Soloists ignited the modern dance movement and have been a source of its constant renewal. Pioneering dancers such as Loïe Fuller, Isadora Duncan, Ruth St. Denis, and Maud Allan embodied the abstraction and individuality of the larger modernist movement while making astounding contributions to their art. Nevertheless, solo dancers have received far less attention in the literature than have performers and choreographers associated with large companies. In On Stage Alone, editors Claudia Gitelman and Barbara Palfy take an international approach to the solo dance performance. The essays in this standout volume broaden the dance canon by bringing to light modern dance soloists from Europe, Asia, and the Americas who have shaped significant, sustained careers by performing full programs of their own choreography. Featuring in-depth examinations of the work of artists such as Michio Ito, Daniel Nagrin, Ann Carlson, and many others, On Stage Alone reveals the many contributions made by daring solo dancers from the dawn of the twentieth century through today. In doing so, it explores many important statements these soloists made regarding topics such as freedom, personal space, individuality, and gender in the modern era.

Exploring locales such as city streets, bus stops, parking lots, bars, retail establishments, and discussion groups, Together Alone ventures into what is often thought of as the realm of passing strangers to examine the nature of personal relationships conducted in public spaces. While most studies of social interaction have gone behind closed doors to focus on relationships in the family, school, and workplace, this innovative collection pushes the boundaries of the field by analyzing both fleeting and anchored relationships in the seldom-studied communal areas where much of contemporary life takes place. The contributors shed light on the diversity and character of day-to-day negotiations in public spaces and at the same time illuminate how these social ties paradoxically blend aspects of durability and brevity, of emotional closeness and distance, of being together and alone. Exploring locales such as city streets, bus stops, parking lots, bars, retail establishments, and discussion groups, Together Alone ventures into what is often thought of as the realm of passing strangers to examine the nature of personal relations

Now in paperback, an intimate, loving portrait of Michael Jackson--Jermaine Jackson illuminates the private man like never before and offers unrivaled access into a rarefied world. Jermaine Jackson--older than Michael by four years--offers a keenly observed memoir tracing his brother's life starting from their shared childhood and extending through the Jackson 5 years, Michael's phenomenal solo career, his loves, his suffering, and his tragic end. It is a sophisticated, no-holds-barred examination of the man, aimed at fostering a true and final understanding of who he was, what he was, and what shaped him. Jermaine knows the real Michael as only a brother can. In this raw, honest, and poignant account, he reveals Michael the private person, not Michael "the King of Pop." He doesn't flinch from tackling the tough issues: the torrid press, the scandals, the allegations, the court cases, the internal politics, the ill-fated This Is It tour, and the disturbing developments in the days leading up to Michael's death. But where previous works have presented only thin versions of a media construct, he provides a rare glimpse into the complex heart, mind, and soul of a brilliant but sometimes troubled entertainer. As a witness to history on the inside, Jermaine is the only person qualified to deliver the real Michael and reveal what made him tick, his private opinions and unseen emotions through the most headline-making episodes of his life. Now with an emotional afterword addressing 2011's dramatic Conrad Murray trial, this biography is filled with keen insight, rich anecdotes, and behind-the-scenes detail. You Are Not Alone is the book for any true Michael Jackson fan and for anyone trying to make sense of the artist whose death was so premature.

A ROUGH TRADE, MOJO, UNCUT & LOUDER THAN WAR BOOK OF THE YEARSHORTLISTED FOR THE RALPH J. GLEASON MUSIC BOOK AWARDA redemptive, myth-shattering biography of one of the twentieth century's most underestimated creative and artistic forces.'Here is the Odyssey of Nico . . . a scholarly and detailed chronicle of this brilliant artist, who was spurned and tortured for her trouble.'IGGY POP'At last, a comprehensive and compelling book about Nico.'VIV ALBERTINE'Absorbs from start to finish.'OBSERVERThe real story of Nico is one of determination, self-destruction and belief in one's artistic vision, at any cost . . .You Are Beautiful and You Are Alone is an empowering reappraisal of an underappreciated icon. Drawing upon new interviews and rare archival material Bickerdike defies the sexist casting of Nico's life as the tragedy of a beautiful woman losing her youth and fame, and instead cements her legacy as one of the most vital artists of her generation.'Gripping.' THE TIMES'[This] book gets closer to understanding Nico than most.' GUARDIAN'Deserves to sit with the great biographies.' RECORD COLLECTOR'A compassionate portrait of a musician whose artistry has often been overlooked.' MOJO'Valuable . . . Bickerdike gives Nico her due as an artist.' THE SPECTATOR'Entertainingly written and insightful.' INDEPENDENT'The best music book you will read this year.' LOUDER THAN WAR

In 1963, Gerry and the Pacemakers made pop-music history. Their first three singles, “How Do You Do It?”, “I Like It” and “You'll Never Walk Alone”, went to the top of the UK charts, creating a still-unbeaten record. For twenty-year-old Gerry Marsden it was the start of a long and colourful show-business career. A pioneer of the Liverpool pop explosion that reverberated around the world, he vowed to broaden his horizons and stay on stage for the rest of his life. Brought up in the tough Dingle district of Liverpool, Marsden was a street fighter and enthusiastic boxer, who left school at the age of fifteen to work as a railways delivery boy. Like thousands of teenagers in the 1950s he got the music bug, taught himself guitar, formed a group and joined the vibrant club circuit alongside the Beatles and hundreds of other young rock 'n' rollers. In 1962, Gerry and the Pacemakers were signed by manager Brian Epstein as his second group after the Beatles, and made their name with ballads like “Ferry Cross the Mersey” and “Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying” as well as raunchy pop. But it was a Rodgers & Hammerstein song, “You'll Never Walk Alone”, which had enthralled Marsden since he saw the film Carousel in his youth, that was their biggest hit. For three decades it has remained the anthem of the crowds at Liverpool Football Club, played before kick-off every Saturday, inscribed on the club gates and always the most popular concert request. In 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic crisis, Marsden released a version of “I'll Never Walk Alone” in tribute to the National Health Service. In this autobiography, reissued following his death in January 2021, Gerry Marsden emerges as a driven man, an artist with enormous confidence and a unique spirit. From his streetwise boyhood and early love of music to his friendship – and keen rivalry – with the Beatles, hunger for fame and hard-won success, his story is one of grit, warmth, humour and determination.

Simply a must read for anyone who seeks a behind-the-scenes peek of some of Hollywood's classic films. . . Beginning with his film debut in Breaking Away, Daniel Stern has grown up on-screen before our very eyes. His connection with audiences is cemented in movies like Home Alone and City Slickers, and in his debut memoir, Home and Alone with Daniel Stern, he is the Everyman narrator on a ride into the human side of Hollywood. Buckle up and experience what it’s like driving Robert Redford in his Porsche at 100 mph, or stripping down for a nude scene in front of a group of total strangers. Share the out-of-body moments of flying alone with Mel Gibson on his jet to Las Vegas and smashing a fake mustache onto Gary Busey’s face while cursing him out on the pitcher’s mound of Wrigley Field in front of a sellout crowd. Join him in his triumphant stories like conquering his dyslexia as the voice of The Wonder Years, and his terrifying ones like being sued for $25 million by CBS and Columbia pictures. Touching and hysterical, often at the same time, Stern gives readers a peek at the highs and lows of a Hollywood career, and a closer look at the movies they love and the people who make them. Inspiring as it is humorous, Stern weaves a compelling tale of an artistic hippie-child of the 60’s, who by age thirteen had hitchhiked his way across the Eastern half of the U.S.A. By age seventeen he had dropped out of high school and was living on his own in New York, and by nineteen he was starting a family of his own. His insights into marriage, children, parents and parenting are not only hilarious, but packed with subtle wisdom. But the real surprises are in Stern's off-screen roles as a bronze sculptor, cattle rancher, avocado farmer and public servant. The hard work and commitment he has put into his on-screen successes are applied with the same intensity to every aspect of his life. From creating monumental public art projects and founding a Boys & Girls Club to visiting troops in Iraq and learning to birth a cow, he has lived it all. Home and Alone with Daniel Stern is for anyone who needs reminding that nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it.

I Was Never Alone or Oporniki presents an original ethnographic stage play, based on fieldwork conducted in Russia with adults with disabilities. The core of the work is the script of the play itself, which is accompanied by a description of the script development process, from the research in the field to rehearsals for public performances. In a supporting essay, the author argues that both ethnography and theatre can be understood as designs for being together in unusual ways, and that both practices can be deepened by recognizing the vibrant social impact of interdependency animated by vulnerability, as identified by disability theorists and activists.

Bill, a self-contained, romantic poet, becomes engulfed within the placidity of music. He finally finds hope for inspiration in a little more than a Melody. Feelings grow strong and so do little voices as Bill tries to engage in more than just writing about romance. He thinks that Melody may be the one inspiration that connects him to his soulmate but, does he truly feel this is true, or will his inner reflection, that little voice, silence the symphonies and cause him to be alone, with someone. Listen within as Bill tries to answer the questions we all face: How much do we question; How much do we debate; How long do we wait, Before our hearts Stop making memories Of our true soulmate.

The previously-untold story of the life and tragic early death of John Curry, one of the most famous ice skaters in history. The book that inspired new film The Ice King, the story of John Curry's life. One winter's night in 1976, over 20 million people in Britain watched John Curry skate to Olympic gold on an ice rink in Austria. Many millions more watched around the world. Overnight he became one of the most famous men on the planet. He was awarded an OBE. He was chosen as BBC Sports Personality of the Year. Curry changed ice skating from marginal sport to high art. And yet the man was a mystery to a world that had been dazzled by his gift. Surely, men's skating was supposed to be Cossack-muscular, not sensual and ambiguous like this? Curry himself was a complex, tortured man. For the first time, Alone untangles the extraordinary web of his toxic, troubled, brilliant and short life. It is a story of childhood nightmares, furious ambition, sporting genius, lifelong rivalries, homophobia, Cold War politics, financial ruin and deep personal tragedy. So much more than a sports biography, Alone reveals the restless, impatient, often dark soul of a man whose words could lacerate, whose skating invariably moved audiences to tears, and who after succumbing to AIDS, as so many of his fellow artists and friends did, died of a heart attack aged just 44.