Energetic and keen revelations of the life beyond the spotlight of a significant contemporary musician.
The acclaimed singer and songwriter shares her story.
In this passionate and honest autobiography, Keys, who describes herself as “a piano prodigy in cornrows, mixing classical music with hip-hop beats and bass lines alongside a dash of gospel,” opens with a few memories from her childhood, when she was raised by her mother with little involvement from her biological father. She describes how she developed her persona and image and maintained her independence beginning with debut album, Songs in A Minor, which would eventually sell more than 16 million copies. Throughout her career, she has successfully avoided being manipulated by record label executives, many of whom didn’t know how to classify her as an artist. “A record label is a marketing machine,” she notes. “Behind its doors, fledgling artists are crafted into whatever image the label’s execs think they can sell.” Regardless, the reactions by the public quickly pushed Keys to the top of the charts. She chronicles her music-making process and nods to her many collaborators, and she opens a window into her personal life that sheds light on her triumphs, doubts, fears, and the exhausting nature of being thrust into stardom at an early age. She also shares intimate moments with her husband, record producer Swizz Beatz—e.g., the extravagant birthday parties they’ve thrown for each other, the births of her two sons, and the blended family they created with Swizz’s other children—and explains the passions that have led her to start nonprofit organizations and tackle social injustices. In a conversational tone, Keys unveils the woman behind the microphone, giving readers an accessible view of what makes her tick. Since many aspects of her life are apparent in her music, readers may want to listen to an album or two after reading certain sections of the book. One of Kirkus and Rolling Stone’s Best Music Books of 2020.
Energetic and keen revelations of the life beyond the spotlight of a significant contemporary musician.Pub Date: March 31, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-15329-6
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: April 20, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
SEEN & HEARD
A blissfully vicarious, heartfelt glimpse into the life of a Manhattan burlesque dancer.
A former New York City dancer reflects on her zesty heyday in the 1970s.
Discovered on a Manhattan street in 2020 and introduced on Stanton’s Humans of New York Instagram page, Johnson, then 76, shares her dynamic history as a “fiercely independent” Black burlesque dancer who used the stage name Tanqueray and became a celebrated fixture in midtown adult theaters. “I was the only black girl making white girl money,” she boasts, telling a vibrant story about sex and struggle in a bygone era. Frank and unapologetic, Johnson vividly captures aspects of her former life as a stage seductress shimmying to blues tracks during 18-minute sets or sewing lingerie for plus-sized dancers. Though her work was far from the Broadway shows she dreamed about, it eventually became all about the nightly hustle to simply survive. Her anecdotes are humorous, heartfelt, and supremely captivating, recounted with the passion of a true survivor and the acerbic wit of a weathered, street-wise New Yorker. She shares stories of growing up in an abusive household in Albany in the 1940s, a teenage pregnancy, and prison time for robbery as nonchalantly as she recalls selling rhinestone G-strings to prostitutes to make them sparkle in the headlights of passing cars. Complemented by an array of revealing personal photographs, the narrative alternates between heartfelt nostalgia about the seedier side of Manhattan’s go-go scene and funny quips about her unconventional stage performances. Encounters with a variety of hardworking dancers, drag queens, and pimps, plus an account of the complexities of a first love with a drug-addled hustler, fill out the memoir with personality and candor. With a narrative assist from Stanton, the result is a consistently titillating and often moving story of human struggle as well as an insider glimpse into the days when Times Square was considered the Big Apple’s gloriously unpolished underbelly. The book also includes Yee’s lush watercolor illustrations.
A blissfully vicarious, heartfelt glimpse into the life of a Manhattan burlesque dancer.Pub Date: July 12, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-250-27827-2
Page Count: 192
Publisher: St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2022
A slick, vacuous glimpse into the former first lady’s White House years.
A carefully curated personal portrait.
First ladies’ roles have evolved significantly in recent decades. Their memoirs typically reflect a spectrum of ambition and interests, offering insights into their values and personal lives. Melania Trump, however, stands out as exceptionally private and elusive. Her ultra-lean account attempts to shed light on her public duties, initiatives, and causes as first lady, and it defends certain actions like her controversial “I REALLY DON’T CARE, DO U?” jacket. The statement was directed at the media, not the border situation, she claims. Yet the book provides scant detail about her personal orbit or day-to-day interactions. The memoir opens with her well-known Slovenian origin story, successful modeling career, and whirlwind romance with Donald Trump, culminating in their 2005 marriage, followed by a snapshot of Election Day 2016: “Each time we were together that day, I was impressed by his calm.…This man is remarkably confident under pressure.” Once in the White House, Melania Trump describes her functions and numerous public events at home and abroad, which she asserts were more accomplished than media representations suggested. However, she rarely shares any personal interactions beyond close family ties, notably her affection for her son, Barron, and her sister, Ines. And of course she lavishes praise on her husband. Minimal anecdotes about White House or cabinet staff are included, and she carefully defuses her rumored tensions with Trump’s adult children, blandly stating, “While we may share the same last name, each of us is distinct with our own aspirations and paths to follow.” Although Melania’s desire to support causes related to children’s and women’s welfare feels authentic, the overall tenor of her memoir seems aimed at painting a glimmering portrait of her husband and her role, likely with an eye toward the forthcoming election.
A slick, vacuous glimpse into the former first lady’s White House years.Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2024
ISBN: 9781510782693
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Review Posted Online: Oct. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2024
PERSPECTIVES
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