Blog Archives
Changing Shoes: Staying in the Game with Style, Humor, and Grace
Changing Shoes: Staying in the Game with Style, Humor, and Grace by Tina Sloan is an engaging, heartfelt exploration of aging, life’s transitions, and the power of reinvention, all told through the lens of an actress’s glamorous yet relatable life. Using shoes as a metaphor, Sloan recounts her journey through youth, middle age, and beyond, detailing her career, family, and personal revelations with humor and vulnerability. She encourages women to embrace the inevitability of change with style, grace, and self-respect.
What struck me immediately was Sloan’s candid voice. Her storytelling feels like a warm conversation with an old friend. In the first chapter, she describes a jarring realization in a Manhattan coffee shop: younger women, not her, were the center of attention. Her vulnerability in admitting feelings of invisibility resonates deeply. She reflects on her glamorous past while candidly confronting aging’s physical and emotional realities. Her balance of humor and poignancy here is nothing short of inspiring.
The book’s structure, woven with personal anecdotes and life lessons, is another strength. One particularly touching moment is her memory of Aga Church, a Parisian mentor who taught her to live boldly and stylishly. This tale about shoes as symbols of life’s chapters, some for fun, some for seduction, and others for practicality, adds a whimsical yet profound layer to the narrative. It reminded me of how objects, like shoes, can carry emotional weight and personal history.
Sloan’s honesty about the challenges of aging in a youth-obsessed culture is refreshing. Whether discussing her rejection of plastic surgery or her heartbreak over letting go of youthful clothes, she never sugarcoats. I loved the scene where she reluctantly sends her favorite dresses to her niece after realizing they no longer suit her body. Her wit shines here as she laments, “Watching the UPS man haul my youth away felt like losing a part of myself.”
By the end, Sloan’s message is uplifting: aging doesn’t mean fading away. It means finding new ways to shine. Her advice to “wear your own shoes” to embrace your individuality and authenticity feels both empowering and timeless. Her ability to transform deeply personal struggles into universal lessons makes the book a gem.
I’d recommend Changing Shoes: Staying in the Game with Style, Humor, and Grace to women navigating midlife and beyond or anyone who enjoys reflective yet humorous memoirs. It’s a delightful mix of wisdom, self-deprecation, and inspiration. Sloan reminds us that aging, while challenging, can be a stylish, fulfilling adventure if you wear the right shoes.
Pages: 225 | ASIN : B086BLBFF6
LGBTQ+ Journalists
ANKRBOY follows the raw and gripping journey of a man leading a double life—rising in the high-stakes world of television news while hiding his true identity in a world that demands conformity. Why was this an important book for you to write?
I wrote ANKRBOY for two reasons: 1.) To help heal myself and 2.) To hopefully help others who are struggling in their own lives. I was absolutely devastated when I lost my career in TV news when my secret was revealed. Writing the book helped me make sense of a lot of things that happened to me. During the process, I realized the news business needed me a lot more than I needed it. Living my life openly and authentically has brought me to a wonderful place and I’ve never been happier.
The media industry plays a pivotal role in your book. Do you think it has changed at all in terms of LGBTQ+ representation?
Yes, there’s been a dramatic change (for the better) in terms of LGBTQ+ representation in the media. In fact, I use that change in the set-up of my book comparing how open and honest today’s generation of LGBTQ+ journalists can be—and how that would have never worked for me. It was simply a different time—and I’m happy we’ve gotten to where we are today where LGBTQ+ journalists are not only accepted but celebrated.
The book has some emotional moments. What was the most emotional moment for you to write about?
There were many nights when I was writing ANKRBOY that cried my eyes out. I think the most difficult part was reliving the final hours of life with my first boyfriend who died of AIDS. He asked that I come over and help his parents give him one last hot bath. We sat for over an hour—as he soaked in the warm water—saying our goodbyes. It was absolutely crushing, but amazingly cathartic for both of us. I have to warn people about that chapter in the book (#21). It was extremely difficult to write—and just as difficult to read.
If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?
I’d tell “Young Mark” to relax. To breath. To believe. That everything would work out just the way it should—and great things are coming for him. To just keep going.
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Facebook | Website | Amazon
That Guy
That Guy by Larry Hankin offers a vibrant dive into the life of its author, a stand-up comedian turned actor whose journey through the pulsating heart of show business is nothing short of a rollercoaster ride. From precarious beginnings in Greenwich Village to navigating the highs and lows of Hollywood, Hankin intersperses his tale with encounters with iconic figures like John Huston, Lenny Bruce, and Bob Dylan. This autobiography is as much about the grit and glamour of the entertainment world as it is about personal resilience and transformation.
This book is a delightful read, brimming with juicy backstage stories and heartfelt moments that make you feel like you’re catching up with an old friend over coffee. Hankin’s knack for storytelling shines as he draws us into his world, packed with eclectic characters and pivotal moments that shaped his career and personality. The book excels in depicting a wide array of individuals—from mentors and icons to rivals and friends—who influenced Hankin’s career and life. The narrative can sometimes feel disjointed, especially when transitioning from one era to another, which might leave readers wanting a smoother storytelling experience. While the insider anecdotes are fascinating, they occasionally overshadow broader thematic developments, making some sections feel more like a collection of vignettes rather than a cohesive story. The book’s engaging style and rich detail effectively portray the entertainment industry’s challenging yet rewarding nature. Themes of perseverance, identity, and transformation resonate throughout the text, making it a worthwhile read for anyone fascinated by the complexities of celebrity life or seeking inspiration in overcoming their hurdles.
Larry Hankin’s witty and reflective style, along with his ability to draw vivid characters and settings, makes That Guy a notable addition to the autobiography genre. For fans of showbiz tales and personal journeys alike, That Guy offers a unique glimpse into a life well-lived and hard-won victories in the face of adversity.
Pages: | ASIN : B0CW18F4D3
Vagabond Broadcaster Gypsy TV Guy
A terse yet vividly colorful account of a career in TV broadcasting, Vagabond Broadcaster Gypsy TV Guy, by G L Rockey is a short, quick read.
Thirteen chapters are bookended by a prologue and an epilogue; the book packs quite a bit in a chapter. The prologue alone covers the author’s less-than-ideal childhood, his time at acting school, and his disillusionment, getting his girlfriend pregnant at a young age, marrying her while still in college, and ending up at WZZM station right out of college. Beginning with the themes of fate and predestination (which run through the entire narrative), the author dwells on a number of decisions- the situations of which were presented by fate, but the decision taken was by him. Then again, he always ends up wondering if his decision changed the course of his life if it was all predestined and written anyway. It’s an interesting conundrum, and it’s easy to read it as a consolatory mechanism being used retrospectively by the author.
From manning the camera to working his way up to the Operations Manager at several TV stations, the author’s career trajectory is highly impressive and an entertaining one to read. The writing is terse, like bullet points in a journal, without too much description. The collection of remembrances in a chronological form has the reader shaking her head at his chequered career and at the sheer number of times, he moves jobs, his family, and his entire life.
I think a little more background on the industry would lend more context to the book and help place said anecdotes in a clearer picture. But I still think Vagabond Broadcaster Gypsy TV Guy: A Memoir is a funny and wry read, and the inner workings of TV stations in the USA in the 1960s and 1970s are well-depicted through his anecdotes.
Pages: 115 | ASIN : B0CGVPPRQ8
Justice in the Age of Judgment
Anne Bremner’s and Doug Bremner’s Justice in the Age of Judgment is a critical examination of the role of media and the public amidst some of the most publicized murder trials in recent history. While Bremner uses the tumultuous trial of Amanda Knox, a young American falsely convicted of murdering her roommate in Italy, as a segue for covering the effects of the media on other well-documented trials involving the likes of O.J. Simpson, Casey Anthony, Susan Cox Powell, and Ahmaud Arbery, her primary focus is the imperfections of the American judicial system.
Bremner does a stellar job at introducing each case in a manner that is accessible to readers while maintaining a modicum of compassion and respect for the wrongfully convicted and victimized. Both authors provide just enough background information on each case that the reader leaves with a fact-based, impartial view of all sides of the subject matter. They manage to keep the tone enthusiastic and conversational enough that the reading experience does not feel cumbersome.
Bremner’s background as both a full-fledged attorney and a front-facing legal analyst gives her a unique lens by which to evaluate these cases. She excels in leading with facts – even when the courts and the public seem to disregard these facts – and encourages readers to examine flaws of contagion bias in a time where misinformation run amok is powerful enough to sway due process. She displays a shrewd understanding that in the digital day and age, the fight for justice involves keeping the facts in the public eye as much as possible so that these facts alone make it to the courts. Moreover, she displays a keen heart for true justice, the ideal that structures her life’s work.
Justice in the Age of Judgement is an accessible, thought-provoking analysis of the judicial system, as evidenced by the cases discussed. This in-depth look at media and law is insightful and educational.
Pages: 280 | ASIN : B07TH9WMHT
LITERARY TITAN 