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The Second Stacks: Life Stories

The Second Stacks: Life Stories (Deerfield Public Library, 4/27)

Please note: additions in red text reflect suggestions made by attendees. Thanks, all!

Introduction

Part 1: Biography

Has anyone read a biography lately? Why?

Why do people like biographies?

  • The appeal of Character and Story
  • Subject
  • "Definitive" account or "truth"
  • Predictable format
  • New perspective

What types of biographies are there?

  • By subject: Political, Historical, Science, Creative (Literary), Sports, Change-Makers and Activists, Professional, Business
    • 
  • By style: Buddy Bio (Collective), Scholarly, Inspirational, Hagiography, Celebrity/Tell-all/Unauthorized, Unsavory (or of unsavory characters; True Crime, etc.), Graphic Novels

Discussion with examples (see bibliography at end)

Tips for Biography RA

  1. Try to determine reader's non-subject interests (long or short, scholarly or popular)
  2. Know your collection and system
  3. Wikipedia EVERYTHING
  4. Track current events; TV and radio commentary (try freshfiction.com)
  5. Throw bios in wherever you can and don't be afraid to mine the YA and kids' shelves

Article/Short break

Part 2: Memoir

What memoirs have you heard of lately? How?

Why do people like memoirs?

  • The appeal factors of Character and Voice/Language
  • Stories that are much less predictable and don't follow the birth/life/death track
  • Highly discussable and popular in the culture/great book club appeal
  • Deceptively "easy" to read (and write?)
  • Quick pacing
  • Salacious, "inside" details
  • relatability/shared experiences
  • read like fiction
  • similar to reality TV--which is still very popular!
  • "bandwagon" books--titles that are popular with a lot of readers, and gather word-of-mouth momentum

What types of Memoirs are there?

  • Again, subject: Adversity, Work, Culture Clash, Relationships
  • Style: Coming of Age, Humorous, Year in the Life, Gentle/Heartwarming, Graphic Novels

Tips for Memoir RA

  1. Think outside subject and consider voice: bitter, inspirational, irreverent, etc.
  2. Watch pop culture: all about word of mouth and discussability (Eat Pray Love, anyone?)
  3. Make connections outside memoir: first-person fiction, word-of-mouth titles, essays, humor, relationships NF, etc.
  4. Use the book blurbs!

Tips for Both

  1. Watch for deal breakers; especially important here (subject, profanity, explicit violence or sexuality--these are REAL stories, after all).
  2. Write down everything
  3. Find an RA buddy/buddies
  4. Find your own "gems"
  5. Suggest audiobooks/different formats
  6. Have fun!

Questions?

RESOURCES

Cords, Sarah Statz. The Real Story: A Guide to Nonfiction Reading Interests. Libraries Unlimited: 2006.

O'Connor, Maureen. Forthcoming title on Memoirs, Libraries Unlimited, 2011.

Pearl, Nancy. Book Lust. Sasquatch Books. 2003. (And Book Lust to Go, 2010.)

Reisner, Rosalind. Read On Life Stories: Reading Lists for Every Taste. Libraries Unlimited, 2009.

Roche, Rick. Real Lives Revealed: A Guide to Reading Interests in Biography. Libraries Unlimited: 2009.

Wyatt, Neal. The Readers' Advisory Guide to Nonfiction. ALA Editions, 2007.

Yagoda, Ben. Memoir: A History. Riverhead Books, 2009.

WEBSITES

Bookslut Blog, http://www.bookslut.com/blog/

Citizen Reader: http://www.citizenreader.com/

Daily Beast: http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsmaker/book-beast/

Daily Show and Colbert Report booklists: http://www.squidoo.com/DailyShowBookList; http://www.squidoo.com/ColbertReportBookList 

Early Word: http://www.earlyword.com

Getting to Know the Presidents (presidential bio essay): http://www.themillions.com/2011/02/getting-to-know-the-presidents-the-presidential-biography-project.html

Huffington Post Book Page: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/books/

Past as Prologue Nonfiction Blogs list: http://prologuebooks.wordpress.com/great-non-fiction-blogs/

RickLibrarian: http://ricklibrarian.blogspot.com/

Sophisticated Dorkiness: http://www.sophisticateddorkiness.com/

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bunting, Josiah, III. Ulysses S. Grant (The American Presidents series). 2004.
Flood, Charles Bracelen. Grant and Sherman: The Friendship that Won the Civil War. 2005.
Mosier, John. Grant: A Biography (Great Generals series). 2006.
Smith, Jean Edward. Grant. 2001.

Kriegel, Mark. Pistol: The Life of Pete Maravich. 2007.
Kriegel, Mark. Namath: A Biography. 2004.

Hamill, Pete. Why Sinatra Matters. 1998.
Kelley, Kitty. His Way: The Unauthorized Biography of Frank Sinatra. 1986.
Lahr, John. Sinatra: The Artist and the Man. 1997.
Santopietro, Tom. Sinatra in Hollywood. 2008.
Sinatra, Tina. My Father's Daughter: A Memoir. 2000.

Gillespie, Hollis. Bleachy-Haired Honky Bitch: Tales from a Bad Neighborhood. 2004.
Grogan, John. Marley & Me. 2005.

Athill, Diana. Somewhere Towards the End. 2008.
Didion, Joan. The Year of Magical Thinking. 2005.
Kington, Miles. How Shall I Tell the Dog? And Other Final Musings. 2008.

Lancaster, Jen. Bitter Is the New Black. 2006.
Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood. 2003.