Biography and Memoir
Enjoy this list of recently published biographies and memoirs highlighting a range of lived experiences, selected by librarians at The Seattle Public Library. (May 2023)
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1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows
In this intimate and thought-provoking memoir, prolific artist Ai Weiwei interweaves his life with that of his poet father’s and reflects on the intersection of art and revolution in China’s past century.
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Ducks
Facing student loan debt and poor job prospects, comics artist Beaton leaves home to take a job in the Alberta oil sands, a place she discovers is toxic to the environment - and to her sense of self.
Format: Graphic Novel
Availability: Available
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¡Hola Papi!
Beloved LGBTQ advice columnist Brammer navigates coming-of-age and coming out with charm and tenderness in this hilarious collection of essays about growing up closeted and biracial in Middle America.
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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All About Me!
Brooks’ autobiography spans from his childhood in Brooklyn through a decades-long career as a comedian, writer, actor, director, and producer for stage and screen.
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Finding Me
In this engaging autobiography, Davis describes how she overcame extreme poverty and abuse in her youth to become one of the most acclaimed award-winning actors of today.
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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The Child Is the Teacher
This fascinating and comprehensive examination is the first to focus on the personal life of trailblazing educator Maria Montessori, who forever changed the way we think about child development and early childhood education.
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Ida B. the Queen
Wells’ great-granddaughter penned this biography celebrating the life of the bold and outspoken journalist, suffragist, and civil rights activist.
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Dear Senthuran
The award-winning Nigerian author of fiction for youth and adults explores spirituality, family, and identity in this unique epistolary memoir.
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Tokyo Rose-- Zero Hour
Frattino’s daring biography, told in comics format, recounts the story of Iva Toguri, a Japanese American woman who became a propaganda radio host during her time trapped in Japan after the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.
Format: Graphic Novel
Availability: Available
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Hijab Butch Blues
In this transformative and transgressive memoir, Lamya H shares the challenges and triumphs growing up gender nonconforming, Muslim, and a woman by finding strength and inspiration in stories from the Quran.
Format: Book
Availability: All copies in use
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