Monday, November 30, 2009

Double Take by Kevin Michael Connolly

Double TakeDouble take: A rapid or surprised second look, either literal or figurative, at a person or situation whose significance has not been completely grasped at first.

Kevin Michael Connolly is a twenty-three-year-old man who has seen the world in a way most of us never will. Whether swarmed by Japanese tourists at Epcot Center as a child or holding court at the X Games on his mono-ski, Kevin Connolly has been an object of curiosity since the day he was born without legs. Growing up in rural Montana, he was raised like any other kid (except, that is, for his father?s MacGyver-like contraptions such as the ?butt boot?). As a college student, Kevin traveled to seventeen countries on his skateboard, including Bosnia, China, Ukraine, and Japan. In an attempt to capture the stares of others, he took more than 33,000 photographs of people staring at him. In this dazzling memoir, Connolly casts the lens inward to explore how we view ourselves and what it is to truly see another person. We also get to know his quirky and unflappable parents and his girlfriend. From the home of his family in Helena, Montana, to the streets of Tokyo and Kuala Lumpur, Kevin?s remarkable journey will change the way you look at others, and the way you see yourself.

About the Author

Kevin Michael Connolly was born in Helena, Montana, in 1985. Born without legs, Kevin was an otherwise healthy baby and grew up like any other Montana kid: getting dirty, running in the woods, and getting dirty some more. Funded by a second-place finish at the 2006 Winter X Games, Kevin took a skateboard and backpack on a tour around the world to more than seventeen countries including Malaysia, Japan, Ukraine, and China. Along the way he captured over 33,000 photographs of people staring at him. These images evolved into a photo collection entitled The Rolling Exhibition, which has garnered international media attention and been featured at museums and galleries around the

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When She Flew by Jennie Shortridge

When She FlewA new novel about family, faith, and finding the courage to do the right thing from the author of Love and Biology at the Center of the Universe. Police officer Jessica Villareal has always played by the book and tried to do the right thing. But now, she finds herself approaching midlife divorced, estranged from her daughter, alone, and unhappy. And she's wondering if she ever made a right choice in her life.

But then Jess discovers a girl and her Iraq-vet father living off the radar in the Oregon woods, avoiding the comforts-and curses-of modern life. Her colleagues on the force are determined to uproot and separate them, but Jess knows the damage of losing those you love. She recognizes her chance to make a difference by doing something she's never dared. Because even though she's used to playing by the rules, there are times when they need to be broken...

About the Author Seattle author Jennie Shortridge juggles her time between writing novels and working in the community to foster literacy.

From the Author

In 2004, I lived in Portland, OR, where a Vietnam vet was found living in the forest and raising his young daughter. When police went in, what transpired was not what you might expect, and I've wanted to write a fictional story inspired by these events ever since. When She Flew is that novel, and has at its heart 13-year-Lindy, a feral but articulate and intelligent girl, and police officer Jessica Villareal, the cop who goes in after her and comes out changed forever.

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