Fiction_L Archives Favorite biographies Dates: 3/6/01,7:36 PM  through  3/22/01,10:40 AM  (41 postings) Search for: Select one or more indexes to search: 2011-current     2009-2010     2004-2008    1995-2003    (Matches from each index will be displayed separately in the results page.) Return to March 2001 thread menu   |   Fiction_L Archives Menu

FROM: Sarah Nagle <[removed]@co.carver.mn.us>
REC'D: 3/6/01, 7:36 PM

I am working on a readers advisory discussion on biographies for my state
library association. I would love to hear some suggestions as to the best
biography that any of you have read recently - hopefully a recent title -
and why you liked it. Thanks, Sarah Nagle

FROM: Madeline Guzman <[removed]@CapAccess.org>
REC'D: 3/6/01, 10:42 PM

Some biographies I recently enjoyed:

After Long Silence by Helen Fremont--fascinating story of a Catholic's
girl discovering her parents' Jewish roots. It opened my eyes into how
yet another family was able to survive the gruesome environment of Nazi
Poland.

Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam Jr.--story of a NASA rocket scientist. I
think it's a veryinspiring story for school kids as well as teachers. It
encourages young people to follow thier dreams.

The Color of Water by James McBride---about a black man's having had a
white mom of Orthodox Jewish background. It gives insight into how one
family was able to deal with racial differences. Hopefully the message
will carry across to the readers of this book.

Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt--an Irish boy's childhood of poverty.
Oh, it's the beautiful writing that grabbed me in this book.

Rachel Caloff's Story: Jewish Homesteader on the Northern Plains by
Rachel Caloff---about a pioneer woman and her new husband who lived in
North Dakota at the end of the 1800's. Breaks the sterotype of the
"typical" pioneer family. This one was Jewish!

I liked all of these, but if I had to pick just one...I guess it would be
Angela's Ashes.

Hope this helps!

Madeline

- - - - - -

I would love to hear some suggestions as to the best
> biography that any of you have read recently - hopefully a recent title -
> and why you liked it.

FROM: Mary K Chelton <[removed]@pop.mail.rcn.net>
REC'D: 3/7/01, 8:08 AM

ICEBOUND about the MD with breast cancer at the South Pole.

Mary K.

>I am working on a readers advisory discussion on biographies for my state
>library association. I would love to hear some suggestions as to the best
>biography that any of you have read recently - hopefully a recent title -
>and why you liked it. Thanks, Sarah Nagle
>
>......................................................................
>Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
>Everything Fiction_L: http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html

--
**************************************************************************************
Home: 35 Mercury Ave., East Patchogue, NY 11772-4609. Phone: (631)
286-4255 or 776-2166
Work: Graduate School of Library and Information Studies, Queens
College, 254 Rosenthal Library, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, NY
11367. Phone: (718) 997-3790 general office; 3667 direct voice; 3797
fax, e-mail [removed]@pop.mail.rcn.net
**************************************************************************************

FROM: Viccy Kemp <[removed]@cityofcarrollton.com>
REC'D: 3/7/01, 8:28 AM

I know you specifically said "recent" but I have to share my most favorite
biography: "I married adventure" by Osa Johnson. I believe it may have been
recently reprinted. I read this when I was eight years old, it was the first
"old" book I ever bought and read. This is the story of a young girl from
Canute, Kansas who mets and marries and follows her adventurer husband all
over the world until his tragic death. She was the first white women to meet
the headhunters of Borneo. She and her husband sailed with Jack London. You
remember all that film footage on elephants rampaging from the old Tarzan
movies? That footage was probably shot by Osa and Martin Johnson in East
Africa. They lived in a tree house over a beautiful lake in what is now
Tanzania. They had funding from the Eastman Kodak company and filmed all
kinds of wildlife in Africa. It is a wonderful book and well worth tracking
down and reading.
Viccy Kemp
The opinions are my own; the library wouldn't want 'em!

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Sarah Nagle [[removed]@co.carver.mn.us]
> Sent: Tuesday, March 06, 2001 7:28 PM
> To: Fiction_L
> Subject: Favorite biographies
>
> I am working on a readers advisory discussion on biographies for my state
> library association. I would love to hear some suggestions as to the best
> biography that any of you have read recently - hopefully a recent title -
> and why you liked it. Thanks, Sarah Nagle
>
> ......................................................................
> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
> Everything Fiction_L: http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html

FROM: Brent Miller <[removed]@library.ca.gov>
REC'D: 3/7/01, 10:25 AM

At 07:27 PM 3/6/01 -0600, Sarah Nagle wrote:
>I would love to hear some suggestions as to the best biography that any of
you have read recently -

Anything and everything by Scott Berg -- Pulitzer Prize for Lindbergh
and my favorite: Goldwyn. I read somewhere that Katharine Hepburn
has chosen him as her official biographer to be published after her death;
that could be the greatest selling biography of all time.

Brent

FROM: "Deb Warner" <[removed]@co.durham.nc.us>
REC'D: 3/7/01, 10:36 AM

As regards more recent publications:
Stacy Schiff's bio of Antoine Saint-Exupery\
Richard M. Patterson's Butch Cassiday:a biography
I've enjoyed St-Ex's writing about flying for a long time, so I found the
bio interesting as well. What surprised me was how much I enjoyed the
Cassiday bio. I loved the movie of course but am not a great reader of
westerns or western history, still I found it fascinating.

Older works: my three all-time favorite biographies,
Florence King's Confessions of a Failed Southern Lady (very funny) &
John Gardner's The Life and Times of Chaucer Shows what happens when a
good writer write a bio, interesting social history as well, far better than
more recent work on him
John Callahan's Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot: the Autobiography of
a Dangerous Man outrageously funny, not for the fait=hearted. frank
description of learning to deal with being a quadraplegic

FROM: Kaite Mediatore <[removed]@yahoo.com>
REC'D: 3/7/01, 1:04 PM

One of my favorites last year was _Waiting: The True
Confessions of a Waitress_ by Debra Ginsburg. And right
now I'm working my way through _Catch Me If You Can_ by
Frank Abagnale.

The Abagnale books was featured on NPR. It's about a man
who managed to con people into believing he was an airline
pilot, doctor, lawyer, sociology professor and amassed 2.5
million along the way all before he was 21 (or so the
jacket flap says). So far the writing is zippy and the
narrator is one of those loveable conartist types. Should
make a good movie.

Kaite

--- Sarah Nagle <[removed]@co.carver.mn.us> wrote:
> I am working on a readers advisory discussion on
> biographies for my state
> library association. I would love to hear some
> suggestions as to the best
> biography that any of you have read recently - hopefully
> a recent title -
> and why you liked it. Thanks, Sarah Nagle
>
>
......................................................................
> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
> Everything Fiction_L:
http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html


=====
Kaite Mediatore, Reader's Services Librarian
KCKPL Main Branch
625 Minnesota Ave.
Kansas City, KS 66101
913.279.2212 fx 913.279.2032
[removed]@kckpl.lib.ks.us

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail.
http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/

FROM: "Don Zochert" <[removed]@home.com>
REC'D: 3/7/01, 1:15 PM

> Anything and everything by Scott Berg -- Pulitzer Prize for Lindbergh

But supplement this with Reeve Lindbergh's memoir of growing up as the
daughter of the Lone Eagle. It has accounts of flying with Lindbergh, the
family dynamic, Anne Morrow's confused final years, etc., all much more
immediate than anything in Berg's biography. Although imperious, demanding,
and daunting as a parent, it turns out (in Reeve's view) that Lindbergh was
the warmest and most compassionate of the parents, and the beautiful,
brilliant Anne Morrow the most distant and reserved.

FROM: Chris Hamburg <[removed]@esls.lib.wi.us>
REC'D: 3/7/01, 1:58 PM

I'm not much of a biography reader, but I was very impressed with
_Galileo's Daughter_ by Dava Sobel. Sobel manages to tell Galileo's life
story through the eyes of his daughter, a cloistered nun, by using their
correspondence as the basis of the story. I really liked the attention to
historical detail and the even handed way Sobel dealt with the Church
controversy over Galileo's work.

Chris Hamburg
Adult Services Coordinator
Lester Public Library
Two Rivers, WI


Subject: Favorite biographies
From: "Sarah Nagle" <[removed]@co.carver.mn.us>
Date: Tue, 6 Mar 2001 19:27:44 -0600

I am working on a readers advisory discussion on biographies for my state
library association. I would love to hear some suggestions as to the best
biography that any of you have read recently - hopefully a recent title -
and why you liked it. Thanks, Sarah Nagle

FROM: Kim Rutter <[removed]@lvdl.org>
REC'D: 3/7/01, 2:09 PM

Viccy: Osa Johnson was from Chanute, Kansas, my hometown. There is a very
well-done museum there--The Osa and Martin Johnson Safari Museum--with a
very complete collection of the film footage the Johnsons shot, their
collections of African artifacts, and many original copies of Osa's books
for sale. It's worth visiting if you are in southeast Kansas, or if you
have reason to travel near there.

Kim Rutter
Lake Villa District Library
Lake Villa, IL

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Viccy Kemp [[removed]@cityofcarrollton.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2001 8:23 AM
> To: Fiction_L
> Subject: RE: Favorite biographies
>
> I know you specifically said "recent" but I have to share my most favorite
> biography: "I married adventure" by Osa Johnson. I believe it may have
> been
> recently reprinted. I read this when I was eight years old, it was the
> first
> "old" book I ever bought and read. This is the story of a young girl from
> Canute, Kansas who mets and marries and follows her adventurer husband all
> over the world until his tragic death. She was the first white women to
> meet
> the headhunters of Borneo. She and her husband sailed with Jack London.
> You
> remember all that film footage on elephants rampaging from the old Tarzan
> movies? That footage was probably shot by Osa and Martin Johnson in East
> Africa. They lived in a tree house over a beautiful lake in what is now
> Tanzania. They had funding from the Eastman Kodak company and filmed all
> kinds of wildlife in Africa. It is a wonderful book and well worth
> tracking
> down and reading.
> Viccy Kemp
> The opinions are my own; the library wouldn't want 'em!
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Sarah Nagle [[removed]@co.carver.mn.us]
> > Sent: Tuesday, March 06, 2001 7:28 PM
> > To: Fiction_L
> > Subject: Favorite biographies
> >
> > I am working on a readers advisory discussion on biographies for my
> state
> > library association. I would love to hear some suggestions as to the
> best
> > biography that any of you have read recently - hopefully a recent title
> -
> > and why you liked it. Thanks, Sarah Nagle
> >
> > ......................................................................
> > Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
> > Everything Fiction_L: http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html
>
> ......................................................................
> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
> Everything Fiction_L: http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html

FROM: Brent Miller <[removed]@library.ca.gov>
REC'D: 3/7/01, 2:20 PM

The Professor and the Madman.

FROM: [removed]@aol.com
REC'D: 3/7/01, 2:31 PM

My favorite bio of recent years is Rick Bragg's "All over but the shoutin'". It's not brand new (1997), and strictly speaking is autobiographical. Bragg writes for the New York Times (or at least did when the book was written), and as I read he would allude to stories that I would remember having read, though I did not notice his byline. His writing is excellent. I have recommended it to a few people and received pretty good feedback.

FROM: "ROBIN BEERBOWER" <[removed]@mail.open.org>
REC'D: 3/7/01, 3:55 PM

I (and many of my colleagues) loved THE SOUL OF A CHEF (2000 publication) by Michael Ruhlman that could be considered a biography of sorts. This author's earlier book THE MAKING OF A CHEF was equally as fascinating.

Robin Beerbower
Salem (OR) Public Library
[removed]@open.org

>>> Sarah Nagle <[removed]@co.carver.mn.us> 03/06 5:27 PM >>>
I am working on a readers advisory discussion on biographies for my state
library association. I would love to hear some suggestions as to the best
biography that any of you have read recently - hopefully a recent title -
and why you liked it. Thanks, Sarah Nagle

FROM: "Warner" <[removed]@massed.net>
REC'D: 3/7/01, 6:31 PM

Charles Dickens by Peter Ackroyd. It is a very engaging read, almost like a
novel. A lot of detail, and a good sense of the period, very long, but hard
to put down. Other Dickens fans have also enjoyed it very much. Judy
Warner
----- Original Message -----
From: Chris Hamburg <[removed]@esls.lib.wi.us>
To: Fiction_L <[removed]@maillist.webrary.org>
Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2001 3:02 PM
Subject: RE: Favorite biographies


> I'm not much of a biography reader, but I was very impressed with
> _Galileo's Daughter_ by Dava Sobel. Sobel manages to tell Galileo's life
> story through the eyes of his daughter, a cloistered nun, by using their
> correspondence as the basis of the story. I really liked the attention to
> historical detail and the even handed way Sobel dealt with the Church
> controversy over Galileo's work.
>
> Chris Hamburg
> Adult Services Coordinator
> Lester Public Library
> Two Rivers, WI
>
>
> Subject: Favorite biographies
> From: "Sarah Nagle" <[removed]@co.carver.mn.us>
> Date: Tue, 6 Mar 2001 19:27:44 -0600
>
> I am working on a readers advisory discussion on biographies for my state
> library association. I would love to hear some suggestions as to the best
> biography that any of you have read recently - hopefully a recent title -
> and why you liked it. Thanks, Sarah Nagle
>
>
>
> ......................................................................
> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
> Everything Fiction_L: http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html
>

FROM: Melissa Norton <[removed]@yahoo.com>
REC'D: 3/7/01, 6:53 PM

Which reminds me of Hepburn's terrific autobiography,
ME: STORIES OF MY LIFE from the early 90s. Great
reading--like having her in the same room with you.
A second vote for I MARRIED ADVENTURE, also an
all-time favorite.
More recently, OUTSIDE PASSAGE by Julia Scully and
AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A FACE by Lucy Grealy are memorable
coming of age accounts.
Melissa
--- Brent Miller <[removed]@library.ca.gov> wrote:
> At 07:27 PM 3/6/01 -0600, Sarah Nagle wrote:
> >I would love to hear some suggestions as to the
> best biography that any of
> you have read recently -
>
> Anything and everything by Scott Berg -- Pulitzer
> Prize for Lindbergh
> and my favorite: Goldwyn. I read somewhere that
> Katharine Hepburn
> has chosen him as her official biographer to be
> published after her death;
> that could be the greatest selling biography of all
> time.
>
> Brent
>
>
......................................................................
> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
> Everything Fiction_L:
http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html


=====
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Melissa Norton [removed]@bridgton.lib.me.us
Asst. Librarian & Webmaster
Bridgton Public Library http://www.bridgton.lib.me.us
65 Main St.
Bridgton, ME 04009
207-647-2472

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail.
http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/

FROM: [removed]@aol.com
REC'D: 3/7/01, 8:59 PM

One of my favorites is <Are You Somebody?> by Nuala O'Faolin. Why? Her
blunt honesty in assessing her life and her family...the lyricism of her
writing...the way she seems to capture the Ireland of a certain time
period...the literary quality of the memoir. I connected with it in a way I
did not with <Angela's Ashes,> more akin to the way I connected with <84
Charing Cross Road.>
This is my third day on this list serv, and I love it!!!

Maggie Bollar
Youth Services Librarian
New Carlisle Public Library
111 East Lake Avenue
New Carlisle, Ohio 45344
937-845-3601 (voice)
937-845-0908 (fax)
"Play is not necessarily frivolous. It's not a synonym for the trivial."
-Tom Robbins

FROM: "christine jeffords" <[removed]@hotmail.com>
REC'D: 3/8/01, 9:53 AM

>From: Viccy Kemp <[removed]@cityofcarrollton.com>
>Reply-To: "Fiction_L" <[removed]@maillist.webrary.org>
>To: Fiction_L <[removed]@maillist.webrary.org>
>Subject: RE: Favorite biographies
>Date: Wed, 7 Mar 2001 08:22:47 -0600
>
>I know you specifically said "recent"...

In a similar vein, one of the most fascinating bio's I have read was "Sam
Clemens of Hannibal," by, I believe, Justin Kaplan. It's a bio of Clemens
from his birth till he went West in his early 20's. Much information about
how he used this environment to create Tom Sawyer & Huck Finn.
_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com

FROM: "christine jeffords" <[removed]@hotmail.com>
REC'D: 3/8/01, 10:04 AM

>From: Melissa Norton <[removed]@yahoo.com>
>Reply-To: "Fiction_L" <[removed]@maillist.webrary.org>
>To: Fiction_L <[removed]@maillist.webrary.org>
>Subject: Re: Favorite biographies
>Date: Wed, 7 Mar 2001 16:33:28 -0800 (PST)
>
>Which reminds me of Hepburn's terrific autobiography,
>ME: STORIES OF MY LIFE from the early 90s.

Almost any bio of KH would be described as "fascinating." I think the best
one I have read was titled simply "Kate," but I may be mistaken; I know I
read two or three rather close together.
_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com

FROM: Dennis Lien <[removed]@tc.umn.edu>
REC'D: 3/8/01, 10:25 AM

At 07:27 PM 3/6/01 -0600, you wrote:
>I am working on a readers advisory discussion on biographies for my state
>library association. I would love to hear some suggestions as to the best
>biography that any of you have read recently - hopefully a recent title -
>and why you liked it. Thanks, Sarah Nagle
>


Joshi, S. T., 1958-

H.P. Lovecraft : a life / S.T. Joshi.

West Warwick, R.I. : Necronomicon Press, 1996.

xii, 704 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.


Of course, it helps if one is interested in Lovecraft. . . Joshi is
the ideal biographer for HPL, being sympathetic to (most of his)
worldview and being a meticulous researcher with access to huge
amounts of material (Lovecraft was one of the 20th century's most
volumnious letter writers, spend many years in the amateur journalism
movement, and was memorialized at great length by many of the people
he knew in person or via correspondence), so this is heavily
documented and detailed down almost to the "and then he had this for
breakfast the next day" level. Since HPL lived a life of genteel
poverty and Didn't Get Out Much, those looking for exciting adventures
should go elsewhere, though.

Joshi has just produced a sort-of HPL *auto*biography as well, cobbling
together what HPL said about his own life in his letters and such; I've
not read that yet but expect to enjoy it also: LORD OF A VISIBLE WORLD:
AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY IN LETTERS (Ohio University Press, 2000).

Dennis Lien / U of Minnesota Libraries // [removed]@tc.umn.edu

FROM: Stephannie Newton - LIBRARYX <[removed]@MAIL.MARICOPA.GOV>
REC'D: 3/8/01, 10:47 AM

I am not a big biography reader either, but I enjoyed Elizabeth Kim's Ten
Thousand Sorrows: The Extraordinary Journey of a Korean War Orphan (2000).
It was a "can't put down" read and that has never happened to me with a
biography!!

Stephannie Newton Wills
Adult Services Librarian
Maricopa County Library District
North Central Regional

-----Original Message-----
From: Warner [[removed]@massed.net]
Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2001 5:27 PM
To: Fiction_L
Subject: Re: Favorite biographies


Charles Dickens by Peter Ackroyd. It is a very engaging read, almost like a
novel. A lot of detail, and a good sense of the period, very long, but hard
to put down. Other Dickens fans have also enjoyed it very much. Judy
Warner
----- Original Message -----
From: Chris Hamburg <[removed]@esls.lib.wi.us>
To: Fiction_L <[removed]@maillist.webrary.org>
Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2001 3:02 PM
Subject: RE: Favorite biographies


> I'm not much of a biography reader, but I was very impressed with
> _Galileo's Daughter_ by Dava Sobel. Sobel manages to tell Galileo's life
> story through the eyes of his daughter, a cloistered nun, by using their
> correspondence as the basis of the story. I really liked the attention to
> historical detail and the even handed way Sobel dealt with the Church
> controversy over Galileo's work.
>
> Chris Hamburg
> Adult Services Coordinator
> Lester Public Library
> Two Rivers, WI
>
>
> Subject: Favorite biographies
> From: "Sarah Nagle" <[removed]@co.carver.mn.us>
> Date: Tue, 6 Mar 2001 19:27:44 -0600
>
> I am working on a readers advisory discussion on biographies for my state
> library association. I would love to hear some suggestions as to the best
> biography that any of you have read recently - hopefully a recent title -
> and why you liked it. Thanks, Sarah Nagle
>
>
>
> ......................................................................
> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
> Everything Fiction_L: http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html
>

FROM: Mary Ann Bakken <[removed]@linc.lib.il.us>
REC'D: 3/8/01, 11:08 AM

I enjoyed reading Land of a Thousand Hills: My Life in Rwanda, by
Rosamond Halsey Carr. About the time the newspapers were full of the
escalating conflicts between Tutsi and Hutu tribesmen of Rwanda, this book
chronicling an adult life spent in the same area appeared. The nature of the
conflict became a bit clearer to me after reading Carr's experiences and
observations. It reminded me a lot of Dinesan's Out of Africa experiences
with an infusion of modern politics.

Mary Ann Bakken
St. Charles (IL) Public Library

FROM: Spencer Ms Martha <[removed]@usmc-mccs.org>
REC'D: 3/8/01, 11:29 AM

I would recommend Stop-Time by Frank Conroy and Daughter of the Queen of
Sheba by Jackie Lyden.

Martha Spencer


-----Original Message-----
From: Mary Ann Bakken [[removed]@linc.lib.il.us]
Sent: Thursday, March 08, 2001 8:52 AM
To: Fiction_L
Subject: RE: Favorite biographies


I enjoyed reading Land of a Thousand Hills: My Life in Rwanda, by
Rosamond Halsey Carr. About the time the newspapers were full of the
escalating conflicts between Tutsi and Hutu tribesmen of Rwanda, this book
chronicling an adult life spent in the same area appeared. The nature of the
conflict became a bit clearer to me after reading Carr's experiences and
observations. It reminded me a lot of Dinesan's Out of Africa experiences
with an infusion of modern politics.

Mary Ann Bakken
St. Charles (IL) Public Library

FROM: Oakley Pearson <[removed]@ci.staunton.va.us>
REC'D: 3/8/01, 1:15 PM

Not new, but fortunately back in print: Woody Guthrie: A Life by Joe Klein

Oakley Pearson
Talking Book Center
[removed]@ci.staunton.va.us

FROM: "Vivian Mortensen" <[removed]@park-ridge.lib.il.us>
REC'D: 3/8/01, 1:15 PM

Frank Rich's GHOST LIGHT is a great read for anyone who grew up listening
(or seeing) Broadway shows, especially musicals. Rich covers the 1950's
when he felt his parents' divorce alienated him from his school mates and
his trips to the theater gave him solace. Anyone who remembers the songs
from "South Pacific," "Damn Yankees," "Carousel" and other musicals of that
era will enjoy this.

Vivian Mortensen
Park Ridge Public Library
20 S. Prospect Ave.
Park Ridge, IL 60068

FROM: "Brenda O'Brien" <[removed]@sls.lib.il.us>
REC'D: 3/8/01, 6:38 PM

I really enjoyed an unusual biography last year; Ethel and Ernest, by
Raymond Briggs. It's an illustrated biography of the lives of the
author's parents, from about 1920 to 1971, including their experiences
living in England during World War II. Fascinating.

I also enjoyed Gene Kranz's memoir of his experiences at NASA. He was
portrayed by Ed Harris in the movie Apollo 13. The book title is Failure
Is Not An Option: Mission Control from Mercury to Apollo 13 and Beyond.
Not a traditional biography, but it reads like one.

Brenda O'Brien
Woodridge Public Library
[removed]@sls.lib.il.us

FROM: Melissa Norton <[removed]@yahoo.com>
REC'D: 3/8/01, 7:56 PM

BEYOND THE SKY AND THE EARTH by Jamie Zeppa
A Canadian woman travels to Bhutan to teach and finds
love and a whole new life. Very nicely written, with
great insight into a little-known part of the world.
Melissa
--- Mary Ann Bakken <[removed]@linc.lib.il.us> wrote:
>
>
> I enjoyed reading Land of a Thousand Hills: My Life
> in Rwanda, by
> Rosamond Halsey Carr. About the time the newspapers
> were full of the
> escalating conflicts between Tutsi and Hutu
> tribesmen of Rwanda, this book
> chronicling an adult life spent in the same area
> appeared. The nature of the
> conflict became a bit clearer to me after reading
> Carr's experiences and
> observations. It reminded me a lot of Dinesan's Out
> of Africa experiences
> with an infusion of modern politics.
>
> Mary Ann Bakken
> St. Charles (IL) Public Library
>
>
>
......................................................................
> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
> Everything Fiction_L:
http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html


=====
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Melissa Norton [removed]@bridgton.lib.me.us
Asst. Librarian & Webmaster
Bridgton Public Library http://www.bridgton.lib.me.us
65 Main St.
Bridgton, ME 04009
207-647-2472

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail.
http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/

FROM: P Brady <[removed]@yahoo.com>
REC'D: 3/9/01, 1:38 AM

"The Measure of a Man" by Sidney Poitier is an
excellent autobiography. This man's life's journey
has been extraordinary. I bought a copy for my son
for Father's Day. This book was also chosen for our
April Book Discussion Group.

Hope this helps

Peg Brady, Union Public Library

--- Dennis Lien <[removed]@tc.umn.edu> wrote:
> At 07:27 PM 3/6/01 -0600, you wrote:
> >I am working on a readers advisory discussion on
> biographies for my state
> >library association. I would love to hear some
> suggestions as to the best
> >biography that any of you have read recently -
> hopefully a recent title -
> >and why you liked it. Thanks, Sarah Nagle
> >
>
>
> Joshi, S. T., 1958-
>
> H.P. Lovecraft : a life / S.T. Joshi.
>
> West Warwick, R.I. : Necronomicon Press, 1996.
>
> xii, 704 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.
>
>
> Of course, it helps if one is interested in
> Lovecraft. . . Joshi is
> the ideal biographer for HPL, being sympathetic to
> (most of his)
> worldview and being a meticulous researcher with
> access to huge
> amounts of material (Lovecraft was one of the 20th
> century's most
> volumnious letter writers, spend many years in the
> amateur journalism
> movement, and was memorialized at great length by
> many of the people
> he knew in person or via correspondence), so this is
> heavily
> documented and detailed down almost to the "and then
> he had this for
> breakfast the next day" level. Since HPL lived a
> life of genteel
> poverty and Didn't Get Out Much, those looking for
> exciting adventures
> should go elsewhere, though.
>
> Joshi has just produced a sort-of HPL
> *auto*biography as well, cobbling
> together what HPL said about his own life in his
> letters and such; I've
> not read that yet but expect to enjoy it also: LORD
> OF A VISIBLE WORLD:
> AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY IN LETTERS (Ohio University Press,
> 2000).
>
> Dennis Lien / U of Minnesota Libraries //
> [removed]@tc.umn.edu
>
>
......................................................................
> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
> Everything Fiction_L:
http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail.
http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/

FROM: "Ann Bouricius" <[removed]@cml.lib.oh.us>
REC'D: 3/9/01, 9:41 AM

I recently read AN APPETITE FOR LIFE: The Biography of Julia Child by Noel Riley Fitch.

Julia Child is one of the most interesting people I've ever read about. She didn't learn how to cook until she was in her mid 30's, and she met her husband when they were both working in Ceylon and China during WWII. (she worked for the OSS, the forerunner of the CIA) They became friends because they both loved to eat.

Ann Bouricius/Annie Kimberlin
Columbus Metropolitan Library

FROM: "Marsha Valance" <[removed]@mpl.org>
REC'D: 3/10/01, 2:47 PM

I really enjoyed John Bayley's "Iris, a Memoir" about his wife Iris Murdoch, who has contracted Alzheimer's.

Marsha Valance
Regional Librarian
Wisconsin Regional Library f/t Blind & Physically Handicapped
813 West Wells St.
Milwaukee, WI 53233
1.800.242.8822 [in-state]
<[removed]@mpl.org>

FROM: Gail Ellis - LIBRARYX <[removed]@MAIL.MARICOPA.GOV>
REC'D: 3/10/01, 4:24 PM

1. Malcolm and the Cross: The Nation of Islam,Malcolm X and Christianity -
Louis A. DeCaro, Jr. New York University Press, c2000.
This book is well written and researched and is recommended to anyone
interested in a historical overview of the Nation of Islam, Christianity and
the man, Malcolm X.

2. The Hairstons: An American Family in Black and White - Henry Wiencek. St.
Martin's Press, c1999.
The Hairstons is about two families from the same family tree, however one
were slaves and the other were slavemasters. The black family, which
including Jester Hairston (famed actor and writer of traditional gospel
music such as AMEN) was owned by the white Hairstons, the largest
slaveholders in North Carolina. Fascinating read.

3. Five Sisters: The Langhornes of Virginia - James Fox. Simon & Schuster,
c2000.
Absorbing account of the author's mother's family (5 sisters), from the
Civil War through the 2nd World War. Famous for their beauty, they would
marry into the highest society of England and America. Must read.

4. On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madame C.J. Walker - A'Lelia
Bundles. Scribner, c2001.
The first definitive biography of Madame Walker written by her great-great
granddaughter. It traces the life of Sarah Breedlove Walker,(aka Madame C.J.
Walker) born the daughter of former slaves during the American
Reconstruction era to her rise as entrepreneur of African-American haircare
products and noted philanthropist.

Gail Ellis
Reference Librarian
North Central Regiona Library
17811 N.32nd Street
Phoenix, AZ 85032
webpage: http://mcld.maricopa.gov
-----Original Message-----
From: Sarah Nagle [[removed]@co.carver.mn.us]
Sent: Tuesday, March 06, 2001 6:28 PM
To: Fiction_L
Subject: Favorite biographies


I am working on a readers advisory discussion on biographies for my state
library association. I would love to hear some suggestions as to the best
biography that any of you have read recently - hopefully a recent title -
and why you liked it. Thanks, Sarah Nagle

FROM: [removed]@co.wake.nc.us
REC'D: 3/10/01, 4:24 PM

I really loved "My Sergei" by Ekaterina Gordeeva. But dig out the tissues.

"All Creatures Great and Small" by James Herriott was also a good one


Donna Beaver
Wake County Libraries
Zebulon, NC branch

FROM: "Brad Scott" <[removed]@ci.allen.tx.us>
REC'D: 3/12/01, 10:23 AM

Well, my two favorites are not exactly new books, but they are both currently available in reprint editions.

"Brother to a Dragonfly", by Will D. Campbell describes his childhood on a dirt-poor Mississippi farm and his later life as an Army medic, a Baptist preacher, and a leader in the 1960's civil rights movement. But the most touching part of the book is his relationship with his brother. Recently featured on a PBS documentary called "God's Will".

"Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Four Kings", by Amy Kelly. This book plunged me, mentally, into the society and politics of the 12th century and didn't let me out until the end.

As for current books, I might suggest Dave Egger's "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius". It's certainly not a conventional biography, but adventurous readers may enjoy the challenge of following Egger's relentlessly ironic "staggering" trip through his sometimes-exciting, sometimes-dysfunctional life.

Bradley A. Scott
Allen (Texas) Public Library

** All opinions are personal. **
---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: Sarah Nagle <[removed]@co.carver.mn.us>
Reply-To: "Fiction_L" <[removed]@maillist.webrary.org>
Date: Tue, 6 Mar 2001 19:27:44 -0600

>I am working on a readers advisory discussion on biographies for my state
>library association. I would love to hear some suggestions as to the best
>biography that any of you have read recently - hopefully a recent title -
>and why you liked it. Thanks, Sarah Nagle
>
>......................................................................
>Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
>Everything Fiction_L: http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html
>

FROM: "Lisa Colcord" <[removed]@CI.GLENDALE.AZ.US>
REC'D: 3/12/01, 3:09 PM

My favorite, recent, biography is actually the biography of a great Dane. It is called Amazing Gracie by Dan Dye and Mark Beckloff, the founders of Three Dog Bakery, the bakery for dogs. GREAT READ!!!!!


Lisa Colcord
Librarian
Glendale Public library
Glendale, AZ

....my views are my own....

-The secret to life is enjoying the passage of time- James Taylor

>>> [removed]@ci.allen.tx.us 03/12/01 09:02AM >>>
Well, my two favorites are not exactly new books, but they are both currently available in reprint editions.

"Brother to a Dragonfly", by Will D. Campbell describes his childhood on a dirt-poor Mississippi farm and his later life as an Army medic, a Baptist preacher, and a leader in the 1960's civil rights movement. But the most touching part of the book is his relationship with his brother. Recently featured on a PBS documentary called "God's Will".

"Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Four Kings", by Amy Kelly. This book plunged me, mentally, into the society and politics of the 12th century and didn't let me out until the end.

As for current books, I might suggest Dave Egger's "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius". It's certainly not a conventional biography, but adventurous readers may enjoy the challenge of following Egger's relentlessly ironic "staggering" trip through his sometimes-exciting, sometimes-dysfunctional life.

Bradley A. Scott
Allen (Texas) Public Library

** All opinions are personal. **
---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: Sarah Nagle <[removed]@co.carver.mn.us>
Reply-To: "Fiction_L" <[removed]@maillist.webrary.org>
Date: Tue, 6 Mar 2001 19:27:44 -0600

>I am working on a readers advisory discussion on biographies for my state
>library association. I would love to hear some suggestions as to the best
>biography that any of you have read recently - hopefully a recent title -
>and why you liked it. Thanks, Sarah Nagle
>
>......................................................................
>Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
>Everything Fiction_L: http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html
>

FROM: Sarah Herlache <[removed]@lib.az.us>
REC'D: 3/12/01, 4:23 PM

Has anyone mentioned My Dark Places, by James Ellroy? It's a dark, gritty autobiography about noir mystery author Ellroy's obsession with his mother's murder. I found it very intriguing and hard to put down.

Sarah Herlache, librarian
Foothills Branch Library
Glendale, Arizona

> ---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
> From: Sarah Nagle <[removed]@co.carver.mn.us>
> Reply-To: "Fiction_L" <[removed]@maillist.webrary.org>
> Date: Tue, 6 Mar 2001 19:27:44 -0600
>
> >I am working on a readers advisory discussion on biographies for my state
> >library association. I would love to hear some suggestions as to the best
> >biography that any of you have read recently - hopefully a recent title -
> >and why you liked it. Thanks, Sarah Nagle
> >
> >......................................................................
> >Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
> >Everything Fiction_L: http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html
> >
>
> ......................................................................
> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
> Everything Fiction_L: http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html
>
> ......................................................................
> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
> Everything Fiction_L: http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html

FROM: Kimberly Carter <[removed]@mriresearch.org>
REC'D: 3/12/01, 4:45 PM

"Makes Me Wanna Holler : A Young Black Man in America" by Nathan McCall.

I usually don't read biographies, but the title (comes from an old Marvin
Gaye tune) caught my eye. At times both sad and frustrating, you're
rooting for the author to come around and become a decent human being.

For those of us who grew up in the 60's-70's, I'm sure you'll see someone
you know in this man.
--------------------------------------
Kimberly A. Carter, Sr. Librarian
Midwest Research Institute
Kansas City, MO 64110-2299
[removed]@mriresearch.org
-------------------------------------

-----Original Message-----
From: Sarah Herlache [[removed]@lib.az.us]
Sent: Monday, March 12, 2001 4:12 PM
To: Fiction_L
Subject: Re: Favorite biographies

Has anyone mentioned My Dark Places, by James Ellroy? It's a dark, gritty
autobiography about noir mystery author Ellroy's obsession with his
mother's murder. I found it very intriguing and hard to put down.

Sarah Herlache, librarian
Foothills Branch Library
Glendale, Arizona

> ---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
> From: Sarah Nagle <[removed]@co.carver.mn.us>
> Reply-To: "Fiction_L" <[removed]@maillist.webrary.org>
> Date: Tue, 6 Mar 2001 19:27:44 -0600
>
> >I am working on a readers advisory discussion on biographies for my
state
> >library association. I would love to hear some suggestions as to the
best
> >biography that any of you have read recently - hopefully a recent title
-
> >and why you liked it. Thanks, Sarah Nagle
> >
> >......................................................................
> >Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
> >Everything Fiction_L: http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html
> >
>
> ......................................................................
> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
> Everything Fiction_L: http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html
>
> ......................................................................
> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
> Everything Fiction_L: http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html

FROM: "Bessie Makris" <[removed]@acpl.lib.in.us>
REC'D: 3/12/01, 5:58 PM

Item Type: Note
Date: 03/13/2001 (Tuesday)


Here is a three volume autobiography that was actually made into an
excellent movie:

Frame, Janet
To the Is-land
An Angel at My Table
The Envoy from Mirror City

A few others that I also like:

Conway, Jill Ker
The Road from Coorain

McFadden, Cyra
Rain or Shine

Fitch, Noel Riley
Sylvia Beach and the Lost Generation


Bessie Makris
Allen County Public Library
P.O. Box 2270
Fort Wayne, IN 46802

FROM: Mary K Chelton <[removed]@pop.mail.rcn.net>
REC'D: 3/13/01, 9:20 AM

I ADORED this book! Even accounting for my being a dog nut, it was super!

MK

>My favorite, recent, biography is actually the biography of a great
>Dane. It is called Amazing Gracie by Dan Dye and Mark Beckloff, the
>founders of Three Dog Bakery, the bakery for dogs. GREAT READ!!!!!
>
>
>Lisa Colcord
>Librarian
>Glendale Public library
>Glendale, AZ
>
>....my views are my own....
>
>-The secret to life is enjoying the passage of time- James Taylor
>
>>>> [removed]@ci.allen.tx.us 03/12/01 09:02AM >>>
>Well, my two favorites are not exactly new books, but they are both
>currently available in reprint editions.
>
>"Brother to a Dragonfly", by Will D. Campbell describes his
>childhood on a dirt-poor Mississippi farm and his later life as an
>Army medic, a Baptist preacher, and a leader in the 1960's civil
>rights movement. But the most touching part of the book is his
>relationship with his brother. Recently featured on a PBS
>documentary called "God's Will".
>
>"Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Four Kings", by Amy Kelly. This book
>plunged me, mentally, into the society and politics of the 12th
>century and didn't let me out until the end.
>
>As for current books, I might suggest Dave Egger's "A Heartbreaking
>Work of Staggering Genius". It's certainly not a conventional
>biography, but adventurous readers may enjoy the challenge of
>following Egger's relentlessly ironic "staggering" trip through his
>sometimes-exciting, sometimes-dysfunctional life.
>
>Bradley A. Scott
>Allen (Texas) Public Library
>
>** All opinions are personal. **
>---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
>From: Sarah Nagle <[removed]@co.carver.mn.us>
>Reply-To: "Fiction_L" <[removed]@maillist.webrary.org>
>Date: Tue, 6 Mar 2001 19:27:44 -0600
>
>>I am working on a readers advisory discussion on biographies for my state
>>library association. I would love to hear some suggestions as to the best
>>biography that any of you have read recently - hopefully a recent title -
>>and why you liked it. Thanks, Sarah Nagle
>>
>>......................................................................
>>Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
>>Everything Fiction_L: http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html
>>
>
>......................................................................
>Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
>Everything Fiction_L: http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html
>
>
>......................................................................
>Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
>Everything Fiction_L: http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html

--
**************************************************************************************
Home: 35 Mercury Ave., East Patchogue, NY 11772-4609. Phone: (631)
286-4255 or 776-2166
Work: Graduate School of Library and Information Studies, Queens
College, 254 Rosenthal Library, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, NY
11367. Phone: (718) 997-3790 general office; 3667 direct voice; 3797
fax, e-mail [removed]@pop.mail.rcn.net
**************************************************************************************

FROM: Cecilia Cygnar <[removed]@nileslibrary.org>
REC'D: 3/13/01, 10:35 AM

One of the best books I read last year was "Conversations With Wilder," an
in-depth discussion with film director Billy Wilder. Director Cameron Crowe
(Jerry Maguire) asked questions and Wilder not only gave answers, but told
stories from his work, life, and experiences. A sincere, sometimes funny
book, but possibly more of a film study title, since it is not told in the
"traditional" biography form.

Cecilia Cygnar
Niles Public Library
Niles, IL

FROM: Sarah Nagle <[removed]@co.carver.mn.us>
REC'D: 3/21/01, 1:56 PM

Here is the compilation - it may have to be in several sections so that it
is not via attachments. I did a little editing but otherwise it's just as
you told me!!

ETHEL AND ERNEST (Raymond Briggs) - I really enjoyed this unusual biography.
It's an illustrated biography of the lives of the author's parents, from
about 1920 to 1971, including their experiences living in England during
World War II. Fascinating..

FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION: MISSION CONTROL FROM MERCURY TO APOLLO 13 AND
BEYOND (Gene Kranz) - I enjoyed Gene Kranz' memoir of his experiences at
NASA. He was portrayed by Ed Harris in the movie "Apollo 13". Not a
traditional biography, but it reads like one.

BEYOND THE SKY AND THE EARTH ( Jamie Zeppa) - A Canadian woman travels to
Buhtan to teach and finds love and a whole new life. Very nicely written,
with great insight into a little-known part of the world.

THE MEASURE OF A MAN (Sidney Poitier) - is an excellent biography. This
man's life's journey has been extraordinary. I bought a copy for my son for
Father's Day. This book was also chosen for our April Book Discussion
Group.

AN APPETITE FOR LIFE: THE BIOGRAPHY OF JULIA CHILD (Noel Riley Fitch) -
Julie Child is one of the most interesting people I've ever read about. She
didn't learn how to cook until she was in her mid 30's, and she met her
husband when they were both working in Ceylon and China during WWII (she
worked for the OSS, the forerunner of the CIA). They became friends because
they both loved to eat.

LAND OF A THOUSAND HILLS: MY LIFE IN RWANDA (Rosamond Halsey Carr) - About
the the newspapers were full of the escalating conflicts between Tutsi and
Hutu tribesmen of Rwanda, this book chronicling an adult life spent in the
same area appeared. The nature of the conflict became a bit clearer to me
after reading Carr's experiences and observations. It reminded me a lot of
Dinesen's Out of Africa with an infusion of modern politics.

H.P. LOVECRAFT: A LIFE (S.T. Joshi) - Of course, it helpos if one is
interested in Lovecraft . . . Joshi is the ideal biographer of HPL, being
sympathetic to (most of his) worldview and being a meticulous researcher
with access to huge amounts of material (Lovecraft was one of the 20th
century's most voluminous letter writers, spent many years in the amateur
journalism movement, and was memorialized at great length by many of the
people he knew in person or via correspondence), so this is heavily
documented and detailed down almost to the "and then he had this for
breakfast the next day" level. Since HPL lived a life of genteel poverty
and Didn't Get Out Much, those looking for exciting adventures should go
elsewhere, though. Joshi has just produced a sort-of-HPL "auto"biography as
well, cobbling together what HPL said about his own life in his letters and
such; I've not read that yet but expect to enjoy it also: Lord of a Visible
World: An Autobiography in Letters.

WOODY GUTHRIE: A LIFE (Joe Klein) - Not new, but fortunately back in print.

GHOST LIGHT (Frank Rich) - A great read for anyone who grew up listening (or
seeing Broadway shows, especially musicals. Rich covers the 1950's when he
felt his parents' divorce alienated him from his school mates and his trips
to the theater gave him solace. Anyone who remembers the songs from " South
Pacific", "Damn Yankees", "Carousel" and other musicals of that era will
enjoy this.

ALL OVER BUT THE SHOUTIN' (Rich Braggs, 1997) - My favorite bio of recent
years. Bragg writes for the New York Times (or at least did when the book
was written), and as I read he would allude to stories that I would remember
having read, though I did not notice his byline. His writing is excellent.
I have recommended it to a few people and received pretty good feedback.

THE SOUL OF A CHEF (Michael Ruhlman, 2000) - I (and many of my colleagues)
loved this. It could be considered a biography of sorts. The author's
earlier book The Making of a Chef was equally as fascinating.

CHARLES DICKENS (Peter Ackroyd) - It is a very engaging read, almost like a
novel. A lot of detail, and a good sense of the period, very long, but
hard to put down. Other Dickens fans have also enjoyed it very much.

ME: STORIES OF MY L IFE (Katharine Hepburn) - Hepburn's terrific
autobiography. Great reading - like having her in the same room with you.

OUTSIDE PASSAGE ( Julia Scully) and AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A FACE ( Lucy Grealy) -
memorable coming-of-age accounts.

ARE YOU SOMEBODY (Nuala O'Faolin) - one of my favorites. Why? Her blunt
honesty in assessing her life and her family . . . the lyricism of her
writing . . . the way she seems to capture the Ireland of a certain time
period . . . the literary quality of the memor. I connected with it in a
way I did not with Angela's Ashes, more akin to the way I connected with 84
Charing Cross Road.

TEN THOUSAND SORROWS: THE EXTRAORDINARY JOURNEY OF A KOREAN WAR ORPHAN (
Elizabeth Kim, 2000) - I am not a big biography reader, but I enjoyed this.
It was a "can't put down" read and that has never happened to me with a
biography!!

STOP TIME ( Frank Conroy) and DAUGHTER OF THE QUEEN OF SHEBA (Jackie Lyden).

SYLVIA BEACH AND THE LOST GENERATION ( Noel Riley Fitch).

CONVERSATIONS WITH WILDER (Cameron Crowe) - This is an in-depth discussion
with film director Billy Wilder. Director Crowe ("Jerry Maguire") asked
questions and Wilder not only gave answers, but told stories from his work,
life, and experiences. A sincere, sometimes funny book, but possibly more
of a film study title, since it is not told in the "traditional" biography
form.

BROTHER TO A DRAGONFLY (Will D. Campbell) - describes his childhood on a
dirt-poor Mississippi farm and his later life as an Army medic, a Baptist
preacher, and a leader in the 1960's civil rights movement. But the most
touching part of the book is his relationship with his brother. Recently
featured on a PBS documentary called "God's Will".

ELEANOR OF AQUITAINE AND THE FOUR KINGS (Amy Kelly) - This book plunged me,
mentally, into the society and politics of the 12th century and didn't let
me out until the end.

A HEARTBREAKING WORK OF STAGGERING GENIUS (Dave Eggers) - It's certainly not
a conventional biography, but adventurous readers may enjoy the challenges
of following Egger's relentlessly ironic "staggering" trip through his
sometimes-exciting, sometimes-dysfunctional life.

AMAZING GRACIE ( Dan Dye and Mark Beckloff) - My favorite, recent, biography
is actually the biography of a Great Dane. The authors are the founders of
Three Dog Bakery, the bakery for dogs. GREAT READ!!!!!!

MY DARK PLACES (James Ellroy) - A dark, gritty autobiography about noir
mystery author Ellroy's obsession with his mother's murder. Very intriguing
and hard to put down.

MAKES ME WANNA HOLLER: A YOUNG BLACK MAN IN AMERICA (Nathan McCall) - I
usually don't read biographies, but the title (comes from an old Marvin Gaye
tune) caught my eye. At times both sad and frustrating, you're rooting for
the author to come around and become a decent human being. For those of us
who grew up in the 60's - 70's, I'm sure you'll see someone you know in this
man.

IRIS, A MEMOIR (John Bayley) - about the author's wife, Iris Murdoch, who
has contracted Alzheimer's.

MALCOLM AND THE CROSS: THE NATION OF ISLAM, MALCOLM X, AND CHRISTIANITY
(Louis A. DeCaro, 2000) - This book is well-written and researched and is
recommended to anyone interested in a historical overview of the Nation of
Islam, Christianity and the man, Malcolm X.

THE HAIRSTONS: AN AMERICAN FAMILY IN BLACK AND WHITE (Henry Wiencek, 1999)
- This book is about two families from the same family tree; however, one
were slaves and the other were slavemasters. The black family, which
included Jester Hairston (famed actor and writer of traditional gospel music
such as AMEN) were owned by the white Hairstons, the largest slaveholders in
North Carolina. Fascinating read.

FROM: Sarah Nagle <[removed]@co.carver.mn.us>
REC'D: 3/21/01, 2:06 PM

FIVE SISTERS: THE LANGHORNES OF VIRGINIA (James Fox, 2000) - Absorbing
account of the author's mother's family (5 sisters) from the Civil War
through the Second World War. Famous for their beauty, they would marry
into the highest society of England and America. Must read.

ON HER OWN GROUND: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MADAME C.J. WALKER (A'Lelia
Bundles, 2000) - The first definitive biography of Madame Walker, written by
her great-great-granddaughter. It graces the life of Sarah Breedlove
Walker, born the daughter of former slaves during the American
Reconstruction era to her rise as entrepreneur of African-American haircare
products and noted philanthropist.

MY SERGEI (Ekaterina Gordeeva) - I really loved this. But dig out the
tissues.

ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL (James Herriott) - also a good one.

TO THE ISLAND; AN ANGEL AT MY TABLE, and THE ENVOY FROM MIRROR CITY (Janet
Frame) - A three-volume autobiography that was made into an excellent movie.

THE ROAD FROM COORAIN (Jill Ker Conway).

RAIN OR SHINE (Cyra McFadden).

ST. EUPERY: A BIOGRAPHY (Stacy Schiff) - I've enjoyed St-Ex's writing about
flying for a long time, so I found the bio interesting as well.

BUTCH CASSIDY: A BIOGRAPHY (Richard M. Patterson) - What surprised me was
how much I enjoyed this bio. I loved the movie of course but am not a great
reader of westerns or western history; still I found it fascinating.

CONFESSIONS OF A FAILED SOUTHERN LADY (Florence King)

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF CHAUCER (John Gardner) - Shows what happens when a
good writer writes a bio; interesting social history as well. Far better
than more recent work on Chaucer.

DON'T WORRY, HE WON'T GET FAR ON FOOT: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A DANGEROUS
MAN. (John Callahan) - Outrageously funny, not for the faint-hearted. A
frank description of learning to deal with being a paraplegic.

WAITING: THE TRUE CONFESSIONS OF A WAITRESS (Debra Ginsburg) - one of my
favorites last year.

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN (Frank Abagnale) - This book was featured on NPR. It's
about a man who managed to con people into believing he was an airline
pilot, doctor, lawyer, sociology professor and amassed $2.5 million along
the way all before he was 21. The writing is zippy and the narrator is one
of those loveable con-artist types. Should make a good movie.

LINDBERGH (Scott Berg) - Anything and everything by Berg, who won a Pulitzer
for this. My favorite by him is GOLDWYN. I read somewhere that Katharine
Hepburn has chosen him as her official biographer to be published after her
death; that could be the greatest selling biography of all time.

UNDER A WING:A MEMOIR (Reeve Lindbergh) - A memoir of growing up as the
daughter of the Lone Eagle. It has accounts of flying with Lindbergh, the
family dynamic, Anne Morrow's confused final years, etc., all much more
immediate than anything in Berg's biography (above). Although imperious,
demanding, and daunting as a parent, it turns out (in Reeve's view) that
Lindbergh was the warmest and most compassionate of the parents, and the
beautiful, brilliant Anne Morrow the most distant and reserved.

GALILEO'S DAUGHTER (Dava Sobel) - I'm not much of a biography reader, but I
was very impressed with this book. Sobel manages to tell Galileo's life
story through the eyes of his daughter, a cloistered nun, by using their
correspondence as the basis of the story. I really liked the attending to
historical detail and the even-handed way Sobel dealt with the Church
controversy over Galileo's work.

AFTER LONG SILENCE (Helen Fremont) - Fascinating story of a Catholic
girl discovering her parents' Jewish roots. It opened my eyes into how yet
another family was able to survive the gruesome environment of Nazi Poland.

ROCKET BOYS (Homer Hickam Jr.) - The story of a NASA rocket scientist. A
very inspiring story for school kids as well as teachers. It encourages
young people to follow their dreams.

THE COLOR OF WATER (James McBride) - About a black man's having had a white
mom of Orthodox Jewish background . It gives insight into how one family
was able to deal with racial differences. Hopefully the message will carry
across to the readers of this book.

ANGELA'S ASHES (Frank McCourt) - An Irish boy's childhood of poverty. Oh,
it's the beautiful writing that grabbed me in this book.

RACHEL CALOFF'S STORY: JEWISH HOMESTADER ON THE NORTHERN PLAINS (Rachel
Caloff) - About a pioneer woman and her new husband who lived in North
Dakota at the end of the 1800's. Breaks the stereotype of the "typical"
pioneer family. This one was Jewish!

ICE BOUND: A DOCTOR'S INCREDIBLE BATTLE FOR SURVIVAL AT THE SOUTH POLE
(Jerri Nielsen).

I MARRIED ADVENTURE (Osa Johnson) - I know you specifically said "recent"
but I have to share my most favorite biography. I believe it may have been
recently reprinted. I read this when I was eight years old; it was the
first "old" book I ever bought and read. This is the story of a young girl
from Canute, Kansas who meets and marries and follows her adventurer husband
all over the world until his tragic death. She was the first white woman to
meet the headhunters of Borneo. She and her husband sailed with Jack
London. You remember all that film footge on elephants rampaging from the
old Tarzan movies? That footage wa probably shot by Osa and Martin Johnson
in East Africa. They lived in a tree house over a beautiful lake in what is
now Tanzania. They had funding from the Eastman Kodak company and filmed
all kinds of wildlife in Africa. It is a wonderful book and well worth
tracking down and reading.

THE PROFESSOR AND THE MADMAN: A TALE OF MURDER, INSANITY, AND THE MAKING OF
THE OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY (Simon Winchester, 1998).

THE AVENGERS: A JEWISH WAR STORY (Rich Cohen, 2000) - The story of a group
of Jewish partisans in WWII Lithuania.

RESISTING HITLER: MILDRED HARNACK AND THE RED ORCHESTRA (Shareen Blair
Brysac, 2000) - The fascinating story of the only American woman executed by
the Nazis for espionage. This story intrigued me for three reasons: first,
the WWII context; second, the fact that Harnack was born in Wisconsin and
attended the university at exactly the same time that my grandmother did
and, three, since the author started her research in the 1980s, much more
information in Soviet archives became available, shedding new light on this
part of history.

50 ACRES AND A POODLE: A STORY OF LOVE, LIVESTOCK, AND FINDING MYSELF ON A
FARM (Jeanne Marie Laskas, 2000) - the story of a woman writer who buys a
farm with her significant other - it is humorous and "true to life".

CHANGE ME INTO ZEUS' DAUGHTER (Barbara Robinette Moss, 1999).

FROM: [removed]@aol.com
REC'D: 3/22/01, 10:40 AM

Thank you for posting this.
Maureen Garvey

Return to March 2001 thread menu   |   Fiction_L Archives Menu

The Webrary® and Fiction_L are services of the Morton Grove Public Library "Webrary" is a registered trademark of the Morton Grove Public Library. All rights reserved. Copyright of Fiction_L postings belongs to their respective authors; postings may only be reused with the author's permission. Compiled lists (compilations of titles or authors from earlier postings on a particular topic) may not be reused for commercial purposes. To use a compiled list for non-commercial purposes, please credit "Subscribers of the Fiction_L mailing list." All other content is ©2012 Morton Grove Public Library, 6140 Lincoln Ave., Morton Grove, IL 60053-2989, (847) 965-4220.