How To Do Biography

How To Do Biography
Author: Nigel Hamilton
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Total Pages: 392
Release: 2012-10-22
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 0674066154

It is not surprising that biography is one of the most popular literary genres of our day. What is remarkable is that there is no accessible guide for how to write one. Now, following his recent Biography: A Brief History (from Harvard), award-winning biographer and teacher Nigel Hamilton tackles the practicalities of doing biography in this first succinct primer to elucidate the tools of the biographerÕs craft. Hamilton invites the reader to join him on a fascinating journey through the art of biographical composition. Starting with personal motivation, he charts the making of a modern biography from the inside: from conception to fulfillment. He emphasizes the need to know oneÕs audience, rehearses the excitement and perils of modern research, delves into the secrets of good and great biography, and guides the reader through the essential components of life narrative. With examples taken from the finest modern biographies, Hamilton shows how to portray the ages of manÑbirth, childhood, love, lifeÕs work, the evening of life, and death. In addition, he suggests effective ways to start and close a life story. He clarifies the difference between autobiography and memoirÑand addresses the sometimes awkward ethical, legal, and personal consequences of truth-telling in modern life writing. He concludes with the publication and reception of biographyÑits afterlife, so to speak. Written with humor, insight, and compassion, How To Do Biography is the manual that would-be biographers have long been awaiting.

Jacinda Ardern

Jacinda Ardern
Author: Supriya Vani
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 595
Release: 2021-05-06
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 086154031X

‘It takes courage to be an empathetic leader. And I think if anything the world needs empathetic leadership now, perhaps more than ever.’ Jacinda Ardern Jacinda Ardern was swept to office in 2017 on a wave of popular enthusiasm dubbed ‘Jacindamania’. In less than three months, she rose from deputy leader of the opposition to New Zealand’s highest office. Her victory seemed heroic. Few in politics would have believed it possible; fewer still would have guessed at her resolve and compassionate leadership, which, in the wake of the horrific Christchurch mosque shootings of March 2019, brought her international acclaim. Since then, her decisive handling of the COVID-19 pandemic has seen her worldwide standing rise to the point where she is now celebrated as a model leader. In 2020 she won an historic, landslide victory and yet, characteristically, chose to govern in coalition with the Green Party. Jacinda Ardern: Leading with Empathy carefully explores the influences – personal, social, political and emotional – that have shaped Ardern. Peace activist and journalist Supriya Vani and writer Carl A. Harte build their narrative through Vani’s exclusive interviews with Ardern, as well as the prime minister’s public statements and speeches and the words of those who know her. We visit the places, meet the people and understand the events that propelled the daughter of a small-town Mormon policeman to become a committed social democrat, a passionate Labour Party politician and a modern leader admired for her empathy and courage.

Florence Nightingale, Feminist

Florence Nightingale, Feminist
Author: Judith Lissauer Cromwell
Publisher: McFarland
Total Pages: 329
Release: 2013-03-29
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0786470925

This is the first, full-length biography of Florence Nightingale told from a post-feminist perspective. Born into Victorian Britain's elite, a brilliant, magnetic teenager decided to devote her life to the indigent sick by becoming a nurse. Florence's family, especially her mother, opposed the decision, yet Nightingale insisted. Catapulted into the Crimean War, she brought order to the chaos of British military hospitals, but she could never forget her patients. Despite debilitating illness, she focused on preventing another Crimean calamity: the death of thousands due to avoidable causes. Hygienic army installations, sanitation for India, and creation of modern nursing owe much to Florence Nightingale. To Victorians, she personified their ideal of nurturing female. Hindsight provides a wider perspective. By creating a career for women that empowered them with economic independence, Florence Nightingale stands among the founders of modern feminism.

Do You Make These Mistakes in English?

Do You Make These Mistakes in English?
Author: Edwin L Battistella
Publisher: OUP USA
Total Pages: 225
Release: 2009
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 019536712X

School of Music, and the Charles Atlas and Dale Carnegie courses to illustrate how culture became popular and how self-reliance evolved into self-improvement." "This book will appeal to anyone interested in the history of English, the history of business, and American Studies generally."--BOOK JACKET.

Homemade Biography

Homemade Biography
Author: Tom Zoellner
Publisher: Macmillan + ORM
Total Pages: 194
Release: 2013-11-26
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 1466858362

How well do you really know the older people in your family? And how will you make sure their stories will be preserved for generations to come? Homemade Biography is a fun and practical guide to recording a relative's story so it will never be forgotten. New York Times bestselling author Tom Zoellner, who wrote his own grandmother's biography, draws on years of interviewing and writing experience to provide: - More than 300 questions designed to provoke vivid responses Case studies of successful family biographies - A revolutionary technique for writing with grace and energy - Ways of finding a connective theme buried in a jumble of facts - Strategies for dealing with sensitive topics - Professional methods of editing for quality and accuracy - Tips for making your relative's story a part of the permanent historical record Most of us think about bringing a tape recorder or a notebook to a visit with an older relative, but few actually do it. This clear-eyed manual gives you all the expertise you'll need to finish what could be one of the most fulfilling conversations you'll ever have.

Mapping Lives

Mapping Lives
Author: Peter France
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 368
Release: 2004-09-23
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 9780197263181

These essays on the problems and functions of biography - particularly those of writers, thinkers and artists - investigate a subject of enduring importance for those interested in culture.

A Civil Life in an Uncivil Time

A Civil Life in an Uncivil Time
Author: Paula Tarnapol Whitacre
Publisher: U of Nebraska Press
Total Pages: 319
Release: 2017-09
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1612349609

In the fall of 1862 Julia Wilbur left her family’s farm near Rochester, New York, and boarded a train to Washington, DC. As an ardent abolitionist, the forty-seven-year-old Wilbur left a sad but stable life, headed toward the chaos of the Civil War, and spent the next several years in Alexandria, Virginia, devising ways to aid recently escaped slaves and hospitalized Union soldiers. A Civil Life in an Uncivil Time shapes Wilbur’s diaries and other primary sources into a historical narrative of a woman who was alternately brave, self-pitying, foresighted, and myopic. Paula Tarnapol Whitacre describes Wilbur’s experiences against the backdrop of Alexandria, a southern town held by the Union from 1861 to 1865; of Washington, DC, where Wilbur became active in the women’s suffrage movement; and of Rochester, New York, where she began a lifelong association with Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony. Harriet Jacobs, author of Incidents of a Slave Girl, became Wilbur’s friend and ally. Together, the two women, black and white, fought social convention to improve the lives of African Americans escaping slavery by coming across Union lines. In doing so, they faced the challenge to achieve racial and gender equality that continues today. A Civil Life in an Uncivil Time is the captivating story of a woman who remade herself at midlife during a period of massive social upheaval.

Battling Injustice

Battling Injustice
Author: Supriya Vani
Publisher: HarperCollins
Total Pages: 453
Release: 2017-08-25
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 9351778347

'Supriya Vani's book will educate people about gender equality and inspire women to rise up to their potential. It will inspire parents not to clip the wings of their daughters. All our girls are meant for stars, and they need equality and freedom to flourish.' --Nobel Peace laureate Malala Yousafzai and her father Ziauddin Yousafzai Malala Yousafzai, Tawakkol Karman, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee, Shirin Ebadi -- these women and others like them shaped the history of their peoples through their fight against political persecution, social deprivation and gender discrimination. The Nobel Peace Prize memorializes their achievements and courage and ability to inspire hope in others. Through the life portraits of sixteen women Nobel Peace laureates, peace activist and journalist Supriya Vani argues that the fate of the world is inextricably tied to the emancipation of women, and that the cause of world peace urgently requires women leaders. These stories, the result of six years of painstaking research and many interviews, show how we have much to learn from the laureates, from the events that shaped their work to their inner journey of spirit. Women in the workplace, at home, as mothers and nurturers, as leaders, will all find something to take away from this collection. Battling Injustice is an authentic record of women's cultural history, told through the lives of some of the most remarkable women since modernity.'The lives of the women Nobel Peace laureates detailed in this book by Supriya Vani are clear evidence of my belief that women are naturally more sensitive to others' needs and well-being. They have greater potential for expressing love and affection. Therefore, when, as now, compassionate leadership is required, women should take on a greater role in making this world a better place.' --His Holiness the Dalai Lama 'Supriya Vani's stories of Nobel Peace laureates amount to much more than a sincere tribute to some of the world's most fearless women. By bringing us their voices, their vulnerabilities, their wisdom, she inspires us all to make a difference in the world by tapping into our better selves.' --Arianna Huffington, co-founder of The Huffington Post'A monumental effort by a vivacious young woman on the human potential for goodness.' --Sharon Stone, American actress and human rights activist'Since 1999, Nobel Peace Prize laureates have been gathering to reaffirm their commitment to peaceful means of resolving the world'sproblems. I admire the contribution of women laureates, their energy and warmth. As shown in this book by Supriya Vani, they give their hearts to our common efforts and to the younger generations that will continue their great work.' --Mikhail Gorbachev, former president of the Soviet Union 'Supriya Vani's book is for everyone across the globe. I am sure it will spur many souls to tread the path of humanitarian service, to choose a life of peace and love.' --Nobel Peace laureate Tawakkol Karman 'This book will inspire and motivate young people to work for peace.' --Cherie Blair, British barrister and spouse of former British prime minister Tony Blair 'I recommend this book to the youth. It can inspire them to reach their goals.' --Nobel Peace laureate Shirin Ebadi 'Supriya Vani rightly highlights the fact that the world needs more women leaders, who are spiritually, mentally and emotionally equipped to bring peace to our planet.' --Nobel Peace laureate Rigoberta Menchu Tum 'I hope those who read this book will feel inspired to work for disarmament and peace.' --Nobel Peace laureate Mairead Maguire 'In February of 2017, at the XVI World Summit of Nobel Peace laureates held in Bogota, I had the happy opportunity to meet with six of my fellow female laureates. They represent the values of courage, determination, generosity and solidarity shared by millions of women around the planet, who strive each day to make a better, freer and more peaceful world. That is why I welcome and cherish this book by Supriya Vani -- the stories of all the sixteen women Nobel Peace laureates must be known. They are a source of inspiration forour youth and every one of us.' --Juan Manuel Santos Calderon, president of Colombia and a Nobel peace laureate

Will Rogers

Will Rogers
Author: Betty Rogers
Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
Total Pages: 340
Release: 2012-11-28
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0806188707

Of the many books written about Will Rogers, none can have the immediacy, firsthand knowledge, and personal perspective of this account by his wife, Betty Blake Rogers. Her story is of Will Rogers, from wayward youth to international celebrity. Will was born in 1879 in the Cherokee nation of Indian Territory, near what is now Oologah, and died in 1935 with Wiley Post in an airplane crash in Alaska. The period witnessed the passing of the frontier and the arrival of the air age, and Will Rogers became a unique part and interpreter of it all. "The book offers a ’unique insight’ into the Oklahoma cowboy who became a worldwide celebrity. Betty Rogers understood Will as no one else could, and her book amplifies the importance of a homegrown philosopher who captured the spirit of the American experience. Cowboy, showman, homespun pundit-Will left his mark in many ways, each of which is carefully developed in the book’s twenty-two chapters. Most notable, however, is Mrs. Rogers’s treatment of her husband’s character. Behind the facade lay a complex man who, despite his lack of formal education, had a grasp of modern psychology and world politics. Equally at home with cowboys and presidents, Will accepted both as human beings engaged in the larger arena of life, whether in the wide open spaces of Oklahoma or the confines of Washington....For those who would know Will Rogers in a familiar way, there is no better book than this reprint." Arizona and the West. "The best of all the books on the best of all the homespun philosophers as seen through the eyes of his wife." Midwest Book Review. "Folksy, detailed and loving, it offers a timeless glimpse at a real American hero of his time-and ours." American Way.

700 Sundays

700 Sundays
Author: Billy Crystal
Publisher: Hachette UK
Total Pages: 192
Release: 2006-10-24
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0759569347

To support his family, Billy Crystal's father, Jack, worked two jobs, having only one day a week to spend with his family. Based on Crystal's one-man Broadway show of the same name, "700 Sundays"--referring sadly to the time shared by an adoring father and his devoted son--offers a heartfelt, hilarious memoir.