Tag: autobiography
One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This
From award-winning novelist and journalist Omar El Akkad comes a powerful reckoning with what it means to live in the heart of an Empire which doesnât consider you fully human. On Oct 25th, after just three weeks of the bombardment of Gaza, Omar El Akkad put out a tweet: âOne day, when itâs safe, when thereâs no personal downside to calling a thing what it is, when itâs too late to hold anyone accountable, everyone will have always been against this.â This tweet was viewed over 10 million times. One Day Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This chronicles the deep fracture which has occurred for Black, brown, indigenous Americans, as well as the upcoming generation, many of whom had clung to a thread of faith in western ideals, in the idea that their countries, or the countries of their adoption, actually attempted to live up to the values they espouse. This book is a reckoning with what it means to live in the west, and what it means to live in a world run by a small group of countriesâAmerica, the UK, France and Germany. It will be The Fire Next Time for a generation that understands weâre undergoing a shift in the so-called 'rules-based order,' a generation that understands the west can no longer be trusted to police and guide the world, or its own cities and campuses. It draws on intimate details of Omarâs own story as an emigrant who grew up believing in the western project, who was catapulted into journalism by the rupture of 9/11. This book is his heartsick breakup letter with the west. It is a breakup we are watching all over the U.S., on college campuses, on city streets, and the consequences of this rupture will be felt by all of us. His book is for all the people who want something better than what the west has served up. This is the book for our time.
Punk Paradox
A historical memoir and cultural criticism of punk rockâs evolution, by the legendary singer-songwriter of Bad Religion Greg Graffin is the lead vocalist and songwriter of Bad Religion , recently described as "America's most significant punk band." Since its inception in Los Angeles in 1980, Bad Religion has produced 18 studio albums, become a long-running global touring powerhouse, and has established a durable legacy as one of the most influential punk rock bands of all time. Punk Paradox is Graffin's life narrative before and during L.A. punk 's early years, detailing his observations on the genre's explosive growth and his band's steady rise in importance. The book begins by exploring Graffinâs Midwestern roots and his life-changing move to Southern California in the mid-'70s. Swept up into the burgeoning punk scene in the exhilarating and often-violent streets of Los Angeles, Graffin and his friends formed Bad Religion , built a fanbase, and became a touring institution. All these activities took place in parallel with Graffin's never ceasing quest for intellectual enlightenment. Despite the demands of global tours, recording sessions, and dedication to songwriting, the author also balanced a budding academic career. In so doing, he managed to reconcile an improbable double-life as an iconic punk rock front man and University Lecturer in evolution. Graffinâs unique experiences mirror the paradoxical elements that define the punk genre â the pop influence, the quest for society's betterment, musicâs unifying power â all of which are prime ingredients in its surprising endurance. Fittingly, this book argues against the traditional narrative of the popular perception of punk . As Bad Religion changed from year to year, the spirit of punk â and its sonic significance â lived on while Graffin was ever willing to challenge convention, debunk mythology, and liberate listeners from the chains of indoctrination. As insightful as it is exciting, this thought-provoking memoir provides both a fly on the wall history of the punk scene and astute commentary on its endurance and evolution.
The House of My Mother
From eldest daughter Shari Franke, the shocking true story behind the viral 8 Passengers family vlog and the hidden abuse she suffered at the hands of her mother, and how, in the face of unimaginable pain, she found freedom and healing. Shari Frankeâs childhood was a constant battle for survival. Her mother, Ruby Franke, enforced a severe moral code while maintaining a façade of a picture-perfect family for their wildly popular YouTube channel 8 Passengers , which documented the day-to-day life of raising six children for a staggering 2.5 million subscribers. But a darker truth lurked beneath the surface â Rubyâs wholesome online persona masked a more tyrannical parenting style than anyone could have imagined. As the familyâs YouTube notoriety grew, so too did Rubyâs delusions of righteousness. Fueled by the sadistic influence of relationship coach Jodi Hildebrandt, together they implemented an inhumane and merciless disciplinary regime. Ruby and Jodi were arrested in Utah in 2023 on multiple charges of aggravated child abuse. On that fateful day, Shari shared a photo online of a police car outside their home. Her caption had one word: âFinally.â For the first time, Shari will reveal the disturbing truth behind 8 Passengers and her familyâs devastating involvement with Jodi Hildebrandtâs cultish life coaching program, âConneXions.â No stone is left unturned as Shari exposes the perils of influencer culture and shares for the first time her battle for truth and survival in the face of her motherâs cruelty.
Fahrenheit-182
A smart, funny, and refreshing memoir from Mark Hoppus, the vocalist, bassist, and founding member of pop-punk band blink-182 . This is a story of what happens when an angst-ridden kid who grew up in the desert experiences his parentsâ bitter divorce, moves around the country, switches identities from dork to goth to skate punk, and eventually meets his best friend who just so happens to be his musical soulmate. Bassist, songwriter, and vocalist for renowned pop-punk trailblazers blink-182 , Mark Hoppus, tells his story in Fahrenheit-182 . A memoir that paints a vivid picture of what it was like to come of age in the 1980s as a latchkey kid hooked on punk rock , skateboards, and MTV; Mark Hoppus shares how he came of age and forms one of the biggest bands of his generation. Threaded through with the very human story of a constant battle with anxiety and Markâs public battle and triumph over cancer, Fahrenheit-182 is a delight for fans and also a funny, smart, and relatable memoir for anyone who has wanted to quit but kept going.
Above the Noise
From one of the most outspoken and respected NBA athletes comes a groundbreaking and remarkable memoir chronicling a very public struggle with depression, in the hopes that other young men will not suffer alone. "As men, and especially Black men, we donât talk about our mental health enough. We struggle to admit when things arenât okay, even when itâs obvious to everybody around us. Iâve seen how toxic that can become. Iâve experienced it myself, keeping everything under wraps until your head and heart are full of fire and rage.â DeMar DeRozan, six-time NBA All-Star, has been called a âbasketball savantâ (ESPN) and âthe best closer in the NBAâ (GQ) â but when he went public with his depression, it sparked a conversation that reached far beyond the court. By breaking the stigma of speaking out, he added a new, seldom-heard voice to the mental health space: a successful Black male athlete, openly naming his pain and advocating for others to do the same. Now itâs time to tell the full story. Born and raised in Compton, DeRozan was no stranger to hardship â living in poverty, losing friends to gang violence. In worn-out school gyms and community centers, fueled by hunger and a desire to prove himself, he started to rise, but doubts followed. In Above the Noise , DeRozan opens up about his proudest triumphs and the times he felt so weighed down he couldn't get out of bed. He reflects on what it took to make a name for himself in a new country after getting drafted by the Toronto Raptors, the pressure of playing with veteran athletes as a twenty-year-old rookie, and the pain of losing role models. From a scared, angry kid to a confident father of five, DeRozan traces his journey to basketball stardom and the forces that honed him into the player â and the slowly healing person â he is today. It will encourage anyone who has ever felt alone in their struggles and inspire a new generation of young people to rise above the noise and speak their truth.
Can I Say
Travis Barkerâs soul-baring memoir chronicles the highlights and lowlights of the renowned drummerâs art and his life, including the harrowing plane crash that nearly killed him and his traumatic road to recovery â a fascinating never-before-told-in-full story of personal reinvention grounded in musical salvation and fatherhood.
There's Always This Year
Growing up in Columbus, Ohio, in the 1990s, Hanif Abdurraqib witnessed a golden era of basketball, one in which legends like LeBron James were forged and countless others werenât. His lifelong love of the game leads Abdurraqib into a lyrical, historical, and emotionally rich exploration of what it means to make it, who we think deserves success, the tension between excellence and expectation, and the very notion of role models, all of which he expertly weaves together with intimate, personal storytelling. âHere is where I would like to tell you about the form on my fatherâs jump shot,â Abdurraqib writes. âThe truth, though, is that I saw my father shoot a basketball only one time.â Thereâs Always This Year is a triumph, brimming with joy, pain, solidarity, comfort, outrage, and hope. No matter the subject of his keen focusâwhether itâs basketball, or music, or performanceâHanif Abdurraqibâs exquisite writing is always poetry, always profound, and always a clarion call to radically reimagine how we think about our culture, our country, and ourselves.
Cured: The Tale of Two Imaginary Boys
Coming of age in Thatcher's Britain in the late 70s and early 80s was really tough, especially if you lived in Crawley. But against the grinding austerity, social unrest and suburban boredom, the spark of rebellion that was punk set alight three young men who would become one of the most revered and successful bands of their generation. The Cure . Cured is a memoir by Lol Tolhurst, one of the founding imaginary boys, who met Robert Smith when they were six. Lol threads the genesis of The Cure through his schoolboy years with Smith, the iconic leader of the group, and the band's most successful era in the 1980s. He takes us up to the present day, a riveting forty years since the band's inception. The band's journey to worldwide success is woven into a story not only of great highs and lows but also of love, friendship, pain, forgiveness and, ultimately, redemption on a beach in Hawaii. Cured highlights those parts of the creative journey that are not normally revealed to fans, incorporating many first-hand recollections around Lol's personal odyssey. From suburban London to the Mojave desert, Cured brings an acute eye for the times to bear on a lifelong friendship, with tales of addiction and despair along the way. Cured is the story of a timeless band and a life truly lived.
This Isn't Happening
THE MAKING AND MEANING OF RADIOHEAD 'S GROUNDBREAKING, CONTROVERSIAL, EPOCHDEFINING ALBUM, KID A . In 1999, as the end of an old century loomed, five musicians entered a recording studio in Paris without a deadline. Their band was widely recognized as the best and most forward-thinking in rock, a rarefied status granting them the time, money, and space to make a masterpiece. But Radiohead didn't want to make another rock record. Instead, they set out to create the future. For more than a year, they battled writer's block, intra-band disagreements, and crippling self-doubt. In the end, however, they produced an album that was not only a complete departure from their prior guitar-based rock sound, it was the sound of a new era-and it embodied widespread changes catalyzed by emerging technologies just beginning to take hold of the culture. What they created was Kid A . Upon its release in 2000, Radiohead 's fourth album divided critics. Some called it an instant classic; others, such as the UK music magazine Melody Maker, deemed it "tubby, ostentatious, self-congratulatory... whiny old rubbish." But two decades later, Kid A sounds like nothing less than an overture for the chaos and confusion of the twenty-first century. Acclaimed rock critic Steven Hyden digs deep into the songs, history, legacy, and mystique of Kid A , outlining the album's pervasive influence and impact on culture in time for its twentieth anniversary in 2020. Deploying a mix of criticism, journalism, and personal memoir, Hyden skillfully revisits this enigmatic, alluring LP and investigates the many ways in which Kid A shaped and foreshadowed our world.
Challenger
From the New York Times bestselling author of Midnight in Chernobyl comes the definitive, dramatic, minute-by-minute story of the Challenger disaster, based on fascinating in-depth reporting and new archival researchâa riveting history that reads like a thriller. On January 28, 1986, just seventy-three seconds into flight, the space shuttle Challenger broke apart over the Atlantic Ocean, killing all seven people on board. Millions of Americans witnessed the tragic deaths of the crew, which included New Hampshire schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe. Like the assassination of JFK, the Challenger disaster is a defining moment in twentieth-century historyâone that forever changed the way America thought of itself and its optimistic view of the future. Yet the full story of what happened, and why, has never been told. Based on extensive archival research and meticÂulous, original reporting, Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space follows a handful of central protagonistsâincluding each of the seven members of the doomed crewâthrough the years leading up to the accident, and offers a detailed account of the tragedy itself and the invesÂtigation afterward. Itâs a compelling tale of ambition and ingenuity undermined by political cynicism and cost-cutting in the interests of burnishing national prestige; of hubris and heroism; and of an investigation driven by leakers and whistleblowers determined to bring the truth to light. Throughout, there are the ominous warning signs of a tragedy to come, recognized but then ignored, and later hidden from the public. Higginbotham reveals the history of the shuttle program and the lives of men and women whose stories have been overshadowed by the disaster, as well as the designers, engineers, and test pilots who struggled against the odds to get the first shuttle into space. A masterful blend of riveting human drama and fascinating and absorbing science, Challenger identifies a turning point in historyâand brings to life an even more complex and astonishing story than we remember.
NOFX: The Hepatitis Bathtub and Other Stories
The candid, hilarious, shocking, occasionally horrifying, and surprisingly moving New York Times bestselling autobiography of punk legends NOFX, their own story in their own words. NOFX: The Hepatitis Bathtub and Other Stories is the first tell-all autobiography from one of the world's most influential and controversial punk bands. Alongside hilarious anecdotes about pranks and drunkenness and teenage failures-featuring the trademark NOFX sense of humor-the book also shares the ugliness and horror the band members experienced on the road to becoming DIY millionaires. Fans and non-fans alike will be shocked by stories of murder, suicide, addiction, counterfeiting, riots, bondage, terminal illness, the Yakuza, and pee...lots and lots of pee. Told by each of the band members (and two former members), NOFX looks back at more than thirty years of comedy, tragedy, and completely inexplicable success.
Columbine
Ten years in the works, a masterpiece of reportage, this is the definitive account of the Columbine massacre, its aftermath, and its significance, from the acclaimed journalist who followed the story from the outset. "The tragedies keep coming. As we reel from the latest horror..." So begins a new epilogue, illustrating how Columbine became the template for nearly two decades of "spectacle murders." It is a false script, seized upon by a generation of new killers. In the wake of Newtown, Aurora, and Virginia Tech, the imperative to understand the crime that sparked this plague grows more urgent every year. What really happened April 20, 1999? The horror left an indelible stamp on the American psyche, but most of what we "know" is wrong. It wasn't about jocks, Goths, or the Trench Coat Mafia. Dave Cullen was one of the first reporters on scene, and spent ten years on this book-widely recognized as the definitive account. With a keen investigative eye and psychological acumen, he draws on mountains of evidence, insight from the world's leading forensic psychologists, and the killers' own words and drawings-several reproduced in a new appendix. Cullen paints raw portraits of two polar opposite killers. They contrast starkly with the flashes of resilience and redemption among the survivors.
Do What You Want
In Do What You Want, the legendary band tells us the story of their success in their own words, from jamming out in a 'hell hole-ish' garage in the 1980s to headlining sold-out festivals like Coachella, Lollapalooza, Riot Fest, and more. Our principal storytellers are the four voices that define Bad Religion: Greg Gaffin, a Wisconsin kid who sang in the choir and became a punk rock icon while he was still a teenager; Brett Gurewitz, a high school dropout who later founded the infamous indie punk label Epitaph Records, eventually expanding its net and cache to sign legends like Tom Waits and Merle Haggard; Jay Bentley, a surfer and skater who gained recognition as much for his bass skills as for his outlandish onstage antics; and Brian Baker, a hardcore guitarist who joined the band in 1994 and brings a fresh perspective as an intimate outsider. .