Download or read book It Didn t Play in Peoria written by Gregory H. Wahl and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2009-07-27 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Will it play in Peoria?" was an old Vaudeville phrase meaning, "Will it appeal to the average person?" The Illinois city has gained fame through the years, but more often as the butt of jokes or as an example of the typical Middle American town than through any recognition of its many accomplishments. But it had greatness in its grasp, and more than once. Peoria boasts a string of close brushes with prosperity, any one of which could have made it a Chicago or a St. Louis. Charles Lindbergh, for example, first approached Peoria for backing for his historic flight, but the town's moneymen refused him and his Spirit of Peoria, perhaps losing a chance at the airline industry as well.
Download or read book Punks in Peoria written by Jonathan Wright and published by University of Illinois Press. This book was released on 2021-06-15 with total page 339 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Punk rock culture in a preeminently average town Synonymous with American mediocrity, Peoria was fertile ground for the boredom- and anger-fueled fury of punk rock. Jonathan Wright and Dawson Barrett explore the do-it-yourself scene built by Peoria punks, performers, and scenesters in the 1980s and 1990s. From fanzines to indie record shops to renting the VFW hall for an all-ages show, Peoria's punk culture reflected the movement elsewhere, but the city's conservatism and industrial decline offered a richer-than-usual target environment for rebellion. Eyewitness accounts take readers into hangouts and long-lost venues, while interviews with the people who were there trace the ever-changing scene and varied fortunes of local legends like Caustic Defiance, Dollface, and Planes Mistaken for Stars. What emerges is a sympathetic portrait of a youth culture in search of entertainment but just as hungry for community—the shared sense of otherness that, even for one night only, could unite outsiders and discontents under the banner of music. A raucous look at a small-city underground, Punks in Peoria takes readers off the beaten track to reveal the punk rock life as lived in Anytown, U.S.A.
Download or read book Peoria Stories written by Ken Zurski and published by . This book was released on 2014-10-29 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From Ken Zurski, author of "The Wreck of the Columbia, " comes a collection of stories about people and events which helped shape a city and region. Included are profiles of Theodore Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, Charles Lindbergh and many other famous and not so famous figures who played a part in the rich history of Peoria and Central Illinois. Incorporating important historical milestones like the first flights, the rise of the automobile, and radio's early days, Zurski skillfully intertwines local and national perspectives into each story for a captivating trip back to the past. "Peoria Stories" will both enlighten and entertain.
Download or read book Becoming Richard Pryor written by Scott Saul and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2014-12-09 with total page 485 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A major biography—intimate, gripping, revelatory—of an artist who revolutionized American comedy. Richard Pryor may have been the most unlikely star in Hollywood history. Raised in his family’s brothels, he grew up an outsider to privilege. He took to the stage, originally, to escape the hard-bitten realities of his childhood, but later came to a reverberating discovery: that by plunging into the depths of his experience, he could make stand-up comedy as exhilarating and harrowing as the life he’d known. He brought that trembling vitality to Hollywood, where his movie career—Blazing Saddles, the buddy comedies with Gene Wilder, Blue Collar—flowed directly out of his spirit of creative improvisation. The major studios considered him dangerous. Audiences felt plugged directly into the socket of life. Becoming Richard Pryor brings the man and his comic genius into focus as never before. Drawing upon a mountain of original research—interviews with family and friends, court transcripts, unpublished journals, screenplay drafts—Scott Saul traces Pryor’s rough journey to the heights of fame: from his heartbreaking childhood, his trials in the Army, and his apprentice days in Greenwich Village to his soul-searching interlude in Berkeley and his ascent in the “New Hollywood” of the 1970s. Becoming Richard Pryor illuminates an entertainer who, by bringing together the spirits of the black freedom movement and the counterculture, forever altered the DNA of American comedy. It reveals that, while Pryor made himself a legend with his own account of his life onstage, the full truth of that life is more bracing still.
Download or read book Amtrak in the Heartland written by Craig Sanders and published by Indiana University Press. This book was released on 2006-05-11 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Craig Sanders has done an excellent job of research . . . his treatment is as comprehensive as anyone could reasonably wish for, and solidly based. In addition, he succeeds in making it all clear as well as any human can. He also manages to inject enough humor and human interest to keep the reader moving." —Herbert H. Harwood, author of The Lake Shore Electric Railway Story and Invisible Giants: The Empires of Cleveland's Van Sweringen Brothers A complete history of Amtrak operations in the heartland, this volume describes conditions that led to the passage of the Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970, the formation and implementation of Amtrak in 1970–71, and the major factors that have influenced Amtrak operations since its inception. More than 140 photographs and 3 maps bring to life the story as told by Sanders. This book will become indispensable to train enthusiasts through its examination of Americans' long-standing fascination with passenger trains. When it began in 1971, many expected Amtrak to last about three years before going out of existence for lack of business, but the public's continuing support of funding for Amtrak has enabled it and the passenger train to survive despite seemingly insurmountable odds.
Download or read book Life First written by RJ Crayton and published by RJ Crayton. This book was released on 2013-07-16 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The prospect of being the human parts drawer society reaches into to cure its neediest patients would drive anyone mad." - Kelsey Reed, Life First Strong-willed Kelsey Reed must escape tonight or tomorrow her government will take her kidney and give it to someone else. She’ll need the help of her true love, Luke, to make this dangerous escape. This dystopian future Kelsey lives in was forged by survivors of pandemics that wiped out 80 percent of the world's population. Here, life is valued above all else. The mentally ill are sterilized, abortions are illegal and those who refuse to donate an organ when told are sentenced to death. Determined not to give up her kidney or die, Kelsey and Luke enlists the help of a dodgy doctor to escape. The trio must disable the tracking chip in Kelsey's arm for her to flee undetected. If they fail, Kelsey could be stripped of Luke, her kidney and everything else she holds dear. This page-turning thriller with a touch of romance, is the first in the Life First dystopian book series. The thrills and romance continue in our dystopian future in Second Life (book 2 of the series) and Third Life: Taken (book 3 of the series). * * * "Life First is a poignant, riveting, thought provoking read that had me entranced from page one until the very end of the book." -- 5 Stars, Griffin's Honey Blog "Life First gripped you like King Kong and would not let go until you had finished the book." --BestChickLit.com ~ A 2014 B&P Reader's Choice Award Nominee ~ ~ BRAG Medallion winner ~
Download or read book The Magical Life of Marshall Brodien written by John Moehring and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2016-04-21 with total page 271 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This unique biography details the life of magician Marshall Brodien, most remembered for his long-running career as television’s Wizzo the Wizard on WGN-TV’s Bozo’s Circus and The Bozo Show. Coverage begins in the late 1940s, when Brodien was a young magician in his first job as a Chicago magic shop demonstrator, then recounts Brodien’s steady rise to show-business success, including details of his work as a performer at the Magic Lounge in Cicero and, as a nightclub hypnotist in Chicago’s posh Cairo Supper Club. The work concludes with an examination of Brodien’s current career as one of the most successful marketers of magic sets in the U.S.
Download or read book A Supposedly Fun Thing I ll Never Do Again written by David Foster Wallace and published by Back Bay Books. This book was released on 2009-11-23 with total page 546 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: These widely acclaimed essays from the author of Infinite Jest -- on television, tennis, cruise ships, and more -- established David Foster Wallace as one of the preeminent essayists of his generation. In this exuberantly praised book -- a collection of seven pieces on subjects ranging from television to tennis, from the Illinois State Fair to the films of David Lynch, from postmodern literary theory to the supposed fun of traveling aboard a Caribbean luxury cruiseliner -- David Foster Wallace brings to nonfiction the same curiosity, hilarity, and exhilarating verbal facility that has delighted readers of his fiction, including the bestselling Infinite Jest.
Download or read book God Underneath written by Edward L. Beck and published by Image. This book was released on 2002-07-16 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A delightfully different approach to religion and spirituality, this collection of engaging personal tales transcends specific doctrines to reveal the presence of God in everyday life. Father Edward L. Beck spins tales like a master, presenting with candor and a touch of irreverence incidents and events that will resonate with readers. Exploring such universal themes and concerns as friendship, sexuality, illness, alcoholism, loss, and death, the vignettes and stories in this collection are animated by intriguing characters, pitch-perfect dialogue–and a surprising twist. Probing beneath the surface of ordinary life, each selection contains a hidden message, a subtle but powerful reminder of the signposts that mark a spiritual journey. Quotations from the Scriptures introduce the tales, providing a context that will help readers uncover the meaning the story holds for their own personal lives and beliefs. To encourage further reflection and rumination, Beck offers insights into the specific religious and theological themes that inspired the writing of each tale. A lively, unabashed look at the challenges of living a spiritual life in contemporary times, God Underneath will appeal not only to Catholics, but to all spiritual seekers, regardless of religious affiliation.
Download or read book We Were the All American Girls written by Jim Sargent and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2013-05-03 with total page 313 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Here are 42 interviews with women who competed in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Each interview features data about the player, a short summary of her athletic career, and the player's recollections. A brief history covers the many changes as the league evolved from underhand pitching with a 12-inch circumference ball in 1943 to overhand pitching, adopted in 1948, through the circuit's final year, 1954, when a regulation baseball was introduced. The interviews range from 1995 to 2012 and reveal details of particular games, highlights of individual careers, the camaraderie of teammates, opponents and fans, and the impact the League made on their lives. Several players recall how the 1992 movie A League of Their Own brought the historic All-American League back to life almost 40 years after the final game was played.
Download or read book New Rules Work written by Barbara Pachter and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2006-09-05 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For anyone who's breaking in, moving up, or just trying to make a great professional impression, this essential guide offers real-life anecdotes and advice to help you build competence and confidence in the tricky arena of modern business etiquette. Includes: "Blunder Busters" - proven strategies to help you tackle anything from office dating to business lunches "Sir, your fly is unzipped!" - the art of verbal diplomacy Contemporary guidelines for goof-proof e-mail The top ten career killers and how to beat them Global gaffes: easy ways to avoid overseas embarrassment Grace under fire-surviving dining disasters, party faux-pas and everything in-between
Download or read book Congressional Record written by United States. Congress and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 1556 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. It is published daily when Congress is in session. The Congressional Record began publication in 1873. Debates for sessions prior to 1873 are recorded in The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States (1789-1824), the Register of Debates in Congress (1824-1837), and the Congressional Globe (1833-1873)
Download or read book What They Didn t Say A Book of Misquotations written by Elizabeth Knowles and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2006-10-26 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Follow the money Fresh fields and pastures new A good day to bury bad news If the glove doesn't fit you must acquit Brings together a fascinating range of wrongly remembered sayings, popular summaries of original thoughts, and apocryphal or unverifiable comments attributed to a particular person. By revealing what was (and was not) really said, this book celebrates the colour and inventiveness of language change.
Download or read book Federal Regulation written by United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Governmental Affairs. Subcommittee on Energy, Nuclear Proliferation, and Government Processes and published by . This book was released on 1982 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Goodbye to Beekman Place written by David Alan Dedin and published by AuthorHouse. This book was released on 2013-02-05 with total page 637 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On a cold night in 1980, a young gay man is murdered in the old Beekman Place Hotel in Peoria, Illinois. The crime is brutal and sexual, and the killer left behind two clues that seem to have traveled through time: Coca Cola from 1902 made with cocaine instead of caffeine - and Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Clove Cigarettes, a brand defunct since 1898. With no witness to the crime and no match to fingerprints, the murder remains unsolved. Twenty-seven years later, Frankie Downs a writer for OldPlaces Magazine travels from Chicago to Peoria to research Beekman Places nefarious past. That evening, Downs hits it off with a young gay tenant and a consensual S&M encounter ensues. When Frankie leaves for Chicago in the wee hours, the boy is still alive. But the following morning, the young man is found dead, in the same style, at the same hotel, and with the same clues as 27 years before. Unfortunately for Downs, in addition to being a suspect today, his fingerprints also match the 1980 crimebut he is not the killer. Detective Kellie Hogan knows that Beekman Place hides a dangerous secret. The hotel is the key to a growing series of murders within the gay leather community, and her investigation reveals an ominous connection thats driving the actions of everyone around her. But something is very wrong. Kellie realizes that in order to stop the present day killer, she must journey deep into the hotels sordid past to reveal a secret thats been hidden in plain sight from the moment Frankie Downs began to write his story. And it all revolves around the search for a single missing man...
Download or read book Big Papi written by David Ortiz and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2008-04 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Boston Red Sox and All-Star David Ortiz, a.k.a. Big Papi, opens up on life and the Big Leagues in this dramatic and compelling rags-to-riches story of a baseball dream coming true.
Download or read book Army Reserve Magazine written by and published by . This book was released on 1989 with total page 496 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
