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Destination city : a gallery of New York’s most surprising visitors and residents throughout history
Pigott, Robert
Columbia University Press
, 2025
; English
; 341 Pages
Leon Trotsky was living in The Bronx with his common-law wife and two children when the Russian Revolution broke out. President Woodrow Wilson and his successor, Warren G. Harding, had little in common—except both came to New York City to indulge in extramarital affairs. Henry Fonda and Jimmy Stewart were roommates for two years in the 1930s, sharing a Manhattan apartment dubbed "Casa Gangrene." Simone de Beauvoir smoked her first joint at the Plaza Hotel in 1947. While living in Brighton Beach, Woody Guthrie wrote a song about his bigoted landlord, "Old Man Trump"—Donald’s father. The thirteen-year-old Lee Harvey Oswald was a menace to his Bronx neighbors, once firing a BB gun at their windows. Greta Garbo had a fear of dentists’ offices and found a practitioner who would examine her at a bench on Central Park West. Barack Obama spent his first night in Manhattan "curled up in an alley-way" on West 109th Street.
Telling these tales and many others, Destination City presents the surprising stories of historical figures who are not usually associated with New York City but spent key parts of their lives there. Vignettes recount incidents in the lives of hundreds of notable people—writers, artists, actors, scientists, activists, politicians, revolutionaries, and more. Some were greeted with ticker-tape parades
others came to the city penniless. Some fell in love with the city
others despised it. But all were marked in some way by their time in New York. Robert Pigott’s writing captures the fabric of a bygone city, bringing to life the colorful world these figures inhabited. Charming and wry, this book is for all readers interested in an unconventional angle on New York City past and present.
eBook
Pigott, Robert
Columbia University Press
, 2025
; English
; 341 Pages
Leon Trotsky was living in The Bronx with his common-law wife and two children when the Russian Revolution broke out. President Woodrow Wilson and his successor, Warren G. Harding, had little in common—except both came to New York City to indulge in extramarital affairs. Henry Fonda and Jimmy Stewart were roommates for two years in the 1930s, sharing a Manhattan apartment dubbed "Casa Gangrene." Simone de Beauvoir smoked her first joint at the Plaza Hotel in 1947. While living in Brighton Beach, Woody Guthrie wrote a song about his bigoted landlord, "Old Man Trump"—Donald’s father. The thirteen-year-old Lee Harvey Oswald was a menace to his Bronx neighbors, once firing a BB gun at their windows. Greta Garbo had a fear of dentists’ offices and found a practitioner who would examine her at a bench on Central Park West. Barack Obama spent his first night in Manhattan "curled up in an alley-way" on West 109th Street.
Telling these tales and many others, Destination City presents the surprising stories of historical figures who are not usually associated with New York City but spent key parts of their lives there. Vignettes recount incidents in the lives of hundreds of notable people—writers, artists, actors, scientists, activists, politicians, revolutionaries, and more. Some were greeted with ticker-tape parades
others came to the city penniless. Some fell in love with the city
others despised it. But all were marked in some way by their time in New York. Robert Pigott’s writing captures the fabric of a bygone city, bringing to life the colorful world these figures inhabited. Charming and wry, this book is for all readers interested in an unconventional angle on New York City past and present.
eBook
Clyde Walcott : statesman of West Indies cricket
Mason, Peter
Manchester University Press
, 2024
; English
; 209 Pages
An essential biography of a cricketing great, exploring his achievements as a player, manager and political activist.
This ground-breaking biography of Sir Clyde Walcott explores the extraordinary life and achievements of a man who was both an important activist and one of the greatest cricketers of all time.
In the 1950s Walcott was part of the legendary 'three Ws' batting triumvirate with Everton Weekes and Frank Worrell that helped give West Indies cricket a new identity distinct from its colonial past. After test cricket he became a prominent administrator and advocate of Black consciousness, managing the great West Indies teams that dominated the sport in the 1980s. A vocal supporter of using cricket to apply pressure to the South African apartheid regime, in 1992 he became chairman of the International Cricket Council – the first Black man in that influential role.Shining a light on Walcott's largely ignored part in effecting change through the vehicle of cricket, this book also shows how he contributed to dramatic social transformation in Guyana as cricket and social organiser for the country's sugar estates from 1954 to 1970, bringing about improvements in the living conditions and self-esteem of plantation workers while promoting the emergence of several world-class cricketers from a previously neglected corner of the Caribbean.
Mason, Peter
Manchester University Press
, 2024
; English
; 209 Pages
An essential biography of a cricketing great, exploring his achievements as a player, manager and political activist.
This ground-breaking biography of Sir Clyde Walcott explores the extraordinary life and achievements of a man who was both an important activist and one of the greatest cricketers of all time.
In the 1950s Walcott was part of the legendary 'three Ws' batting triumvirate with Everton Weekes and Frank Worrell that helped give West Indies cricket a new identity distinct from its colonial past. After test cricket he became a prominent administrator and advocate of Black consciousness, managing the great West Indies teams that dominated the sport in the 1980s. A vocal supporter of using cricket to apply pressure to the South African apartheid regime, in 1992 he became chairman of the International Cricket Council – the first Black man in that influential role.Shining a light on Walcott's largely ignored part in effecting change through the vehicle of cricket, this book also shows how he contributed to dramatic social transformation in Guyana as cricket and social organiser for the country's sugar estates from 1954 to 1970, bringing about improvements in the living conditions and self-esteem of plantation workers while promoting the emergence of several world-class cricketers from a previously neglected corner of the Caribbean.
eBook
This country : searching for home in (very) rural America
Mahdavian, Navied
Princeton Architectural Press
, 2023
; English
; 291 Pages
"With light and airy illustrations, Mahdavian tackles these complex themes with humor and wit."
—NPR, Books We Love 2023
NPR BEST BOOKS OF 2023 ● NEW YORKER BEST BOOKS WE'VE READ IN 2023 ● A gorgeously illustrated and written debut graphic memoir about belonging, identity, and making a home in the remote American West, by New Yorker cartoonist Navied Mahdavian.
Before Navied Mahdavian moved with his wife and dog in November of 2016 from San Francisco to an off-the-grid cabin in rural Idaho, he had never fished, gardened, hiked, hunted, or lived in a snowy place. But there, he could own land, realize his dream of being an artist, and start a family. Over the next three years, Mahdavian leaned into the wonders of the natural Idaho landscape and found himself adjusting to and enjoying a slower pace of living. But beyond the boundaries of his six acres, he was confronted with the realities of America's political shifts and forced to confront the question: Do I belong here?
Mahdavian's beautifully written and unflinchingly honest graphic memoir charts his growth and struggles as an artist, citizen, and new father. It celebrates his love of place and honors the relationships he makes in rural America, touching on dynamics like culture, environment, and identity in America, and even articulating difficult moments of racism and brutality he found there as a Middle Eastern American. With wit, compassion, and a sense of humor, Mahdavian's insider perspective offers a unique portrait of one of the most remote and wild areas of the American West.
Mahdavian, Navied
Princeton Architectural Press
, 2023
; English
; 291 Pages
"With light and airy illustrations, Mahdavian tackles these complex themes with humor and wit."
—NPR, Books We Love 2023
NPR BEST BOOKS OF 2023 ● NEW YORKER BEST BOOKS WE'VE READ IN 2023 ● A gorgeously illustrated and written debut graphic memoir about belonging, identity, and making a home in the remote American West, by New Yorker cartoonist Navied Mahdavian.
Before Navied Mahdavian moved with his wife and dog in November of 2016 from San Francisco to an off-the-grid cabin in rural Idaho, he had never fished, gardened, hiked, hunted, or lived in a snowy place. But there, he could own land, realize his dream of being an artist, and start a family. Over the next three years, Mahdavian leaned into the wonders of the natural Idaho landscape and found himself adjusting to and enjoying a slower pace of living. But beyond the boundaries of his six acres, he was confronted with the realities of America's political shifts and forced to confront the question: Do I belong here?
Mahdavian's beautifully written and unflinchingly honest graphic memoir charts his growth and struggles as an artist, citizen, and new father. It celebrates his love of place and honors the relationships he makes in rural America, touching on dynamics like culture, environment, and identity in America, and even articulating difficult moments of racism and brutality he found there as a Middle Eastern American. With wit, compassion, and a sense of humor, Mahdavian's insider perspective offers a unique portrait of one of the most remote and wild areas of the American West.
eBook
Mirza malkum khan: a biographical study in iranian modernism
Algar, Hamid
University of California Press
, 2023
; English
; 341 Pages
This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1973.
Algar, Hamid
University of California Press
, 2023
; English
; 341 Pages
This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1973.
eBook
Juszczyk, Andrzej; Skolik, Joanna; Dudek, Jolanta
Jagiellonian University Press
, 2023
; English
; 482 Pages
This volume of essays - dedicated to the memory of Professor Zdzislaw Najder (1930-2021) - is a collective gift made by Conrad scholars from the United States, Canada and Europe.
It comprises seventeen essays in English and twelve in Polish (including several texts containing reminiscences of Professor Najder), a bibliography of Professor Najder's publications and an index of names.
The essays discuss Joseph Conrad's literary achievements and the ever-relevant questions they continue to raise, as well as drawing attention to Conrad's European (and especially Polish) cultural roots - a field of research that for many years was of particular interest to Zdzislaw Najder, who is shown to have been an unforgettable scholar and colleague - known not only for his thorough research into Conrad's life and works, but also for his editorial work, his incisive literary criticism, his noble heart, his sensitivity and his friendly and inspiring approach to students.
Juszczyk, Andrzej; Skolik, Joanna; Dudek, Jolanta
Jagiellonian University Press
, 2023
; English
; 482 Pages
This volume of essays - dedicated to the memory of Professor Zdzislaw Najder (1930-2021) - is a collective gift made by Conrad scholars from the United States, Canada and Europe.
It comprises seventeen essays in English and twelve in Polish (including several texts containing reminiscences of Professor Najder), a bibliography of Professor Najder's publications and an index of names.
The essays discuss Joseph Conrad's literary achievements and the ever-relevant questions they continue to raise, as well as drawing attention to Conrad's European (and especially Polish) cultural roots - a field of research that for many years was of particular interest to Zdzislaw Najder, who is shown to have been an unforgettable scholar and colleague - known not only for his thorough research into Conrad's life and works, but also for his editorial work, his incisive literary criticism, his noble heart, his sensitivity and his friendly and inspiring approach to students.
eBook
The autobiography of an unknown Indian
Chaudhuri, Nirad C.
University of California Press
, 2023
; English
; 519 Pages
This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1951.
Chaudhuri, Nirad C.
University of California Press
, 2023
; English
; 519 Pages
This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1951.
eBook
The artist in the counterculture : Bruce Conner to Mike Kelley and other tales from the edge
Crow, Thomas E.
Princeton University Press
, 2023
; English
; 289 Pages
"An examination of the counterculture movement in California and how it both influenced and was influenced by art"
Crow, Thomas E.
Princeton University Press
, 2023
; English
; 289 Pages
"An examination of the counterculture movement in California and how it both influenced and was influenced by art"
eBook
Revolutionary women : 50 women of color who reinvented the rules
Shen, Ann
Chronicle Books LLC
, 2022
; English
; 227 Pages
Revolutionary Women celebrates the amazing stories of 50 women of color who pushed boundaries, rewrote the rules, and inspired women everywhere to follow in their footsteps.
Discover the remarkable true stories of a diverse group of women who were trailblazers and leaders in their field, becoming visible icons of excellence in their communities and beyond. From making their mark on the big screen and in the halls of NASA to ruling on the courts of the US Open and the Supreme Court, their incredible stories will inspire you to embrace your authentic self and live your life in full color.
For fans of Ann Shen's beloved Bad Girls Throughout History, this spiritual successor celebrates the accomplishments of these incredible women alongside Ann Shen's signature artwork. From dancers, actors, and singers to scientists, astronauts, politicians, and activists, these women used their voices and their passions to change the world. They include:
• Gloria Estefan, one of the best-selling female music artists of all time.
• Anna Sui, an iconic fashion designer for over four decades.
• Bessie Stringfield, the motorcycle queen of Miami.
• Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the youngest woman ever sworn into Congress.
• Misty Copeland, the first Black woman principal dancer at American Ballet Theater.
• Joyce Chen, the first Chinese celebrity chef.
Revolutionary Women captures their extraordinary stories in a beautiful and inspiring format that elevates their achievements. Readers will love the new take on Ann Shen's beloved first book, as well as the uplifting stories, beautiful and rich art, and the inspiration for readers to forge their own paths.
BEAUTIFUL gift: This book combines fun and colorful illustrations with important history through the lens of intersectional feminism, celebrating women of color for the amazing things they accomplished, appealing to people of all ages and genders.
Perfect for:
• Customers who also bought BAD GIRLS THROUGHOUT HISTORY or LEGENDARY LADIES
• Fans of Fashion, Art, and History
• Self-Proclaimed Feminists
Shen, Ann
Chronicle Books LLC
, 2022
; English
; 227 Pages
Revolutionary Women celebrates the amazing stories of 50 women of color who pushed boundaries, rewrote the rules, and inspired women everywhere to follow in their footsteps.
Discover the remarkable true stories of a diverse group of women who were trailblazers and leaders in their field, becoming visible icons of excellence in their communities and beyond. From making their mark on the big screen and in the halls of NASA to ruling on the courts of the US Open and the Supreme Court, their incredible stories will inspire you to embrace your authentic self and live your life in full color.
For fans of Ann Shen's beloved Bad Girls Throughout History, this spiritual successor celebrates the accomplishments of these incredible women alongside Ann Shen's signature artwork. From dancers, actors, and singers to scientists, astronauts, politicians, and activists, these women used their voices and their passions to change the world. They include:
• Gloria Estefan, one of the best-selling female music artists of all time.
• Anna Sui, an iconic fashion designer for over four decades.
• Bessie Stringfield, the motorcycle queen of Miami.
• Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the youngest woman ever sworn into Congress.
• Misty Copeland, the first Black woman principal dancer at American Ballet Theater.
• Joyce Chen, the first Chinese celebrity chef.
Revolutionary Women captures their extraordinary stories in a beautiful and inspiring format that elevates their achievements. Readers will love the new take on Ann Shen's beloved first book, as well as the uplifting stories, beautiful and rich art, and the inspiration for readers to forge their own paths.
BEAUTIFUL gift: This book combines fun and colorful illustrations with important history through the lens of intersectional feminism, celebrating women of color for the amazing things they accomplished, appealing to people of all ages and genders.
Perfect for:
• Customers who also bought BAD GIRLS THROUGHOUT HISTORY or LEGENDARY LADIES
• Fans of Fashion, Art, and History
• Self-Proclaimed Feminists
Audiobook
I Too Am America: On Loving and Leading Black Men & Boys
Dove, Shawn; Chiles, Nick; Hite, Cary
Blackstone Publishing
, 2022
; English
There is no cavalry coming!
We are the iconic leaders we have been waiting for, curators of the change we're seeking to see.
I Too Am America examines the promise and peril of Black men and boys in America by exploring the lives of two talented young men, Jamare Winston in Detroit and Romero Wesson in Oakland, who at once embody all that we want our boys to be while also illuminating the many uncertainties they face. With the help of teachers and mentors, they have navigated their teen years in environments where nothing is guaranteed. Their stories mirror the trials facing Black men and boys across the nation.
Corporation for Black Male Achievement founder Shawn Dove had to navigate similarly treacherous waters decades ago as a Black boy in New York City. He was also a young man of many talents, trying to figure out what the world had to offer and his place in it. Part memoir, part exposé of the ways this country continues to forsake Black men and boys, part uplifting call to action, I Too Am America manages to elicit tears while also kindling hope.
I Too Am America: On Loving and Leading Black Men & Boys, written by Shawn Dove and Nick Chiles, delivers timely insights and inspiration that humanizes the stories of Black men and boys while offering strategic recommendations on how together we can move from our current rumblings with a racial reckoning to loving, learning, and leading with and on behalf of Black men and boys.
Dove, Shawn; Chiles, Nick; Hite, Cary
Blackstone Publishing
, 2022
; English
There is no cavalry coming!
We are the iconic leaders we have been waiting for, curators of the change we're seeking to see.
I Too Am America examines the promise and peril of Black men and boys in America by exploring the lives of two talented young men, Jamare Winston in Detroit and Romero Wesson in Oakland, who at once embody all that we want our boys to be while also illuminating the many uncertainties they face. With the help of teachers and mentors, they have navigated their teen years in environments where nothing is guaranteed. Their stories mirror the trials facing Black men and boys across the nation.
Corporation for Black Male Achievement founder Shawn Dove had to navigate similarly treacherous waters decades ago as a Black boy in New York City. He was also a young man of many talents, trying to figure out what the world had to offer and his place in it. Part memoir, part exposé of the ways this country continues to forsake Black men and boys, part uplifting call to action, I Too Am America manages to elicit tears while also kindling hope.
I Too Am America: On Loving and Leading Black Men & Boys, written by Shawn Dove and Nick Chiles, delivers timely insights and inspiration that humanizes the stories of Black men and boys while offering strategic recommendations on how together we can move from our current rumblings with a racial reckoning to loving, learning, and leading with and on behalf of Black men and boys.
Audiobook
When Magic Failed: A Memoir of a Lebanese Childhood, Caught between East and West
Ajami, Fouad; Cohen, Assaf
Blackstone Publishing
, 2022
; English
From the author of The Arab Predicament and Dream Palace of the Arabs comes a beautiful and haunting memoir of growing up in Lebanon in the '50s and '60s—the story of a sensitive young man and budding intellectual caught between tradition and modernity, east and west.
As one of the most profound and insightful scholars of the Middle East, Fouad Ajami's sensibility was powerfully shaped by his childhood and youth in Lebanon in the '50s and '60s. The time was a transitional one—not only for the Middle East, but for America and the world. Lebanon in this era was just coming into its own as a cosmopolitan destination of the international jet set as well as earnest American educators seeking to modernize Arab society. The disruptive forces of the Middle East—the Cold War, the Palestinian conflict, religious extremism, the money and oil of the Gulf—were only just beginning to appear. In this haunting and beautifully written memoir of his Lebanese childhood, the late Middle East scholar, Fouad Ajami, casts a discerning light into the corners and alleyways of an Arab reality that would later erupt into full view.
Ajami, Fouad; Cohen, Assaf
Blackstone Publishing
, 2022
; English
From the author of The Arab Predicament and Dream Palace of the Arabs comes a beautiful and haunting memoir of growing up in Lebanon in the '50s and '60s—the story of a sensitive young man and budding intellectual caught between tradition and modernity, east and west.
As one of the most profound and insightful scholars of the Middle East, Fouad Ajami's sensibility was powerfully shaped by his childhood and youth in Lebanon in the '50s and '60s. The time was a transitional one—not only for the Middle East, but for America and the world. Lebanon in this era was just coming into its own as a cosmopolitan destination of the international jet set as well as earnest American educators seeking to modernize Arab society. The disruptive forces of the Middle East—the Cold War, the Palestinian conflict, religious extremism, the money and oil of the Gulf—were only just beginning to appear. In this haunting and beautifully written memoir of his Lebanese childhood, the late Middle East scholar, Fouad Ajami, casts a discerning light into the corners and alleyways of an Arab reality that would later erupt into full view.
