Creative Biography

In Create Something, first-generation El Salvadorian American Lilly Benitez shares the story of how she created something out of nothing. From a road trip in the 90s through Dallas to Central America to the establishment of her passion project, the Blade Craft Barber Academy, in 2015, this dual narrative delivers a rare glimpse into the trials and triumphs of a first-generation entrepreneur.

Trailer park girl. Teen bride. Single mom. Instagram celebrity. It would be easy to mistake Jessica Wilde’s life for a simple rags-to-riches story. After all, she went from a youth marred by poverty, sexual abuse, and bad decisions, to internet fame that gave her control over her own fate, and provided a lucrative living. If happiness were only that simple. In reality, Wilde’s personal journey of growth and triumph involved a daunting struggle to define the real woman behind her online creation.

In YouTubers: How YouTube Shook Up TV and Created a New Generation of Stars, author Chris Stokel-Walker delves into the world of YouTube influencers and the impact they have had on entertainment and media. Focusing on the rise of YouTubers as a new breed of celebrities, Stokel-Walker explores the evolution of the platform from a simple video-sharing site to a powerhouse of influence and creativity.

Director of the cult 1980s film Chashme Baddoor and critically acclaimed movies such as Sparsh and Saaz; seasoned Marathi theatre personality; winner of three National Film Awards and two Filmfare Awards; recipient of the Padma Bhushan - Sai Paranjpye has many feathers in the patchwork quilt of her creative life. Sai started her career at All India Radio, later graduating from the National School of Drama and making her way into theatre, television, documentaries, and movies, working with some of the most highly regarded names of the Hindi film world.

Revealing the warm and astonishing story of an influential jazz legend, this personal narrative tells the story of a man’s journey from a Southern upbringing to a career touring the world to play for adoring fans. It tells how James Brown first discovered the Parker brothers—Melvin, the drummer, and Maceo on sax—in a band at a small North Carolina nightclub in 1963....

If you’re a sneaker head, you know him as the Savior of Nike. If you’ve watched Air you saw Matt Damon’s portrayal of the man who discovered Michael Jordan and how he revolutionized the payment structure of endorsements for athletes. Legends and Soles tells Sonny’s story – his blind-sided firing by Nike Chairman Phil Knight, the landmark 2021 Supreme Court decision that upended big-time college sports, the countless days and nights of watching athletes compete, and so much more that only Sonny can retell.

Raising My Rainbow is Lori Duron’s frank, heartfelt, and brutally funny account of her and her family's adventures of distress and happiness raising a gender-creative son. Whereas her older son, Chase, is a Lego-loving, sports-playing boy's boy, her younger son, C.J., would much rather twirl around in a pink sparkly tutu, with a Disney Princess in each hand while singing Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi".

This is the story of a physician who lived life with blinders on, navigating the increasing demands of being “doctor mom”. It reveals that grit and diligent hard work do not protect you against the heartache of burnout, and the best decisions are not made with logic or reason, but right-brain instinct. Right Brain Rescue is a literary “creativity prescription” that will inspire us to think differently about how we use our energy, explore our values, and care for our bodies and minds so we can become the most sparkly version of ourselves.

This is the story of a man who searched his conscience, decided that the American Dream should be colorblind, and then set out to change the rules. Part memoir, part history lesson, and part road map, Creating Equal tells how a Black man fought against affirmative action in California and Washington, D.C.

When a 200-pound glass partition fell on Donna Fado Ivery's head resulting in brain injury, disability, and chronic pain, she could no longer count on walking, speaking, or thinking. How would she care for her infant, her preschooler, her husband, and herself? How would she continue to serve as pastor? With humor and humility, this inspirational memoir speaks to Donna’s struggle through medical, social, and church prejudice with the abiding support of family and the Holy Spirit.

Dr. Tonya Echols Cole knows cancer intimately. Not only has she worked as an oncologist for decades, she is also a breast cancer survivor. Her unique position of having been both cancer doctor and cancer patient allows her to give real-world advice about how to overcome challenges that cancer survivors face, both during and after treatment. Dr. Cole combines anecdotes from her own cancer journey with personal development strategies and health maintenance advice into a comprehensive prescription for cancer survivors to thrive in a more healthy, confident, and abundant life.

Eli Whitney’s love of inventing and pondering new ideas made him one of America’s greatest inventors. Best known for inventing the cotton gin, one of the most important American inventions of the century, he changed cotton production forever. A few years later, Whitney invented machines to make muskets that were identical. The first mass-manufacturing business in the country, his musket factory revolutionized the way Americans made things.

We need someone with the British mentality to get it done. You Brits are great at what you do. The only problem is that I know when I unleash you I’m going to get a lot more than I ever bargained for’ said the US State Department official who hired Howard Leedham, a former British special forces officer living in America. The task was to energise and lead an American sponsored border security program on the Pakistan side of the Afghan border... And they did get much more than they bargained for.

For as long as Rachel could remember, she wanted to be a wife and mom and the Proverbs 31 woman in order to please God after he miraculously healed her broken collarbone at the age of four. On the surface, she was living the life of her dreams. Yet, deep down she was incredibly unhappy. She felt abandoned by God, unknown and unloved in her marriage, and unseen in motherhood as she tried to fill all the roles and expectations placed upon her.

Lydia Maria Child grew up in the 1800s reading countless books. She defied the idea that girls weren't supposed to fill their minds with ideas and stories. They weren't supposed to write their own books, either, but that is exactly what Lydia Maria did. Although she gained remarkable success as a writer for children and adults, she sacrificed everything when she took up her pen against slavery. Lydia Maria believed that slavery was wrong—and she wasn't afraid to say so. As a result, her courageous words changed her life and helped change the course of American history.

Born a Quaker, Susan B. Anthony grew up being taught that women were equal to men. During her lifetime, she was a teacher, a newspaperwoman, and an activist. She worked to further many causes such as the temperance, the abolitionist, and women's rights movements. Although she didn't live to see her dreams of women's suffrage come true, her tireless dedication to the cause was crucial to its success.

Eileen Kramer has lived the most extraordinary life. Born just after Australia entered World War I, she embraced creativity and adventure from an early age. She danced and painted murals in Karachi; worked as an artist's model in Paris and London; met Ella Fitzgerald and Groucho Marx; and learned the twist from Louis Armstrong. In September 2013, aged ninety-nine, Eileen returned to Australia. Now, at 108, she is still dancing.

After spending a few moments on heaven's front porch with God, he is thrust back into his old life. In the moments that follow, he struggles to find purpose and meaning in the day-to-day grind of life. On his quest he meets some wonderful individuals who support him as he uncovers five principles necessary to move him from just living again to being fully alive. Back from Heaven's Front Porch is about one man's struggle to be alive again after an accident claims the life of his friend and nearly his own.

To appreciate the meaning and beauty of great works of art, we must be familiar with the lives of the geniuses who created them. For in the personalities and life stories of great artists is the key to their masterpieces.

America’s sixth president and son of America’s second president, John Quincy Adams lived an extraordinary life. Beginning as a young boy as secretary for his father during the peace talks that ended the Revolutionary War, Adams served his country as a diplomat, state senator, secretary of state, the president, and as a representative in congress. Through his many speeches, essays, books, and written reports, Adams helped shape America. Today, he is remembered as a great statesman, a scholar, and a poet, just as he hoped he would be.