NEW YORK'S OWN
Booklist, 2005
This is list of biographies about New York's famous and not so famous citizens for the general reader. These books are available for free loan, in recorded and/or braille formats, to all participants in the Library of Congress National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped program. Titles for children and teens are included in this list.
RC = Recorded Cassette; BR = Braille Book.
BIOGRAPHIES
Down These Mean Streets
Piri Thomas
RC 52585
Classic autobiography about growing up in New York's Spanish Harlem during the depression. Violence, strong language, and some descriptions of sex. 1967.
Empire Statesman: The Rise and Redemption of Al Smith
Robert A. Slayton
RC 54729
The life and times of the four-term governor of New York — the "Happy Warrior," Al Smith (1873-1944). 2002.
Everything and a Kite
Ray Romano
RC 54615
Stand-up comedian and star of television show Everybody Loves Raymond describes his family life in humorous anecdotes, encompassing a childhood in Queens, New York; marriage; parenthood with twins; and aging. Strong language. 1998.
The Gentleman from New York: Daniel Patrick Moynihan: A Biography
Godfrey Hodgson
RC 52392
Presents an account of the popular senator's life as a politician who championed both liberal and conservative causes. Some strong language. 2000.
Holy Terror: Andy Warhol Close Up
Bob Colacello
RC 5354
A hard-hitting memoir by a former editor of Warhol's celebrity-celebrating Interview magazine presents an insider's look at the "Pope of Pop Art." 2000.
Manhattan Country Doctor
Milton Jonathan Slocum
RC 5122
Memoir of a doctor who practiced medicine from 1934-1968 in New York City's "Hell's Kitchen." 1986.
Portraits 9/11/01: The Collected "Portraits of Grief" from The New York Times
RC 56200
A collection of New York Times daily feature articles, "Portraits of Grief," celebrates the lives of 1,910 victims of the terrorist attack on New York City's World Trade Center. 2002.
Presences: A Bishop's Life in the City
Paul Moore
RC 5315
An Episcopal bishop reflects on how faith, family, war, activism, and commitment to underprivileged people have shaped his life. 1997.
Prodigal Son: Dancing for Balanchine in a World of Pain and Magic
Edward Villella
RC 5303
In an inside look at the world of ballet and the New York City Ballet Company by one of its greatest ballet dancers, Edward Villella from Queens. 1992.
Random Family: Love, Drugs, Trouble, and Coming of Age in the Bronx
Adrian Nicole LeBlanc
RC 55875
The author, who studied law, sociology, and journalism, provides an account of teenagers in the Bronx during the 1980s. Strong language. 2003.
A Renaissance in Harlem: Lost Voices of an American Community
Edited by Lionel C. Bascom
RC 56684
Essays culled from the WPA Writer's Project collection in the Library of Congress detail the views and experiences of Harlem's ordinary African-American citizens during the 1930s. 1999.
Rudy Giuliani: Emperor of the City
Andrew Kirtzman
RC 54285
The administration of former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani in a reporter's account that includes the destruction at the World Trade Center. 2000.
Ten Rings: My Championship Seasons
Yogi Berra
RC 58208, BR 15426
Autobiography by baseball Hall of Fame catcher highlighting his ten championship seasons with the New York Yankees between 1947 and 1962. 2003.

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