Furious Cool

Furious Cool

Author: David Henry

Publisher: Algonquin Books

Published: 2014-01-01

Total Pages: 321

ISBN-13: 1616204478

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Provides a rare glimpse into the life of an outrageously human, fearlessly black, openly angry and profanely outspoken comedic genius whose humble beginnings as the child of a prostitute helped shaped him into one of the most influential and outstanding performers of our time.


Book Synopsis Furious Cool by : David Henry

Download or read book Furious Cool written by David Henry and published by Algonquin Books. This book was released on 2014-01-01 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Provides a rare glimpse into the life of an outrageously human, fearlessly black, openly angry and profanely outspoken comedic genius whose humble beginnings as the child of a prostitute helped shaped him into one of the most influential and outstanding performers of our time.


Becoming Richard Pryor

Becoming Richard Pryor

Author: Scott Saul

Publisher: Harper Collins

Published: 2014-12-09

Total Pages: 485

ISBN-13: 0062123335

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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 Drawing upon a mountain of original research—interviews with family and friends, court transcripts, unpublished journals, screenplay drafts—Scott Saul traces Pryor’s rough journey to the heights of fame: from his heartbreaking childhood, his trials in the Army, and his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.


Book Synopsis Becoming Richard Pryor by : Scott Saul

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.


Pryor Convictions

Pryor Convictions

Author: Richard Pryor

Publisher: Barnacle Book

Published: 2018-04-24

Total Pages: 257

ISBN-13: 9781947856059

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Originally published by Pantheon Books in 1995.


Book Synopsis Pryor Convictions by : Richard Pryor

Download or read book Pryor Convictions written by Richard Pryor and published by Barnacle Book. This book was released on 2018-04-24 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Originally published by Pantheon Books in 1995.


Richard Pryor

Richard Pryor

Author: Audrey Thomas McCluskey

Publisher: Indiana University Press

Published: 2008-09-17

Total Pages: 610

ISBN-13: 0253220114

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"This anthology captures the spirit, zest, and cultural impact of Pryor's complex artistry."--Back cover.


Book Synopsis Richard Pryor by : Audrey Thomas McCluskey

Download or read book Richard Pryor written by Audrey Thomas McCluskey and published by Indiana University Press. This book was released on 2008-09-17 with total page 610 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This anthology captures the spirit, zest, and cultural impact of Pryor's complex artistry."--Back cover.


Jokes My Father Never Taught Me

Jokes My Father Never Taught Me

Author: Rain Pryor

Publisher: Harper Collins

Published: 2009-10-13

Total Pages: 226

ISBN-13: 0061745960

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The loving, witty, yet brutally honest memoir of the daughter of comedy legend Richard Pryor. Rain Pryor was born in the idealistic, free-love 1960s. Her mother was a Jewish go-go dancer who wanted a tribe of rainbow children. Rain’s father was Richard Pryor, perhaps the most compelling and brilliant comedian of his era, a man whose self-destructiveness was as legendary as his groundbreaking comedy. Jokes My Father Never Taught Me is an intimate, harrowing, poignant, and often hilarious memoir that explores the divided heritage and the forces that shaped a wildly schizophrenic childhood. It is the story of a girl who grew up adoring her father even as she feared him—and feared for him, as his drug problems got worse. Both lovingly told and painfully frank, it is an unprecedented look at the life of a comedy icon, told by a daughter who both understood the genius and knew the tortured man within. Praise for Jokes My Father Never Taught Me “Rain Pryor pulls no punches . . . Using the same profanity-laced wit her father perfected, she unspools darkly comic stories . . . but never devolves into self-pity or bitterness.” —Entertainment Weekly “Vital, entertaining and appalling, Pryor has fleshed out a familiar dysfunctional family refrain—”It was a lot easier to love him if you didn’t know him”—with bravery and wit.” —Publishers Weekly


Book Synopsis Jokes My Father Never Taught Me by : Rain Pryor

Download or read book Jokes My Father Never Taught Me written by Rain Pryor and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2009-10-13 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The loving, witty, yet brutally honest memoir of the daughter of comedy legend Richard Pryor. Rain Pryor was born in the idealistic, free-love 1960s. Her mother was a Jewish go-go dancer who wanted a tribe of rainbow children. Rain’s father was Richard Pryor, perhaps the most compelling and brilliant comedian of his era, a man whose self-destructiveness was as legendary as his groundbreaking comedy. Jokes My Father Never Taught Me is an intimate, harrowing, poignant, and often hilarious memoir that explores the divided heritage and the forces that shaped a wildly schizophrenic childhood. It is the story of a girl who grew up adoring her father even as she feared him—and feared for him, as his drug problems got worse. Both lovingly told and painfully frank, it is an unprecedented look at the life of a comedy icon, told by a daughter who both understood the genius and knew the tortured man within. Praise for Jokes My Father Never Taught Me “Rain Pryor pulls no punches . . . Using the same profanity-laced wit her father perfected, she unspools darkly comic stories . . . but never devolves into self-pity or bitterness.” —Entertainment Weekly “Vital, entertaining and appalling, Pryor has fleshed out a familiar dysfunctional family refrain—”It was a lot easier to love him if you didn’t know him”—with bravery and wit.” —Publishers Weekly


On the Real Side

On the Real Side

Author: Mel Watkins

Publisher: Chicago Review Press

Published: 1999-05-01

Total Pages: 638

ISBN-13: 1569767602

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This comprehensive history of black humor sets it in the context of American popular culture. Blackface minstrelsy, Stepin Fetchit, and the Amos 'n' Andy show presented a distorted picture of African Americans; this book contrasts this image with the authentic underground humor of African Americans found in folktales, race records, and all-black shows and films. After generations of stereotypes, the underground humor finally emerged before the American public with Richard Pryor in the 1970s. But Pryor was not the first popular comic to present authentically black humor. Watkins offers surprising reassessments of such seminal figures as Fetchit, Bert Williams, Moms Mabley, and Redd Foxx, looking at how they paved the way for contemporary comics such as Whoopi Goldberg, Eddie Murphy, and Bill Cosby.


Book Synopsis On the Real Side by : Mel Watkins

Download or read book On the Real Side written by Mel Watkins and published by Chicago Review Press. This book was released on 1999-05-01 with total page 638 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This comprehensive history of black humor sets it in the context of American popular culture. Blackface minstrelsy, Stepin Fetchit, and the Amos 'n' Andy show presented a distorted picture of African Americans; this book contrasts this image with the authentic underground humor of African Americans found in folktales, race records, and all-black shows and films. After generations of stereotypes, the underground humor finally emerged before the American public with Richard Pryor in the 1970s. But Pryor was not the first popular comic to present authentically black humor. Watkins offers surprising reassessments of such seminal figures as Fetchit, Bert Williams, Moms Mabley, and Redd Foxx, looking at how they paved the way for contemporary comics such as Whoopi Goldberg, Eddie Murphy, and Bill Cosby.


In a Pryor Life

In a Pryor Life

Author: Jr Richard Pryor

Publisher:

Published: 2019-03

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 9781629333885

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"I survived. And that's what my book is about, a real-life story of overcoming obstacles, surviving, and thriving." - Richard Pryor Jr.


Book Synopsis In a Pryor Life by : Jr Richard Pryor

Download or read book In a Pryor Life written by Jr Richard Pryor and published by . This book was released on 2019-03 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "I survived. And that's what my book is about, a real-life story of overcoming obstacles, surviving, and thriving." - Richard Pryor Jr.


According to the Evidence

According to the Evidence

Author: Bernard Knight

Publisher: Severn House Publishers Ltd

Published: 2011-08-01

Total Pages: 207

ISBN-13: 1780101163

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A forensic mystery of the 1950s - After starting their risky venture of a private forensic consultancy, Doctor Richard Pryor – now a Home Office pathologist – and forensic biologist Angela Bray have now become firmly established. An apparent bizarre suicide in a remote Welsh farm starts them on a new investigation, which is followed by an unusual request from the War Office. And when a Cotswold veterinary surgeon is charged with poisoning his ailing wife, can Pryor’s expert evidence save him from the gallows?


Book Synopsis According to the Evidence by : Bernard Knight

Download or read book According to the Evidence written by Bernard Knight and published by Severn House Publishers Ltd. This book was released on 2011-08-01 with total page 207 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A forensic mystery of the 1950s - After starting their risky venture of a private forensic consultancy, Doctor Richard Pryor – now a Home Office pathologist – and forensic biologist Angela Bray have now become firmly established. An apparent bizarre suicide in a remote Welsh farm starts them on a new investigation, which is followed by an unusual request from the War Office. And when a Cotswold veterinary surgeon is charged with poisoning his ailing wife, can Pryor’s expert evidence save him from the gallows?


Alright, Let's Call It a Draw

Alright, Let's Call It a Draw

Author: John Paul Pryor

Publisher:

Published: 2012-07-01

Total Pages: 515

ISBN-13: 9780985755003

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Dr. John Pryor never thought he was in any real danger as a combat surgeon. After all, he wasn't going out on patrols, risking his life dodging IEDs. Unlike the grunts fighting urban combat, he remained within the safe confines of the field hospital. So, no one was more surprised than John when a rocket blast claimed his life on Christmas morning, 2008. He was 42 years old.This incredible narrative details the life of a modern-day patriot and humanitarian. Throughout his life Dr. Pryor refused to ignore that inner voice compelling him to serve, both his fellow man and the country he loved.Funny, poignant, powerful, and ultimately tragic, this vivid memoir guides you through a personal and intimate account of Dr. Pryor's lifefrom speeding in an ambulance as a teenager, to medical school in Grenada; from operating on trauma victims, to searching the rubble on 9-11and battling death as combat surgeon in Iraq.Dr. Pryor's untimely death not only cheated us of his surgical skills and medical knowledge, but the greater life lessons he championed: integrity, honesty, altruism and humanity. Alright, Let's Call it a Draw is a inspirational narrative meant to salvage these lessons to be shared with those he left behind.


Book Synopsis Alright, Let's Call It a Draw by : John Paul Pryor

Download or read book Alright, Let's Call It a Draw written by John Paul Pryor and published by . This book was released on 2012-07-01 with total page 515 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dr. John Pryor never thought he was in any real danger as a combat surgeon. After all, he wasn't going out on patrols, risking his life dodging IEDs. Unlike the grunts fighting urban combat, he remained within the safe confines of the field hospital. So, no one was more surprised than John when a rocket blast claimed his life on Christmas morning, 2008. He was 42 years old.This incredible narrative details the life of a modern-day patriot and humanitarian. Throughout his life Dr. Pryor refused to ignore that inner voice compelling him to serve, both his fellow man and the country he loved.Funny, poignant, powerful, and ultimately tragic, this vivid memoir guides you through a personal and intimate account of Dr. Pryor's lifefrom speeding in an ambulance as a teenager, to medical school in Grenada; from operating on trauma victims, to searching the rubble on 9-11and battling death as combat surgeon in Iraq.Dr. Pryor's untimely death not only cheated us of his surgical skills and medical knowledge, but the greater life lessons he championed: integrity, honesty, altruism and humanity. Alright, Let's Call it a Draw is a inspirational narrative meant to salvage these lessons to be shared with those he left behind.


Unsuccessful Thug

Unsuccessful Thug

Author: Mike Epps

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: 2018-03-27

Total Pages: 220

ISBN-13: 0062684914

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From Naptown to Tinseltown—legendary stand-up comedian and actor Mike Epps finally tells all in this outrageous, hilarious, no-holds-barred memoir. Before starring in Def Comedy Jam and Showtime at the Apollo—before the sold-out comedy shows, Uncle Buck, and becoming his hero Richard Pryor in a biopic—there was Indianapolis. And not the good part. Mike Epps is one of America’s favorite and funniest people, but the path to fame was paved with opportunities to mess it up. And mess it up he did. Growing up in “Naptown”—what people who live there really call rough-around-the-edges Indianapolis—Epps found himself forced to hustle from an early age. Despite his mother’s best efforts, and the love of his well-behaved brother, “Chaney,” and his beloved sister, Julie, Epps was drawn to a life of crime, but as he quickly discovered, stealing and dealing didn’t really fit his sweet sensibilities. Not to mention he wasn’t very good at it—take, for example, the day he had to call the cops on himself when a dog wouldn’t let him leave a house he was burgling. After several arrests and more than a few months in jail, Epps finally realized that he was an unsuccessful thug, and instead turned to the next most obvious career path: stand-up comedy. Heading first to New York, then all over the country, and finally to Hollywood, Mike Epps carved out a unique place in American comedy, combining hysterical tales of his family and friends with a mordant take on life in the Naptowns of America. Comedy saved Mike Epps, and here he reveals exactly how he finally grew up and got out, barely. And when describing how he survived when so many of his friends didn’t, Epps makes clear what he’s thankful for and sorry about. Unsuccessful Thug is about growing up black in America, facing down racism in Hollywood, and ultimately how it feels to fail at thugdom, pull yourself up by the bootstraps, and end up selling out arenas and starring in movies across the country.


Book Synopsis Unsuccessful Thug by : Mike Epps

Download or read book Unsuccessful Thug written by Mike Epps and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2018-03-27 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From Naptown to Tinseltown—legendary stand-up comedian and actor Mike Epps finally tells all in this outrageous, hilarious, no-holds-barred memoir. Before starring in Def Comedy Jam and Showtime at the Apollo—before the sold-out comedy shows, Uncle Buck, and becoming his hero Richard Pryor in a biopic—there was Indianapolis. And not the good part. Mike Epps is one of America’s favorite and funniest people, but the path to fame was paved with opportunities to mess it up. And mess it up he did. Growing up in “Naptown”—what people who live there really call rough-around-the-edges Indianapolis—Epps found himself forced to hustle from an early age. Despite his mother’s best efforts, and the love of his well-behaved brother, “Chaney,” and his beloved sister, Julie, Epps was drawn to a life of crime, but as he quickly discovered, stealing and dealing didn’t really fit his sweet sensibilities. Not to mention he wasn’t very good at it—take, for example, the day he had to call the cops on himself when a dog wouldn’t let him leave a house he was burgling. After several arrests and more than a few months in jail, Epps finally realized that he was an unsuccessful thug, and instead turned to the next most obvious career path: stand-up comedy. Heading first to New York, then all over the country, and finally to Hollywood, Mike Epps carved out a unique place in American comedy, combining hysterical tales of his family and friends with a mordant take on life in the Naptowns of America. Comedy saved Mike Epps, and here he reveals exactly how he finally grew up and got out, barely. And when describing how he survived when so many of his friends didn’t, Epps makes clear what he’s thankful for and sorry about. Unsuccessful Thug is about growing up black in America, facing down racism in Hollywood, and ultimately how it feels to fail at thugdom, pull yourself up by the bootstraps, and end up selling out arenas and starring in movies across the country.