Download or read book Literary Divas written by Heather Covington and published by Amber Books Publishing. This book was released on 2006 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: These divas represent the voices of past and future generations, such as Tyra Banks, Terry McMillan, Harriette Cole, Maya Angelou, Iyanla Vanzant, Nikki Giovanni, Dawn Davis, Adrienne Ingrum, Carol Mackey, Oprah Winfrey, Rosa Parks, Shirley Chisholm, Coretta Scott King, Zora Neal Hurston, and Octavia Butler.

Download or read book Divining Divas written by Michael Montlack and published by Lethe Press. This book was released on 2012 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Editor Michael Montlack has assembled an anthology of a hundred gay poets--award winners and fresh voices--in thrall with female icons throughout the ages ranging from Gloria Swanson to Mary J, Blige, from Edith Piaf to Joni Mitchell, Bette Midler to Lady Gaga. These are not merely appreciations of the gorgeous and daring but poems that are confessional to bittersweet to witty.

Download or read book Divas and Scholars written by Philip Gossett and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2008-09-15 with total page 699 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Winner of the 2007 Otto Kinkeldey Award from the American Musicological Society and the 2007 Deems Taylor Award from the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers. Divas and Scholars is a dazzling and beguiling account of how opera comes to the stage, filled with Philip Gossett’s personal experiences of triumphant—and even failed—performances and suffused with his towering and tonic passion for music. Writing as a fan, a musician, and a scholar, Gossett, the world's leading authority on the performance of Italian opera, brings colorfully to life the problems, and occasionally the scandals, that attend the production of some of our most favorite operas. Gossett begins by tracing the social history of nineteenth-century Italian theaters in order to explain the nature of the musical scores from which performers have long worked. He then illuminates the often hidden but crucial negotiations opera scholars and opera conductors and performers: What does it mean to talk about performing from a critical edition? How does one determine what music to perform when multiple versions of an opera exist? What are the implications of omitting passages from an opera in a performance? In addition to vexing questions such as these, Gossett also tackles issues of ornamentation and transposition in vocal style, the matters of translation and adaptation, and even aspects of stage direction and set design. Throughout this extensive and passionate work, Gossett enlivens his history with reports from his own experiences with major opera companies at venues ranging from the Metropolitan and Santa Fe operas to the Rossini Opera Festival at Pesaro. The result is a book that will enthrall both aficionados of Italian opera and newcomers seeking a reliable introduction to it—in all its incomparable grandeur and timeless allure.

Download or read book Destiny s Divas written by Victoria Christopher Murray and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-06-05 with total page 402 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Secrets, scandal, and sin abound in the private lives of popular gospel group Destiny’s Divas in this page-turning novel by the Essence bestselling author of The Personal Librarian and A Sin and a Shame. Sierra, Raine, and Liza are Destiny’s Divas, a fresh, new gospel group whose unique blend of singing and testifying has gained them fans across the country. They tell the world about how good God has been to them, but off-stage, each is living a life totally opposite to what she preaches—and each is harboring a secret that could ruin them all. Twenty-something Sierra Dixon speaks about the joy of being single and celibate, though she is anything but, drifting from one relationship to another. Although she stresses the importance of unconditional love within the family, Raine Omari has hit her breaking point with her mother-in-law and is ready to take drastic steps. And when Liza Washington discovers that her pastor-husband is in the middle of a scandal that could bring down more than just their ministry, she knows she must do something to stop him. One fateful evening their secrets are exposed, and one diva commits an act that could land her in prison for the rest of her life. Each has motive—who will crack?

Download or read book Screaming Divas written by Suzanne Kamata and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2014-04-18 with total page 237 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As seen on MTV.com At sixteen, Trudy Baxter is tired of her debutante mom, her deadbeat dad, and her standing reservation at the juvenile detention center. Changing her name to Trudy Sin, she cranks up her major chops as a singer and starts a band, gathering around other girls ill at ease in their own lives. Cassie Haywood, would-have-been beauty queen, was scarred in an accident in which her alcoholic mom was killed. But she can still sing and play her guitar, even though she seeks way too much relief from the pain in her body and her heart through drugs, and way too much relief from loneliness through casual sex. Still, it's Cassie who hears former child prodigy Harumi Yokoyama playing in a punk band at a party, and enlists her, outraging Harumi's overbearing first-generation Japanese parents. The fourth member is Esther Shealy, who joins as a drummer in order to be close to Cassie--the long-time object of her unrequited love--and Harumi, her estranged childhood friend. Together, they are Screaming Divas, and they're quickly swept up as a local sensation. Then, just as they are about to achieve their rock-girl dreams, a tragedy strikes.

Download or read book The Literary Lorgnette written by Julie A. Buckler and published by Stanford University Press. This book was released on 2000 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book uses a literary lens to examine the diverse practices, lore, and texts of opera-going in imperial Russia.

Download or read book Little Divas written by Philana Marie Boles and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2010-09-07 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The "good" girl Cassidy has let her parents, her strong-willed cousin and best friend, Rikki, and cruel classmates push her around long enough. Before school starts, she WILL become independent. The "bad" girl Rikki also wants independence, mostly from her preacher father and perfect older sister. But secretly she doesn't mind having her goody-goody cousin around to keep her in line. Without Cassidy, it would be easy to go too far. The "new" girl Golden is new to town, and she's got all the freedom she wants. What she needs is a parent to actually listen to her. But at least she has some new friends to help her deal. For all three girls, life is changing fast. If they're going to make it to seventh grade, they'd better summon their inner divas -- because sometimes having a little attitude and a little respect for yourself is the only way to get what you want. In Little Divas, Philana Marie Boles delivers a sassy, spirited tale of loyalty, family, and friendship.

Download or read book Hustlin Divas written by De'nesha Diamond and published by Kensington Publishing Corp.. This book was released on 2011-10-24 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the first book of a fierce new series, meet Memphis's hardest ride-or-die chicks as they fight along with their infamous men to lock down the Dirty South. Memphis is the crime capital of America, and no one knows that better than the women born and raised on its mean streets. It's put sisters Ta'Shara and LeShelle on opposite sides of the street game, where blood means nothing and loyalty doesn't last long. It's also got Yolanda, an ambitious drug mule, and Melanie, a police detective, caught up with the same man--the notorious hustler Python. These four women think they've got the game figured out, but the one man they have in common will have them living double lives and wondering who will come out on top. Forget what you heard about East Coast/West Coast, 'cause real vendettas are born in the Dirty South. "Diamond's ear for street talk comes across loud and clear. . .a violent and profane tale, which launches a gritty new series. The divas here are realistic characters, and the pacing zooms. . .one of the best constructed street lit stories of 2010." --Library Journal "A nonstop, hard-hitting page-turner." --Tu-Shonda L. Whitaker

Download or read book Diva Nation written by Laura Miller and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2018-06-08 with total page 261 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Diva Nation explores the constructed nature of female iconicity in Japan. From ancient goddesses and queens to modern singers and writers, this edited volume critically reconsiders the female icon, tracing how she has been offered up for emulation, debate or censure. The research in this book culminates from curiosity over the insistent presence of Japanese female figures who have refused to sit quietly on the sidelines of history. The contributors move beyond archival portraits to consider historically and culturally informed diva imagery and diva lore. The diva is ripe for expansion, fantasy, eroticization, and playful reinvention, while simultaneously presenting a challenge to patriarchal culture. Diva Nation asks how the diva disrupts or bolsters ideas about nationhood, morality, and aesthetics.

Download or read book King Divas written by De'nesha Diamond and published by Dafina. This book was released on 2016-02-23 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If the King Divas can't reign, no one will: one merciless kill vaults good-girl-gone-bad Ta'Shara into gangland's power elite - but an enemy she doesn't see is targeting everything she can't afford to lose.

Download or read book Gangsta Divas written by De'nesha Diamond and published by Dafina. This book was released on 2014-05-16 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The deadliest ride-or-die chicks in Memphis have a new rival. But when all’s said and done, only one gang can reign supreme... The streets of the Dirty South have never been meaner as the ruthless women of warring hoods are just a few body bags away from total domination. Determined to rain bullets on Shotgun Row, lieutenant Lucifer teams up with Profit, head gangsta of the Vice Lords and a man bent on revenge. Good girl gone bad Ta’shara sets her sights on knocking her evil sister off the throne—but she’s unprepared for what’s ahead. Qiana’s deal with the devil to take ambitious Yolanda out of the picture plants her at the center of a manhunt that will jeopardize her own position. And as Queen G LeShelle’s list of enemies multiplies, the final knockout may come from the last person she expects. While the war zone expands, these gangsta divas take no prisoners for the chance to rule it all...

Download or read book India written by Victoria Christopher Murray and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2008-10-14 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Best friends and gospel singers Diamond, India, Veronique, and Aaliyah compete in a nation-wide talent search in the hopes of landing a music contract; an effort that is complicated by India's hidden struggles with an eating disorder. Original.

Download or read book The Diva Rules written by Michelle Visage and published by Chronicle Books. This book was released on 2015-11-10 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Michelle Visage is not your average diva. Powerful, positive, and polished, this diva's not only glamorous, she's a savvy businesswoman with serious credentials who works her tail off. From her days vogueing in the downtown Manhattan clubs in the '90s to her successful career in radio and her ultimate cult status as a judge on RuPaul's Drag Race, Michelle has achieved her dreams and then some! In The Diva Rules, Visage shares her rules and advice for living life to the fullest and finding success no matter the hand you're dealt. With her no-nonsense style and super sassy voice, Michelle tells readers to Keep Your Shit Together

Download or read book Tipping on a Tight Rope written by Aisha Damali Lockridge and published by African-American Literature and Culture. This book was released on 2012 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Black runway models began throwing phones and VH1's «Divas Live» riveted viewers, a new paradigm for Black women had fully evolved in the form of the Black Diva. Tracing the trajectory of the Diva figure from the Italian castrati to Ntozake Shange's Liliane: Resurrection of the Daughter suggests a way around staid and fixed stereotypes about Black womanhood. The Black Diva performs her demands as a quintessential act of survival in a hostile and racist world; she is both a product of and a mark against the male gaze, Black and white. Ultimately, Tipping on a Tightrope: Divas in African American Literature uses present popular culture incarnations of the Diva to detail her long relationship with Black American literary culture.

Download or read book Funeral Diva written by Pamela Sneed and published by City Lights Books. This book was released on 2020-10-20 with total page 119 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Funeral Diva is the Winner of the Lambda Award for Lesbian Poetry! A poetic memoir about coming-of-age in the AIDS era, and its effects on life and art. "Sneed is an acclaimed reader of her own poetry, and the book has the feeling of live performance. . . . Its strength is in its abundance, its desire for language to stir body as well as mind."—Parul Sehgal, The New York Times Book Review "She is a writer for the future, in that she defies genre."—Hilton Als "This notable achievement, traveling from youth to adulthood, is a harrowing account of how Sneed transforms violence and pain into an artist's life."—Claudia Rankine, author of Citizen: An American Lyric "There's an eerie sense of timeliness to this book, which features prose and poetry by the writer and teacher Pamela Sneed and is largely — though not entirely — about mourning Black gay men killed too soon by a deadly virus."—Tomi Obaro, Buzzfeed "OH MY GOODNESS, it was amazing. I was in tears by the end. What starts off as beautiful memoir evolves into incredibly moving poetry, painful and sweet and lovely."—Marie Cloutier, Greenlight Bookstore, Brooklyn, NY "Balancing and mixing, with rhyme and reason, love and anger, good and bad, memory and the created present, all to tell the story of a life, a memoir unrestrained, devoid of artificial forms. Honest. Free."—Anjanette Delgado, New York Journal of Books In this collection of personal essays and poetry, acclaimed poet and performer Pamela Sneed details her coming of age in New York City during the late 1980s. Funeral Diva captures the impact of AIDS on Black Queer life, and highlights the enduring bonds between the living, the dying, and the dead. Sneed’s poems not only converse with lovers past and present, but also with her literary forebears—like James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Audre Lorde—whose aesthetic and thematic investments she renews for a contemporary American landscape. Offering critical focus on matters from police brutality to LGBTQ+ rights, Funeral Diva confronts today's most pressing issues with acerbic wit and audacity. The collection closes with Sneed's reflections on the two pandemics of her time, AIDS and COVID-19, and the disproportionate impact of each on African American communities. "Riveting, personal, open-hearted, risky and wise."—Sarah Schulman, author of Conflict Is Not Abuse " . . . a tour de force about the collision between a coalescing 1980s 'Black lesbian and gay literary and poetic movement' in New York and the onslaught of AIDS."—Donna Seaman, Booklist "Pamela Sneed's Funeral Diva is deft, defiant, and devastating."—Tommy Pico, author of Feed "Funeral Diva is urgent and necessary reading to live by. This is writing at its finest. Keep this book close to your heart and soul."—Karen Finley, author of Shock Treatment "Reminiscent of Audre Lorde’s Zami, Pamela Sneed’s memoir is, in itself, a healing balm, affirming in its truths and honesty. I cannot remember ever reading a book that illustrates the impact of the AIDS epidemic on our community more poignantly than Funeral Diva."—Nicole Dennis-Benn, author of Patsy "Pamela Sneed takes enormous risks in this book. She tells the truth with fierce concentration and an abiding sense of purpose.”—Dorothy Allison, author of Bastard Out of Carolina

Download or read book Diamond written by Victoria Christopher Murray and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2010-05-11 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the bestselling author of The Personal Librarian​ comes the first in the The Diva series, following the stories of four fifteen-year-old girls who form their own singing group. Diamond Winters is the one who formed the Divas singing group. With her wealthy, loving parents and an endless supply of charm, she's always been able to sweet-talk her way into anything. But this time, has Diamond talked her way right into trouble? Diamond has support for her group from her family and church, but she has a lot going on. She's made it onto the school's varsity cheerleading squad, and she's caught the eye of the totally cool senior Jason Xavier. Jax is sweeping her off her feet, but Diamond is starting to feel as if she's in over her head. Diamond has always been so sure she's in control. Will she have the courage to ask for help and guidance when she needs it? And will the Divas even manage to stay together long enough for the first round of the talent competition?

Download or read book Street Divas written by De'nesha Diamond and published by Kensington Books. This book was released on 2013-06-24 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Gritty, down and dirty, and raw." --Urban Reviews In De'nesha Diamond's explosive series, the fiercest ride-or-die chicks in Memphis are battling alongside--and against--their ruthless men to be the last diva standing. . . On these Dirty South streets, revenge is sweet opportunity. Now the women who help rule the hood are out to take ultimate control. Merciless lieutenant Lucifer drops as many bodies as she can to avenge a devastating shooting and consolidate her new power. Loyal gang member Essence discovers friendship has lethal limits when she falls for her best friend's man. Ever-ambitious Yolanda is angling hard to go from a king hustler's baby mama to his one and only. But Queen G LeShelle will betray any trust and take out any obstacle to make the game hers alone. And when these four women push their vendettas past the point of no return, it's a war only the most deadly diva will survive. . . "The raw prose will burn itself in readers' minds, leaving them screaming for the next installment." --Library Journal "These women will have readers turning pages. . .a suspenseful and entertaining book full of deceit and revenge." --APOOO BookClub