Tag Archives: biographies

Paris 2024 Paralympics

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Although sports for athletes with physical impairments has existed in several forms over the past century, the first Paralympic Games took place in Rome, Italy, in 1960 featuring 400 athletes from 23 countries. Since the Summer Games of Seoul, Korea, in 1988 and the Winter Games in Albertville, France, in 1992, the Games have also taken part in the same cities and venues as the Olympics.

The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, which will take place between 28 August and 8 September, will bring together as many as 4,400 athletes from around the world. The athletes will compete in 549 medal events across 22 sports.

Below we have collected stories about and memoirs from famous Paralympians for both adult and youth readers.

For more information: National Paralympic Committee.

Adult Nonfiction

ALWAYS CLIMB HIGHER! by Jeff Pagels (DB 80208)
FIRE IN MY EYES: AN AMERICAN WARRIOR’S JOURNEY FROM BEING BLINDED ON THE BATTLEFIELD TO GOLD MEDAL VICTORY by Brad Snyder (DB 86882, BR 21816)
HARD PARTS: A MEMOIR OF COURAGE AND TRIUMPH by Oksana Masters (DB 119093)
ON MY OWN TWO FEET: FROM LOSING MY LEGS TO LEARNING THE DANCE OF LIFE by Amy Purdy (DB 84333)
OUT OF THE WHIRLPOOL: A MEMOIR OF REMORSE AND RECONCILIATION by Sue Wiygul Martin (DB 78152)

Juvenile Nonfiction

AMAZING ATHLETES: AN ALL-STAR LOOK AT CANADA’S PARALYMPIANS by Marie-Claude Ouellet (BRG 04485) Grades 3-6
ATHLETES WITH DISABILITIES by Deborah Kent (DB 57300) Grades 4-7
COLORS OF THE WIND: THE STORY OF BLIND ARTIST AND CHAMPION RUNNER GEORGE MENDOZA by J. L. Powers (DB 106815) Grades Kindergarten -3
TENACIOUS: FIFTEEN ADVENTURES ALONGSIDE DISABLED ATHLETES by Patty Cisneros-Prevo (DBC 15421) Grades 3-6

Businesswomen and CEOs

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In celebration of Women’s History Month, we have collected a list of memoirs and biographies available in the TBP collection, as well as some general books with tips for the aspiring businesswoman. We have memoirs, including Black and Latina businesswomen, as well as a blind businesswoman—Internet Influencer Molly Burke.

General

GIRL CODE: UNLOCKING THE SECRETS TO SUCCESS, SANITY, AND HAPPINESS FOR THE FEMALE ENTREPRENEUR by Cara Alwill Leyba (DB 90735)
LEAPFROG: THE NEW REVOLUTION FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS by Nathalie Molina Nino (DB 93968)
ROGERS’ RULES FOR BUSINESSWOMEN: HOW TO START A CAREER AND MOVE UP THE LADDER by Henry C. Rogers (DB 30069)
SHE BUILDS: THE ANTI-HUSTLE GUIDE TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS AND NOURISH YOUR LIFE by Jadah Sellner (DB 115965)

Adult Biographies

DIAMONDS AND DEADLINES: A TALE OF GREED, DECEIT, AND A FEMALE TYCOON IN THE GILDED AGE by Betsy Prioleau (DB 110262)
GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso (DB 79697, BR 20486)
HOW TO STITCH AN AMERICAN DREAM: A STORY OF FAMILY, FAITH, AND THE POWER OF GIVING by Jenny Doan (DBC 09733, LB 13806)
IT’S ABOUT DAMN TIME: HOW TO TURN BEING UNDERESTIMATED INTO YOUR GREATEST ADVANTAGE by Arlan Hamilton (DB 116280)
IT’S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE by Molly Burke (DB 107216)
MARY KAY: YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL; LIFETIME WISDOM FROM AMERICA’S FOREMOST WOMAN ENTREPRENEUR by Mary Kay Ash (DB 41136)
RESET: MY FIGHT FOR INCLUSION AND LASTING CHANGE by Ellen K. Pao (DB 89352)
STORY OF EXECUTOURS: 25 YEARS ON THE FREEDOM TRAIL by Ellen McKenney Fahey (DBC 00724)
SUNCOAST EMPIRE: BERTHA HONORE PALMER, HER FAMILY, AND THE RISE OF SARASOTA, 1910-1982 by Frank A. Cassell (DBC 17164)
WHAT IT TAKES: HOW I BUILT A $100 MILLION BUSINESS AGAINST THE ODDS by Raegan Moya-Jones (DB 95476)
WILDFLOWER: A MEMOIR by Aurora James (DB 114375)
WOMAN IN BUSINESS: THE LIFE OF BEATRICE FOX AUERBACH by Virginia Hale (DBC 27945)

Juvenile Biographies

GIRLS SOLVE EVERYTHING: STORIES OF WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS BUILDING A BETTER WORLD by Catherine Thimmesh (DB 109277) Grades 5-8
GIRLS WHO RUN THE WORLD: 31 CEOS WHO MEAN BUSINESS by Diana Kapp (DB 100962) Grades 6-9
PERFECT FIT: HOW LENA “LANE” BRYANT CHANGED THE SHAPE OF FASHION by Mara Rockliff (DB 112910) Grades Kindergarten-3
TRY IT!: HOW FRIEDA CAPLAN CHANGED THE WAY WE EAT by Mara Rockliff (DBC 06438) Grades Kindergarten-3

Bibliography of American Scientists

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Did you know that the recent Christopher Nolan film Oppenheimer was based on a book? Well, it was! It was based on AMERICAN PROMETHEUS by Kai Bird. It even won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography in 2006. This made us wonder, what other great biographies and autobiographies on great American scientists do we have in the TBP collection? So we decided to search the catalog. We even found the autobiography of a scientist who is blind! Here are some of the titles we discovered:

AMERICAN PROMETHEUS: THE TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY OF J. ROBERT OPPENHEIMER by Kai Bird (DB 61087)
ARBORNAUT: A LIFE DISCOVERING THE EIGHTH CONTINENT IN THE TREES ABOVE US by Margaret Lowman (DB 104556, LB 13833)
ATOMIC WOMEN: THE UNTOLD STORIES OF THE SCIENTISTS WHO HELPED CREATE THE NUCLEAR BOMB by Roseanne Montillo (DB 105401)
AVOID BORING PEOPLE: LESSONS FROM A LIFE IN SCIENCE by James Watson (DB 66912)
FROM IMMIGRANT TO INVENTOR: AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF THE SERBIAN-AMERICAN PHYSICIST, CHEMIST AND PIONEER OF ELECTRICAL TRANSMISSION AND THE LONG-DISTANCE TELEPHONE LINE by Michael Pupin (DB 98555)
GIRL DECODED: A SCIENTIST’S QUEST TO RECLAIM OUR HUMANITY BY BRINGING EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE TO TECHNOLOGY by Rana El Kaliouby (DB 99895)
HIDDEN FROM HISTORY: THE LIVES OF EIGHT AMERICAN WOMEN SCIENTISTS by Kim K. Zach (DB 58587)
LAB GIRL by Hope Jahren (DB 84436; LB 08952)
POISON SQUAD: ONE CHEMIST’S SINGLE-MINDED CRUSADE FOR FOOD SAFETY AT THE TURN OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY by Deborah Blum (DB 92502)
PRIVILEGED HANDS: A SCIENTIFIC LIFE by Geerat J. Vermeij (DB 42911, BR 10669)
PROVING GROUND: THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE SIX WOMEN WHO PROGRAMED THE WORLD’S FIRST MODERN COMPUTER by Kathy Kleiman (DB 115112)
RISE OF THE ROCKET GIRLS: THE WOMEN WHO PROPELLED US, FROM MISSILES TO THE MOON TO MARS by Nathalia Holt (DB 84440; LB 08653)

Juvenile Nonfiction

ADVENTUROUS SPIRIT: A STORY ABOUT ELLEN SWALLOW RICHARDS by Ethlie Ann Vare (DB 36589)
Grades 2-4.

African American Authors – Biographies, Autobiographies, and Memoirs

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From classic African American authors from the early 20th century like James Baldwin and Langston Hughes to newer authors such as Saeed Jones and Nnedi Okorafor, the National Library Service (NLS) has books that tell the stories of their lives.

Biographies

ALICE WALKER: A LIFE
WHITE, EVELYN C.
Chronicles the life of the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Color Purple (DB 58842, BR 12265). Traces Walker’s experiences as the daughter of Georgia sharecroppers, an acclaimed writer, and wife of a white NAACP lawyer. Explores her feminist and civil rights activism. Strong language. 2004.
DB 59554
 
CHESTER HIMES: A LIFE
SALLIS, JAMES
Discusses the African American novelist’s Missouri childhood, the inception of his writing career from prison, and the failure of his early works in a racially charged climate. Explains that Himes became famous writing crime stories while an expatriate in Europe. Some strong language.
DB 52754
 
LIFE OF LANGSTON HUGHES, VOLUME 1: 1902-1941. I, TOO, SING AMERICA
RAMPERSAD, ARNOLD
Rampersad’s biography of the American poet and writer takes Hughes from a tumultuous childhood in the Midwest, through worldwide travels and ramblings, to the early literary successes in New York. Tracing Hughes’s development and experiences, the book highlights the character of the artist, portraying him as a driven man devoted to his writing. 1986. Followed by LIFE OF LANGSTON HUGHES: VOLUME 2, 1941-1967: I DREAM A WORLD which continues the story of the noted poet (DB 28699)
DB 27535
 
LOOKING FOR LORRAINE: THE RADIANT AND RADICAL LIFE OF LORRAINE HANSBERRY
PERRY, IMANI
A portrait of the activist and writer best known for A Raisin in the Sun (DB 15750). Discusses Hansberry’s bold stances on civil rights, the prominent figures with whom she associated, her involvement in one of the nation’s first lesbian organizations, and the attention she drew from the FBI. Some strong language. Commercial audiobook. 2018.
DB 92981
 
NEVER WOULD HAVE MADE IT: THE RISE OF TYLER PERRY, THE MOST POWERFUL ENTERTAINER IN BLACK AMERICA (AND WHAT IT REALLY TOOK HIM TO GET THERE)
CHILDS, MELVIN
Entertainment producer describes the rise of African American comedian Tyler Perry as his career expanded from the “chitlin’ circuit” of black Southern clubs into a multi-billion-dollar enterprise. Highlights the financial side of show business and the author’s estrangement from Perry. Strong language. 2012.
BR 19674
 
RALPH ELLISON: A BIOGRAPHY
RAMPERSAD, ARNOLD
Professor analyzes the life of African American writer Ralph Ellison, whose only novel, Invisible Man (DB 56346, BR 14988), won the 1953 National Book Award. Uses Ellison’s correspondence to detail the personal and artistic struggles he endured, as well as his social and cultural milieu. 2007.
DB 65148
 
RICHARD WRIGHT: THE LIFE AND TIMES
ROWLEY, HAZEL
Interweaving journals, letters, and personal recollections, biographer Rowley illuminates the important African American novelist’s life, work, and ideas. Portrays Wright as a self-taught intellectual, an independent thinker, and an outspoken critic of racism. Examines his relationships with other writers, such as Ralph Ellison and Langston Hughes. Bestseller.
DB 53071
 
STREET POISON: THE BIOGRAPHY OF ICEBERG SLIM
GIFFORD, JUSTIN
Literature professor chronicles the life of Robert Beck (1918-1992), better known as Iceberg Slim, author of Pimp (DB 79726), Doom Fox (DB 80092), and Trick Baby (DB 80284). Discusses Slim’s criminal lifestyle and how it influenced his later writings, and appraises his significance in popular culture. Strong language. 2015.
DB 83628
 
SORROW’S KITCHEN: THE LIFE AND FOLKLORE OF ZORA NEALE HURSTON
LYONS, MARY E.
Lyons inserts samples of Hurston’s fiction, autobiography, and folklore collected in Florida, Louisiana, and the West Indies into this account of the African American anthropologist and Harlem Renaissance writer of stories, plays, essays, and articles.
DB 41455
 
SURPRISED QUEENHOOD IN THE NEW BLACK SUN: THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF GWENDOLYN BROOKS
JACKSON, ANGELA
Biography of author of Bronzeville Boys and Girls (DB 63916). Discusses Brooks’ early years in Chicago, personal relationships, racism she experienced, and publishing career. Examines the influence of her experiences on specific pieces of her work. Commercial audiobook. 2017.
DB 88823

Autobiographies and Memoirs

AMERICAN HUNGER
WRIGHT, RICHARD
Compelling autobiographical continuation of BLACK BOY (DB 20415, BR 04398) covering Wright’s struggle to make his way in Chicago and New York. Traces his experience with poverty and racism, his development as a writer, and his conversion to and estrangement from the Communist Party. Some strong language.
DB 10660
 
BROKEN PLACES & OUTER SPACES: FINDING CREATIVITY IN THE UNEXPECTED
OKORAFOR, NNEDI
The author recounts how a simple operation took her from track star to paralyzed. Confined in a hospital bed for months, she began to imagine fantastical things and turn those experiences into writing. Also discusses her childhood and other authors who have used hardship to fuel their work. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2019.
DB 96603
 
FATHERALONG: A MEDITATION ON FATHERS AND SONS, RACE AND SOCIETY
WIDEMAN, JOHN EDGAR
A collection of six essays examining a strained father son relationship in terms of social issues about race and family. Wideman, an award-winning novelist who wrote about his brother and himself in “Brothers and Keepers” (DB 23360), here combines a memoir of his father with observations about African-American life. Some strong language.
DB 40624
 
HOW WE FIGHT FOR OUR LIVES: A MEMOIR
JONES, SAEED
A poet describes his experiences growing up as black and gay in the American South through a series of vignettes. Describes familial relationships, romantic flings, and friendships. Examines what people do for and to each other in the search for identity. Strong language and some descriptions of sex.  Commercial audiobook. 2019.
DB 98361; BR 21014)
 
I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS
ANGELOU, MAYA
The first book in an autobiographical series. The author describes the childhood and adolescence of a black girl in rural Arkansas, St. Louis, and San Francisco.  She is a strong and sensitive young woman who endures and overcomes many horrors in her life. 1969. Followed by GATHER TOGETHER IN MY NAME (DB 56481; BR 16910).
DB 24959; BR 15665)
 
NO NAME IN THE STREET
BALDWIN, JAMES
Best known for GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN (DB 33488, BR 08734 ), in this personal statement Baldwin tells of his years of self- exile and renewal abroad, of his activities in the civil rights movement, and his road back to complete involvement in the cause of black people in America.
DB 25147
 
REGION NOT HOME: REFLECTIONS FROM EXILE
MCPHERSON, JAMES ALAN
First African American winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for ELBOW ROOM (DB 16996; BR 12600), in this collection of essays the author discusses his pursuits, from the segregated South to Morris Brown College, Harvard Law School, the University of Virginia, and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Reflects on his love for his daughter, the experiences of Americans, life’s sorrows and delights, and works by other authors. Some strong language.
DB 52007
 
WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKENHEARTED: A MEMOIR
HARRIS, E. LYNN
Autobiography by gay, African American, bestselling author of Invisible Life (DB 38731). Describes his humble beginnings in Arkansas, his career development, failed romantic relationships, bouts with depression, and deep faith in God. Strong language and some violence. Bestseller. 2003.
DB 56881

African American Women Autobiographies and Biographies

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February is both African American History Month and Women’s History Month. With that in mind, here are several autobiographies and biographies on amazing African American women. Ministers, soldiers, athletes, mathematicians–African American women have done it all. Some of these women may be familiar and some may be new to you, but ALL of them can be read about via the Texas Talking Book Program.

BEHIND THE SCENES, OR, THIRTY YEARS A SLAVE AND FOUR YEARS IN THE WHITE HOUSE
KECKLEY, ELIZABETH
DB 94362, BR 15761

BESSIE COLEMAN: FIRST FEMALE AFRICAN AMERICAN AND NATIVE AMERICAN PILOT
SMALL, CATHLEEN
DB 91002

BOUND FOR THE PROMISED LAND: HARRIET TUBMAN, PORTRAIT OF AN AMERICAN HERO
LARSON, KATE CLIFFORD
DB 64511

CATHY WILLIAMS: FROM SLAVE TO FEMALE BUFFALO SOLDIER
TUCKER, PHILLIP THOMAS
DB 59297

EYE ON THE STRUGGLE: ETHEL PAYNE, THE FIRST LADY OF THE BLACK PRESS
MORRIS, JAMES MCGRATH
DB 81681

FINDING MY VOICE: MY JOURNEY TO THE WEST WING AND THE PATH FORWARD
JARRETT, VALERIE
DB 94980, LB 11113

HABEN: THE DEAFBLIND WOMAN WHO CONQUERED HARVARD LAW
GIRMA, HABEN
DB 96188, BR 22702

HIDDEN FIGURES: THE AMERICAN DREAM AND THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE BLACK WOMEN MATHEMATICIANS WHO HELPED WIN THE SPACE RACE
LEE SHETTERLY, MARGOT
DB 86234, BR 21798

LOOKING FOR LORRAINE: THE RADIANT AND RADICAL LIFE OF LORRAINE HANSBERRY
PERRY, IMANI
DB 92981

MYSTERIOUS LIFE AND CALLING: FROM SLAVERY TO MINISTRY IN SOUTH CAROLINA
RILEY, CHARLOTTE S.
DB 84674

NEVER CAUGHT: THE WASHINGTONS’ RELENTLESS PURSUIT OF THEIR RUNAWAY SLAVE, ONA JUDGE
DUNBAR, ERICA ARMSTRONG
DB 88898

RABBIT: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MS. PAT
WILLIAMS, PATRICIA
DB 89915

STORMY WEATHER: THE LIFE OF LENA HORNE
GAVIN, JAMES
DB 69545

TIGERBELLE: THE WYOMIA TYUS STORY
TYUS, WYOMIA
DB 93189




























Texas Music and Musicians

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Austin promotes itself as “The Live Music Capital of the World,” a reference to the many musicians and live music venues within the city, as well as the TV concert series Austin City Limits. However, the entire state of Texas has a long and varied musical history. It is the birthplace of many singers, songwriters and musicians who represent many different types of music. From traditional country musicians like Gene Autry and Tex Ritter to contemporary R & B groups like Destiny’s Child, The Talking Book Program has biographies and memoirs as well as more general books on Texas music in our collection.

General
Title: NEVER HEARD OF ‘EM: AUSTIN’S MUSIC EXPLOSION, 1994-2000
Author: DONAHOE, SUE
DT 07268 DBC 04845 (BARD)

Title: TEXAS RHYTHM, TEXAS RHYME: A PICTORIAL HISTORY OF TEXAS MUSIC
Author: WILLOUGHBY, LARRY
DT 03981

Gene Autry
Title: BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN
Author: AUTRY, GENE
DB 16849

Rodney Crowell
Title: CHINABERRY SIDEWALKS
Author: CROWELL, RODNEY
DB 73893

Kirk Franklin
Title: CHURCH BOY
Author: FRANKLIN, KIRK
DB 70436

Buddy Holly
Title: BUDDY HOLLY: A BIOGRAPHY
Author: AMBURN, ELLIS
DT 07070

Sam Lightnin’ Hopkins

Title: RAGGIN’ THE BLUES: LEGENDARY COUNTRY BLUES AND RAGTIME MUSCICIANS
Author: WILDS, MARY
DR 04188

Waylon Jennings
Title: WAYLON: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Author: JENNINGS, WAYLON
DB 43334

George Jones
Title: I LIVED TO TELL IT ALL
Author: JONES, GEORGE
DB 42850

Title: THREE OF US: GROWING UP WITH TAMMY AND GEORGE
Author: JONES, GEORGETTE
DB 76171

Janis Joplin
Title: JANIS JOPLIN: RISE UP SINGING
Author: ANGEL, ANN
BR 19426, DB 73764

Scott Joplin
Title: KING OF RAGTIME: SCOTT JOPLIN AND HIS ERA
Author: BERLIN, EDWARD A
DB 42223 (BARD)

Beyonce Knowles & Kelly Rowland
Title: SOUL SURVIVORS: THE OFFICIAL AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF DESTINY’S CHILD
Author: KNOWLES, BEYONCE
DB 55896 (BARD)

Willie Nelson
Title: FACTS OF LIFE AND OTHER DIRTY JOKES
Author: NELSON, WILLIE
DB 58592

Title: ROLL ME UP AND SMOKE ME WHEN I DIE: MUSINGS FROM THE ROAD
Author: NELSON, WILLIE
DB 75901

Title: IT’S A LONG STORY: MY LIFE
Author: NELSON, WILLIE
DB 81617

Title: WILLIE NELSON: AN EPIC LIFE
Author: PATOSKI, JOE NICK
DB 66762

Tex Ritter
Title: TEX RITTER
Author: Ritter, Tex
DBM 00878 (BARD)

Selena
 Title: SELENA! PHENOMENAL LIFE AND TRAGIC DEATH OF THE TEJANO MUSIC QUEEN
Author: RICHMOND, CLINT
Bilingual
DB 44470

B. J. Thomas
Title: HOME WHERE I BELONG
Author: THOMAS, B.J
DB 14755 (BARD)

Tanya Tucker
Title: NICKEL DREAMS: MY LIFE
Author: TUCKER, TANYA
DB 48356

Townes Van Zandt
Title: TO LIVE’S TO FLY: THE BALLAD OF THE LATE, GREAT TOWNES VAN ZANDT
Author: KRUTH, JOHN
DT 07063 DBC 04839 (BARD)

Bob Wills
Title: LONE STAR SWING: ON THE TRAIL OF BOB WILLS AND HIS TEXAS PLAYBOYS
Author: MCLEAN, DUNCAN
DB 48652