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Confessions of a
Not-So-Good Catholic Girl is a collection of true tales
about growing up a baby boomer in the Midwest.
These coming-of-age
stories, wide ranging in subject matter, are slices of life,
experiences most of us share:
internal conflicts, personal relationships, life-altering
moments—whether you grew up Catholic or not. Weave in historic
events and pop culture trends and you have a book of nostalgic
adventures that will evoke your own life memories—with laughter,
warmth, and fond reflection.
Some
Excerpts . . .
From
Boy Trouble:
The romance began in the
principal’s office (where a girl is sure to meet the bad boy of her
dreams). He was bold and brash—a lightning-strike version of a sleek
Italian rebel with a full head of dark wavy hair, bulging brown
eyes, and an attitude that would make John Gotti swell with pride.
My mother hated Anthony straight up. Reason number one to call him
mine.
From
Suffering For My Art:
When someone says, “Don’t take it personally,” you are bound to take
it personally. Because it is. When they make it clear they don’t
want you anymore, you’re right back on the school playground, the
last one picked for the game. You are the unwanted morsel of
candy—bit into, spat out, and left abandoned among the empty
crumpled wrappers in the 16-oz. box of chocolates. You are the wad
of repugnant chewed-up Juicy Fruit stuck underneath the school desk,
or church pew. You are the unsolicited piece of junk mail that is so
unwelcome people angrily rip you up microscopic pieces before
tossing you in the garbage - then complete the act by dumping stale
coffee grounds on top of you like a ceremonial burial.
No
matter how much you ache to leave a job, or a marriage, you want to
be the one who leaves. Not the one who is left.
From
Confessions of a Not-So-Good
Catholic Girl: “Bless
me, Father, for I have sinned. It’s been, uh . . .
um . . . I think . . . no . . . I guess . . . well, maybe . .
. uh, probably about . . . four months?
. . . since my last confession.”
I’ve
always found this holy practice bizarre. There you are, kneeling in
a pitch-black closet, confessing all your ungodly behavior to an
authoritative voice that will judge you without even knowing that
you’re really not all that bad a person. This, after actually having
waited in line to totally rat yourself out. This, after having
memorized your sins because you can’t bring the long list into the
confessional since it’s too damned (oops, sorry God, I’ll add that
to the list) dark in there. Still, you’re supposed to keep track of
each and every trespass because the numbers are important to measure
out the penance. You are then forced to underplay your crimes—slyly
altering possible mortal sins to venial—because you don’t want this
Man of God thinking poorly of you. You then ask for forgiveness and
hope The Voice bestows a light sentence. (You’ve already increased
those odds by going to Father A, the kind one, rather than Father B,
who’d make his own mother say the entire rosary. Twice. And with
feeling.)
What It
All Means: I believe life
is a test, the multiple choice kind. Like when Dorothy and the
Scarecrow in The
Wizard of Oz must decide
which direction to take at the four-way crossroad. The fearful ones
choose to turn around and go back. The doubtful ones choose not to
choose and stay stuck in neutral. The brave ones make a decision and
venture on. Perhaps we’re given these tests to see what we do with
our dilemmas. How we handle our relationships with the people in our
lives. We’re not supposed to have all the answers. It’s the process,
the journey, as they say, that provides the best memories—and some
of the best stories. . . .
And precisely what you’ll find in this new book by Deanna Adams.
Click here for upcoming
signings and special events.
To order: Call toll free 1-800-247-6553
Book Description
"Rock 'n' Roll and the Cleveland Connection" is the
first in-depth look at the people, venues, and artists that made
Cleveland the "Rock 'n' Roll Capital of the World."
Author Deanna Adams conducted personal interviews
with more than 300 musicians, managers, deejays, promoters, record
executives, and club owners - all pioneers of this new musical
movement - to compile these chapters in musical history.
From the Publisher
Deanna Adams spent hundreds of hours researching recollections of the
musicians, deejays, journalists, and fans who made up the Cleveland
rock scene from the 1950s to the 1990s. The Kent State University
Press is pleased to be the publisher of this excellent book.
From the Inside Flap
It’s no wonder Cleveland is home to the internationally famous Rock
and Roll Hall of Fame—Cleveland disk jockey Alan Freed coined the
phrase for this new musical phenomenon nearly 50 years ago; Casey
Kasem fine-tuned his long-running broadcasting career in Cleveland;
and Cleveland witnessed the rise of such widely recognized groups as
the James Gang, the Outsiders, Damnation of Adam Blessing, and the
Raspberries. Nearby Canton gave us the O’Jays, and Akron spawned Devo
and Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders. And the rock concert was
practically invented in Cleveland in 1952, when Alan Freed convened
the first Moondog Coronation Ball. By the 1970s Cleveland had become a
proving ground for superstars in the making. "Rock ’n’ Roll and the
Cleveland Connection" is the first in-depth look at the people,
venues, and artists that made Cleveland the "Rock ’n’ Roll Capital of
the World."
About the Author
Deanna Adams is a life-long resident of Cleveland who grew up with
rock music. She is a freelance writer whose articles have appeared in
Northern Ohio Live, Ohio Magazine, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, and
other publications.
Some Comments about this Book:
"This is the Rosetta Stone for those who care about music
and Cleveland. Fans and novices alike will love reading this book
and keeping it for future reference."- Terry Stewart President
and CEO, Rock and Roll hall of Fame and Museum
"Deanna Adams has written an exhaustive, impressive
and highly entertaining piece of pop culture history that puts
Cleveland right where it belongs: at the heart of rock 'n' roll."-
Michael Heaton "Minister of Culture" Cleveland Plain Dealer
"Deanna Adams has done her homework! She has written
THE informative and entertaining journey through Cleveland's own
Rock 'n' Roll history. A great read for any rock fan."- Michael
Anthony Bass player for Van Halen
"Chock-full of details and interesting stories, it
reflects the rich and colorful history that has always been the
genesis of Cleveland's rock 'n' roll scene. While the Rock Hall
offers the sights and sounds of music history, Ms. Adams's book
provides the road map and written documentation of Cleveland's rock
history (including what was happening in rock culture throughout the
nation) in an accurate and entertaining portrayal." - Walt
Tiburski Vice President/General Manager Infinity Broadcasting
Company