing her homosexuality. Her story is a poignant, humorous and uplifting account of learning how to honor your past while becoming your most authentic self. “What makes Treyf so original is the author’s wry humor and her gimlet eye. . . . Her prose shines.” —The Wall Street Journal “A beautiful, brilliant memoir filled with striking images, unforgettable people, and vivid stories. . . . Wrought with such visceral love that the pages shimmer.” —Kate Christensen, author of Blue Plate Special “Gorgeous, singular, heartbreaking, haunting.” —Joanna Rakoff, author of My Salinger Year “Hard to put down.” —Booklist “Poignant and life-affirming.” —Kirkus Reviews

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Book Synopsis“[A] smart yet tender tale. . . . Sometimes heartbreaking, often hilarious . . . one of the finest food memoirs of recent years.” - The New York Times Book ReviewFor a woman raised by a weight-obsessed mother and a father who rebelled by sneaking his daughter out to lavish meals at such fine dining establishments as Le Pavillon and La Grenouille, food could be a fraught proposition. Not that this stopped Elissa Altman from pursuing a culinary career. Everything Elissa cooked was inspired by the French haute cuisine she once secretly enjoyed with her dad, from the rare game birds she served at extravagant dinner parties held in her tiny New York City apartment to the eight timbale molds she purchased from Dean & Deluca, just so she could make her food tall. All that elegance was called into question when Elissa fell in love with Susan, a small-town woman whose idea of fine dining was a rustic meal served on her best tag sale TV tray. Susan’s devotion to simple living astounded Elissa, even as it changed the way she thought about food--;and the family who taught her everything she understood about it--forever.Based on the James Beard Award–winning blog and filled with twenty-six delicious recipes, Poor Man’s Feast is one woman’s achingly honest, often uproarious journey to making peace with food and finding lasting love.Trade Review“A brave, generous story about family, food, and finding the way home.” - Molly Wizenberg, New York Times–bestselling author of A Homemade Life “Luminous writing.” - Publishers Weekly “Reminiscent of Elizabeth David, M. F. K. Fisher, A. J. Liebling . . . reflective of Laurie Colwin and her praise of simple, home-cooked, ‘real’ food.” - New York Journal of Books “A beautiful story.” - Deborah Madison, James Beard Award–winning author of Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

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Book SynopsisW.E.B. Du Bois spent many decades fighting to ensure that African Americans could claim their place as full citizens and thereby fulfill the deeply compromised ideals of American democracy. Yet he died in Africa, having apparently given up on the United States. In this tour-de-force, Elvira Basevich examines this paradox by tracing the development of his life and thought and the relevance of his legacy to our troubled age. She adroitly analyses the main concepts that inform Du Bois’s critique of American democracy, such as the color line and double consciousness, before examining how these concepts might inform our understanding of contemporary struggles, from Black Lives Matter to the campaign for reparations for slavery. She stresses the continuity in Du Bois’s thought, from his early writings to his later embrace of self-segregation and Pan-Africanism, while not shying away from assessing the challenging implications of his later work. This wonderful book vindicates the power of Du Bois’s thought to help transform a stubbornly unjust world. It is essential reading for racial justice activists as well as students of African American philosophy and political thought.Trade Review�With the breadth of a biographer, the depth of a philosopher, and the vision of a poet, Elvira Basevich gives us a compelling elucidation of W.E.B. Du Bois� radical liberalism. This is essential reading for understanding why Du Bois still matters!�Melvin Rogers, Brown University �In a direct and accessible prose, linking philosophical abstraction with grassroots activism, Elvira Basevich brings us a Du Bois by no means merely a figure of historical importance but very much a thinker relevant for the social justice struggles of today.�Charles Mills, City University of New York

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Book SynopsisWho was Martha Bernays, the Hamburg-born woman who, after a long and turbulent engagement and against the opposition of her mother, married the Viennese doctor Sigmund Freud and lived at his side for more than fifty years as wife and mother of six? How did she feel, coming from a traditional Jewish family but living in a household with no religious background? How did she cope with the challenge of being married to the man whose work revolutionized our ways of thinking about human sexuality? In this, the first biography of Martha Freud, Katja Behling portrays this remarkable woman, whose loyalty and steadfastness contributed in no small measure to the extraordinary success of psychoanalysis as it went from strength to strength and spread from Vienna to the four corners of the earth. Trade Review"A remarkable story."—Prospect "Behling evokes a Martha who is a far more substantial woman that the 'adored sweetheart in youth' and 'beloved wife in maturity' Freud apostrophized. This book stands alone or as worthy companion to any biography of Freud."—Lisa Appignanesi "Finally a long overdue biography of Martha Freud gives us an authentic picture of the family life of her husband, Sigmund Freud. Speculations about Freud's personal life which range from the trivial to the salacious will need to shop short on the frontier of this excellent portrait of a highly ethical and decent human being and the hard work and the love it takes to establish and transmit these qualities. Martha Freud constructed a network of child- and husband-care and social concern whose inspiration and independence prohibits dismissive attitudes towards the traditional stereotype of the good hausfrau under which she has laboured. Behling's book gives us a picture of a particular woman which makes us rethink our general categories."—Juliet Mitchell, University of CambridgeTable of ContentsForeword by Anton W. Freud Preface HAMBURG A Hamburg Childhood The Move to Vienna Isaac Bernays, Martha’s Grandfather Berman Bernays, Martha’s Father Emmeline Bernays, Martha’s Mother The Lovely Martha Cupid’s Arrow Wandsbek The Cocaine Episode: an Opportunity Missed Paris Eli Bernays, Martha’s Brother Till Death Us Do Part VIENNA Berggasse 19 Minna Bernays, Martha’s Sister Sigmund and Martha Freud Travel Berlin Friends Martha as a Mother The Freud Family Martha’s Children Later Years: She was ‘Normal' Illnesses LONDON Emigration Refuge in Hampstead The Death of Her Husband The Second World War The Final Years Martha’s Death Martha and Her Influence on Psychoanalysis Martha Freud, an Epilogue APPENDIX Chronological Table Bibliography Notes Illustrations Acknowledgements

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Book SynopsisJohn James Audubon's The Birds of America stands as an unparalleled achievement in American art, a huge book that puts nature dramatically on the page. With that work, Audubon became one of the most adulated artists of his time, and America's first celebrity scientist. In this fresh approach to Audubon's art and science, Gregory Nobles shows us that Audubon's greatest creation was himself. A self-made man incessantly striving to secure his place in American society, Audubon made himself into a skilled painter, a successful entrepreneur, and a prolific writer, whose words went well beyond birds and scientific description. He sought status with the "gentlemen of science" on both sides of the Atlantic, but he also embraced the ornithology of ordinary people. In pursuit of popular acclaim in art and science, Audubon crafted an expressive, audacious, and decidedly masculine identity as the "American Woodsman," a larger-than-life symbol of the new nation, a role he perfected in his quest for transatlantic fame. Audubon didn't just live his life; he performed it. In exploring that performance, Nobles pays special attention to Audubon's stories, some of which—the murky circumstances of his birth, a Kentucky hunting trip with Daniel Boone, an armed encounter with a runaway slave—Audubon embellished with evasions and outright lies. Nobles argues that we cannot take all of Audubon's stories literally, but we must take them seriously. By doing so, we come to terms with the central irony of Audubon's true nature: the man who took so much time and trouble to depict birds so accurately left us a bold but deceptive picture of himself.Trade ReviewGregory Nobles illuminates different sides of the indefatigable explorer’s personality, actions, and life. As Audubon joined his adopted country in some of the shameful aspects of its history, he also embodied much of its good: hope, perseverance, and democratic values—for whites, anyway. Despite Audubon’s contradictions, we can still admire him for his relentless quest to document the feathered residents of North America. * American Birding Association *Historian Gregory Nobles explicates the man in all his complexity. . . . Deftly dissecting the multifaceted life of the Frenchman who came to embody the American pioneer more than any natural-born citizen, Nobles balances fresh anecdotes with skepticism [and] delivers a captivating portrait of a self-taught, self-made man who out of passion to paint America's birds illustrated a country ripe with possibilities. * American History *Nobles’s John James Audubon, beautifully produced by the University of Pennsylvania Press . . . delivers, competently and fluently, what its subtitle promises—an investigation of Audubon’s personal brand, the ‘American Woodsman.' * American Historical Review *Nobles . . . skillfully provides a readable account of this self-proclaimed ‘American woodsman.’ The author deems Audubon ‘America’s first celebrity scientist,’ who went to great lengths to promote himself as an artist, an entrepreneur, and a ‘gentleman of science.’ * Choice *This welcome new contribution to Audubon studies moves us several steps forward. . . . Nobles’s thorough contextualization and discussion of the evidence render his argument persuasive and original in its depth and thoroughness. * Early American Literature *The ten chapters of this excellent book review the life and times of John James Audubon in a refreshingly honest manner, detailing Audubon’s development as a brilliant bird artist and scientist and, most importantly, his careful creation of an image of himself as an ‘American woodsman.’ There have ben many biographies of Audubon, but this one is unique in its in-depth discussion of Audubon’s character and his lifelong attempt to become a greater national figure and bird artist than his predecessor, Alexander Wilson…A very informative and delightful read. [Recommended] to anyone with an interest in art, nature, or American history. * Pennsylvania Heritage *More than a century and a half after his death, John James Audubon-flamboyant, intense, garrulous, insecure, and yet gifted beyond measure-remains one of the most compelling figures in American history. In this fine new biography, Gregory Nobles brings 'the American Woodsman' back to full, vivid life, capturing the artist's many facets as Audubon himself captured the essence of his beloved birds. * Scott Weidensaul, author of Of a Feather: A Brief History of American Birding *Compulsively readable and fascinating. Gregory Nobles's bottom-to-top assessment of the entire tableau of Audubon lore is terrific. * Daniel Lewis, author of The Feathery Tribe: Robert Ridgway and the Modern Study of Birds *An elegant book that adroitly weaves together a portrait of a man of genius and an account of the cultural and economic worlds in which he worked. * Ann Fabian, author of The Skull Collectors: Race, Science, and America's Unburied Dead *

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Book Synopsis“This is conquered land.” The Dakota woman’s words, spoken at a community meeting in St. Paul, struck Nora Murphy forcefully. Her own Irish great-great grandparents, fleeing the potato famine, had laid claim to 160 acres in a virgin maple grove in Minnesota. That her dispossessed ancestors’ homestead, The Maples, was built upon another, far more brutal dispossession is the hard truth underlying White Birch, Red Hawthorn, a memoir of Murphy’s search for the deeper connections between this contested land and the communities who call it home.In twelve essays, each dedicated to a tree significant to Minnesota, Murphy tells the story of the grove that, long before the Irish arrived, was home to three Native tribes: the Dakota, Ojibwe, and Ho-Chunk. She notes devastating strategies employed by the U.S. government to wrest the land from the tribes, but also revisits iconic American tales that subtly continue to promote this displacement—the Thanksgiving story, the Paul Bunyan myth, and Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books. Murphy travels to Ireland to search out another narrative long hidden—that of her great-great-grandmother’s transformative journey from North Tipperary to The Maples.In retrieving these stories, White Birch, Red Hawthorn uncovers lingering wounds of the past—and the possibility that, through connection to this suffering, healing can follow. The next step is simple, Murphy tells us: listen.Trade Review"White Birch, Red Hawthorn is not only educational, with the stories of the struggles that have been inflicted on American Indians, but also an inspirational story of Nora Murphy’s path to discover her Irish ancestry."—Mary LaGarde, Executive Director, Minneapolis American Indian Center"Writing with unflinching honesty and a willingness to take responsibility for her family’s legacy, Nora Murphy explores the origins of white, European dominion in this country. She blends acute observations, poignant anecdotes, and research, providing a road map for descendants of immigrant families looking for a deeper relationship with their own culture."—Diane Wilson, Executive Co-director, Dream of Wild Health, and author of Spirit Car"With White Birch, Red Hawthorn, Nora Murphy displays incredible bravery—she asks hard questions and points out the elephant in the room. She creates language to say the things left unsaid."—Wambdi Wapaha, Sioux Valley Dakota Nation"Nora Murphy sees something that, for whatever reason, most Americans don’t see—that there is another way to see and be on this continent. We live with a paradigm of separation that is doing us damage. This needs to be said and it needs to be heard. It also needs to be heard from a woman’s voice. Nora’s is that voice because it is obvious she has the insight, the intellect, and the direct experience."—Kent Nerburn, author of The Girl Who Sang to the Buffalo and Neither Wolf Nor Dog"Nora Murphy defines her work as cultural outsider: she listens, she doesn’t try to fix anything, and she resists the urge to dominate. She has accomplished the difficult task of writing from what she has learned of people unlike herself, not about them. Harder still, she has learned to love another culture and yet understand it does not belong to her."—Heid Erdrich, author of Original Local: Indigenous Foods, Stories, and Recipes from the Upper Midwest"How did her forebears come to own that stand of sugar maples in Stearns County? Who owned it before? What happened to them? Her questions started a quest that has occupied Murphy for 20 years and challenged all her assumptions about her place in this country."—Star Tribune"White Birch, Red Hawthorn is an eye-opening read, to say the least."—Twin Cities Geek"White Birch, Red Hawthorn is a work of great insight and bravery that manages to challenge readers’ beliefs without becoming strident or arrogant. No matter where we live on this continent, this work serves as a valuable guide for all who want to understand the process by which our cities, towns, and houses were built on top of someone else’s home."—The Annals of IowaTable of ContentsContentsStrandedOld StoriesThe CedarsThe Crab AppleThe PinesAmerican ChestnutThe ElmConquest in the MaplesThe MaplesWild RiceWhite BirchPotatoComing HomeRed HawthornThe ChokecherryThe Crab AppleAcknowledgmentsResources and Further Reading

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Book SynopsisA pajama party at the Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport inadvertently helped launch R.T. Rybak’s political career (imagine a rumba line one hundred protesters long chanting, “We deserve to sleep, hey!”), but his earliest lessons in leadership occurred during his childhood. Growing up in a middle-class neighborhood, attending private school with students who had much more than he did, spending evenings at his family’s store in an area where people lived with much less, he witnessed firsthand the opportunity and injustice of the city he called home. In a memoir that is at once a political coming-of-age story and a behind-the-scenes look at the running of a great city, the three-term mayor takes readers into the highs and lows and the daily drama of a life inextricably linked with Minneapolis over the past fifty years. With refreshing candor and insight, Rybak describes his path through journalism, marketing, and community activism that led to his unlikely (to him, at least) primary election—on September 11, 2001. His personal account of the challenges and crises confronting the city over twelve years, including the tragic collapse of the I-35W bridge, the rising scourge of youth violence, and the bruising fight over a ban on gay marriage (with Rybak himself conducting the first such ceremony at City Hall on August 1, 2013), is also an illuminating, often funny depiction of learning the workings of the job, frequently on the fly, while trying to keep up with his most important constituency, his family. As bracing as the “fresh air” campaign that swept him into office, Rybak’s memoir is that rare document from a politician: one more concerned with the people he served and the issues of his time than with burnishing his own credentials. As such, it reflects what leadership truly looks like.Trade Review"There are four types of political memoirs, depending on whether or not the politician was any good and whether or not the politician can write. There is much to be learned from all four, but only one type can be recommended with enthusiasm. A skilled journalist before he became a great mayor, R.T. Rybak has given us a story that deserves the attention of all those who enjoy good governance and good reading."—Jeff Speck, author of Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time"This is a fascinating look into the personal and political life of one of the best big city mayors in the U.S. R.T. Rybak, a leader of the American Progressive Movement, started out as a Nixon Republican and became a public servant known for his honesty and his willingness to tackle the really tough problems of urban America. It's a great read."—Howard Dean, former governor of Vermont*"R.T. Rybak's decision to return to writing is an enormous gift to us all. This book is a love letter to Minneapolis, and it tells the riveting story of what you must tackle to make and keep a city great."—Lizz Winstead, cocreator of The Daily Show"It is a rare political book that makes us laugh out loud while also inviting us to examine the challenges of running a modern American city."—Michele Norris, former host of NPR’s All Things Considered and founder of The Race Card Project"In his dozen years as mayor of Minneapolis, R.T. Rybak was the poster child for ebullience, a fearless crowd-surfer. . . and an advocate for equality."—Star Tribune"The job of building community is bigger and so much more complex than most people can imagine, and that shines through in Rybak’s vivid and honest stories."—Governing Magazine"Innocuous, fairly interesting and often entertaining."—Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

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Book SynopsisHow a Black woman from Texas became one of the most well-known civil rights activists in Minnesota, detailing seven remarkable decades of fighting for fairness in voting, housing, education, and employment Why do you continue to work on issues of justice? young Black people ask Josie Johnson today, then, perhaps in the same breath, How do you maintain hope? This book, a lifetime in the making, is Josie’s answer. A memoir about shouldering the cause of social justice during the darkest hours and brightest moments for civil rights in America—and, specifically, in Minnesota—Hope in the Struggle shines light on the difference one person can make. For Josie Johnson, this has meant making a difference as a Black woman in one of the nation’s whitest states.Josie’s story begins in a tight-knit community in Texas, where the unfairness of the segregated South, so antithetical to the values she learned at home, sharpened a sense of justice that guides her to this day. From the age of fourteen, when she went door to door with her father in Houston to campaign against the Poll Tax, to the moment in 2008 when, as a delegate at the Democratic National Convention, she cast her vote for Barack Obama for president, she has been at the forefront of the politics of civil rights. Her memoir offers a close-up picture of what that struggle has entailed, whether working as a community organizer for the Minneapolis Urban League or lobbying for fair housing and employment laws, investigating civil rights abuses or co-chairing the Minnesota delegation to the March on Washington, becoming the first African American to serve on the University of Minnesota’s Board of Regents or creating the university’s Office of the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs with a focus on minority affairs and diversity. An intimate view of civil rights history in the making, Hope in the Struggle is a uniquely inspiring life story for these current dark and divisive times, a testament to how one determined soul can make the world a better place.Trade Review"Josie R. Johnson has always been a champion of fairness and decency, and this book shows us that while there is still work to be done, with her help, there will always be hope."—Walter Mondale"Like other institutions, like our society, like human life itself, universities are based on hope—on the belief that a struggle is worth it and that it can, and will, be won. Once in a while, someone comes along to help a university define hope in the midst of struggle. Dr. Josie Johnson, my admired colleague Josie, helped teach a generation of us at the University of Minnesota that the struggle for human and civil rights is worth it and that it can—and will—be won. Yes, she always taught us that there is ‘hope in the struggle’!"—Nils Hasselmo, former president, University of Minnesota"Dr. Josie Johnson’s memoir poignantly captures nearly sixty years of the struggle for Civil Rights between 1950 and the election of President Barak Obama in 2008. Written from the perspective of a community activist, parent, scholar, and university administrator, Johnson has articulated well the issues confronting the movement for social justice in the United States. The breadth of her political contacts and the impact of her life’s work are breathtaking. This is a must read for those interested in American social history."—David Vassar Taylor, former dean, General College of the University of Minnesota"This is a must read for civil rights historians, public policy practitioners, women advocates, and anyone looking to be inspired. It chronicles Josie Johnson’s lifelong commitment to the struggle of the Black community to triumph over racism and discrimination. She gives us a more intimate understanding of the motivation behind her courageous work in Mississippi, at the Urban League in north Minneapolis, and at the University of Minnesota. Hope in the Struggle reminds us of the power of faith, the promise of hope, and the resilience that stems from love. Thank you, ‘Mama Josie,’ for sharing your love of family and community with all of us."—Sharon Sayles Belton, former mayor of Minneapolis "Johnson tells the city’s history, from the early 1950s until now, by placing its tiny but vibrant black community at the center. This is a memoir of Minneapolis. That it is told by an African-American woman makes it rare and necessary. That she is not afraid to identify and call out the ways in which white supremacy excluded black people from their full rights as Minnesotans—from exclusionary housing covenants to employment discrimination—is important. It’s a book that might help newcomers understand the city’s racial history and one that long-timers might find revelatory."—Star Tribune "Johnson’s memoir covers a lot of difficult territory, but one thing rings clear throughout: She has met these myriad challenges and difficulties with intelligence, energy, and hope."—Minnesota Alumni "Josie Johnson. The term ‘living legend’ might well understate her stature in the community. She is a beloved lady with a warmhearted smile and serious political clout who has made history."—Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder "This inspiring memoir describes how one person, a black woman from Texas, has made a difference in one of the whitest states in the country."—Minnesota History "A captivating book that explores the history of racial inequality in the United States."—The Corresponder

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Book SynopsisA veteran Twin Cities journalist and raconteur summons the life of the city after reporting and recording its stories for more than thirty years Two or three times a week, as a columnist, hustling freelance writer, and genuinely curious reporter, Jim Walsh would hang out in a coffee shop or a bar, or wander in a club or on a side street, and invariably a story would unfold—one more chapter in the story of Minneapolis, the city that was his home and his beat for more than thirty years. Fear and Loving in South Minneapolis tells that story, collecting the encounters and adventures and lives that make a city hum—and make South Minneapolis what it is. Here is a man who drives around Minneapolis in a van that sports a neon sign and keeps a running tally of the soldiers killed in Iraq. Here is another, haunted by the woman he fell in love with, and lost, many years ago at the Minnesota Music Café on St. Paul’s East Side. Here are strangers on a cold night on the corner of Forty-sixth and Nicollet, finding comfort in each other’s company in the wake of the shootings in Paris. And here are Walsh’s own memories catching up with him: the woman who joined him in representing “junior royalty” for the Minneapolis Aquatennial when they were both seven years old; the lost friend, Soul Asylum’s Karl Mueller, recalled while sitting on his memorial bench at Walsh’s go-to refuge, the Rose Gardens near Lake Harriet. These everyday interactions, ordinary people, and quiet moments in Jim Walsh’s writing create an extraordinary picture of a city’s life. James Joyce famously bragged that if Dublin were ever destroyed, it could be rebuilt in its entirety from his written works. The Minneapolis that Jim Walsh maps is more a matter of heart, of urban life built on human connections, than of streets intersecting and literal landmarks: it is that lived city, documented in measures large and small, that his book brings so vividly to mind, drafting a blueprint of a community’s soul and inviting a reader into the boundless, enduring experience of Fear and Loving in South Minneapolis.Trade Review"As fine a writer as the Twin Cities has ever spawned."—Bob Collins, Minnesota Public Radio"Throughout this generous, sprawling, and haunted (yes, it is) volume, characters rise and descend, slip into still lake waters on dark summer nights and emerge luminous; they wail and sing, and we don’t need to know the difference between; for in Jim Walsh’s telling (and as his Irish ancestors knew too well) sorrow invariably moves into bright song, and song—no matter how buoyantly intoned—is forever laced with melancholy and loss. This is what it means to love profoundly and without condition, as Jim seems to love not only his town but us as well. The place he describes feels to be both lost to the past, and yet somehow still in the process of becoming. Jim is the most faithful of narrators, and as such, be prepared: the story he tells might just be your own."—Joe Henry, Grammy Award–winning producer/singer/songwriter/author"Jim Walsh gives us genuine affection in revealing the soul of growing up in South Minneapolis. Home to so many of us, born and bred. The treatment bound, the ain’t never gonna leave’s. Lapsed midwesterners, returning prodigal daughters and sons. Death, drunks, democrats. Dads and dogs. Brother Walsh is the ride or die guardian angel of all teenage prayers."—Mary Lucia"To some, Jim Walsh is a modern-day troubadour. To others, he's simply ‘The Dude.’ Whichever is the case, in this volume that is at times rollicking, irreverent, always poignant and even sentimental, though never maudlin, he writes beautifully about Minneapolis, the city he deeply loves. One can't help but see that love with each page and each vignette crafted by a master who knows that to best feel the soul of the city, one must spend time with its individuals, and to know them truthfully, one must ‘hear’ the stories they inhabit. In Fear and Loving in South Minneapolis, Jim shares with us his eyes and ears, along with his own soul that brings them all together."—William D. Green, author of The Children of Lincoln: White Paternalism and the Limits of Black Opportunity in Minnesota, 1860-1876"The essays and columns by Jim Walsh that resonate with me most in Fear and Loving in South Minneapolis center around his observations of the beautiful natural spaces in our city. Now more than ever, we are turning to our parks and lakes to find solace in these tremendously tumultuous and challenging times. We should all take time to savor these beautiful places like Jim does and renew our spirits."—Sarah McKenzie, former editor of the Southwest & Downtown Journals "He writes lovingly about how the light changes over the lakes, the human parade in public places, and his need to connect with the human condition."—St. Paul Pioneer Press "Readers will come to know and love the people and places of the author’s Lake Harriet neighborhood."—Star TribuneTable of ContentsContentsForewordTommy MischkePrologue1. Stay WarmJust Read the Newspaper“It Feels Like a Brighter Day”Citizen Berquist: The Man with the VanMisanthropes for $500, AlexConfessions of a CommodoreThe Santa Claus Diaries, 19892. Nature CityStop and Smell the Rose GardensLucky UsSummer of the Super SunsetsSeize the LightLoving Lake HarrietHarriet Lovejoy was HereNightswimming3. Family TiesFrom Colombia, with LoveThanks GivenFinding HenryPolice Off My Kid’s BackFire Alarm FluffyAn Ambulance Chaser Is BornLetter to a Young Soccer Parent4. I’m Only OneThanks for The Skerch, DadMy Hobby Is LonelyWhy Sylvia? Why Now?Gold Experience at First AvenueThe Tao of Spring Forest QigongKrista Tippett and the Wisdom of ‘On Being’Fear and Loving in South MinneapolisWalking the PathBeing the Buddha at Mile 85. HootenannyPeace, Love, and Bobby ShermanMad RippleRings of Fire (Brothers United)Sing Out!Minneapolis to MontanaThe First Dad Rock Column in the History of Rock CriticismHermitageThis Week’s Best Bet: Shhh . . .Crossroads AgainDan Israel and the StruggleGratitudeThat Thing You Do!HootInside the Hollow Square: Shape-Note Singing from the HeartGather ’Round Children, And Ye Shall Hear A Tale of Standing in Actual Physical Line for TicketsIn Praise of Great Expectations6. Famous Lasting WordsA Lesson before DyingFamous Lasting WordsWorking StiffsTears in HeavenFamily ManNotes from Karl’s BenchThe Day David Bowie DiedThe Funeral Singer7. Falling in Love with Everything I HaveTwo Hearts are Better than OneBrilliant DisguiseBecause the NightI Wanna Be where the Bands Are (The Autograph Man)She’s the OneReason to BelieveDrive All Night (Desperately Seeking Denise)Glory DaysBack to MinneapolisPublication History

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Book SynopsisThe remarkable eighty-five-day journey of the first two women to canoe the 2,000-mile route from Minneapolis to Hudson BayUnrelenting winds, carnivorous polar bears, snake nests, sweltering heat, and constant hunger. Paddling from Minneapolis to Hudson Bay, following the 2,000-mile route made famous by Eric Sevareid in his 1935 classic Canoeing with the Cree, Natalie Warren and Ann Raiho faced unexpected trials, some harrowing, some simply odd. But for the two friends—the first women to make this expedition—there was one timeless challenge: the occasional pitfalls that test character and friendship. Warren’s spellbinding account retraces the women’s journey from inspiration to Arctic waters, giving readers an insider view from the practicalities of planning a three-month canoe expedition to the successful accomplishment of the adventure of a lifetime. Along the route we meet the people who live and work on the waterways, including denizens of a resort who supply much-needed sustenance; a solitary resident in the wilderness who helps plug a leak; and the people of the Cree First Nation at Norway House, where the canoeists acquire a furry companion. Describing the tensions that erupt between the women (who at one point communicate with each other only by note) and the natural and human-made phenomena they encounter—from islands of trash to waterfalls and a wolf pack—Warren brings us into her experience, and we join these modern women (and their dog) as they recreate this historic trip, including the pleasures and perils, the sexism, the social and environmental implications, and the enduring wonder of the wilderness.Trade Review"Ann and Natalie would be heralded for showing that adventure can still be had in a changing environment, and that women have not only a place in the landscape of adventure, but an important voice that needs to be heard. [Their] journey illuminates the physical landscapes, hardships, and human encounters; it also uncovers the heart of any good journey, the human spirit."—Ann Bancroft, from the Foreword"Hudson Bay Bound is a story of friendship forged on the river as two young women paddle 2,000 miles to the Arctic. With the candor and enthusiasm of a first grand adventure, Natalie Warren shares the joys and trials of living by water, propelled northward by muscle power and the belief that anything is possible."—Caroline Van Hemert, author of The Sun is a Compass: A 4,000–Mile Journey into the Alaskan Wilds"Natalie Warren's Hudson Bay Bound is part adventure-memoir, part nontraditional love story. Her adoration for the water and deep respect for the history of the land it weaves through is clear throughout the journey. Complemented by the intimacy of a friendship cultivated in motion, this is a refreshing, fun, and thoughtful read."—Gale Straub, author of She Explores: Stories of Life-Changing Adventures on the Road and in the Wild"Natalie and Ann’s story is classic example of how the exuberance of youth and a healthy dose of grit make any dream possible. From the foggy swirl of excitement as they launched their canoe into the flooded Minnesota River to their final paddle strokes down the Hayes River, Hudson Bay Bound provides a vivid account of an awesome adventure that we couldn’t put down."—Amy and Dave Freeman, authors of A Year in the Wilderness: Bearing Witness in the Boundary Waters "A friendly, educational quest story for readers of everyone from Rachel Carson to Edward Abbey."—Kirkus Reviews "Hudson Bay Bound exudes female strength and resilience, and shares the obstacles women still face in the outdoors industry."—Rochester Post-Bulletin "An inspiration for young people everywhere to chart their own course."—The Christian Science Monitor "A delightful journey."—International Falls Daily Journal "Written in a storytelling style by Natalie, it’s about adventure, danger, fierce storms, winds, portages, running rapids, wild animals, friendship, humour and a window into the people and communities living along the urban and wilderness waterways."—Northern Wilds "In Hudson Bay Bound, Warren is spreading the gospel of outdoor adventure for teenage girls who feel like they don’t fit in."—Outside "This book is for anyone who wants to reminisce about their own past adventures, wants to understand why their own loved ones have gone or want to go on a nature expedition, and most importantly, to whet the palate of those who desire to set out on their own but are held back by other obligations."—Tower-Soudan Timberjay "You will be inspired as you paddle along with them on their adventure into the wild."—Northeaster "Sometimes that flow is filled with lightning storms, high winds, bears, and other tests of stamina, as Natalie Warren describes in Hudson Bay Bound."—Minnesota Women’s Press "The story takes readers on an engaging, fast-paced journey through both a physical space of interest and the lives of its young adventurers."—Anchorage Daily News "From planning the three-month expedition to completing the adventure of a lifetime, the author gives the reader an insider view of the perils and pleasures of wilderness tripping."—Ely Summer Times Table of ContentsForewordAnn BancroftPrologueFrom Palms to PinesThe Pack-OutFlooded UpstreamAgainst the WindMeet Me at the Popcorn StandRiver Races and Role ModelsLiving the Dream, DownstreamRapture Before the BorderAt Home on the Big LakeDon’t Wake the BeastWaiting for the WindEscape from Gull HarborA Tale of Tiny BoatsWindbound to Norway HouseYork Boats and Dog DaysInto the WildPancakes and PortagesSpring Break at Hell’s GateKnife RapidsPolar Bear ParadiseAfterwordNatalie Warren and Ann Raiho

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Book SynopsisTravel with Olympic gold medalist Jessie Diggins on her compelling journey from America’s heartland to international sports history, navigating challenges and triumphs with rugged grit and a splash of glitter Pyeongchang, February 21, 2018. In the nerve-racking final seconds of the women’s team sprint freestyle race, Jessie Diggins dug deep. Blowing past two of the best sprinters in the world, she stretched her ski boot across the finish line and lunged straight into Olympic immortality: the first ever cross-country skiing gold medal for the United States at the Winter Games. The 26-year-old Diggins, a four-time World Championship medalist, was literally a world away from the small town of Afton, Minnesota, where she first strapped on skis. Yet, for all her history-making achievements, she had never strayed far from the scrappy 12-year-old who had insisted on portaging her own canoe through the wilderness, yelling happily under the unwieldy weight on her shoulders: “Look! I’m doing it!” In Brave Enough, Jessie Diggins reveals the true story of her journey from the American Midwest into sports history. With candid charm and characteristic grit, she connects the dots from her free-spirited upbringing in the woods of Minnesota to racing in the bright spotlights of the Olympics. Going far beyond stories of races and ribbons, she describes the challenges and frustrations of becoming a serious athlete; learning how to push through and beyond physical and psychological limits; and the intense pressure of competing at the highest levels. She openly shares her harrowing struggle with bulimia, recounting both the adversity and how she healed from it in order to bring hope and understanding to others experiencing eating disorders. Between thrilling accounts of moments of triumph, Diggins shows the determination it takes to get there—the struggles and disappointments, the fun and the hard work, and the importance of listening to that small, fierce voice: I can do it. I am brave enough.Trade Review "Jessie Diggins was an elite athlete long before she became an Olympic gold medalist. In Brave Enough, she shows world-class courage by sharing the truth about her eating disorder, her therapy, and the multitude of challenges, doubts, fears, and assorted bogeymen that are so often an untold part of the journey to greatness. She deserves another gold medal for her honesty and her inspiration."—Wayne Coffey, New York Times best-selling author of The Boys of Winter* "I’m honored to have played a role in inspiring Jessie on her journey to Olympic Gold. Brave Enough is a befitting title for this brutally honest and powerful story. As an athlete, Jessie was brave enough to win on the world’s biggest sporting stage. As a writer, she is brave enough to share a raw, heart-wrenching, nothing-held-back look at the struggles she went through to succeed. It’s an inspiring story, worthy of gold."—Jackie Joyner-Kersee "Already an inspiration to us all, Jessie once again shows her courage to leave it all on the track by sharing her deeply personal story. Readers will be encouraged by how one woman created a path forward for herself—and helped and uplifted so many in the process."—Ann Bancroft "Brave Enough is a powerful story that shows that striving for excellence can be essential in sport, yet not even Olympic champions are immune from its unforeseen destructive consequences. With admirable vulnerability, Jessie demonstrates how to be a leader and ‘best teammate’ while also being open to help and support from others. Her story motivates all of us, and she gives us hope and real tools to tackle our biggest challenges. I have never been more proud of my teammate and friend . . . not only has Jessie defeated foes on the race trails but she has courageously conquered the demons in her mind to become a true champion. She is an inspiration for everyone!"—Kikkan Randall, Olympic Champion and World Champion "Jessie has one of the most infectiously positive and bubbly personalities of anyone I have ever met. That, combined with her fierce drive and unwavering grit, is what makes her an inspiration to so many people, including myself, but I never realized just how inspiring she truly is until I read this book. World, meet the force that is Jessie Diggins."—Mikaela Shiffrin, Olympic Champion and World Champion Table of ContentsContentsPrologue: I Can Do It Myself 1. Snow Baby2. Wild Child3. Super Speed4. Thunder Bay5. The Stillwater Way6. Pain Cave7. The Great Balancing Act8. To Ski or Not to Ski9. Slow Spiral10. The Emily Program11. Never Alone12. Blood, Sweat, and Tears13. The National Team14. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles15. Because 96 Isn’t 10016. From Sochi, with Love17. Give It All You Got18. Know When to Fold ’Em19. PyeongChang20. Brave Hearts21. Let’s Go Get It22. One Team23. Here Be Dragons24. Coming Home; or, The Week I Masqueraded As a Rock StarEpilogueAcknowledgments

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Book SynopsisA retrospective and creatively collaborative review of this international feminist conceptual artist Young women victims of a garment factory fire in New York in 1911. An autobiographical progression through stages of womanhood. American veterans killed in Iraq. A giant trough filled with books and surrounded by an urban cornfield. The subjects of Harriet Bart’s art are as varied as the media and genres in which she works—sculpture, installation, textiles, painting, drawing, artist’s books. Harriet Bart: Abracadabra and Other Forms of Protection is a comprehensive look at the prolific and dynamic career of this international feminist conceptual artist. A founder of the Women’s Art Registry of Minnesota (WARM, a nationally recognized feminist art collective in the Twin Cities) and of the Traffic Zone Center for Visual Art in Minneapolis, Bart has sought deep and evocative expressions of memory through several decades of innovative artistic creation and collaboration. This book, which accompanies the first retrospective exhibition of her work at the Weisman Art Museum in 2020, features poetry and prose contributions by significant writers, artists, and curators who have been influenced by her art. Contributors: Betty Bright; Stephen Brown, Jewish Museum; Robert Cozzolino, Minneapolis Institute of Art; Elizabeth Erickson; Heather Everhart; Nor Hall; Matthea Harvey, Sarah Lawrence College; Joanna Inglot, Macalester College; Lyndel King, Weisman Art Museum; Eric Lorberer, Rain Taxi; Jim Moore, Hamline U; Diane Mullin, Weisman Art Museum; Samantha Rippner; Joan Rothfuss; John Schott; Sun Yung Shin; Susan Stewart, Princeton U.

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Book SynopsisOn September 3, 1971, Michael McConnell and Jack Baker exchanged vows in the first legal same-sex wedding in the United States. Their remarkable story is told here for the first time—a unique account of the passion and energy of the gay liberation movement in the sixties and seventies. At the dawn of the modern gay movement (while New York’s Stonewall riots and San Francisco’s emerging political activism bloomed), these two young men insisted on making their commitment a legal reality. They were already crusaders for gay rights: Jack had twice been elected the University of Minnesota’s student president—the first openly gay university student president in the country, an election reported by Walter Cronkite on network TV news. They were featured in Look magazine’s special issue about the American family and received letters of support from around the world. The couple navigated complex procedures to obtain a state-issued marriage license. Their ceremony was conducted by a Methodist minister in a friend’s tiny Minneapolis apartment. Wearing matching white pantsuits, exchanging custom-designed rings, and sharing a tiered wedding cake, Michael and Jack celebrated their historic marriage. After reciting their vows, they sealed their promise to love and honor each other with a kiss and a signed marriage certificate. Repercussions were immediate: Michael’s job offer at the University of Minnesota was rescinded, leading him to wage a battle against job discrimination with the help of the Minnesota Civil Liberties Union. The couple eventually reached the U.S. Supreme Court with two precedent-setting cases. Michael and Jack have retired from the public spotlight, but after four decades their marriage is still their joy and comfort. Living quietly in a Minneapolis bungalow, they exemplify a contemporary version of the American dream. Only now, with marriage equality in the headlines and the Supreme Court decision to make love the law of the land, are they willing to tell the entire story of their groundbreaking experiences. TIME magazine listed the twenty-five most influential marriages of all time and included Michael and Jack, and they were recently profiled in a cover story in the Sunday New York Times. Their long campaign for marriage equality and insistence on equal rights for all citizens is a model for advocates of social justice and an inspiration for everyone who struggles for acceptance in a less-than-equal world.Trade Review "A beautiful, well-written love story that is heartrending and ultimately heartwarming. Thank you, Michael and Jack, for opening the doors for the rest of us, for your integrity, for proving, yes: Love wins!"—Robert Alexander, New York Times best-selling author of The Kitchen Boy "In The Wedding Heard ’Round the World, chronicler Gail Langer Karwoski has fashioned a wonderfully compelling told-to story of triumph in the extraordinary lives of Michael McConnell and Jack Baker. A great and memorable read."—Terry Kay, author of To Dance with the White Dog "The only first-person account by the two visionary men who legally married, shortly after the Stonewall riot, and who recognized the importance of marriage in an era when it was disregarded by society and angrily rejected by gay activists."—Thomas Kraemer, founder, Oregon State University Foundation Magnus Hirschfield Fund "One of the great love stories of the past century, and one that jump-started the movement for LGBT marriage equality. The librarian and the law student—Mike and Jack—are all-American pioneers. Anyone interested in gay rights—or in romance—should read this book."—William N. Eskridge Jr., Yale Law School "Please read this very important book about the godfathers of marriage equality, especially if you want to know and appreciate gay history. Their proud, loving lives have always inspired me and my work."—Brian McNaught, author of On Being Gay and Are You Guys Brothers?* "Michael and Jack made history by getting married in 1971—and the letters they received reveal the impact this had on people all over the world. Their story is both universal and unprecedented, offering a riveting look into gay life, love, and activism in the late 1960s and 1970s and the fight for same-sex marriage."—Lisa Vecoli, curator of the Tretter Collection in GLBT Studies, University of Minnesota Libraries "The great appeal of McConnell and Baker’s recommended story is its simple style and the everydayness of their lives. Their appeal is how ordinary people can do extraordinary things. "—Library Journal"The Wedding Heard ‘Round the World serves as a gentle reminder that there were couples plotting this victory long, long before a consensus formed around marriage equality."—The New Republic"Michael McConnell’s easy, personable tone will make you feel like your uncle, father, or grandfather is telling the story of their younger years, and what queer life was like back in the day. His persona alone makes this book an instant classic."—Lambda Literary"A sweet story wrapped inside a righteous fight, told with charm and grace. Start The Wedding Heard ‘Round the World – and you’ll have no defense."—Washington Blade"Recommended for all LGBT-related and general history collections, and especially for readers with Minnesota ties and memories. While we can all justifiably laud 2015’s same-sex marriage Final Answer, we should also save a round of applause for Baker and McConnell, who helped forge the way."—American Library Association’s GLBT Round Table"A timely memoir."—Pioneer Press"Easy to read and good for a nice afternoon, The Wedding Heard ‘Round the World is definitely something to put on your must-read list."—The Spectrum"Theirs is a beautiful love story, fit for admission amongst history’s great classics. A tall tale filled with an enduring hunger for truth, long battles for justice against powerful, unwavering foes, filled with great challenges and crushing setbacks... And finally, a final victory for our two loves as they ride off into the sunset."—EDGE Media Network"The Wedding Heard ‘Round the World is a very important addition to GLBT history. It is a fascinating story of love and struggle GLBT rights. It is a true story that reads like a novel. It also shows that the struggle for equal rights for GLBT people is far from over."—Washington Book Review

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Book SynopsisUnlocking a vital understanding of how literary studies and media studies overlap and are bound together A synthetic history of new media reception in modern and contemporary Japan, The New Real positions mimesis at the heart of the media concept. Considering both mimicry and representation as the core functions of mediation and remediation, Jonathan E. Abel offers a new model for media studies while explaining the deep and ongoing imbrication of Japan in the history of new media.From stereoscopy in the late nineteenth century to emoji at the dawn of the twenty-first, Abel presents a pioneering history of new media reception in Japan across the analog and digital divide. He argues that there are two realities created by new media: one marketed to us through advertising that proclaims better, faster, and higher-resolution connections to the real; and the other experienced by users whose daily lives and behaviors are subtly transformed by the presence and penetration of the content carried through new media. Intervening in contemporary conversations about virtuality, copyright, copycat violence, and social media, each chapter unfolds with a focus on a single medium or technology, including 3D photographs, the phonograph, television, videogames, and emoji.By highlighting the tendency of the mediated to copy the world and the world to copy the mediated, The New Real provides a new path for analysis of media, culture, and their function in the world.Trade Review"In The New Real, Jonathan E. Abel brilliantly mobilizes the concept of mimesis to understand Japan’s media cultures as mimetic episodes and practices that not only shape specific instances of Japanese media culture but largely define it. At once erudite, rigorous, and inventive, The New Real reimagines Japanese media genealogies as a series of diverse historic interventions that vastly expand our sense of Japan and its media cultures."—Akira Mizuta Lippit, author of Cinema without Reflection: Jacques Derrida’s Echopoiesis and Narcissism Adrift"Jonathan E. Abel’s proposal that we leverage the dual nature of mimesis—as both representation and mimicry—to understand twentieth-century Japanese media culture helps explain Japan’s rapid transition from poster child of imitative modernization into the global vanguard of creativity. With the media–culture relation understood structurally, Abel cleverly pressures both the constant rediscovery of media’s newness as well as illusory efforts to reground our over-mediated lives in a puritanically analog body."—Steven Ridgely, author of Japanese Counterculture: The Antiestablishment Art of Terayama Shūji

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Book SynopsisThe first woman to ski solo to the South Pole tells the story of what it took to get there At home in Norway it is eight o’clock on Christmas Eve night, but ahead, at the Amundsen–Scott base that has been visible for hours, it is already early in the morning of Christmas Day when Liv Arnesen, after skiing solo for 745 miles in fifty days, finally arrives. She had been dreaming of the South Pole for most of her forty-one years, and now, even in her joy at having reached her goal in December 1994, she has to ask herself: what took you so long? In Skiing into the Bright Open Arnesen describes the exhausting, exhilarating experience of being the first known woman to ski unsupported to the South Pole. She also answers her own question, framing her account of her historic expedition with her longtime struggle to find the freedom and confidence to follow her dreams into uncharted territory. From her childhood in Norway to the seasons she spent working as a guide on Svalbard, the Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, Arnesen courted the cold, and her memoir reflects the knowledge and passion for Arctic and Antarctic exploration that grew with her adventures in the wintry reaches of Norway and beyond. Tracing her path from the heroic stories of explorers like Fridtjof Nansen and Ernest Shackleton to her own crossing of the Greenland Ice Cap in 1992, Arnesen credits the inspiring feats of those who preceded her but also describes the obstacles—including niggling self-doubt—that tradition, convention, and downright prejudice put in her way as she endeavored to find the support and sponsorship granted to men in her field.A tale of solitary adventure in the bleak and beautiful bone-chilling cold of Antarctica, Skiing into the Bright Open tells a story of gritty determination, thrilling achievement, and perseverance in the face of near despair and daunting odds; it is, ultimately, an object lesson in the power of a dream if one is willing to pursue it to the ends of the earth.Trade Review"This account of a remarkable history-making solo adventure is told with understated grace by a no less remarkable woman. . . . Her towering inner strength, her courage and calm in the face of adversity, and her endless curiosity about what’s over the horizon all make for an amazing expedition."—Ann Bancroft, from the Foreword"Skiing into the Bright Open is an inspiration. In following Liv Arnesen from her childhood dreams of exploration in Norway to her historic solo expedition to the South Pole, we are drawn especially into the journey of Liv herself—bound to her dreams no matter the odds and obstacles, and as a woman in a field that too often tried to tell her no. This book will give strength to anyone fighting to follow their dreams. And the view from the ice is spectacular. I just listened to my own heart when thinking about the book."—Liv Ullmann"Skiing into the Bright Open by Liv Arnesen is a remarkable book that documents an incredible achievement. This gripping and personal narrative of Arnesen’s preparations and her solo journey on skis to the south pole is an unforgettable tale of focus and persistence. While hauling a 220-pound sledge across stastrugi and crevasses for 1200 kilometers, the author comes through as a person I would very much like to meet."—Arlene Blum, author of Annapurna: A Woman's Place and Breaking Trail: A Climbing Life"Skiing into the Bright Open is an inspiring memoir about the gritty determination that’s needed to achieve dreams and accomplish feats that once seemed impossible."—Foreword "Amid sundry accounts of other great polar achievements, overwhelmingly by men, Arnesen tells her story almost effortlessly, even chummily, sidestepping the usual tone of turmoil."—Star Tribune "There's something wonderfully perplexing about Norwegian adventurer Liv Arnesen's account of her solo ski journey to the South Pole."—The Daily Gazette "This humble telling of a remarkable accomplishment makes for a good read in a cozy spot, watching winter out the window. "—The Ely Winter Times"A tale of solitary adventure in the bleak and beautiful bone-chilling cold of Antarctica, Skiing into the Bright Open tells a story of gritty determination, thrilling achievement, and perseverance in the face of near despair and daunting odds; it is, ultimately, an object lesson in the power of a dream if one is willing to pursue it to the ends of the Earth. "—The Polar TimesTable of ContentsContentsForewordAnn BancroftPrologueFruit is Best Enjoyed when RipeSki-Touring between the Covers of a BookFinding My Own WayA First Test in GreenlandSkiing against the TideMy Provocative AnnouncementI Harden Myself in the Himalayas“Have you ever hauled a sledge, my dear?”Training with Tires and PavarottiThe EarthquakeYou Can Achieve What You WantFrom the Cold North to the Freezing SouthSteak and Red Wine in Chile—and We’re OffAlone at LastWind, Weather, and Proper ClothingI’m Enjoying Myself!Message No. 6: “Finish South Pole”And the Satellites Keep OrbitingA Quiet Toast Halfway

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Book SynopsisPart memoir, part cultural history, these memories of seven aunts holding home and family together tell a crucial, often overlooked story of women of the twentieth century They were German and English, Anishinaabe and French, born in the north woods and Midwestern farm country. They moved again and again, and they fought for each other when men turned mean, when money ran out, when babies—and there were so many—added more trouble but even more love. These are the aunties: Faye, who lived in California, and Lila, who lived just down the street; Doreen, who took on the bullies taunting her “mixed-blood” brothers and sisters; Gloria, who raised six children (no thanks to all of her “stupid husbands”); Betty, who left a marriage of indenture to a misogynistic southerner to find love and acceptance with a Norwegian logger; and Carol and Diane, who broke the warped molds of their own upbringing.From the fabric of these women’s lives, Staci Lola Drouillard stitches a colorful quilt, its brightly patterned pieces as different as her aunties, yet alike in their warmth and spirit and resilience, their persistence in speaking for their generation. Seven Aunts is an inspired patchwork of memoir and reminiscence, poetry, testimony, love letters, and family lore. In this multifaceted, unconventional portrait, Drouillard summons ways of life largely lost to history, even as the possibilities created by these women live on. Unfolding against a personal view of the settler invasion of the Midwest by men who farmed and logged, fished and hunted and mined, it reveals the true heart and soul of that history: the lives of the women who held together family, home, and community—women who defied expectations and overwhelming odds to make a place in the world for the next generation.Trade Review "Seven Aunts is a celebration of the women in Staci Lola Drouillard’s family who struggled to escape a daunting legacy with unsung courage, humor, and an unbreakable love for family. Far more than a family history, Seven Aunts is an honor song that reveals the everyday heroism of these women’s lives."—Diane Wilson, author of The Seed Keeper "Reading Staci Lola Drouillard’s Seven Aunts is a mesmerizing experience. A family story at once vast and intimate, it’s also a book about womanhood and mothering, the confluence of Native American and settler lives, and the resplendent, beautiful northern third of Minnesota, with all its warm homes and tangled family trees. Though these are not your aunts, you’ll wish they were; for all the wisdom and love they’ve shared in their remarkable, ordinary lives, you will."—Peter Geye, author of Northernmost "Seven Aunts gives us a unique and privileged insight to the intimate lives and history of a blended Indigenous and immigrant family in northern Minnesota. Staci Lola Drouillard has written with honesty and truth about ‘the treacherous beauty of life’ in a family rich in characters, in love and loss, all with great humor. Anaïs Nin wrote that reaching deep into the personal becomes universal. Seven Aunts is exactly that. It speaks to us of the universal love of family, the reality of historic social challenges, and the strength of the unbreakable bonds of knowing."—Hazel Belvo "Staci Lola Drouillard explores the lives of her seven Anishinaabe and European aunties with fierce and unflinching admiration. Like a quilter sewing the final layer of a quilt, her detailed stitches reveal patterns that honor their harsh yet resilient lives. In the end, the reader gains a deeper appreciation for women’s survival along Minnesota’s North Shore and beyond."—Nora Murphy, author of White Birch, Red Hawthorn "In this unique and compelling memoir, Staci Lola Drouillard tells the story of her seven aunts—Anishinaabe and European—whose strength, spirit, and determination to thrive illustrate that of so many other women throughout history."—Ms. Magazine "Staci Lola Drouillard's new memoir has many merits, none more important than its generous spirit."—Star Tribune "A must-read."—Northern Wilds "Superb."—ABC Newspapers "In this book, Drouillard turns her attention to the lives of her seven aunts- four maternal and three paternal- which together span most of the 20th century and adress many of the challenges faced by women, especially working class and rural women, of those years."—Minnesota Alumni Table of ContentsPrologue: My AuntiesFayeLilaDoreenGloriaBettyCarolDianeCoda: Seven LessonsAcknowledgmentsNotes

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Book SynopsisThe mystery of how an ordinary Minnesota girl came to be, briefly, one of the most wanted domestic terrorists in the United States Behind every act of domestic terrorism there is someone’s child, an average American whose life took a radical turn for reasons that often remain mysterious. Camilla Hall is a case in point: a pastor’s daughter from small-town Minnesota who eventually joined the ranks of radicals like Sara Jane Olson (aka Kathleen Soliah) in the notorious Symbionese Liberation Army before dying in a shootout with Los Angeles Police in May 1974. How could a “good girl” like Camilla become one of the most wanted domestic terrorists in the United States? Rachael Hanel tells her story here, revealing both the deep humanity and the extraordinary circumstances of Camilla Hall’s life.Camilla’s childhood in a tight-knit religious family was marred by loss and grief as, one after another, her three siblings died. Her path from her Minnesota home to her final, radical SLA family featured years as an artist and activist—in welfare offices, political campaigns, union organizing, culminating in a love affair that would be her introduction to the SLA. Through in-depth research and extensive interviews, Hanel pieces together Camilla’s bewildering transformation from a “gentle, zaftig, arty, otherworldy” young woman (as one observer remarked), working for social change within the system, into a gun-wielding criminal involved in the kidnapping of Patty Hearst.During this time of mounting unrest and violence, Camilla Hall’s story is of urgent interest for what it reveals about the forces of radicalization. But as Hanel ventures ever further into Camilla’s past, searching out the critical points where character and cause might intersect, her book becomes an intriguing, disturbing, and ultimately deeply moving journey into the dark side of America’s promise.Trade Review "Who are the shadows in the background of shocking events? Rachael Hanel’s compelling exploration of Camilla Hall, a likable Minnesota social worker turned Berkeley lesbian artist turned player in the most notorious political kidnapping of its time, grippingly illuminates the barely perceptible line between an unrelenting passion for justice and devastating choices from which one can’t return."—Barrie Jean Borich, author of Apocalypse, Darling and Body Geographic "In this captivating work of narrative journalism, Rachael Hanel explores how people can become radicalized in the face of governmental failure, charting the path from idealism to violence to tragedy. At its heart, this is a book about womanhood and belonging—and one woman’s quest to understand another, to find the empathy and humanity that live beyond the headlines if we only try hard enough to see."—Melissa Faliveno, author of Tomboyland: Essays "In this affecting account, creative writing professor Hanel delves into the life of Camilla Hall, who was raised in rural Minnesota by religious parents and died at 29 in a 1974 shoot-out between members of the Symbionese Liberation Army, the radical group that kidnapped Patty Hearst, and the Los Angeles police. This nuanced portrait will resonate with many."—Publishers Weekly "The story’s relevant connections to the happenings in today’s political world will linger with you. You will keep thinking about Camilla’s life and her family long after you finish the book."—KYMN Radio "Hanel breathes new life and understanding into Hall, who was often ridiculed in mainstream media, and invites readers to understand one woman’s story through a lens less viewed."—Mankato Free Press

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Book SynopsisAn extraordinary illustrated biography of a Métis man and Anishinaabe woman navigating great changes in their homeland along the U.S.–Canada border in the early twentieth century John Linklater, of Anishinaabeg, Cree, and Scottish ancestry, and his wife, Tchi-Ki-Wis, of the Lac La Croix First Nation, lived in the canoe and border country of Ontario and Minnesota from the 1870s until the 1930s. During that time, the couple experienced radical upheavals in the Quetico–Superior region, including the cutting of white and red pine forests, the creation of Indian reserves/reservations and conservation areas, and the rise of towns, tourism, and mining. With broad geographical sweep, historical significance, and biographical depth, Making the Carry tells their story, overlooked for far too long.John Linklater, a renowned game warden and skilled woodsman, was also the bearer of traditional ecological knowledge and Indigenous heritage, both of which he was deeply committed to teaching others. He was sought by professors, newspaper reporters, museum personnel, and conservationists—among them Sigurd Olson, who considered Linklater a mentor. Tchi-Ki-Wis, an extraordinary craftswoman, made a sweeping array of necessary yet beautiful objects, from sled dog harnesses to moose calls to birch bark canoes. She was an expert weaver of large Anishinaabeg cedar bark mats with complicated geometric designs, a virtually lost art.Making the Carry traces the routes by which the couple came to live on Basswood Lake on the international border. John’s Métis ancestors with deep Hudson’s Bay Company roots originally came from Orkney Islands, Scotland, by way of Hudson Bay and Red River, or what is now Winnipeg. His family lived in Manitoba, northwest Ontario, northern Minnesota, and, in the case ofJohn and Tchi-Ki-Wis, on Isle Royale. A journey through little-known Canadian history, the book provides an intimate portrait of Métis people.Complete with rarely seen photographs of activities from dog mushing to guiding to lumbering, as well as of many objects made by Tchi-Ki-Wis, such as canoes, moccasins, and cedar mats, Making the Carry is a window on a traditional way of life and a restoration of two fascinating Indigenous people to their rightful place in our collective past.Trade Review "Well researched and touching, at the heart of Timothy Cochrane’s story of the north—of the deep woods, the Indigenous people, the settlers, and the fur trade—is the marriage of Tchi-Ki-Wis and John Linklater, a true traditional Ojibwe nabem gaye wiw partnership. The accompanying photographs admit the reader further into the lives and times of the Linklaters and the history of Minnesota’s Arrowhead region."—Linda LeGarde Grover, author of Gichigami Hearts: Stories and Histories from Misaabekong "This deep dive into the story of Jack and Tchi-Ki-Wis Linklater, a Métis and Anishinaabe couple, brings our beloved border north woods to life like nothing I've ever read. This remarkable pair were a living bridge a century back as the canoe country transformed during the twentieth century. You'll see the Boundary Waters in a whole new light."—Paul Schurke, founder and director, Wintergreen Adventures "I heard stories about Jack Linklater while I was growing up in Ely, Minnesota. The man I heard about was the consummate guide, hunter, trapper, musher, and game warden: all things that, as a boy, I aspired to. But all I heard were stories. Now, here is Timothy Cochrane’s biography, adding to the legendary Linklater’s extraordinary career. Jack, as revealed, was a commercial fisherman at Isle Royale, worked at the sawmills in Winton, and contributed his knowledge of the area’s biodiversity to science. His Lac La Croix Ojibwe wife, Tchi-Ki-Wis emerges in Cochrane’s book as Jack’s industrious helpmate and an extraordinary artist. Making the Carry is a valued contribution to Minnesota’s Indigenous history."—Carl Gawboy, artist and author "Local author Tim Cochrane hits all of the right notes with this book, a love story about a couple who lived through many hardships and significant changes that occurred in Canada, Minnesota, and Michigan’s Isle Royale. "—Cook County News Herald "Cochrane's rich depiction of the north country and the material conditions of this couple's life is greatly enhanced by dozens of illuminating photographs."—The Star Tribune "A meticulously researched and carefully documented microhistory of Indigenous presence and influence on the Boundary Waters region and beyond."—World History Encyclopedia "This fascinating biography also includes rarely seen photographs, maps, and the Linklater family tree, giving the reader a deeper look at the lives and time of the Linklaters and their place in history. "—Northern Wilds "Cochrane's storytelling is rich in historical facts, photographs and maps. His writing is conversational, easy to follow."—Chronicle Journal "Besides being well written, the book is generously illustrated — with 65 black-and-white period-piece photos, 21 colour plates and four historical regional maps. "—Winnipeg Free Press "A gripping biography that details the amazing lives of John Linklater and his wife Tchi-Ki-Wis."—Anishinabek News

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Book SynopsisA witty and humble tribute to the sometimes profane, sometimes profound world of waiting tables During a year on sabbatical from his university position, Matthew Batt realized he needed money—fast—and it just so happened that one of the biggest breweries in the Midwest was launching a restaurant and looking to hire. So it was that the forty-something tenured professor found himself waiting tables at a high-end restaurant situated in a Minneapolis brewery. And loving it. Telling the story of Batt’s early work in restaurants, from a red sauce joint possibly run by the mob to an ill-conceived fusion concept eatery, The Last Supper Club then details his experiences at the fine dining restaurant, a job that continued well past his sabbatical—that lasted, in fact, right up to the restaurant’s sudden and unceremonious closing three years later, shortly after it was named one of the best restaurants in the country by Food & Wine. Batt’s memoir conveys the challenge—and the satisfaction—of meeting the demands of a frenzied kitchen and an equally expectant crowd. Through training mishaps, disastrous encounters with confused diners, struggles to keep pace with far more experienced coworkers, mandatory memorizations of laundry lists of obscure ingredients, and the stress of balancing responsibilities at home and at work, The Last Supper Club reveals the ups and downs of a waiter’s workday and offers an insightful perspective on what makes a job good, bad, or great. For Batt, this job turns out to be considerably more fun, and possibly more rewarding, than his academic career, and his insider’s view of waiting tables extols the significance of our food and the places where we gather to enjoy it—or serve it. Told with sharp humor, humility, and a keen sense of what matters, The Last Supper Club is an ode to life in a high-pressure restaurant, the relationships that get you to the night’s close, and finding yourself through—or perhaps because of—the chaos of it all. Trade Review "Deliciously funny, vividly peopled, wise, and big-hearted, The Last Supper Club is a book you will devour in one sitting and wish you could go back for seconds. The memoir takes a behind-the-scenes look at the adrenaline-fueled world of restaurant life, reverently revealing all the care and thought that goes into a meal before the plate is ever lowered before you. If Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential and Stephanie Danler’s Sweetbitter had a love child, it would be this superb book!"—Adrienne Brodeur, author of Wild Game: My Mother, Her Secret, and Me "This book should come with a trigger warning for those of us who’ve ever waited tables. Matthew Batt describes restaurant work with such ferocious, sweat-inducing clarity that I feel like I’m right back there, in the weeds. Like any great dish, The Last Supper Club has so many layers and flavors: it’s a waiter’s memoir, it’s a vital history of a remarkable restaurant, it’s an incisive meditation on the nature of work, and it’s a heartfelt story of someone who went searching for a paycheck but found something else entirely—family, and purpose, and joy."—Nathan Hill, author of The Nix and Wellness "In his gloriously food-obsessed and mournful memoir The Last Supper Club, Matthew Batt channels the thrill of a seamless service, the tension of having no place to hide failure, and the implicit critique of academic jobs that require a second income. His ode to the chaos and thrill of the restaurant business is a hilarious, elegiac look at the all-too-brief gratification of being exactly where you want to be."—Michelle Wildgen, author of Wine People "Matthew Batt gets the details of high-end restaurant life exactly right in this personal story of becoming a server: the balance between home life and work life; the pressure inherent in the business; the symbiotic but fraught relationship between front-of-the-house and back-of-the-house. I love restaurant stories, and this one I didn’t want to put down. It’s a keeper."—Michael Ruhlman, author of The Soul of a Chef: The Journey Toward Perfection "Matthew Batt's elegiac The Last Supper Club is a tender yet clear-eyed portrait of a fiercely dedicated community of restaurant lifers and the dreams they build, nurture, and—often too briefly—inhabit. The most beautiful stuff in this book taps into the almost primal wonder and magic so many of us associate with our first experiences eating in restaurants and being waited on by complete strangers. This book understands the lingering spell of that experience better than anything else I've read, and Batt is almost Proustian in mining his early memories of food and restaurants. He also understands that alchemy is the one true, worthy goal of any dreamer who opens a restaurant—or throws themselves with real passion into working in one."—Brad Zellar, author of Till the Wheels Fall Off "There’s an impressive level of detail here, offering insight into the nitty-gritty of restaurant labor for those who’ve never worked in hospitality, while still feeling intimately familiar to those who have done their time in the service industry."—Eater "In this splendidly written book, Batt demonstrates a gift for capturing the essence of his coworkers."—Booklist "Catnip for anyone who has ever worked in a restaurant."—The Washington Post

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Book SynopsisOpen Mind, Open Heart Millions have found mindfulness to be a powerful practice for reducing stress, enhancing attention, and instilling tranquility. But it can offer so much more—it can transform you, make you more fully awake, alive, and aware of your connection to all beings. In Japanese, the character that best expresses mindfulness, 念, consists of two parts—the top part, 今, meaning “now,” and the bottom part, 心, meaning “heart.” Using stories from his own life as the son of an Irish father and a Japanese mother, a professor in Japan and America, a psychotherapist, a father, and a husband, Stephen Murphy-Shigematsu describes eight “heartfulness” principles that help us realize that the deepest expression of an enlightened mind is found in our relation to others.

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Book SynopsisInspired by her own foremothers' legacies and the friendships formed throughout her life, Rozella Kennedy centres and celebrates the stories of 100 Black, Brown, Asian, and Indigenous women-both famous and little-known-who changed the course of US history. In the beautiful pages of Our Brave Foremothers, discover an intergenerational, intercultural bouquet of Black, Brown, Asian, and Indigenous women lifted into the significance that they deserve. From Etel Adnan to Mary Jones, Thelma Garcia Buchholdt to Pura Belpré to Zitkála-Šá, here are 100 women of colour who left a lasting mark on United States history. Including both famous and little-known names, the thoughtful profiles and detailed portraits of these women herald their achievements and passions. Following each entry is a prompt that asks you to connect your life to theirs, an inspiring way to understand their influence and the power of their stories. To consider on a deeper level the devotedness of Clara Brown, the fearlessness of Jovita Idár, the guts of Grace Lee Boggs, or the selflessness of Martha Louise Morrow Foxx. And to be as brave as we each can be-and then beyond that.Trade Review“An essential book that connects us to our past and current sisters and reminds us that each of our stories matters.” —Ruth Chan, illustrator and author “A long overdue portrayal of inspiring hidden figures whose stories needed to be told to the world.” —Rokhaya Diallo, journalist, writer, and award-winning filmmaker “Our Brave Foremothers sheds truth on old perceptions and gives us stories both informative and inspiring about women who paved the way for generations of women to follow.” —Audrey Edwards, former executive editor of Essence magazine and author of American Runaway: Black and Free in Paris in the Trump Years “Our Brave Foremothers is the book that every family should have on their coffee table. It’s a visual encyclopedia of greatness for our future generation to know about the work done by these important women.” —Joy Cho, author and founder of Oh Joy!"Kennedy compiles short, eminently readable biographies of one-hundred Black, Brown, Asian, and Indigenous women in this interactive book…Activists, artists, athletes, and scientists all receive long overdue recognition in this attractive volume that is well-suited for public library and circulating reference collections. This engaging illustrated volume is well-suited to young scholars.” —Booklist “At a time when women’s history is being lifted up, this accessible work will edify casual and academic readers and may be used as a reference for some.” —Library Journal “An essential book that connects us to our past and current sisters and reminds us that each of our stories matters.” —Ruth Chan, illustrator and author “A long overdue portrayal of inspiring hidden figures whose stories needed to be told to the world.” —Rokhaya Diallo, journalist, writer, and award-winning filmmaker “Our Brave Foremothers sheds truth on old perceptions and gives us stories both informative and inspiring about women who paved the way for generations of women to follow.” —Audrey Edwards, former executive editor of Essence magazine and author of American Runaway: Black and Free in Paris in the Trump Years “Our Brave Foremothers is the book that every family should have on their coffee table. It’s a visual encyclopedia of greatness for our future generation to know about the work done by these important women.” —Joy Cho, author and founder of Oh Joy!Table of ContentsContents Ada Blackjack Mary Ellen Pleasant Rose Fortune Pura Belpré Fannie Lou Hamer Kateri Tekakwitha Angela Davis Chien-Shiung Wu Shirley Chisholm Bharti Mukherjee Bessie Stringfield Kalpana Chawla Anna May Wong Mary Ann Shadd Cary Lucy Gonzalez Parsons Clara Hale Mary Golda Ross Felicisima “Ping” Serafica Claudette Colvin Lili‘uokalani Mamie “Peanut” Johnson Alice Moore Dunbar-Nelson Lozen Clara Brown Alice Augusta Ball Susan La Flesche Picotte Caterina de San Juan Kala Bagai Marie Laveau Marsha P. Johnson Emma Ping Lum Mary Fields Old Elizabeth Lydia Mendoza Florynce “Flo” Kennedy Umeko Tsuda Etel Adnan Martha Louise Morrow Foxx Tidye Pickett Red Wing Ellen Smith Craft Mabel Ping-Hua Lee Della Irving Hayden Sono Osato Mary McLeod Bethune Augusta Savage Xue Jinquin Sonia Sotomayor Katherine Johnson Komako Kimura Mary Kaye Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin Elizabeth Key Grinstead Lorraine Hansberry Zitkála-Šá Pauli Murray Grace Lee Boggs Emma Naea Kaleleonalani Rooke Cicely Tyson Gwendolyn Brooks Wilma Mankiller Septima Poinsette Clark Mary Evans Wilson Dorothy Toy Bridget “Biddy” Mason Bernadita Camacho-Dungca Florence Ebersole Finch Sojourner Truth Phillis Wheatley Jovita Idár Mimi Jones Charlotte Forten Grimké Mitsuye Endo Elizabeth Wanamaker Peratrovich China Mary Maria Montoya Martinez Mary Jones Charlotte E. Ray Sylvia Rivera Sue Ko Lee Ida B. Wells Rebecca Lee Crumpler Thelma Garcia Buchholdt Zarina Hashmi Mary Church Terrell Pablita Velarde Amelia Boynton Robinson Edmonia Lewis Jane Johnston Schoolcraft Mary Richards Sylvia Mendez Althea Gibson Mary Paik Lee Mary Jane Patterson Tsuru Aoki Madam C. J. Walker Buffalo Calf Road Woman Dolores Huerta Harriet Tubman Yuri Kochiyama

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Book SynopsisFrom the late editor, writer, and critic, one of the great chroniclers of the art, fashion, and celebrity scenes: an expansive collection of thirty-five essays that offer an intimate look into the worlds of some of the most important and well-known artists, designers, and actors of our time.For more than three decades, Ingrid Sischy''s profiles and critical essays have been admired for their keen observation and playful style. Many of the pieces that appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, and Vanity Fair from the 1980s to 2015 are gathered here for the first time, including her masterful profiles of Nicole Kidman, Kristen Stewart, Miuccia Prada, Calvin Klein, Jeff Koons, Jean Pigozzi, Alice Neel, and Francesco Clemente, among others, as well as her exclusive interview with John Galliano after his career nose-dived in 2011. Whether writing about a young Alexander McQueen, the photography of Robert Mapplethorpe, Sebastião Salgado, Cindy Sherman, or Bob Richardson, or the Japanese musical theater group Takarazuka Revue, Sischy''s close attention to the unexpectedly telling detail results in vividly crafted, incisive portraits of individuals and their works. Here is a unique collection that gives readers unprecedented access to a dazzling range of artists from one of the greatest cultural critics of a generation.

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Book SynopsisWitty and moving, this debut memoir in essays from the dynamic rapper and singer Dessa explores life in the van as a hard-touring musician.

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Book SynopsisThe definitive, fascinating, all-reaching biography of Dr. Seuss. Dr. Seuss is a classic American icon. Whimsical and wonderful, his work has defined our childhoods and the childhoods of our own children. The silly, simple rhymes are a bottomless well of magic, his illustrations timeless favorites because, quite simply, he makes us laugh. The Grinch, the Cat in the Hat, Horton, and so many more, are his troupe of beloved, and uniquely Seussian, creations. Theodor Geisel, however, had a second, more radical side. It is there that the allure and fasciation of his Dr. Seuss alter ego begins. He had a successful career as an advertising man and then as a political cartoonist, his personal convictions appearing, not always subtly, throughout his books?remember the environmentalist of The Lorax? Geisel was a complicated man on an important mission. He introduced generations to the wonders of reading while teaching young people about empathy and how to treat others well. Agonizing over word choices and rhymes, touching up drawings sometimes for years, he upheld a rigorous standard of perfection for his work. Geisel took his responsibility as a writer for children seriously, talking down to no reader, no matter how small. And with classics like Green Eggs and Ham, and One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, Geisel delighted them while they learned. Suddenly, reading became fun. Coming right off the heels ofGeorge Lucas and bestselling Jim Henson, Brian Jay Jones is quickly developing a reputation as a master biographer of the creative geniuses of our time.

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Book SynopsisFor holding high at your next protest march, gifting to a feminist friend, or hanging on your classroom or dorm room wall, these progressive posters based on the New York Times bestseller include 20 portraits--each with a powerful female on the front and her inspiring quote on the back. Rad Women Worldwide shared fresh, engaging, and amazing tales of perseverance and radical success through riveting biographies and cut-paper portraits. Now here is the art ready for hanging or framing. Measuring 7x11 inches--perfect for an 8x10-inch frame--these colorful portraits feature widely acclaimed (and also less known) heroines alike. The Rad Women include:-Hatshepsut (The great female king who ruled Egypt peacefully for two decades) -Malala Yousafzi (The youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize) -Liv Arnesen and Ann Bancroft (Polar explorers and the first women to cross Antarctica)-Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Novelist and writer)-Venus and Serena Williams (Tennis players and Olympic medalists) -Faith Bandler (Activist and Advocate for Indigenous Australians)-Kalpana Chawla (First Indian woman in space)-Policarpa "La Pola" Salavarrieta (Revolutionary hero of Colombian independence)-Madres de la Plaza de Mayo (A group of mothers and grandmothers who march weekly in honor of -their missing sons and daughters)-Nanny of the Maroons (National hero of Jamaica)-Frida Kahlo (Painter)-Queen Liliuokalani (First and final Queen of the Kingdom of Hawaii)-Junko Tabei (First woman to climb Mt. Everest)-Miriam Makeba (South African singer also known as "Mama Africa")-Wangari Maathai (Nobel Prize winning environmental activist)

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Book SynopsisAn unforgettable account of a quietly remarkable life, Robert Brown''s memoir takes readers behind the scenes of pivotal moments from the 20th century, where the lessons he learned at his grandmother''s knee helped him shape America as we know it today.   Called "a world-class power broker" by the Washington Post, Robert Brown has been a sought-after counselor for an impressive array of the famous and powerful, including every American president since John F. Kennedy. But as a child born into poverty in the 1930s, Robert was raised by his grandmother to think differently about success. For example, "The best way to influence others is to be helpful," she told him. And, "You can’t go wrong by doing right."   Fueled by these lessons on humble, principled service, Brown went on to play a pivotal, mostly unseen role alongside the great and the powerful of our time: trailing the mob in 1950s Harlem with a young Robert F. Kennedy; helping the white corporate leadership at Woolworth integrate their lunch counters; channeling money from American businesses to the Civil Rights movement; accompanying Coretta Scott King, at her request, to Memphis the day after her husband had been shot; advising Richard Nixon on how to support black entrepreneurship; becoming the only person allowed to visit Nelson Mandela in Pollsmoor prison in Cape Town.   Full of unbelievable moments and reminders that the path to influence runs through a life of generosity, YOU CAN''T GO WRONG DOING RIGHT blends a heartwarming, historically fascinating account with memorable lessons that will speak to the dreamer in all of us.

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