Biography & Autobiography : Entertainment & Performing Arts

The story of a remarkable woman's rise out of the foster-care system to attain the American dream—and of the unlikely series of women who lifted her up in marvelous and distinctive ways. Born as a ward of the state of Maine—the child of an unmarried Yankee blueblood mother and an unknown black father—Victoria Rowell beat the odds. Unlike so many other children who fall through the cracks of our overburdened foster-care system, her experience was nothing short of miraculous, thanks to several extraordinary women who stepped forward to love, nurture, guide, teach, and challenge her to become the accomplished actress, philanthropist, and mother that she is today. Rowell spent her first weeks of life as a boarder infant before being placed with a Caucasian foster family. Although her stay lasted for only two years, at this critical stage Rowell was given a foundation of love by the first of what would be an amazing array of women, each of whom presented herself for different purposes at every dramatic turn of Rowell's life. In this deeply touching memoir, Rowell pays tribute to her personal champions: the mothers, grandmothers, aunts, mentors, teachers, and sisters who each have fascinating stories to tell. Among them are Agatha Armstead, Rowell's longest-term foster mother, a black Bostonian on whose rural Maine farm Rowell's fire to reach for greatness was lit; Esther Brooks, a Paris-trained prima ballerina, Rowell's first mentor at the Cambridge School of Ballet; Rosa Turner, a Boston inner-city fosterer who taught Rowell lessons of independence; Sylvia Silverman, a mother and teacher whose home in a well-kept middle-class suburban neighborhood prepared Rowell for her transition out of foster care and into New York City's wild worlds of ballet and acting and adulthood. In spite of support from individuals and agencies, Rowell nonetheless carried the burden of loneliness and anxiety, common to most foster children, particularly those ''orphans of the more...

Price: $11.99

Investigates the contemporary film actress both as an artist and as an ideological construct. This book examines the major issues in studying film acting, stardom, and the Hollywood actress. It combines theories of screen acting and of film stardom, and presents a synthesis of methodologies. It offers a fresh approach to these subjects of study. more...

Price: $25.95

Who was Hitchcock? A fat man who played practical jokes on people? A control freak who humiliated others to make himself look better? A little boy afraid of the dark? One of the greatest storytellers of the century? He was all of these and more - twenty years after his death, he is still a household name; most people in the Western world have seen his film, and he popularised the action movie format we see every week on the cinema screen. He was both a great artist and dynamite at the box office. What's in this Pocket Essential guide? As well as an introductory essay, each of Hitchcock's films is individually reviewed and analysed. In addition, the effect he has had on the industry is explained - virtually every big action movie of the past three decades has been influenced by his work. And there's a handy multimedia reference guide. more...

Price: $9.99

All in Good Time is a luminous memoir about growing up in the shadow of the golden age of songwriting and Sinatra, from the celebrated radio personality and novelist Jonathan Schwartz. “Dancing in the Dark.” “That’s Entertainment. more...

Price: $13.95

From February to April 2007, starting with his play-by-play call of Super Bowl XLI, Jim Nantz had a historic 63-day broadcasting run as he became the first commentator to broadcast the Super Bowl, the NCAA Final Four, and the Masters ® all in the same year. Yet the man who inspired him to pursue his broadcasting dream, his father, was unable to share the voyage with him. In Always By My Side: A Father's Grace and a Sports Journey Unlike Any Other, 2007 Sportscaster of the Year Nantz recounts how he felt his father’s presence every step of the way – and through this championship journey, he celebrates the people and moments that tap into all the goodness that his dad – and his dad’s generation – represent. Always By My Side traces Nantz’s career, from creating his own imaginary TV studio he created as a boy to his college days rooming with future PGA Tour golfers to his chance meeting with NBC Sports producer Don Ohlmeyer that started him on a path that led to a successful CBS network audition at the age of 26. Along the way, he remembers his friendships with such sports royalty as Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Peyton Manning, Tony Dungy, Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, Mike Krzyzewski, and Bill Walton – as well as Hollywood A-listers like Clint Eastwood and Sean Connery, all the time remaining humble and grateful for the opportunity to be afforded such an amazing life. Nantz also recalls father-figures he found throughout his life when his own ailing father was unable to be physically with him: George H. W. Bush, Ken Venturi, Jim McKay, Pat Summerall, Billy Packer, Frank Chirkinian, and others. Ultimately, Always By My Side is a collection of poignant stories that explore the theme of fathers and sons who have bonded through a common love of sports. It turns every day into Father’s Day. more...

Price: $16.00