Rock &amp; roll, jazz, R&amp;B, hip-hop: Without question, today's most popular sounds owe an incalculable debt to that uniquely American musical creation -- The Blues. But the powerful influence of the blues, with its dramatic, artful storytelling about the elemental experience of being alive, is found in the works of some of our most important literary voices as well.
This volume -- a companion to the groundbreaking seven-part documentary series Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues -- represents a literary sampler every bit as vibrant and original and diverse as the films and music that inspired it. Included in this stunning collection are newly commissioned essays by David Halberstam, Hilton Als, Suzan-Lori Parks, Elmore Leonard, Luc Sante, John Edgar Wideman, and others; timeless archival pieces by the likes of Stanley Booth, Paul Oliver, and Mack McCormick; evocative color illustrations and rare vintage photography; illuminating and in-depth conversations and portraits of musicians, ranging from Robert Johnson and Bessie Smith to John Lee Hooker and Eric Clapton; lyrics of legendary blues compositions; personal essays by the series directors Martin Scorsese, Charles Burnett, Richard Pearce, Wim Wenders, Marc Levin, Mike Figgis, and Clint Eastwood; and excerpts from such literary masters as James Baldwin and Ralph Ellison, Eudora Welty and Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes and William Faulkner.
The result is a unique and timeless celebration of the blues, from writers and artists as esteemed and revered as the music that moved them. In these pages one not only reads about the blues, one hears them, feels them, lives them. Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues is more than a timeless collection of great writing to be savored and shared: it is an unforgettable initiation into the very essence of American music and culture.

Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues: A Musical Journey

Arts & Photography

Holly George-Warren

Peter Guralnick

Robert Santelli

Christopher John Farley

Music

Amistad

A companion to the groundbreaking PBS documentary series, this volume is a unique and timeless celebration of the blues, from writers and artists as esteemed and revered as the music that moved them.
Included in this stunning collection are
<ul>
<li>Essays by David Halberstam, Hilton Als, Suzan-Lori Parks, Elmore Leonard, Luc Sante, John Edgar Wideman, and many others </li>
<li>Timeless archival pieces by writers such as Stanley Booth, Paul Oliver, and Mack McCormick </li>
<li>Evocative color illustrations and rare vintage photography </li>
<li>Illuminating and in-depth conversations and portraits of musicians, ranging from Robert Johnson and Bessie Smith to John Lee Hooker and Eric Clapton </li>
<li>Lyrics of legendary blues compositions </li>
<li>Personal essays by the series directors Martin Scorsese, Charles Burnett, Richard Pearce, Wim Wenders, Marc Levin, Mike Figgis, and Clint Eastwood </li>
<li>Excerpts from literary masters James Baldwin, Ralph Ellison, Eudora Welty, Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, and William FaulknerTracing the art form's path from juke joints, house parties, and recording studios to musicians such as Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones, and The Beatles, Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues proves, in the words of Willie Dixon, "The blues are the roots; every-thing else is the fruits."</li>
</ul>

History & Criticism

Bob Marley was a reggae superstar, a musical prophet who brought the sound of the Third World to the entire globe. Before the Legend: The Rise of Bob Marley goes beyond the myth of Marley to bring you the private side of a man few people ever really knew. Drawing from original interviews with the people closest to Marley – including his widow, Rita, his mother, Cedella, his band mate and childhood friend, Bunny Wailer, his producer Chris Blackwell, and many others – Legend paints an entirely fresh picture of one of the most enduring musical artists of our times.

Before the Legend: The Rise of Bob Marley

Humor & Entertainment

Bob Marley was a reggae superstar, a musical prophet who brought the sound of the Third World to the entire globe. Before the Legend: The Rise of Bob Marley goes beyond the myth of Marley to bring you the private side of a man few people ever really knew. Drawing from original interviews with the people closest to Marleyincluding his widow, Rita, his mother, Cedella, his bandmate and childhood friend, Bunny Wailer, his producer Chris Blackwell, and many others—Legend paints an entirely fresh picture of one of the most enduring musical artists of our times. 
 This is a portrait of an artist as a young man, from his birth in the tiny town of Nine Miles in the hills of Jamaica, to the making of his debut international record, "Catch a Fire." We see Marley on the tough streets of Trench Town before he found stardom, struggling to find his way in music, in love and in life, and we take the wild ride with him to worldwide acceptance and adoration. From the acclaimed journalist, Christopher John Farely, the author of the bestselling AALIYAH and the reporter who broke the story on Dave Chappelle's retreat to South Africa, Legend is bursting with fresh insights into Marley and Jamaica, and is the definitive story of Marley's early days.

Aaliyah: More Than a Woman

Aaliyah Dana Haughton was that music business rarity: a teen idol who transformed herself into a critically acclaimed hip-hop soul artist, a singer who successfully made the transition to actress, and a beautiful woman who never let the trappings of celebrity go to her head. Following her impressive debut at age 14 with the album Age Ain't Nothin' but a Number, Aaliyah raised the bar with her hugely influential and bestselling follow-up, One in a Million. She then took her talents to Hollywood, starring in the action thriller Romeo Must Die and the highly anticipated horror film The Queen of the Damned. But soon after the release of her third album in the summer of 2001, Aaliyah's life was cut short in a tragic plane crash. Here is the inspirational story of the star The Washington Post dubbed Hip-Hop's Lady Di -- a woman who, by the time of her death at age twenty-two, touched legions of fans around the world with her haunting voice and gentle spirit.

Aaliyah

Tandem Library

Christopher John Farley first interviewed Halle Berry in 1991, at the beginning of her career. Now the Time Magazine Senior Editor provides the first in-depth look at Berry, the actress, the woman, and the history-maker. Abandoned by her father at a young age, a childhood in Cleveland, Ohio marred by racism and an abusive relationship. The odds against Halle Berry were extraordinary. But no one could have dreamed how far her determination would take her. From a breakthrough role in Spike Lee's JUNGLE FEVER to her Emmy Award-winning performance in HBO's INTRODUCING DOROTHY DANDRIDGE, Berry exhibited a tenacity that would eventually lead to MONSTER'S BALL and her best Actress Oscar, the first African American actress to receive the honour. Christopher John Farley provides a biography that is something more: with the sure sense of cultural analysis he displays in his weekly columns and reviews in Time magazine, INTRODUCING HALLE BERRY is an absorbing and inspiring biography.

Introducing Halle Berry

Biographies & Memoirs

Arts & Literature

Pocket_Books

aaliyah more than a woman

Photos, essays, and on-line comments by those present portray the festival

Woodstock 94: 3 More Days of Peace & Music

John Milward

Photography & Video

Callaway Editions

Aaliyah Dana Haughton was that music business rarity: a teen idol who transformed herself into a critically acclaimed hip-hop soul artist, a singer who successfully made the transition to actress, and a beautiful woman who never let the trappings of celebrity go to her head. Following her impressive debut at age 14 with the album Age Ain't Nothin' but a Number, Aaliyah raised the bar with her hugely influential and bestselling follow-up, One in a Million. She then took her talents to Hollywood, starring in the action thriller Romeo Must Die and the highly anticipated horror film The Queen of the Damned. But soon after the release of her third album in the summer of 2001, Aaliyah's life was cut short in a tragic plane crash.  Here is the inspirational story of the star The Washington Post dubbed "Hip-Hop's Lady Di" -- a woman who, by the time of her death at age twenty-two, touched legions of fans around the world with her haunting voice and gentle spirit.

Paw Prints 2008-10-04

"The Narnia for the Social Media Generation." --The Wall Street Journal
"By the time of Farley's Game World, gaming had gone digital, and while his book is more fantasy-adventure than puzzle-mystery, there are parallels worthy of discussion, from the nature of the games to the depictions of disabled." --Booklist, included in "Conversation Starters: Recontextualizing the Classics"
"Drawn from both video gaming culture and the rich tapestry of Jamaican myth and folklore, blending pointed social satire and mystical philosophy, this exuberant, original hero's journey is a real trip...Exhilarating, thought-provoking and one of a kind." --Kirkus Reviews
"Adult author/Wall Street Journal editor Farley's middle-grade debut draws from Jamaican mythology and beliefs, as well as from other cultures, to weave a fast-paced, whimsical mixture of magic and action...the setting lends itself well to memorable imagery and a fun experience." --Publishers Weekly
"Farley blends video gaming and Jamaican folklore in this intense, fast-paced middle-grade fantasy that is sure to quickly grab readers." --Booklist
"Here (finally!) is a middle-grade action novel that showcases West Indian mythology and features protagonists of color." --School Library Journal
"Game World is unique in that its fantasy world, as its name suggests, is built upon characters and stories from actual Jamaican folklore." --Philadelphia Review of Books
One of This Spring's Hottest Teen Books, Huffington Post
"I found it very hard to set down this excellent novel and do something else without thinking about it....I highly recommend his book to fans of fantasy. Because you will love it!!" --Middle Shelf (reviewed by Teak, age 13)
"Farley writes in a straightforward way that is both accessible to younger readers but still interesting to adults." --Persephone Magazine
"In his metaphorical world, Farley spares neither the dubious machinations of high finance nor the heartbreak of an orphan." --Center for Fiction
"I highly recommend Game World for kids in 4th-12th grade. Parents can read it too and love the characters and story just as much as the kids." --The Family Coach
Dylan Rudee's life is an epic fail. He's bullied at school and the aunt who has raised him since he was orphaned as a child just lost her job and their apartment. Dylan's one chance to help his family is the only thing he's good at: video games. The multibillion-dollar company Mee Corp. has announced a televised tournament to find the Game-Changers: the forty-four kids who are the best in the world at playing Xamaica, a role-playing fantasy game that's sweeping the planet. If Dylan can win the top prize, he just might be able to change his life.
It turns out that Dylan is the greatest gamer anyone has ever seen, and his skills unlock a real-life fantasy world inside the game. Now actual monsters are trying to kill him, and he is swept up into an adventure along with his too-tall genius sister Emma, his hacker best friend Eli, and Ines Mee, the privileged daughter of Mee Corp.'s mysterious CEO and chief inventor. Along the way they encounter Nestuh, a giant spider who can spin a story but not a web; Baron Zonip, a hummingbird king who rules a wildly wealthy treetop kingdom; and an enchantress named Nanni who, with her shadow army, may be bent on conquering Xamaica and stealing its magic.
In order to save his sister and his friends, Dylan must solve a dangerous mystery in three days and uncover secrets about Xamaica, his family, and himself. But will he discover his hidden powers before two worlds--Xamaica and Earth--are completely destroyed?

Game World

Children's Books

Science Fiction & Fantasy

Black Sheep

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Christopher John Farley. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Christopher John Farley

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Christopher John Farley. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues: A Musical Journey

Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues: A Musical Journey

Before the Legend: The Rise of Bob Marley

Before the Legend: The Rise of Bob Marley

Aaliyah

Introducing Halle Berry

aaliyah more than a woman

Woodstock 94: 3 More Days of Peace & Music

Aaliyah: More Than a Woman

Game World