by DeEtta Demaratus (2002)
"In the late 1980s, author DeEtta Demaratus stumbled across a story that wouldn't leave her alone. She had been intending to write an article about Biddy Mason, a former slave who, at the time of her death in 1891, had become a well-known philanthropist and one of the wealthiest African American women in California. But at an exhibit honoring Biddy, Demaratus inexplicably knew that the documented history about Biddy was inaccurate and should be corrected. "I came to believe, " she says, "that an exchange was made between me and the past, that an invitation was extended." The Force of a Feather is the result of that invitation.". "Woven through the historical narrative of Biddy and Hannah and the dramatic account of the trial itself is the compelling chronicle of Demaratus's personal journey to confront issues of race and prejudice in her own history. Testifying to the ineffable connections we share as human beings, The Force of a Feather is not only the history of a woman's quest for dignity, but the story of a woman's search for truth - in the historical record and in herself."--BOOK JACKET.
Jeri Chase Ferris
Recounts the life of Biddy Mason, a slave who found freedom in California in 1856, who practiced the philosophy of sharing as she nursed the sick, delivered babies, and started many philanthropic projects after becoming a wealthy landowner in Los Angeles.
Estel Eforgan
Leslie Howard's acting career as a Hollywood star was well known but behind the charm was a perceptive and determined man. This book follows his life by using original material in archives and libraries, personal narratives, newspaper and magazine accounts, and much more.
Dan Marshall
"For the Marshalls, laughter is the best medicine. Especially when combined with alcohol, pain pills, excessive cursing, sexual escapades, actual medicine, and more alcohol. Meet Dan Marshall. 25, good job, great girlfriend, and living the dream life in sunny Los Angeles without a care in the world. Until his mother calls. And he ignores it, as you usually do when Mom calls. Then she calls again. And again. Dan thought things were going great at home. But it turns out his mom's cancer, which she had battled throughout his childhood with tenacity and a mouth foul enough to make a sailor blush, is back. And to add insult to injury, his loving father has been diagnosed with ALS. Sayonara L.A., Dan is headed home to Salt Lake City, Utah. Never has there been a more reluctant family reunion: His older sister is resentful, having stayed closer to home to bear the brunt of their mother's illness. His younger brother comes to lend a hand, giving up a journalism career and evenings cruising Chicago gay bars. His next younger sister, a sullen teenager, is a rebel with a cause. And his baby sister - through it all - can only think about her beloved dance troop. Dan returns to shouting matches at the dinner table, old flames knocking at the door, and a speech device programmed to help his father communicate that is as crude as the rest of them. But they put their petty differences aside and form Team Terminal, battling their parents' illnesses as best they can, when not otherwise distracted by the chaos that follows them wherever they go. Not even the family cats escape unscathed. As Dan steps into his role as caregiver, wheelchair wrangler, and sibling referee, he watches pieces of his previous life slip away, and comes to realize that the further you stretch the ties that bind, the tighter they hold you together"--
Jerry Ziesmer
"Jerry Ziesmer was an assistant director for over thirty years, helping to create countless films before his retirement in the mid-1990s. He has worked with some of Hollywood's biggest directors and its biggest stars. In this memoir, he recounts his time in Hollywood, including his role on the sets of Apocalypse Now, Close Encounters, and Jerry Maguire."--BOOK JACKET.